Tuesday, 12 May 2020

Tuesday 12th May 2020

Myrtle Park, Bingley - River Aire

A Dipper carrying a ring - later seen on Harden Beck.

A female Goosander on the river – Initially one bird on my first pass, this had increased to two when I came back that way; and then later a third flew downstream – all females
Report and photos: Phil Matthews

Heber's Ghyll, Ilkley


There are at least two singing male Wood Warbler's in the Ghyll.
Keith Allen

Burley in Wharfedale: River Wharfe, between Burley and Otley
Mandarin: female with 6 chicks
Goosander: single female, sadly without young!
Common Buzzard: 4
Swifts: a few Swallow: a few  Sand Martin: many
John Armstrong

Apperley Bridge/Esholt
Blackcap 6, Common Whitethroat 5, Chiffchaff 5
Gadwall 2   Both drakes at separate locations and having seen females recently I'm hoping they may be nesting somewhere in the area. A drake on the river is always in the same spot and he initially had a duck with him.
Heron 5, Common Buzzard, Kestrel 
Sand Martin 15+ above nest bank
Hirundines numerous above filter beds. Roughly 85% House Martin and the rest Swallow, Sand Martin and Swift respectively.
Song Thrush 3 singing, Stock Dove 3, Oystercatcher 3, Bullfinch 5, Chaffinch 2
Teal calling 
Great Spotted Woodpecker 3 (and one pair observed feeding young at nest)

Nuthatch also feeding young in an old GSW nest I found in 2016.  Plastered nicely with mud.

Fly Flatts (Warley Moor Reservoir)
Eight Common Sandpiper, 14 Dunlin, a Ringed Plover, four Redshank and two Oystercatcher.

A Dunlin at Fly Flatts
Report and photo from Brian Sumner                        see more on Brian's blog