Welcome
This website is a diary/log of the wildlife seen in and around our local patch at Rawmarsh near Rotherham, South Yorkshire. In particularly, our back garden which is used as a site for observing the daily visible migration/movement of bird's through the Rawmarsh area. We will also include sightings of our outings/trips further afield.
On this page, there is a 'Recent Sightings' section giving details of wildlife sightings for particular areas in and around Rawmarsh. There is also a 'Recent photos' section of interesting photographs taken by the author, and links to archived records and photos.
To enlarge an image - just click on it.
Any questions, comments, or ideas for improvement would be welcomed, as would interesting records or photographs from the area. Thanks!
Recent Sightings
Saturday 24 March 2012
Breeze. Fog till mid-afternoon. Warm sunshine
GARDEN: 4 Long-tailed Tits briefly 10.30hrs
OLD MOOR RSPB: Little Egret, 4 Dunlin over Mere, 3 Sand Martins west, 6 Oystercatcher and 4 Redshank. A Red Admiral was seen, a rare early spring sighting.
ELSECAR RESERVOIR: GARGANEY - 1 pr, Wigeon - 1 pr. Seeing these attractive ducks on Elsecar brought back memories of my first visit way back in April 1976 when a drake Garganey was present and a Bar-tailed Godwit dropped in briefly. A great day for a novice teenage birder.
Saturday 17 March 2012
NETTLETON HOLIDAY PARK, LINCOLNSHIRE
The weekends highlights from our first visit of the year included:-
Great Crested Grebe: 1 (Quarry ponds)
Heron: 1
Greylag Geese: 6
Canada Geese: 10
Shelduck: 2 prs
Gadwall: 1 pr (First site record)
Teal: 9 S on 17th with a pair present following day.
Tufted Duck: 31 (Quarry Ponds)
Buzzard: 6 in air on 17th
Sparrowhawk: 1 pr displaying.
Red-legged Partridge: 2 prs
GLOSSY IBIS: 1 bird came in low over the site from the S. on the 17th and landed in field briefly before heading off NE 15.37hrs. A cracking bird and a lifer for Daniel!
Ringed Plover: 5 W on 17th
Oystercatcher: 2 prs
GBBGull: 2 N
Great Spotted Woodpecker: 2
Green Woodpecker: 1
Treecreeper: 1
Chiffchaff: 1 singing on 17th
Linnet: 3 prs
Yellowhammer: 4
Reed Bunting: 1
Saturday 10 March 2012
STUBBIN OLD PIT SITE - (07.00-09.30hrs)
Sightings included:-
Cormorant: 1 W
Heron: 2 SW
Mallard: 2 E
Red-legged Partridge: 1 pr
Grey Partridge: 1
Lapwing: 3 prs
BHGull: c60
Common Gull: 1 ad
Little Owl: 1
Skylark: 7 singing
Meadow Pipit: Group of 21 in set-aside
Pied Wagtail: 2 N
Song Thrush: 2 singing
Jay: 2
Linnet: 2 prs
Goldfinch: 2 prs
Yellowhammer: 10+
Rawmarsh Area - March - 68
BOLTON INGS, DEARNE VALLEY
A summer plumaged BLACK-NECKED GREBE was present on the large lake late morning.
Unfortunately, we had to make do with some distant views of this very scarce passage migrant and presume that the bird is the Wintersett bird re-locating. A good year tick!
OLD MOOR RSPB- PART 1
Daniel had rather distant views of a large bird heading north, high over the Mere @ 13.30hrs. His initial thoughts were that the bird would turn out to be a Buzzard but was surprised to find that it was a very large Corvid, possibly a Raven.
He got a few record shots of the bird and we would appreciate any comments on the id of the bird as I understand that it would only be the second record for Old Moor if confirmed.
OLD MOOR RSPB -PART 2
Other highlights at Old Moor included Shelduck, Buzzard, Green Sandpiper, a couple of calling Water Rails and a singing Cetti's Warbler. (See Images)
WENTWORTH LAKES
Full List:-
Great Crested Grebe: 16
Heron: 6+
Cormorant: 2
Greylag Geese: 1
Canada Geese: 1 pr
Tufted Duck: 1m
Goosander: 1m
Buzzard: 3
Kestrel: 1
Lapwing: 2 prs
Great Spotted Woodpecker: 2 drumming
Little Owl: 1
Nuthatch: 2
Treecreeper: 1
Willow Tit: 1
Coal Tit: 1
Yellowhammer: 4
Thursday 8 March 2012
GARDEN VIS-MIG
Today's sightings included:-
Cormorant: 3 NW
Kestrel: 1
BHGull: 34 N
LBBGull: 10 N
Grey Wagtail: 1 N
Tuesday 6 March 2012
GARDEN VIS-MIG
Sightings today included:-
Cormorant: 2 N
Golden Plover: 155 NW
Herring Gull: 6 N
Monday 5 March 2012
GARDEN VIS-MIG
Todays sightings included:-
Cormorant: 2 SW
Greylag Geese: 2 N @ 07.50hrs
Common Buzzard: 3 W @ 13.10hrs
Lapwing: 2 W
Golden Plover: 44 NW @ 16.50hrs
WENTWORTH LAKES - (!7.00-18.30hrs)
Full List:-
Great Crested Grebe: 21 (See Image)
Cormorant: 2 E
Mute Swan: 1
Canada Geese: 1 pr
Greylag Geese: 27
Heron: 3 prs (See Image)
Tufted Duck: 2
Sparrowhawk: 1
Kestrel: 1
Common Buzzard: 2
Red-legged Partridge: 2 pr
Woodcock: 1 roding bird
GBBGull: 2 NW
Little Owl: 2 calling
Tawny Owl: 1 calling
Kingfisher: 1 pr (See Image)#
Stock Dove: 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker: 1
Redwing: 30
Song Thrush: 2 singing
Nuthatch: 2
Yellowhammer: 2
Reed Bunting 1 singing male
Sunday 4 March 2012
STUBBIN OLD PIT SITE - (07.00-08.00hrs)
A miserable day with persisitent rain and low cloud for most of the morning but despite the conditions we had a very enjoyable stroll around the area, adding a few species to March's local bird list.
Full List:-
Canada Geese: 2 SW
Grey Partridge: 1 pr
Red-legged Partridge: 2 pr
Lapwing: 4 prs in area.
Herring Gull: 1 SE
GBBGull: 2 SE
Common Gull: 1 ad SE
Stock Dove: 1
Skylark: 5 singing males
Meadow Pipit: 6
Song Thrush: 2 singing
Wren: 6 singing
Robin: 5 singing
Green Woodpecker: 1 calling regularly
Lesser Redpoll: 2 calling birds N
Linnet: 1 pr
Yellowhammer: 4 singing males
Reed Bunting: 1 m singing (Greasborough Lane Marsh)
HIGH STREET CEMETERY, RAWMARSH - (08.10-09.00hrs)
Sightings included:-
Sparrowhawk: 1 hunting
Great Spotted Woodpecker: 1 drumming
Goldcrest: 1
Willow Tit: 1 singing (Local Year tick)
Long-tailed Tit: 1 pr
Bullfinch: 3
Birds - Rawmarsh Area - 2012 - 81/ March - 65
Saturday 3 March 2012
ALDWARKE SF - (07.30-08.00hrs)
Full List:-
Cormorant: 3 SW
Mute Swan: 5 SW
Greylag Geese: 1 pr
Gadwall: 4 pr
Teal: 6
Mallard: 5
Kestrel: 1 pr
Pheasant: 8
Coot: 2 pr
Moorhen: 3 pr
Grey Wagtail: 1
REED BUNTING: 1 singing male (First local bird of the year)
Bullfinch: 3
Goldfinch: 6
Rawmarsh Area - 2012 - 80
RIVER DON, EASTWOOD TO ALDWARKE LOCK - (08.00-09.00hrs)
Sightings included:-
Little Grebe: 1
Cormorant: 4 on pylon
Mute Swan: 2
Tufted Duck: 19
Teal: 10
Gadwall: 6
Goosander: 1 pr
Redwing: 9
Coal Tit: 1
Bullfinch: 3
Birds- Rawmarsh Area - March - 50
OLD MOOR RSPB - PART 1
A large flock of 44 Whooper Swans were present on the wader scrape until 11.45hrs when they flew NW and were later seen heading over Wintersett.
March is one of the best months to catch up with these majestic birds as they head back north on their return journey to their breeding grounds in Iceland.
OLD MOOR RSPB - PART 2
Other interesting sightings on the reserve included:-
Goldeneye: 4
Pochard: 6
Goosander: 2
Buzzard: 2
Kestrel: 2 (See Image)
Sparrowhawk: 1
Peregrine: 1 over the Mere (See Image)
Golden Plover: c300 over
Lapwing: c400
Oystercatcher: 3
Redshank: 2 (See Image)
LBBGull: ! pr displaying
Common Gull: 2
Cetti's Warbler: 1 singing
Willow Tit: 1
Reed Bunting: 3 singing males
Linnet: 5
Friday 2 March 2012
GARDEN VIS-MIG - (15.30-17.30hrs)
Buzzard:- 1 SW
Golden Plover: 12 N
Redwing: 7 SW
Mistle Thrush: 1 over
Pied Wagtail: 1 NW
Siskin: 2 E
Thursday 1 March 2012
GARDEN VIS-MIG
A new month, a lovely day and a pretty good start to our Rawmarsh area bird list for March.
Plenty of species were on the move during the day and the garden feeders were also busy.
Highlights:-
Cormorant: 10 SW @ 08.00hrs
Common Buzzard: 1 drifted N @ 10.45hrs
Golden Plover: 10 W
Lapwing: 4 SW
BHGull: 65 on the playing field
LBBGull: 4 NW
Herring Gull: 17 N @ 17,20hrs
Skylark: 2 SW and 3 singing on top field
Meadow Pipit: 3 NW and 13 on top field
Fieldfare: 1 E
Mistle Thrush: 2 over
Long-tailed Tit: 5 briefly in trees @ 07.15hrs
Siskin: 1 NW
Yellowhammer: 1m SW @ 07.55hrs
Also seen were Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Crow, Rook, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch & Goldfinch.
A Small Tortoishell was also seen, our first butterfly of 2012.
Birds - Rawmarsh Area - March - 32
ROSEHILL PARK
A Nuthatch was calling @ 16.45hrs
Birds - Rawmarsh - March - 33
Tuesday 28 February 2012
GARDEN VIS-MIG - (15.30-17.30hrs)
Sughtings over the garden included:-
Cormorant: 2 SW
Lapwing: 4 W
Golden Plover: 23 SE 17.10hrs
Herring Gull: 2 N
Monday 27 February 2012
GARDEN
A solitary Long=tailed Tit paid a brief visit @ 07.30hrs before heading off towards Monkwood.
STUBBIN OLD PIT SITE - (17.00-18.15hrs)
Just had time to fit in a short visit around the site before dusk.
Highlights:-
Greylag Geese: 2 E
Heron: 1 in field flew off to NW
Mallard: 1 N
Pheasant: 4
Red-legged Partridge: 1 pr
Tawny Owl: 1 calling bird
Fieldfare: 45
Redwing: 4
Song Thrush: 3 singing
Yellowhammer: 6
Sunday 26 February 2012
GARDEN VIS-MIG
Todays sightings included:-
Cormorant: 1 SW @ 07.30hrs
Common Buzzard: 2 W @ 15.30hrs
Sparrowhawk: 2 sightings
kestrel: 1
Lapwing: 10 W
Golden Plover: c110 circled to the NW for c10 mins 07.50hrs
Common Gull: 1 SW
LBBGull: 4 NW
Herring Gull: 21 N
GBBGull: 2 N
ORGREAVE LAKES - (16.30-17.45hrs)
The presence of a '1st winter/2nd year' Iceland Gull late on Saturday evening had us heading over on the off chance that the bird would repeat the visit and return to the roost the next night.
There were plenty of the larger winter gulls present when we arrived but we could not locate the Iceland Gull and we had to leave at 5.45pm. However, we arrived home home and found out that the same bird had returned to the roost at 17.58hrs.
But we had a very enjoyable hour or so sifting through around 100-150 gulls and it was the first time that Daniel had experienced a South Yorkshire gull roost.
Good numbers of Goosander (c70) were present and a small group of 6 Goldeneye were nice to see along with a Shelduck.
Saturday 25 February 2012
GARDEN VIS MIG
The days sighting's included:-
Cormorant: 2 SW
Heron: 1 N
Sparrowhawk: 1
Kestrel: 1
Buzzard: 4 in the air
Pheasant: 1 bird calling from the top field
Lapwing: 1 SW
Golden Plover: 54 N
LBBGull: 1 N
BHGull: 61 on playing field
Common Gull: 1 ad on playing field
Skylark: 4 singing males on top field
Meadow Pipit: 3+
Fieldfare: 1 N
Song Thrush: 1 singing
Pied Wagtail: 1 N
Wren: 2 singing in vicinity (See Image)
Linnet: 4 N
OLD MOOR RSPB - (14.00-17.00hrs)
A busy afternoon around the reserve with a few returning waders present. Spring isn't too far away.
Full List:-
Great Crested Grebe: 2
Little Grebe: 2
Cormorant: 8+
Heron: 1
Mute Swan: 4
Little Egret: 1
Canada Geese: 50+
Shovelar: 14
Pochard: 6+
Goldeneye: 3
Gadwall: 30+
Teal: 50+
Goosander: 2
Kestrel: 2
Lapwing: 100+
Redshank: 1
Oystercatcher: 2
Green Sandpiper: 2
LBBGull: 1
BHGull: 200+
Common Gull: 3
GBBGull: 1 W
Willow Tit: 2 (See Image)
Yellowhammer: 3+
Reed Bunting: 10+
Bullfinch: 4
Sunday 19 February 2012
GARDEN VIS-MIG - (07.15-09.45hrs)
Today's sightings included:-
Cormorant: 1 SW
Heron: 1 SW
Buzzard: 3 E
Kestrel: 1
Golden Plover: 8 N
Lapwing: 27 N
Herring Gull: 4 SW
GBBGull: 4 N & 6 SW
Stock Dove: 1 W
Saturday 18 February 2012
WROOT, NEAR DONCASTER
Bit of a twitch across the border into NE Lincolnshire this morning in order to catch up with a small flock of Berwick Swans ( A scarce bird in our area and a year tick) and Tundra Bean Geese that have been present for a few days.
We had no problem locating the birds but there was no chance of getting close, due to the distance of the flock viewable from the road.
Around 6 Berwick's were seen accompanying the much larger Mute Swans and the geese were just visible but \Daniel did get a slightly better quality record shot.
A female Merlin flew low over the field as we were observing the geese and swans, a year tick for Daniel and a bit of a bonus.
NETTLETON HOLIDAY PARK, LINCOLNSHIRE
Our first visit of the year produced a few decent sightings.
Full List:-
Cormorant: 1 ad over
Goosander: 1 redhead flew W (First site record)
Mallard: 2
Common Buzzard: 4 overhead
Peregrine: 1 male low over woodland
Kestrel: 1
GBBGull: 2 W
Common Gull: c60 W
Stock Dove: 1 W
Kingfisher: 1 briefly around fishing pond
Redwing: 1
Lesser Redpoll: 2 (See Image)
Siskin: 2 over
Bullfinch: 1
A Weasel was spotted moving very quickly along the top of the stream.
Friday 17 February 2012
GARDEN VIS-MIG - (07.30-09.45hrs)
Plenty going on this morning with a decent northwards passage of gulls the most noteworthy.
Full List:-
Cormorant: 1 SW
Grey Heron: 1 N @ 09.23hrs (See Image)
Mallard: 4 N
Sparrowhawk: 1 over
Kestrel: Usual bird hunting over top field
Golden Plover: 16 NW @ 09.05hrs
Lapwing: 7 W & 12 NW
Common Gull: 2 N
Herring Gull: Total of 83 N (Largest party 21)
GBBGull: 3 N
Skylark: 3 N
Pied Wagtail: 3 NW
To see more records visit the Archived Records section.