I spent the day today at Old Moor RSPB, volunteering at an optics demonstration. It quite a quiet day – I think the downpours of the morning put a few people off – but hopefully we managed to give a few people some scope-buying advice.
I didn’t have much time to look round the reserve, but the highlights were a few greenshank hanging around Wath Ings, which were the first of the year for me, and a turnstone, a species that’s quite rare this far inland, and was buddying up with a ringed plover, which it seemed to never leave the side of! Elsewhere green sandpiper, ruff, little egret and common tern were the best of the rest.
Sadly the garganey that’s been sighted for the last few days wasn’t playing – I’m starting to think this will be one summer visitor I won’t chalk up this year. Also the breeding Med gulls (the first for South Yorkshire!) have moved on. Hopefully they’ll do so again next year and I’ll get chance to see them.
Sheffield Wildlife 