In much better conditions than last weeks monsoon, myself, Bob K & Kevin C had a mid-week trip out. We left a sunny Whitworth at 6-30am and arrived at Strid Woods by 7-30am. As we started to tune our ears into the various calls & songs that we normally hear, one noticeable song was missing, a Redstart. Down into the river valley we heard/saw Garden, Willow Warblers, Blackcap, two Mandarin ducks in flight, Common Sandpiper, Dipper, Grey Wagtail. As we climbed up the path a couple of pairs of Pied Flycatchers were seen carrying food for their hungry chicks. Lots of Treecreeper, Blue Tits and Grey Squirrels were observed but no Spotted Flycatcher or Wood Warblers, a calling Cuckoo was heard though. Back at our carpark we spent an hour trying to locate a Redstart without any success. A call into a small disused quarry near Barden Moor revealed: - 2 Red Kite, Buzzard and Kestrel, the local Lapwings did their best to see off the birds of prey.
News that the Great Reed Warbler was still present in the small reed bed at Wintersett Reservoir soon had us making our way past Skipton, Keighley, Shipley and Bradford and onto the M6 then through Wakefield and finally to the Anglers/Wintersett Reservoirs complex. We had no trouble hearing the Great Reed Warbler along with its smaller cousins the Reed Warblers, seeing it proved to be very difficult apart from tiny glances at the bases of the reed bed. A pair of Common Terns kept us happy as we waited about 90 minutes for a good view. News that the male Ferruginous Duck had returned to a small duck pond on Carr Lane, South Kirkby was greeted with surprise.
With our two navigators doing their very best to find the ducks location, we managed to end up behind a row of terraced houses complete with wrecked cars and all manner of rubbish, clearly not the right place! An interesting conversation with the local Lollipop lady soon had us back on track at the opposite end of the town and we finally found the pond and the delightful male Ferruginous Duck. A fellow birder told us about an Iberian Chiff-chaff in the area and he duly walked us up to the area that the bird had been frequenting, but it wasnt heard or seen. After another look at the stunning Ferruginous Duck we decided to head for home and resume our battle along the M62 back into Lancashire, we werent let down!
