Dowley Gap, Bingley

Saturday 24th March
  Our plans to go birding early this morning were scuppered by thick fog so we didn't set
off till late morning when the fog began to clear with a temperature of 10°C.We went to
Dowley gap in Bingley with the fog slowley lifting and some hazy sunshine breaking through
there were Greylags and Canadas in the field behind the canal. On the canal were several
Mallards and a Grey Wagtail at the side, in the trees were Great/Blue Tits,Chaffinch and
Greenfinch. We took the path in to Hirst Wood seeing a Mute Swan,Mallards, and two female
Goosanders on the water, a Kingfisher flew away from us and later we saw it fly back down the
river. A Dipper was feeding among the stones on the opposite side of the river, in the woods
we saw Nuthatch,Treecreeper,Wrens,Blackbirds and Woodpigeons. Walking back towards
the canal a Wren was singing loudly and we spotted a couple of Pied Wagtails and on the roof
of a building at the sewage works was a pair of Oystercatchers.

female Goosander

Goosanders

Dipper

Dipper

Grey Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

Wren singing amonst the flies

Nuthatch

Oystercatcher