Knotford Nook & Yeadon Tarn

Sunday February 3rd a.m.
Knotford Nook
 A cloudy start at Knotford Nook near Otley with a temperature of 4°C, we parked up
along the road between the lakes checking the lake nearest the main road first. Here we
saw 14 Goldeneye,2 Gt Crested Grebe,BH Gulls,MallardsCoots,Moorhen,Tufted Duck
& Canadas. The views are distant here because of all the restrictions imposed by the
local fishermen with even some new metal fencing to keep the general public out.So not
good for snaps but you still get to see the birds with your bins though gaps in the hedges.
We saw a couple of different type sheep in a field,not sure what breed they were,as we
looked at them we heard a familiar call then two Curlew flew across over the river into a
field.We headed back to check out the other lake seeing c50 Wigeon,4 Goosander,3
Cormorant,a couple more Goldeneye & Tufted Ducks, 3 LT Tits landed briefly in the
tree in front of us.Then we spotted the bird we mainly came to see after reading reports
of it being here a Slavonian Grebe.This was the first time I had seen one and great to see
in its winter plumage although not as spectacular as its summer colour.We then headed off
to Yeadon Tarn seeing another Curlew fly low across the main road in front of us and a bit
further along we saw a Red Kite fly near the road. By the time we stopped to get a snap it
was off in the distance.
Yeadon Tarn
 Good numbers of Mallards,Canadas,Coots,BH Gulls & Tufted Ducks were the main birds
here.We also saw 7 Mute Swan,14 Pochard,2 Cormorant,1 Mandarin along with other
common species rounding off a good mornings birding.

Slavonian Grebe

Red Kite

Not ya normal sheep

Mandarin

Mute Swan

Dunnock

Pochard

Knotford Nook