Harold Park & Park Dam

Saturday 8th August a.m.

A sunny start with a temperature of 16°C as I headed for the Lake at Harold Park seeing Canadas grazing on the grass. A good number of birds with c40 LBB Gulls & c40 BH Gulls plus Tufteds, Coots, Mallards & Moorhen.  On the island there was a Grey Heron, also a couple of Grey Wagtails, I think there were three adult G.C.Grebes & 3 juveniles.  It was difficult to get them all in view as they move around & dived for food. A bonus was picking out a Shoveler among all the birds.

    Over the road at Park Dam there were three Mute Swans, Tufteds with a female looking after a juvenile a few BH Gulls & a Common Gull.  A couple of Sand Martins flew over & here there were two adult G.C. Grebes with four juveniles. 

Pictures from Harold Park unless noted as Park Dam.

Gt C. Grebe

Juvenile Gt. C. Grebe

Grey Heron

Grey Wagtail

Shoveler 

Tufteds

BH Gull with juvenile

LBB Gulls

Mute Swan at Park Dam

Tufted with chick at Park Dam

Common Gull at Park Dam

Juvenile G.C. Grebes at Park Dam

Juvenile G.C. Grebe at Park Dam

Harold Park 8/8/2026

Harden Moor

Friday 7th August a.m.

A cloudy morning with a temperature of 13°C also a bit windy which kept most of the birds down.  In a more sheltered part of the Moor there was a family of Stonechats, Whitethroat & Willow Warbler.  Others seen on my walk were Kestrel, Meadow Pipit & Goldfinch. 

Stonechat

  

Willow Warbler

Whitethroat

Goldfinch

Denholme Clough to Doe Park Res

Sunday 2nd August a.m.

A beautiful sunny morning with light wind and a temperature of 15°C, there were several Willow Warblers in the Clough with a couple singing.  Also Whitethroats were showing well and a party of Long-tailed Tits were seen, others on the way to the reservoir were Greenfinch, Swallow, Blue Tit & Wren.  In the stream that flows in to the reservoir there was a Grey Wagtail, the res is getting low now with plenty shore line but no waders. As I headed back the highlight of the morning came when a Redstart appeared and posed for several pictures.  

I headed back through the Clough and spotted eight Cows above the path, which are not my favorite animals so my pase quickened as I passed them. I thought I was well passed them, I turned to look back and one was running to catch me up, followed by the rest.  This was unsettling to say the least with all eight of them following me on the narrow path as my pase picked up a little more with 100m to the gate. Thankfully I made it but this spoiled a good mornings walk with some good birds seen.

Redstart

Whitethroat

Willow Warbler

Wren

Greenfinch

Grey Wagtail

The reservoir receding water level

Doe Park Reservoir

Redstart near Doe Park Reservoir 2/8/2026

Redcar Tarn

Saturday 1st August a.m.

A cloudy morning with some sunny spells and a temperature of 15°C, here there were c75 LBB Gulls some on the water and others in the nearby field.  There were also c50 Canadas in the field with two Oystercatchers and eight Pied Wagtails.  On the water a Mallard had several chicks, there was a Grey Heron near the island, overhead were Sand Martins.  Others were Tufteds, Moorhen, Coot, Rook, BH Gull, Lapwing & Jackdaw. 

Lapwing

Oystercatcher

Tufted

  

Pied Wagtail

Mallard with chicks

Grey Heron

LBB Gulls

Redcar Tarn 1/8/2026