Another enjoyable birding year with a total of over 100 species of local birds which is a reasonable number for me.It was good to add two new birds to my lifers list these being
Bittern and
Garganey and getting some new birds in the local area such as
Pintail.
I've produced my top ten below, hope you like them and lets hope 2019 brings some returning favourites and a couple of new birds as well.
Happy New Year.
Nigel.
10. Green Woodpecker. This bird I'm always pleased to see as it is elusive and often you only hear it so to see it and be close enough for a good picture on Harden Moor was great.
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| Green Woodpecker - Harden Moor 19/5/2018 |
9. Treecreeper. This is a fairly common bird but not always easy to see and because it moves quickly up a tree trunk is difficult to get a photo of.I was fortunate to find one at Lister Park which was seemingly having a shower in a small waterfall.
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| Treecreeper - Lister Park 4/11/2018 |
8. Common Tern. This bird returns regularly to the area but it was on a visit to Swillington Ings that I caught up with this one posing well for some pictures.
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| Common Tern - Swillington Ings 19/4/2018 |
7. Goosander with chicks. I see Goosanders regularly through Autumn and Winter but this was the first time I have seen one with some chicks at Bolton Abbey which was brilliant.
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| Goosander with chicks - Bolton Abbey 21/5/2018 |
6. Mandarin with chicks. This was the first time I've seen a Mandarin with chicks also at Bolton Abbey and again wonderful to see.
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| Mandarin with chicks - Bolton Abbey 21/5/2018 |
5. Kingfisher. This I think is my favourite bird which you can see flying past on rivers and canals in the local area.Sometimes you are lucky enough to see them perched looking for fish and at Dowley Gap I got some good pictures recently.However the one I've chosen is from Rodley Nature Reserve where I saw this one with a fish.
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| Kingfisher - Rodley NR 9/12/2018 |
4. Wigeon & Pintail. On a visit to Doe Park Reservoir I saw some Wigeon on the water and got a couple of pictures, they took to the air soon after circling above enabling me to get a few more photos.It wasn't until I got home that I could see from the pictures that there was a Pintail with them my first in the local area.
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| Wigeon & Pintail - Doe Park Reservoir 29/9/2018 |
3. Pied Flycatcher. This is a fairly rare returning visitor so I was pleased to get a picture of this one at Bolton Abbey.
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| Pied Flycatcher - Bolton Abbey 21/5/2018 |
2. Garganey. Delighted to get this lifer on a visit to Swillington Ings.
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| Garganey - Swillington Ings 19/4/2018 |
1. Bittern. I've heard the booming of the Bittern during several visits to Swillington Ings but on this occasion some BH Gulls made a commotion as this bird flew past.I was delighted to see and get a few pictures of the elusive Bittern, a lifer for me.
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| Bittern - Swillington Ings 19/4/2018 |
