2019 Wildlife Diary/Treeton Nature Diary

Late Autumn early Winter

Despite being out and about most days very little of note to report

Saturday 12 October

The poor autumn continues with wildfowl counts at the main sites much lower than usual. Orgreave held nothing of note species or number wise. Treeton Dyke had an impressive cut of 135 Coot, but only one one Gadwall. Catcliffe Flash had a good selection of wildfowl including 6 Shovelers and 18 Wigeon.

Monday 7 October

C80 Redwings flew SE over the village 1200 hrs.

Wednesday 2 October

Very wet out, there after heavy rain in recent days. The Rother rose over its lower banks, but thankfully did not flood Catcliffe Flash. The path through the reeds at Bolehill Flash is impassable due to high water levels. Over 200 Black headed Gulls on the flooded field next to the Oxbow at Treeton Meadows. Three Roe Deer on the flood bank next to Bolehill Flash.

Saturday 14 September

Meadow to the south of Treeton Dyke c30 Stock Doves.

Biffa Tip to the north of Treeton looking towards the Parish Church. Top 2006 - Lower 2019. The latest conservation craze is rewilding, which basically means allowing grassland, once home to ground nesting birds, butterflies and orchids to turn to scrub of little wildlife value!

Thursday 5 September

Catcliffe Flash first returning male Wigeon noted.

Saturday 31 August

Beaumont Park Estate Treeton Hobby flew over SW at rooftop height 1420hrs. Presumably after one of the local House Martins!

Wednesday 28 August

Bolehill Flash my first Spotted Flycatcher in the Treeton area for over 20 years. A juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker was a rare sight, these days locally.

Saturday 24 August

River Rother under M1 8 Grey Wagtails flew off towards Treeton Sewerage Works. On the field with a proposal for housing development near Treeton Grange, a flock of around 60 Linnet.

Thursday 8 August

Treeton Dyke the drake Common Scoter still present, along with the regular Common Gull. 30 plus Jackdaws flew east over the village at dusk.

Tuesday 6 August

Treeton Dyke the drake Common Scoter from Orgreave was present early morning.

Sunday 4 August.

Wildfowl Count Sunday

Orgreave Lakes Tufted Duck 95, Coot 80. Highlight was a drake Common Scoter that approached very close and then flew off south at 0735.

Treeton Dyke Mallard 40,Tufted 26, Coot Common Gull keeping up its daily appearances. My first Common Sandpiper of the year here.

Catcliffe Flash 53 Gadwall was all of note.

Monday 29 July

Fist returning Teal, being 3 at the SE end of Treeton Dyke.

Tuesday 16 July

Treeton Dyke What I presume is the same adult Common Gull, has returned to perch on the buoys during the mornings, for the third year running.

Sunday 7 July

Wildfowl Count Sunday. Orgreave Little Egret 4, An influx of Tufted Duck after a while, took the count to at least 109, non at other local sites. Disappointingly many female Tufteds, suggesting another poor breeding season. No Coot on the Main Lake, though 86 on the Nature Reserve Lake. Great Crested Grebe 32 plus 2 juvs. Treeton Dyke A slight build up of Coots at 39. Great Crested Grebes trying to build floating nest at the southern end. Will almost certainly be washed away, from the wake of the ever increasing size of boats, using the Dyke these days! Catcliffe Flash usual build up of Mallard min 65, for the moult period. After nearly 40 years of recording birds here, I finally had my first Hobby. It was hunting dragonflies, but keeping low.

Saturday 6 July

I was kindly invited to view over 150 Soprano Pipistrelles emerge from a roost in Firbeck Rotherham.

The above video is all the bats, that emerged during a period of 7:35 minutes, edited down to just over a minute. The last 4 bats out are in slow motion. It's incredible that bats find gaps so small, and manage to communicate the location of the roost, to so many others!

Thursday 4 July

Treeton Dyke Two Little Egrets roosting at southern end, Kingfisher.

Sunday 30 June

Treeton Dyke Two Common Terns early morning.

Saturday 29 June

Friday 28 June

Notable influx of Painted Lady butterflies in the Treeton area. A Hobby was hawking dragonflies at the southern end of Treeton Dyke mid-afternoon.

Thursday 25 April

Around midday along the floodbank at Catcliffe Flash, I found one of the most unexpected birds ever on the reserve. A strange looking pheasant allowed very close approach, as it walked along the waters edge. I was baffled to its identity, but managed to take plenty of photos. A search of modern bird books could find nothing like it. Andy Deighton identified it with ease from his east Asia trips as a male Reeves's Pheasant. I had forgotten all about this species, which used to be older bird guides as a feral European species. Completely baffled as where it could have come from, there is no known bird collections in the immediate area.

Sunday 22 April

Despite doing three hour plus walks around Treeton most days, I have been unable to find or photograph anything of any great interest, so far in April. Today I had my first Reed Warblers singing at Bolehill Flash. On Forgemasters Tip, a rare appearance from two Skylarks, which later were seen to fly back to the Orgreave area. This used to be a top site for Skylark, but due to lack of management, it been many years since they last bred. Woodpeckers have been scarce all year, so it was a pleasant surprise, when I heard a Great Spotted first drumming at the southern end of Hail Mary Hill Wood, then I observed a male at the northern end. For some days now I have been watching a pair of Treecreeper at a nest in the wood behind peeling bark. They seem to be taking food into the nest, suggesting young have hatched already.

Thursday 11 April

Visited a number of reserves along the Dearne Valley. Impressed by the large amounts of money that have and are being spent on conservation projects along the valley. Adwick RSPB Reserve just seems to get better and just shows what can happen, when you can exclude people and dogs from an area, but still have plenty of places to walk around. Its a pity nothing can happen like this in the Rother Valley. The previous day the Environment Agency cut the grass at Catcliffe Flash earlier than ever this year, destroying all plants, invertebrates and disturbing any early nesting wildfowl in the process. I doubt if it would happen next to a nature reserve in the Dearne Valley.

Sunday 17 March

Monday 11 March

Near Morthern Two pairs of Willow tits found by Morthern Brook during survey work. Treeton Dyke single Treecreeper and two Siskin NW end.

Sunday 3 March

Friday 1 March

Below Treeton Cricket Pitch Green Woodpecker calling, rare these days.

Tuesday 26 February

The unusual warm weather, brought some butterflies out. Hail Mary Hill Wood two Treecreepers, Comma butterfly. Treeton Grange Small Tortoiseshell. Treeton Tip Buzzard 4 soaring mid-day.

Monday 25 February

Treeton Wood a male Great Spotted Woodpecker calling. Treeton Meadows Oxbow 42 Wigeon.

Sunday 24 February

R. Rother 5 Linnets by M1. Old Flatts Farm 6 Tree Sparrows.

Wednesday 20 February

Forgemasters Tip 80 plus Redpols most Lesser. but some paler birds present, difficult due to the early morning gloom. Feeding high in Silver Birchs on seeds, making a cloud of skins falling to the ground.

Monday 18 February

Hail Mary Hill Wood Two Nuthatch, one being very vocal.

Sunday 17 February Highlights from WeBS counts

Orgreave Lakes Wigeon 29, Gadwall 17, Pochard 51, Coot 45, Black-headed Gull 880.

Treeton Dyke Pochard 15, Tufted Duck 29 Goldeneye 5, Coot 61.

Catclifffe Flash Great Crested Grebe 1, Gadwall 30, Pochard 9, Tufted Duck 13, Coot 30. Mallard number still very low, with only 5 today.

Monday 11 February

Treeton Dyke still good numbers Herring Gulls 52 a notable arrival of a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a Common Gull. Song Thrushes have made made a return, after being scarce all winter, with a couple singing today. Hail Mary Hill Wood Nuthatch.

Wednesday 6 February

Little to report out of the ordinary of late, despite long daily walks. Over the last few days an influx of Song Thrushes, that have been scarce all winter. A Coal Tit was singing in Hail Mary Hill Wood. A flock of over 100 Fieldfares were feeding in the arable field above Treeton Tip.

Monday 21 January Highlights from WeBS Counts

Orgreave Lakes Wigeon 26, Pochard 74, Tufted Duck 25, Goldeneye 3, Coot 70, Lapwing 138, Great Black-backed Gull 17.

Treeton Dyke Gadwall 10, Pochard 7, Tufted Duck 26, Coot 102, Kingfisher 2.

Catcliffe Flash Wigeon 6, Gadwall 57, Shoveler 6, Cormorant 5. As in previous recent winters, Mallard numbers very low only 4 on view today.

Sunday 20 January

Catcliffe Flash 3 Shelducks mid-morning.

Monday 14 January

Bolehill Flash 2 Water Rails calling.

Sunday13 January

Treeton Sewerage Works 30+ Pied Wagtails left early morning.

Saturday12 January

Treeton Meadows Oxbow 53 Wigeon.

Wednesday 9 January

Treeton Dyke Common Gull. Biffa Tip North Woodcock. Bolehill Flash Snipe.

Monday 7 January

Treeton Dyke the larger gulls are still calling in mid-morning to bathe Herring Gull 84, Great Black-backed Gull 18 at 0920 hrs. With a constant turnover, numbers much larger over the morning.

Sunday 6 January

Flatts Farm 3 Tree Sparrows on their favourite Elder Tree, were the first for a while.

Tuesday 1 January

For the first time in many years decided to undertake a New Years Day bird list around Treeton. Starting in the urban areas Wood Pigeon, Feral Pigeon, Collared Dove, Blue Tit, House Sparrow, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Starling, Chaffinch, Blackbird. Moving on to some of the fields to the north of Spa House Farm Great Black-backed Gull c16, Herring Gull c60. Buzzard 4, Fieldfare c80. At the edge of Bolehill Plantation Pheasant, Dunnock, Linnet, Goldfinch. Treeton Sewerage Works Robin, Long-tailed Tit, Pied Wagtail, Rook and a small flock of Greylag Geese flew over. Long Lane Redwing. Blue Man's Bower Greenfinch 3. River Rother near M1 Stock Dove, Grey Wagtail, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Mallard. Bolehill Flash Great Tit. Oxbow, Treeton Meadows Wigeon. Catcliffe Flash Cormorant, Teal, Gadwall, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Black-headed Gull. Orgreave Site/Lakes Pochard, Goldeneye, Goosander, Lapwing, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Bullfinch. Treeton Dyke (Water skiing in progress!) Canada Goose. Hail Mary Hill/Falconer Wood dead apart from a few Blackbirds and Grey Squirrels.

Total, a very poor 48 species, in 4 1/2 hours. I think my past record was about 67 species.