May 2011 - Lakeside Little Gulls!

Wednesday 2nd: This afternoon was wonderfully warm, so much so that I was out on the island at Lakeside...with no coat on! Makes a change to have a warm sunny day amidst these past weeks of rain! I'd set up my scope at the edge of the island so that I could get a good sweep all around the lake area. The Willow Warbler that I had just had a close encounter with was continually singing and did for the entire hour I was there. The Warbler was most obliging and perched openly so that I got some good photos.

Sweeping the lake, there were the usual Black-headed Gulls with their summer plumage fully blossomed. But there on one of the buoys was a Tern! Good views of it through the scope and photos too. Eventually (when I got home),  Mel and I decided that it was a Common Tern and not an Arctic Tern as I had first suggested!

As I swept the scope further around the lake, three (out of place) gulls came into view. These I had not seen before but in the scope could easily identify them as Little Gulls. These are the smallest gulls known and are about 25% smaller than a Black-headed Gull. Usually only found around the coast, they do come inland occasionally, with reports of Little Gulls at Old Moor RSPB too. Immediately recognisable by the jet-black plumage of the head and neck, whereas the chocolate-brown of Black-headed Gulls, end at the back of the head. The three Little Gulls were identified as two adults and their offspring - one 2nd year gull, as can be seen from the incomplete black plumage around the bill. Two of my photos have been published on the doncasterbirding website and that is where the immature gull was identified as a 2nd year gull.

2nd Winter Little Gull.

Two adults and 2nd winter Little Gulls.

Black-headed Gull and Little Gull for comparison.

Two femaleCommon Coots were also nesting at the lake. One of which was being attended by a male, Great Crested Grebes were there and I counted 2 pairs but there are more around in the marina. Loads of Mute Swans, about 35 and Mallard along with Tufted Duck and some resident Canada Geese.

Maiting 7-spot Ladybirds

So in the space of an hour, I had three summer species of bird, one of which, the Little Gulls was a FIRST for me!

December 2010 - Lakeside still frozen!

Friday 31st: After dropping my sister-in-law off at the railway station I motored on over to the Lakeside to see if anything interesting was about. The thaw that started a few days ago has got rid of any lingering snow but the ice is still covering the lake and substantially thick, although in places, the very slow thaw has begun.

So there are groups of waterfowl spread out on the ice, some slipping as they precariously waddled over the ice. A large flock of Mute Swans and Canada Geese are camped-out by the beach and get fed by people from time-to-time. Black-headed Gulls, Coots and Mallards also add to the throng.

This morning, the mist was lying low and heavy on the lake and still hadn't lifted by 11:30am when I left for home. Although the air is damp, the temperature has risen a few degrees... it's now a balmy +4°c! Over on the far side of the lake, not noted for being seen on the here, were a pair of Shovelers which made a slippery landing but departed after 5 minutes. A small group of Teal were huddled together in a group on the stadium-side of the lake, which is also unusual. Judging by the ice, and although there are large cracks, it still appears to be quite thick and I suspect that it will need another few days of moderate temperatures to melt the ice.

On the way back home, I stopped-off at Cantley Park... nothing much doing there either! So just to get a record snap, I grabbed a photo of the iced-pond.

December 2010: Donny Lakeside Frozen

Sunday 26th: The exceptionally cold weather is unrelentless! Temperatures are still well below zero and as a consequence, the fish pond in the back garden has been frozen for days now. This morning, one or two birds ran across the ice covering the pond and when a Pied Wagtail did the same, Mel took this snap prior to it having a cold bath!

The Lakeside, where a variety of waterfowl hang out, has completely frozen over and with a thickness of about 2 - 3 inches! I knew that some of it was frozen but not as much as I saw! I drive past the Lakeside on my way to work each morning and the light dusting of snow had fallen onto the ice and itself frozen.

The grassland around the lake that the geese use is rock hard with no tufts of grass to be eaten. Canada Geese, Black-headed Gulls and various other waterfowl walked the ice in search of food. Later in the coming week a thaw should eat into the icy conditions.

November 2010 - Old Moor RSPB in the snow

Sunday 28th: It was bitterly cold today! With overnight temperatures dropping to -7, the snow from last Friday night, froze. Still, undeterred, a trip out to Lakeside and Old Moor RSPB was the plan. But first a visit over to the town centre Tesco where there was a faint chance of seeing Waxwings. Unfortunately, no sign at all of the elusive bird that has spread across the country this autumn. It seems that the Doncaster area is a no-go zone for these brightly coloured Scandinavian birds! We did see a Song Thrush perched on top of the clock tower spire above the store and a few Blackbirds, Robin and various members of the Tit family.

So onto Donny Lakeside in search of a Black Redstart that had been seen there yesterday. Well... you guessed, no sign at all. What we did catch sight of, though purely by accident and if we had been paying attention, we would have got a good close view, was a Kingfisher! It had been perched close to us and we watched as it flew at low-level across the surface of the lake to the other shore. A Cormorant perched on a buoy in the middle of the lake, with its beak raised to the sky with indifference! Plenty of other waterfowl; Canada Geese, Mute Swans, Tufted Ducks, Mallards and Pochards.... and of course, the ever-present Black-headed Gulls standing on the frozen lake along with 2 Herring Gulls... oh, and... the Coots.

A twenty minute drive over to Old Moor RSPB through the snowy countryside. It was perishingly cold! At the garden hide were many song birds namely Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Bulfinch, Blue Tits, Great Tits and Long-tailed Tits.

A couple of Pheasants were also in attendance. Over at the Tree Sparrow farm Sandra and myself saw at least two Yellowhammers, with several Tree Sparrows, Chaffinches and several Magpies.

The lakes were frozen and what water fowl were there, were massed together over where the water was still ice-free. Quite a few Wigeon could be seen together with Mallards, 8 Goosanders. a small flock of Golden Plover stood on the ice in a long line facing into the bitting wind.

Interspersed were with the Golden Plover were Lapwings. A fellow birder pointed-out a Peregrine Falcon perched high on a pylon. Well even through the scope I couldn't identify it as it was so far away as the photo shows. But he assured us that it was indeed a Peregrine Falcon.
Walking back to get a cuppa, someone shouted, "Waxwings!" We all looked up but again we couldn't be sure. Now for that hot cuppa tea and home! Though my toes and fingers were frozen... it was a good day out.

October 2010 - Slavonian Grebe at Doncaster Lakeside!

Thursday 7th: Well, at the third time of asking... I finally twitched this rare visitor! For the past three days I have trekked around the lake looking for the Slavonian Grebe, during my 30-minute lunch break from Work and during the last 2 hours before sunset after Work! It turned-out that if I was at one end of the lake, the Grebe was at the other end! This afternoon, I received another update from Richard, a fellow Birder telling me that at 2:15pm it was at the Stadium-end of the lake. When I got to the lake I teamed-up with another Birder who had a "top-of-the-range" camera with a telephoto lens the length of my arm! Almost immediately we saw the bird and followed as it casually sailed along. When it got chased by a Great Crested Grebe, it took flight and we lost it briefly. A quick scan with binoculars soon located it and catching up with a more relaxed bird, we took some photos and chatted about its behaviour patterns and why it could be here. This Slavonian Grebe has been on Donny Lakeside since September 26th, so a decent time. The chap I spoke to has posted some images to http://www.birdguides.com/ and will be posting the images he took today, and cracking photos they are too! But here are my modest offerings.

November 2009 - Correction: Pochard female at Lakeside.

Saturday 7th: What a difference a day makes! After a week of rain, today we awoke to a bright sunny morning. A trip down to the Lakeside was called for! But it was chilly and even colder down by the water, definitely coat and gloves weather! The usual suspects were there; Mute Swans circa 30+, Canada Geese patrolling in small family parties, maybe 50+, Mallards circa 40+, Tufted Ducks 20+, Black-headed Gulls circa 40+ along with a Little Grebe, a juvenile Great Crested Grebe (on it's own) and a solitary duck that I couldn't readily identify. Luckily I had taken photos and short videos. After checking with my Birdguides DVD and other sources I have now positively identified this as a female Ring-necked Duck.





As the two photos above show, there is a ring around it's eye. click on each image to see a larger version and one can just see the white band across the bill. The duck was in a group of Tufted Ducks, but the difference in shape and size is readily apparent when compared to a female Tufty. And of course, it has no tuft at the back of it's head! I saw no sign of a male Ring-necked Duck and would welcome any comments about this sighting. Below is a short video of the Pochard.
Correction: After a comment on www.youtube.com , Mel and I have identified this duck as a female Pochard.







The image below shows a pair of Canada Geese. One of these is seen "scolding" the other. This went on for some time without the other replying. They swam as a pair away with the "Scolding" still in progress but to a lesser extent. Is this a male asserting itself over a rival? Comment are welcomed.





I also noticed a Great Crested Grebe juvenile that was most definitely alone. It seemed in good health and large enough to survive. Do the adults cut them loose after a few months?



And of course, the Black-headed Gull. Always seen and most numerous on many lakes and fields.