Low Moor and Oakenshaw Wildlife

The first week in May is always an exciting time in the bird watchers calendar with warblers and other spring migrants reaching their breeding ground or exploring new potential breeding areas. Yesterday morning at the middle pond at Toad holes Beck a male Sedge Warbler was in full song trying to attract a mate as they do most year at this site. However, I only glimpsed him as he was singing deep in cover and left him to it, but I managed to record his lovely song.

With Blackcap singing in the background

John Tordoff had a nice surprise this morning on his visit to Dewsbury country park. He heard a warbler that caught his attention and he recorded the bird which was in full song. The bird turned out to be a Garden Warbler! Interestingly it’s Latin name is Sylvia borin. With borin given as it’s name due to it’s plain plumage. However, it’s song is beautiful and far from boring…

Whilst Dewsbury country park is not in our recording area the sighting is of real interest. Dewsbury is not that far away from TH Beck so who knows it might appear in our area like it use to do back in the 1980s.

Thanks John for your sighting.

A Lesser Whitethroat was in song at Low Moor banks this morning. Two additional males Common Whitethroat have also arrived bringing the total to 4.

Two male Common Whitethroats at Low Moor Banks this morning both in full song.

No sign of it’s cousin the Lesser Whitethroat as yet but a single arrived yesterday at spurn point so they maybe on their way.

However, I doubt there will be any Whitethroats this year at Toad Holes Beck due to very loud pile driving which is taking place at the newly constructed units which are adjacent to the site.

Today has been an excellent day! I went down to TH Beck to look for any possible new spring migrants but apart from a couple of female Blackcaps that had recently arrived there was little else on the migrant front. I then went to the large pond where a faint high pitched call caught my attention…Tree Creeper!

I walked into the Goat Willow scrub and waited. Then a Tree Creeper appeared climbing up one of the Willows. It saw me and flew deeper into the willows.

I crept forward trying to get a better view. The bird was however, calling and again it came into view. Then suddenly it dawned on me why it calling? I bet there is a pair of Tree Creeper. So I waited and waited then I was right I saw two birds together in early courtship. Brilliant. It was time to leave and with fingers crossed I strongly believe they will breed in the area which if they do will be the first known breeding record in our area for the species.

There was Swallow (my first of the year) seen on a telephone wire in Oakenshaw this morning. So fingers crossed more will start arriving in the next few days and then they will start to check out old and new nest sites and set up territories, in the hope of attracting a mate.

The Coal tit is a regular bird in our area feeding in gardens as well as been regular at all our three sites. I have even seen juveniles been fed at Raw Nook Nr suggesting that the species probable breed there but I have no actual evidence. Also Coal Tits nest naturally in holes in trees and stumps, under roots or rocks and in holes in the ground making observation difficult.

However, today at raw Nook NR I came across a calling Coal tit. Then suddenly another Coal tit came up from the base of an old Silver birch tree. The pair met and calling bird (possibly the male) fed the other bird.

I moved away and the pair went to a nearby tree. OK….not definitive proof of breeding but I will keep a distant watch on the site and hopefully fingers crossed may get some further supportive evidence of breeding.

Also this morning a stunning male Common Redstart (passage bird) was at Caldene fields and 2 new Willow warbler were in full song at Raw Nook Nr.