20th January 2024, 18 members attended
A well-attended trip visiting two reserves that many members had not been to previously. The weather was dry and cool but wet underfoot due to the recent rain. Both reserves are Yorkshire Wildlife sites with a warden in attendance in the carpark at Stavely.
Stavely has an extensive reedbed with a number of hides, two smaller hides where we had to split into two groups in the morning, and a larger hide where we had our lunch. There were a good number of waterbird species on the reserve. After lunch we travelled to Ripon City Wetland (next to the racecourse). The wind picked up and it felt a lot colder as the afternoon wore on. There were similar species to those seen at Stavely. As the light faded we were treated to a starling murmuration of about 30,000 birds.
An enjoyable trip with 56 species in all, the highlights being the water rail and bittern at Stavely, and the starlings at Ripon.
Species seen:
- Canada Goose
- Mute Swan
- Shelduck
- Shoveler
- Gadwall
- Wigeon
- Mallard
- Teal
- Tufted Duck
- Goldeneye
- Pheasant
- Woodpigeon
- Water Rail
- Moorhen
- Coot
- Oystercatcher
- Lapwing
- Curlew
- Snipe
- Black-headed Gull
- Common Gull
- Herring Gull
- Cormorant
- Bittern
- Grey Heron
- Little Egret
- Sparrowhawk
- Red Kite
- Buzzard
- Barn Owl
- Kestrel
- Magpie
- Jackdaw
- Rook
- Carrion Crow
- Coal Tit
- Marsh Tit
- Blue Tit
- Great Tit
- Cetti’s Warbler
- Long-tailed Tit
- Wren
- Starling
- Mistle Thrush
- Redwing
- Blackbird
- Fieldfare
- Robin
- Stonechat
- Tree Sparrow
- Dunnock
- Pied Wagtail
- Chaffinch
- Bullfinch
- Greenfinch
- Reed Bunting