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Lapwings and Green Sandpiper return to local site

23/06/2015 20:29

In these times when we are seeing seriouse declines in a number of our once common species it is good to see signs os some sort of revival in their fortunes.Lapwings used to be numerous in our part of the Calder Valley with parties of several hundred gathering in  late June  and july/August in the fields below Saville Town and also on Horbury Wyke the latter in recent years plagued by drainage problems in the more marshy habitat.Recently Lapwings in the Dewsbury area have been reduced to single figures  so it was nice this morningto come across a party of 23 birds on Dewsbury Sewage works.Usualy when these birds arrive at this time of year their numbers gradualy slowly increase up to the end of August just before they disperse to their winter quarters so i am looking forwards to see if these birds will increase in the same way.

Green Sandpipers are present on the Sewage works in most months of the year but they usualy disapear during May( preesumably to their breeding grounds) asnd return after about six weeks.Such as been the case this year and the first bird arrived back this morning flushed from a lagoon at the Earlsheaton end of the works.

Also this morning a single drake Mandarin Duck,2 Little Ringed Plover,and a good flock of 127 Starlings feeding in fields just below Pildacre Chickenley but spending a lot of time on telegraph wires next to the Yorkshire Water office block.

There are 5 pairs of Whitethroats on Kerries reserve Ossett feeding young along with 2 pair of Blackcaps and it is good to see a young Kestrel being fed on the wing in the same area.

The feeders recently re stocked on Kerries reserve appear to be very busy with som 8 Chaffinch,single male Bullfinch,5 Great Tits(4 juveniles),3 Robins(2 juv 1 adult bird(see photogallery)and again a feeding party of some 9 Long Tailed Tits.

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