A brilliant bird filled day in @ldvnnr.bsky.social. An afternoon watching a White-tailed Eagle thanks to a phone call from @ldvbirder.bsky.social, preceded by finding 5 Eurasian White-fronted Geese in the vast Greylag herds. LDV hooching with birds, absolutely fantastic. #UKbirding #Birds

Also @ldvnnr.bsky.social Bubwith Ings 196 Pochard 81 Whooper Swan 1 Great Egret Aughton Ings 150 Dunlin 57 Whooper Swan Ellerton Ings 55 Whooper Swan 100 Dunlin 1000 Pink-footed Geese Langrickgate field, East Cottingwith 600 Linnet 80 Greenfinch 80 Chaffinch 2 Stonechat @yorkbirding.bsky.social

The superb juvenile White-tailed Eagle in the @ldvnnr.bsky.social yesterday, looking absolutely massive lumbering around flushing the thousands of Wildfowl and Waders currently on site, unringed/untagged so presumably continental origin @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Sightings in the @yorkbirding.bsky.social area today 2 Caspian Gull roosted at Wheldrake Ings 10 White-fronted Geese left south from North Duffield Carrs 1 Spotted Redshank at North Duffield Ings @ldvnnr.bsky.social A Firecrest at Overton by the metal bridge

In the @ldvnnr.bsky.social today, as well as the White-tailed Eagle which showed well at Thorganby this afternoon Thorganby 2 Scaup 88 Shelduck 15 Goldeneye North Duffield Carrs 1 Barnacle Goose North Duffield Ings 46 Black-tailed Godwit 17 Ruff 19 Redshank 192 Pintail @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Wheldrake Ings - car park still flooded but possible to reach tower in wellies 5 Marsh Harrier roosted 25 Pink-footed Geese north 2 Redshank 96 Pintail Huge gull roost 1 LBB Gull 16000 Black-headed Gull 6000 Common Gull 20 GBB Gull 400 Herring Gull @ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

White-tailed eagle still in the trees opposite Thorganby platform 14.05 A big lifer for me😁✅️ @yorkbirding.bsky.social @northyorksbirds.bsky.social

North Duffield Ings Lovely to hear the Curlew singing first thing this morning, 3 birds present. 17 Redshank, 10+Ruff, a good count for Dec of 40 Blackwits, half a doz Dunlin in view, small flock of 35 Goldies and a GWE. @ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Fantastic views of the juvenile White-tailed Eagle this morning at Thorganby. @yorkbirding.bsky.social @ldvnnr.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

The White-tailed Eagle currently perched up in trees opposite the Thorganby viewing platform @ldvnnr.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

10 Blackbird & c.120 Fieldfare eating windfall apples this morning, c.110 Lapwing low overhead Acaster @yorkbirding.bsky.social

WT Eagle still in the LDV this morning. Best spot for it this morning is Aughton Church @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Great to catch up with the White-tailed Eagle in the @ldvnnr.bsky.social this afternoon. Showed well on the riverbank to the south of the Thorganby viewing platform before flying north right past us at dusk @yorkbirding.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Absolutely monster! Huge juv White-tailed Eagle on the river bank near Ellerton this afternoon from Thorganby. Looks to be unringed and untagged. Cheers @ldvbirder.bsky.social, @ollie333.bsky.social and @timsbirding.bsky.social for news Merry Christmas! @yorkbirding.bsky.social @ldvnnr.bsky.social

White-tailed Eagle currently on the river bank south of the viewing platform at Thorganby village hall @nybirdnews.bsky.social @ldvnnr.bsky.social

Part of the 58 flock of Golden Plover on Feoffee Common this morning. They're never seen here though on the weekend that we complete the GP survey in November each year! @yorkbirding.bsky.social

White tailed eagle at North Duffield Carrs. Birthday treat @yorkbirding.bsky.social

The Spotted Redshank still on south of Bubwith Bridge on North Duffield Ings today @ldvnnr.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Wishing everyone a peaceful and happy Christmas and new year. Some recent snow studies. jonathanpomroy.wordpress.com

Aside from the content, which will be fascinating, this is also a beautifully produced, quality hardback book. A steal at this price, I ordered 2.

Whilst we’d like to wish our visitors, volunteers, partners & supporters a happy and bird-filled Christmas 🎄, at present, the site is best enjoyed at North Duffield Carrs (minus the second hide 🤿), Thorganby viewing platform, Bubwith Bridge & Ellerton/Aughton Churchyards 🐦🦆🦢

It's useful to see and understand how the Woodcock are using the wider area beyond the designated and protected sites - always more to discover/learn 🐦 Huge thanks to our team for all the hours spent after dark building up this valuable data set 🔦

Can visitors to the #LDV please note that water levels remain incredibly high across the site creating limited access to the reserve (although an amazing watery landscape). Image courtesy of local photographer David Salisbury @yorkbirding.bsky.social

The highlight in the #LDV at the weekend was a Spotted Redshank at Bubwith Bridge (& still present this week) – this species was once a regular winter visitor in the large flocks of Redshank, but is now much scarcer outside of passage periods @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Recent sightings in the #LDV inc. a male Hen Harrier at Bank Island (earlier in the week), a drake Smew at Ellerton Ings (this morning) with 217 Pochard, 249 Tufted Ducks & two Scaup present across the site + 8 Black-tailed Godwits & a Spotted Redshank at Bubwith Bridge @yorkbirding.bsky.social

We’ve just downloaded some more data from our recently GPS-tagged Woodcock, with this mapped individual spending time feeding in just a couple of fields near #SkipwithCommon during the night and roosting up on the NNR during the day @yorkbirding.bsky.social

A drake Smew at Ellerton Ings & 2 Scaup from the viewing platform at Thorganby village hall. @ldvnnr.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

The Spotted Redshank still south of Bubwith Bridge on North Duffield Ings @ldvnnr.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Spotted Redshank still near Bubwith, with Redshank and Ruff flock. Also, 2 Scaup at Ellerton Ings viewable from Thorganby platform. @yorkbirding.bsky.social @ldvnnr.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

A Little Egret on the river Foss behind Clifford's tower in York City centre this morning & a Grey Wagtail by Lendall bridge @nybirdnews.bsky.social

This book is available at the price of £25 with all funds going to the Friends of the #LDV and towards supporting conservation/research projects across the reserve 🐦🦆🪶 If you'd like to pre-order yourself a copy please contact [email protected], thank you @yorkbirding.bsky.social

After five years in the making, the first copies of the new ‘Birds of the #LowerDerwentValley – a Historical, Conservation & Migration Review’ have finally arrived 🤩 More information about the book can be found on our recent Facebook post (snipped below) 📖🐦🐦‍⬛🦆🪶 @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Stoked to find this Spotted Redshank with the wintering Ruff flock at North Duffield Ings thus morning. Quite a scarce bird in the @yorkbirding.bsky.social area, especially in winter. Also, 16 Ruff, 11 Redshanks, 70 Dunlin, 2000 Lapwings, 500 Golden Plovers. @ldvnnr.bsky.social

A fog bound Castle Howard lake this morning. Few ducks present, with one Great Egret the only bird of note. @yorkbirding.bsky.social

191225 Millennium Fields #York #yorkbirding #ukbirding #northyorkshirebirds #uknaturalists #wildlifephotography #OMSystem Only 2 Siskin today, clearly visible but as ever too high and distant for my bad shoulder and damaged neck.

191225 Millennium Fields #York #yorkbirding #wildlifephotography #ukbirds #ukwildlife #naturelovers #OMSystem The red heads are back! About 20 Redpoll. Delighted to see them back but I really wish all these birdies would sit where I can easily photograph them!

For anyone familiar with the lower Derwent valley, that hasn’t been recently, it looks very different from summer! Doing it’s job! @ldvnnr.bsky.social

Castle Howard Lake. V high water, not many ducks. 10 MN, 14 SV, 25 GA, 6 WN, 27 T, 6 TU and 6 GD. No Goldeneye. A GWE here and at Oulston Res. @yorkbirding.bsky.social

@ldvnnr.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social North Duffield. Red kite, marsh harrier, buzzard kestrel, stonechat, kingfisher,pochard,pintail,wigeon,shoveler teal,gadwall,redwing and fieldfare. Lots of lapwing golden plover.

The wet field next to the garden is pretty reliable for woodcock in winter. At least 3 in there this evening.

Garden Mistle Thrush enjoying the omens this morning. #ShepherdsWarning #Stormcock @yorkbirding.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social #UKBirding

The 30th Yorkshire Bird Race, this year, in support of Swifts conservation is taking place on 3rd or 4th January 2026. I and several other @yorkbirding.bsky.social colleagues are participating again in this full day event. Any donations would be most gratefully received. gofund.me/a41ab6152

A full day surveying 2 @btobirds.bsky.social Winter BS tetrads. Star bird was a Woodcock which flushed whilst walking the edge of this beet fodder crop field at Menethorpe. A pair of Egyptian Geese were new species for the patch at Seaton Ross. c.350 Pinks over here also. @yorkbirding.bsky.social

4 Goosander on Rowntree Park Lake offering close up views - very active Mistle Thrush heralding the coming breeding season - Barnacle Geese on Nun Ings the day before @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Can visitors to the #LDV also please be aware that birds are now squeezed into the edges of the sites, and may be concentrated closer to your location than usual, so please be sure to give them room to feed and roost undisturbed – thank you #ResponsibleRecreation 🦆

It was also nice to record several Woodcock, Snipe and Jack Snipe on the wetter areas, & to hear Green Woodpeckers calling and to see good numbers of Siskin/Redpoll present whilst we were working around the Common, in addition to a Marsh Harrier spooking Teal from the ponds 🐦

As we start a new week, can visitors to the #LDV please be aware that water levels are still rising, with no access to the hides and paths at Wheldrake Ings or Bank Island @yorkbirding.bsky.social Image courtesy of local photographer David Salisbury 📸

At present, the site is best enjoyed at North Duffield Carrs (first hide only - second underwater), Thorganby viewing platform, Bubwith Bridge and Ellerton/Aughton Churchyards @yorkbirding.bsky.social

As the water levels continue to rise, many local Kingfishers are displaced to new feeding areas - thanks to local birder Oliver Metcalf for this great footage of one feeding in front of the Geoff Smith Hide at North Duffield Carrs last week @yorkbirding.bsky.social

A female Scaup at North Duffield Carrs yesterday (14/12) @ldvnnr.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social