A couple of hours @ldvnnr.bsky.social Wheldrake ings Highlights of the 26 species Buzzard 3-4 Red kites Sparrow hawk 2 Kestrels Whinchat Kingfisher Nuthatch (heard) 4 Green Sandpipers 2 Reed buntings Little egret 2 Bullfinchs @yorkbirding.bsky.social

324 Pink-footed Geese SE over Bank Island/Wheldrake Ings Bank Island 250 Golden Plover 6 Egyptian Geese N 1 Great Egret NW 1 Little Egret NW 8 Red Kite Wheldrake Ings 4 Green Sandpiper 1 Whinchat 1 Hobby 3 Water Rail 1 dead Water Shrew @ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Footage from Wednesday night (17/09/25) at Wheldrake Ings of some of the estimated 12000 Swallow the majority of which passed south, with 3-4000 staying to roost. @ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social @ollie333.bsky.social

Wheldrake Ings this morning. 100 Pink-feet over, 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Cetti's Warbler. Kestrel and Carrion crow having a tussle which went on for over 15mins. Migrant Hawker, Red Admiral and at least somebody likes Balsam!! @ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Fantastic to see how one of our Corncrakes has migrated out of the #LDV – in line with what we would expect for wild Scottish chicks. Great use of the Motus network, which alongside our joint Jack Snipe project, shows the potential of how this tracking system can deliver new knowledge of migration.

These chicks (from Deepdale Conservation Trust in Norfolk) have been held in pre-release pens in the #LDV from day 14 to day 34, before being released onto the site here (having fixed on the night sky and hopefully now knowing the Lower Derwent Valley as 'home') 🐥

We are hoping this will give us a natural return rate of seven-eight singing males on the reserve next year, to mix with our one or two wild birds that turn up most years. Huge thanks to all involved for their efforts in making this fantastic project happen 👏👏

Over the last five and a half months our team have been busy delivering an English Corncrake reintroduction scheme in the #LDV, with the project now over until next year, as the last of the 74 chicks were released onto the site this week 🤩

Time was also spent carrying out more willow management in the reedbed at Wheldrake Ings for @yorkswildlife.bsky.social, but the highlight of the day was checking the moth trap with the group and finding a Clifden Nonpareil (our second of the year following the first a couple of weeks ago) 😄

Yesterday we were also joined by the northwest geographic YorksNLincs team of @naturalengland.bsky.social, who helped to finish off the improvements to the newly extended Cheesecake Hide at Bank Island, which involved treating the hide & adding screening to prevent any undue disturbance on approach.

The task involved working to create low bushy willows for breeding warblers to use, with the aim of also trying to maintain an open landscape/views and to prevent the reedbed from drying out - looking forward to this hard working group returning next year 😃

Great day welcoming our partners from @avivauk.bsky.social back to the #LDV for a corporate volunteering task managing willow scrub in the reedbed at @yorkswildlife.bsky.social Wheldrake Ings - huge thanks to everyone involved for their efforts on the day with a fantastic amount of work achieved 👏

Wheldrake ings @ldvnnr.bsky.social Stonechat from Tower 6 Green Sandpipers 2 from Swantail and 4 from Pool during a heavy downpour 4 Buzzards Sparrowhawk Pied wagtails 2 Reed buntings 2 Kestrels Lots of Chiffchaffs Good numbers of Greylags over. @yorkbirding.bsky.social

In the @yorkbirding.bsky.social area today, a Nightjar roosting on a garden fence in Woodthorpe, a ringtail Hen Harrier flew south west through Castle Howard Lake & 2 different Osprey along the Pocklington Canal at Hagg Bridge & Church Bridge @ldvnnr.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Osprey east along the Pocklington Canal today – thanks to @chrisgomersall1.bsky.social for the record and sharing his back of the camera shot @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Our team have also been busy on the tractor recently managing areas of vegetation to create ideal wintering wildfowl/wader conditions, whilst also providing suitable roosting and loafing sites for them to use and maintaining the large open landscape 🚜

Following seconds cuts and grazing throughout the #LDV it's now time to freshen up some of the scrapes around the site by rotovating small areas (helps to stop them vegetating over & incorporates organic matter back into the soil which leads to a large invertebrate biomass) 🚜

Wheldrake Ings 1 Wheatear 3 Whinchat 2 Stonechat 1 Great Egret south 3 Cetti's Warbler 3 Marsh Harrier 1 Hobby 1 Whitethroat 2 Yellow Wagtail Bank Island 1 Whinchat 1 Whitethroat 9 Siskin south 1 Cetti's Warbler 2 Lesser Redpoll west @ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Pleasing to receive another resighting of one of our BTO Common Terns – a chick ringed on the raft at Wheldrake Ings in June 2021 was present in the autumn roost at Formby Point, Lancashire on the 14th August (previously seen at the RSPB Aire Valley colony in 2023/24/25 ) @yorkbirding.bsky.social

A couple of hrs round @ldvnnr.bsky.social Wheldrake ings Highlights 3 Whinchats Jay Red kite 2 Buzzards Green Sandpiper 2 Little egrets 3 Reed buntings Mallard Good No, of Gold Finches 2 Moorhen Swallows+H Martins Female common darter and a very low chinook C-47 @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Bank Island 1 Whinchat 1 Marsh Harrier 6 Siskin south 1 Lesser Whitethroat 1 Whitethroat 4 Blackcap 11 Chiffchaff 2 Grey Partridge 139 Swallow south 66 Meadow Pipit south Wheldrake Ings 3 Whinchat 3 Hobby 2 Marsh Harrier 3 Cetti's Warbler @yorkbirding.bsky.social @ldvnnr.bsky.social

At Wheldrake Ings this evening 3 Whinchat 1 Spotted Flycatcher 6 Marsh Harrier into roost 4 Green Sandpiper 3 Little Egret 2 Water Rail 1 Barn Owl 11 Red Kite at Bank Island @ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

+ 2 Spotted Flycatchers still present at Bank Island.

A good number of raptors are present in the #LDV at the moment inc. nine Marsh Harriers (roosting at Wheldrake Ings at dusk), 20+ Red Kites (viewable from Wheldrake/Bank Island this morning), with several Buzzards, two Kestrels and two Hobbies also present @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Due to the ongoing drought, hay and grass for grazing is in high demand, so we are now seeing a lot of aftermath grazing and second cuts throughout the site, which not only helps maintain the diversity of the meadows, but also provides an ideal sward for our wintering waterfowl 🦆

Ravens have become more and more regular around the #LDV in recent years, but it was notable to record two at Wheldrake and two at Melbourne/Thornton Ings over weekend - thanks to @niqvassie.bsky.social for the fantastic artwork ✏️

Large numbers of Yellow Wagtails have been on the move through the #LDV over the last week, with reports on Saturday including 34 seen on the Low Grounds (following cattle), 40 at Melbourne/Thornton Ings and 30 at North Duffield Carrs @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Following an influx of Glossy Ibis into the country recently, it was nice to hear of one photographed in the Storwood area on Sunday evening, with hopefully more to follow - thanks to Tony Laverack for the record and image 📸

A Glossy Ibis west over Storwood yesterday evening @nybirdnews.bsky.social @ldvnnr.bsky.social

@yorkbirding.bsky.social Short-eared owl at North Duffield Carrs - in close proximity to a Marsh Harrier, plus Stonechat and steady movement of hirundines

Very dry @ Wheldrake Ings on 07/09/2025, 12:04 - 14:26. Close views Hobby, Marsh Harrier (2), Red Kite (3) & c80 Swallow. Single Green Sandpiper & Snipe only waders. View my #BirdTrack list: app.bto.org/birdtrack/pu... @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Trip over to @ldvnnr.bsky.social Bank Island this morning, ended up staying for hours! So much to see. Hobby mobbed by swallows & martins Barn owl 3 Red Kite 3 Buzzard 2 Kestrel Spotted. Flycatcher Jay Warblers - Chiff. Willow, W'throat, B'cap. 8 species of butterfly. Willow Emerald damselfly.

At Wheldrake Ings this evening, a Whinchat, a Stonechat, 3 Marsh Harrier, 3 Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Egret, a Curlew, 2 Snipe, a Cetti's Warbler, 200 Swallow, a Barn Owl & 4 Tawny Owl @ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Bank Island / Wheldrake Ings this morning 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Green Sandpiper, 3 Common Snipe, 1 Water Rail and 1 Hobby going south low along the river @ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Yesterday the staff from Drax Group were also able to enjoy a bird ringing demonstration and explored the contents of the moth trap, before being lucky enough to find a harvest mouse nest whilst working in the meadows - great to see the management work producing results 😃

Great to have staff from Drax Group in the #LDV yesterday helping to manage willows at North Duffield Carrs (to maintain an open landscape to the Ings/low scrub for breeding birds). Groups like this one make such a big difference to what we can achieve in managing the NNR, so many thanks to all 👏

Huge surprise in the #LDV moth trap this morning in the form of a Clifden Nonpareil 🤩– a first for the reserve after years of waiting! Nice to be able to share it with our visiting corporate team of staff from Drax Group and several local birders and moth enthusiasts 😄

Many thanks to Ad Astra for their hard work getting the hide refurbished and ready for the autumn 🦆

We're pleased to announce that our work extending Cheesecake Hide has now finished and access has been improved (all part of the improvement plans and upgrades for our NNR Base visitor hub in the #LDV) - we just need a bit of water now to bring in a few birds 😄

@yorkbirding.bsky.social Guillemot reported on Ouse at Naburn Lock @rarebirder.bsky.social @ldvnnr.bsky.social

A Spotted Flycatcher at Bank Island & 4 at Wheldrake Ings this morning, new for #PWC2025 Bank Island: 3 Lesser Whitethroat & 13 Blackcap Wheldrake Ings: A Whinchat, a Hobby, 5 Ruff, 11 Snipe & 4 Green Sandpiper, a Garden Warbler & a Clouded Yellow @ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

In the @ldvnnr.bsky.social today North Duffield Carrs 1 Spotted Flycatcher 6 Whinchat 6 Stonechat Wheldrake Ings 1 Whinchat 5 Ruff 5 Green Sandpiper 14 Snipe 3 Marsh Harrier 2 Water Rail 2 Cetti's Warbler 1 Willow Tit 3 Yellow Wagtail 1 Nuthatch @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Wheldrake Ings this morning. 1 Spotted Flycatcher, as well as 6 Green Sandpiper, 6 Ruff and 8 Common Snipe @ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

No sign of the Pectoral Sandpiper at Wheldrake Ings this morning. 5 Ruff still present on the pool. Also 7 Green Sandpiper, a Marsh Harrier, a Yellow Wagtail, 8 Snipe, a Willow Tit, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Little Egret & a Kingfisher @ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

With a large passage of swallows and warblers also moving through the site @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Sightings in the #LDV this week inc. a Crane south on the 22nd (East Cottingwith), regular Hobby sightings (throughout the site), 8 Ruff and 8 Green Sandpipers during the week - also present today with a (presumed returning) adult Pectoral Sandpiper (Wheldrake) @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Adult Pectoral Sandpiper at Wheldrake Ings this morning, 12 days since the previous one. @yorkbirding.org.uk @ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkswildlife.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

The wing-tagged Marsh Harrier 'HV' which has been at Wheldrake Ings since the weekend, was ringed as a nestling male (brood of four) at Cantley in Norfolk this June, making the 215 km trip to the #LDV in under 43 days - it'll be interesting to see it if chooses to linger @yorkbirding.bsky.social

We’ve just received news from the BTO that one of our colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwits (ringed here early April) was resighted in Essex on 21/07 - 252 km SSE of the #LDV - maybe a failed breeder/early returning individual, interesting to hear where it stays for the winter @yorkbirding.bsky.social

It's a very busy time of year at the moment for reserve management throughout the #LDV, but we have still managed to find the time to flail the path along the riverside track at Wheldrake - helping with access and visitors enjoyment and experience of the site 🚜