Sightings:6th April 2026. North Cave Wetlands. @northcavewet.bsky.social

And the Common scoter spring continues with this female on Crossland's lake this morning

Monday, 2 Common cranes circled the reserve, flying east mid-morning, A male Wheatear in New workings, On Crossland's lake, there was a female Common scoter, plus the Eygptian goose family of 3 goslings, 5 Black-tailed godwits were briefly on East Holm, with another 2 on the Village lake,

Always a treat, a pale and classy Snake’s head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) @northcavewet.bsky.social today. Elsewhere: sand martins returning to check their nest holes.

An Alder fly (Sialis spp.) basking in the Spring sunshine @northcavewet.bsky.social today

Cowslips (Primula veris) adding some further colour to the paths @northcavewet.bsky.social today. Elsewhere: Brimstone, Peacock 🦋

Sunday, In the morning, 52 Whooper swans flew over, briefly landing on the Reed-bed, A Peregrine was in the East Holm oaks, whilst a female Merlin flew west over Crossland's lake, 2 Black-tailed godwits (Village lake), 2 pairs of Mediterranean gulls & the Eygptian geese still have 3 goslings

A circuit of @northcavewet.bsky.social today added me a couple for the year list, which is a bonus, but is is always a real pleasure to visit. My full @birdtrack.bsky.social list: app.bto.org/birdtrack/pu... Have an Avocet too... #YorkshireBirding

As unfortunately predicted, despite a very active defence by the male, predation on the Eygptian geese goslings has been heavy. Currently there are only 3 left

Saturday, 2 Black-tailed godwits on either the Main or Village lakes, Just 3 Eygptian goose goslings left on Crossland's lake, About 300 Pink-footed geese north in the morning, Also seen 6 Mediterranean gulls, pair of Little ringed plover, Bearded tits (Reed-bed - heard),Tawny owl (New workings),

53 Species from North Cave, inc. 6xMed Gulls, 2xLittle Ringed Plover and c17 Avocet. Fingers crossed the LRPs have a successful year ❤️ 🤞 #birds #birding #birdsSeenin2026 🪶 #wildlife #photography #naturephotography @northcavebirds.bsky.social @northcavewet.bsky.social @yorkswildlife.bsky.social

Sightings:3rd April 2026. North Cave Wetlands. @northcavewet.bsky.social

Two other highlights from this morning - Firstly Curlew landing on East Holm, always a pleasure to see how they gracefully land on the gravel surface. Secondly Cetti's warbler on the North path, confirming that if you hear their song then look up to the bushes & not down in the brambles

The brief return of what I would like to think is our 'Kinky-neck' Whooper swan, but given that the condition is a lot more commoner than I thought, this may not be so!

Friday, A 'Ring-tailed' Hen harrier briefly seen at the West End, A 'Whooper' swan day, with 300+ flying north & 2 briefly alighting on West Holm during the morning, About 60 Pink-footed geese flew over the reserve north 5 Black-tailed godwits flew onto the Main lake, to join 4 on the Village lake,

First Blackcap and Little Ringed Plover at North Cave wetlands today together with 50 curlew , 20 Sand Martins ,pair of Egyptian geese with at least 5 young @northcavebirds.bsky.social @northcavewet.bsky.social

The four long staying Black-tailed godwits on the reserve, were joined by 3 more on Cell 'A' (a sign that their migration is starting). Let's hope that they stay a few days, before they continue their journey to Iceland

Thursday, 4 Black-tailed godwits on either the Main or Village lake, with a further 3 on Cell 'A', Pairs of Little ringed plover, Mediterranean gulls on East Holm, The Eygptian goose family now have 8 goslings, 20 Whooper swans on West Holm from the late morning flew off north in the early evening,

Wednesday, The male Wheatear again seen on the Southern Bridal path, An House martin seen above the West path, Male Common scoter on the Reed-bed & then the Main lake, 6 Pink-footed geese were in the entrance field, Also seen was 4 Black-tailed godwits (Village lake), plus the Eygptian goose family

Sightings:31st March 2026. North Cave Wetlands. @northcavewet.bsky.social

What climbs up, must fall down. The descent of the Eygptian goose family from a bank on Crossland's lake (this took several minutes)

Then there were two. Another female Common scoter joined the yesterday's bird to give 2 black ducks in the middle of the lake. An advance on yesterday when the scoter spent most of it's time asleep

A singing male Wheatear was seen along the southern bridal path in the New workings, 2 female Common scoters were on the Main lake, 16 Whooper swans flew north, with 3 mobile Pink-footed geese & the Eygptian family of 9 on Crossland's lake, Also seen was 4 Black-tailed godwits (Village lake)

2 Redshanks on East Holm this morning. Think that this was a territorial dispute, with the tail being fanned out & both birds chasing each other, but not aggressively & no physical contact at all. at the end they both walked away in opposing directions

A reserve 1st was the brood of Eygptian geese goslings (9 in total), that hatched on Crossland's lake & explored here & East Holm during the day. Given the time of the year, it will be interesting to see how many survive, as there are no other young about to distract predators from them.

Monday, The Eygptian goose pair on Crossland's lake, hatched 9 goslings, a 1st breeding record for the reserve, Yesterday's female Common scoter on the Main lake, A Raven flew north over the New workings, Also seen, 3 Red kites, 5 Mediterranean gulls, 60 Curlews, Tawny owl & Little ringed plover,

Small, but perfectly formed! 😀 A Field Pansy (Viola arvensis) highlights the nectar route for pollinators on a sunny, but very blustery day, @northcavewet.bsky.social. Elsewhere: sixty curlew and first blackcap song 🎶

The annual opportunity to imagine a time before flowers, as horsetails raise their spore cones to the sky @northcavewet.bsky.social

Blackthorn in full bloom @northcavewet.bsky.social today 😍

Definitely a 'Tale of two Common scoters' today, with yesterday's female moving to the Main lake & then another female discovered on Crossland's lake (plus being a little bit closer than the former). The amount of white on the cheeks is variable between the two (one an immature bird?)

Sunday, Yesterday's female Common scoter moved to the Main lake, & another one on Crossland's lake (where the Eygptian goose still present), Single Pink-footed goose north, 4 Black-tailed godwits on Village lake island opposite East hide, Also seen, Barn owl (early morning Cell 'C'), Bittern

@routledgesteve.bsky.social @suillia.bsky.social @birdingarash.bsky.social @owentatdraws.bsky.social @celastrina59.bsky.social @ynuorg.bsky.social @tophilllow.bsky.social @northcavewet.bsky.social DST Leconfield Conservation has landed at Bluesky Social.

It has been quite a month for Common scoter records, with 4 already (consisting of 5 birds). So after last nights overhead passage it continued, with a female on West Holm (the 1st sole female this year). Always a little distant, we shall see if she stays or departs this evening

Saturday, A female Common scoter was on West Holm, The 3 Black-tailed godwits were on the Village lake, opposite the East Hide), with at least 14 Avocets seen today, The Eygptian goose was on Crossland's lake, plus 2 pairs of Little ringed plovers on East Holm, Also 20 Fieldfares (West End)

On such a wet morning, it was a delight to watch 65+ Curlews on Crossland's lake as they washed & preened on the shore in the rain. Great that we can attract such numbers at this time of the year & long may this continue

Friday, The 1st Swallow of the year was above Crossland's lake, with 15+ Sand martin's, 3 Black-tailed godwits on the Village lake & 65+ Curlews on Crossland's lake, 3+ Little ringed plovers & 4 pairs of Mediterranean gulls, Also male Blackcap (singing by Main lake) & Treecreeper (Viewing platform)

Sightings:27th March 2026. North Cave Wetlands. @northcavewet.bsky.social

I have been hearing a Meadow pipit in songflight over these last few days in the 'Snipe' field by the Dragonfly ponds. Bringing back memories, particularly as it descends. Hopefully it will attract a passing mate & breed here as they sometimes do

Thursday, 4 Black-tailed godwits were either in Cell 'A', West Holm or the Village lake, The 3 Pink-footed geese flew onto Crossland's lake from the west to join the Eygptian goose there, Bearded tits were seen & heard on the Reed-bed, Also seen was a pair of Little ringed plovers (East Holm)

The surprise this morning, was a clump of Cowslips in flower near the Far lake. Probably been in flower for a few days (I will have walked past & not noticed), but certainly the earliest date that I have seen on the reserve. Perhaps despite the chilly weather, spring is most certainly here

Wednesday, On East Holm, there were 2 Little ringed plovers & 2 Mediterranean gulls, 3 Pink-footed geese & an Eygptian goose were about Crossland's lake, A Canada goose was briefly on the Main lake, Also seen was Marsh harrier & at least 14 Avocets

Marsh harrier in the only sunshine this afternoon over the main lake. Now a regular visitor to the reserve, usually spotted by the sudden movement of ducks into the middle of the lake, as it quarters the lakeside

Tuesday, The drake Red-crested pochard was still on West Holm, 3 Pink-footed & the pair of Eygptian geese on Crossland's lake, with a pair of Little ringed plovers & a Peregrine (south) also, 4 Mediterranean gulls on East Holm, Also seen 4 Black-tailed godwits (3 on Cell 'A', 1 on Village lake),

Despite a bit of warmth, this sparkling fly, Gymnocheta viridis, was one of only a few insects I spotted on the wing @northcavewet.bsky.social today. Elsewhere: avocets and marsh harriers.

Pretty confident this was a Mining Bee (Andrena spp.) @northcavewet.bsky.social today. Want to believe it’s an Early Mining Bee (Andrena haemorrhoa) because…well it’s still ‘early’ 😀 and it seems a reasonable fit, but happy to be corrected @suillia.bsky.social

Unusually this spring, our Little ringed plovers seem to have arrived in pairs, rather than individually. So there is a pair that frequent East Holm & can give excellent views from the Dennis Wood hide as they did today, Still to come will be the flight displays

With the advent of spring, or Cetti's warblers have become easier to see, as they proclaim their breeding territories. With the reserve probably at it's maximum carrying capacity, their is plenty of song & display as the territories are very close to each other

Monday, The drake Red-crested pochard still on West Holm, associating with a pair of Mallards, Pairs of Little ringed plovers in the New workings & East Holm shores, with 4 Black-tailed godwits in Cell 'A', Also seen was Great white egret (Cell 'A'), at least 3 Marsh harriers, 4 Mediterranean gulls

North cave this morning, 3 Common Scoter, Redcrested Pochard, LRP, Siskin, Great White Egret, plenty of singing Chiff Chaffs being the highlights #yorkshirebirding

Sightings:22nd March 2026. North Cave Wetlands. Including WeBS Count Totals. @northcavewet.bsky.social