by Sean Ashton
Our bird surveying, facilitated by Don Catchment Rivers Trust, got off to a great start on Monday. We were blessed with good weather after all the rain and there were a few rocks for Dippers and Grey Wagtails to perch on if we were lucky enough.
We recorded 16 species including 2 Buzzards, Coal Tit and Greenfinch. We were lucky, too, as an obliging Dipper on the river provided our photographers with a willing subject. There were no new additions to our species list but, by the end of 2023, this was at 45 species – details below. Not bad for a small urban birding site.
In readiness for the breeding season, we have also recently cleaned out our nest boxes and erected a Tawny Owl box as we had heard one distantly on a previous survey. Fingers crossed and roll on spring!
Wardsend species list
Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Coot, Cormorant, Dipper, Dunnock, Feral Pigeon, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Jackdaw, Jay, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Lesser Redpoll, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Pied Wagtail, Redwing, Robin, Siskin
Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Tawny Owl, Treecreeper, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Wren
Photographs above taken by nature photographer Steve Martin
Heron, Dipper
Wardsend Cemetery Heritage park 