A winter walk around Swillington Ings in West Yorkshire yielded 38 bird species for one observer, a modest tally compared to the 84 species recorded by three friends on the same patch last week. The annual Michael Clegg Memorial Bird Race, which supports Yorkshire Swifts, often sees high counts, but this writer was content with a more leisurely approach.
Among the sightings were magpie, long-tailed tit, pochard, goldeneye, brambling, and kestrel. Redwings and fieldfares called from berry hedges, while a marsh harrier cruised overhead and a heron stood on a stone pillar. The highlight, however, was the greater black-backed gulls at the far side of the lake, described as 'gentleman thugs in naval trim' for their scavenging and predatory behaviour.
The observer noted that the gulls appeared like bombers in flight, dwarfing a cormorant that crossed their path. Despite frozen fingers that reduced the notebook entry to 'g-bb guis', the birds were a memorable sight. The final count reached 38 when a little owl was spotted near the gates on the way out.
