Monday, May 24, 2010

21st May,2010.

Early departure in what was warm conditions even from 0630 hours! Visited Hatfield Moors, which is an outlier of the Thorne Moors complex and part of the same National Nature Reserve. Peat extraction occurred here until not that many years ago when the whole area was purchased for the nation. What a magnificent job Natural England (formerly English Nature) have made of the site, and continue to do so! Another site about which there was much campaigning in the 1980's and, as with Thorne, a relief to see it now as a pristine reserve.

The exposed former peat extraction areas at the centre are often visited by feeding Hobbies, but none were about today. Flocks of around 50 Ringed Plover and Dunlin, and a single Turnstone, fed alongside the flooded areas and a single Common Tern and a Marsh Harrier overflew the site. A lady we met, who carried out census work on Adders, advised us we were unlikely to encounter any as it was already too hot, and so it was!!!

On an area nearby we located a pair of Woodlark, a species which maintains a small population in this part of South Yorkshire. And so then it was off to collect the car and drive back to Sheffield amidst ever increasing traffic in the late afternoon. I find it hard to get used to this aspect of urbanisation!!

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