Sprotbrough Flash is a popular Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve which is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). A rich haven for Birds and Wildlife with it's diverse habitat comprising of Wetland, Open Water, Woodland and Limestone Grassland situated in The Don Gorge, Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
Image of © Osprey 650 courtesy of ©Ian Unwin
190 individual Bird species have been recorded at the Flash and the surrounding area between 1957 - 2021. A total of 115 individual species was recorded in 2021 from a recording area which includes Sprotbrough Flash, Pot Ridings Wood, Limestone Meadow, Plantation, Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) and River Don. Adjacent areas where birds are known to travel into or through the recording area have also been included.
Above: Catchment area and Right: Link to full species 2021 Species list SF Species List 2021
January started with a covering of snow and a blanket of ice while heavy rain resulted in high water levels on the river, the TPT was temporarily closed due to a felled tree and the river breached the path in several places. During the month 180 Pink feet passed over followed by 75 Skylark, 18 Whooper and 100 Greylag, 4 more Greylag and 9 Canada geese were recorded on the Flash while 2 Whooper were noted on a field near Cadeby.
A wetland bird count on the 6th revealed 128 Gadwall, 30 Mallard, 16 Tufted duck, 68 Coot, 8 Shoveler, 3 Moorhen, 4 Teal, 2 Little grebe, 42 Black-headed gull, 10 Cormorant, 3 Mute swan and 5 Cygnets. A Snipe was recorded on the 9th, male Pochard on the 19th, female Goosander on the 28th and a female Wigeon on the 30th. Overwintering Chiffchaff and Blackcap was recorded on the TPT on the 22nd along with 3 Lesser Redpoll while on the 25th a Red Kite was spotted heading over Pot Ridings wood. Other sightings included Redwing, Fieldfare, and Linnet. above: Whooper swan, Pink-footed goose. below: overwintering Blackcap.
February and the cold snap continued with snow and ice followed by rain, water levels remained high as the Wader bay and Tern rail disappeared under the ebb and flow which continued for most of the month before a break in the weather brought clear skies and sunshine. On the 5th a Bittern was recorded heading down the Flash and on the 23rd a Water rail was observed at the KF hide along with 2 calling Cetti's warbler.
On the 26th a male Stonechat was noted in a bush on the middle path along with 5 Lapwing on Mill Lane, A Common gull circled the Flash on the 12th while a pair of Common buzzard were displaying above the plantation. Towards Pot Ridings a pair of Kestrel were observed followed by a pair of Peregrine falcon while on the river Pied and Grey wagtail were recorded and a male Kingfisher was observed with mud on his beak suggesting nest building had begun. Geese numbers increased with 30 Greylag and 9 Canada present and on the 25th a single Great crested grebe returned. Above: Bittern Below: Stonechat, Grey wagtail, Pied Wagtail.
March saw temperatures range from 3°c - 20°c and while river levels remained below average the water level on the Flash remained high. On the 9th a Chiffchaff was heard singing along the TPT and by the 24th there were a further 6 closely followed by several Blackcap. On the 26th 3 Sand martin were spotted on the Flash and 20+ were recorded at their nest site. By month end the Swans had chased off their Cygnets.
On the 4th a Woodcock was observed roding over Pot Ridings wood, Raven, Song thrush and Mistle thrush were also noted while on the 10th Green woodpecker and Great spotted woodpecker were recorded along with a Grey partridge which narrowly escaped a Sparrowhawk attack on the Meadow. On the 15th A female Goosander was reported on the river and a Little Egret passed over while on the 23rd 5 Lapwing were noted.
On the 24th a Red kite was observed over Levitt Hagg wood along with several Ring-necked parakeet while on the 26th an Oystercatcher headed up river. Above: Chiffchaff Below: Sand martin, Oystercatcher.
April and conditions continued to improve, water levels remained low on the river while on the Flash water levels began to recede. 2 Swallows were noted over the Canal on the 2nd and by the 16th House martin's had arrived and Sand martin numbers increased to 30. On the 14th a Merlin was reported on Cadeby mile along with Northern wheatear, Red kite, Meadow pipit, Red legged partridge and Skylark. Below: Barn Swallow.
On the 15th a male Great crested grebe was joined by a female and the pair wasted no time in nest building while on the 24th 2 Woodcock were flushed on the meadow. Oystercatcher, Green sandpiper, Lapwing and Little ringed plover were all recorded on the spit along with a pair of Kingfisher who were seen carrying fish.
On the 26th 2 Common tern were recorded while a warblers survey revealed 14 Blackcap, 8 Willow warbler, 22 Chiffchaff, 2 Cetti's warbler, 6 Reed warbler, 5 Common whitethroat and 1 Sedge Warbler most of the birds were holding territory. Greenfinch and Yellow wagtail were also recorded along with 4 adult Greylag and 15 Gosling. Above: Little ringed plover, Lapwing, Green sandpiper. Below: House martin.
May at the Flash was a great month with warmer days and reduced levels exposing wader bays now occupied by waterfowl and waders. On the 15th 2 juvenile Kingfishers were noted along with 7 Canada goslings while on the 13th a pair of Barnacle geese were recorded on the Meadow, the first record since 1991. On the 16th the familiar call of a Cuckoo could be heard followed by a sighting on the TPT, the first record since 2017.
On the 13th a male Marsh harrier was reported quartering over the reedbed while opposite on the field on the 15th 2 Yellow Wagtails were spotted along with 8 Common Whitethroat. Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow and Common Tern. Little Egret was also noted along with Lesser Black-back and Herring Gull. The Great Crested Grebe pair were no longer nesting after their first attempt failed but later were observed displaying again followed by mating on the spit and a few days later they were on their second nest spotted from the middle path opposite. Above: Barnacle goose, Cuckoo. Below: Marsh harrier.
June and wild flowers and Orchids in the meadow were now in full bloom attracting dragonflies preying on insects which in turn attracted a hawking Hobby also noted were Several Green Woodpeckers who foraged the ground looking for ants and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was observed drumming on a Silver birch tree.
On the 1st 3 Swift were recorded on the flash while on the 15th after a 40 day absence the female Mute Swan emerged with 7 Cygnets. On the 15th the second Great crested grebe nest failed and the resilient pair quickly constructed another nest in front of the spit and by the 28th both Grebes were taking turns incubating their 4 eggs. Nearby a local Peregrine falcon nest had also failed while on the 20th and 22nd a Mandarin duck was noted at the Heron hide. Above: Green woodpecker Below: Swift, Mute swans, Mandarin duck.
July and the resident pair of Mute swan's watched over their 7 youngsters who were growing daily while the Greylag geese and Canada geese had now left the Flash with their broods. At the KF hide on the 1st a Cetti's warbler was recorded with 3 juveniles other juveniles observed were Reed warbler, Willow warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Reed bunting and Common whitethroat. Below: Common whitethroat.
On the 5th a Common sandpiper was observed while on the 15th a Bittern was recorded at the Heron hide along with a Mandarin duck on the 21st which was probably bird from June. On the 23rd the Great crested grebe pair had 4 humbugs 2 of which were quickly predated. A total of 5 Kingfishers were seen throughout the month on the river and at both of the hides while on the 27th a pair of Lesser black-backed gulls were observed with 2 young at the quarry. Below: Great crested grebe, Common sandpiper, Kingfisher.
Over the river a pair of Sparrowhawk began nesting meanwhile in the Silver Birch opposite the KF hide a Juvenile Wood Pigeon was joined by a male Sparrowhawk and a face off ensued with the Raptor spreading his wings to look as big and intimidating as he could, however the Pigeon not being one our smartest birds wasn’t fazed and after some posturing the Sparrowhawk took off. Below: Sparrowhawk Vs Wood pigeon.
August and there was a report on the 1st of a Little owl spotted on Spring Lane meanwhile back at the Flash 2 of the 7 Cygnets were gone, presumed predated followed by another Great crested grebe chick taking their brood of 4 down to a single juvenile, one of the adults also left leaving the remaining adult to bring the chick up alone. On the 13th a single male Pochard was recorded on the Flash along with several Little grebe and an elusive Water rail at the KF hide. Below: Little owl, male Pochard, Water rail.
Common buzzard and Kestrel were frequently noted during the month along with 2 juvenile Sparrowhawk recorded along the TPT on the 8th, most likely from the nest over the river. On the 26th and 31st a Hobby was recorded hawking from the Heron hide while sightings of Peregrine falcon were infrequent after their recent nest failure. On the 26th a Bittern was noted along with several sightings of Common sandpiper and Green sandpiper which were followed by Dunlin on the 27th and Snipe on the 29th. Below: Hobby.
On the 28th an Osprey was spotted by Brian Irvine in a tree across from the Heron hide, the bird had a blue and white ring numbered 650 and was observed over the next few days successfully fishing the Flash. the last confirmed sighting of the Osprey was on the 31st near Fowlskye Flash and Subsequent reports confirmed the bird as a young male, one of two chicks ringed by Dave Anderson from a nest at Lake of Menteith in Stirling Scotland on 14th of July 2021, this was the first sighting of the bird since it departed on its first migration.
Osprey No. 650 Above: © Nidge Nilsen
September continued to be warm and water levels remained below average, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the Don Gorge Community Volunteer Group took advantage of the low levels to carry out some much needed habitat maintenance on the Spits and wader bays along with scrub removal from the front of the hides. The Mute Swans lost another Cygnet and were down to 4 young while Gadwall, Mallard and Tufted duck were joined by 14 Wigeon and 21 Teal. Below: Wigeon, Teal.
On the 7th a Tawny owl was observed near the plantation and on the 9th a juvenile male Marsh harrier was recorded over the reedbed. On the 22nd a juvenile Peregrine falcon was observed heading over the river while on the 25th 5 Ring-necked parakeet were recorded near the carpark. Hobby was recorded from the screen on the 12th and 26th. Common snipe and Jack snipe were recorded on the 29th while at the KH hide 4 Cetti's warbler could be heard calling and Bittern was spotted on several occasions. Tawny owl © Paul Peters.
October and on the 4th a female Marsh harrier was observed over the reed bed close to the Heron hide before flying North while on the 22nd a Red Kite was recorded over the river near the viewing screen as it headed down river towards the viaduct pursued by several Carrion Crows. On the 25th a Peregrine falcon was noted passing over the KF hide where a Bittern was spotted skulking in the reedbed. On the 18th a Little egret was noted followed by a Great white egret on the 20th and 30th seen passing over, 860 Pink feet and 3 Whooper were also reported passing over. Below: Red Kite, Peregrine falcon © Colin Spruce.
By the 10th the last remaining Great Crested Grebe had left closely followed by the single Juvenile, a wetland Bird count recorded 8 Wigeon, 22 Tufted Duck, 16 Mallard, 10 Shoveler, 6 Teal, 42 Coot, 17 Moorhen and 102 Gadwall. Mallard were mainly dispersed on the river while male Gadwalls displayed around the females. On the 21st a female Goosander was noted on the river and on the 30th a female Goldeneye dropped on to the Flash, this was the first record since 2019. 11 Little Grebe were recorded at the Heron hide on the 11th while back at the KF hide 2 Common Snipe were observed feeding. Below: female Goldeneye.
November brought the coldest days of the year so far with temperatures below zero as Storm Arwen battered the UK with widespread gales, rain and snow, day-light hours became shorter as clocks returned to GMT. On the Flash water levels remained low while seasonal changes made Bittern more challenging to spot in the Phragmites. 226 Pink-feet were recorded passing over and on the 4th a Brambling was recorded along with 5 Siskin and an overwintering Blackcap. On adjacent fields, Grey Partridge, Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Skylark, and Starlings were also recorded. Below: Siskin, Grey partridge, Brambling.
A single Great Crested Grebe returned to the Flash on the 18th and a Little Egret was noted on the 5th and 22nd while Grey heron, Little grebe and Cormorant were recorded each visit. On the 2nd a Goosander was observed on the river and a Kingfisher spent some time fishing at the KF hide. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was observed in the Silver Birch and on the Owl post on the 4th. Black-headed gull, Herring gull and Lesser Black-backed gull were also recorded during the month along with a report of a Common gull and a female Pochard on the 5th. Below: Great spotted woodpecker.
December was one of the dullest on record since the 1950's with less than 27 hours of sunshine despite New Years Eve temperatures of 15°c, water levels were low for the time of year. On the 1st a female Marsh Harrier was recorded on the Flash while on the 10th at Levitt Hagg 3 Sparrowhawk and 2 Common Buzzard were observed circling overhead, a female Sparrowhawk was also noted on a number occasions at the side of the Kingfisher hide. Below: female Marsh harrier, Common buzzard.
2 Common Gulls were reported on the 4th heading Northwest along with a flock of 500 Gulls which mainly comprised of Herring gull with a handful of Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed gull while on the 27th a Great black-backed gull was observed on the spit at the Kingfisher hide. Below Great black-backed gull
5 Ring-necked Parakeet were regularly recorded over the river on the 27th while back at the KF hide a Cetti's warbler was observed in the reedbed. A Wetland bird count conducted towards the end of the year revealed 34 Gadwall, 16 Mallard, 28 Tufted duck, 8 Teal, 10 Shoveler, 2 Canada geese, 2 Greylag geese, 24 Coot, 12 Moorhen, 2 Little grebe, 3 Grey heron, 1 Bittern, 1 Water rail and 2 Kingfisher while on the 13th a single drake Wigeon was noted. Below: Cetti's warbler © Paul Peters.
Other sightings: Roe deer were frequently recorded throughout the year while a Muntjac deer was observed swimming across the Flash on the 31st of August, a Weasel recorded on the TPT on the 23rd of November and Fox was spotted on several occasions. American mink was also frequently recorded including a mother with her Kits. Bank vole, Rabbit, Rat, Wood mouse and Grey squirrel were also noted. Fox © Colin Spruce.
In November reports of an Otter on the river at the Flash was received this unfortunately could not be confirmed and often these reports turn out to be Mink, however with Otters confirmed a few miles further up river it wont be long before such a sighting can be verified. Brown long-eared bat, Pipistrelle, Daubenton’s bat, Wood mouse, Terrapin, Grass snake and Frog were also noted.
Butterflies/Moths: Brimstone, Small tortoise shell, Peacock, Comma, Orange tip, Small White, Green veined white, Large white, Speckled wood, Holly blue, Gatekeeper, Red admiral, Dark green fritillary, Common blue, Large skipper, Meadow brown, Dingy skipper, Ringlet, Painted lady, Brown argus, Six-spot burnet, Elephant hawk moth caterpillar, Hummingbird hawk moth. Grass snake.
Image of © Osprey 650 courtesy of © Ian Unwin.n .Common blue, Broad-bodied chaser, 4 Spotted chaser, Emerald damselfly, Common darter, Migrant hawker, Brown hawker.
Orchid/Plants: Early purple orchid, Bee orchid, Greater butterfly orchid, Fragrant orchid, Pyramidal orchid, Common spotted Orchid, Twayblade, Autumn gentian, Birds nest orchid Above: Dark green fritillary Below: Fragrant orchid.
Next report Jan 2022.
Fantastic Martin. Thank you for all your hard work recording events in the Gorge.