Orgreave Lakes

I headed down to Orgreave for the last time before Easter to see what was about and to view the Eclipse. It started really sunny, ideal for the phenomenon, but it grew increasingly cloudy as I headed to the site on the bus until it was almost blanket cloud and no sign of the sun.

The birds were nothing out of the ordinary. I spotted the usual wildfowl and the gulls were the same as they had been on Wednesday. A Little Ringed Plover flew from the top of the hill but that was all I saw of it and there were no other waders to speak of.

There was a break in the cloud at around 9.00 when I had bumped into another couple of birders. We got the fainest views of it starting but the clouds moved back over before I had chance to get a photo. Fortunately the cloud broke in the one spot where the eclipse was taking place for the main event for around 20 mins, just in that one spot. This allowed us some great views and the cloud cover meant that we could look right at it with no fear of harming out eyes. I managed some good shots, some even with birds (Woodpigeons) flying across them. Not a bad mornings outing.

-Solar Eclipse

The first two wheatears had apparently returned but I did not have time to go to that section of the site and get back for lectures so I sadly left them for the time being, but I was thrilled to have seen the eclipse so well, especially given how grim it looked. Not bad... Not bad at all!

Species List:

Orgreave Lakes: Linnet, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Reed Bunting, Teal, Wigeon, Oystercatcher, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Black-Headed Gull, Herring Gull, Coot, Moorhen, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Reed Bunting, Magpie, Little Ringed Plover,