Treeton Nature Diary 2026
- Bob Croxton
- Jul 17
- 8 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Tuesday 28 July
Bolehill Flash
I first got a brief climpse of a Redstart here on Saturday 26 July. Today 2 juveniles were present for a short time. Both birds do not seem long out of the nest, canot imagine where they have come from as there are no known birds breeding nearbye.
Monday 20 July Monthly wildfowl count highlights
Treeton Dyke
Mute Swan 7, Canada Goose 23, Mallard 20 Gadwall 3, Tufted Duck 4, Coot 7, Moorhen 3.
Sunday 19 July Monthly wildfowl count highlights
Orgreave Lakes
Mute Swan 43, Canada Goose 90, Mallard 42, Pochard 54, Tufted 40, Coot 128.
Catcliffe Flash
Mute Swan 2, Mallard 34, Gadwall 28, Tufted Duck1, Coot 11, Moorhen 11, Little Grebe 2, Great Crested Grebe 2.
Monday 13 July
Woodwalton Fen
Arived in morning in the hope of photgrpahing Purple Emperor Butterflies, which I have done in the past, but as I now have bettter cameras and lens hope todo a better job. Unfortunately for the first time in ages it was a cool overcast morning with a strong wind, so no sightings.
Wicken Fen
Arived here around 1 pm. The sun had now come out but a strong wind prevailed. Not as much dragonfly activity as I hoped, most of the expected common species. Managed to photograph my first UK Scarce Chasers and Southern Migrant Hawkers and my first UK Norfolk Hawker wizzed bye. Quiet bird wise just single female Marsh Harrier and Hobby all of note.
Friday10 July
Catcliffe Flash
First Great White Egret for a while.
Monday 22 June Wildfowl count Highlights
Orgreave Lakes
Canada Goose 263, Greylag 16, Mute Swan 34, Mallard 29, Pochard 50, Tufted Duck 22, Coot 22, Coot 72, Great Crested Grebe 33, Little Grebe1.
Treeton Dyke
Mute Swan 6 including pair with 2 young, Canad Goose 9, Mallard 30, Tufted Duck 4, Coot 12, Moorhen 4, Great Crested Grebe 4 (None bred here so far this year).
Sunday 21 June
Catcliffe Flash Wildfowl count Highlights
Mute Swan 2, Mallard 36, Gadwall 11, Coot 17, Moorhen 4, Great Crested Grebe Pair with one young, Little Egret 2, Grey Heron 1, Cormorant 1.
Sunday 31 May
Saturday 30 May
Azure Damselfly - Blue-tailed Damselfly
Four-spotted Chaser - Emperor Dragonfly
Broad-bodied Chaser - Black-tailed Skimmer
Banded Demoiselle
Friday 22 May
Monthly Wildfowl Count Highlights
Orgreave Lakes
Canada Goose 65. Coot 39, Gadwall 12, Great Crested Grebe 24, Greylag Goose 11, Mallard 25, Mute Swan 25, Pochard 6, Tufted Duck 18.
Treeton Dyke
Canada Goose 2, Coot 12, Great Crested Grebe 2, Greylaga Goose 2, Mallard 21, Moorhen 4, Mute Swan 4.
Catcliffe Flash
Coot 8, Cormorant 1, Gadwall 6, Great Crested Grebe 2, Greay Heron3, Mallard 6, Mute Swan 2, Tufted Duck 6.
Saturday 2 May
Catcliffe Flash
No sign of the Scaup since the 26 April. The Mute Swans seem to have abandoned their nest. A pair of Great Crested Grebes have built a nest at the southern end, these usually fail this time of year due to competition from Coot. Four Pochard, 3 males and a female present.
Tuesday 28 April
Treeton Village
Two Swift flying around the streets.
Sunday 26 April
Main Lake, Orgreave
My first local Swift of the year at 0800 hrs.
Saturday 25 April
Friday 24 April Monthly Wildfowl Count Highlights
Treeton Dyke
Mute Swan 13, Mallard 9, Tufted Duck 2, Coot 8, Moorhen 1, Great Crested Grebe 5.
Orgreave Lakes
Mute Swan 4, Canada Geese 43, Mallard 14, Gadwall 8, Tufted Tuck 21, Goodander 1, Coot 23, Cormorant 5, Great Crested Grebe 20, Little Egret 1.
Thursday 23 April Monthly Wildfowl Count Highlights
Catcliffe Flash
MuteSwan 2, Mallard 2, Gadwall 2, Tufted Duck 20, Scaup 1, Coot 7, Moorhen 2, Great Crested Grebe 2, Little Grebe 2.
Friday 10 April
I made a trip up the Dearne Valley today to visit several sites. Highlights were a male Marsh Harrier photographed from Manor Lane in Adwick upon Dearne village. At RSPB Adwick water was very high and waders other than 3 Black-tailed Godwits, were down on what I would normally expect. Sedge and Reed Warblers in song. A number of Cetti's Warblers were elusive as ever until one eventually came out onto into the open and actually posed. At most of the other sites, there were what I would expect for the time of year. Bird of the day was a very early Swift, not sure what the earliest for Barnsley is, but for Sheffield it is the 15 April. A White-fronted Goose was on the newest pools to the west of Broomhill Flash viewed from Wombwell Ings.
Thursday 9 April
Monday 6 April
Treeton Area
Number of Chiffchaffs seem well up on previous years. A few Blackcaps about and its not unusual to get up to 3 singing Cetti's Warbler in a morning. Common birds such as Robin, Dunnock, Blue Tit Great Tit, Goldfinch all seem plentiful, plus Song Thrushes remain common around the village, if not in it.
Catcliffe Flash
Male Scaup still present a few Teal about, but no Shovelers at the moment. The unusually early sight of Tufted Ducks mating. This seem early as they do not usually have young until late June/July. First male Orange Tip butterfly of the year.
Saturday 4 April
Thursday 2 April
Old Flatts Farm Treeton
For the second time this week I have come across a Little Egret picking insects/worms from the pasture near the farm, more remenisant of Cattle Egret!
Wednesday 1 April
Sunday 29 March
A Cetti's Warbler singing on Biffa Tip South well away from any wetlands, Scaup still present at Catcliffe Flash. Many Hirundines on Orgreave Lakes and as usual non on Catcliffe Flash and Treeton Dyke. The rare ocurance these days of a Greenfinch singng from the Hazel tree in my front garden.
Friday 27 March
Orgreave Lakes
At 1452 hrs today I noted a different gull with its white head standing out from amongst the many Black-headed Gulls. It was very tame and approachable, identified as an adult Kittiwake, proved when I could see its black legs and black wingtips when it occasionally took to the air when a Black-headed Gull came too close. Typicall found locally in westerly winds in March migrating from the Irish Sea to the North Sea.
Thursday 26 March
Sunday 22 March Monthly Wildfowl Counts highlights
Orgreave Lakes
Mute Swan 1, Canada Geese 52, Greylag Geese 3, Mallard 18, Gadwall 8, Shoveler 2, Pochard 13, Tufted Duck 36, Goldeneye min 4, Little Egret 1.
Treeton Dyke
Mute Swan 27, Canada Geese 7, Greylag Geese 3, Mallard 21, Gadwall 6, Mandarin Duck 1 male, Tufted Duck 20, Coot 19, Moorhen 6, Great Crested Grebe3, Grey Heron 1.
Catcliffe Flash
Mute Swan 2, Mallard 5, Gadwall 7, Shoveler 4, Teal 3, Pochard 5, Tufted Duck 20, Scaup 1, Coot 5, Moorhen 4, Great Crested Grebe 3, Grey Heron 3, Kingfisher 1.
Saturday 21 March
Treeton Area
Several Peacock butterflies out in the afternoon sun.
Woodhouse Washlands (Rotherham Side)
Four Pink-footed Geese down on the flood waters.
Sunday 15 March
River Rother
A strange looking Goldcrest found high up in a tree, gave the impresion of being a juvenile?
Friday 13 March
Treeton Area
First day out with my new Canon R6 Mk3. Early days, while I get to know my way around the camera, The instuction manual is on par with learning the bible. Very impresessed so far with the ability to focus on birds in bushes and far quicker at locking the focus on birds in flight than my R7.
Great Crested Grebe, Song Thrush - Treeton Dyke
Grey Heron, Great Tit - Treeton Dyke
Saturday 7 March
Long Lane, Treeton
A single Pink-footed Goose was amongst a small flock of Greylags.
Sunday 22 February Monthly wildfowl count highlights
Orgreave Lakes and R. Rother
Mallard 24, Gadwall 1, Pochard 37, Red-crested Pochard, Tufted Duck 17, Scaup 1, Godeneye 5, Coot 24, Oystercatcher 2.
Treeton Dyke
Mute Swan 31, Mallard 28, Gadwall 4, Tufted Duck 34, Goosander 1, Great Crested Grebe 1, Coot 24, Moorhen 5, Kingfisher 1.
Catcliffe Flash
Mallard 12, Gadwall 7, Shoveler 8, Pochard 11, Tufted Duck 40, Coot 5, Moorhen 1.
Wednesday 18 February
Treeton
Whooper Swan 22 over NW at 1002 hrs.
Tuesday 17 February
Catcliffe Flash
Ten Shoveler.
Friday 6 February
Treeton
Only my second ever garden Blackcap (Male) made a brief aperance in my garden this morning.
Thursday 29 January
Catcliffe Flash
Three pairs of Shovelers and 13 Pochard.
Tuesday 20 January Monthly wildfowl counts
Treeton Dyke
Mute Swan 35, Mallard 90, Pochard 2, Tufted Duck 35, Goosander 4, Coot 66, Moorhen 3.
Orgreave Lakes
Mallard 35, Gadwall 2, Pochard 53, Tufted Duck 18, Goldeneye 2, Coot 54, Little Grebe 1, Little Egret 2.
Monday 19 January Monthly wildfowl counts
Catcliffe Flash
Mute Swan 1, Teal 11, Mallard 3, Gadwall 4, Wigeon 3, Pochard 4, Tufted Duck 15, Scaup 1, Coot 17, Moorhen 2.
Thursday 15 January
Catcliffe Flash
The male Scaup wakened from its slumber today for while and fed and preened, before going back to sleep.
Saturday 10 January
Oxbow Treeton Meadows
c40 Wigeon.
Catcliffe Flash 90% frozen
Three Shoveler, c70 Teal, Male Scaup.
Monday 5 January
Ulley Country Park
Two female Shovelers were an unusual sight here. A large disjointed flock of a minimum of 250 Pink-footed Geese flew over NW at 0944 hrs.
Treeton Dyke
Mostly frozen. A minimum of 121 Coot were on a small patch of open water.
Sunday 4 January
Catcliffe Flash
Scaup, 3 Common Gulls.
River Rother, Treeton Meadows
Seven Cormorants landed on the river and then flew off SW.
Saturday 3 January
Treeton Dyke
Three Goldeneye 2M 1F, 43 Tufted Duck, a pair of Bullfinch
Oxbow, Treeton Meadows
A minimum of ten Stock Doves and a minimum of 30 Wigeon.
Thursday 1 January
New Year Bird Count 2026
Urban Treeton
Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Robin, Jackdaw, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit.
Treeton Upper Tip
Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Magpie, Kestrel, Redwing, Goldfinch.
Old Flatts Farm
Pheasant, Pied Wagtail.
Spa House Farm
Buzzard, Starling, Stock Dove.
Lower Ulley Brook
Fieldfare, Reed Bunting, Black-headed Gull.
River Rother
Cormorant, Mallard, Goosander, Goldcrest, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Chiffchaff.
Oxbow Treeton Meadows
Grey Heron.
Catcliffe Flash
Pochard, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Mute Swan, Coot, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull.
Treeton Dyke
Moorhen, Great Crested Grebe, Goldeneye.
Treeton Grange
Green Woodpecker heard.
Orgreave Lakes & Common
Lapwing, Little Grebe, Little Egret, Meadow Pipit, Great Black-backed Gull, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose.
A grand total of 47 species.
Apart from a few species, passerines were hard to come bye. Goldfinch only finch, no House Sparrows!
2025 - 55 species. 2024 – 50 Species. 2023 – 57 species. 2022 - 53 Species. 2021 - 52 species. 2020 - 58 species. 2019 - 48 species. Record 2009 - 66 species
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