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ldvnnr.bsky.social
LDV_NNR
@ldvnnr.bsky.social
News, events and recent sightings from the #LowerDerwentValley, #SkipwithCommon and #ForgeValleyWoods National Nature Reserves
Last week our team GPS-tagged several Woodcock in order to monitor their habitat requirements & movements around the reserve/surrounding area - after downloading the data it was surprising to see them not only feeding on the Ings after dark but also roosting there during the day 🪶
November 26, 2025 at 5:09 PM
This extra help really makes a massive difference to the site, so a huge thank you to all involved 🌳🪵🪓👏
Recently we enjoyed welcoming back staff from WSP to #SkipwithCommon NNR for a corporate volunteering task to clear birch from the open heath areas (to maintain view lines, glades and flight lines, from the footpaths and between the heaths).
November 26, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Recently we enjoyed welcoming back staff from WSP to #SkipwithCommon NNR for a corporate volunteering task to clear birch from the open heath areas (to maintain view lines, glades and flight lines, from the footpaths and between the heaths).
November 26, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Last week our hard working team of volunteers managed to fit in a visit to North Duffield to help manage an overgrown pond for the elderly owners – all part of our wider #NatureRecovery work in the surrounding area - many thanks to our fantastic team for their efforts 🐸
November 26, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Can visitors to the #LDV please be aware that deep flooding at Bank Island has now cut off access to the paths and hides, whilst access to Wheldrake Ings is getting more difficult (flooding to the car park and riverside path, & wellies required to reach Tower Hide) @yorkbirding.bsky.social
November 26, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Sightings in the #LDV today inc. a Rock/Water Pipit heard at Thorganby + 92 Dunlin still present there, with 60+ Whooper Swans viewable distantly towards Ellerton Ings @yorkbirding.bsky.social
November 26, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Reposted by LDV_NNR
The Firecrest still at Bank Island this morning
@nybirdnews.bsky.social @ldvnnr.bsky.social
November 25, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Reposted by LDV_NNR
In the @ldvnnr.bsky.social today
Ellerton
179 Whooper Swan
2 Egyptian Geese
2 Marsh Harrier

Thorganby
4 Ruff
2 Black-tailed Godwit
42 Dunlin
4 Redshank
1 Stonechat

Bank Island
65 Pintail

East Cottingwith
1 Brambling
250 Linnet
8 Pink-footed Geese
3 Water Rail
@yorkbirding.bsky.social
November 23, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Reposted by LDV_NNR
170+ Whooper Swans on the River Derwent at Ellerton this morning. An incredible clamor under the rainbow @yorkbirding.bsky.social
November 23, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Reposted by LDV_NNR
In the @ldvnnr.bsky.social
Thorganby viewing platform
4 Ruff
1 Black-tailed Godwit
93 Ruff
4 Curlew
3 Redshank
4 Snipe
76 Whooper Swan
18 Shelduck
1 Marsh Harrier

Bank Island
The returning hybrid Shelduck

Wheldrake Ings
1 Raven
3 Stonechat
295 Lapwing
3 Water Rail
@yorkbirding.bsky.social
November 22, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Huge thanks as always to everyone for their efforts - achieving what we manage to across the NNRs just wouldn't be possible without the help of our dedicated weekly volunteers and corporate groups - who work hard day in day out and whatever the weather! 🪚🪵🪓
Nice to welcome the @naturalengland.bsky.social Yorks/Lincs team to the #LDV yesterday and to have some additional help coppicing the last of the autumns willows ahead of more flooding - coppicing produces variation in structure/openness and helps in managing the height of our warbler ringing sites.
November 21, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Nice to welcome the @naturalengland.bsky.social Yorks/Lincs team to the #LDV yesterday and to have some additional help coppicing the last of the autumns willows ahead of more flooding - coppicing produces variation in structure/openness and helps in managing the height of our warbler ringing sites.
November 21, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Interesting to see the Firecrest (first caught and ringed at our NNR Base at Bank Island on Monday) present again yesterday – maybe holding territory in the adjacent Water Treatment Works. Other sightings yesterday inc. two Great White Egrets on Bank Island @yorkbirding.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Good to see so much dead wood on the woodland floor at the moment (as well as standing), with a nice variety of fungi seen, several Nuthatch calling and a glimpse of an otter in the river.
November 21, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Despite the weather & challenging slopes our volunteers worked hard strimming the small pockets of calcareous grassland at the south-western end of the site (improving the area for species such as cowslips, primrose, quaking grass, wild thyme, salad burnet and rock rose) 🌿 Many thanks to all 👏
November 21, 2025 at 5:05 PM
A rather damp day but good to be back at #ForgeValleyWoods NNR this week to meet with the Raincliffe Woods Community Enterprise forester to identify urgent tree works (following the recent storms and wet weather which has resulted in significant tree falls in the area).
November 21, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Nice surprise yesterday when this little gem of a bird turned up in one of our mist nets in the NNR Base Garden at Bank Island – only the second Firecrest to have been ringed on the reserve and the first record since 2021 @yorkbirding.bsky.social
November 18, 2025 at 8:48 AM
In between all of the jobs that our team have been doing on the NNRs recently, we’ve still found time to help with local conservation projects at Wressle churchyard and Naburn village hall, creating wildflower areas as part of #NatureRecovery
November 18, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Nice to see the Friends of the #LDV logo up there as a key partner and ‘going international'. During the day Curlew related discussions/presentations also took place. Great to see so much fantastic work/knowledge sharing/learning going on here - thanks to all.
Last week our wider Corncrake team attended the MOP9 (Ninth Meeting of the Parties) in Bonn, Germany, as part of the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds conference - talking about reintroductions, our Corncrake project and the work to be done on their flyways.
November 18, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Last week our wider Corncrake team attended the MOP9 (Ninth Meeting of the Parties) in Bonn, Germany, as part of the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds conference - talking about reintroductions, our Corncrake project and the work to be done on their flyways.
November 18, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Reposted by LDV_NNR
In the @ldvnnr.bsky.social
Thorganby Ings
251 Golden Plover
788 Lapwing
91 Whooper Swan
1 Ruff
3 Dunlin
1 Redshank
1 Marsh Harrier

Bank Island
1 Great Egret
5 Pintail
male Goldeneye

North Duffield Carrs
1 Great Egret
1 pair Peregrine

Bubwith Bridge
1 Great Egret
@yorkbirding.bsky.social
November 15, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Reposted by LDV_NNR
Hundreds of teal and wigeon, a dozen shovellar and 5 Gadwall on the low grounds. A juv peregrine hunting.
November 15, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Reposted by LDV_NNR
Water level at Bank Island deep enough to keep a Goldeneye and 7 Tufted duck occupied. Access to the hides needs wellies and they will probably be inaccessible in a few hours with rising river.
November 15, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Reposted by LDV_NNR
The Vikings have arrived! Big numbers of Scandinavian Fieldfares plundering the berries adorning the hedgerows in the @ldvnnr.bsky.social, Yorkshire this morning. @yorkbirding.bsky.social
November 15, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Yesterdays sightings from North Duffield Carrs included a Raven, Great White Egret, Willow Tit and Merlin, with 65 Whooper Swans nearby at Ellerton Ings & 12 present on the floodwater at Bank Island this morning @yorkbirding.bsky.social
Yesterday our volunteer team were working hard at North Duffield Carrs managing the area which is viewable from the footbridge/path that leads down to the viewing platform, helping to improve the reedbeds, scrub and large veteran willow for the #LDV Willow Tit population - many thanks to all 👏
November 14, 2025 at 8:24 PM