Old Moor - Peregrine, ducks and a pale coloured Buzzard...

Juvenile Peregrine sat obligingly on an island mound

 So I'm in Leeds for the next term of my final year at university. Unfortunately due to all the time spent doing my final year dissertation, I haven't managed to get out birding over my first week back.

I hope to visit either St. Aidans/Swillington Ings very soon but I didn't want to leave it too long before making another blog post so I have some pictures I digiscoped at Old Moor a couple of weeks ago to show you.

There were plenty of Shoveler about

The juvenile Peregrine gave us fantastic views as it sat for ages on one of the islands in the middle of the main scrape after it had whizzed around the lake a few times being chased by screaming gulls.

The visit to Old Moor proved a welcome year boosting trip as many species were added to my fledging list. Unfortunately the heavy rain we have received meant that the scrapes contained too much water to have any waders about, but the plethora of wildfowl and the Peregrine made up for it. My list currently stands at around 65 species for the year so far and, with most of the common birds down, I expect it to grow slowly until the summer migrants arrive.

Teal, one of my favourite ducks we get in the UK

While at Old Moor we did spot a raptor flying over the trees far beyond the scope that I immediately took for being a Buzzard. I got it in the scope which revealed it had extensive light plumage on its breast and tail. Now I know that you get light colour morphs of Buzzard, and thats what I put it down as in the end, but it was a tantalizing prospect that this may be a Rough Legged Buzzard, an occasional winter visitor from Northern Europe. The first rule of birding; if you are undecided what it is, go for the commonest one! There were two other birders that saw it as well as me and my grandad and whilst one was happy to take it as a light Common Buzzard, the other was sure it's tail was too long and wasn't convinced.

Maybe, just maybe...