Photograph Copyright © Pete Wragg
Birds and Habitats in the SBSG area.
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Water Rail
Photograph Copyright © Pete Wragg
The status of this species possibly varies from year to year, but is mainly a winter visitor to the area. Breeding has been proven at a small number of localities over the years but the true numbers breeding is not properly known and may well fluctuate. Certainly in 2002 and 2003 there seemed to be more evidence of breeding at one particular [traditional ?] locality where the condition of the reed-bed has recovered remarkably in recent years. No doubt this will have provided a major effect, although increased coverage of the site may well have been an influence in the apparent improvement in the numbers recorded. This photograph was taken by Pete Wragg at a locality in the east of the area on 5th January 2003. The actual locality has been withheld at present at the wishes of the local landowner.
Just to show how any bird can turn up anywhere, the Water Rail shown below was picked up dead on 4th October 2000 .... in a suburb only 2 to 3 miles west of Sheffield city centre, on Greystones Road. Maybe a diet of pound coins was inappropriate, as this regurgitated sample would indicate. [Sorry Roger, couldn't resist it]. The bird was found and photographed by Roger Kay. Last updated 6th July 2003
Photograph Copyright © Roger Kay
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