Jan' 25

Lower Derwent Valley NNR - January Sightings

A great start to the year was had with some nice winter birding in a month dominated by extensive flooding and freezing conditions, particularly during mid-month, with 119 species recorded. Highlights included the continued presence of the drake American Wigeon early in the month and a lingering pair of Smew (17^th-23^rd), whilst the first January record of Sanderling for the site was perhaps more unexpected. Wintering geese were well represented with 2000 resident Pink-footed Geese recorded during the month and up to 12 White-fronted Geese and two adult Tundra Beans also lingering. Contrasting those, a new reserve record count of 27 Egyptian Geese was logged for this expanding population.

Smew - Wheldrake Ings - 21/01 - TW

Other notable counts included 135 Whooper Swans, 7000 Teal, 11,500 Wigeon and 680 Pintail, with a Scaup also present (16^th-20^th). The first ten returning Coot had appeared on the reserve by the 25^th and a Great White Egret remained throughout the month. Between 10-14 Marsh Harriers were present during the first part of the month, although fewer remained after the freeze with two Hen Harriers also logged. 10,000+ Lapwing prior to the freeze had reduced to 2500 by month end, with 1000 wintering Snipe and up to 20 Jack Snipe recorded throughout the site. A Spotted Redshank and two to four wintering Green Sandpiper were also notable.

The large gull roost held up to three or four Caspian Gulls, a single Mediterranean Gull and two Yellow-legged Gulls. Two Short-eared Owls were notable along with a single Raven, three wintering Chiffchaff and a Hawfinch at Skipwith. Farmland birds were well represented at the New Meadow wild bird crop in North Duffield with 130 Corn Buntings present at the Melbourne reedbed roost

Many thanks as always to everyone who contributed records and counts throughout the month, in particular to members of York Birding and regular patch birder Duncan Bye. Thanks also to Dean Brookes, Duncan Bye, Adam Firth and Trevor Walton for the use of the images below. 

 

BIRDS:

Mute Swan – Monthly maxima of 96 was recorded on the 25^th.

Whooper Swan – 130 were present early in the month with 135 recorded on the 25^th.

Greylag Goose –1,900+ were present throughout the site early in the month decreasing to 1,168 by the 25^th.

Canada Goose – 248 were present throughout the site on the 25^th.

Pink-footed Goose – 2,000+ lingered in the Aughton area on the 1^st and were then present at North Duffield Carrs between the 2^nd and 5^th. 1,000+ were in the Storwood area between the 16^th and 19^th with several returning flocks heading northwest around this time. 1,000+ remained at Wheldrake Ings between the 20^th and 25^th, with 1,236 present throughout the site on the latter date.

White-fronted Goose – Twelve flew over Bubwith Ings on the 7^th with two (an adult and juvenile) in the same area on the 14^th and 19^th with a single at Storwood and two at Melbourne on the latter date. A single adult was present at Wheldrake Ings with the flock of Pink-footed Geese between the 23^rd and 25^th.

White-fronted Goose - North Duffield - 18/01 - AF

Tundra Bean Goose – Two were seen over Crockey Hill on the 15^th with presumably the same two adults at Wheldrake Ings on the 17^th and Thornton on the 19^th.

Egyptian Goose – Two remained at Elvington Airfield throughout the month. A new record count of 27 was then made on the 25^th which included 19 in the Ellerton Ings area and six at Wheldrake Ings.

Shelduck – 140+ remained across the site on the 1^st with 102 at Wheldrake Ings on the 21^st and 115 throughout the site on the 25^th.

Teal – The year opened with 7,000+ remaining from late December. Following a reduction in numbers during freezing conditions mid-month, 6,781 were back throughout the site by the 25^th.

Wigeon – 11,500 were present at the start of the year with numbers then seeming to reduce during freezing conditions around mid-month, although birds were concentrated onto the open water of the river. Several ringing recoveries suggested a movement south and southwest (by birds ringed during November and December), although 10,725 were back and recorded throughout the reserve on the 25^th.

Wigeon - Wheldrake Ings - 01/01 - DB

American Wigeon – The drake remained at Wheldrake Ings on the 1^st and was present on the Low Grounds on the 4^th.

Mallard – As usual numbers increased during the cold weather which perhaps displaced birds from smaller local water bodies. 1,851 were recorded throughout the site on the 25^th.

Mallard - Wheldrake Ings - 25/01 - DBr

Pintail – 680+ were present throughout the site on the 1^st followed by 460 on the 25^th.

Shoveler – 198 were recorded throughout the site on the 25^th.

Gadwall – 127 were present throughout the site on the 25^th.

Tufted Duck – 157 were recorded on the 1^st with 105 present throughout the site on the 25^th.

Pochard – 25 remained into the new year but only 19 were still present at month end.

Red-crested Pochard – A single was present at Hemingbrough Brick Pits on the 4^th.

Scaup – A single drake was present at Wheldrake Ings between the 16^th and 20^th.  

Smew – A drake was at Wheldrake Ings on the 15^th and was joined by a redhead on the 17^th, with both present on the 18^th and again between the 19^th and 23^rd.

Goldeneye – Eighteen were present throughout the site on the 1^st with 23 recorded on the 25^th.

Goldeneye - Wheldrake Ings - 01/01 - DB

Goosander – A single was at Bank Island on the 4^th and a female was on the canal at Melbourne on the 22^nd.

Little Egret – Four were present throughout the site on the 1^st with one or two thereafter to month end.

Grey Heron – 28 were recorded throughout the reserve on the 25^th.

Great White Egret – The year opened with a single on the Pocklington Canal at Storwood between the 1^st and 5^th and another (or the same) at Wheldrake Ings (19^th and 25^th) and Melbourne on the 27^th.

Water Rail – Three were present in the Bank Island area during the month with six at Wheldrake Ings and two at Church Bridge, Melbourne.

Coot – Five were at Wheldrake Ings on the 3^rd with ten present there on the 25^th.

Red Kite – Six were at Wheldrake Ings on the 1^st when five were also present at North Duffield Carrs with a single at Crockey Hill. Seven were between Wheldrake and Escrick on the 21^st with three in the Aughton area on the 25^th.

Marsh Harrier – Between 10 and 14 were present early in the month with four or five remaining at month end.

Hen Harrier – A single ring-tail at Melbourne Ings on the 19^th was followed by a male high northeast over Hemingbrough on the 31^st.

Peregrine – Up to five wintering birds remained throughout the month.

Merlin – Singles were at Bank Island (4^th and 28^th) and North Duffield Carrs (7^th).

Oystercatcher – A single was at North Duffield Ings on the 13^th and Wheldrake Ings on the 30^th.

Golden Plover – 2,000+ present on the site early in the month left during freezing conditions with only 62 remaining by the 25^th.

Golden Plover - Wheldrake Ings - 01/01 - DB

Lapwing – 10,000+ remained on the 1^st with large numbers being forced out of the site by a prolonged cold spell mid-month. 2,435 remained on the 25^th.

Dunlin – c500 were still present across the site on the 15^th with 435 remaining on the 25^th.

Sanderling – A single was at North Duffield Carrs on the 19^th.

Curlew – 20+ remained on the site including 23 on the 25^th – by which time four individuals had returned to breeding territories.

Black-tailed Godwit – Thirty were recorded at Wheldrake Ings on the 1^st followed by ten on the 12^th. Twenty were present there again after the thaw on the 21^st with 23 recorded on the 25^th followed by 30 on the 27^th.

Snipe – 300+ were feeding along the riverbank at North Duffield Carrs and Bubwith on the 13^th with 100+ doing similar at North Duffield Ings on the 15^th. 250+ were recorded at Wheldrake Ings after dark on the 21^st with 150+ present at Elvington on the same night.

Jack Snipe – One or two present in Elvington early in the month cleared out during the freezing weather but returned following the thaw, with 16 recorded across two sites on the 21^st. Six were at North Duffield Ings after dark on the 23^rd.

Woodcock – Two or three were present daily in the car park scrub at Wheldrake Ings with another two at Melbourne, Church Bridge on the 13^th. Birds started to appear back in the area following the thaw since the new year with 18+ recorded across three sites after dark on the 21^st including 10+ at Wheldrake Ings.

Redshank – Up to 15 were still present throughout the site on the 15^th.

Spotted Redshank – A single was mixed in with Redshank on the riverbank at North Duffield Carrs on the 5^th.

Green Sandpiper – Two were still present and presumed wintering at Elvington on the 1^st and later at North Duffield Carrs on the 5^th. One was at Melbourne on the 7^th before reappearing back at Elvington following the thaw on the 21^st.

Herring Gull – 1,000 roosted at Wheldrake Ings on the 17^th.

Mediterranean Gull – A single was present at the Wheldrake roost on 15^th and 19^th.

Black-headed Gull – 14,700 were recorded at the Wheldrake roost on the 17^th.

Common Gull – 8,100 were at the Wheldrake roost on the 17^th.

Caspian Gull – A single adult and first-winter were at Wheldrake Ings on the 1^st with three individuals (two first-winters and a second-winter) present there on the 2^nd. A single was at the roost on the 4^th with another on the 19^th and a first-winter again on the 25^th.

Caspian Gull - Wheldrake Ings - 01/01 - DB

Yellow-legged Gull – A first-winter was at the Wheldrake Ings roost on the 2^nd with an adult there on the 15^th.

Lesser Black-backed Gull – One or two birds were present in the Wheldrake roost most evenings with five there on the 2^nd, four on the 11^th and eight on the 19^th.

Great Black-backed Gull – 140 roosted at Wheldrake Ings on the 17^th.

Short-eared Owl – A single was at North Duffield Carrs on the 16^th and Melbourne Ings on the 19^th.

Skylark – c200 were present in a winter flock at Thornton on the 25^th, on which date several birds were noted back on winter territories and with some short bursts of song recorded.

Raven – A single flew east over the Low Grounds and Wheldrake Ings on the 3^rd.

Willow Tit – During the month calling/singing birds were present in the Wheldrake pool area/car park scrub and at Melbourne on the Pocklington Canal. One also remained at North Duffield Carrs throughout the month whilst two were caught at Bank Island on the 20^th.

Willow Tit - Bank Island - 20/01 - CSR

Chiffchaff – One around the pool at Wheldrake Ings on the 1^st was still present on the 15^th and 19^th, with others wintering at North Duffield Carrs and Melbourne.

Cetti’s Warbler – Two were present in the Church Bridge reedbed on the 13^th with three roosting in the car park area at Wheldrake Ings on the same date.

Nuthatch – One was in the car park lane at Wheldrake Ings on the 1^st and was heard/seen there regularly thereafter during the month.

Hawfinch – One was present in trees between Skipwith village and the Common on the 3^rd and 4^th.

Brambling – Several were seen in the Wheldrake Woods area on the 4^th.

Linnet – 200+ remained throughout the month at the New Meadow bird crop at North Duffield Carrs with 100+ also recorded at Thornton Ellers.

Corn Bunting – 112 roosted at the Church Bridge reedbed at Melbourne on the 9^th with 60 north over Wheldrake village on the 10^th. 100+ were still present at Melbourne on the 13^th when six were also caught and ringed. 127 were present there on the 19^th when 20 were caught and ringed. Four or five were also present in the wild bird crop at North Duffield Carrs on the 25^th.