May 25

Lower Derwent Valley NNR - May Sightings

Highlights during the month included a White Stork lingering on the 1^st and a Glossy Ibis seen heading into roost at Wheldrake Ings on the 5^th. Garganey put on a good showing early in the month, and the first decent arrival of Quail was noted with up to 14 singing males located (albeit not overly vocal). A total of 19 singing Water Rail were also present and two Corncrakes were recorded at Wheldrake Ings. Six Common Cranes were logged during the month and raptors continued to put on a good show throughout.

Wader passage was rather limited with the dry conditions persisting during the month, but a flock of five Wood Sandpiper (14^th) was notable, with 28 Whimbrel at the Wheldrake roost and 20 Ruff recorded (with some lekking and a lingering reeve present). Later in the month saw a record-breaking passage of Tundra Ringed Plover with 49 at North Duffield Carrs on the 30^th and small numbers of Dunlin noted and a summer plumaged Sanderling.

It was also a good month for Corn Buntings with up to 100+ singing males present both in the Ings hay meadows and around the local farmland.

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 Duncan Bye, Trevor Walton and Alan Whitehead for the use of their images below.

 

BIRDS:

Mute Swan – On the 4^th a total of 32 non-breeders were recorded at North Duffield Carrs with another 36 present at Wheldrake Ings. 25 were still at North Duffield on the 11^th.

Mute Swan brood - North Duffield Carrs - 24/05 - DB

Greylag Goose – Neck-collared bird ‘HUZ’ was present at Thornton Ellers on the 4^th – another bird from the Yorkshire moult migration site at Windermere. On the 11^th up to 129 adults and 43 goslings were recorded at North Duffield Carrs, and a further 41 adults and 21 goslings were at East Cottingwith. A total of 88 adults and 53 goslings were also recorded during the month at Wheldrake. Small numbers of young also appeared throughout the wider area.

Pink-footed Goose – A single was at North Duffield Carrs on the 5^th.

Egyptian Goose – Two were at North Duffield Carrs on the 4^th when three were at Thornton Ellers, with three at Wheldrake Ings on the 5^th. Six were at Thornton Ellers on the 8^th with two at North Duffield Carrs and East Cottingwith on the 11^th. Four were present at North Duffield on the 31^st.

Teal – On the 4^th 50 remained at Wheldrake Ings and 65 were at North Duffield Carrs. Good numbers remained to month end with a brood of three present at North Duffield Carrs on the 27^th.

Wigeon – Ten remained at Wheldrake Ings with a single at North Duffield Carrs on the 4^th. Four drakes and a duck remained thereafter at Wheldrake Ings.

Mandarin – A drake was on the pool at Wheldrake Ings on the 2^nd and later on Swantail Ings at dusk on the 5^th.

Mandarin - Wheldrake Ings - 02/05 - DB

Garganey – A single female was present at Wheldrake Ings on the 1^st and 2^nd with two drakes at North Duffield Carrs on the 4^th and 5^th and a pair at Wheldrake Ings on the same date. A single drake remained at North Duffield Carrs on the 11^th, Wheldrake Ings on the 23^rd and North Duffield Carrs on the 29^th.

Little Egret – Up to 40 pairs were present throughout the site during the month.

Cattle Egret – Three were at Wheldrake Ings on the 3^rd and two were seen over Wheldrake village on the 7^th.

Grey Heron – The first young appeared at Wheldrake Ings from the 23^rd with further fledged birds appearing thereafter to month end.

Great White Egret – Two remained on site early in the month with regular sightings thereafter including a breeding plumaged bird at North Duffield Carrs on the 31^st.

White Stork – A single was reported in the Hagg Bridge/Storwood area on the 1^st.

Glossy Ibis – A single flew into Wheldrake Ings towards dusk on the 5^th.

Water Rail – Up to 19 singing birds remained throughout the month with a brood seen at North Duffield Carrs on the 24^th.

Quail – The first returning bird was heard at Bubwith Ings on the 14^th and was followed by others later in the day at Aughton Ings and North Duffield Carrs. Seven were present throughout the site by the 17^th (Aughton, Bubwith, North Duffield Carrs and North Duffield Ings) with another heard at Wheldrake Ings between the 18^th - 23^rd. Two were present at Thornton Ellers on the 21^st with up to three recorded there from the 23^rd, when one was also noted on noc-mig at Elvington. A total of 14 singing males had been logged by month end.

Corncrake – A singing male was heard by Tower Hide at Wheldrake Ings on the 3^rd and 5^th, with another recorded at Wheldrake Ings between the windpump and Pool Hide on the 13^th and 14^th.

Common Crane – Three flew high up the valley from North Duffield Carrs and were seen circling over Bank Island and the Low Grounds, with a single heard calling over Wheldrake village on the 9^th. A single was at Aughton on the 14^th, with two at North Duffield Carrs on the 27^th/28^th and at Aughton again on the 30^th.

Common Cranes - North Duffield Carrs - 27/05 - AW

Osprey – One flew north over North Duffield Carrs on the 3^rd followed by another over Melbourne on the 9^th.

Red Kite – Seen daily throughout the area – now the most conspicuous raptor on the reserve.

Marsh Harrier – Three birds, an immature male, immature female and adult female were all recorded at Wheldrake Ings on the 2^nd, and by the 4^th a pair were actively nest building and remained to month end. One was also present at North Duffield Carrs on the 4^th.

Marsh Harrier - Wheldrake Ings - 04/05 - DB

Peregrine – Up to six pairs were found nesting in the wider area with at least two pairs feeding young from mid-month.

Hobby – On the 2^nd four were at Wheldrake followed by two at Bank Island and North Duffield Carrs and three at Hagg Bridge/Storwood giving a total of 11 individuals (recent increase). Four were feeding over Wheldrake Ings at dusk on the 5^th and two were at Thornton Ellers on the 7^th. Adult birds started to disperse to breeding sites thereafter with singles (mainly sub-adults) remaining on the Ings at month end at a number of sites including Thornton Ellers, Wheldrake, Bank Island and New Meadow at North Duffield Carrs – all recorded there on the 30^th.

Hobby - Pocklington Canal - 02/05 - TW

Little Ringed Plover – A pair were present at Bank Island on the 1^st with occasional sightings coming from Wheldrake Ings during the month. Up to five birds (two pairs) settled at North Duffield Carrs from mid-month with at least one pair incubating late in the month.

Ringed Plover – Three were at North Duffield Carrs on the 11^th with seven there on the 14^th and four at Wheldrake Ings on the 17^th. One was present at North Duffield Carrs on the 21^st and was followed by nine at Wheldrake Ings on the 26^th and three there on the 27^th. A flock of 29 were found at North Duffield Carrs on the 28^th before a new record count of 49 was had two days later on the 30^th with 22 remaining on the 31^st.

Ringed Plover + Sanderling - North Duffield Carrs - 30/05 - DB

Lapwing – Good numbers of breeding birds were present throughout the month. The first newly hatched young were seen on the 5^th and the first almost fledged young were at North Duffield Carrs on the 26^th. Up to 33 pairs were recorded at North Duffield Carrs and the first post-breeding flocks of failed breeders (presumed to be a mix of local and further afield individuals) started to build up with 89 at Wheldrake Ings and 94 at North Duffield Carrs late in the month.

Dunlin – There were present at Wheldrake Ings on the 26^th with one remaining on the 27^th. Nine were then present at North Duffield Carrs on the 30^th with just two remaining on the 31^st.

Dunlin - North Duffield Carrs - 30/05 - DB

Sanderling – A summer plumaged bird was present at North Duffield Carrs on the 30^th.

Curlew – Present throughout the site with a large hatching of broods noted from the 26^th and particularly between the 29^th - 31^st.

Curlew - Wheldrake Ings - 21/05 - DB

Whimbrel – Eleven were present in daytime feeding fields at South Grange Farm and in the Laytham area on the 5^th when singles were also recorded at North Duffield Carrs and Storwood. Nineteen were recorded at midday at Wheldrake Ings on the 5^th when two were also present at North Duffield Carrs, with at least 28 flying into roost that evening. Small numbers were recorded daily thereafter with two at Wheldrake Ings on the 10^th and a single at North Duffield Carrs on the 11^th. Odd singles then lingered until the 18^th.

Black-tailed Godwit – A single lingered at Wheldrake Ings between the 1^st - 3^rd.

Snipe – Good numbers were present throughout the month with birds concentrated to wetter areas – drumming birds included 15 at North Duffield Carrs, 12 at Wheldrake Ings and 11 in the Melbourne and Thornton Ings area with others scattered throughout the wider site.

Jack Snipe – A late bird at Wheldrake Ings on the 2^nd was the last.

Ruff – Twelve remained at Wheldrake Ings on the 1^st with eight recorded on the 2^nd (including five at North Duffield Carrs) and a total of 13 were present on the 3^rd. A flock of 20 was then reported from Wheldrake Ings on the 4^th. Two were at Wheldrake and North Duffield Carrs on the 5^th with single males remaining at both sites on the 10^th and 11^th. Two males were at Wheldrake until the 21^st whilst four males and a reeve lekked at North Duffield Carrs on the 26^th with and a reeve remaining to month end.

Redshank – Up to 25 pairs were present including eight at North Duffield Carrs and seven at Wheldrake Ings, as well as scattered pairs elsewhere. The first brood was seen at North Duffield Carrs on the 14^th.

Greenshank – Two were at North Duffield Carrs on the 3^rd and one was at Wheldrake Ings on the 13^th.

Green Sandpiper – Single birds were at Wheldrake Ings on the 7^th, Bank Island on the 9^th and Melbourne on the 11^th.

Common Sandpiper – Two were recorded at Wheldrake Ings on the 1^st and 2^nd.

Wood Sandpiper – Five were present at North Duffield Carrs on the 14^th with a single there on the 18^th.

Common Tern – Four were recorded on the 1^st followed by five on the 2^nd and 3^rd, on which date one pair had taken up residence on the Wheldrake tern raft. Two pairs remained to month end with one incubating pair present at Wheldrake Ings.

Common Tern - Wheldrake Ings - 21/05 - DB

Cuckoo – A singing male returned to Wheldrake Woods on the 1^st with up to four males recorded regularly at Wheldrake Ings early in the month. Four males and two females were present at Wheldrake at dusk on the 9^th, and three males and a female were at Coates Lock on the Pocklington Canal towards Canal Head. Other singing males were recorded from Foggathorpe, North Duffield Carrs, Bubwith Ings, Aughton Ings, Long Lane Aughton, East Cottingwith, Thorganby and Bank Island (two). An estimated 25 singing males were thought to be present early in the month, but again numbers appeared concentrated into the core valley and designated sites of Skipwith and Allerthorpe.

Green Woodpecker – Singles were recorded from Long Lane Aughton on the 11^th and in the Wheldrake Ings/Bank Island area on the 14^th and 19^th.

Swift – A small arrival took place on the 4^th with 35 at Wheldrake Ings, 25 at North Duffield Carrs and seven at Thornton Ellers.

Wheatear – A single male at Hagg Lane, East Cottingwith was seen on the 2^nd, 4^th and 7^th with two recorded nearby on the 11^th.

Wheatear - Hagg Lane - 07/05 - DB 

Raven – Yet another was present over Bank Island on the 2^nd with a family party of five seen at Elvington on the 31^st suggesting local breeding.

Garden Warbler – A good year for the species with up to 12 singing males recorded at Wheldrake Ings and a further six at Bank Island.

Sedge Warbler – Fifty singing males were present along the Pocklington Canal during the month.

Sedge Warbler - Wheldrake Ings - 02/05 - DB

Reed Warbler – Eight were recorded in the Wheldrake reedbed on the 2^nd followed by nine on the 11^th. Good numbers were present thereafter and a total 64 singing males were also counted along the Pocklington Canal during the month.

Grasshopper Warbler – Three reeling males were still present in the Bank Island and Wheldrake area early in the month, with two birds also recorded along the Pocklington Canal.

Lesser Whitethroat – Two pairs were feeding young at Wheldrake Ings on the 31^st.

Lesser Whitethroat - Wheldrake Ings - 31/05 - TW

Cetti’s Warbler – Another ‘new’ bird appeared at the windpump area at Wheldrake Ings on the 9^th followed by one at North Duffield Ings. A new female with a brood patch was caught and ringed at Bank Island on the 19^th.

Corn Bunting – Five or six singing males were present along Hagg Lane at East Cottingwith during the month, with one at Wheldrake remaining throughout. Fifteen singing males were recorded on farmland adjacent to the site between East Cottingwith and Aughton on the 7^th, with five at Thornton Ellers on the 8^th and 11 in the South Duffield area on the 9^th. Nine singing males were at Hagg Lane on the 11^th and five were at North Duffield Carrs during the second half of the month. Numbers at Wheldrake Ings also increased from a single male to eight singing males during the month, with an estimated 100+ singing males present around the site by month end.

Corn Bunting - Hagg Lane - 04/05 - DB