Lower Derwent Valley NNR - August Sightings
The drought conditions resulted in the pool at Wheldrake drying up by month end, and with little standing water elsewhere across the reserve it was a quieter August than usual. Whilst wader passage was reduced to a trickle, migrant passerines were making headlines with a record-breaking passage of Sedge and Reed Warblers. 1,118 Sedge Warblers were caught and ringed by the end of the month (since late June), with the previous highest annual total being 380. Likewise, 400+ Reed Warblers were ringed, compared to a previous high of 285, showing another significant increase. 13 Grasshopper Warblers caught and ringed during the month was also notable.
Other
highlights included a Bittern at Hagg Bridge on the 18th, at
least seven Marsh Harriers and a ringtail Hen Harrier on the 25th.
Two Peregrines were recorded during the month with daily sightings of Hobbies across the area. Following on from last month a further mini-arrival resulted in four calling Quail, whilst the last of the
breeding waders were replaced by small numbers of passage migrants including -
Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, and Wood, Green
and Common Sandpiper. Returning Wheatears, Whinchat and
Redstarts were all noted, with the first returning Stonechat seen on
the 14th. A notable post-breeding run of Spotted Flycatchers was also recorded.
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 for the use of his images below.
Greylag
Goose –
Numbers built up in the Elvington Water Treatments Works during the month with c200
there by the 7th.
Egyptian
Goose – Six were still present in fields at East
Cottingwith on the 6th
whilst four (two adults and two immatures), flew north over Wheldrake Ings on
the 12th.
Shelduck
– Three immatures were at Elvington Water Treatment Works on the 7th with four there on the 13th.
Mandarin
– An eclipse drake was caught and ringed after dark at Wheldrake Ings on the 11th.
Teal
– 14 were present early in the month with 24 recorded on the 5th and 36 on the 7th.
Gadwall – Up to 27 were recorded
early in the month with 19 at North Duffield Carrs on the 21st.
Pintail – A single was picked up
on noc-mig over Elvington on the 25th – the first
returning/passage bird of the autumn.
Shoveler – 22 were present on the
pool at Wheldrake on the 1st with three unfledged ducklings.
Garganey
– A
single eclipse drake was at Wheldrake Ings on the 19th and 22nd.
Common
Scoter –
A flock was picked up on nocturnal recordings over Elvington after dark on the 26th.
Great
Crested Grebe
– Two were present at Elvington Water Treatment Works between the 7th-13th.
Bittern – One was seen briefly on the
Pocklington Canal at Hagg Bridge on the 18th.
Little
Egret – 10 were counted on the pool at Wheldrake Ings on
the 3rd followed by 12 on
the 6th and 14 on the 9th. 17 flew east out of
the heronry in a v-formation at dawn on the 15th
while 20 pre-roosted on the pool at Wheldrake on the 18th. Up to 10 remained to
month end despite the dry conditions.
Marsh Harrier – An adult male was still present at Wheldrake Ings on the 1st along with the female D3, with a cream crown there on the 3rd. Two males and two cream crowns were present between the 8th-12th, with a juvenile there on the 16th. D3 was present again at Wheldrake on the 18th with two juveniles on 21st and an adult female in heavy wing moult on the 30th – at least seven different individuals involved.
Hen
Harrier –
A ring-tail was present at Wheldrake Ings on the 25th (NC, CSR).
Red
Kite – 12
were viewable from Bank Island on the 1st with daily records coming
from across the site. A single rehabilitated juvenile was ringed and released
at North Duffield Carrs on the 15th.
Peregrine – One or two were
reported regularly from Wheldrake village, Bank Island and Wheldrake Ings during the month.
Hobby – Birds were seen daily
throughout at Wheldrake Ings, with one at Bubwith on the 3rd
and singles over Ellerton and Bank Island on the 4th. Singles
were also seen at Bank Island, Wheldrake, Breighton and Melbourne on the 6th,
with daily dusk sightings at Wheldrake thereafter with two there on the 31st.
Quail
– A singing
bird at Cheescake Farm on the 14th was caught and ringed at
Bank Island after dark, with another individual caught and ringed at Wheldrake on
the 15th. Two were then calling at Bank Island/Low Grounds on
the evening of the 15th with one near Thornton on the 17th
and 22nd.
Water
Rail –
Good numbers remained on the pool at Wheldrake with at least six calling birds present
on both the pool and scrape early in the month, with young from at least three
broods seen. Six were seen (three young) on the 9th when one
juvenile was caught and ringed there. Another older juvenile was caught and
ringed there on the 17th.
Ringed
Plover – A
single dropped into the pool at Wheldrake following rain on the 22nd
but moved on quickly, although it maybe have been the same bird seen over Hagg
Bridge the next day.
Golden
Plover –
A single flew south calling over Wheldrake Ings on the 9th
with seven there on the 12th and 10 south on the 13th.
60 were in the East Cottingwith area on the 24th.
Lapwing – 120 were present at
Bank Island on the 3rd with 80 at North Duffield Carrs on the
15th.
Snipe – Passage birds were present
throughout on the pool at Wheldrake, which held 26 on the 25th.
Black-tailed
Godwit – 33
flew south over Bank Island on the 1st. A single appeared on the
pool at Wheldrake between the 9th-12th with
another from the 15th-18th.
Curlew – Twelve appeared at Wheldrake
Ings on the 12th with seven there again on the 15th.
A single was seen flying south over Wheldrake on the 18th with
one in the meadow there on the 20th and three there on the 25th.
Whimbrel – Five flew south over
North Duffield on the 18th with one over Elvington on the 24th.
Dunlin
– A
single was present on the pool at Wheldrake Ings on the 30th.
Redshank – A single lingered on
the pool at Wheldrake Ings on the 1st and 2nd.
Greenshank – Single was present at Wheldrake Ings
between the 1st-11th.
Ruff – Singles (different individuals), were present on the 1st and 2nd.
Green
Sandpiper
– Seven were present on the pool at Wheldrake between the 1st-4th
with eight there on the 5th -7th followed by nine on the 8th
(with six also present on Skipwith Common NNR). 11 were recorded on the 9th
at Wheldrake followed by 13 on the 10th -12th. 10
were then present on the 13th and 14th, with
scattered singles elsewhere in the surrounding area. A total of 11 were
recorded on the 15th to 17th followed by
nine on the 18th and 15 on the 19th. Ten were then present during the 20th-22nd
with six thereafter as water levels receded further with just five remaining on
the 26th/27th.
Wood
Sandpiper
– Single at Wheldrake Ings on the 6th and 24th.
Common
Sandpiper
– One was picked up on nocturnal recordings over Elvington on the 15th.
A single was on the pool at Wheldrake on the 26th with one
over Elvington and another the nearby at the Water Treatment Works.
Lesser
Black-backed Gull
– 150 were present in fields along the Escrick/Wheldrake road on the 20th.
Cuckoo – A
juvenile was present around the pool at Wheldrake Ings on the 1st with one still there on
the 12th and 13th.
Green Woodpecker
– Single calling at Wheldrake Ings on the 31st.
Tree Pipit
– A passage bird was caught and ringed at Wheldrake Ings in poolside willows on
the 5th with one over
Melbourne/Pocklington Canal on the 17th.
Single at Barmby on the Marsh on the 21st
with three over Menthorpe Lane on the 29th.
Woodlark – Two
adults and two juveniles were present on Skipwith Common NNR on the 12th – probably relating to
different broods.
Wheatear – A single female was in
the refuge area at Wheldrake Ings on the 5th with another at
Hagg Bridge on the same date. A single remained at Wheldrake on the 6th,
with one at Barmby on the Marsh wetlands on the 14th. One was
present at North Duffield Carrs on the 20th, and Wheldrake Ings
on the 21st, 28th and 30th.
Whinchat – The first returning bird
of the autumn was at Church Bridge, Melbourne on the 6th with
the next reported bird at Wheldrake Ings on the 20th. Three
were at Wheldrake Ings on the 23rd, with singles present on
the 25th-26th. 11 were recorded there on the 27th
with eight remaining on the 28th and two on the 29th
and 30th.
Stonechat – A juvenile (presumed
passage individual) was at Cheesecake Farm on the 14th.
Redstart – A pair were present at
Hagg Bridge on the 15th with a male at the Low Grounds on the
17th. Single at Thornton on the 21st was followed
by two immature males at Wheldrake Ings on the 27th.
Cetti’s
Warbler –
Occasional calling from males was heard at Wheldrake Ings on the 4th
and Bank Island on 6th, with a single juvenile re-caught at
Wheldrake on the same date followed by one at Bank Island on the 7th. A gap then followed before one was heard calling at Wheldrake, and later
caught, on the 27th. A
juvenile caught was perhaps more likely a passage bird from elsewhere with it coinciding
with a large passage of other warblers at the time. One was calling in the reedbed
at Wheldrake on the 29th with a new bird caught and ringed on
the 31st and another calling on the same date.
Willow
Tit – A family
party of five young with two adults were present in the NNR base garden at Bank
Island on the 1st. The third juvenile of the autumn was caught
and ringed in poolside willows at Wheldrake on the 6th, followed
by another there on the 12th and one at Melbourne on the 17th.
A single was caught and ringed at Wheldrake Ings on the 28th.
Nuthatch – Up to three were
present in riverside willows regularly during the month at Wheldrake Ings. Two were
heard on Skipwith Common NNR on the 12th.
Sedge
Warbler –
Large numbers of passage birds continued to move through the site during the
month with 50 caught and ringed at Wheldrake Ings on the 1st.
64 followed on the 4th and 44 on the 5th.
51 were again caught and ringed on the 8th, followed by 40 on
the 12th. 21 were still present on the 15th,
with 31 there on the 18th, 17 on the 19th
and 37 on the 22nd. 31 were present on the 25th,
30 on the 26th and 28 on the 27th. Numbers
appeared to slow thereafter with just eight new birds on the 31st.
Reed
Warblers –
Autumn passage increased early in the month with 12 ringed at Wheldrake Ings on
the 1st, followed by 33 on the 4th and 20
on the 5th. 20 were caught and ringed on the 8th,
14 on the 15th, 11 on the 19th and 22nd,
10 on the 26th and 27th, down to just three
on the 31st.
Garden Warbler – One or two passed through Wheldrake regularly early in the month with one on the 20th and four on the 22nd and one at Bank Island on the same date. A single was at Wheldrake Ings on the 23rd with two there on the 25th. One was at Bank Island on 25th and 26th with one at Wheldrake Ings on the 28th and Menthorpe on the 29th. Single at Bank Island on the 31st.
Blackcap – As usual passage started
to build during the second half of the month, with the first significant catch involving
33 ringed at Wheldrake on the 22nd, followed by 25 on the 26th
and 32 on the 27th. 29 were ringed at Bank Island on the 31st.
Grasshopper
Warbler –
A juvenile was caught and ringed at Wheldrake Ings on the 4th
with two there on the 15th and three different individuals on
the 18th. Another single was caught and ringed on the 19th
and 20th followed by another three on the 27th.
Spotted
Flycatcher
– Two pairs fledged young in the Melbourne area during the month but had
seemingly departed by the 15th, whilst eight birds (two pairs
plus young) were at Skipwith Common NNR on the 11th and 12th.
A single was present at Bank Island on the 14th. One was in
poolside willows at Wheldrake Ings on the 23rd with one at
Barmby on the Marsh wetlands on the 24th.
Goldfinch
– c300 were
in a game cover strip near Thornton on the 24th
Linnet – Small numbers were
present in the Wheldrake/Bank Island area throughout, with 60 in a mixed finch
flock in a game cover strip near Thornton on the 24th.
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