Lower Derwent Valley NNR - February Sightings
Unsurprisingly wintering and returning waterfowl featured predominantly, with cold weather movements bringing a welcome lingering Slavonian Grebe to Bank Island from the 15th, and a drake and three red-head Smew from the 21st. Two wintering Bewick’s Swans and up to 14 Tundra Bean Geese were present throughout much of the month, adding additional mid-winter birding opportunities. With a switch to mild weather later in the month, the first wave of returning Pink-footed Geese started with 2000+ through the reserve on the 22nd, followed by the first 17 Whooper Swans the next day. Other notable counts included 173 Pochard and 600+ Pintail.
Amongst the waders, large numbers of Woodcock, Jack Snipe and Common Snipe were found scattered throughout the site, having relocated due to flooding and freezing conditions, whilst the usual build-up of spring passage and returning breeding waders began, including most notably, up to 200 Curlew back on site. 300+ Dunlin and 80 wintering Ruff were still present, with notable records of Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, Grey Plover and Avocet, whilst a small build-up of Black-tailed Godwits was noted at month end. Local gull watchers were rewarded with perhaps as many as seven individual Mediterranean Gulls and four Iceland Gulls. Incoming and outgoing migrants included the first Woodlarks from the 16th, three Waxwings (briefly on the 12th) and a small run of Chiffchaff records at month end - possibly over-wintering birds moving within the local area.
Many thanks
to everyone who submitted records throughout the month, in particular to members
of the YOC, and regular patch birder Duncan Bye. Thanks also to Tom Broxup, Duncan Bye, Stuart Campbell, Mikey Naylor and Terry Weston for the
use of their images below – credited TB, DB, SC, MN and TW.
BIRDS:
Mute Swan – Up to 98 were recorded
around the site during the month.
Whooper Swan – 177 present
in the North Duffield area on the 1st were
followed by counts of 144 at Ellerton/Aughton on the 11th and 179
throughout the reserve on the 12th. 193
were located in the Bubwith Ings area on the 23rd, on
which date 17 passage birds, the first of spring, flew north off Wheldrake
shortly after dawn. Three flocks were recorded overnight passing through Elvington
on the 22nd/23rd. 129
were still present across the site on the 25th,
whilst passage flocks saw numbers increase to 226 throughout the reserve on the
28th.
A total of 110+ spring passage birds moved through
the site during the month.
Bewick’s Swan – Two remained into the month with the Whooper Swan herd at North Duffield and elsewhere until month end.
Greylag
Goose – 1200 were in the North Duffield Carrs area on the
11th with 1876 present
throughout the site on the 12th. Numbers
appeared to fall quickly with the mild weather later in the month, with the larger
flocks breaking up into smaller groups and pairs starting to move onto
territories.
Pink-footed
Goose – 23 were at Aughton Ings on the 3rd with 120 into roost at Wheldrake Ings on the same
date. 98 were present throughout the whole site on the 7th. 131 were recorded between Aughton and North Duffield
Carrs on the 11th with a total of 311 across the reserve on the 12th. 60+ were still in the area on the 14th with 110 over Crockey Hill on the 16th - on which date 200 remained in the Aughton
area. Nine present at Wheldrake Ings on the 21st were followed
by 2000+ flying north on the 22nd - the
first large scale return passage movement of the spring. Several flocks were
also recorded heading over Elvington later in the day after the cover of darkness.
520 flew north-west over the reserve on the 26th, followed
by 121 on the 27th and
210 on the 28th.
Tundra Bean
Goose – 13 were present in the Aughton/North Duffield
Carrs area on the 11th, and
may have been in the area for a week previously. 14 were recorded in the area
on the 12th with at least four still
present between the 16th - 23rd.
White-fronted
Goose – Nine adults were observed on the 12th.
Canada Goose – Up
to 200 were counted throughout the month around the reserve.
Egyptian
Goose – Up to seven remained in the usual stronghold of
East Cottingwith, with occasional ones and twos recorded elsewhere.
Shelduck – 153
were counted in the Thorganby/Ellerton area on the 12th.
Wigeon – Up
to 10,800 were present during the month.
Teal – Monthly maximum of 6,150 were recorded
during the month.
Pintail – 512 were present throughout the
site on the 12th. 305 were on North Duffield Ings on the 26th
with 161 at Wheldrake Ings on the 27th – when a total of 612
were recorded throughout the site.
Mallard – The first two predated eggs were
found at Bank Island on the 17th. Up to 1200 were present
throughout the site during the month.
Gadwall – Numbers increased during the
month with 175 recorded by month end.
Shoveler – Numbers increased towards the
end of the month with 147 individuals counted.
Tufted Duck – 117 were present throughout the
site on the 12th with 77 at Bank Island on the 22nd.
Numbers increased quickly thereafter with 343 on the 27th
(including 210 at Wheldrake Ings and 70 at Bank Island).
Scaup – A drake was observed at Bank
Island on the 11th (CSR) and later at Wheldrake Ings/Bank
Island on the 20th and 21st (DB
et al).
Goldeneye – 17 were recorded at Wheldrake Ings on the 4th with 10 remaining there on the 28th.
Pochard – 118 were present in the Bubwith
Ings area on the 1st, increasing to 137 by the 12th
and 150+ by the 13th. 173 were present on the 17th,
including 54 at Wheldrake and five at Bank Island. 160 (just 19 of which were female),
were recorded on the 26th followed by 139 on the 28th.
A female and two drakes on Melbourne and Thornton Ings on the 24th were
unusual at this location.
Common
Scoter – Three parties
flew over North Duffield during the night of the 24th (OM)
and coincided with several sightings at the time in the wider area.
Goosander – Two pairs were present higher up
the Derwent at Stamford Bridge on the 12th.
Smew – A drake and three red-heads were present on the reserve on the 21st (DW et al), and were recorded at Thorganby Ings thereafter to the 24th. A drake and two red-heads present again there on the 26th.
Slavonian
Grebe – A single
winter plumaged bird was found at Bank Island on the 15th (DW
et al), and was present again the following morning – remaining until the 25th.
Great
Crested Grebe – A
single was still present at Wheldrake Ings on the 13th with
another in summer plumage newly arrived at Bank Island on the 16th
- present until the 22nd. A pair were at Wheldrake Ings on the
27th with a single at Bubwith Ings on the 28th.
Little Egret – Up to six were present during the first week of the month
in the Melbourne area, and were followed by two at East Cottingwith on the 10th. Six were at Melbourne again on the 17th, with a single at Bank Island on the 24th. Numbers continued to increase as the month
progressed with returning birds scattered throughout the site towards month
end.
Great White Egret – A single
was observed on Sutton On Derwent Ings on the 26th (CSR).
Cormorant – Up to
33 were present at the Wheldrake roost during the month.
Coot – Four
were recorded at Melbourne on the 10th, with
two at Wheldrake Ings on the 13th – on
the same date six were also at Storwood Ings. 21 were reported across the site
on the 20th followed
by 31 on the 26th.
Marsh Harrier – Wing-tagged bird ‘D3’ was observed
at Skipwith Common NNR – perhaps hunting more widely in response to the extensive
flooding on the Ings. A single was still present on an extensively flooded Wheldrake
on the 3rd with D3 then seen at Aughton Ings on the 5th.
Three individuals were recorded at Aughton on the 12th, with
two in the Bank Island area on 18th and 19th.
D3 remained on site until month end.
Peregrine – Two or three birds were
present throughout the reserve during the month, with two sparring females over
Skipwith Common NNR on the 15th an unusual record. A pair
were present over Aughton Ings on the 16th with an adult
female at Barmby Marsh on the 18th, Bank Island on the 24th
and North Duffield Ings on the 26th.
Merlin – A single immature was present
at Bank Island on the 18th (TB) and again on the 19th
and 24th (CSR). A single was hunting over North Duffield Ings
on the 26th (TJ).
Red Kite – Two were at Wheldrake Ings and
one at Aughton Ings on the 1st, followed by one at Bank
Island on the 2nd. One was present at Crockey Hill on the 8th
with two at East Cottingwith on the 10th and a single over
Aughton on 16th. A pair were in the Thorganby area on the 17th
and 18th with another pair over Bank Island on the 17th.
Four flew north in a group over Bank Island on the morning of the 19th
heading north, with two at Skipwith Common and a single at Bubwith Ings on the 21st.
A single was present over North Duffield village towards Bubwith on the 23rd
whilst five were seen over fields near Skipwith on the 25th.
Grey Partridge – Up to 17 pairs were located on
the Escrick Park Estate during the month, with six pairs observed on farmland
along the Wheldrake to Escrick road. A single pair were present on farmland adjacent
to Elvington Airfield on the 23rd.
Water Rail – Up to three were recorded by the
Pocklington Canal at Melbourne early in the month, with up to three also
present in the Wheldrake car park area and two at Bank Island.
Avocet – A single at Thornton Ellers on
the 26th.
Oystercatcher – Singles were at Aughton and
Ellerton on the 4th and 5th with three across
the site on the 7th. Three were at Bubwith Ings on the 18th
with seven in the southern half of the reserve on the 25th. Seven
were then present at Wheldrake Ings on the 28th.
Lapwing – 2000+ remained across the
reserve early in the month, with c3000 in the Storwood/Hagg Bridge area on the 3rd.
Early displaying pairs were at Bubwith Ings on the 13th and Bank
Island on the 15th. Up to 3000 were present between East
Cottingwith and Bubwith on the 25th.
Golden Plover – 1500 were present in
the Hagg Bride area on the 3rd with smaller numbers lingering to
month end.
Grey Plover
– A single flew
over the flood water at North Duffield Carrs on the 5th.
Jack Snipe – A single was present at
Wheldrake Ings on the 12th with singles at Melbourne Ings on
the 14th and 15th. Eight were present at
Skipwith Common NNR on the 23rd with five on wet pasture near
Elvington Airfield on the same date.
Snipe – Up to 100 birds arrived at
Bank Island during the morning of the 12th, in small flocks and singles
– presumably the result of cold weather movements. 12 flew over East Cottingwith
village later in the day. 50 were present on Melbourne Ings on the 14th,
whilst 100 were observed feeding after dark on pasture fields in the Elvington
area on the 16th. 32 were recorded at Skipwith Common NNR on
the 23rd with 100 still near Elvington Airfield on the same date.
Woodcock – Four were present on Skipwith
Common NNR on the 1st with five there on the 13th.
52 were observed on a single farm, largely in three pasture fields, near Elvington
Airfield on the 16th, with 15+ on nearby fields on the 17th.
25+ were still present in the area on the 23rd. Two were
present at Back Common on the 28th.
Curlew – Numbers increased early in the
month to 54 by the 5th, when the first bird was heard in sub
song at Thorganby. Numbers started to increased thereafter as birds returned across
the reserve with eight at Bubwith Bridge on the 10th. 47 roosted
at Wheldrake Ings on the 17th with 63 around the reserve on
that date. 43 were present at Thornton Ings on the 19th with
108 recorded there on the 20th. A total of 203 were located throughout
the reserve on the 22nd and 23rd.
Black-tailed Godwit – A single present throughout
the month in the Wheldrake area was followed by two at North Duffield Carrs
from the 5th to month end. Ten were at Bank Island on the 22nd
with 21 at Wheldrake Ings on the 27th.
Dunlin – c100 were still present in the
Aughton area on the 3rd with c100 on the floodbank at North
Duffield Ings on the 7th. 300+ were present in the Bubwith Bridge
area on the 10th with 327 counted there on the 12th.
Up to 200 remained thereafter.
Ruff – Up to 80 lingered at several
sites throughout the reserve.
Green Sandpiper – A
single at Elvington Airfield on 17th was
followed by one at Bank Island on the 24th and Melbourne on the 26th.
Greenshank – A single
flew over Bank Island and Wheldrake calling on the 22nd.
Redshank – 30 were
recorded at Bubwith Bridge on the 7th with
40 there on the 10th thereafter.
Birds started to disperse back
onto breeding territories late in the month with one at Thornton Ings on the 24th.
61 were present throughout the whole site
on the 28th.
Mediterranean Gull – Four
were observed at the Wheldrake roost on the 20th and
were followed by one at Elvington and one at Wheldrake on the 21st. A second winter was present at the roost again
on the 24th with a different second
winter on the 26th and 27th. Perhaps
as many as seven different individuals were involved in these sightings.
Black-headed Gull – 20,000
were at the Wheldrake Ings roost on 24th.
Common Gull – 15,000
were counted at the Wheldrake Ings roost on the 24th.
Greater Black-backed
Gull – Up to
300 remained throughout the area and at the roosts during the month.
Lesser
Black-backed Gull – Up to
30 were observed in fields by Skipwith Common NNR on the 24th
when two were also present at the Wheldrake roost at dusk – the first signs of
increasing spring passage.
Herring
Gull – 500
were at the Wheldrake Ings roost on the 24th.
Iceland
Gull – A
single flew over North Duffield Carrs towards the Ings at dusk on the 8th
(OM) – presumably moving from its day-time feeding fields near Skipwith Common
NNR to Aughton to roost. Three adults and a first winter were present at the
North Duffield Carrs roost on the 13th, with two adults roosting
at Wheldrake Ings on the 20th.
Short-eared
Owl – A single
was present at Ellerton Ings on the 5th (TJ).
Barn Owl – Up to two birds were seen daytime hunting at Bank Island during snow cover between the 9th
- 12th, with seven individuals observed hunting during
the morning of the 12th across the site – presumably having
difficulty finding food due to the harsh conditions.
Skylark – Following a small influx around
the reserve, no doubt related to snow cover, 300 flew over Skipwith Common NNR on
the 15th - with 100 also seen over Bank Island - possibly birds reorientating.
Another flock, of 50 this time, were seen over Bank Island on the 16th.
Woodlark – The first returning bird was
singing at Skipwith Common NNR on the 16th (NC, MR), with four
there on the 22nd, five on the 23rd and
eight on the 24th/25th.
Song
Thrush – Up to eight
individuals were singing in the Melbourne/Pocklington Canal area on the 3rd,
followed by one at Bank Island on the 5th.
Fieldfare – Numbers increased around the reserve
during snow cover from the 9th - 12th, with
350 scattered throughout the site on the 12th - on the same
date c100 were feeding in an orchard at Ellerton, with a flock of 30 observed stripping
a holly tree of berries at East Cottingwith cemetery.
Waxwing – Three were present near Elvington
on the 12th.
Stonechat – Pairs remained at both North
Duffield Carrs and Melbourne during the month. Three were at Barmby Marsh Wetlands
on the 24th.
Cetti’s Warbler – Wintering birds remained at Melbourne,
Church Bridge and East Cottingwith early in the month. A single was heard singing
at Wheldrake on the 28th.
Blackcap – The wintering bird in an
Elvington garden remained throughout January and into early February.
Chiffchaff – A single was present in Aughton
Churchyard on the 3rd with a single at Barmby Marsh Wetlands
on the 19th. A single was seen at Bank Island on the 27th
when the first singing bird was heard at Back Common, Thorganby, closely
followed by one at North Duffield Carrs on the 28th.
Willow Tit – One at Skipwith Common NNR on
the 1st and the 8th. Singing birds were heard
at Church Bridge, Melbourne on the 10th and North Duffield Carrs
on the 12th. Others followed on Skipwith Common NNR on the 18th
and Back Common on the 28th.
Greenfinch – Several remained at the NNR
base at Bank Island during the month, with flocks of 25 at Thorganby and 19 at
Elvington.
House Sparrow – Up to 35 remained at the NNR
base throughout the month.
Lesser
Redpoll – 60 were
present in canal side Alders at Melbourne on the 1st, with
small numbers observed throughout the month on Skipwith Common NNR.
Common
Redpoll – One or
two were present at Skipwith Common NNR on the 2nd and again on
the 8th.
Siskin – Up to 160 were present in the
Melbourne/Thornton Ings area during the month.
Brambling – A poor winter for the species
continued with singles at Elvington on the 6th and Bank
Island on the 15th.
Bullfinch – A total of 63 individuals have
been caught and ringed or re-trapped at the NNR base feeding stations since the
start of the year.
A total of
131 species have now been recorded since the start of the year.
MAMMALS:
Stoat – A single was seen in the NNR
base garden on the 17th.
Weasel – One was hunting voles in the snow
at Melbourne Ings early in the month.
Pipistrelle Bat sp. – A single, the first of
the year, was at Bank Island on the 15th.
Fallow Deer – Up to 40 were present in the
Thorganby area during the month, with 20 also seen on Skipwith Common NNR.
Water Vole – Signs of recent activity were found
on Skipwith Common NNR on the 24th.
BUTTERFLIES:
Small
Tortoiseshell – A single
in the NNR base garden on the 15th was the first of the year,
no doubt tempted out by the mild weather conditions.
Peacock – A single at Skipwith Common
NNR on the 24th was the first of the year.
Brimstone – The first of the year was at
Skipwith Back Common near Thorganby on the 27th.
MOTHS:
Dotted
Border – Two at
Bank Island on the 17th.
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