Lower Derwent Valley NNR - July Sightings
Drought conditions continued with very few wildfowl records or counts of note, with most birds taking to the ditch network or departing the site soon after fledging.
A Spotted Crake was seen at Bank Island, with several Quail reported from scattered locations. Post-breeding concentrations of waders further suggested a successful season with particularly notable counts of Curlew and Oystercatcher, and several late broods of Redshank. The usual build-up of passage Green Sandpipers continued and attracted a single Wood Sandpiper during the month. Three juvenile Cuckoo's were noted, whilst warbler passage started towards the end of the month with good numbers of Reed and Sedge Warblers suggesting a successful breeding season.
Many thanks as always to everyone who contributed counts and records throughout the month, in particular to members of York Birding and regular patch birder Duncan Bye. T
Thanks also to Duncan Bye, Trevor Walton and Andrew Wappat for the use of their images below.
BIRDS:
Egyptian
Goose – A further brood of eight goslings were recorded near Elvington.
Wigeon
– A pair lingered at Wheldrake throughout the month.
Teal
– One or two were present on the pool at Wheldrake daily from the 1st with 14 recorded on the
28th - first sign
of incoming migrants.
Little
Egret – Up to 14 were feeding on the pool at Wheldrake
early in the month with 17 there on the 8th,
22 on the 20th
and 21 on the 23rd.
Marsh
Harrier –
Several different cream crowns were present early in the month (including the
reappearance of D3), with an adult male roosting at Wheldrake Ings on the 10th
and a sub-adult male on the 12th. An adult male was present again
between the 17th-22nd with two different cream crowns
noted during that time, with at least three throughout the site to
month end.
Red
Kite – Six
were at Wheldrake Ings on the 13th with the same number again
on the 17th. Otherwise,
birds or pairs were encountered throughout the site on an almost daily basis.
Common
Buzzard –
13 were recorded at Wheldrake Ings on the 17th – seen daily throughout
the month.
Peregrine – An adult male circled
Bank Island on the 14th with a juvenile buzzing the starling
roost at Wheldrake on the 19th.
Hobby – Several individuals
were recorded throughout, with one sitting amongst mixed Corvids feeding on the
aftermath at Wheldrake on the 8th. Other sightings came from Bank
Island, Thorganby, North Duffield Carrs/Ings, South Duffield, Aughton,
Melbourne and Thornton. Single seen chasing Swallows at the Wheldrake roost on
the 18th, with one over Bank Island on the 21st
and another at the Wheldrake roost again on the 21st, 24th,
and 28th. A brood of
three were ringed to the southern end of the valley on the 29th.
Spotted Crake – One was seen briefly and later heard at Bank Island on the 13th and again on the 14th.
Quail – Two birds were still singing at Ellerton on the 4th with another at Wheldrake Ings followed by one at Hagg Bridge on the 5th. One was singing in arable near Wheldrake on the 23rd.
Water
Rail – Up
to eight singing birds remained throughout the month at Wheldrake with plenty
of activity throughout. Single juveniles (from different broods) were also
recorded.
Little
Ringed Plover
– Up to four remained in the Bank Island area from the 1st to
the 5th.
Oystercatcher
– 11 flew
south-west at Bank Island on the 5th with 21 over the pool at
Wheldrake on the morning of the 11th. Seven paused briefly there
at midday on the 14th, with three there on the 17th
and two over on the 21st. As usual birds were heard on
nocturnal passage during the month – one of the largest autumn passages on
record.
Lapwing – Up to 200 remained
throughout the month at Wheldrake Ings, with 300 scattered throughout the
remainder of the valley.
Snipe – Small numbers of juveniles
and moulting adults remained throughout the month.
Black-tailed
Godwit – Single
on the pool at Wheldrake Ings on the 31st.
Curlew – At total of 38 fledged
young were counted throughout the site on the 1st/2nd.
Two fledged young were at Bubwith Ings on the 4th with two
near-fledged large young colour-ringed at Wheldrake Ings on the 6th.
Two fledged from an adjacent silage field on the 8th thanks to
the efforts of the sympathetic landowner. 31 roosted at Wheldrake Ings on the 10th
with 34 there on the 11th, with ones and twos seen heading
west over Bank Island on the same date. 29 were at Wheldrake Ings on the 12th
with 43 on the 13th and 38 on the 14th. 35
were present on the 17th and 18th with 49
there on the 21st-23rd. Numbers decreased
thereafter with eight remaining on the 28th and two on the 31st.
Dunlin
– One was
present at Bank Island on the 8th with three there on the 28th.
Redshank – A brood of four fledged
young were at Bank Island on the 4th with three large young at
Wheldrake Ings on the 6th - a single fledged juvenile was on
the pool on the 13th and then on Swantail Ings between the 14th
– 22nd. Two were then present there on the 23rd –
25th with one thereafter to month end.
Greenshank – Single flew into
Wheldrake Ings at dawn on the 30th.
Ruff – A moulting adult was
present on the pool at Wheldrake on the 28th to
month end.
Green
Sandpiper
– One or two were present daily with three at Wheldrake Ings on the 8th,
four on the 12th and three between the 13th
to the 18th - four were thereafter, increasing to five on the
23rd/24th. Seven were recorded between the 25th
to the 28th with four thereafter to month end.
Wood
Sandpiper
– A single was present at Wheldrake Ings on the 30th.
Black-headed
Gull – c300
(including 190 juveniles), were feeding on cut hay throughout the reserve on
the 4th.
Common
Gull –
The first juveniles appeared on the reserve on the 4th - feeding
amongst the cut hay, with five present.
Lesser
Black-backed Gull
– Small numbers of mainly adult birds were present early in the month throughout
the site, often following hay making operations. Five were at Bank Island on
the 2nd with 22 in arable fields by the Low Grounds on the 19th.
Yellow-legged
Gull – Two
were seen with a flock of Lesser Black backed Gulls on the 19th
at the Low Grounds.
Common Tern –
The family party of five remained at Wheldrake Ings until the 11th where they continued to
roost on the raft at night - spending the day feeding elsewhere in the area. They
then became less frequent thereafter, with one or two additional passage birds joining
– five were present on the 28th.
Cuckoo – Adults
were still calling at Wheldrake Ings on the 1st
and Melbourne on the 4th.
A fledged juvenile was seen at Wheldrake on several days (6th-8th),
with another at Thornton on the 9th.
A newly fledged chick was ringed at Wheldrake Ings on the 12th (different bird to
earlier in the month).
Wheatear – A single was seen at
Wheldrake Ings on the 10th.
Swallow – Up to 200 were recorded
over Wheldrake Ings on the 10th and 11th, with
200+ again on the 19th.
Cetti’s
Warbler –
Two calling birds were still present at Bank Island with two at Wheldrake Ings
on the 5th, with an adult male re-caught on the 15th.
Single still singing at Wheldrake on the 17th. A female with
a brood patch was controlled (ringed elsewhere) at Wheldrake Ings on the 22nd,
with a very newly fledged youngster caught and ringed there on the 23rd
– data to follow on the control.
Willow
Tit – A single
juvenile was caught in pool side willows at Wheldrake Ings on the 11th,
with another nearby on the 17th and a calling bird by the Wind
Pump on the 29th.
Marsh
Tit – A single
juvenile was caught and ringed near South Duffield on the 10th.
Sedge
Warbler –
Large numbers of both adults and juveniles were present during the month, with
monthly ringing totals well above average. Over 400 were ringed over the course
of the month, in comparison to the record figure of 380 ringed previously in a
calendar year. Increasing passage was noted late in the month with the first birds
observed carrying fat for migration on the 27th, followed by
a fall overnight on the 28th/29th, with 43 ringed
on the 29th and 29 on the 30th. This
fall/movement was mirrored elsewhere in Europe.
Grasshopper
Warbler –
A single was ‘reeling at Wheldrake Ings between the 1st to
the 15th, with a locally bred juvenile caught and ringed by
the pool on the later date.
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