June 24

Lower Derwent Valley NNR - June Sightings

Interest was largely focused on breeding records, although the first returning passage waders did start to appear late in the month. Whilst two Whooper Swans remained early in the month breeding waterfowl were the main interest with three broods of 25 Egyptian Geese goslings, four broods of 20 Shelduck ducklings and a brood of five Garganey - although Garganey sightings became scarce during the second half of the month.  At least two Spotted Crakes remained although calling had ceased. Two Quail were logged in what has been a rather poor year for the species. 

A total of 129 Little Egrets represented a new reserve record after the first young appeared on the 18^th, with a Great White and Cattle Egret also recorded. A further two Osprey sightings represented the 14^th and 15^th of the year and Marsh Harriers were thought to have bred in the wider area. Of more interest perhaps was a small ringtail harrier seen at Bank Island (16^th) and South Duffield (23^rd) but unfortunately it eluded good views and proper identification. Wader passaged started with the first retuning Green Sandpiper and Black-tailed Godwit (21^st), Ringed Plover (26^th), Little Ringed Plover (27^th), Greenshank (28^th) and Common Sandpiper (29^th). More unusual was a Woodcock flying over the NNR Base Garden on the 4^th. A freshly fledged Redstart near Elvington was an interesting mid-summer record.

 

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 photographs below.

 

BIRDS:

Mute Swan – A total of 102 were at North Duffield Carrs on the 2^nd with smaller numbers present at month end. Several broods remained throughout the month although a brood of nine at Allerthorpe were sadly all taken by the local pair of Buzzards.

Whooper Swan – A single remained at North Duffield Carrs until the 2^nd with one then present on the river at Thorganby on the 7^th where it was joined by another on the 8^th.

Egyptian Goose – Four fledged young were at Thornton Ellers on the 2^nd followed by a brood of nine there on the 4^th. A pair were near Thornton village on the 6^th with a brood of twelve seen the next day at East Cottingwith on the 7^th.

Egyptian Goose brood - Thornton - 12/06 - DB

Shelduck – Three broods (six, six, one) were present at Thornton Ellers on the 2^nd where they remained until the 7^th before being crèched away off-site. A newly hatched brood of seven were then present there on the 17^th and were still around on the 21^st, although they too had been walked off site by the 23^rd.

Wigeon – Up to two pairs remained at Wheldrake Ings with four pairs also at North Duffield Carrs. Two pairs were also present elsewhere across the site. A single drake remained at Wheldrake Ings to month end.

Teal – Two pairs remained at Bank Island and Thornton Ellers with seven pairs at Wheldrake Ings and eight at North Duffield Carrs. Seventeen drakes were at Thornton Ellers on the 21^st with up to ten in the Bank Island/Wheldrake area around that time, whilst other birds were also scattered throughout the site. A single brood of five were at North Duffield Carrs on the 27^th whilst 18 birds were present across Bank Island and Wheldrake on the same date.

Mandarin – A female appeared at Bank Island on the 26^th and 27^th.

Garganey – Three drakes were at Wheldrake Ings on the 3^rd with three different drakes then seen on the 4^th. Three drakes were at Bank Island on the 8^th (all in moult) with a un-moulting adult drake at Wheldrake on the same date. Up to four drakes remained at North Duffield Carrs during the first half of the month, with up to two incubating females present around this time. A brood of six was present at Bank Island on the 17^th with a female reported there on the 25^th and 29^th.

Shoveler – Three broods (16 ducklings) were at North Duffield Carrs on the 2^nd. Three brood (18 ducklings) were at Wheldrake Ings on the 7^th with a brood of ten at Bank Island on the 8^th. Three broods (22 young) were present at Wheldrake Ings on the 22^nd.

Shoveler brood - Bank Island - 09/06 - DB

Gadwall – Two broods (16 young) were at North Duffield Carrs on the 2^nd, with four broods at Wheldrake Ings on the 7^th (21 ducklings) and three broods (23 ducklings) were at Bank Island on the 8^th. Five broods (29 ducklings) were at Wheldrake Ings on the 22^nd.

Pochard – Three drakes were at North Duffield Carrs on the 2^nd.

Tufted Duck – The first brood (six) were at Wheldrake Ings on the 16^th and remained to month end.

Little Egret – Counts of 17 at Wheldrake, 7 at Bank Island and 31 at Thornton Ellers on the 2^nd were followed by an overall site count of 81 on the 3^rd. Twenty were at Wheldrake Ings on the 12^th, followed by 27 at Wheldrake Ings on the 16^th. On the 17^th 24 were at Bank Island and 32 were at Thornton Ellers. The first four fledged young were at Bank Island on the 18^th and 19^th. Forty-one were present between Bank Island and Wheldrake on the 22^nd, with 38 on the pool there on the 25^th/26^th and later on the 29^th 48 were spread across Wheldrake and Bank Island. A total of 129 throughout the site on the 28^th represents a new reserve record.

Little Egrets - Bank Island - 23/06 - DB

Grey Heron – Numbers increased during the month as young continued to fledge and birds were concentrated onto the remaining water bodies. Sixteen were at Wheldrake Ings on the 23^rd.

Great White Egret – A single was present at Bank Island on the 19^th and 20^th.

Cattle Egret – An adult in breeding plumage was at Hagg Bridge on the 17^th with another at Thornton Ellers on the 21^st. On the 26^th one flew into the local heronry.  

Little Grebe – Four adults and two large juveniles were present on the pool at Wheldrake Ings on the 8^th with a single fledged youngster (different to those above) seen at Bank Island between the 10^th-16^th. A single adult was watched being taken by a heron on the pool at Wheldrake on the 22^nd.

Spotted Crake – The radio tagged bird was present throughout the month at Bank Island although without any calling noted, with it last recorded there on the 29^th. A different individual flew across the site earlier in the month on the 10^th.

Grey Partridge – A pair with a brood were at Thornton Ellers in the second half of the month with a female with nine young seen at North Duffield on the 28^th.

Grey Partridge - North Duffield - 02/06 - DB

Coot – Two pairs produced eleven young at Thornton Ellers with two pairs (13 young) present at Tom’s Ponds at Bank Island. Numerous broods were reported elsewhere across the site with at least 100 young noted.

Quail – A single was singing at Elvington during the night in the early hours of the 26^th and 27^th, with a single singing during the day at Ellerton on the 28^th.

Osprey – A single went south near Hemingbrough on the 2^nd which was wearing a blue colour-ring. Another headed high west over North Duffield Carrs on the 6^th.

Marsh Harrier – Two cream-crowns and an adult male were present on the site on the 1^st with two lingering adult females seen thereafter. A newly fledged juvenile was present at Wheldrake from the 21^st and Thornton Ellers on the 28^th - presumably having been raised nearby.

Marsh Harrier - Wheldrake Ings - 09/06 - DB

Peregrine – One was over Bank Island on the 4^th.

Little Ringed Plover – Single at Bank Island on the 28^th and 29^th.

Ringed Plover – The first returning juvenile was at Thornton Ellers on the 26^th.

Oystercatcher – A pair with two young remained at Bank Island from the 1^st and were ringed on the 7^th with both fledging by month end. Other broods were at East Cottingwith, Dunnington (three young), Thornton (two young) with scattered pairs elsewhere.

Oystercatcher chick - Bank Island - 29/06 - DB

Lapwing – A brood of four were ringed at Thorganby on the 7^th with a brood of four newly hatched young at Bank Island on the 14^th.

Black-tailed Godwit – Three returning birds were at Thornton Ellers on the 21^st with a single at Bank Island between the 26^th-29^th.

Woodcock – One was flushed from the NNR Base Garden on the 4^th.

Curlew – The first two hatched broods were seen on the 12^th with six broods present across the site by the 16^th when 19 were at Wheldrake Ings - presumably failed and returning breeders. Eighteen were at Bank Island on the 23^rd with 26 there on the 27^th.

Curlew - Bank Island - 16/06 - DB

Greenshank – The same first returning individual was seen over Bank Island and Wheldrake Ings on the 28^th.

Redshank – Up to six were present at Bank Island throughout the month with a single pair breeding successfully there. At least 30 birds were present at Bubwith Ings on the 12^th and 16^th when at least two pairs had young and a further pair were incubating. By month end at least eleven pairs were known to have produced broods with the first fledged brood of four seen at Bank Island on the 15^th.

Green Sandpiper – The first returning bird was at Thornton Ellers on the 21^st with three at Bank Island on the 22^nd to month end. Two were at Wheldrake Ings on 30^th.

Green Sandpiper - Bank Island - 23/06 - DB

Common Sandpiper – One at Bank Island on the 29^th and 30^th.

Lesser Black-backed Gull – Forty-one were on flooded arable at Woodhouse Grange on the 6^th followed by 26 there on the 23^rd and small numbers scattered in fields throughout the area.

Common Gull – Sixty at Bank Island on the 22^nd and 90 there on the 23^rd represented the start of return passage.

Common Tern – Two pairs hatched six young at Bank Island on the 7^th with five young ringed there on the 14^th. The first maiden tentative flight by one of the young birds took place on the 23^rd with two seen flying there on the 29^th. Five adults were present there on the 29^th and 30^th.

Common Terns newly fledged - Bank Island - 29/06 - DB

Cuckoo – Singing males were logged at Menthorpe, Bielby and Thorganby during the month, whilst singing birds remained at Melbourne including three males and three females. A single chick was found in a Reed Warblers nest at Allerthorpe Old Gravel Pits during the month. Whilst numbers on the Ings and within the valley remained stable it appears birds have contracted back to the habitat within the wider landscape.

Green Woodpecker – A single was reported regularly in the Bank Island and Wheldrake area during the month with a single pair found to be breeding at Thorganby.

Swift – 200+ were present at Aughton Ings on the 1^st, followed by 300 at North Duffield Carrs on the 2^nd, 500+ at Thorganby Ings on the 7^th and around 100 at Wheldrake Ings on the 10^th, with perhaps up to 1,000 feeding over the site early in the month.

Tree Pipit – Up to three or four singing males remained at Skipwith Common NNR during the month.

Tree Pipit - Skipwith Common - 01/07 - DB

Woodlark – Up to eight pairs remained on Skipwith Common NNR during the month with some birds (presumably ahead of second broods) singing again from the first week of the month.

Redstart – A ‘spotty’ juvenile was found at Elvington on the 23^rd.

Spotted Flycatcher – A single was at Elvington on the 23^rd.

Nuthatch – Two calling birds were heard coming from the oaks by the river at Sutton upon Derwent on the 27^th.

Cetti’s Warbler – Four singing males were recorded along the Pocklington Canal with two pairs at Bank Island and Wheldrake Ings during the month. An additional bird arrived at Wheldrake Ings on the 23^rd.

Corn Bunting – Up to three singing birds were present at Wheldrake Ings during the month.