13/04/14 - Climbing high

Last week we paid the first visit of the year to the local heronry to ascertain how the breeding season was going so far. A good number of adults were present, and many empty egg shells were located beneath the trees. Calls of young birds could be heard and so the spikes were donned ready to scale the dizzy heights of the larch and pine trees, however upon reaching the top most of the young were newly hatched with just one bird being of a ring-able size. This isn’t what we were expecting to find compared with previous years, with the milder spring and higher temperatures a number of species started breeding earlier than last year and so we were expecting the chicks to be much further on. Herons are one of the species known to be early nesters with some records as early as February for birds on eggs, however March is the usual time for herons to start laying with the incubation period c27 days. We shall now return in c10-12 days to hopefully ring and darvic a number of the young.

Herons have bred in the heronry here for at least 40 years, along with Little Egrets in 2010, which went on to produce two young. These two species are known to nest alongside each other, however the latter is a much later breeder. Herons are rather sociable birds, breeding in close quarters, a single tree has been known to hold as many as 10 nests! Herons are known for nesting in long established heronries with data going back as far as 1928 when the first survey by the BTO took place, since then heronries have grown in number with the biggest heronry being on an RSPB reserve in Kent with over 150 nests, down from 200 in previous years.

Last year we managed to ring and darvic 22 birds over the course of four days throughout April and May, with the first visit being on the 16^th April and the last being on the 17^th May. Out of the 22 birds ringed last year we’ve had two sightings, which is much in line with the national reporting rate of 11%. The first bird was seen briefly locally however the second was seen at Nosterfield Nature Reserve, nr Ripon on the 16^th August, three months after being ringed in our heronry.

From the ringing recoveries that we’ve collected over the years in the valley we’ve found out that our young herons undergo a rapid post breeding dispersal to the north, with recoveries 50-60km north of the LDV by July/August. Given that heron numbers also peak in the valley at this time would suggest that these birds include at least some that have dispersed from other sites presumably further south, and are not just the local breeding population as previously thought. 

Foreign recoveries from birds ringed in Britain only make up 3% of the total with the most being in France, and prior to 1940 the proportion of recoveries in foreign countries has declined from 12% to 2% in the 1990’s but the reasons remain unknown as to why. Despite herons being relatively common and widespread there are gaps in our knowledge of heron movements, including the movement during the year of adult birds and the apparent population shift towards coastal areas in the winter as suggested by counts. The national data does however suggest that general dispersal movements occur over the first five months of life, later returning to the natal site to breed, which fits with what we suspected was happening in the valley.

27/03/14 - From Wheldrake to West Africa

Long term followers may remember that in its early days this blog was largely focused on the ringing projects and activities in and around the Lower Derwent Valley NNR, as a way of sharing our experiences and results with other ringers and interested individuals elsewhere in the country. Since then the blog has covered a wider range of activities undertaken by the team (staff and volunteers) here at the Lower Derwent Valley and other NNR’s in North Yorkshire, but our ringing activities have continued throughout, albeit at times restricted due to flooding and seemingly endless weeks of unfavourable weather conditions.

The reason we ring birds is for the purpose of gathering data and in waiting to hear about recoveries and controls of the birds we have ringed which can provide us with insights on dispersal, migration routes and longevity. Some of these recoveries have featured on the blog during the last year such as our elderly Tawny Owl and our first dispersing Grey Heron chick.

Here are some recent and some not so recent recoveries we’ve received concerning birds ringed or recaptured in the Lower Derwent Valley NNR.

Whimbrel

We’ve recently received a few more sightings of our colour-ringed Whimbrel from the long term study at the nationally important Wheldrake Ings spring staging site in the Lower Derwent Valley. Once again it shows the importance and use of colour-rings in helping to gather data which otherwise wouldn’t have been possible to get. 

A bird that was ringed at the Wheldrake roost back in 2008 was seen in Normandy, France in May last year, full details below:

Whimbrel (EL99843): Red/Lime Red

2008 - Ringed on the 1st May, seen several times afterwards until the 6th May

2010 - Seen back in the LDV on the 22nd April (DT)

2011 - Seen back in the LDV on the 20th April (PR), present until at least the 24th April (PR)

2013 - Seen in a roost at Manche, Normandy, France on the 3rd May 

We’ve also had one seen on return migration following the breeding season, with a single bird seen in two consecutive autumns on the Ythan Estuary in Aberdeenshire.

Whimbrel (EL45771)
 

2005 - Ringed at Wheldrake Ings on the 2nd May

2006 - Seen back in the LDV on the 3rd May

2010 - Seen at the Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire

2011 - Seen at the Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire 

More recently Dutch researchers working in Guinea Bissau in West Africa photographed two colour-ringed Whimbrel wintering over there. One of them was one of our birds originally ringed at the Wheldrake roost in 2008, full details below.

Whimbrel (EL49639)

2008 - Ringed at the Wheldrake roost on the 25th April

2009 - Seen back in the LDV on the 24th April

2011 - Seen back in the LDV on the 25th April

2013 - Seen back in the LDV on the 22nd April

2014 - Seen in Ilha da Ponta, Bijagos, Archipelago, Guinea Bissau on the 14th January

Seen by Dutch ornithologist, Pete de Boer, this bird was one of 48 roosting on a beach at high tide. Another bird in the flock also had colour-rings, this individual had been ringed as one of the small British breeding population on Shetland.

 

c/r Whimbrel on the beach in West Africa 

We’re now looking forward to the birds heading back to the valley this year – only three weeks or so to go before the first birds arrive at Wheldrake Ings on their way back to the Icelandic or Scandinavian breeding grounds. We’ll be out and about looking for them arriving back, counting the evening roost and searching for the day time feeding fields and checking for our ‘old friends’ coming back.

Shelduck 

Last month we received news that one of our darvic'd Shelducks had been seen at Martin Mere, a bird initially ringed in the valley in 2012, details below.

Shelduck (GR42655 - HJ)

2012 - Ringed as a 7F on the 15th February at North Duffield Carrs

2012 - Re caught on the 15th March at Thorganby

2013 - Seen at Martin Mere WWT reserve on the 11th January 

Shelduck fitted with a darvic ring 'TX'

This is now the fourth LDV Shelduck to go to Martin Mere whilst a single bird ringed there has also been seen here. Fitting our Shelduck with the black and white darvic rings pictured above has produced numerous sightings since the project first began back in 2002, with a total of 300 birds caught and darvic'd during that time. The sightings have largely been UK based, with the furthest recovery on record being of a bird ringed in 2004 at North Duffield Carrs, which made its way to Germany several months later. The most recent recovery out of the country is a bird that was ringed in 2007, and was then seen in Dublin Bay, Northern Ireland, 381 Km from its original ringing location. 

Shoveler 

Each summer we try to put a lot of time and effort into catching ducklings, so that we can try and find out more about how far our British bred ducklings go and how quickly they disperse. Recently we received details of a Shoveler duckling that was ringed in 2006 and later shot dead in France in 2013, full details below.

Shoveler (FP59233)

2006 - Ringed as a pullus on the 25th June at Wheldrake Ings
2013 - Shot on the 10th November in Saint-Pere-en-Retz, Loire-Atlantique, France, 747 Km to the south.

This is the seventh recovery of a Shoveler duckling ringed in the LDV, with four previous birds shot in France during the autumn/winter (August-January). At seven years and five months it also represents the oldest bird recovered so far.

 

Shoveler ducklings - Wheldrake Ings

12/02/14 - Down in the (other) valley

With areas of the valley restricted slightly at the moment due to the flooding it has allowed the team here to get across to Forge Valley, to try and make a dent in the woodland management works that need to be carried out on the site. Along with the Lower Derwent Valley NNR and Skipwith Common NNR, both Forge Valley Woods NNR and Duncombe Park NNR come under our 'bracket' – and so we have to try and split time accordingly between all the sites.

Forge Valley Woods NNR covers 63.63 hectares of some of the best valley side mixed deciduous woodland in North Yorkshire. The valley was initially cut as melt water drained from ice sheets over the North York Moors producing the steep sided gorge. As a result of the underlying geology the woodland grades from acidic higher slopes with Pedunculate Oak woodland, to a more basic middle slope dominated by Ash and Elm through to a neutral valley floor with Alder and Willow woodland.

The site was first scheduled as a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) in 1954 and was declared an NNR on the 8^th March 1977 in an ongoing agreement with the site owners, Scarborough Borough Council. Work over that time has been aimed at improving the woodland composition and structure, increasing the population of many of its notable plants and invertebrate communities and improving public access and enjoyment of the site.

Several work days at Forge over the next few weeks will allow us to carry out a variety of tasks aimed at continuing this work. We shall start by thinning some of the dense stands of Sycamore, these trees initially colonised the site during the first half of the last century. Whilst Sycamore does have a value to wildlife and is gaining a status as a natural feature in our woodlands, the species does tend to form a monoculture by casting a deep shade under which its own saplings are the most likely to thrive, reducing other tree regeneration and a decrease in ground flora diversity. Beech was also planted into the area in the 1960’s and unlike Sycamore was not a natural coloniser, being beyond its natural range in the UK. Beech also casts a deep shade reducing other flora and so we will also be thinning out some of the beech in some areas. This will hopefully help in increasing the natural regeneration of the native tree species across the valleys slope and help some of the plant specialities of the site to thrive.

The site is well known for its colonies of Green Hellebore, Herb Paris, Lily-of-the-valley, Bird's-nest Orchid and Baneberry which have either restricted distributions in the county or are found at the northern edge of their range. Other woodland species such as Toothwort, Columbine, Thin-spiked Wood-rush and Broad-leaved Helleborine also occur, whilst small pockets of Limestone Grassland provide habitats for Quaking Grass, Cowslips, Salad Burnet, Meadow Saxifrage and Thyme, as well as the food plant for the Brown Argus butterfly, Rockrose.

We will be strimming some of these grasslands to improve the site for these flowering species, reducing competition by the ranker more competitive grasses and encroachment by brambles and scrub. We’ll also be carrying on with a programme to reinstate Hazel coppicing to help extend the life of the Hazel stools found throughout the site and again increase the light reaching the woodland floor to allow some of the plants mentioned above to flourish. Likewise we will be taking out other non-native and very competitive species such as Rhododendron and Snowberry.

Whilst present at Forge we took the opportunity to ring at the feeding station over lunchtime. The feeding station at the aptly named ‘birdwatchers car park’ is a popular location for the public to enjoy close encounters with many woodland birds, and many birdwatchers and photographers visit daily to encounter the more unusual species up close such as Nuthatch which visit the tables regularly for peanuts. A single 30 foot net kept us busy and produced a total of 71 birds in just over an hour. 

Nuthatch

This complements a joint project between Natural England and the East Yorkshire Ringing Group a couple of miles away in Raincliffe Woods where a further 200 birds have been caught and ringed this winter. Highlights this winter have included 6 Nuthatch, 7 Marsh Tit (a species which is still doing well here despite national declines), 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers and 5 Brambling amongst the usual common tits and finches – largely Chaffinch. This is producing a good sample of woodland birds which are of conservation concern at the moment.

Brambling

Signs of spring are starting to show in Forge now which include: Snowdrops, Dog’s Mercury, Early Dog Violet, Woodruff and Lords and Ladies - all out but not yet flowering. Also Green Hellebore which was just starting to bud and will be flowering soon as it’s typically an early woodland species.

Green Hellebore

A variety of fungi was on display today, including a new one that we haven’t come across in the Lower Derwent Valley - Scarlet Elf Cup (below) - a very vibrant red cup that stood out like a beacon amongst the variety of green mosses which cover the woodland floor. Scarlet Elf Cup is a disc fungus which can be seen throughout winter and early spring, often growing on dead wood of deciduous trees, usually surrounded by moss.

Also today we came across Jelly Ear, Yellow Brain, Velvet Shank, Dead Moll's Fingers (2) and Stump Puffball (3).

Scarlet Elf Cup

Dead Moll's Fingers

Stump Puffball

Woodpeckers were drumming throughout the day and a single Woodcock was flushed during our work. We’ll be looking forward to carrying on with our work here over the next few weeks before we cease our woodland management work for another winter as the bird breeding season approaches. It will be interesting to follow the woodland plants as they appear as the months progress.

27/01/14 - 2013: The Year of Recording

What a year it was! At the start of 2013 we decided to turn our attention, time and effort to recording all species present across the Lower Derwent Valley. The team here is made up of staff and volunteers who have birds as their main strength and who have spent many years studying them and getting to know their habits inside and out, but this year we wanted to test ourselves by trying to record everything! 

The LDV is one of the best areas in the country to see birds, with thousands of wintering ducks, geese and swans returning to the valley each winter and making good use of the (usually) extensively flooded Ings in nationally and internationally important numbers. During the summer months the valley is home to an important population of breeding waders (Snipe, Curlew, Redshank and Lapwing) as well as duck species such as Shoveler - in its key British breeding stronghold. During the summer the site also supports a diverse community of breeding warblers, pipits and buntings, and in some years the sound of Quail, Corncrake and Spotted Crake can be heard in the meadows. However, the valley also supports a significant proportion of remaining MG4 Grassland found in the UK, this grassland community being typical of unimproved floodplain meadows where hay making and aftermath grazing has led to a diverse abundance of wildflowers. Two key species, Meadox Foxtail and Greater Burnet typify this community, and of course in this variety of wildflowers comes a whole world of invertebrates waiting to be explored.........

………and so with such a wonderful and diverse habitat in front of us we took up the challenge of recording as many different species as we could throughout the year whilst we were getting on with the day to day jobs around the valley. Whilst out brush-cutting, chainsawing, hedge trimming, fencing, maintaining the paths, litter picking and so on we would take time to take in what was around us, be it flowers, insects, fungi, trees, fish, butterflies etc.

How many species did we think we would be able to record in a year? Well a target of 1000 was set, bearing in mind how busy work is during the summer months and that time to do it may be at a minimum. Below is just a snippet of how each month un-folded….....

With the January flooding it allowed time to kick start the ‘Pan List’, with the first species on it being a Bewick Swan at Aughton Ings on the 3^rd, by the end of the month 90 birds had been recorded with notable highlights being a Little Owl in Elvington, Waxwings in Thorganby, and a Tundra Bean Goose and Scaup at Bank Island. The mammal list got off to a good start, 9 species were recorded, with Stoat, Weasel and Otter being pleasing additions. 18 trees, 27 wildflowers and 4 species of fungi also made the list.

 Whooper Swans - North Duffield - 21/01

 Otter - Wheldrake Ings - 23/01

By the end of February the bird list sat at 102, including three rare gulls – Caspian, Iceland and Glaucous which had frequented the Wheldrake roost throughout the month. White-fronted Goose, Barnacle Goose and Goshawk were also pleasing additions. Mammals increased to a reasonable 15 species including Fallow Deer, Badger, Mink and three of the common small mammalian species. The first reptile got its name on the list, with a Common Lizard seen on Skipwith Common on the 19^th- one of the milder days! The moth list got off the ground this month with four species found – March Moth, Dotted Border, Brindled Beauty and Spring Usher.

Badger family - Undisclosed site

Bank Vole - Bank Island - 21/02

March was a fairly quiet month, with just 6 new birds added – however these included a notable species in the form of a Great White Egret which was seen in a ditch in Thorganby on the 15^th. A flock of 6 Common Scoter turned up at Bank Island on the 18^th which were a surprising and pleasing addition. Hedgehog (scarcely seen in the valley) and Water Shrew were welcome additions to the mammal list. A single moth species - Oak Beauty, two new plants - Sneezewort and Yellow Flag Iris, and the first fish of the year – a single Rudd at Bank Island were the only other additions.

 Pintail pair - North Duffield Carrs - 12/03

 Red Fox - Skipwith Common - 15/03

The list then took off again in April with the arrival of spring migrants which saw the bird list reach 127 with 19 new additions, with two Common Cranes at North Duffield on the 22^nd and a Honey Buzzard over Bank Island on the 25^th being the stand out species for the month. The first amphibians were seen, a single Common Toad on Skipwith Common and the first Common Frog spawn of the year was recorded on the 15^th in the scrape at North Duffield Carrs. Several Smooth Newts found in the small pond on Kind Rudding Lane on the 15^th were the first of the newts to grace the list. Many other ‘firsts’ were also had with three butterfly species – Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Brimstone all on the 15^th – one of the few warm days! The same date saw the first bees make the grade with Common Carder, Early and Tree Bumblebee being pleasing finds along with a Common Wasp. Four early flower species were added to the ‘pan’ – Wild Onion, Primrose, Cowslip and Wild Daffodil. The moth list gradually increased with another five species seen around the NNR Base at Bank Island, and on the 29^th a Pike which had got itself stuck on the clough (presumably after the flooding at North Duffield Carrs) made it on to the fish list. One of the most pleasing and different finds for the month came in the form of a ‘bee mimic’ Eristalis intricarius at Wheldrake Ings on the 26^th.

 Common Lizard - Skipwith Common - 15/04

Wheatear - North Duffield Carrs - 26/04

By May the 'pan' started to hot up with a number of our summer visitors arriving – Woodlark, Garganey, Common Tern and Hobby, increasing the bird list to 136 species, this also included a Spotted Crake at Wheldrake Ings on the 6^th and a Purple Heron over Bank Island on the 23^rd. The first day of the month saw warm sunshine bring out two reptile species on to the Common with a single Grass Snake and Adder found across the heath. At this stage in the year many of our flower species are usually out soaking up the sun, and so during our travels around the valley we managed to record 38 new species bringing us to 73 for the year, along with 3 trees and 4 grasses. Red-tailed Bumblebee and a Hornet were new Hymenoptera for the month and the butterfly list increased to 10, starting with Orange Tip on the 2^nd and finishing with a Speckled Wood on the 31^st. The first dragonflies for the year were recorded at North Duffield – with Common Blue, Azure, Blue-tailed and Banded Demoiselle all seen over the course of the last three days of the month. Other monthly additions were two new moths – Angle Shades and White Ermine were found at Bank Island, a Green Tiger Beetle was seen running across the heath on the Common and four species of fish – Minnow, Gudgeon, Carp and Common Eel were added.

 

Adder - Skipwith Common - 01/05

Orange Tip - Pocklington Canal - 08/05

June was a poor month weather wise but we still managed to record a good number of species, particularly on the flower front with the list up to 127 by month end, with Mousetail, Broad-leaved Helleborine and Musk Thistle being notable finds. We managed to separate some of the grass species that had previously been unfamiliar and added 21 new species and 1 tree - a single Aspen was found growing in the orchid field in East Cottingwith. The moth trapping got off to a good start at Bank Island and Wheldrake Ings, with 24 new species. 6 new butterfly species were recorded, including Purple Hairstreak which was a pleasing find, a species which often remains high in the oak tree tops on the Common. Other invertebrates were tackled with a spot of pond dipping at Bank Island which saw a number of freshwater species added along with a Wasp Beetle Clytus arietis found in the meadow at Bank Island on the 25^th. The bird list remained fairly similar with just three species added – Garden Warbler, Avocet and Mandarin. The first bats also made it on to the list with Noctule, Daubenton’s, Soprano and Common Pipistrelle over Wheldrake on the 26^th.

 Meadow Foxtail - Bank Island - 26/06

 Tufted Vetch - Bank Island - 26/06

 Musk Thistle - Thornton Ellers - 26/06

July had to be one of the best recording months with the moth list reaching 159 and the flower total resting at a very impressive 238 by the 31^st. Adders-tongue Fern, Green-winged Orchid, Sand Leek, Bog Pimpernel, Meadow Thistle and Welted Thistle were species of note out of the 111 new found throughout the month! 10 new grasses and a single tree (Wild Cherry) were also added. Only a handful of new bird species were seen – with the first Kingfisher, Tree Pipit, Linnet and Ringed Plover taking us to 143 for the year. Great Crested Newts were the last of the reptiles for the year to make it on to the 'pan', with several individuals found in the small pond off Kind Rudding Lane, Skipwith on the 3^rd. By the end of the month we’d discovered our 10^th bee species, with White-tailed, Buff-tailed and Garden Bumblebee found in the NNR Base Garden. Looking for other invertebrate species such as beetles, bugs, flies etc proved a challenge on the I.D front, we did however manage a total of 67 by month end including a number of hoverflies, leafhoppers, froghoppers, ladybirds, grasshoppers and longhorn beetles. On the 9^th a trip down the Pocklington Canal found three new fish species – Dace, Roach and Brown Trout followed by Perch at Wheldrake Ings on the 13^th bringing us to 10 species for the year.

 Round-leaved Sundew - Skipwith Common - 03/07

 Early Bumblebee - Bank Island - 24/07

 Longhorn Beetle Leptura quadrifasciata - Skipwith - 31/07

August saw the birds take a back seat again with just three new species added – Common Sandpiper, Lesser Whitethroat and Yellow-legged Gull. A number of Whiskered Bats over Wheldrake Ings on the 27^th saw the mammal list hit 22 species and a single (and last for the year) butterfly species made the list when a Common Blue was seen flying across the meadow at Bank Island on the 9^th. Two dragonfly species were also ‘firsts’ for the year – Black Darter and Migrant Hawker, and the moth list hit 212 with majority trapped around the NNR Base. The hunt for new wildflower species continued with yet 17 more species found, bringing the total up to a staggering 255, with particular highlights being: Marsh Gentian, Scarlet Pimpernel, Nodding Bur-marigold, Red Bartsia and Bristly Oxtongue. Toad Rush and Deer Grass were pleasing to find one morning whilst out walking the Common and Horse Chestnut was the only new tree for the month. A number of new hoverflies, sawflies, wasp mimics and bee mimics were new species for the list and new to most of the team!

 Emerald Damselfly - Skipwith Common - 01/08

 Wasp mimic Sericomyia silentis - Wheldrake Ings - 23/08

 Painted Lady - Wheldrake Ings - 23/08

September saw the last of the flower species for the year recorded (19 new) with the list sitting pretty at 274. 11 new tree species were added bringing it to 36 for the year, with Turkey Oak being a particular good find including a number of the rather tricky to I.D Salix variety across Wheldrake Ings. September was also a highlight on the grass front with 38 species found making it 77 for the year – with this being a tricky species category a total of this size was particularly pleasing! The last mammal species were added with a Mole spotted crossing the road in Thorganby early on the morning of the 10^th and a Brown Long-eared Bat at Bank Island on the 23^rd. The last new dragonfly species to be added for the year was a Southern Hawker first seen over North Duffield Carrs on the 2^nd. With the start of the autumn months our attention turned to fungi with the species list soon up to 19 by month end, with Fly Agaric kicking off the month on the 2^nd, along with pleasing finds such as Egghead Mottlegill and Spiny Puffball. The ‘other inverts’ list continued to increase gradually, with several Ichneumon Wasps found on Skipwith Common on the 2^nd, followed by leafhoppers, grasshoppers, ladybirds, shield bugs and ground beetles found in the meadow at Thornton Ellers on the 5^th. The 110^th and last addition for the month to the inverts list came in the form of a Devil’s Coach-horse seen on the decking outside the office on the 23^rd.

 Marsh Gentian - Skipwith Common - 01/09

22-spot Ladybird - Thornton Ellers - 03/09

Black Darter - North Duffield Carrs - 12/09

With the onset of migration in October hopes were high for new species, it didn’t disappoint with 6 species found including a reserve first in the form a Yellow-browed Warbler on the 5^th, the same day that a Cetti’s Warbler was added to the list. The other new species are all worthy of a mention with an Osprey on the 10^th, Merlin on the 13^th, Great Skua on the 15^th and a Montagu’s Harrier following the river at Wheldrake on the 16^th. Moth trapping continued at Bank Island with 7 species added bringing the list to 247, with species such as Blair’s Shoulder-knot, Dark Chestnut, Dowdy Plume and Pale Mottled Willow. The fungi list reached 35 with species such as Honey Fungus, Orange Bonnet, Purple Swamp Brittlegill and Woolly Milkcap.

 Candlesnuff Fungus - Skipwith Common - 29/10

 Yellowbrain - Skipwith Common - 29/10

November was predictably quiet, with just a single new bird species - a Ring Ouzel over Bank Island on the 20^th. A Green Shield Bug – surprisingly absent from this until now, was finally found on Skipwith Common on the 1^st whilst out felling. The fungi list continued to increase, with a pleasing 38 new species found throughout the month with highlights being Purple Jellydisc, Aniseed Funnel, Orange Peel, Jelly Rot, Shaggy Parasol and Yellow Stagshorn.

 Yellow Stagshorn - 01/11 - Skipwith Common

 Orange Peel Fungus - Skipwith Common - 06/11

December was, as you would suspect, the quietest month for new species, with one new bird, a Nuthatch heard calling on Skipwith Common on the 4^th, a Winter Moth at Bank Island on the 3^rd and two new species of fungi also found on the same date – Green Elf Cup and Beefsteak Fungus.

 Green Elf Cup 'staining' - Skipwith Common - 03/12

 Purple Jellydisc - Skipwith Common - 03/12

So, what a year it has been and what a wealth of information we have learnt about a whole range of species groups we had previously not made time to explore. Obviously there were some omissions, largely on the bird front, with no Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Black-necked Grebe, Grasshopper Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart, Wood Sandpiper, Short-eared Owl and Firecrest – just to name a few of the species recorded by others this year in the valley that we missed!

Before this year how many of us knew just how many hoverflies there were, let alone identify them, now we can separate our Scaeva from Sphaerophoria and the tricky Eristalis that we look forward to finding again this year. The wealth of flowers in the valley surprised us all – especially how many we were able to identify, but thanks must go to Judith – for helping with much of the grass I.D! Hopefully this year we will be able to remember some of what she taught us! Moth trapping didn’t really get going until half way through the year and so this year we aim to start earlier to pick up some of the early flyers. Butterflies and dragonflies were species easily recorded by all – with the only omission being that of Red-eyed Damselfly which has previously been recorded on the Pocklington Canal – one to aim for in 2014. The ‘other inverts’ category is 'the big one' and one to aim at breaking into with hundreds more species to add to the list.

Listed below are the final totals for each category with the entirety of them making a total of 1065 species – a target that we aim to not only reach again but also break throughout 2014…..

Mammals – 24
Birds – 154
Reptiles/Amphibians – 7
Trees – 36
Wildflowers – 274
Grasses – 77
Bees/Wasps – 10
Butterflies – 23
Dragonflies – 17
Moths – 248
Other Inverts – 112
Fungi – 73
Fish – 10

Many thanks to our staff and volunteers for really getting behind the 'pan' - and for all the hours spent pouring over I.D guides!

20/01/14 - Whooping for the best

Some of our NNR staff, volunteers and local vets have been going the extra mile recently to try and save a special winter visitor that travels over 1000 miles to get here.

Christmas and New Year can be a busy period for NNR staff, with it being a popular time for visitors to come to enjoy our National Nature Reserves. Grazing animals also need checking, and some of our surveys and monitoring are undertaken throughout the festive season. As part of this staff from the NNR were out during the afternoon on New Years Eve, checking stock on the nearby Skipwith Common NNR and chatting to some of the numerous visitors in the reserve’s hides. Just as light was fading a final check with the binoculars across the Ings was had, and there sitting on its own was a lonely Whooper Swan, looking rather unwell.

The bird was approached and although it made an attempt to fly off it only managed to get about 100 metres before crash landing again. It was clearly very ill and soon allowed itself to be picked up. Our NNR staff undertake regular Avian Flu monitoring on behalf of Defra, recording sick, dying or dead birds which are then sent for testing. However, the diamond shaped eye, the lack of energy and any other obvious wounds suggested this bird was suffering from lead poisoning. The swan was taken straight to Jean Thorpe (Ryedale Wildlife Rehabilitation), Jean acted swiftly and worked alongside the vet, Mark Naguib from Battle Flatts Vets at Stamford Bridge. The bird was x-rayed which confirmed it had lead poisoning, having 12 lead shots in its gizzard - the gizzard is a muscular pouch behind the stomach which is used for grinding food, the birds digest small stones and grit to allow this process to happen, which is unfortunately how lead shot is picked up.

First day at Jean's looking unwell

 

X-ray showing the lead shot

The bird was treated by flushing out the gizzard whilst the swan was under anesthetic. Whilst the shot did move, it didn’t move completely out of the gizzard so the bird was tubed with fibrogel in the hope that this would help the bird push the shot through the gut. It was also placed on medication to help reverse the effects of the lead poisoning.

Mark with the Whooper during treatment at Battle Flatts

Although the medication clearly helped the swan feel much better and start eating on its own again, only four shots had been excreted by the following week when it was x-rayed again. A second attempt at flushing out the gizzard moved further shots, and tests revealed its kidney function to be normal, allaying fears that the lead poising and/or the treatment may have caused long term damage. Another week in Jean's care and the final shots had been passed and the bird was ready to return to the rest of the wintering herd on the NNR. Before its release the swan was colour-ringed as part of ongoing studies carried out each winter on the NNR, which look into the wintering swan population and will allow this individual to be monitored.

All better now - Jean brings the Whooper in for release

Adding the darvic - G5S

Just about ready to go

A further three swans were picked up dead in the local area a week after this individual had been found. One of these was in good enough condition to be x-rayed and revealed a staggering 40+ shots within its gizzard, presumably killing it fairly quickly and meaning somewhere on or close to the NNR was a significant source of lead shot that the swans were picking up.

X-ray showing multiple lead shots

As a result of further investigations the source was finally identified and we are now working with a local landowner adjacent to the NNR to address the problem.

This is a great example of lots of people with different skills all working together to produce a successful outcome for our local wildlife. The dedication, skill and efforts by Jean, Mark and our NNR staff have resulted in not only a single Whooper Swan being returned to the wild again after facing almost certain death, but also a potential deadly threat to our internationally important waterfowl populations being identified and addressed. In this case the threat to our SPA (Special Protection Area) was actually outside the SPA and NNR boundary, but with Natural England's good relationship with the adjacent landowners we are hopeful to be able to rectify the problem and ensure that many more wintering Whooper Swans can continue to use the LDV NNR in safety. Long may they be enjoyed by the thousands of visitors who come to see them every winter, and we’ll be looking forward to hopefully hearing about this one on its travels back to Iceland this summer and possibly next winter should it choose to spend it with us.

Sailing away back into the wild, in full health - well done Jean & Mark for your caring nature and for the time, effort, dedication, expense and expertise given