BIRD NOTES FROM CARR VALE NATURE RESERVE AND SURROUNDING AREA
APRIL 2003
The daily visits continued as they have done for 1134 consecutive days and our efforts were rewarded with 97 species, a respectable figure, above the monthly average of 94 but below the best ever April tally set in April 1996. The year list continued to progress slowly and although it was a reasonable month in terms of unusual visitors the total for the year at the end of the month was only 110, which is the equal lowest end of April total. A few good birds were found including Pink-footed Goose, Barnacle Goose (4th record), Common Buzzards, Hobby, Red-legged Partridge, Whimbrel (13th record), Wood Sandpiper (6th record), Scandinavian Rock Pipit (2nd record), Blue-headed Wagtail (2nd record), Whinchat and Grasshopper Warbler. It was a very dry month, which resulted in the water level in Meadow Flash remaining constant at 15" although heavy showers in the last week caused a slight rise in the water levels. Generally the fishermen respected the close season although one on the 18th was caught fishing on the middle flash. Obviously he thought that the notices didn't apply to him and the two fences in the way were for show. Thanks to the Ogston regular who threw him off.
One or two Little Grebes were recorded on ten dates and two pairs of Great-crested Grebes were present daily, one of which hatched three young on the 20th. Cormorants were also a daily feature until the 22nd but the only double-figure was 11 on the 2nd with the last of the month a singleton on the 24th. Grey Herons were also seen daily with a peak count of five on the 6th, 14th and 21st and the wing-tagged bird remained throughout the month. Two to five Mute Swans were seen on 23 dates with higher counts being six on the 17th and eight on the 18th. Three Pink-footed Geese flew north on the 6th and another joined the Canada Geese briefly on the 16th. One or two Grey Lag Geese were noted five dates with three on the 8th (flying north), 17th, 19th and 30th and Canada Geese which were present daily, peaked at 28 on the 1st. A Barnacle Goose, present on the 2nd, represented the fourth site record and was the first since 1999, three Shelduck were noted on the 3rd with a pair daily between the 24th and 26th and one on the 29th.

The flock of Wigeon had declined to 68 by the 1st and further declined to 41 on the 3rd, 17 between the 7th-11th and five between the 12th-13th. Then a pair was noted daily between 12th-21st and finally the female from this pair remained until the 27th. Gadwall were a daily feature with double-figures on all bar two dates, the highest count being 17 on the 18th. Teal peaked at 24 on the 6th and 10th but then decreased until the last pair was observed on the 26th. A female Mallard was seen with a brood of seven on the 10th, which is believed to be the earliest ever brood at the site a meagre 29 on the 4th. Further broods of ten and 11 were found on the 18th but by the end of the month just one duckling remained out of the three broods. Tufted Ducks were seen daily with a high of 24 on the 28th, a record count for the reserve whilst Ruddy Ducks were also seen daily with double-figures on 19 dates peaking at 15 on the 24th. It is thought that up to eight pairs were possibly present as eight males have been seen at one time during the month.
Sparrowhawks were recorded on 18 dates (a total of 27 bird/days) including three together on the 18th and 27th and four together on the 26th whilst Kestrels were noted on 22 dates (a total of 31 bird/days). Common Buzzards have started to become a regular feature with birds often visible from the observation mound either south or west of the area, though some fly over the recording area. One was to the south on the 4th and 26th with two over the reserve on the 13th and again on the 16th. Five were seen together to the west of the area on the 14th and four were to the south of the area on the 30th, two of which drifted north being mobbed by a Hobby
A Red-legged Partridge was seen on the 16th and three or four pairs of Grey Partridge were located during a breeding bird survey on the 7th. Water Rails were recorded on 17 dates with two on the 11th and one still present on the 30th. 18 Moorhens were counted on the 17th with 23 Coot noted on the 21st.
Little Ringed Plovers were a daily feature although the highest count was only eight on the 12th and 19th. Ringed Plovers continued to be quite scarce with two on the 6th and 24th and singles on the 9th-10th, 19th and 29th. A solitary Golden Plover was seen on the 6th and a single Dunlin was noted on the 29th making it a terrible month for both species. Snipe were recorded on all bar two dates but the highest count was only eight on the 10th. A Whimbrel, the first since 2000, was heard calling as it flew north ahead of a downpour on the 29th, a Curlew flew north-east on the 12th with another south-east on the 26th, continuing the poor spring for that species. Redshank were present daily peaking at seven on the 6th but the star wader of the month was a Wood Sandpiper, which was present for less than an hour on the 24th before it departed north, leaving just two satisfied observers. Although five of the six records of this species have been in spring this is the first for April. The same day up to four Common Sandpipers were also seen though just one remained to the following day.
Gulls are always scarce during April so a first summer Common Gull that flew north on the 29th was notable as it is the second latest spring record and an unusual number of Herring Gulls were noted with records on 11 dates including 11 south on the 26th. A first winter Great Black-backed Gull flying north on the 15th was also notable for the time of the year.
The Tawny Owl from last month was again on Blue Banks on the 3rd and the first Swift of the year was seen on the 24th. The first double-figure count was made on the 27th when 15+ were present and by the 30th the flock had risen to 60, a record count for April. A Kingfisher was seen on 13 dates, a Green Woodpecker was noted on nine dates and 11 Skylark territories were found early in the month. Sand Martins, although recorded on 21 dates, were actually quite scarce with just two counts in double-figures, 13 on the 28th and ten on the 29th. The first Swallow of the year was seen on the 7th and then they were recorded daily with a peak count of 130 on the 30th. The first House Martins were two on the 14th and like Swallows they peaked on the 30th when 70 were over the sewage works.
Meadow Pipit passage remained slack with total of 183 logged flying north over eight dates the bulk of which (161) going through prior to the 8th. 84 on the 5th was the peak count with 48 the following day. One of the best birds of the month was a Scandinavian Rock Pipit, which was present daily between the 9th and 11th. When it did show it showed well but generally the bird was elusive. A male Yellow Wagtail flew north on the 7th and another was present on the 13th. Ten (including eight singles flying north) were counted on the 14th after which birds were seen daily. There were several counts of five, seven were seen on the 18th, nine were present on the 19th and there is a record of ten one evening towards the end of April, the latter record illustrating perfectly why observers should keep notebooks! A female Blue-headed Wagtail, only the second site record like the Scandinavian Rock Pipit, graced the sheep field in front of the observation mound between the 19th and 21st and although it disappeared for hours on end when it did show it gave superb views. All this interest in Wagtails and Pipits produced a count of 60 Pied Wagtails on the 6th and eventually the checking produced a White Wagtail, present on the 27th-28th.
Two all area counts of singing birds were made on the 7th and 23rd and produced some good totals i.e. Wrens 25 and 32, Dunnocks 13 and 13 and Robins 25 and 16, the count of 32 Wrens being one short of the all time high. Two male Whinchats were present on the 24th with one the following day and then a female was seen on the 30th. A pair of Wheatears was present on the 12th and 13th a single female was noted on the 24th and then a male was seen during the morning of the 30th, being replaced by a female in the evening. Nine male Blackbirds were found on the 7th with 13 on the 23rd, 150 Fieldfares were seen on the 1st and 60 flew north-west on the 6th with 56 on the 8th. The only others after this date were eight on the 10th and the last of the spring were three on the 24th. Three Song Thrushes were singing on the 23rd and 15 Redwings flew north-west on the 2nd with three seen on the 3rd and the last of the winter, a single bird, on the 6th.
A Grasshopper Warbler was reeling from the 19th with two on the 23rd and the earliest ever Sedge Warbler was found on the 6th, remaining to the 8th. (This is the second earliest ever for the county as far as I can make out). Two Sedgies were singing on the 11th with three on the 15th after which there were daily records. The first Reed Warbler of the year was also our earliest ever and is I believe the third earliest ever for the county. Two were singing on the 18th with one or two daily to the month end. Although 400 yards south of the recording area a singing Lesser Whitethroat was exceptionally early on the 18th, indeed it is the earliest ever for the area. Surprisingly no more had been found before the end of the month. the A Blackcap was heard calling on the 14th with another very briefly on the 30th and the first Migrant Chiffchaffs appeared on the 12th, when two were present. Numbers gradually increased with five present on the 18th, eight singing on the 25h and 11 singing on the 26th, a new spring record. However this was eclipsed on the 28th when an all area count produced 17 singing males with 15 still singing the following day. The wintering tristis Chiffchaff was last seen on 24th February, so the one that was found on the 15th may well have been a different bird. The winterer had been very site faithful and was not prone to disappearing and the new one was also very site faithful, remaining on the embankment throughout its stay until last seen on the 20th. For the first time at Carr Vale this sub-species was heard singing its quite melodic song on a number of occasions and it was certainly very different from the nominate form of Chiffchaff. Likewise the wintering Firecrest was last seen on 23rd February so that the one which was seen by a single reliable observer on the 13th could have also been a different bird. We'll never know.
A Coal Tit on the 6th was an unusual spring record, Jackdaws peaked at 53 on 13th, a Siskin flew north on the 6th, with single Lesser Redpolls on the 21st and 29th with four on the 28th. 30 Yellowhammers were seen on the 13th with 25 Yellowhammers together with 11 Reed Buntings and nine Chaffinches on a recently sown field on the 28th.
Water Voles were seen at two separate locations during the month, on the 22nd and 30th whilst one or two Hares were seen on 13 dates. A dog Fox was seen on the 18th, single Weasels were seen in different area on the 21st and 22nd and the first Common Frog of the year was seen on the 2nd. Mark Beevers