BIRD NEWS FROM CARR VALE NATURE RESERVE AND SURROUNDING AREA

APRIL 2002

The daily visits continued and as you would expect we added many new species for the year taking the year list to 114, an average total for the end of April the highest end of April total being 121 in 1996. The monthly species tally was 94, again very average and well below the 105 also recorded in 1996. A number of notable species were seen including Common Buzzard, Grey Plover (5th record), Kittiwake (10th record), Arctic Tern (13th record), White Wagtail and Ring Ouzel (5th record). It was a fairly dry and mild month with no abnormal weather noted. This meant that the water level in Meadow Flash remained constant at about 15". The dry weather enabled further fencing work to be completed with a view to the sheep being moved on to the land in front of the mound.

One or two Little Grebes were recorded on 12 dates from the 9th with three on the 15th, although it is likely that there are two pairs in the area, one on the reserve pond, the other on the Peter Fidler Reserve. The pair of Great-crested Grebes hatched four young on the 19th and all were doing well at the end of the month. A third adult was present on the 2nd and 28th-29th. Six Cormorants flew south-east on the 5th, with six on the 20th, four of which also flew south-east. Otherwise one or two noted on five dates. One to three Herons were noted on 24 dates but the wing-tagged bird went missing after the 18th. Three immature Mute Swans were present on 21 dates between the 3rd and 27th and they were joined by an adult on the 12th and 15th. Grey-lag Geese were seen on 26 dates with a single bird joining the resident Canada Geese from at least the 13th, it remaining to the end of the month. Larger numbers included four on the 4th and five on the 7th with two or three birds noted on seven dates. 30 Canada Geese on the 1st was the highest count of the month and by the end of the month two pairs were on eggs.

Single Shelducks were seen on the 3rd and 11th with a pair present on the 20th. No Wigeon were seen during the month, the first time that has happened since 1997 but Gadwall were a daily feature with a peak count of 11 on the 8th although there were only two other double-figure counts during the month, ten on the 11th and 20th. Teal remained until the last pair was seen on the 28th but the highest count was only ten on four dates up to the 14th. An early brood of 13 Mallard was seen on the 13th and three more broods had appeared before the end of the month. Both Tufted and Ruddy Ducks were seen daily during the month with peak counts respectively being 11 on the 1st and ten on the 9th.

Sparrowhawks were seen on 14 dates with Kestrels on 15 dates but the only other raptors of note were single Common Buzzards on the 7th and 14th. Two pairs of Common Partridge were present early in the month and at least one Water Rail was noted on ten dates until the 29th. An Oystercatcher left north on the 13th and two were present early on the 24th. 12 Little Ringed Plovers were counted on the 1st with up to eight daily thereafter and Ringed Plovers were noted on 13 dates. Usually one or two were seen but four were present on the 8th and 30th with three on the 28th. Two small dark birds (probably from a northern population) were present on the 27th and 29th-30th. Golden Plover left early this year with none seen after the 7th. Prior to that 300 were counted on the 1st with 106 still on the 6th. One of the best birds of the month was a winter plumaged Grey Plover which was present between the 16th and 20th. Two Dunlin arrived with two dark Ringed Plovers on the 29th, up to eight Snipe were recorded daily until the 24th with one to four on three dates after that and Redshank were also seen daily with a peak count of six on the 12th. Lastly amongst the waders single Common Sandpipers were present on the 22nd-23rd, 26th-27th and 29th-30th with two on the 28th.

Few gulls were noted during the month, the highlights being late Great Black-backed on the 27th and an adult Kittiwake, briefly before flying north-west, on the 2nd. Three Common Terns flew north-west on the 30th and an early Arctic Tern flew east on the 21st being joined by a second terns sp. as it did so. Six Wood Pigeons were singing on the 24th and 200+ were still feeding on oilseed rape on the 28th. A pair of Little Owls returned to a former breeding site, which had been forsaken in recent years, just south of the recording area. The first Swift of the year was noted on the 28th, the latest arrival date since 1995 and single Kingfishers were seen on eight dates until the 16th. A Great-spotted Woodpecker flew north on the 14th and one was seen on the 20th.

Five singing Skylarks were noted on the 24th, Sand Martins were seen on 19 dates but passage was very limited with birds moving north totalling just 69, the highest count being 18 on the 22nd. The first Swallow and House Martin were together on the 6th but it wasn't until the end of the month that numbers started to increase with 40 of the former on the 26th and 28th and 15 of the latter on four dates from the 24th. Unusually a male Meadow Pipit was still holding territory on the Peter Fidler Reserve at the end of the month. One to three Yellow Wagtails were noted on 13 dates from the 7th but ten were present during the evening of the 22nd on which date 55 Pied Wagtails were also counted, but the only White Wagtails of the month were seen on the 16th and 29th.

During a full area count of singing birds on the 24th totals for Wren, Dunnock, Robin and Blackbird were 26, 11, 26 and 15 respectively. An early male Redstart was seen on the 11th and a male Whinchat was seen on the 29th. Following a male just south of Buck Bridge on the 14th, further records of Wheatear in the reserve area included single males on the 18th and 24th and two males on the 21st. Birds of the month were probably the pair of Ring Ouzels that were present briefly on the 11th before they continued their northward journey, the 5th record for the site since 1997. Winter thrushes departed early this year with just two records of Fieldfare, 16 on the 6th and 26 on the 10th and only one record of Redwing, a single on the 4th. Three singing Song Thrushes were noted on the 9th and two pairs of Mistle Thrushes were on territory in the area, although one of the pairs had its nest destroyed by the 19th.

The first Grasshopper Warbler of the year was heard on the 20th with three the following day and singles on four more dates before the end of the month. The earliest ever Sedge Warbler was found on the 7th but numbers didn't start to increase until the 23rd and by the end of the month four males were holding territory. The first (and only so far) Reed Warbler of the year was heard on the 24th on which date the first Lesser Whitethroat of the year was recorded, with two the following day and three from the 27th. The first two Whitethroats of the year were seen on the 22nd with five the following day and seven on the 24th. Singing Blackcaps peaked at eight on the 24th whilst singing Chiffchaffs numbered seven on the 3rd and during the breeding bird survey on the 24th an total of 30 singing Willow Warblers was noted.

Following a single Jay on the 4th and two on the 12th, one or two were recorded daily between the 20th and 24th, whilst on the 20th a Rook with white inner primaries flew north. Ten singing Chaffinches were counted on the 24th, two Siskins flew north on the 4th with singles on the 10th and 15th and one to three Redpoll were seen on four dates with the last on the 18th. Also on the 24th two Pairs of Bullfinches were located, as were five singing Yellowhammers and four singing Reed Buntings.

Amongst the non-avian species single Brimstones were seen on the 3rd and 24th, with a Comma on the latter date, whilst the first Orangetip and Speckled Wood were noted on the 14th. A Stoat was seen carrying prey on the 19th, a maximum of six Hares was counted on the 13th and Rabbits seemed to be more common than recently. It was also good to note that Water Voles were reported from the northern end of the recording area early in the month.

Mark Beevers.