June 2003 Bird Notes

June’s highlights were Black-throated Diver, Common Scoter, Red Kite, Osprey, Hobby, Little Stint, Reed Warbler, Wood Warbler and Raven.

The juvenile Black-throated Diver continued its stay and was regularly present beside the dam close to Millfields Car Park, first arriving on 9th May, and looking as if its here for the summer. A Common Scoter was seen on 22nd, this year there has been fewer records of this sea duck than in previous years. Other wildfowl recorded were several broods of Little Grebe with Great Crested Grebe young often seen riding on the backs of their parents.
Only single records of Cormorant and up to three Heron were recorded.
Several pairs of Mute Swan also have young, 26 adults were counted on 28th, a single Pink-footed Goose was seen with the Canada’s on 2nd and 8th, one to three Greylag Goose were regularly present with four on 27th, 400 plus Canada Geese, including c100 young were present all month. Barnacle Geese bred for the second successive year, with 13 adults and 11 young counted on 12th, a Gadwall was seen on 8th with two on 12th, one to two drake Teal were noted on several dates until 9th, a Shoveler on 29th. Two drake Pochard on 27th with one present the following day, 107 Tufted were counted on 8th, with 47 young Tufted Duck counted on 29th, one to two Ruddy Duck were also seen.

A Red Kite was reported by a jogger flying over Carsington pastures on 7th, four Buzzard were seen flying together on 15th with singles recorded on other dates, a Osprey flew over on 16th, a Hobby was seen on 9th. Sparrowhawk and Kestrel were also regularly present.

Eight species of waders were recorded, up to five Oystercatchers all month, four Little Ringed Plovers also all month, 57 Lapwing on 21st, a Little Stint on 4th with two the following day, single Snipe on 6th, three Curlew on 21st with singles on other dates, six Redshank including two young on 8th, single Common Sandpiper on 3rd, 21st and 25th.

Other species recorded were ten Common Tern on 2nd with one on 21st, a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers seen feeding two young at the feeders beside Paul Stanley hide, a pair of Redstart with young on 3rd with singles regularly recorded, a Reed Warbler on 2nd, three Lesser Whitethroat on 8th with singles on several other dates, five Whitethroat on 8th with smaller counts on several other dates, seven Garden Warbler on 8th. A family party of Blackcap were present beside Paul Stanley hide on 28th. A Wood Warbler on 12th, the second record this year. A pair of Spotted Flycatcher on 12th with singles noted on other dates. A Willow Tit on the feeders beside Paul Stanley hide, five Raven on 16th with one to two seen on several other dates, 40 plus juvenile Tree Sparrows were seen together in one flock on 14th, up to seven Bullfinch were noted during the month.

Despite several rare species present including the first county record of a June Black-throated Diver, the month was very quiet with only 84 species recorded compared with 95 recorded in June 2002, 75 in 2001, 74 in 2000 and 82 species in 1999.

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