BIRD NEWS FROM CARR VALE NATURE RESERVE AND SURROUNDING AREA

MARCH 2002

The daily visits continued and we added a couple of new species for the year taking the year list to 94, the highest end of March total since 1997, when the count was 99, the highest to date. The monthly species tally was 90, above the 7-year average of 85.6 but well below the 97 recorded in 2000. A number of notable species were seen including Whooper Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Pintail, Osprey (12th record), Stonechat (9th record), Tree Sparrow and Corn Bunting. It is a sign of the times that only a few years ago neither of the last two species would have made at on to the list of highlights as both were breeders in the area, now both are very noteworthy. It was a fairly dry and mild month with no abnormal weather noted, which meant that the water level in Meadow Flash remained constant at 15-21".

One or two Little Grebes were recorded on 18 dates, although on the 20th three were seen, whilst two or three Great-crested Grebes were noted daily with four on the 25th-26th, with one of the regular pair sitting on a nest from about the 22nd. Cormorants were particularly scarce the only records being singles on the 16th and 25th. As usual in spring Grey Heron numbers were low with one to four on 29 dates and a high of six on the 8th. The wing-tagged bird was last seen on the 17th. Three Mute Swans were present on the 4th with singles on the 9th and 20th and 14 Whooper Swans flew north at 1015 on the 13th. These were a nice sight but that flock was eclipsed by a flock of c60 that flew north the following day; now that was a sight. This is the second largest flock to be recorded at Carr Vale mirroring the 64 reported flying north-east on 4th February 1995. It is likely that these were the 61 that flew north-west over Colwick CP earlier that morning, part of a large scale movement recorded over the East Midlands and Yorkshire. 315 Pink-footed Geese flew north-west on the 1st, which although there have been three previous records for March was a record count for the month. Five Grey Lag Geese were also present on the 1st with three on the 4th. Then one flew south on the 14th, a total of four were seen on the 18th, three of which departed north or north-east leaving a single bird that was seen on five dates between the 19th and 26th. On the day of the large flock of Whooper Swans (the 14th) three unidentified grey geese also flew north. They were not Grey Lags (or Canada's) but were unfortunately too far off to identify. Finally amongst the larger wildfowl Canada Geese were recorded daily but only in low double-figures, the highest of which was 44 on the 17th.

Two Shelduck were present early on the 23rd before they departed north and the Wigeon flock which was present in three-figures during the first three days of the month (peaking at 120 on the 2nd) declined slightly but still remained between 85 and 98 for most of the month. Towards the end of the month, as is normal for the time of year, the flock declined from 98 on the 21st, to 59 on the 22nd, 49 on the 27th, 18 on the 28th and the following day all had gone. This was much earlier than usual and could have been due to the mild weather or the introduction of a bird-scaring device on the edge of the reserve. Gadwall were recorded daily peaking at 14 on the 26th, likewise Teal were a daily feature, although the peak count was a lowly 55 on the 3rd, indeed from the 17th the highest count was only 36 on the 20th. Mallard are always very scarce at his time of the year so it was no surprise that the highest count was only 37 on the 2nd. A flyover female Pintail on the 13th was only the 6th for the late winter period but the 3rd record for March. Two female Pochard were present on four dates from the 2nd to the 7th but Tufted Ducks were a daily feature peaking at 16 on the 22nd. The wintering female Goosander was seen daily, apart from the 2nd until the 22nd being joined by a pair on the 3rd and a female on the 20th-21st. Interestingly on the 9th she was noted flying off north at dusk, so she presumably roosted elsewhere, probably in the Rother Valley CP. Ruddy Ducks were a daily feature with a peak count of nine on the 26th.

Sparrowhawks were noted on 21 bird / days but Kestrels were recorded on just 11. A Buzzard flew west on the 21st, an Osprey caught a fish in front of a non-birder on the 30th before it flew off north-west pursued by an irate Heron, the earliest ever record for Carr Vale. All the regulars missed that but they did see the male Peregrine that was present on the 9th and 10th. Two pairs of Partridge remained in the area throughout the month and a count of 21 Pheasants was made on the 2nd. A Water Rail was noted on 12 dates during the month and 41 Coot were also counted on the 2nd.

A Little-ringed Plover was seen on Deepdale Flash on the 12th, the earliest ever record for that particular pool and presumably the same bird was seen the following day at Carr Vale (and then daily until the 18th). Then one flew south on the 21st, three were seen on the 22nd with records daily to the month end peaking at five on the 25th and 29th-30th. The Ringed Plover situation was more confusing with one or two recorded at Carr Vale on six dates during the month and one or two on three dates at Deepdale Flash. However four were present on Deepdale Flash on the 10th and on the 13th as many as seven were in the area (two early a.m. on Deepdale Flash before flying off north-east with one at Carr Vale, then later in the day four were on Deepdale Flash). Golden Plovers were present in good numbers on all bar one date, peaking at 350 on the 27th, with most if not all being of the southern race but following 120 Lapwings on the 3rd numbers of this species declined with just 55 present on the 15th. A Dunlin was present on the 8th (with another on Deepdale Flash on the 10th), after which two were seen on the 12th-13th and 15th with one on the 17th. The usual build up of Snipe occurred peaking at 25 on the 21st with double-figures on a further 14 dates and single Curlews were noted on five dates with two on two on the 18th and 20th. A single Redshank was seen daily between the 1st and 4th and then birds were noted daily from the 8th peaking at six on the 27th.

Black-headed Gulls peaked at 305 on the 3rd and two Common Gulls flew south the same day with two north on the 15th. Also on the 3rd 59 Lesser Black-backed, 77 Herring and five Great Black-backed Gulls all flew north, a typical spring movement. 27 Stock Doves were counted on the 2nd with 1000 Wood Pigeons noted on the 6th whilst four male Wood Pigeons were noted singing on the 27th. Towards the end of the month a Tawny Owls nest containing three eggs was found in the pig farm, though the regular observers have yet to see this species this year. Kingfishers were scarce with just a single noted on seven dates and a Green Woodpecker on the 22nd was a nice spring surprise.

Seven Skylarks were singing on the 28th and the first Sand Martins of the year (four) were seen on the 18th with records on a further nine dates, although the highest count was only nine on the 23rd. Although Meadow Pipit passage was recorded on 20 dates numbers were very low with a total of just 268 noted during the watches, the highest count being 90 north on the 22nd. Whether this was because it was a poor passage or that the birds moved through between the 23rd-25th, when the principal counter was absent is not known but it certainly was a poor spring for this species. One or two Grey Wagtails were seen on seven dates with the last on the 21st and Pied Wagtails peaked at 36 on the 13th. The breeding bird survey on the 28th netted 30 male Wrens, ten male Dunnocks and 30 male Robins, the latter being a record for the area. North / north-westerly movement by Fieldfares was noted on six dates involving 525 birds with notable flocks of 160 on the 18th and 150 on the 22nd. Redwings were much scarcer with records on nine dates but with a high of only 20 on the 4th.

A male Blackcap was seen on the 26th and again on the 29th with two the following day and one on the 31st whilst the first Chiffchaff of the spring was seen on the 1st. Single birds were then noted on five dates until the 17th when the species was noted daily and numbers started to pick up peaking at a spring record of ten singing males on the 28th. Two early Willow Warblers were singing on the 31st on Bluebanks and the last Goldcrest in a poor winter for the species was seen on the 22nd.

Three Willow Tits were singing around Deepdale Flash on the 13th and two other males were singing on several dates either along the river or on the embankment. Two Coal Tits went north along the river on the 2nd and single birds were recorded on the 5th, 8th and 13th. Two Jays were seen on the 8th and single birds were recorded on a further eight dates during the month, whilst on the 9th 20 Magpies were together on the embankment. A Tree Sparrow flew north on the 18th, seven Chaffinches were singing on the 28th on which date six Greenfinches were holding territory. Siskins were recorded on 14 dates but the only double-figure count concerned 20 on the 17th, the only flock of Linnets was 25 on the 4th, whilst Redpolls were scarce with one to four on just seven dates. Three pairs of Bullfinches were seen on the 28th when six Reed Buntings were singing whilst on the 27th a Corn Bunting, a rare bird nowadays, was present briefly.

Other wildlife included the first Small Tortoiseshells and Peacock Butterflies of the year from the 27th, one to three Hares on 11 dates and a Stoat on the 31st.

Mark Beevers.