Lower Derwent Valley NNR Sightings - October 2015
October is usually an interesting month with lots of migration
and passage going on (if sometimes only overhead), with birds coming from and
heading to all sorts of different directions depending upon local and more
distant weather systems. This month was no exception and in addition to the
usual incoming and outgoing migrants there were some signs of more unusual
movements to keep the interest during the month.
The highlights came from two different continents –
a Yellow-browed Warbler at Bank Island on the 1st (and
another reported from nearby Escrick on the 29th) were part of an
influx noted on the East Coast and elsewhere in the UK during the month – these
represent the third and fourth wider area LDV records of the species which is
more normally found in northern Siberia eastwards and wintering in India and
south-east Asia. The second highlight was a Pectoral Sandpiper which
flew through Bank Island with a Dunlin on the 7th, this bird was on
the wrong side of the Atlantic and should have been much further west, breeding
in North America before heading south for the winter. Other (and more expected
highlights), were the first returning winter visitors and the usual build-up of
wintering waterfowl which is hard to beat. The first Whooper Swans
arrived on the 17th with 100 moving through the site during the
month, especially from the 26th which left just 12 resident
wintering birds at month end. Similarly many skeins of Pink-footed Geese
headed south during the month with over 700 between the 27th -31st.
The first returning Goldeneye was at North Duffield Carrs on the 15th
followed by a Goosander at Wheldrake on the 28th, by which
time numbers had reached c1000 Greylag Geese, 1000 Mallard, 800 Teal and 600
Wigeon.
An Osprey passed through Wheldrake Ings on
the 1st, whilst following last year’s wintering bird on Skipwith
Common NNR it was great to see another ringtail Hen Harrier appear at
Bank Island and Wheldrake Ings from the 28th, joining the now ever
present Marsh Harriers and returning Peregrines - no doubt attracted back to
the reserve by the build-up of prey. In addition to the ducks and geese, peaks
of up to 425 Golden Plover, 750 Lapwing and 250 Common Snipe
were scattered throughout the site. An increase in gull movements between the
landfill site at Rufforth/Harewood Whin and the reserve produced a Caspian
Gull at North Duffield on the 4th along with several Yellow-legged
Gulls. A Short-eared Owl appeared in the Wheldrake/Bank Island area
from the 30th (and into November), and could be the first of a good
winter hopefully, following large numbers arriving on the East Coast. The first
Redwings appeared from the 7th/8th followed by Fieldfares
from the 17th, both species later arrived in big numbers from the 27th
onwards. Chiffchaffs were widespread early in the month with a single
lingering (or perhaps newly arrived) at Bank Island on the 31st,
along with a single Brambling on the 30th and 31st.
A single Cetti’s Warbler betrayed its presence (as they often do) at
Wheldrake by appearing in a mist-net, whilst one of the main features of the
month was an incredible movement of Lesser Redpoll. Over 800 birds were
caught and ringed on passage at Wheldrake Ings where it was often possible to
catch 100 a day heading over the site. Many thousands are likely to have been
involved but only a single Common/Mealy Redpoll was caught amongst them
on the 2nd.
As always many thanks to the local birders, the YOC and all the visitors who have either left records in the hide logbooks throughout the month, or e-mailed us directly. Lastly - apologies for the lack of photos this month!
BIRDS:
Mute Swan
– In addition to the several family parties present,
increasing numbers of returning birds were noted with a peak count of 41 at
Thorganby on the 27th when a total of 64 were present throughout
the area.
Whooper
Swan- The first seven of the autumn flew south at
Wheldrake Ings on the 17th (DB) followed by five over Bank
Island on the 19th (FM). 15 flew south over East Cottingwith
on the 26th with 41 south over Thorganby on the 27th
and 32 over Bank Island on the 28th. 12 were present at North
Duffield Carrs on the 29th - the first of our ‘resident’
herd.
Canada
Goose – Numbers increased during the month with 350+
present throughout the area by month end.
Greylag
Goose – Up to 700 were present at Bank Island early in
the month, followed by c1020 throughout the valley and surrounding area on the 15th.
Large numbers were present, but mobile, thereafter.
Pink-footed
Goose – A single juvenile arrived on the pool on the 3rd,
remaining the following day. 120 flew south over Bank Island on the 11th.
Another movement late in the month saw several skeins heading over the valley -
135 on the 27th and 89 on the 28th. 300+
flew south over Melbourne at dusk on the 29th with 200+ over
Wheldrake Ings on the 31st.
Shelduck – Four were present at Wheldrake
Ings on the 11th followed
by a single there on the 18th.
Wigeon – 100+ were present on the 1st, which had increased to
210 by the 7th. 90+ were
at North Duffield Carrs on the 12th,
with 300 there on the 16th
and 400 throughout the valley on the 18th.
Numbers remained similar until the 31st
when 600 were noted at Thorganby Ings.
Teal – 600 remained from late
September with birds being mobile throughout the site – 800+ were present by
month end.
Pintail – A single female was present at
Wheldrake Ings on the 17th
and 18th, with the same
or another at Bank Island on the 31st.
Mallard –
Numbers were swelled by, presumably locally released
birds moving throughout the area rather than any numbers of wild incoming migrants.
Up to 100 were present throughout the reserve and wider area.
Gadwall – 15 were
at North Duffield Carrs on the 16th, with up to 26 present
throughout the valley by month end.
Tufted
Duck – Two were present on the top pond at North
Duffield Carrs on the 1st – the first returning birds.
Goldeneye
– The first returning ‘redhead’ was at North
Duffield Carrs top pond on the 15th but remained the only
record during the month – presumably reflecting mild conditions and rather low
water levels.
Goosander
– A single female at Wheldrake on the 28th
was the first of the autumn.
Shoveler – Up
to five were present daily on the pool at Wheldrake from the 1st,
increasing to 15 by the 11th. On the 18th 15 were seen
at Bank Island when a total of 21 were present throughout the site.
Grey Heron – Up
to 10 were present on the pool at Wheldrake on the 1st
followed by eight on the 4th. 19 were present across the site
on the 9th.
Little
Egret – Four flew north up the valley on the 3rd
whilst three were present at Wheldrake Ings on the 4th. A
single was present there on the 18th.
Little Grebe – Up
to 10 were scattered throughout the valley, at a number of sites – the
Pocklington Canal, River Derwent and North Duffield Carrs.
Red Kite – A
single was seen over canal head on the 15th and again on the 19th.
Goshawk – A
single juvenile male was seen over Bank Island on the 18th.
Marsh
Harrier – A sub-adult
male remained in the valley throughout the early part of the month but was
mobile – being seen at Wheldrake Ings on the 1st and 3rd
and North Duffield Carrs on the 4th,
this bird was later joined by an adult female at Bank Island on the 9th. The male was present
again on Bubwith Ings on the 11th
whilst the female was at Wheldrake Ings, the male lingered until at least the 18th and the
female thereafter to month end.
Hen Harrier – A single ringtail was present
at Wheldrake Ings on the 28th
and was present at Bank Island on the morning of the 29th.
Osprey – A single flew over the pool at
Wheldrake Ings on the 1st
(CSR, MFJ).
Peregrine – Singles were reported
regularly during the month from the Wheldrake Ings/Bank Island area, and with
increasing regularity towards the end of the month with two adults present
there on the 31st.
Water Rail – Up to three birds were
reported regularly from the pool at Wheldrake Ings during the month.
Golden Plover – Five flew over Wheldrake Ings
on the 1st, with 150+ in
fields by Raker Lakes the next day on the 2nd.
11 flew over Wheldrake Ings on the 3rd
followed by 30+ on the 4th,
whilst 15 were at Bank Island – possibly off-shoots of this flock. 230 were
present over Bank Island on the 9th
with 425 near Raker Lakes on the 10th.
Small flocks were regularly seen flying over the valley for the remainder of
the month with 120 at Wheldrake Ings on the 28th and 200+ at Bank Island on the 31st.
Lapwing – Up to 500 were present
throughout the valley on the 5th
with 750 at Bank Island on the 27th.
Common Snipe – Numbers increased during the
month with an estimated 250 present throughout the site – although birds were
scattered throughout several areas.
Dunlin – A single flew over Bank Island
on the 7th.
Pectoral Sandpiper – A single was present at Bank Island
on the 7th in company
with a Dunlin, before flying over towards Wheldrake Ings.
Curlew – A single bird flew over
Wheldrake Ings calling on the morning of the 10th. Seven were at Bank Island on the 11th which were then seen
there regularly thereafter.
Greenshank – One at Wheldrake Ings on the 4th.
Green Sandpiper – Small numbers lingered into
the month with three on the 1st
and two from the 2nd until
the 4th, followed by singles on the 14th, 21st
and 22nd.
Caspian Gull – A single first winter was in
fields near North Duffield on the 4th
(AW).
Yellow-legged Gull – Two or possibly three birds were
present in fields by North Duffield on the 2nd-4th.
Great Black-backed Gull – A leucistic individual (now
returning to the valley for its third winter) was at North Duffield on the 5th (this bird was ringed in
the nest in Norway in 2013).
Green Woodpecker – Still present throughout the
month on Skipwith Common, with one ‘yaffling’ from Thicket Priory near
Wheldrake on the 10th.
Barn Owl – Increasing numbers were
present throughout the area towards dusk during the month.
Short-eared Owl – Following an early individual
last month a single was reported at Wheldrake Ings on the 30th and 31st
– given the large numbers arriving on the coast this autumn it will be
interesting to see if we have a good autumn/winter in the valley.
Grey Wagtail – Two at Wheldrake Ings on the 1st with three there on the 3rd. Up to three birds were
still present in the Bank Island area throughout the month, whilst up to three
were roosting at the Melbourne, Church Bridge lock from mid-month onwards.
Kingfisher – Single birds continued to be
reported from Wheldrake Ings throughout the month with singles at Bank Island
on the 14th, 26th and 31st.
Swallow – 80 went south at Wheldrake
Ings on the 1st, with
four there on the 9th and
a single south on the 10th
and 12th. Three went
south on the 18th with a
single over Bank Island on the 20th.
House Martin – A single south at Bank Island
on the 15th was the last
of the year.
Sand Martin – Three at Wheldrake Ings on the
9th were the last of the
year.
Stonechat – A single was present at
Swantail Ings from the 1st
to the 4th with another
male taking up a winter residence at North Duffield Carrs on the 4th.
Song Thrush – A small arrival brought 12 to Wheldrake
Ings car park and lane on the morning of the 8th, while seven at Bank Island and three at Wheldrake
on the 10th were also a
notable influx.
Redwing – A small nocturnal passage was
noted overnight of the 7th/8th
with 30 at Bank Island at dawn on the 8th
– the first of the autumn. Eight were at Bank Island on the 10th with 12 to roost at Wheldrake
on the 12th. A total of
300+ arrived on the 15th
with daily sightings of small numbers thereafter, including 103 on the 17th
at Bank Island. Larger numbers arrived later in the month with 150+ on the 27th, 500+ on the 28th and 400+ on the 29th.
Fieldfare – Following an early single in
September, 57 were present at Bank Island on the 17th and 47 at Wheldrake Ings on the 18th. A more significant
arrival took place later in the month with 56 on the 27th, 150 on the 28th
and 300+ on the 29th.
Jay – Two at Wheldrake on the 2nd with up to four
regularly thereafter. Singles were also reported from Bank Island on the 11th, 19th and 26th
but no large movements noted as in previous years.
Cetti’s Warbler – A single betrayed its presence
yet again by flying into a mist net at Wheldrake Ings in pool side willow scrub
(MFJ) – this follows the last record of a single caught there in the same place
in 2014.
Sedge Warbler – A late bird was at Wheldrake
Ings on the 1st.
Chiffchaff – Good numbers remained early in
the month with 37 trapped and ringed at Wheldrake Ings between the 1st-3rd giving a
good indication of the numbers involved (MFJ). Three were still present at Bank Island on the
10th. Four were at
Skipwith Common on the 14th
with another at Bank Island on the 31st.
Yellow-browed Warbler – A single was calling at Bank Island
on the 1st (third reserve
record in the LDV/Skipwith Common area in as many years). Another was reported
from Escrick on the 29th
(per birdguides).
Blackcap – A single bird was still present
at Bank Island on the 10th.
Nuthatch – A single was calling from the Thicket
Priory woodland on the 4th
with up to three at Thornton Ellers on the 7th
and 12th.
Treecreeper – Three at Bank Island on the 1st.
Willow Tit – Three were at Wheldrake Ings
on the 4th and regularly
thereafter.
Brambling – The first reported bird was
present near Elvington on the 18th
with singles over Bank Island on the 30th
and 31st.
Lesser Redpoll – The record breaking movement
that took place in the last few days of September continued, albeit in smaller
numbers, with 55 caught and ringed at Wheldrake Ings on the 1st and 65 on the 2nd (MFJ). 139 were then
caught on the 3rd – in
total 560 birds were caught and ringed between the 29th September and 3rd
October (MFJ), and clearly numbers passing over were much higher and possibly
involved thousands of birds at this time. Birds continued to move thereafter
but it was difficult to monitor numbers without ringing, although 30+ were
present at dawn on the 10th.
100+ were still present near Melbourne on the 9th with 21 on Skipwith Common on the 13th and 40+ at Wheldrake
Ings on the 16th. Smaller
numbers were reported daily thereafter while 120 were again caught and ringed
on the 26th with 50
ringed on the 28th (MFJ) –
a total of nearly 800 birds have been caught and ringed since the start of the
passage in mid-September but actual numbers involved are likely to be in the
many thousands.
Common Redpoll – A single was caught and ringed
at Wheldrake Ings on the 2nd
– caught up as part of a large movement of Lesser Redpoll (MFJ).
Goldfinch – Up to 220 were present at
North Duffield Carrs from the 11th
to the 21st feeding on
the seed heads of Autumnal Hawkbit. Smaller flocks were scattered throughout.
MAMMALS:
Brown Hare – Four
at Thornton Ellers on the 1st included a single young leveret,
followed by three at Wheldrake on the 2nd.
Roe Deer – Two
were in the car park lane at Wheldrake Ings on the 2nd.
Fallow
Deer – A single yearling was rescued and released from
fencing at Skipwith Common on the 3rd where six were seen on
the 21st followed by three on the 30th.
Otter – Three
were seen in the River Derwent from the bridge at Wheldrake Ings on the 26th.
BUTTERFLIES:
Brimstone
– A single male at Wheldrake Ings on the 1st
was followed by a female at Skipwith Common on the 3rd.
Speckled
Wood – Up to six were still on the wing at Wheldrake
Ings on the 1st with three on the 4th and
one on the 9th.
Red
Admiral – Three were at Wheldrake Ings on the 1st
when two were also present at the NNR base garden at Bank Island, followed by
two there on the 2nd and 3rd. A single was
still on the wing at Wheldrake Ings on the 17th and again on the
21st.
Peacock – Present
on the wing on most sunny days during the month, with a single still at the NNR
base garden on the 27th.
Comma – A
single at Bank Island on the 1st with two there on the 9th,
on the same date a single was also present at Wheldrake Ings, with another
there on the 21st.
DRAGONFLIES:
Common
Darter – Present on the wing throughout the month with six
near Melbourne on the 26th and two at Bank Island on the 29th.
Migrant Hawker – Four
were present at North Duffield Carrs on the 1st when three
were also present at Wheldrake Ings.
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