May'

Lower Derwent Valley NNR Sightings - May 2014

May can be an exciting change over time for birds in the valley, with the last of the lingering winter visitors, further returning migrants, breeding birds and passage migrants moving through. This May was no exception although a wet and warm month resulted in vigorous vegetation growth which meant observing some species was rather tricky and for some groups, like passage waders, the more exposed open muddy areas were restricted.

Wheldrake Ings in full bloom - 19/05

A Whooper Swan remained at Wheldrake Ings until the 3^rd with a late Pink-footed Goose staying until the 15^th before moving on. The waterfowl breeding season was well underway during the month with record numbers of Gadwall present throughout the site – with frequent pursuits of many species recorded during the month and some involving large numbers of drakes chasing single, presumably unpaired females. A drake Mandarin appeared at Wheldrake Ings on the 24^th and three pairs of Garganey were present in the Wheldrake/Bank Island area during the month - providing a challenge to see except when in flight.

A Black Stork passed through the valley on the 26^th - a highlight had any of the local birdwatchers seen it on its brief visit! Six Little Egrets were more readily available, and the month also saw the first of the local Grey Herons fledge. Red Kites and Marsh Harriers continued to be regular visitors to the valley with several Hobby’s showing well at scattered localities and a late Osprey was seen fishing over the pool at Wheldrake on the 31^st (and subsequently lingering into early June).

A late passage Jack Snipe was still at Wheldrake Ings on the 2^nd whilst Grey Plover, Sanderling and Turnstone were all typical but noteworthy finds during the month. Several pairs of Common Terns were present around the valley with birds using the tern rafts at Bank Island and Wheldrake Ings on a regular basis. A Long-eared Owl near Escrick Duck Decoy on the 24^th was a welcome record whilst Barn Owls and Kestrels were both found to be having a bumper year in our boxes present throughout the study area – both in terms of occupancy but also productivity.

BIRDS: 

Whooper Swan – The late staying individual was present at Wheldrake Ings from the 1^st – 3^rd. 

Mute Swan – The first brood (nine cygnets) appeared at North Duffield Carrs on the 19^th with a total of five broods and 23 cygnets appearing by month end. 

Mute Swan brood - North Duffield Carrs - 19/05

Greylag Goose – A creche of 27 goslings were seen on the river at North Duffield Carrs on the 14^th with 40 goslings present at Wheldrake Ings throughout the month and 17 present at Bank Island. 

Pink-footed Goose – A single was at Wheldrake Ings from the 2^nd - 10^th and North Duffield Carrs on the 15^th. 

Canada Goose – Single pairs bred at Bank Island, Wheldrake and North Duffield Carrs with three broods of two young. Birds tend to favour water bodies away from the Ings where they appear to be outcompeted by Greylag Geese on the reserve. 

Egyptian Goose – A pair were present on a pond at East Cottingwith throughout the month where breeding was thought to have been attempted. A pair were also present at Wheldrake Ings on the 18^th.

Mandarin – A drake was on the pool at Wheldrake Ings on the 24^th (DB). 

Teal – Breeding birds were scattered throughout the site. 

Wigeon – A single female was at Wheldrake Ings throughout the month with two pairs also at Bank Island with scattered birds elsewhere. Two pairs were also present on Skipwith Common. 

Gadwall – Good numbers remained throughout the month with some large pursuit flights noted including 16 drakes at Bank Island on the 14^th and 18 at Wheldrake Ings on the 25^th. 

Mallard - A widespread breeding species present in good numbers throughout the valley, with newly hatched broods continuing to appear throughout the month.

Mallard - Wheldrake Ings - 14/05

Shoveler – Good numbers remained throughout the month with a large pursuit flight involving 18 drakes at Bank Island on the 27^th. 

Garganey – A single drake was seen at Bank Island on the 1^st - 3^rd with a pair there on 5^th, and two drakes at Wheldrake Ings on the 9^th and 10^th. A drake was seen at Bank Island again on the 15^th and a pair again on the 17^th and another at Wheldrake Ings on the 19^th (DT, CSR et al). Two pairs (Wheldrake Ings and Bank Island) remained thereafter to month end. 

Tufted Duck – A number of breeding birds were scattered throughout the site. 

Pochard – A single male was at Bank Island on the 17^th (DB). 

Little Grebe – A single pair remained at Bank Island throughout the month with two pairs at Wheldrake Ings and a single pair at North Duffield Carrs. 

Black Stork – A single flew north up the valley on the 26^th past East Cottingwith Ings (the second reserve record) and over Wheldrake Ings at 1400hrs – it was later seen following the River Derwent towards Malton (FM). It was presumably the same bird seen earlier in the day at Humberhead Peatlands NNR. 

Water Rail – Up to five singing birds remained throughout the month at Wheldrake Ings with a single also at Church Bridge on the Pocklington Canal near Melbourne on the 2^nd. A single was at Bank Island on the 18^th. 

Coot – Large numbers of young started to appear late in the month at Bank Island and Wheldrake Ings. 

Grey Heron – The first fledged birds were present at Wheldrake Ings on the 18^th when 17 were counted feeding across the site. 

Little Egret – Three were at Wheldrake Ings on the 9^th - 11^th with four there on the 13^th and six from the 15^th - 19^th with scattered singles thereafter. 

Red Kite – A single at Wheldrake Ings on the 5^th and again on the 8^th and 9^th. A single was at Aughton on the 16^th and four were present near Holme-on-Spalding-Moor on the 26^th. 

Osprey – A single was at Wheldrake Ings, fishing over the pool on the 31^st. 

Marsh Harrier – A single pair were present at the southern end of the valley throughout the month with a pair nest building at Wheldrake Ings on the 24^th and 25^th. 

Hobby – A single on the 3^rd near Skipwith was the first, and rather late individual of the year (DT). A single was then present at North Duffield Carrs on the 14^th, Thornton on the 15^th, Dunnington from the 16^th and Wheldrake Ings on the 17^th. 

Common Crane – Two birds were calling at the southern end of the valley on the 31^st. 

Oystercatcher – Two chicks were seen near East Cottingwith on the 23^rd and another pair with chicks at Thornton Ellers on the 28^th with scattered pairs elsewhere. 

Grey Plover – A single was at Wheldrake Ings on the 5^th. 

Lapwing – Present throughout the site with a brood of three ringed at North Duffield Carrs and four at Thornton Ellers. 

Dunlin – A single was at Wheldrake Ings from the 23^rd to month end – a late passage bird. 

Sanderling – A single was at Aughton Ings on the 11^th. 

Jack Snipe – A single was at Wheldrake Ings on the 2^nd. 

Woodcock – A single bird was roding on Skipwith on the 2^nd with a single adult then seen near Escrick on the 3^rd with four chicks. 

Curlew – Good numbers were present throughout the site with several pairs appearing with young late in the month. 

Redshank – A brood of two were seen (and then helped) crossing the road at Ellerton on the 23^rd. 

Greenshank – The single at Wheldrake Ings remained from the 1^st - 9^th. A single then flew south over Wheldrake on the 18^th with one then seen at Thornton Ellers on the 28^th. 

Turnstone – Three were at Wheldrake Ings on the 11^th, on which date a large movement occurred inland throughout the region. 

Common Sandpiper – A single was at Wheldrake Ings from the 1^st - 9^th with a single there on the 18^th. 

Lesser Black-backed Gull – 300+ were in newly cut silage fields near Elvington on the 26^th - 28^th. 

Little Gull – A first summer bird was at Bank Island on the 14^th. 

Common Tern – A pair were sat on the tern raft at Wheldrake Ings on the 9^th and either the same pair or another, were fishing on the ponds between Wheldrake and Elvington on the 10^th. A pair were present near Canal Head, Pocklington on the 13^th and 14^th with a pair at Bank Island from the 14^th - 19^th.  

Five were present in the Allerthorpe area from the 15^th - 19^th. 

Common Tern - Bank Island - 13/05

Barn Owl - A rather dark individual showing traits resembling that of the dark-breasted form was present near Newton-on-Derwent on the 28^th (AF). Good numbers of pairs were found breeding throughout the area with good productivity – pleasing after last year’s poor season. 

Long-eared Owl – A single between Skipwith and Escrick flew over the A19 after dusk on the 24^th (AW, OM). 

Great Spotted Woodpecker – A single pair were found feeding young in a nest hole on Skipwith Common from mid-month. Other pairs were seen feeding young or carrying food at East Cottingwith and North Duffield Carrs and were also present at Thornton Ellers and Bank Island during the month.

Cuckoo – Birds were widespread during the month with two males and three females present near Church Bridge, Melbourne during the month (NC). Three were heard on Skipwith Common on the 19^th. 

Great Spotted Woodpecker - Skipwith Common - 19/05

Swift – The first main arrival took place from the 4^th when up to 30 were present throughout the site, up to 50+ by the 5^th. They were present and widespread thereafter with a large arrival on the 13^th with 100+ at Bank Island and 50+ at Melbourne. Heavy rain forced birds into feeding low over the Ings on the 28^th with 50+ at Thornton Ellers and Bank Island, 150+ over Wheldrake Ings and 30+ over North Duffield Ings. 

Spotted Flycatcher – A single on Skipwith Common NNR on the 21^st was the first of the year (DT) with a pair there from the 22^nd and a third bird on the 27^th. A single was seen near Riccall on the 25^th. 

Wheatear – A single male was seen on Wheldrake Ings on the 2^nd along with a female on the 10^th.  A single was near Breighton on the 14^th when a female was also present at North Duffield Carrs.

Redstart – One, or possibly two singing males remained on Skipwith Common during the month. 

Pied Wagtail – Present throughout the site with fledged birds on the Pocklington Canal by the 20^th and a pair feeding young at Bank Island on the 26^th. 

Grasshopper Warbler – A single was by Church Bridge on the Pocklington Canal near Melbourne on the 2^nd. 

Tree Sparrow – Nine pairs bred in boxes at the NNR base at Bank Island during the month.

MAMMALS: 

Brown Hare – Three were seen together at Bank Island on the 15^th with a single then seen on Wheldrake Ings on the 19^th. Later during the evening of the 19^th seventeen were seen at Thornton Ellers. 

Fallow Deer – Two were seen along main road to Skipwith Common on the 19^th. 

Roe Deer – On the morning of the 15^th singles were seen at Bank Island and Wheldrake Ings along with two at North Duffield Carrs. On the 23^rd pairs were seen at Bank Island, North Duffield Carrs and East Cottingwith.

Roe Deer - North Duffield Carrs - 19/05

Fox – A single was seen at Bank Island on the 9^th. 

Mink - A single was at Wheldrake Ings on the 10^th. 

Otter – Two were seen on Wheldrake Ings on the 9^th and two males were released back to the area at North Duffield Carrs on the 14^th (see here for the full story). 

Otter - North Duffield Carrs - 14/05

Badger – One was seen at Thornton Ellers early one morning on the 20^th.

Water Vole – A single was seen near Church Bridge on the Pocklington Canal on the 8^th (NC).

REPTILES: 

Common Lizard – Three were seen along the boardwalk adjacent to the bomb bay loop on Skipwith Common on the 19^th.

BUTTERFLIES: 

Small Copper – Just a single record for the month (and the first for the year), came on the 13^th in the NNR Base Garden. 

Peacock – Very few records (25) compared with last month (197). 

Red Admiral – The first for the month was a single in the NNR Base Garden on the 19^th, singles were then seen at Bank Island, Wheldrake Ings and North Duffield Carrs on the 26^th. 

Small Tortoiseshell – Very few records throughout the month (a mere 28), compared with 151 in April, with the majority of them coming throughout the first two weeks of the month. 

Green-veined White – Numbers on the wing were up on last month, with many individuals seen around the NNR Base Garden with more feeding opportunities available to them as the flowering plants started to open. 

Small White – This species started to appear on the wing towards the last week of April and continued to increase in number as the new month progressed, however the unsettled weather halted records from time to time. Recorded each week on the butterfly transect at Bank Island, with the highest count for the month being 10 at North Duffield Carrs on the 13^th. 

Orange Tip – The most recorded species throughout the month (65), although down by last month’s standards (123). Recorded in abundance each week on the butterfly transect at Bank Island and along the river bank track to Wheldrake Ings, with a number of other records also coming from North Duffield Carrs and Skipwith Common. 

Orange Tip - North Duffield Carrs - 19/05

Brimstone – Just scraping into double figures with 11 reported throughout the month, including a count of 6 (three males, three females) on Skipwith Common on the 19^th. 

Wall Brown – The first for the month was seen in the meadow at North Duffield Ings on the 13^th. 

Speckled Wood – Numbers reported were down on last month (a mere 9, compared with 22 in April).

MOTHS: 

Several moth trapping nights throughout the month resulted in 39 different species caught and a total of 148 individuals trapped over three sessions at Bank Island and Thornton Ellers. A number of species were also seen on the wing during the day time including Small Yellow Underwing (Bank Island 13^th), Waved Umber (Bank Island 15^th), Blood Vein & Latticed Heath (Skipwith Common 19^th), Mother Shipton (East Cottingwith 27^th) and Common Swift (Pocklington 27^th).

DRAGONFLIES: 

Common Blue Damselfly – The first for the year were seen on the 13^th when two were present around the NNR Base pond and two in the meadow at North Duffield Ings. 

Azure Damselfly – The first for the year was a single on the NNR Base pond on the 13^th with several individuals then seen at North Duffield Carrs on the 19^th. 

Azure Damselfly - North Duffield Carrs - 19/05

Large Red Damselfly – The first for the year were four individuals seen on Skipwith Common on the 19^th. 

Four-spotted Chaser – The first for the year were seen around the pools on Skipwith Common on the 19^th when at least nine were present. 

Banded Demoiselle – A single female, and the first for the year was seen at Bank Island on the 19^th, with a male seen later the same day during the butterfly transect along the river bank path. A single male was then seen on the 20^th on Wheldrake Ings.

NOTABLE PLANTS: 

Throughout the month typical May species started to flower with highlights being Green-winged Orchids and Adders Tongue Fern at Newton Mask, and Northern & Southern Marsh Orchids were in flower in a favoured spot near East Cottingwith. The meadows began to fill with colour from mid-month with plenty of species flowering early this year due to the mild spring. Ragged Robin, Marsh Marigold, Meadow Buttercup and Cuckoo Flower to name a few. Other species such as Meadow-rue and Purple Loosestrife were out in leaf and not far behind in flowering towards the end of the month.

Adders Tongue Fern - Newton Mask - 06/05