"The score never interested me, only the game." Mae West
Yet again my internet trawl revealed a potentially relevant quote, with a month of hard birding in all senses of the word.
The first day of the month started well with an observer on the early shift rewarded by a ringtail Hen Harrier drifting north through the area. The day was also improved by a group of five Arctic Terns on Lingham Lake that eventually headed off west and a Whimbrel through north. Rarest of all were two Bar-Tailed Godwits on Langwith Lake, a species that was only recorded once in 2021. The next day the first two Swifts of the year were seen and the following day, 3rd, both a tardy Whooper Swan and a laggard of a Pink-footed Goose were still present - a reflection of the continuing cool weather which now seems standard for May. Two new Bar-Tailed Godwits dropped into the Reserve and stayed for two more days. Interestingly the arrival of the Godwits coincided with the peak count of this species on the south coast, at Dungeness, with the May peak of 559 east occurring on 2nd. The first of a run of Wood Sandpiper records occurred on 3rd, with at least two birds involved over the next few days.
Black headed gull on the River Ure
The same mix of species presided over the next few days, during which time there was very little activity on the visible migration front. Things were a bit different on 5th however, with warmer weather reaching 18c and relatively light WNW winds producing an interesting day, with notable records, including the first of a run of three Cuckoo observations during the next few days, a flock of eight Black-Tailed Godwits powering north past Yorwaste mountain and a good supporting cast of assorted other migrants.
Most spectacular, however, was a kettle of three migrant Osprey which rose up off the River Ure area to an astronomic height before disappearing north. A single Osprey later in the day was thought to have been one of the regular birds loafing around the area, on and off, since April. Overall, there were seven bird days of single Osprey present in the area involving two different males.
One of the regular male Ospreys performing over Flasks Lake
The Pink-Footed Goose and Whooper Swan were still in the area on 7th, whilst Mandarin was again seen, part of a regular, albeit erratic, set of sightings of one or other or both of a pair lurking in the Flasks/Kiln Lakes area. The following day saw the only Garganey record of the month, quite a contrast with 2021, when there were 24 bird days of this species, with a peak count of three birds. On 10th there were two Sanderling on Flasks Lake ‘beach’, the first of a run of six bird days on four dates between then and 22nd.
On 11th an observer was astonished to see a Tree Pipit singing by Ladybridge Farm and Friday 13th was not so unlucky, with a really good movement of 401 Swifts and 289 House Martins west into a force 5 WSW wind, through a blur of resident Sand Martins. Another Tree Pipit passed through WNW also.
Cavorting Sand Martins
Bizarrely, the Pink-footed Goose count crept up to five by 15th, but the star birds on that day were a Woodlark north over the Silt Lagoons and yet another ringtail Hen Harrier north. The following day was notable for two things in particular - very heavy rain and a Black Tern on the Reserve which performed well for many of the local observers.
On 17th both the usual suspects were in the area, as well as one of the only two observations of Marsh Harrier during the month. Arguably more exciting was the discovery of a pair of Meadow Pipits at the South Henge. This is a species that has never been recorded as breeding in the area, so this is truly exciting news.
The last few days of the month were exceedingly underwhelming overall, with minor highlights in the form of Whimbrel and the ever-popular Ospreys. Good numbers of breeding warblers were counted.
As is traditional though, the last birded day of the month went out in style with a Grey Plover, another real scarcity here, through Langwith Lake.
Sedge warbler numbers were generally good throughout the month.
Andrew Hanby on behalf of the Nosterfield Naturalists
4th June 2022