Nosterfield NR December 2022 Bird Review
“Crows are more sincere than they look, you know.”
― Aki
Ever present in small numbers and under-recorded, the Carrion Crow.
The month started well, with a Woodcock flushed from the path to the causeway near the plant nursery, the first of the winter.
Throughout the month the usual to-ing and fro-ing of low numbers of Pink-footed Geese occurred and duck numbers generally built up in the area. The increase in duck included up to seven Pintail, always a great species to have around the place. A regular performer was a very showy Barn Owl which regularly hunted around the main Reserve. Also regular were Great Black-backed Gulls, a species that nowadays can be elusive outside the months of December and January.
Pintail Photo: Tim Jones
Two Oystercatchers appeared on 5th, possibly heralds to the post-Christmas build up expected in January. Interest levels increased considerably on 8th, with both Green Sandpiper and Bar-tailed Godwit, both scarce species for us and a welcome bit of variety at what can be a pretty uneventful time of the year.
Bar-tailed Godwit (photographer unknown; taken in May)
A covey of 20 Grey Partridge was seen on 10th, whilst the next day saw a Grey Plover fly through south-west and a Great White Egret was on Flasks Lake.
Two Eurasian White-fronted Geese were located in a field between Lingham Lake and Camp Wood on 13th. This species was then present for most of the month, peaking at seven on 18th. The previous day was ‘Goosetastic’, with a flock of 529 Pink-footed Geese feeding in the same field mentioned above, as well as a Barnacle Goose. Probably one of the rarest bird for us, for this time of year, also occurred on 17th , when a Common Sandpiper was seen over Flasks Lake.
On 20th an impressive count of 47 Cormorants was reported and on 22nd, the first sighting a male Marsh Harrier, seen again a few days later.
Throughout the month increased attention was focused on a muddy field by Ladybridge Lake, christened ‘Stercorare agrum’ by one of our number. Here many birds accumulated, including a highly unusual looking, silvery-grey Skylark amongst a flock of Skylark which exceed 200 at times. On 27th this birding throng was augmented by at least three Twite, with a minimum nine there by the end of the month and a Water Pipit on 31st.
The mysterious Grey Skylark Photo: Tim Jones
The rest of the area was not overlooked however, with notables including a Stonechat at Lingham Lake on 26th and best of all, a Pomarine Skua photographed on the Reserve on the 27th. A high count of six Little Egrets were on a dung heap in fields to the north of Flasks Lake on 29th.
Little Egrets after moving from their dung heap
Overall, December was an unexpectedly bird-rich month and rounded off a good year for the Nosterfield recording area.
Andrew Hanby, on behalf of the Nosterfield Naturalists, January 2023