Lower Ure Conservation Trust
Nosterfield Bird and Natural History Review November 2023
by Andrew (Andy) M Hanby
Easy-to-see Partridges at Sampson’s Farm, Well – Gareth Jones
The start of the month showed great promise from Day One, with a colour ringed Shag (not fast car!) XR6 found on the Reserve. This juvenile bird was ringed on Fidra island in the Firth of Forth this year and stayed until 7th (part of a notable inland influx). Also present was the Scaup from the end of last month and the first of up to two Great White Egrets, which were then seen on and off thereafter into the month.
The white colour-ringed Shag and male Red-breasted Merganser Tim Jones
This heady pace continued into the next day, when a splendid male Red-breasted Merganser graced Flasks Lake and arguably, even more amazingly, our latest ever Garganey was discovered on the Reserve. Over the next few days some of these star birds lingered, with additions like Chiffchaff and Green Sandpiper as the backing team.
Our latest ever Garganey Tim Jones/Mike Metcalfe
A small herd of 11 Whooper Swans were briefly on Langwith Lake on 5th, with five heading SW over Ladybridge Lake the next day, whilst a count of c6000 Starling over the East Tanfield watch point were probably from a nearby roost.
A Marsh Harrier on 7th was the first for a while, and the next day, there were two Stonechat in the East Tanfield Quarry area, adding to this year’s great tally of this species.
Marsh Harrier Ian Webster
On 10th a presumed falconer’s hybrid type Saker/Lanner /who-knows-what falcon was picked up injured in the Flasks Lake area and taken into care, where last time I heard, was doing well.
The following day two Brambling and four (very late for us) Black-tailed Godwits turned up.
Overall, it has been a very good month for waders, with plentiful Dunlin around and on 13th yet another Grey Plover and an excellent count of 40 Redshank. The latter count was further exceeded on 16th, when the tally hit 44 and there was an accompanying Knot.
Duck counts vied for attention and 220 Gadwall, 12 Pintail and a Common Scoter on 18th were excellent. However, waders continued to grab the limelight; 64 Dunlin on 19th was high, but 130 the next day represents the recording area’s highest count of this species for over a quarter of a century!
The rest of the month trundled on with minor highlights until 25th, when Grey Plover and another Stonechat sighting were eclipsed by our first Waxwing, followed the next day by two – a small share in what looks like a really very large irruption of the species to the UK, with flocks of over 500 being recorded in some places.
The month ended with some good counts of common birds, for example 97 Goldfinches on 26th and 50 Yellowhammers on 30th.
You haven’t seen me, right! Green Woodpecker Tim Scott
Andy Hanby 9/12/2023