Nosterfield Nature Reserve Bird Review - April 2023
Bewick’s Swan
“Your attention, the intention that accompanies it, and where you focus it, can alter your perception of reality.” Sarah McLean, The Power of Attention
The Birdy Bit
April Fools’ Day was noticeable by the lack of both fools and sensible people on the patch, so our narrative starts on 2nd, which saw some themes from March, which continued on and off throughout this month; the presence of the odd Pink-footed Goose, the Eurasian Whitefront, Mediterranean Gull and Black-tailed Godwits, varying in numbers from day to day. Avocet and both an adult and a second-year Mediterranean Gull were also regularly seen, though the Avocet far less often than in previous years.
The 3rd was a good day, a consequence of a first-year Little Gull being found on the Reserve. This species is very much scarcer here that at some inland wetland sites, so any sightings are gratefully received. Unlike most other occurrences, it had the decency to stay until 15th, giving satisfaction to all those that wished to see this species.
The birding scene was then generally stable for a while, with a gentle build-up of Sand Martins and of other summer migrants, including a Blackcap on 6th. Another local rarity in the form of a Spotted Redshank was found on 7th, followed by a Sanderling two days later. The 9th also produced two Common Scoter, a species that seems to becoming increasingly regular in the area. The next day, new for the year, were two splendid Yellow Wagtails.
Common Scoter female Photo: Tim Jones
Green-winged Teal Langwith, looking and being rare and elusive Photo: Mike Smithson
It was a Red-letter Day on 15th and not because of the two fine Mandarin Ducks on Flasks Lake, but because of the WhatsApp message “I have a teal on Langwith with the strong vertical white mark, as in Green-winged Teal”, as that was indeed what it was! Although this species has occurred at least twice before in the recording area, it is a genuinely rare bird and was very welcome onto the 2023 bird list. Sadly, it was a one-day wonder, with many of us wondering where it had gone the next day.
Shoveler, Langwith looking good but not rare.
Iceland Gull Flasks Lake 19th Photo: Steve Worwood
On 16th a fine flock of 52 Whooper Swans passed over going north and a Greenshank appeared. The month’s Breeding Bird Census of the Middle and South Henges was also undertaken and revealed only three Skylark on the Middle Henge, a dramatic drop from the previous year. The increasing numbers of professional dog walkers using the area without keeping the dogs, up to ten at a time, on leads has likely played a major role in this decline. Exceptionalism has a price and here it is paid for in nesting Skylarks.
Distribution of Little Gulls on 19th per Alan Swayne
It was a good day on 19th - a hint of action was noticed in the morning as there was a steady movement of Common Gull heading north, finally totalling 156, a very reasonable count for us for April. As is often the case in decent movements, quality tags on and that day was no exception, with a fine first-year Iceland Gull on Flasks Lake briefly before also heading off north. To finish things off nicely, a total of 20 Little Gulls appeared on the Reserve in the afternoon.
Green Sandpiper over Langwith on 21st
The next day was notable for a migrating flock of 65 Curlew, whilst 21st saw a new, first-year Mediterranean Gull on the Reserve, a tardy flock of 15 Fieldfare moving north and a Green Sandpiper doing likewise.
All the moving Common Gulls on 19th were first-year birds
Another good day followed on 22nd, with another good bird, a Bewick’s Swan appearing in a field next to Langwith Lake, where it was confidently identified by one of the local ‘experts’ (mea culpa) as a Whooper Swan (see this month’s quote above!). Thank goodness for photographs and the collective mind of the group in reaching the correct and actually wholly straightforward identification (the Bewick’s Swan lingered into May, although it could be elusive at time). Also notable on this day was an all-area count of 1004 Sand Martin and the first Reed and Sedge Warblers of the year.
The rest of the month bubbled along, with increasingly regular records of Osprey, although there were no photographs displaying sufficient detail to discern whether these were the same or different birds. A couple of Arctic Terns were reported and on 28th a Black Redstart by the reed bed, on which date three Wheatears were in the recording area, the peak day count for this species for the year so far. Three (juvenile) Whooper Swans also appeared, allowing, with the ever-present Black Swan on Lingham Lake, for folk to have a “four swan species” day. The new tradition of exotic, big raptors in April was kept alive (remember the White-tailed Sea Eagle!) on 29th, when an escaped, white morph Gyr Falcon was found at the reedbed.
Gyr Falcon Kiln Lake 29th Photo: Andrew Whappat
The last day of the month was a four Whimbrel day, saw the first Whitethroat of the year and for one early visitor to the Reserve, a Kittiwake. More impressive was the build-up of wagtails on the ‘Sterecore agrum’ field by Ladybridge Lake, with nine Yellow and ten White Wagtails.
Andrew Hanby on behalf of the Nosterfield Naturalists 4th May 2023