Lower Ure Conservation Trust
Nosterfield Bird Review October 2024
by Andrew (Andy) M Hanby
Optimistic October Observers (“OOO”) are bird look-out team Gareth Jones
After a slow first of the month, the 2nd was an exciting day with four Gannets over, and on, the Reserve, almost certainly part of the flock seen earlier by a visible migration team at Ozendyke on the Lower Wharfe. It has been some while before this impressive oceanic species has been seen in the recording area. A Knot was also present.
Gannet Tim Jones
The next day continued the thread of Marsh Harrier sightings, with an adult male in the area. During the month at least three different birds were seen including the young, yellow wing-tagged bird ‘AD’, originally from Cambridgeshire.
Another good day on 4th, with a Pectoral Sandpiper on the main Reserve. It has been a couple of years since the last record of this scarce North American (and Siberian) wader, so it was good that it lingered until 27th and put on a good show for many visitors. Also present was a Garganey; this was also a long stayer, last being seen on 29th.
Pectoral Sandpiper Dave Ward
Three Whooper Swans passed through on 5th, the first of a total of 103 bird days for the month, with a peak of 21 through and six about on 19th.
Great White Egrets still made appearances through the month, with two present on 6th.
The 12th was interesting with a Mediterranean Gull on Flasks Lake, a Brambling down Green Lane and five Pintail flew over, heading south.
Bittern Mike Smithson
Bittern (above) and Cetti’s Warbler (below) were regularly seen.
Cetti’s Warbler Matthew Cormack
In recent years Pochard have been a notably scarce species in the recording area, with eight being the maximum count in the last four Octobers, therefore 18 on 14th was very notable. However, remarkably, the numbers escalated, hitting 63 on 22nd, making it a commoner diving duck than Tufted Duck, in the area!
The 15th was a day of many parts, well partridges anyway, with 18 Grey and 14 Red-legged Partridges. An optimist would suggest successful breeding; the realist, the release of pen-reared birds for the demands of the ‘sporting’ season.
The following day revealed further evidence of the progress towards winter, with 50 Redwing in the area, coinciding with the first big arrivals of this species on the Yorkshire coast, with both Spurn and Flamborough recording over 7,000 birds.
Peregrine Dave Ward
Jay Debbie Drake
The mid-potion of the month was regaled by Sanderling on 17th and juvenile Little Gull on 23rd.
Incidentally, there were then three more ’spread-out’ Little Gull sightings into November, each time first calendar-year birds – creating some unresolved head scratching about whether one or several individuals were involved. During this mid-term period, impressive counts of 101 Goldfinch and 153 Linnet were also logged, whilst the last two Swallows were reported on 19th.
Little Gull Tim Jones
As the month draw to a close, a very late Hobby was reported on 24th, but the finale was provided by the discovery of a Short-eared Owl roaming the South and Middle Henges on 30th, with two there the next day. This species is by no means a regular species in the area, and these were very welcome performers for all into the start of November.
Short-eared Owl Diane Smiley