Andrew (Andy) M Hanby ed Jill Warwick
Song Thursh Photo: Fozzy
INTRODUCTION
In an ideal world, this report would cover all aspects of natural history and arguably local archaeology in the recording area (see maps). This aspiration is reproduced from last year’s report and remains. Some progress has been made with regards to monthly round-ups of butterfly records thanks to the work of Fozzy, but it is in its early days and therefore this current report deals with birds only. Apologies also for repetition of some other aspects of last year’s report, but regular reproduction of the maps is essential to remind all of the quite large recording area we have and to encourage folk to explore the far-flung corners of our data empire.
Reserve Recording Area
The reserve recording area is taken as a two-kilometre radius from the Northern Viewing Screen but excluding south of the River Ure. The River Ure historically formed the boundary between the North and West ‘Ridings’, or Vice-counties (VC) 65 and 64 – the whole recording area is therefore in VC65 (North-west Yorkshire). It is worth noting that there is a considerable newer lake, Langwith, not shown on the map to the north of Lingham Lake and within our recording area. This can be viewed from the minor road that passes Ladybridge Lake, but on the left side of the road as you head north. Both Langwith and Ladybridge Lakes are now both bigger than Lingham and attract a good variety of birds. Whilst the LUCT does not deal directly with the management of these two lakes, birds commute to the managed components and therefore these lakes are wholly relevant to a holistic view of the area.
Overview
Yet again the number of species recorded was a new record with 181 (excluding exotica), being seen in the recording area. This is due to the diligent efforts of observers, a few of whom appear to choose the most challenging conditions to go out in. The WhatsApp group has been very helpful in allowing collation of all the sightings!
There is still a tendency not to count ‘common’ birds. However, I would encourage folk to record and share their counts of the ‘trivial’ as there are several good reasons. Dunnock is a good example of a ‘trivial’ species that can be a long distance migrant. Without regular counts it is difficult to recognise the ebb and flow of the species through our recording area. House Sparrow is notable for different reasons, it is a species under pressure with national decline continuing. Consequently, I am very happy to be flooded by counts of these species. On a related note, relaying that a species is present, but without a count, unless it is unusual, does not of itself allow for population analysis beyond the very baseline - so all counts of everything gratefully received.
Chiffchaff records occurred in every month of the year for the first time and Cetti’s Warbler seem to have now become resident rather than scarce visitors – all in tune with the changing climatic times. Other positive trends included increased, but still sparse sightings of Corn Bunting, most notably in the Henges region during the breeding season - very encouraging. Grey Partridges also did exceedingly well with a maximum count on anyone day of 42.
The saddest themes were the onward decline in Tree Sparrows and the grey shroud cast but the continuing ravages of avian flu, particularly on the Black-headed Gull population. With regards to Tree Sparrow, whilst there was evidence of breeding in Nosterfield village, the number of records has halved this year in comparison to 2022.
General visible migration counts were well down this year. But this is misleading to a degree. ‘Vismig’ is a niche birding area and one of the keenest vis-miggers (yours truly) was trying other vistas for most of the year. Nevertheless, there was a great passage of Whoopers Swans north in April and May and in autumn there were some notable counts of Fieldfare and Redwing moving in October and November.
Rare and scarce birds were led by our second records of Black-winged Stilt and Great Grey Shrike. The supporting cast included a Green-winged Teal, Red-throated Diver, Iceland Gull, Little Tern and our best year for Little (32 bird days) and Caspian (6 individuals) Gulls by far.
The year ended with record counts of Curlew regularly topping 500 and peaking at 605 – the official 1% threshold is 1,200 for 'national importance' and the 'WeBS counts in the Lower Ure catchment area indicate that numbers exceed the official threshold for National Importance' and reflect the uniqueness of North Yorkshire's inland lowland and wetlands for wintering endangered species.
Overall a good year, but I can’t help feeling a really bumper year is around the corner.
Notes on Systematic List
The totals are from the whole recording area. Unlike the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) monthly Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) counts, the wildfowl numbers are the aggregate from the whole area and not individualised for specific waters. Both methods have merit. Individualised counts help support focused actions for a particular area, aggregated counts similarly for the whole area. The latter also partly adjust for birds that may be mobile between lakes, particularly true for Goldeneye which regularly commute between Lingham, Langwith and Ladybridge Lakes.
I have only been able to access some of the WeBS data and only that for the Reserve, therefore these have only partly been incorporated in this list.
Where there are no records of a notable or scarce species, the count has usually been recorded here as ‘0’, but where it is a species known to be common/regular in the area, the term ‘No counts’ has been used.
The term ‘peak present’ refers to peak count of birds in the recording area rather than transiting the airspace over it. Of course, in nearly all cases the true number of birds, particularly in the case of small passerines, is not known. There were some who commented that I had missed counts out in the last report, to which I would say clairvoyance is not a virtue and the more records I receive, the better this report can be!
Monthly Bird Summary 2023
January
The month saw several continuous themes, resulting from continuous, unflagging effort, persistence and determination. These included regular sightings of Great Black-backed Gull, sporadic observations of up to two Marsh Tits and up to two Cetti’s Warblers in the Flasks Lake area. The Pintail flock on Lingham Lake peaked at 12 at the month’s end, Shelduck numbers reached 19 by the same time, whilst Wigeon numbers peaked at 1300 on 18th, Teal at 651 on 13th and Gadwall at 154 on 5th. In comparison to last year, very little passage of Pink-footed Geese was recorded, with a maximum of 110 through on 6th. This was more than compensated for by 720 in the field north of Flasks Lake (and briefly on Flasks Lake itself) on 18th. A single Eurasian White-fronted Goose was seen on three dates during the month. Another continuous theme was the presence of at least two, and probably three different Peregrines snacking on birds ranging from Lapwing to Greylag Goose.
Peregrine Photo: Andy Hanby
Curlew numbers rose to 285 on 30th and Oystercatcher reached 19 by the month’s end. Ruff were also a continuous feature, peaking at 19 on 26th, but a maximum of only seven Snipe was poor.
One of this winter’s headline species, Twite, peaked at ten in the ‘Stercore agrum’ field by Ladybridge Lake on 1st, but became elusive as the month wore on. Other species of note on that date included the only Goosander observation of the month and a Barnacle Goose.
Twite at ‘Stercore agrum’ Photo: Tim Jones
A Marsh Harrier flew over the reedbed on 3rd, whilst a Black-tailed Godwit was found on 4th and thereafter reported intermittently until 14th.
Attention returned to ‘Stercore agrum’ on 5th, where the Linnet flock, now in the region of 200, hosted the guest appearance of two Corn Bunting. The next day a Merlin put an appearance and on 8th, an impressive count of 23 Bullfinch was recorded.
A Chiffchaff was located at Flasks Lake on 18th, whilst on 21st a Hawfinch was reported from Langwith. The month drifted to an end with a star performance from a very showy Tawny Owl along Flasks Lane from 24th to the month’s end and a single male Common Scoter on Langwith Lake on 26th.
February
Regarding star birds, trends and continuity were the name of the game, with Cetti’s Warbler and Tawny Owl being regular performers throughout the month. Last year’s Whooper Swan bird-day total of 169 stood in stark contrast to this year’s peak day count of 11, all on 6th.
Arguably, the 'quality' birds of the month included a colour-ringed Oystercatcher (ringed at Dawlish Warren, Devon in 2018) and the Eurasian White-fronted Goose present on and off throughout the month, ranging between the Reserve and the fields to the north of Flasks Lake.
Eurasian White-Fronted Goose Photo: Tim Jones
The volume of visible migration had markedly declined, partly due to the reduced coverage in this specialised area - 4297 birds were recorded as moving in February 2022, versus 230 recorded as such this year. Similar to last year, the 'bulk' species recorded moving was Pink-footed Goose.
February performed well for numbers of wetland species, with peak numbers of 148 Gadwall, 606 Wigeon, 25 Pochard and 54 Goldeneye - all totals much better than last year. A count of 2818 Lapwing on 8th was more than three times last year’s best count for the month.
On an equally positive note, a Chiffchaff on 4th, Whimbrel coming into roost with 332 Curlew on 11th, a female Blackcap at the sewage works and a Lesser Black-backed Gull moving north on 25th gave positive spring vibes, in preparation for March.
March
As with last month, there were several continuing threads, of which the most welcome was the on-going presence of the Flasks Lane Tawny Owl, but also included sporadic sightings of Water Rail and Cetti’s Warbler. Another perennial thread was provided by Black-tailed Godwits, with birds documented on 13 days and a peak of 21 on 28th.
The first day of the month saw the highest count of Dunlin of the year so far, with a flock of 18 on the Reserve.
The following day, 106 Oystercatchers were counted in the area, down from the spring peak of 164 in February. Also regaling the area were 19 Whooper Swans, the start of an impressive month for this species, for which a dedicated paragraph is more than justified. In total, 516 were seen, with the only flock staying for more than one day, being the 19 on 2nd, which were also present the next day. A grounded count of 85 on 18th seemed impressive at the time, but a count of 199 across three of the lakes on 27th was phenomenal! To add to interest, three of the swans were colour ringed - two having been ringed in northern Iceland on 15/08/20 (as adults) and the third ringed at Martin Mere, Lancs. on 24/11/17 (as a juvenile). All the Whooper Swans had departed by evening and it is reasonable to assume that all those recorded eventually headed north. Considering no systematic visible migration counts occurred during the month, these figures will represent only a fraction of the birds moving through our area. To back up this opinion, it is worth noting that 217 swans moved north through Whit Hill, Tadcaster on 23rd March (per P. Doherty – Trektellen) and 563 headed north, in ten flocks, from Broadway in the Barnsley area on 26th March (per G. Speight - Twitter).
Whooper Swan bonanza Photo: Tim Jones
Interest was sustained on 3rd by the first Avocet of the year on the Reserve. Counts for this species slowly built up during the month, to four by 30th. On the same day, the year’s record count of 61 Shoveler was documented, but fell short of last year’s peak of 80 in early April 2022.
On 4th, the first Mediterranean Gull of the year, a first-calendar year bird, was on the Reserve. In total, there were 13 bird days of this species during the month, with a peak count of four.
After much chat about where to find Dipper locally, our first recording area sighting was by Sleningford on 7th.
It was a day of interest on 8th, particularly amongst the colour-ring enthusiasts when 17 Barnacle Geese arrived. Those so marked were all ringed at Scorton GP on 9 July 2022 and spent much of Oct/Nov around Teesside before heading to Sussex (Jan/Feb), then returning north via Norfolk (Feb) before being re-found at Ladybridge Lake. They were last seen on 16th, but where they are now?
On 10th 14 Snipe, a Brambling and 452 Golden Plover topped the bill. Not to be outdone, the following day, two Knot were briefly present, with a Marsh Harrier over and two Stonechat. On 12th, a Grey Plover flew north and there were a remarkable 13 Stonechat in the area, easily the largest-ever count documented in the NNR recording area on any single day and part of a national influx, with many other large counts around the land.
After Helen Hayes won the (non-existent) ‘Sand Martin Cup’ in 2022, this year’s winner was Martin Bland, with the first Sand Martin of the year on 16th, four days later than last year’s. Numbers of this species escalated through the month, with a peak of 228 on 31st. An Egyptian Goose made a brief appearance on 17th, whilst remarkably the first Swallow occurred the next day, possibly a record early date for our area. Also on 18th, the first Little Ringed Plover appeared and 220 Redwing were counted.
Another Brambling sighting occurred on 19th, this time down Green Lane, whilst 21st was another great day, but for only two observers, with one un-named, reliable observer watching an Osprey flying upriver and the other locating a male Garganey on the Reserve.
Six Red Kites in the recording area on 23rd was the equal highest count for this species and a similar number of Little Egrets on 25th was the highest for some while. The latter date also brought the first Wheatear of the year, a splendid male in the vicinity of the Silt Lagoons. New in the next day was a Blackcap and on the last day of the month, a very early Common Tern.
April
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 again continued sporadically 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 than 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 who wished to see this species.
The birding scene was then generally stable for a while, with a gentle build-up of Sand Martins and 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 and also 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.
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”, and 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!
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.
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.
Iceland Gull Flasks Lake Photo: Steve Worwood
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.
Another good day followed on 22nd, with an additional 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 in reality, 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.
Bewick’s Swan Photo: Andrew Hanby
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 near the reedbed.
Gyr Falcon, Kiln Lake 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 ‘Stercore agrum’ field by Ladybridge Lake, with nine Yellow and ten White Wagtails.
May
Common threads throughout the month included regular sightings of Marsh Tits near the camp portion of the Reserve to North Hide path and sporadic observations of one to two Yellow Wagtails, generally in the main Reserve or Ladybridge Lake areas. Other ‘irregular regulars’ during this period included four records of single Marsh Harriers and seven bird days of Osprey, including two birds on two occasions. There were also eight bird days of Hobby, with three busy hunting over Ladybridge Lake on 27th. On the duck front, Mandarin sightings transformed from scarce to regular, with up to seven in the Kiln/Flasks Lakes area. Other threads were not so positive, for example the highest count of Swallows recorded was only six and large losses of Black-headed Gulls to HPAI (Avian flu), became evident.
The first day of the month confirmed the Bewick’s Swan was still present, which lingered until 13th, whilst the last Whooper Swan was sighted on 7th. Three Grey and seven White Wagtails represented good counts for both species, with the former species boosted by visits to the river, where Dipper and four Common Sandpipers were also found. Also of interest was a Whimbrel on the main Reserve and a Jack Snipe on North Lake – one of the hot sites for this species in the recording area.
On 2nd and 3rd, two very scarce species for us were reported, Cuckoo and Grasshopper Warbler respectively. The latter was the first for two years and was heard singing near Langwith Lake. A male Common Redstart was reported in Camp Wood on 4th, adding to the suspicion, from the long-staying family party down Flasks Lane last autumn, that they breed very close by.
The 5th provided a quality inland birding day, with the first Little Tern for over a decade. A supporting cast of Turnstone, two Wood Sandpipers was excellent, with a backdrop of two Ospreys, the Bewick’s Swan and a Wheatear - hardly Fair Isle, but good enough for us! The next day added a Greenshank to the month’s tally, whilst 7th was another good day, with the Little Tern still present, another sighting of Cuckoo and a fly-over Woodlark seen by one lucky observer. Also present were Grey Plover, Sanderling and Egyptian Goose - a veritable ‘purple patch’.
Things then calmed down a little, with one or two Turnstone the main sighting of note between 9th and 11th. However, on the latter date, these were joined by another great local rarity, in the form of two Temminck’s Stints, on the main Reserve, remaining until 13th.
Amidst the gull gloom, four hale and hearty Mediterranean Gulls on 14th gave welcome relief, whilst six Pink-footed Geese the next day provided confusion. Subsequently, one or two of the latter species were seen until 23rd.
The run of wader diversity was reflected well on 18th, with Knot and another Sanderling, whilst a third sighting of Cuckoo on 19th was very welcome. On 20th a Grey Plover headed north over the area and 57 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were counted on Flasks Lake, easily the largest count of the month for this species.
Other than a Raven moving south-west on 21st, all went relatively quiet until 28th when two Corn Buntings were spotted at the Henges. This species is a former breeder in the area and therefore sightings at this time of the year area are always a cause for optimism - watch this space!
It seems traditional for our patch to lay on a grand finale to each month, although once the rose-tinted spectacles are removed, this is less common than we would like to believe. However, the full drumroll experience was to be experienced this May! On 30th a splendid pair of Black-winged Stilts was found on the main Reserve and a Curlew Sandpiper and two Turnstone on Flasks Lake. The stilts attracted a good number of visitors, but tardy twitchers arriving the next day were to be disappointed as they had moved on to Staveley NR.
The Black-winged Stilts Photo: Tim Jones
The last day of the month was also a top-quality birding day, which started with news of two Black Terns on Kiln Lake. The tern count was then boosted by a build-up of this species on Ladybridge Lake, where a further 22 arrived during the afternoon. The final tally of 24 Black Terns in one day is, for us, one of the highest, if not the highest, count of this species in our recording area.
June
The month started slowly, but with indicators of many of the usual trends, including the midsummer rise in Little Egrets, but no sign of a Great White Egret so far.
Osprey were seen on eight days throughout the month, but no evidence that they were from nearby pairs was evident. Two were present on 19th - indeed a breeding pair was timed at the nest at exactly the same time that one was over Flasks Lake.
Osprey Photo: Christine Weaver
It is evident that there is again, a pool of non-breeders floating around the area. Continuing the raptor theme, Peregrine was seen on four days and Hobby on nine, with a maximum of three birds on 9th. Marsh Harriers were also regularly seen and documented on six days, with two on 14th, which comprised an adult male and two females.
One of the themes of the month was initially subtle, but became more apparent as the month progressed. In 2022, Black-tailed Godwit was recorded as single birds on four days, probably involving two different birds. June this year was very different, with birds being present on nine different days and a total of 33 bird days, including a maximum count of 14 on 28th. As I write this trend continues into July. These observations concur with coastal observations, with over 300 through Low Newton in Northumberland during a four day period and 121 south past Spurn on 30th June. Discussion with Peter Potts, who has specialist knowledge of the species, indicates that this is likely to reflect a poor breeding season in Iceland as a consequence of a prolonged, cold northerly airflow in May.
Nearly all Black-tailed Godwits were summer plumaged adults Photo: Mike Smithson
If Donald Trump was a birder, he would say the Mandarin Duck crop was 'bigly', with five seen on 3rd, a day when two Grey Plover were discovered on Kiln Lake. These lingered for the next few days.
A Sanderling was discovered on Langwith Lake on 4th and excitingly Corn Buntings were seen again at the South Henge, with two singing males. Fingers crossed for full recolonisation of the area by this species.
Corn Bunting Photo: Adrian Wetherill
The 7th was good for wader diversity, with Sanderling, the two Grey Plover, five Black-tailed Godwits all in the area and, to top it off, a Sandwich Tern made a fleeting visit.
Mandarin continued to take the limelight, with a female and six young providing evidence of the first local breeding in the recording area. At the time of typing these all remain hale and hearty into July.
A Spotted Flycatcher was briefly around the dipping pool on 10th and eight Bullfinch on the same day was a good count.
Some birds never read the script and a notable example was a Pink-footed Goose which appeared on Flasks Lake on 14th and was present again ten days later. Arguably, the Little Stint at Flasks Lake the next day was of more interest.
A count of 150 Rook in the North Lake area on 18th was a welcome count of this often overlooked, but commonly persecuted species - all credit to the counter. As another observer noted, their local farmer shoots them and puts them in a great big pile.
Returning to the unseasonal theme, a Wigeon appeared on 20th and a possible Scaup, although the photographs of this distant bird were not conclusive.
The 23rd witnessed a count of 57 Curlew, the most for several weeks and a Wood Sandpiper was found on the Reserve. The next day saw a fledgling Tree Sparrow on feeders in a Nosterfield village garden and a collective sigh of relief, as this species had not been seen for several months in the recording area. Subsequently, an adult and two young were present.
On 24th, a single 'Billy no mates' Common Tern appeared and was seen on and off over the next few days, attempting to make friends with the plastic Common Tern decoys on the reedbed platforms.
Visible migration was generally weak through the month and notable on only two days. On the 2nd, 42 Swifts headed north. Towards the month-end, 25th was more impressive with 806 Black-headed Gull, a Mediterranean Gull and two Common Terns moving south-east. Additionally, also moving in the same direction were single Tree Pipit and Yellow Wagtail, five Little Egrets and nine probable Crossbills (there is an irruption of this species starting at the moment). Also present that day was a Quail briefly singing on the Reserve, whilst two adult Mediterranean Gulls, which had been seen on and off throughout the month, were also present.
July
As in all months, the trend of continuing themes carried on. This included a good run of Osprey records, with 22 bird days and two birds seen on occasions. This benison involved at least four individuals and one actually sitting on the Osprey platform.
Marsh Harrier was also a recurring performer, with 12 bird days and also at least four different birds, including three together over Ladybridge Lake. Hobby, on the other hand, was scarce with only three sightings.
Curlew and Lapwing numbers grew steadily through the month, with peak counts of 370 (20th) and 2000 (25th) respectively.
The beginning of the month started with three Black-tailed Godwits flying through south-west and another 20 on the Reserve. Unlike last month, when there were a good number of these species throughout the month, the overall numbers over July were well down on the 2022, suggesting that most of the wave of failed breeders alluded to in the last round-up had passed through in June.
Continuing the wader theme, a rather smart Ruff appeared and was seen on three occasions between 9th and 17th.
There was a collective sigh of relief on 2nd, when a Tree Sparrow was observed feeding two well grown young in a Nosterfield village garden, proving that they are not quite extinct in the area.
Tree Sparrow feeding young Photo: Gareth Jones
On 8th there was a little bit of visible migration including 34 Swift and a Greenshank moving south-west. Also moving were 13 Common Gulls and 25 Black-headed Gulls. Normally noting such low numbers of small gulls would not be of interest, but given the ravages of avian flu across the land, documentation is probably worthy.
The 9th welcomed the first Ruff in the area since late May. A Greenshank and five Common Sandpipers were also in the area and the female Mandarin Duck on Flasks Lake was accompanied by five well-grown young.
Common Sandpiper increased further by 11th, with eight being present, a good count for us these days.
Even more notable was a wandering juvenile Stonechat seen from the North Hide on 15th. The next day saw the only Mediterranean Gull of the month, on the Reserve, whilst a Sanderling was discovered sprinting around the silt at Flasks Lake.
The 18th was significant, with a Bittern being observed in the reedbed, the first sighting there since 30th October 2022. Disappointingly, there were no further sightings for the rest of the month.
For us this has been a bumper year for Cuckoo, with an adult, probable male, grounded on a gloomy 22nd.
The following day was also good, with two Sandwich Terns on Langwith Lake, two male Common Scoter on Flasks Lake, accompanied by four Goosander. Five Goosander and the Scoter were present the next day, with two new birds on Lingham Lake on 25th.
Not a species that figures much in these round-ups, but a count of 863 Jackdaw feeding on the Reserve on 27th was remarkable, outside winter roost movements. The next day provided arguably the most puzzling observation of the year, of what appeared to be a Red Grouse calling north of the Reedbed. Whilst it is easy to dismiss this record, it is notable that the only confirmed record of Red Grouse in the area was in 2014, when a bird was seen to fly over the reedbed. Very thought provoking.
August
To be expected, there were some predictable avian threads running through the month, some extending from the previous month. Most notable was the number of Osprey sightings, with a staggering 31 bird days involving one to two regular birds and as many as four transiting through south or general wanderers. On eight days there were two different birds able to entertain visiting birders, though some of the latter managed to play their hands wrong and leave without a sighting.
Another important species for us is Curlew and August is a time when returning birds, presumably including some, if not most, from the continent, build up. The first day of the month saw a minimum of 270 in the area, with 408 present by 8th, the highest count for August during the last three years.
Good numbers of Lapwing, up to 2000, stayed very much in line with recent years’ counts as did the traditionally low numbers of Golden Plovers.
It was also pleasant to have Kingfishers being seen more regularly, with up to two. Always crowd pleasers, the Flasks Lake/Reedbed/Kiln Lake areas were the best spots to see these, although another place, the river, does not appear to have been checked for several months.
Unexpectedly returning to trend, Little Egrets seem to be on a decline over the last three Augusts. In 2021 this species was documented on 17 days, with counts of ten or more on over half and a peak of 24. The following year, on only six days, with a peak of 11 and this year 14 days, also with a peak of 11. Considering that the number of active observers has increased and the species is somewhat conspicuous, it would appear to represent a real drop, though three data points is arguably statistically weak.
Where an August drop is most profound is regarding Great White Egret. The single record on 25th, represents the only record this year! Last August there were 12 bird days, with two on three days and up to four different individuals - plus ça change!
August is a good month for returning chats and by that I don't mean the idle gossip conducted at Langwith gate. One to two each of Whinchat, Wheatear and Redstart were seen through the month.
Spotted Flycatcher fared less well, with only one around the Langwith car park, from 12th-14th.
Another August tradition is the build-up of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, with birds mostly shared between Flasks Lake beach and Langwith Lake. A count of 556 on 7th was a prelude to a count of 1173 on 10th. Interestingly, this species was moving through the area throughout 10th and the actual number could have exceeded 2000. The principal counter that day was observing from Langwith gate in the evening and noted that all the gulls departed south at last light.
Rather more exotic was a Sandwich Tern through Langwith on 7th. A localised build-up of Green Sandpipers over the next few days resulted in four present on 11th - for us a pretty good number. The ‘waderfest’ continued the next day, with a flock of 15 Whimbrel over and a Grey Plover through on 14th, on which date an Arctic Tern settled on Flasks Lake, with another there on 23rd.
Green Sandpiper, Ringed Plover and Greenshank all contributed to the migrant waders on the move in August
Photos: Tim Jones
Passerines also made a bid for the limelight, with a flock of 37 Long-tailed Tits on 15th and 31 Mistle Thrush on 17th.
A true local rarity was discovered by armchair birders on the internet on 19th, when a gull photographed during the day was identified as a Caspian Gull. A second individual was photographed on 23rd. This is a very rare species locally, and interestingly and appropriately, their appearance coincided with a pronounced influx of the species into the north-east of the UK.
Seven Swift over the recording area on 27th were good to see, but even better was the Shag on the Reserve the following day, a species which has not been seen in the recording area for a great many years – indeed, I have never heard of one in the 23 years I have been associated with the area!
All in all, an interesting month.
September
What a month, Myrtle Warbler, Canada Warbler, Yellow Warbler and Bobolink all too far away for many of us to bother with (except the keenest of twitchers!) and distract us from counting Lapwings at Nosterfield!
The first day of the month was busy with good records, including five Pintail moving north, 32 Snipe heading south, Merlin, Greenshank, Whimbrel , Spotted Flycatcher and Common Redstart.
On 2nd, Lapwings were truly counted with numbers around 2000, a level they kept throughout the month, with small numbers of Golden Plover, a species that 15 years ago may have been present in similar numbers to the Lapwings. Mandarin Duck was also seen intermittently and Little Ringed Plover lingered on.
Also on 2nd, a nice day out for some, with five Greenshank, eight Goosander passing through and included a good suite of raptors, namely Hobby, Peregrine and Marsh Harrier. The latter three species then continued to put in appearances throughout the rest of the month.
As all who know me realise, I am a font of all (fake) knowledge. After pronouncing to someone that we tend not to get Osprey after August, one promptly appeared on 3rd heading south. The day was also notable for a count of 403 Curlew and 750 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, plus a diverse background of warbler species still present.
Generally, throughout the North Yorkshire area, Spotted Flycatchers seem to have had a good year and another one along the causeway on 5th kept our area aligned with this benison.
The next day brought another Caspian Gull, the first of four records for the month and probably involving four different individuals, making a total of six in this record-breaking year.
Two of the month’s Caspian Gulls at their favoured locale, Flasks Lake beach Photo: Tim Jones
By comparison Great Black-backed Gull was only seen on two dates, though this included four on 8th.
Massive kudos to the finder of the truly exotic female Red-crested Pochard at Ladybridge Lake on 7th, whose sporadic appearances into October brought literally no interest whatsoever (Canada Warbler pfff…. I’m not bitter!). On a more serious note, two Crossbill moving north-east was good and a count of 42 Grey Partridge simply stunning the following day. It is great to see species of genuine concern doing well in the area.
The first Cetti’s Warbler since the spring announced itself in the reedbed on 9th, with it and probably another in the polytunnel/fen area, sporadically recorded into October.
Generally, visible migration hasn’t been undertaken as much this year and consequently, Meadow Pipit has generally been under-recorded. It was therefore good to have an impressive count of 204 grounded birds in the Middle Henge area on 10th. The same observer, who has a taste for visible migration, reported the second Great White Egret of the year flying south-west past East Tanfield Quarry, as well as 128 House Martins. The visible migration theme continued the next day, with 213 Pink-footed Geese moving south and 40 grounded on the Reserve.
Nothing breeds success like success and another visible migration watch from East Tanfield Quarry on 13th was rewarded by a veritable flock of four Great White Egrets flying south, one of which appeared to peel off and land in the region of the River Ure, where one was seen the next day. The 14th also produced a Curlew Sandpiper on Flasks Lake.
Cloud and drizzle can be a recipe for success at Nosterfield, but as often as not it is both proverbially, and actually a damp squib. It was certainly damp on 16th, but its credentials for being contender for a squib declined as the day wore on and a good number of interesting birds ‘happened’, including 58 Snipe and 11 Pintail through, a Common Tern and a new-in female Common Scoter hanging around.
A Knot and an impressive eleven Common Scoter were present on Flasks Lake on 18th which was followed by a relatively quiet spell, although this did include sightings of Tree Sparrow and Marsh Tit in the area, both species of maximum concern.
Another Curlew Sandpiper was present on 25th, as well as a colour-ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull (first ringed on 7 July 2021 at Zeebrugge, Belgium, still there in Aug 2021) but no further sightings until ours!
The month trickled to a close with the report of a Little Stint on Flasks Lake mud via a birding news service on 29th September, the second of the month after one on 12th.
This rather lovely Little Stint appeared on 12th Photo: Tim Jones
October
The first day of the month started with a few notables, particularly 18 Dunlin moving south-west. Ones and twos of this species have been present throughout the autumn, but more substantial flocks were infrequent. The supporting cast included a Green Sandpiper and Cetti’s Warbler.
Cetti’s Warbler seems to have become a more permanent fixture in the recording area and throughout the month it became apparent that there were three regular birds; at the nursery, the reedbed and Ladybridge Lake respectively. In my youth, Stodmarsh was the place to see this species and if there was a cold winter, they would be wiped out and then slowly return. It is a measure of climate change that they have expanded so far north and sustain their presence.
On 2nd, two Whooper Swans flew over Flasks Lake, our earliest autumn birds in recent years and as always, a cheering sight. The supporting cast was also of high quality, with Bittern in the reedbed for the first of several appearances from then onwards, with a Grey Plover on the Flasks Lake silt. Marsh Harrier and the ever (un)popular Red-crested Pochard also performed and continued to do so on and off throughout the rest of the month.
After a few steady days, visible migration cranked into action on 27th, after a period of easterly winds, highlights including 6713 Redwing, 631 Meadow Pipit, and 30 Swallows included in the grand total of 7655 birds moving south. Six Barnacle Geese also dropped in, making it a thoroughly entertaining day.
The following day visible migration was again noticeable, but at a greatly reduced rate - a fine, adult male Merlin flew south and a Great White Egret on Ladybridge Lake kept up the quality.
However, 11th was a truly excellent day. A magnificent total of 50 Whooper Swans in five herds flew over south and a further ten were on Langwith Lake. Also present was a female Merlin, Stonechat, four Chiffchaffs and a late Wheatear.
Particularly cheering however, were two Tree Sparrows and a count of 21 Grey Partridge, both species of conservation concern. The latter in particular, are doing well in the area, with several high counts this month, the best being 40 in the main Reserve/Middle Henge area on 15th.
On 12th, the Stonechat count had risen to two, whilst on 13th a Blackcap and a count of 21 Yellowhammer were handsome additions to the month’s birding ledger.
Another Grey Plover turned up on 16th, as well the first Great Black-backed Gull for a while and a late White Wagtail.
Arguably, the second-best bird of the month turned up on Langwith Lake on 17th, a Red-throated Diver. Unfortunately, or so it appeared, it was a brief visit as the diver soon disappeared. Remarkably, the next day one was found by a main road a few miles away. It seemed to be reasonably healthy and was released on to Flasks Lake. It was not seen the next day, but on 20th a ‘diver sp’ was reported flying south over the Reserve. It would be easy to interpret this all as representing one bird and even speculate that the released individual was the one which appeared at Angler’s Country Park on 21st October and has remained there ever since. However, a number of divers appeared at other inland sites from the Midlands northwards around this time, and therefore there is not complete certainty on this interpretation.
The released Red-throated Diver looking reasonably healthy Photo: Gareth Jones
Also on 20th the Nosterfield area played host to Grey Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, a juvenile Little Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Chiffchaff and the next day, our latest-ever Osprey flew south and what was almost certainly the same bird was seen over Farnham Gravel Pits an hour later.
So, what was the best bird of the month? This was reserved for 22nd and a welcome reward for our hard-working Project Officer Emma - the second-ever Great Grey Shrike for Nosterfield, verified by a great voucher photograph. The bird was not seen again, so it is fair to say we were all 'gripped off'!
The month’s star bird, the Great Grey Shrike
Photo: Emma Higgs
A Tawny Owl was hooting by the Reserve car park on 23rd, a Bearded Tit foraged in the nursery fen on 25th and a swarm of waders on the Flasks Lake silt on 26th included 50 Dunlin and two Grey Plover.
More ‘vis mig’ action on 27th included two late Swallows, 904 Fieldfare and one Crossbill flying south, with a further three Crossbill south the next day. Thrushes were packing the area to the gunnels on 28th, with nearly 2000 Fieldfare on the ground and others flying over.
A single Chiffchaff on 29th was a good find and a report of a ‘tristis’ Chiffchaff the same day could potentially be neither - but with no finder’s name attached or other evidence, it may prove to be one that got away.
The month ended ‘quacktastically’, with both Common Scoter and Scaup present!
November
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 had been ringed on Fidra island (the Firth of Forth) this year and remained 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 intermittently thereafter during the month.
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 Photos: Tim Jones/Mike Metcalfe
A small herd of 11 Whooper Swans were briefly on Langwith Lake on 5th, with five heading south-west 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.
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 was 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 species, for example 97 Goldfinches on 26th and 50 Yellowhammers on 30th.
December
The first of the month was regaled with a Red-throated Diver on Flasks Lake. Though there was a decent interval between the November sightings and this, there is a good chance that it was the same bird which had been lurking unobserved for a while; it stayed around until 8th and was again seen on 17th. Fairly thorough counting on that day also noted that Yellowhammers were still present in good numbers in the stubble field off Green Lane, with 45 being counted.
All was relatively quiet until 5th when the finder of a Knot on Flasks Lake was taken to it by a Cormorant walking down the lane!. The next day, an in-depth count of the fields to the east side of the area revealed 176 Skylark and a flock of 14 Lesser Redpoll went south. Also present was a single Tree Sparrow in a garden opposite Sleningford Lock. The joy of seeing this beauty at a new site in the recording area is massively offset by the dramatic decline in this species over the last two years, with sightings on only 11 dates in 2023, compared with 26 in 2022.
It was a good “finch day” on 8th, with a flock of over 100 Linnet appearing briefly on the Reserve boundary fence and a count of 108 Goldfinch throughout the recording area, whilst 10th saw a flock of 12 Waxwing briefly around the margins of Kiln Lake, before heading off west.
The next day, a female Scaup was present and the first of two sightings of a Great White Egret on Lingham Lake. Two Brambling were also notable. On 12th, two Bewick Swans on Ladybridge Lake briefly teased the observer before drifting into the dense fog not to be seen again that day, but put in a more prolonged appearance on 19th.
Three Stonechat were located on 14th, two at Langwith Lake and one at the Silt Lagoons - sites corresponding to places where they have been seen earlier in the autumn and suggesting that the same birds could lurk unseen for prolonged periods of time. Three itinerant Whooper Swans were on Ladybridge Lake the same day.
Generally Pink-footed Geese have been scarce this month despite extremely good numbers in the mires to the north. As a consequence, the count of 112 moving north on 15th was the very meagre peak, with other odd individuals visiting the area from time to time.
The month’s weather has been dominated by wind and much rain, with the Reserve water levels at their highest for some while, with, as I write, the imminent merging of the Main Lake with the North Lake. This has led to an abundance of duck being present in the area, reflected by an impressive count of 17 Pintail on 16th and 224 Gadwall the next day.
On 18th a Black-tailed Godwit appeared and Curlew numbers hit 402. The latter count was one of our highest, but subsequently, the numbers kept on rising with two distinct Curlew roosts - on the Reserve and on Langwith Lake. Curlew numbers peaked at a nationally significant high of 605 on 20th - a remarkable tally of this Red- listed species.
A Waxwing was reported in Nosterfield village on 19th, whilst on 21st there was the first of two sightings of two Green Sandpipers together on Langwith Lake.
As the month drew to a close, a Chiffchaff was feeding near the Silt Lagoons on 23rd. This year may be the first year in which this species has been seen in every month, a sign of the climatic times. Christmas Day, was another day after another named storm and produced the biggest gull movement for some while, presumably birds re-orientating after being displaced, which during the morning included 482 Black- headed Gulls and four Great Black-backed Gulls. On the penultimate day of the year, a redhead Smew was being buffeted around on a wind-blown Flasks Lake.
Lastly a ‘thank you’ to the photographers and also an apology - I have used Topaz AI for some of the shots, which in some cases has transformed them into what look like classy oil paintings and I have taken the liberty of publishing them in that format.
The Flasks Lake Tawny Owl appeared during the month of December Photo Tim Jones
Systematic List 2023
The Systematic List for 2023 is available to download here:
