Abbotsbury Swannery Bird Sightings - March 2018

Highlights...

There were no rarities or even any relatively scarce species this month, with only the wintering Scaup and an early Swallow featuring on the rare bird information services. The brief cold snaps at the beginning and middle of the month did however bring in some good numbers of Lapwing, Golden Plover, Woodcock, Fieldfare, Redwing and Meadow Pipit and by the end of the month, in addition to the aforementioned Swallow, the first summer visitors began to make an appearance.

Fieldfare, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2018 © Steve Groves

The Month's Bird News In Full...

More details of the above highlights and the rest of this month's sightings...

Mute Swan... Present throughout with 450 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Black Swan… Following the arrival of a third individual last month a fourth arrived on the 6^th and then all four were seen regularly to the end of the month.

Greylag Goose... One was present from the 26th to the 28th. Singles were seen on the 1^st, 14^th and 20^th.

Brent Goose... One of the Russian (Dark-bellied) form was seen on the 25th.

Canada Goose... Present throughout with 60 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Barnacle Goose... One was present throughout.

Shelduck... Present throughout with 50 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Shoveler...Present throughout with a peak of 50 on the 3rd.

Gadwall... Seen regularly with a peak of five on the 1st.

Wigeon... Seen regularly with 90 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Wigeon (drake), Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2018 © Steve Groves

Mallard... Present throughout with 120 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Pintail... Seen regularly with 80 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Teal... Present throughout with peaks of 150 on the 5^th and 28th.

Pochard... Present throughout with 240 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Tufted Duck... Present throughout with 260 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th. Three hybrids with three close congeners were also present.

(Drake) Tufted Duck & (drake) Tufted Duck x Ring-necked Duck hybrid

Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2018 © Steve Groves

(Drake) Tufted Duck x Ring-necked Duck & (drake) Tufted Duck x Pochard hybrids, (the regular female Tufted Duck x Scaup was also present) Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2018 © Steve Groves

Scaup... Up to three were present regularly until the 21^st, with one then regular to the end of the month.

 (Drake) Scaup, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2018 © Steve Groves

 (Drake & two duck) Scaup, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2018 © Steve Groves

Red-breasted Merganser... Seen regularly with 10 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Pheasant... Present throughout.

Little Grebe... Singles were seen regularly.

Great Crested Grebe... Seen regularly with a peak of 14 on the 9th.

Grey Heron... Singles were seen regularly.

Little Egret... Present throughout with a peak of 10 on the 1st.

Cormorant... Present throughout with around 20 roosting nightly.

Sparrowhawk... Singles were seen regularly.

Marsh Harrier... Singles were seen regularly.

Red Kite... One on the 25th.

Buzzard... Present throughout.

Water Rail... Present throughout.

Moorhen... Present throughout.

Coot... Present throughout with 70 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Oystercatcher... Seen regularly with a peak of five on the 5th.

Avocet... Two on the 1^st (the first since April 2017).

Lapwing... Present throughout with a peak of at least 1,000, probably many more, during the cold snap on the 1^st.

Golden Plover... Seen regularly with a peak of at least 500, probably many more, during the cold snap on the 1^st.

Grey Plover... One on the 1^st was the first since May 2017.

Ringed Plover... Three on the 19^th, one on the 20^th and two on the 21^st (firsts of the year).

Little Ringed Plover... Singles on the 19^th and 31^st (the first since July 2017).

Curlew... Seen regularly with a peak of eight on the 6th.

Bar-tailed Godwit... Regular from the 5^th to the 13^th with a peak of five on the first date.

Black-tailed Godwit... Three on the 1^st, 24 on the 30^th and 14 on the 31^st. All were of the Icelandic form.

Dunlin... Seen regularly with a peak of 10 on the 1^st.

 Dunlin, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2018 © Steve Groves

Woodcock... Singles were seen on the 1^st and 2^nd but 12 were seen during a nocturnal foray on the 5^th (the first records since 2014).

Jack Snipe... One on the 20^th.

Snipe... Seen regularly with peaks of five on several dates.

Redshank... Present throughout with a peak of six on the 26th.

Black-headed Gull... Present throughout with 50 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Black-headed Gull, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2018 © Steve Groves

Mediterranean Gull... Seen regularly with peaks of 10 on the 12^th and 27th.

Common Gull... Seen regularly with a peak of 500 on the 11th.

Great Black-backed Gull... Present throughout but with a peak of five on the 26th.

Herring Gull... Present throughout with a peak of 500 on the 27th.

Lesser Black-backed Gull... Seen regularly with a peak of 30 0n the 10th.

Sandwich Tern... The first of the year was seen on the 27^th and there was a peak of 18 on the 31^st.

Feral/Dometic Pigeon... Seen regularly.

Stock Dove... Two on the 10^th and five on the 25th.

Wood Pigeon... Present throughout.

Collared Dove... Present throughout.

Tawny Owl... Present throughout.

Great Spotted Woodpecker... Seen regularly.

Green Woodpecker... Seen regularly.

Kestrel... Seen regularly.

Peregrine... One on the 9th.

Jay... Singles on the 1^st and 10th.

Magpie... Present throughout.

Jackdaw... Present throughout.

Rook... Present throughout.

Carrion Crow... Present throughout.

Raven... Seen regularly.

Coal Tit... Present throughout.

Blue Tit... Present throughout.

Great Tit... Present throughout.

Skylark... Small numbers were seen or at least heard regularly, with a minor influx mid-month.

Skylarks, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2018, © Steve Groves

Swallow... Singles on the 24^th and 31^st were the first and second of the year.

Cetti's Warbler... Present throughout.

Long-tailed Tit... Present throughout.

Willow Warbler... The first of the year was present on the 27^th.

Chiffchaff... Seen regularly with a peak of five on the 27^th.

Firecrest... One on the 25^th.

Goldcrest... Seen regularly.

Wren... Present throughout.

Treecreeper... Seen regularly

Starling... Seen regularly with peaks of over 1,000 on the 6th and 20th.

Blackbird... Present throughout.

Fieldfare... Regular from the 1^st to the 19^th with peaks of over 500 at least on several dates.

Fieldfare, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2018 © Steve Groves

Redwing... Regular from the 1^st to the 19^th with a peak of over 1,000 at least on the latter date.

Song Thrush... Present throughout.

Song Thrush, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2018 © Steve Groves

Mistle Thrush... Seen regularly.

Robin... Present throughout.

Stonechat... Seen regularly.

Wheatear... Two on the 19^th were the first of the year.

Wheatear (male), Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2018,  © Steve Groves

House Sparrow... Present throughout.

Dunnock... Present throughout.

Pied Wagtail... Present throughout.

Meadow Pipit... Seen regularly with a peak of 500 on the 19th.

Meadow Pipit, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2018 © Steve Groves

Rock Pipit... One or two were present throughout, at least one of which was of the Scandinavian form.

Chaffinch... Present throughout.

Bullfinch... One was heard on the 8th.

Greenfinch... Singles were seen or at least heard regularly.

Linnet... Present throughout.

Siskin... Singles on the 25^th and 26^th.

Goldfinch... Present throughout.

Reed Bunting... Present throughout.

...And that's it for this month except to say thanks to... Alan Barrett, Joe Stockwell and Charlie Wheeler for additional sightings. 

April's sightings to follow shortly.