Highlights...
The best bird of January and February was a Lesser Scaup, only the second for the site.
Also of note were a Greylag Goose, 3 Scaup, a Woodcock, a Yellow-legged Gull, a Hen Harrier, at least 1 Barn Owl, 3 Short-eared Owls, at least 2 Bearded Tits and a Firecrest, along with impressive counts of 500 Mediterranean Gulls and 39 Cattle Egrets.
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| Lesser Scaup (2cy ♀), Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2022 © Steve Groves |
The Month's Bird News In Full...
More details of the above highlights and the rest of this month's sightings...
Canada Goose... Present throughout, with a count of over 200 on several dates.
Greylag Goose... One on the 28th February.
Black Swan... Two were present regularly from the 1st January to the 1st February.
Mute Swan... Present throughout. The Wetland Bird Survey totals were 420 in January and 515 in February.
Whooper Swan... The resident (presumed escape) was present throughout.
Common Shelduck... Present throughout. Maximum count totals were 50 in January and 48 in February.
Shoveler... Present throughout. Maximum count totals were 150 in January and 100 in February.
Gadwall... In January there were singles on the 18th and 25th. There were no records in February.
Wigeon... Regularly encountered. Maximum count totals were 60 in January and 20 in February.
Mallard... Present throughout. The Wetland Bird Survey totals were 350 in January and 245 in February.
Pintail... Regularly encountered. Maximum count totals were 10 in January and six in February.
Teal... Present throughout. Maximum count totals were 600 in January and 150 in February.
Pochard... Present throughout. Maximum count totals were 200 in January and 100 in February.
Tufted Duck... Present throughout. Maximum count totals were 100 in January and 78 in February.
Scaup... The adult duck and first winter drake remained throughout January, being joined by another first winter drake on the 17th. All three remained to the end of February.
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| Scaup (2cy ♂) Abbotsbury Swannery, February 2022 © Steve Groves |
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| Scaup (2cy,♂ & ad. ♀) Abbotsbury Swannery, February 2022 © Steve Groves |
Lesser Scaup... A first winter (second calendar year) female arrived on the 7th January and lingered until the 13th before moving to nearby West Bexington on the 14th. There were however unsubstantiated reports also at Abbotsbury on the 14th and 15th. There were no further reports until it reappeared at The Swannery on the 31st January and it remained to the end of February.
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| Scaup (ad. ♀), Lesser Scaup (2cy ♀) & Coot, Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2022 © Steve Groves |
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| Tufted Duck (♀) & Lesser Scaup (2cy ♀), Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2022 © Steve Groves |
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| Lesser Scaup (2cy ♀), Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2022 © Steve Groves |
Red-breasted Merganser... Regularly encountered. Maximum count totals were six in January and 10 in February.
Pheasant... Present throughout.
Red-legged Partridge... Up to four were seen regularly in February.
Great Bustard... One that flew west on the 12th January had no doubt originated from the Salisbury Plain re-introduction project.
Domestic/Feral Pigeon... Present throughout. At least 80 were present on the 25th January.
Stock Dove... Regularly encountered.
Woodpigeon... Present throughout.
Collared Dove... Regularly encountered.
Water Rail... Regularly heard and no doubt present throughout.
Moorhen... Present throughout. The Wetland Bird Survey totals were 26 in January and 19 in February.
Coot... Present throughout. The Wetland Bird Survey totals were 480 in January and 310 in February.
Little Grebe... Present throughout. Maximum count totals were 15 in January and 8 in February.
Great Crested Grebe... Present throughout. Maximum count totals were 7 in January and 16 in February.
Oystercatcher... The first returning bird was seen on the 15th January and up to four were present by the month's end and then throughout February.
Lapwing... Present throughout. Maximum count totals were 550 in January and 500 in February.
Golden Plover... Singles were seen or at least heard on three dates in January but a flock of 56 flew west on the 28th February.
Curlew... Singles were seen or at least heard on the 25th January and 17th February, while at least two were heard on the 23rd February.
Black-tailed Godwit... Five were present from the 10th to the 12th February, whilst four were present on the 25th.
Dunlin... One or two were seen on three dates in February.
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| Dunlin, Abbotsbury Swannery, February 2022 © Steve Groves |
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| Dunlin, Abbotsbury Swannery, February 2022 © Steve Groves |
Woodcock... One was seen on the 5th January, the first since January 2020.
Snipe... From one to three were regularly encountered throughout.
Common Sandpiper... The wintering individual was seen regularly.
Redshank... Present throughout. Maximum count totals were 2 in January and 27 in February.
Kittiwake... Singles on the 1st January and 20th February.
Black-headed Gull... Present throughout. Maximum count totals were 500 in January and 500 in February.
Mediterranean Gull... Regularly encountered. Maximum count totals were 150 in January and 500 in February.
Common Gull... Regularly encountered. Maximum count totals were 300 in January and 1,000 in February.
Great Black-backed Gull... Present throughout. Maximum count totals were 5 in January and 80 in February.
Herring Gull... Present throughout. Maximum count totals were 250 in January and 400 in February.
Yellow-legged Gull... A second calendar year was seen on the 22nd February.
Lesser Black-backed Gull... Single figures were seen regularly in January but counts of 11 and 18 were recorded in February. Most, if not all, were of the British form but a single of the Continental form was confirmed on the 16th February.
Cormorant... Present throughout, with at least 20 roosting nightly. Birds of both Atlantic and Continental forms were present.
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| Cormorants, Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2022 © Charlie Wheeler |
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| Cattle Egrets, Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2022 © Charlie Wheeler |
Cattle Egret... Present throughout. Maximum count totals were 39 in January and 37 in February.
Grey Heron... One or two were noted daily.
Little Egret... Present throughout. Maximum count totals were 10 in January and 15 in February.
Sparrowhawk... Singles were seen regularly.
Marsh Harrier... Singles were seen regularly.
Hen Harrier... A "ringtail" was seen on five dates from the 11th January to the 22nd February but may well have roosted nightly.
Buzzard... Present throughout.
Barn Owl... Singles were seen on five dates from the 7th January to the 22nd February.
Short-eared Owl... One or two were seen regularly but three were present on the 2nd February.
Tawny Owl... Heard on one date but no doubt present throughout.
Kingfisher... Singles were noted regularly in January but not subsequently.
Great Spotted Woodpecker... One or two were noted regularly.
Kestrel... One or two were present throughout.
Peregrine... Singles were seen regularly.
Jay... One or two at least were noted regularly.
Magpie... Present throughout.
Jackdaw... Present throughout, with over 400 noted on the 9th February.
Rook... Present throughout, with over 300 noted on the 13th January.
Carrion Crow... Present throughout.
Raven... One or two at least were noted regularly.
Coal Tit... One visited feeders at the adjacent Grove Lane on the 8th January.
Blue Tit... Present throughout.
Great Tit... Present throughout.
Bearded Reedling... At least two were present from the 17th to the 19th January at least.
Skylark... Present throughout.
Cetti's Warbler... Present throughout, with at least six noted on the 24th January.
Long-tailed Tit... A flock of around 10 were encountered regularly.
Common Chiffchaff... One or two at least were noted regularly.
Firecrest... One on the 5th January.
Goldcrest... Present throughout.
Wren... Present throughout.
Nuthatch... One continued to visit feeders at the adjacent Grove Lane throughout.
Treecreeper... One or two at least were noted regularly.
Starling... Present throughout. The roost peaked at over 1,500 from late January to mid-February
Song Thrush... Present throughout.
Mistle Thrush... Singles were noted regularly but three were seen on the 9th February.
Redwing... Singles were noted on four dates between the 2nd January and the 21st February.
Blackbird... Present throughout.
Robin... Present throughout.
Stonechat... At least two were present throughout.
House Sparrow... Present in the gardens of the adjacent Grove Lane throughout.
Dunnock... Present throughout.
Grey Wagtail... At least one was noted regularly.
Pied Wagtail... Present throughout, with up to at least 80 roosting nightly.
Meadow Pipit... Present throughout, with at least 20 noted on the 11th February.
Rock Pipit... One or two were regularly encountered but three were noted on the 27th January.
Chaffinch... Present throughout.
Bullfinch... One or two were regularly encountered.
Greenfinch... Noted regularly, with a count of at least 13 on the 11th January.
Linnet... Regularly encountered, with a count of at least 20 on the 13th January.
Goldfinch... Around 20 were present throughout.
Siskin... At least one was heard on the 11th February.
Reed Bunting... Present throughout.
... And that's it for this post except to thank, Alan Barrett, Nick Urch, Kev Butler, Joe Stockwell and Charlie Wheeler for additional sightings. Also an extra thanks to Joe and Charlie for the use of their photos.
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| Lesser Scaup (2cy ♀), Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2022 © Joe Stockwell |
March and April 2022 bird news will follow soon.
