Abbotsbury Swannery Bird Sightings - February 2023...

 Highlights...

There were no national rarities, county rarities or site firsts this month but noteworthy were a Goldeneye (now unfortunately a site rarity), three Scaup (heading the same way) and at least forty-four Cattle Egrets (a former rarity but now relatively abundant). Whilst, three White-tailed Eagles would have got top billing if they hadn't been released birds from the Isle of Wight.

The Month's Bird News In Full...

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

Brent Goose... Five (of the Russian form bernicla) circled over on the 16th.

Canada Goose... Present throughout. Sixty-five were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Black Swan... One was regularly encountered.

Mute Swan... Present throughout. Three-hundred-and-thirty-one were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Whooper Swan... The resident (presumed escape) was present throughout.

Shelduck... Present throughout. The highest count was of eighty-plus on the 10th.

Shoveler...  Present throughout. The highest count was of one-hundred-and-twenty-plus on the 8th.

Gadwall...  One on the 28th only.

Wigeon... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of forty-plus on the 13th.

Mallard... Present throughout. One-hundred-and-forty were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Pintail... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of twenty-plus on the 1st.

Teal... Present throughout. The highest count was of three-hundred-and-fifty-plus on the 1st.

Pochard... Present throughout. Ninety were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Tufted Duck... Present throughout. The highest count was of eighty-plus on the 7th.

Scaup... Three (an adult female and two second calendar year females) were present on the 1st only.

Goldeneye... One (believed to be a second calendar year male) was present from the 13th to the end of the month. The first (of this once common winter visitor), since November 2021.

Red-breasted Merganser... Present throughout. The highest count was of twenty-four on the 8th.

Red-breasted Merganser & Black-headed Gull, Abbotsbury Swannery,
February 2023 © Steve Groves

Pheasant... Present throughout.

Red-legged Partridge... Up to five were noted regularly.

Domestic/Feral Pigeon... Present throughout.

Woodpigeon... Present throughout. 

Collared Dove... Present throughout.

Water Rail... Present throughout.

Moorhen... Present throughout. Eleven were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Coot... Present throughout. Two-hundred-and-eighty-five were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Little Grebe... Present throughout. The highest count was of eighteen on the 2nd. 

Great Crested Grebe... Present throughout. Eleven were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Oystercatcher...  Present throughout. Eight were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Lapwing... Present throughout. Two-thousand-plus were noted on several dates.

Golden Plover... From one to four were noted on four dates. 

Ringed Plover... One was present on the 20th.

Curlew... One or two were noted regularly from the 23rd to the end of the month.

Curlews, Abbotsbury Swannery, February 2023 © Steve Groves

Black-tailed Godwit... One on the 21st only.

Turnstone... One on the 1st only.

Dunlin... One on the 3rd only.

Snipe... Present throughout. The highest count was of twelve-plus on the 2nd.

Common Sandpiper... At least one of the two over-wintering birds was noted regularly but both were seen on two dates.

Redshank... Present throughout. The highest count was of seven-plus on the 3rd.

Black-headed Gull... Present throughout. The highest count was of one-thousand-plus on the 21st.

Mediterranean Gull... Present throughout. The highest count was of one-thousand-plus on the 15th.

Common Gull... Present throughout. The highest count was of four-thousand-plus on the 20th. in addition, a first winter showing characters of the Russian form heinei was seen on the 20th/21st.

Great Black-backed Gull... Single figures were present throughout.

Herring Gull... Present throughout. The highest count was of four-hundred-plus on the 20th.

Lesser Black-backed Gull... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of twelve on the 16th. All those identified to subspecies were of the British form graellsii.

Cormorant... Present throughout. The highest count was of eighteen on the 14th. However, the regular roost was not counted and around fifty would normally be expected in February. Individuals of both the Atlantic carbo, and Eurasian sinensis forms were noted.

Cattle Egret... Present throughout. The highest count was of forty-four-plus on the 20th.

Grey Heron... Present throughout. The highest count was of five on the 19th.

Little Egret... Present throughout. Ten were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Sparrowhawk... Singles were noted on the 6th and 21st.

Marsh Harrier... One or two, were seen regularly but three were noted on the 19th.

Marsh Harrier, Abbotsbury Swannery, February 2023 © Steve Groves

Red Kite... One or two were regularly encountered.

White-tailed Eagle... Three immature birds (presumably released individuals from the Isle-Of-Wight reintroduction project) flew north west on the 23rd. This is the first sight record for the site but several have been tracked via radio tags in the area previously.

Buzzard... Present throughout.

Barn Owl... Singles were seen on the 3rd and 7th.

Tawny Owl... One to three were heard regularly.

Kingfisher... One to three were regularly encountered until the 15th. 

Great Spotted Woodpecker... One or two were regularly encountered.                                

Kestrel... Present throughout.

Merlin... One was seen on the 21st.

Peregrine... Singles were seen on the 12th and 16th.

Magpie... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Jackdaw... Present throughout.

Rook... Present throughout.

Carrion Crow... Present throughout.

Raven... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Coal Tit... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Blue Tit... Present throughout.

Great Tit... Present throughout.

Skylark... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Cetti's Warbler... Present throughout.

Long-tailed Tit... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Chiffchaff... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Firecrest... At least one was regularly encountered.

Goldcrest... Present throughout.

Wren... Present throughout.

Treecreeper... At least one was regularly encountered.  

Starling... Present throughout. The large roost that was present in February was not checked but was presumably still ongoing in the first part of the month at least. Otherwise, a flock of twenty-plus were seen regularly foraging in the adjacent meadows.

Song Thrush... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Mistle Thrush... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Redwing... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of fifty-plus on the 12th.

Blackbird... Present throughout.

Robin... Present throughout. 

Stonechat... Single figures were regularly encountered.

House Sparrow... Single figures were regularly encountered around the cottages at adjacent Grove Lane.

Dunnock... Present throughout.

Grey Wagtail... One or two were regularly encountered. 

Pied Wagtail... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Meadow Pipit... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Rock Pipit... One or two were regularly encountered.

Chaffinch... Present throughout.

Greenfinch... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Linnet... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Goldfinch... Present throughout.

Siskin... One on the 2nd only.

Reed Bunting... Present throughout.     

And that's it for this post except to thank my colleagues, Joe Stockwell, Charlie Wheeler and Kev Butler for additional sightings; and Alan Barrett, Ian McLean and Nick Urch for carrying out the WeBS. 

March 2023 bird news to follow soon...