Swannery Birding Highlights Of The Week...
Monday 17th to Sunday 23rd June 2013.......
Summary...
This week saw yet more southward moving waders and local post breeding dispersal, while the claim of a probable Roseate Tern proved to be just wishful thinking on my part...
 |
The tern third from the left along the perimeter fence (that I initially saw only distantly without the aid of my scope or the benefit of this heavy cropping of my photo) led to me texting to my 'contact group' that I had a probable Roseate but it was not to be...Sorry guys...
|
A return visit after work that evening, when I had more time to investigate, revealed only a dark-billed Common Tern...
 |
Now this is presumably the same bird that I had a few weeks back and although I still don't think it is an 'Eastern Common Tern' of the race longipennis, I think it might well be an example of a nominate hirundo from the east of its' range i.e. Scandinavia to Western Siberia. It's not just it's dark bill but its' dark legs and feet too that made it stand out.
|
While on the subject of terns it was with a degree of sadness that I read of the desertion of the Lodmoor RSPB colony last week. The Abbotsbury colony however are still doing fine with up to thirty pairs present and the first young in evidence this week. We have had similar desertions here over the years with no obvious reasons but with young now to feed, ours should now be past that danger. Even so, it doesn't follow that our fledging rates will be good, as last year very few if any chicks survived long enough to take to the wing, so fingers crossed!
Wildfowl...
It was the Wetland Bird Survey count today and The Abbotsbury results for wildfowl were as follows...Mute Swan - 519
Black Swan - 2
Bar-headed Goose - 4
Canada Goose - 490
Shelduck - 13
Gadwall - 5
Mallard - 240
Pochard - 3
Tufted Duck - 25
In addition the Barnacle Goose has still been around and there has been actually up to eight Gadwall, twelve Teal and a single Shoveler.
Other water Birds...
The WeBS results for other miscellaneous water birds were...Great Crested Grebe - 32
Cormorant - 6
Little Egret - 7
Grey Heron - 1
Moorhen - 2
Coot - 123
Kingfisher - 2
Note that Moorhens are always under recorded on the count due to there furtive nature, whilst the Kingfishers were the first for several months (and obviously returning post breeding birds).
Waders...
The WeBS results for waders were...Oystercatcher - 4
Lapwing - 1
Black-tailed Godwit - 3
Curlew - 2
Common Sandpiper - 1
Note that the Oystercatchers are the two breeding pairs that both still have unfledged young (that until they fledge don't count on the survey) and the Common Sandpiper is the first since early May so no doubt already heading south! In addition during the week there was a Redshank, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a peak of seven Black-tailed Godwit...
 |
The Bar-tailed Godwit (far left) with the seven Black-tailed Godwits on the meadow pool (along with a Black-headed Gull).
|
Gulls & Terns...
The WeBS results for gulls and terns were...Black-headed Gull - 16
Herring Gull - 2
Great Black-backed Gull - 5
Common Tern - 65
In addition, during the windy conditions this week, there have been at times larger numbers of the two large gulls along with the odd Lesser Black-back. Also there have been a few Sandwich Terns and a single Mediterranean Gull...
 |
| First summer Mediterranean Gull... a different bird from the one present a couple of weeks ago. |
Land Birds...
As I fairly regularly list all the water bird species seen on my weekly posts (as this week), I thought maybe for a change I'd list all the land birds seen this week too (rather than just the highlights). This time of year virtually all are breeding within the grounds or nearby so it will give an idea of the regular breeding species. So, in varying numbers, this week's tally consisted of non-passerines...Pheasant, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Tawny Owl, Swift, Green Woodpecker and Great Spotted Woodpecker...and passerines... Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Raven, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Swallow, House Martin, Cetti's Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Wren, Nuthatch, Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet and Reed Bunting. Presumably weather related a few usually fairly regular breeding species are missing this year... Goldcrest, Treecreeper, Mistle Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit and Bullfich though most are breeding elsewhere in Abbotsbury and so hopefully will return next year!
 |
| Male Kestrel over The Swannery meadow this week. |
No comments:
Post a Comment