Introduction...
I'm trialling a different format this month. Basically a systematic list of all the species seen beginning with a brief...
Summary...
Highlights this month were brief singles of Iceland Gull and Osprey, a mobile Spoonbill, a tardy Scaup, two Common Scoters (ok common off Chesil but unusual in The Swannery embayment) and pick of the passerines... a Whinchat, a Yellow Wagtail and four Grasshopper Warblers.
Present throughout, the only count conducted was for the WeBS on the 10th when 512 were present.
Black Swan...
Two were present throughout.
Canada Goose...
Present throughout, the only count conducted was for the WeBS on the 10th when 26 were present.
(Dark-bellied) Brent Goose...
One flew south-east on the 10th.
(Common) Shelduck...
Present throughout, the only count conducted was for the WeBS on the 10th when 34 were present.
(Eurasian) Wigeon...
Two were still present on the 4th, with one lingering to the 12th but none were seen subsequently.
Gadwall...
A duck and up to five drakes were present throughout much of the month.
Now the news in more detail...
Mute Swan...Present throughout, the only count conducted was for the WeBS on the 10th when 512 were present.
Black Swan...
Two were present throughout.
Canada Goose...
Present throughout, the only count conducted was for the WeBS on the 10th when 26 were present.
(Dark-bellied) Brent Goose...
One flew south-east on the 10th.
(Common) Shelduck...
Present throughout, the only count conducted was for the WeBS on the 10th when 34 were present.
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| (Common) Shelduck March 2016 © Charlie Wheeler |
(Eurasian) Wigeon...
Two were still present on the 4th, with one lingering to the 12th but none were seen subsequently.
Gadwall...
A duck and up to five drakes were present throughout much of the month.
(Eurasian) Teal...
Present throughout with a peak of 51 on the 10th.
Mallard...
Present throughout, the only count conducted was for the WeBS on the 10th when 84 were present.
(Northern) Pintail...
Five were present on the 3rd and two on the 7th.
(Northern) Shoveler...
Present throughout, with a peak of 20 on the 4th.
(Common) Pochard...
Present throughout, with a peak of 25 on the 10th.
Tufted Duck...
Present throughout, with a peak of 80 on the 10th.
(Greater) Scaup...
The 2nd calendar year female lingered until the 27th.
Common Scoter...
A second calendar year drake arrived on the 4th and by the 7th it had been joined by a second individual. Both then lingered until the 12th. These were the first since a first winter bird in November 2012.
Red-breasted Merganser...
Present throughout the month with a peak of 14 on the 10th.
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| Drake Red-breasted Merganser April 2016 © Steve Groves |
(Common) Pheasant...
Present throughout.
(Great) Cormorant...
Present throughout with a peak of 22 on the 20th.
Little Egret...
Present throughout, the only count conducted was for the WeBS on the 10th when 19 were present.
Grey Heron...
There were sightings of at least one occasionally two, through much of the month.
(Eurasian) Spoonbill...
A second calendar year bird was present on the 19th (after first being seen at nearby Rodden Hive on the 17th) and it was then seen sporadically until the 27th (visiting Rodden Hive again on the 23rd).
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| (Eurasian) Spoonbill April 2016 © Steve Groves |
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| (Eurasian) Spoonbill April 2016 © Steve Groves |
Little Grebe...
Singles were seen on the 8th and 18th, while two were present on the 27th.
Great Crested Grebe...
Present throughout with a peak of 43 on the 29th.
(Western) Marsh Harrier...
At least two adult females and one probable second calendar year male were seen early in the month, with the latter and one of the former still being seen regularly at the month's end.
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| (Western) Marsh Harrier April 2016 © Charlie Wheeler |
One was seen on the 12th.
(Common) Buzzard...
Single figures were seen on virtually a daily basis.
(Western) Osprey...
One flew north on the 11th.
Water Rail...
One was heard on the 11th.
(Common) Moorhen...
Present throughout. Only two were counted during the WeBS but many were presumably missed.
(Eurasian) Coot...
Present throughout, the only count conducted was for the WeBS on the 10th when 50 were present.
(Eurasian) Oystercatcher...
Five were present throughout.
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| (Eurasian) Oystercatcher April 2016 © Charlie Wheeler |
Little Ringed Plover...
One flew east on the 11th and one lingered briefly on the 24th.
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| Little Ringed Plover 24th April 2016 © Steve Groves |
(Common) Ringed Plover...
Singles were seen on the 13th and the 24th.
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| (Common) Ringed Plover 24th April 2016 © Steve Groves |
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| Little Ringed Plover, (Common) Ringed Plover & Mute Swans
24th April 2016 © Steve Groves
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The first of the year was seen on the 12th and there were then regular reports, with a peak of over 30 on the 29th.
Black-tailed Godwit...
One lingered from the 9th to the 12th.
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| Black-tailed Godwit & Mute Swan April 2016 © Steve Groves |
Bar-tailed Godwit...
Singles circled over on the 22nd and 29th.
Dunlin...
Thirteen were seen on the 19th, three on the 22nd and one on the 30th.
Common Sandpiper...
The first of the year was seen on the 16th and there were then regular sightings of 'ones' and 'twos' through the rest of the month.
(Common) Greenshank...
One, the first of the year, was seen briefly on the 20th.
(Common) Redshank...
There were virtually daily sightings until the 19th (but none subsequently) with a peak of five on several dates.
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| (Common) Redshank April 2016 © Charlie Wheeler |
(Common) Snipe...
There were regular sightings until the 19th (but none subsequently) with a peak of five on the 2nd.
Sandwich Tern...
There were regular sightings through the month with a peak of 20 on several dates.
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| Sandwich Tern April 2016 © Steve Groves |
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| Sandwich Terns April 2016 © Steve Groves |
Common Tern...
The first of the year were seen on the 14th and there were then regular sightings through the month with a peak of 10 on the 30th.
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| Common Tern April 2016 © Steve Groves |
Black-headed Gull...
Numbers dropped off sharply early in the month with only one being present during the WeBS on the 10th. The only other record subsequently was of four on the 20th.
Mediterranean Gull...
The only record was of two adults briefly on the 26th.
Common Gull...
Numbers dropped off sharply early in the month with only five being present during the WeBS on the 10th. The only other record subsequently was of one on the 25th.
Lesser Black-backed Gull...
Single figures were seen regularly through the month with a peak of six on the 29th.
Herring Gull...
Present throughout the month with a peak of 130 on the 16th.
Iceland Gull...
One (a third calendar-year) was seen briefly on the 24th, the first at The Swannery (of the nominate form) since the adult of December 2013 (and frustratingly I didn't have my camera to hand!).
Great Black-backed Gull...
Single figures were seen on virtually a daily basis throughout the month.
(Feral) Rock Dove...
Seen regularly through the month.
Stock Dove...
Seen regularly through the month.
(Common) Wood Pigeon...
Present throughout the month.
(Eurasian) Collared Dove...
Seen regularly through the month.
(Common) Cuckoo...
Singles on the 24th and 27th.
(Common) Swift...
The first of the year was seen on 25th April, with only a few other reports by the month's end.
(European) Green Woodpecker...
Seen, or at least heard, regularly through the month.
Great Spotted Woodpecker...
Seen regularly through the month.
(Common) Kestrel...
Seen regularly through the month.
Peregrine Falcon...
At least two (an adult and an immature) were seen regularly.
(Eurasian) Magpie...
Seen regularly through the month.
(Western) Jackdaw...
Present throughout the month.
Rook...
Present throughout the month.
Carrion Crow...
Present throughout the month.
(Northern) Raven...
Seen regularly through the month.
Goldcrest...
Present throughout the month.
(Eurasian) Blue Tit...
Present throughout the month.
Great Tit...
Present throughout the month.
(Eurasian) Skylark...
Present throughout the month.
Sand Martin...
The first of the year were seen on the 2nd and there were then regular sightings of single figures through the rest of the month.
(Barn) Swallow...
Seen regularly through the month, with a peak of 20 on the 16th.
(Common) House Martin...
The first of the year were seen on the 11th and there were then regular sightings of single figures through the rest of the month.
Cetti's Warbler...
Present throughout the month.
Long-tailed Tit...
Present throughout the month.
(Common) Chiffchaff...
Present throughout the month.
Willow Warbler...
The first of the year were seen on the 11th and there were then regular sightings of single figures through the rest of the month.
(Eurasian) Blackcap...
The first of the spring was seen on the 4th and there were then regular sightings of single figures through the rest of the month.
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| Male (Eurasian) Blackcap April 2016 © Charlie Wheeler |
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| Female (Eurasian) Blackcap April 2016 © Charlie Wheeler |
The first of the spring was heard on the 19th and two were present on the 30th.
(Common) Grasshopper Warbler...
The first of the year, was heard on the 4th, two were heard on the 13th and one on the 25th.
Sedge Warbler...
The first of the year was heard on the 12th and there were then regular reports of single figures through the rest of the month.
(Eurasian) Reed Warbler...
The first of the year was heard on the 12th and there were then regular reports of single figures through the rest of the month.
(Eurasian) Treecreeper...
Present throughout the month.
(Eurasian) Wren...
Present throughout the month.
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| (Eurasian) Wren April 2016 © Charlie Wheeler |
Seen regularly through the month.
(Common) Blackbird...
Present throughout the month.
Song Thrush...
None present within the recording area but regularly heard in adjacent Oddens Wood.
Mistle Thrush...
None present within the recording area but regularly heard in adjacent Oddens Wood.
(European) Robin...
Present throughout the month.
Whinchat...
The first of the spring (and the only one of the month) was present on the 21st.
(Northern) Wheatear...
Single figures were seen regularly through the month.
Dunnock...
Present throughout the month.
House Sparrow...
Present throughout the month.
(Western) Yellow Wagtail...
The first of the spring (and the only one of the month) flew west on the 11th.
Pied Wagtail...
Present throughout the month.
Meadow Pipit...
Single figures were seen regularly through the month.
(Eurasian) Rock Pipit...
One on the 3rd was the only one of the month.
(Common) Chaffinch...
Present throughout the month.
(Eurasian) Bullfinch...
One heard on the 3rd was the only report of the month.
(European) Greenfinch...
Present throughout the month.
(Common) Linnet...
Present throughout the month.
(European) Goldfinch...
Present throughout the month.
(Eurasian) Siskin...
Singles heard on the 25th and 26th were the only reports of the month.
(Common) Reed Bunting...
Present throughout the month.
...And that's it for this month except to thank Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography for the use of his images.
May sightings to follow shortly.
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