Highlights...
There were four official 'Scarce Migrants' this month and these were... a Cattle Egret, yet another Yellow-browed Warbler and two Richard's Pipits. Other highlights included a Hen Harrier, twelve Scaups and three Long-tailed Ducks.
More details on the above birds and the rest of this month's sightings follow below...
Mute Swan...
Present throughout with 415 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.
Black Swan...
Two were seen regularly.
Two were seen regularly.
Canada Goose...
Present throughout with 47 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.
Shelduck...
Seen regularly with eight counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.
Wigeon...
Present throughout with 102 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.
Gadwall...Present throughout with 102 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.
Seen regularly with a peak of nine on the 5th.
Teal...
Present throughout with a peak of 600 on the 14th.Teal...
Mallard...
Present throughout with 514 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.
Pintail...
Present throughout with a peak of 30 on the 14th.Shoveler...
Present throughout with a peak of 60 on the 5th...
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| Drake Shoveler with Coots December 2016 © Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography |
Pochard...
Present throughout with 315 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.
Tufted Duck...
Present throughout with 290 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.
Scaup...
Seen regularly with a peak of twelve from the 17th to the 30th at least... |
| Female Scaups (adult & 1st winter) December 2016 © Steve Groves |
Long-tailed Duck...
Last month's first winter bird was joined by another on the 11th and then another on the 17th. All three were still present to the 30th at least.
Three were present just to the southeast of the embayment on the 18th at least.
Red-breasted Merganser...
Seen regularly with a peak of twelve counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.
Pheasant...
Present throughout.
Cormorant...
Present throughout with four counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th...
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| Cormorant December 2016 © Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography |
Cattle Egret...
One was seen briefly on the 30th. The first since October 2015.
Little Egret...
Present throughout with five counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.
Single figures were seen regularly.
Little Grebe...
Present throughout with 24 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.
Great Crested Grebe...
Present throughout with nine counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.
Marsh Harrier...
A single immature was seen regularly to the 18th... |
| Marsh Harrier December 2016 © Steve Groves |
Hen Harrier...
A 'ringtail' was seen on the 18th and 20th (the first since November 2013).
Buzzard...
Seen regularly.
Water Rail...
Single figures were seen or at least heard regularly.
Moorhen...
Present throughout with 22 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.
Coot...
Present throughout with 735 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th...
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Coots December 2016 © Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography
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Lapwing...
Present throughout with a peak of 200 on a few dates...
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| Lapwings December 2016 © Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography |
Turnstone...
Two on the 18th and 19th.Ruff...
One on the 18th.
Dunlin...
One on the 7th.
Redshank...
Present throughout with a peak of five on the 14th...
Jack Snipe...
One on the 1st (the first since March).
Snipe...
Present throughout with 24 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.
Present throughout with 66 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th. |
| Redshank December 2016 © Steve Groves |
Jack Snipe...
One on the 1st (the first since March).
Snipe...
Present throughout with 24 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.
Black-headed Gull...
Mediterranean Gull...
Regular with a peak of 70 on the 7th...
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Adult Mediterannean Gull (right) with 1st winter Herring Gull & adult Common Gulls December 2016 © Charlie Wheeler wheeler-photography
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Common Gull...
Present throughout with a peak of 450 on the 14th...
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| Adult Common Gulls December 2016 © Steve Groves |
Lesser Black-backed Gull...
Single figures were seen regularly.
Herring Gull...
Present throughout with 24 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.Great Black-backed Gull...
Present throughout with twelve counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 18th.
Feral/Domestic Dove...
Seen regularly.
Wood Pigeon...
Present throughout.
Collared Dove...
Seen regularly.Kingfisher...
One or two were seen regularly.
Green Woodpecker...
Seen regularly.
Great Spotted Woodpecker...
Seen regularly.
Kestrel...
Seen regularly.
Peregrine Falcon...
Singles were seen on the 17th and 19th.
Magpie...
Present throughout.
Jay...
One on the 18th. Jackdaw...
Present throughout.
Rook...
Present throughout.
Carrion Crow...
Present throughout.
Raven...
Seen regularly.
Goldcrest...
Present throughout.
Blue Tit...
Present throughout.
Great Tit...
Present throughout.
Coal Tit...
Present throughout.
Skylark...
Seen regularly.
Cetti's Warbler...
Present throughout.
Long-tailed Tit...
Present throughout.
Yellow-browed Warbler...
One was seen or at least heard, regularly from the 1st to the 14th (the first December record for The Swannery).Chiffchaff...
Present throughout with at least five present on a few dates.
Blackcap...
One on the 9th.
Treecreeper...
Present throughout.
Wren...
Present throughout.
Starling...
Seen regularly but the roost became almost nonexistent with presumably the majority moving to the nearby Cogden reedbed, with for instance 1,000 seen flying west at dusk on the 14th.
Blackbird...
Present throughout.
Fieldfare...
One was heard on the 5th and at least five were seen on the 7th.
Song Thrush...
Seen regularly.
Redwing...
Singles were heard on the 5th and 14th but at least 500 were present at first light on the 15th.
Mistle Thrush...
Up to four were seen regularly.
Robin...
Present throughout.
Stonechat...
One or two were seen regularly.Dunnock...
Present throughout.
House Sparrow...
Present throughout.Grey Wagtail...
At least one was seen regularly.
Pied Wagtail...
Present throughout.
Richard's Pipit...
Two were found on the 15th and were then seen regularly until the 29th at least. These are the 3rd and 4th for the recording area. The previous records were - one flying west on 25th October 2014 and - one from 15th to the 19th November 1994... |
| Very poor record shot of one of the two Richard's Pipits December 2016 © Steve Groves |
Meadow Pipit...
Present throughout with a peak of 50 on the 26th at least... |
| Meadow Pipit December 2016 © Steve Groves, if only the Richard's Pipits had been so approachable! |
Rock Pipit...
At least one was seen regularly.Chaffinch...
Present throughout.
Bullfinch...
Up to three were seen, or at least heard, regularly.
Greenfinch...
One or two were seen on the 6th and again on the 14th.
Linnet...
Seen regularly with over thirty seen on the 19th.
Goldfinch...
Present throughout.
Reed Bunting...
Present throughout. I'll leave you with a shot taken on the way to work one morning this month...
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| 'The Swannery Meadows at Dawn' - December 2016 © Steve Groves |
January's 2017 sightings to follow shortly.
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