Highlights...
The rarest birds of the month were two or three Garganeys; two Ospreys; a Little Ringed Plover; a Curlew Sandpiper; two Little Stints; up to three Little Gulls; a Hobby or two; a Whinchat and two or three Yellow Wagtails.
More details on the above birds and the rest of this month's sightings follow below...
Black Swan...
Two were present throughout.Mute Swan...
Present throughout with 590 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 14th. 103 occupied nests.
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Hatching Mute Swan cygnet, Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Steve Groves
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Present throughout with 32 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 14th. Four pairs nested.
Egyptian Goose...
Two on the 24th...
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| Egyptian Geese (& Mute Swans), Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Steve Groves |
Shelduck...
Present throughout with 35 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 14th...
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Above two images drake Shelduck,
Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Dave Callaby |
Wigeon...
A rather unseasonable four were present from the 2nd to the 4th.
Gadwall...
Present until the 9th only, with a peak of five on the 5th.
Present throughout with a peak of ten on the 8th.
Teal...Mallard...
Present throughout with 106 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 14th. Several broods seen.
Pintail...
Unseasonably one to four were seen regularly until the 11th, while a single drake lingered to the end of the month. |
| Pintail (drake), Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Steve Groves |
Garganey...
A pair were present on the 5th/6th, while a single female lingered from the 8th to the 20th...
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| The pair of Garganey, Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Steve Groves |
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| Garganey (duck), Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Steve Groves |
Shoveler...
Present throughout with a peak of seven on the 1st.
Pochard...
Present throughout with eight counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 14th.
Tufted Duck...
Present throughout with 29 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 14th.
Pheasant...
Present throughout. Several broods seen.Cormorant...
Present throughout with 36 in the roost on the 11th.
Little Egret...
Present throughout with a peak of sixteen on the 30th.
Grey Heron...
Single figures were seen regularly.
Great Crested Grebe...
Present throughout with 41 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 14th.
Red Kite...
Two on the 24th.
Singles were seen regularly...
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| Marsh Harrier, Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Steve Groves |
Singles on the 12th and 16th.
Single figures were seen regularly.
Osprey...
Singles on the 5th and 25th.
Moorhen...Present throughout. Several broods seen.
Coot...
Present throughout with 61 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 14th. Several broods seen.
Oystercatcher...
Three nesting pairs were present throughout, with another pair visiting on the 7th at least...
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Oystercatcher, Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Dave Callaby
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Oystercatcher, Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Charlie Wheeler
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| Oystercatcher chick, Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Charlie Wheeler |
Grey Plover...
Singles were seen on the 8th, 10th and 15th but five were present on the 9th.
Ringed Plover...
Seen regularly, at least in the first half of the month with a peak of ten on the 5th...
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| Ringed Plover, Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Charlie Wheeler |
Little Ringed Plover...
One on the 9th, with it or another on the 12th/13th.
Lapwing...
One on the 18th/19th was the first since March.
Regular to the 17th with a peak of sixteen on the 11th but the only sighting subsequently was of one on the 31st.
Bar-tailed Godwit...
Regular to the 16th (but not seen subsequently) with a peak of thirteen on the 2nd...
Regular to the 16th (but not seen subsequently) with a peak of thirteen on the 2nd...
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| Bar-tailed Godwit, Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Steve Groves |
Regular with a peak of thirteen on the 17th...
Curlew Sandpiper...
Common Sandpiper...
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Turnstones (& Oystercatcher) Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017
© Charlie Wheeler |
One was reported on the 6th.
Sanderling...
Regular, with a peak of five on the 29th.
Dunlin...
Regular to the 20th (but not subsequently), with a peak of 100 on the 8th.
Little Stint...
Two on the 14th were a rare spring record... |
| Little Stints, Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Steve Groves |
Common Sandpiper...
One on the 3rd.
Greenshank...
One on the 21st.
Redshank...
Singles on the 7th and 10th.Singles on the 3rd and 5th.
Little Tern...
One on the 30th was the first since May 2016.
Sandwich Tern...
Seen regularly, with a peak of ten plus on the 3rd and 7th.
Common Tern...
Present throughout with over 120 around the Tern Island from the 15th. At least 40 pairs nested...
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Above two images Common Terns, Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Dave Callaby
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| Common Tern (2nd calendar year), Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Steve Groves |
Black-headed Gull...
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| Black-headed Gull, Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Dave Callaby |
Little Gull...
Single second calendar years were seen on the 9th, 16th/17th and 29th...
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| Above two images Little Gulls (2nd calendar years), Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Steve Groves. |
Mediterranean Gull...
Seen fairly regularly with a peak of two on the 11th.
Common Gull...
Seen fairly regularly to the 16th (but not subsequently) with a peak of two on the 13th.
Lesser Black-backed Gull...
Singles were seen fairly regularly.
Herring Gull...
Singles figures were seen regularly.Great Black-backed Gull...
Present throughout with a peak of 45 on the 11th.
Feral/Domestic Pigeon...
Seen regularly.
Stock Dove...
Singles on the 9th and 22nd.
Wood Pigeon...
Present throughout. Several pairs nested.
Collared Dove...
Seen regularly.Tawny Owl...
A pair in the grounds fledged at least two young.
Swift...
Seen regularly but with a peak of only five on the 5th.
Green Woodpecker...
Seen regularly.
Great Spotted Woodpecker...
Seen regularly. One pair nested.
Kestrel...
Singles were seen regularly.
Hobby...
Singles on the 10th and 17th.
Magpie...
Present throughout and presumably nested.Jackdaw...
Present throughout. Several pairs nested.
Rook...
Present throughout, with many nesting in the adjacent Chapel Coppice.
Carrion Crow...
Present throughout. Several pairs nested.
Raven...
Seen regularly.
Goldcrest...
Present throughout. At least two pairs nested.Blue Tit...
Present throughout. Several pairs nested.
One was heard on the 2nd.
Skylark...
Present throughout. Several pairs nested.Sand Martin...
Seen regularly with a peak of at least five on the 17th.
Swallow...
Present throughout, with a peak of 20 on the 7th. Several pairs nested... |
| Swallow, Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Steve Groves |
House Martin...
Seen regularly with peaks of at least five on the 7th and 12th.
Cetti's Warbler...
Present throughout. Several pairs nested.
Long-tailed Tit...
Present throughout. At least one pair nested.Present throughout. Several pairs nested.
Willow Warbler...
One was heard on the 6th and at least five were present on the 8th but there were no subsequent records.Blackcap...
Present throughout. Several pairs nested.
Lesser Whitethroat...
The first of the year was heard regularly from the 14th to at least the 22nd from scrub on adjacent Chester's Hill and one was seen and heard in the grounds on the 21st.
Whitethroat...
Present throughout. Several pairs nested.
Sedge Warbler...
Present throughout. At least one pair nested.
Reed Warbler...
Present throughout. Many pairs nested...
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| Reed Warbler, Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Charlie Wheeler |
At least one from the 17th to the 24th.
Wren...
Present throughout. Several pairs nested.
Starling...
One on the 21st.
Blackbird...
Present throughout. Several pairs nested.
Mistle Thrush...
Present throughout. At least one pair nested.
Spotted Flycatcher...
One on the 22nd was the first of the year.
Robin...
Whinchat...
One on the 8th/9th.
Stonechat...
Present throughout. One pair nested.Wheatear...
Singles were regular to the 9th but the only subsequent sighting was of one on the 21st.
Dunnock...
Present throughout. Several pairs nested.
House Sparrow...
Present throughout. Several pairs nested in adjacent Grove Lane.Yellow Wagtail...
Singles on the 6th, 7th and 16th.
Pied Wagtail...
Present throughout. Two pairs nested... |
| Pied Wagtail, Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Steve Groves |
Meadow Pipit...
Singles on the 5th and 14th.
Chaffinch...
Present throughout. Several pairs nested.
Bullfinch...
Present throughout. One pair nested.
Greenfinch...
One on the 20th.
Linnet...
Present throughout. Presumably nested.
Goldfinch...
Present throughout. Several pairs nested.Present throughout. Several pairs nested.
I'll leave you with a photo of the only Southern Marsh Orchid I could find on site this spring...
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| Southern Marsh Orchid, Abbotsbury Swannery, May 2017 © Steve Groves |
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