Abbotsbury Swannery Bird Sightings - July 2018

Highlights...

This month’s best sightings were singles of Garganey, Black-necked Grebe, Great Egret, Wood Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank, whilst there were also two each of Curlew Sandpiper and Arctic Tern.

Garganey, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018, © Joe Stockwell

Arctic Tern (2cy), Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018, © Joe Stockwell

The Month's Bird News In Full...

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

Canada Goose... Present throughout with 800 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 15^th.

Barnacle Goose... Last month’s individual remained and was joined by a second from the 10^th on.

Greylag Goose... One was present all month.

Black Swan… Four were present for much of the month.

Mute Swan... Present throughout with 715 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 15^th.

Whooper Swan... The released rehabilitated second calendar year was present all month.

Common Shelduck... Present throughout with 60 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 15^th.

Mandarin Duck… Last month’s individual remained and was seen sporadically until the 12^th.

Mandarin Duck (eclipse drake), Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Joe Stockwell

Garganey... A juvenile was present from the 27^th to the 31^st.

Garganey (juv.), Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Joe Stockwell

Northern Shoveler… Present throughout with a peak of 12 on the 24^th.

Gadwall... Seen regularly with a peak of six on the 12^th.

Mallard... Present throughout with 260 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 15^th.

Northern Pintail... The female with wing damage was last seen on the 7^th.

Eurasian Teal... Present throughout with a peak of 17 on the 12^th.

Common Pochard... Seen regularly with a peak of three on the 30^th.

Tufted Duck... Present throughout with 28 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 15^th.

Common Pheasant... Present throughout.

Little Grebe... Present throughout with at least five seen regularly by the month’s end.

Great Crested Grebe... Present throughout with 20 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 15^th.

Black-necked Grebe... One on the 20^th/21^st was an unexpected July record.

Grey Heron... Seen regularly with a peak of seven on the 25^th.

Great Egret... One was present briefly on the 19^th.

Great Egret (& Common Terns), Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Steve Groves

Little Egret... Present throughout with a peak of 21 on the 18^th.

Great Cormorant... Present throughout with around 30 roosting nightly.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk... Singles were seen regularly.

Western Marsh Harrier... A juvenile seen on the 24^th was the only sighting.

Red Kite... One flew over on the 23^rd.

Common Buzzard... Present throughout.

Water Rail... Singles were seen or heard on the 23^rd/24^th.

Common Moorhen... Present throughout. Only five were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 15^th but as always with this species the actual number present is likely to have been higher.

Eurasian Coot... Present throughout with 165 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 15^th.

Eurasian Oystercatcher… Present throughout with ten counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 15^th.

Eurasian Oystercatchers, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Steve Groves

Pied Avocet... Three on the 8^th.

Pied Avocets, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Joe Stockwell

Northern Lapwing... Present throughout with 21 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 15^th.

Common Ringed Plover... Singles on the 4^th, 13^th and 25^th.

Little Ringed Plover... Two to three were present from the 2^nd to the 4^th; one on the 14^th’15^th and two on the 22^nd.

Little Ringed Plover, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Joe Stockwell

Little Ringed Plover, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Steve Groves

Whimbrel... Two on the 5^th and one on the 11^th.

Eurasian Curlew... Singles were seen, or at least heard, regularly between the 4^th and 22^nd but three were present on the 27^th.

Black-tailed Godwit... Seen regularly with peaks of nine on the 3^rd and 26^th.

Black-tailed Godwit, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Joe Stockwell

Black-tailed Godwit (& Northern Lapwing) Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 

© Steve Groves

Ruddy Turnstone... Two were present from the 23^rd to the 25^th and again on the 30^th.

Ruddy Turnstones, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Steve Groves

Red Knot... Two on the 24^th.

Ruff... Singles were present from the 2^nd to the 4^th and on the 12^th.

Ruff & Little Ringed Plover,  Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Joe Stockwell

Curlew Sandpiper... Two on the 19^th.

Sanderling... Two or three were present daily between the 23^rd and 27^th.

Dunlin... Seen regularly with a peak of over 70 on the 24^th.

Dunlins,  Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Charlie Wheeler

Common Snipe... One on the 4^th.

Common Sandpiper… Seen virtually daily with a peak of 13 on the 31^st.

Common Sandpiper,  Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Joe Stockwell

Common Sandpiper, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Steve Groves

Green Sandpiper… Singles were seen regularly but two were present on the 2^nd and 27^th.

Common Redshank... Up to four were seen regularly.

Wood Sandpiper... One on the 4^th.

Spotted Redshank... One seen on the 27^th was the first since April 2017.

Common Greenshank… One on the 10^th.

Black-headed Gull... Present throughout with 460 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 15^th.

Mediterranean Gull... Seen regularly with peaks of at least ten on several dates.

Mediterranean Gull (Juv.),  Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Joe Stockwell

Common Gull... Rather unseasonably one, sometimes two, were seen fairly regularly.

Great Black-backed Gull... Present throughout with at least 60 present on the 29^th.

European Herring Gull... Present throughout, with at least ten together on the 29^th.

Yellow-legged Gull... Single juveniles were seen regularly.

Yellow-legged Gull (Juv.), Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Steve Groves

Lesser Black-backed Gull... Seen regularly in the latter half of the month at least with a peak of over five on the 29^th.

Sandwich Tern... Seen regularly with a peak of at least four on the 4^th.

Sandwich Tern & Common Tern,  Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Joe Stockwell

Common Tern... Present throughout with 180 counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 15^th.

Common Tern (Juv.), Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Joe Stockwell

Arctic Tern... Single second calendar years were seen on the 10^th and 27^th.

Arctic Tern (2cy.), Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Joe Stockwell

‘Feral Pigeon’... Seen regularly.

Stock Dove... Single figures were seen regularly.

Common Wood Pigeon... Present throughout.

Eurasian Collared Dove... Present throughout.

Western Barn Owl... There were regular sightings of at least two individuals.

Tawny Owl... Seen or at least heard regularly and breeding was confirmed with the sighting of a recently fledged juvenile.

Little Owl... One was heard on the 5^th, the first since August 2016.

Common Swift... Single figures were seen regularly but at least ten were seen on the 30^th.

Common Kingfisher... Singles were seen fairly regularly but three were present on the 21^st.

Great Spotted Woodpecker... Seen regularly.

European Green Woodpecker... Seen regularly.

Common Kestrel... One or two were seen regularly but five were present on the 19^th.

Eurasian Hobby... One flew over on the 10^th.

Peregrine Falcon... Two were seen together on the 17^th/18^th while singles were seen on the 23^rd and 27^th.

Eurasian Magpie... Present throughout.

Western Jackdaw... Present throughout.

Rook... Present throughout.

Carrion Crow... Present throughout.

Coal Tit... Present throughout.

Eurasian Blue Tit... Present throughout.

Great Tit... Present throughout.

Eurasian Skylark... Present throughout.

Sand Martin... Seen regularly with a peak of at least 350 on the 17^th.

Barn Swallow... Present throughout, with a peak of at least 300 on the 17^th.

Common House Martin... Seen regularly, with a peak of over 50 on the 17^th.

Cetti's Warbler... Present throughout.

Long-tailed Tit... Present throughout.

Willow Warbler... The first returning bird was seen on the 24^th and there were then regular sightings with a peak of at least ten on the 31^st.

Common Chiffchaff... Present throughout.

Sedge Warbler... Present throughout, with at least ten present daily in the final week.

Eurasian Reed Warbler... Present throughout.

Common Grasshopper Warbler... One on the 25^th.

Eurasian Blackcap... Present throughout.

Common Whitethroat... Present throughout.

Goldcrest... Present throughout.

Eurasian Wren... Present throughout.

Eurasian Nuthatch... One arrived on the 15^th and was then seen, or at least heard, regularly through the rest of the month.

Eurasian Treecreeper... Present throughout.

Common Starling... Surprisingly scarce with a flock of at least 20 seen on the 4^th and eight seen on the 10^th.

Common Blackbird... Present throughout.

Song Thrush... Present throughout.

European Robin... Present throughout.

House Sparrow... Present throughout.

Dunnock... Present throughout.

Western Yellow Wagtail... The first returning bird was seen on the 4^th and there were then regular sightings of singles through the rest of the month.

Pied Wagtail... Present throughout.

Common Chaffinch... Present throughout.

Eurasian Bullfinch... Seen or at least heard regularly.

European Greenfinch... One or two were seen regularly.

Common Linnet... Present throughout.

European Goldfinch... Present throughout.

European Goldfinch (Juv.), Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Steve Groves

Eurasian Siskin... An unseasonable bird was heard on the 27^th..

Common Reed Bunting... Present throughout.

... And that's it for this month except to say thanks to my work colleagues and volunteers for additional sightings and additional images, particularly Joe Stockwell and Charlie Wheeler but also Alan Barrett, Kev Butler, Phil Jenks and Jonny White.



I'll leave you with some other wildlife images from The Swannery during July 2018...

European (Common) Toad, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Steve Groves

European Grass Snake, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Charlie Wheeler

Gatekeeper, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Charlie Wheeler

Comma, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Charlie Wheeler

Common Blue, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Charlie Wheeler

Common Blue, Abbotsbury Swannery, July 2018 © Charlie Wheeler

August's sightings to follow shortly.