Highlights...
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| Leach's Storm Petrel, Abbotsbury Swannery, November 2022 © Steve Groves |
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| Scaup (1cy female), Abbotsbury Swannery, November 2022 © Joe Stockwell |
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| Great Northern Diver, Abbotsbury Swannery, November 2022 © Joe Stockwell |
More details of the above highlights and the rest of this month's sightings...
Russian Brent Goose... One on the 1st and nine on the 27th.
Canada Goose... Present throughout. The highest count was of at least two hundred on the 3rd.
Black Swan... From one to three were noted regularly.
Mute Swan... Present throughout. Fifty-five were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 13th.
Whooper Swan... The resident (presumed escape) was present throughout.
Shelduck... Present throughout. The highest count was of twenty-one on the 19th.
Shoveler... Present throughout. The highest counts were of at least one hundred on the 14th and 21st.
Gadwall... Noted on three dates, with one on the 1st, eight on the 14th and two on the 30th.
Wigeon... Regularly encountered. The highest counts were of at least one hundred on the 1st and 9th.
Mallard... Present throughout. Three hundred and thirty were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 13th.
Pintail... Regularly encountered. The highest counts were of at least one hundred on the 1st and 2nd.
Teal... Present throughout. The highest counts were of at least four hundred on the 13th and 21st.
Pochard... Virtually present throughout. The highest counts were of at least two hundred and fifty on the 29th and 30th.
Tufted Duck... Present throughout. The highest count was of at least seventy on the 15th.
Scaup... Last month's adult female was present on the 3rd and 4th but was not seen again until the 11th when she was accompanied by a first calendar year (no doubt last month's bird too). Both were then noted again on the 14th, but none were seen subsequently.
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| Common Scoter (1cy female), Abbotsbury Swannery, November 2022 © Steve Groves |
Red-breasted Merganser... One, the first since April, was seen on the 13th and there were then regular sightings with the highest count of nine noted on the 17th.
Pheasant... Present throughout.
Red-legged Partridge... A covey of seven were regularly encountered.
Domestic/Feral Pigeon... Present throughout.
Woodpigeon... Present throughout. Overhead movements of between two hundred and five hundred, at least, were noted on five dates between the 3rd and the 16th but an incredible twenty-two thousand five hundred were logged on the 4th.
Collared Dove... Present throughout.
Water Rail... Regularly heard, with at least two seen on the 29th.
Moorhen... Present throughout. Six were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 13th.
Coot... Present throughout. Seventy were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 13th.
Little Grebe... Present throughout. Sixteen were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 13th.
Great Crested Grebe... Present throughout. Fourteen were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 13th.
Black-necked Grebe... Singles were noted on the 15th, the 29th and 30th.
Oystercatcher... One was noted on the 18th.
Lapwing... Regularly encountered. The highest counts were of at least one hundred on several dates from the 13th to the 26th.
Golden Plover... Seven were noted on the 15th (the first since September).
Ringed Plover... Two were noted on the 3rd (the first since September).
Curlew... One was noted on the 15th.
Black-tailed Godwit... Singles were noted on the 27th and the 29th.
Turnstone... One was noted on the 2nd.
Knot... One was noted on the 15th and three on the 21st.
Dunlin... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of fifty-five on the 3rd.
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| Dunlins, Abbotsbury Swannery, November 2022 © Steve Groves |
Snipe... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of at least twenty on the 30th.
Common Sandpiper... Singles were regularly encountered but there were two present on three dates.
Redshank... One or two were noted on four dates from the 26th.
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| Redshank, Abbotsbury Swannery, November 2022 © Steve Groves |
Kittiwake... At least ten were noted during stormy conditions on the 2nd, with singles then seen on a further five dates.
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| Black-headed Gull, Abbotsbury Swannery, November 2022 © Steve Groves |
Common Gull... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of at least seventy on the 20th.
Great Black-backed Gull... Present throughout. The highest count was of at least eighty on the 1st.
Herring Gull... Present throughout. The highest counts were of at least one hundred on the 1st and 29th.
Lesser Black-backed Gull... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of at least one hundred and twenty south on the 4th, a site record.
Arctic Skua... One was seen on the 8th (the first site record since November 2019).
Great Northern Diver... One circled over then flew southeast on the 7th (the first site record since May 2021).
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| Great Northern Diver, Abbotsbury Swannery, November 2022 © Joe Stockwell |
Leach's Storm Petrel... Singles were seen on the 1st, 2nd and 8th (the first site records since November 2009!).
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| Leach's Storm Petrel, Abbotsbury Swannery, November 2022 © Steve Groves |
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| Leach's Storm Petrel, Abbotsbury Swannery, November 2022 © Steve Groves |
Gannet... One was seen on the 2nd (the first since September).
Cormorant... Present throughout. Twelve were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 13th.
Shag... One was seen on the 10th (the first site record since December 2019).
Cattle Egret... Present throughout. The highest count was of fifty-three on the 28th.
Grey Heron... Single figures were present throughout.
Little Egret... Present throughout. Four were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 13th.
Sparrowhawk... Singles were seen on the 15th and 18th.
Marsh Harrier... At least one, sometimes two, were seen regularly.Buzzard... Single figures were present throughout.
Barn Owl... Two were seen on the 29th, with singles noted on a further two dates.
Little Owl... One was heard on the 14th.
Tawny Owl... Singles were heard on the 11th and 18th.
Kingfisher... One or two were regularly encountered.
Great Spotted Woodpecker... One or two were regularly encountered.
Kestrel... Single figures were present throughout.
Merlin... Two were seen on the 11th.
Peregrine... One was noted on the 9th.
Magpie... Single figures were seen regularly.
Jackdaw... Present throughout.
Rook... Present throughout.
Carrion Crow... Present throughout.
Raven... Single figures were seen regularly.
Coal Tit... One or two at least were regularly encountered.
Blue Tit... Present throughout.
Great Tit... Present throughout.
Skylark... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of at least four hundred and eighty over on the 4th.
Cetti's Warbler... Present throughout.
Long-tailed Tit... Regularly encountered.
Chiffchaff... Single figures were regularly encountered.
Blackcap... One was noted on the 12th.
Firecrest... One was noted on the 30th.
Goldcrest... Present throughout.Wren... Present throughout.
Treecreeper... Regularly encountered.
Starling... Present throughout. The evening roost had built up to at least twenty thousand by mid-month.
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| Starlings, Abbotsbury Swannery, November 2022 © Charlie Wheeler |
Song Thrush... Regularly encountered.
Mistle Thrush... Five were seen on the 4th and one on the 15th.
Redwing... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of ten on the 19th.
Blackbird... Present throughout.
Robin... Present throughout.
Stonechat... Single figures were regularly encountered.
House Sparrow... Regularly encountered around the cottages in the adjacent Grove Lane.
Dunnock... Present throughout.
Grey Wagtail... At least one was regularly encountered.
Pied Wagtail... Present throughout, with a nightly roost of around fifty.
Meadow Pipit... Present throughout. The highest count was of at least twenty on the 3rd.
Water Pipit... At least one was encountered intermittently.
Rock Pipit... At least one was regularly encountered.
Chaffinch... Present throughout.
Brambling... Two were noted on the 4th (the first since November 2021).
Bullfinch... Three were seen on the 4th and one was heard on the 26th.
Greenfinch... Single figures were regularly encountered.
Linnet... Regularly encountered.
Lesser Redpoll... Five were seen on the 4th and one on the 18th.
Goldfinch... Present throughout.
Siskin... Twelve were seen on the 4th.
Yellowhammer... One was seen on the 4th (the first since November 2021).
Reed Bunting... Present throughout.
And that's it for this post except to thank my colleagues, Joe Stockwell, Charlie Wheeler, Kev Butler and Phil Jenks for additional sightings; Alan Barrett, Ian McLean and Nick Urch for carrying out the WeBS and an extra big thanks to Charlie, Joe and Kev for the use of their photos.
December 2022 bird news to follow soon...
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| Chapel Hill & Abbotsbury Swannery, November 2022 © Kev Butler |
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