Abbotsbury Swannery Bird Sightings - March 2023...

 Highlights...

There were no site firsts or national rarities this month but there a were a couple of county rarities in the form of two new in Whooper Swans. Also noteworthy for the site were a pair of Garganey, singles of Common Scoter, Goldeneye and Water Pipit and at least forty-four Cattle Egrets (a former rarity but now relatively abundant). 

Whooper Swans, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2023, Steve Groves.

The Month's Bird News In Full...

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

Brent Goose... Two (of the Russian form bernicla) lingered briefly on the 13th.

Canada Goose... Present throughout. Twenty-three were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th.

Greylag Goose... One lingered from the 20th to the 22nd.

Greylag Goose, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2023, Steve Groves.

Black Swan... One was regularly encountered.

Mute Swan... Present throughout. Three-hundred-and-ninety-two were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th.

Whooper Swan... The resident (presumed escape) was present throughout and was joined by two (presumed wild) birds from the 18th to the 20th.

Whooper Swans, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2023, Joe Stockwell

Shelduck... Present throughout. The highest counts were of thirty-plus on the 15th and 26th.

Garganey... A pair were present on the 28th.

Shoveler...  Present throughout. The highest count was of eighty-five on the 5th.

Gadwall...  One on the 9th and two on the 10th. 

Wigeon... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of ten-plus on the 8th.

Mallard... Present throughout. One-hundred-and-fifty-two were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th.

Pintail... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of sixty-eight on the 19th.

Teal... Present throughout. The highest count was of one-hundred-and-fifty-plus on the 10th.

Pochard... Present throughout. Forty-two were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th.

Tufted Duck... Present throughout. Sixty-five were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th.

Common Scoter... A second-calendar-year female was present from the 20th to the 26th.

Goldeneye... The second-calendar-year male that arrived in February, lingered to the 6th.

Red-breasted Merganser... Present throughout. The highest count was of twenty-three-plus on the 10th.

Pheasant... Present throughout.

Red-legged Partridge... One was noted on the 6th.

Domestic/Feral Pigeon... Present throughout.

Stock Dove... At least one was present on the 26th.

Woodpigeon... Present throughout. 

Collared Dove... Present throughout.

Water Rail... Present throughout.

Moorhen... Present throughout. Nine were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th.

Coot... Present throughout. One-hundred-and-seventy were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 12th.

Little Grebe... Present throughout. The highest count was of eleven on the 4th. 

Great Crested Grebe... Present throughout. The highest count was of eleven-plus on the 26th. 

Oystercatcher...  At least four were present throughout. 

Lapwing... Present from the 1st to the 15th. The highest count was of five-hundred-plus on the 4th.

Golden Plover... Noted regularly from the 17th to the 24th. The highest count was of one-hundred-and-twenty on the 19th.

Grey Plover... One was present on the 16th (the first since September 2022).

Ringed Plover... One was present on the 26th.

Whimbrel... One was present on the 27th (the first since August 2022).

Curlew... One or two were noted regularly but four were seen on the 28th.

Black-tailed Godwit... One on the 26th was followed by twenty-seven on the 29th.

Dunlin... Noted regularly. The highest count was of five on the 10th.

Snipe... Present throughout. The highest count was of nine on the 29th.

Common Sandpiper... At least one of the two over-wintering birds was noted regularly.

Redshank... Present throughout. The highest count was of twenty-plus on the 21st.

Kittiwake... One (second-calendar-year) was present on the 29th.

Black-headed Gull... Present throughout. The highest count was of four-hundred-and-thirty on the 12th.

Mediterranean Gull... Present throughout. The highest count was of three-hundred-plus on the 15th.

Common Gull... Present throughout. The highest count was of one-thousand-plus on the 12th. 

Great Black-backed Gull... Present throughout. The highest count was of twenty-plus on the 31st.

Herring Gull... Present throughout. The highest count was of four-hundred-plus on the 5th.

Lesser Black-backed Gull... Regularly encountered. Counts of ten-plus were recorded on four dates.

Sandwich Tern... The first of the year was seen on the 18th and there were then regular sightings with counts of over twenty from the 25th.

Sandwich Tern, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2023, Steve Groves.

Cormorant... Present throughout. The highest count was of thirty-four on the 22nd. Individuals of both the coastal carbo, and inland sinensis forms were noted.

Cattle Egret... Present throughout. The highest count was of forty-four-plus on the 13th.

Cattle Egrets, Abbotsbury Swannery, March 2023, Steve Groves.

Grey Heron... Single figures were seen regularly.

Little Egret... Present throughout. The highest count was of nine plus on the 24th.

Sparrowhawk... One was noted on the 22nd and two on the 26th.

Marsh Harrier... One or two, were seen regularly.

Red Kite... Single figures were seen regularly.

Buzzard... Single figures were seen regularly.

Barn Owl... One was noted on the 13th.

Little Owl... One was heard regularly at the adjacent Grove Lane, from the 10th to the 28th.

Tawny Owl... At least one was heard regularly.

Kingfisher... One was noted on the 7th. 

Great Spotted Woodpecker... One or two were regularly encountered.         

Green Woodpecker... Singles on the 1st and 23rd.              

Kestrel... Single figures were seen regularly.

Peregrine... Singles were seen on the 23rd and 29th.

Magpie... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Jackdaw... Present throughout.

Rook... Present throughout.

Carrion Crow... Present throughout.

Raven... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Coal Tit... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Blue Tit... Present throughout.

Great Tit... Present throughout.

Skylark... Present throughout.

Sand Martin... The first two of the year were seen on the 17th and there then regular sightings. The highest count was of seven on the 29th.

Swallow... Four (the first of the year) were seen on the 29th.

Cetti's Warbler... Present throughout.

Long-tailed Tit... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Willow Warbler... The first of the year was noted on the 27th.

Chiffchaff... Single figures were regularly encountered until the 17th when at least thirty were present. There were then regularly double figure counts with the highest count of fifty plus noted on the 27th.

Blackcap... Singles were noted on the 19th and 23rd.

Firecrest... One or two were seen regularly.

Goldcrest... Present throughout.

Wren... Present throughout.

Treecreeper... One or two were seen regularly.

Starling... Double figures were regularly encountered in the first half of the month but there were only single figures thereafter.

Song Thrush... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Mistle Thrush... A pair were seen regularly on the outskirts of the recording area.

Redwing... One on the 9th only.

Blackbird... Present throughout.

Robin... Present throughout. 

Stonechat... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Wheatear... At least three were seen on the 15th and one on the 19th.

House Sparrow... Single figures were regularly encountered around the cottages at adjacent Grove Lane.

Dunnock... Present throughout.

Grey Wagtail... One on the 2nd only.

Pied Wagtail... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Meadow Pipit... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Water Pipit... Singles on the 2nd and 8th.

Rock Pipit... One or two were regularly encountered.

Chaffinch... Present throughout.

Greenfinch... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Linnet... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Goldfinch... Present throughout.

Siskin... Singles were noted on four dates.

Reed Bunting... Present throughout.     

And that's it for this post except to thank my colleagues, Joe Stockwell, Charlie Wheeler and Kev Butler for additional sightings; and Alan Barrett, Ian McLean and Nick Urch for carrying out the WeBS. 

April 2023 bird news to follow soon...