Abbotsbury Swannery Bird Sightings - February 2023...

 Highlights...

There were no national rarities, county rarities or site firsts this month but noteworthy were a Goldeneye (now unfortunately a site rarity), three Scaup (heading the same way) and at least forty-four Cattle Egrets (a former rarity but now relatively abundant). Whilst, three White-tailed Eagles would have got top billing if they hadn't been released birds from the Isle of Wight.

The Month's Bird News In Full...

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

Brent Goose... Five (of the Russian form bernicla) circled over on the 16th.

Canada Goose... Present throughout. Sixty-five were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Black Swan... One was regularly encountered.

Mute Swan... Present throughout. Three-hundred-and-thirty-one were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Whooper Swan... The resident (presumed escape) was present throughout.

Shelduck... Present throughout. The highest count was of eighty-plus on the 10th.

Shoveler...  Present throughout. The highest count was of one-hundred-and-twenty-plus on the 8th.

Gadwall...  One on the 28th only.

Wigeon... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of forty-plus on the 13th.

Mallard... Present throughout. One-hundred-and-forty were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Pintail... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of twenty-plus on the 1st.

Teal... Present throughout. The highest count was of three-hundred-and-fifty-plus on the 1st.

Pochard... Present throughout. Ninety were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Tufted Duck... Present throughout. The highest count was of eighty-plus on the 7th.

Scaup... Three (an adult female and two second calendar year females) were present on the 1st only.

Goldeneye... One (believed to be a second calendar year male) was present from the 13th to the end of the month. The first (of this once common winter visitor), since November 2021.

Red-breasted Merganser... Present throughout. The highest count was of twenty-four on the 8th.

Red-breasted Merganser & Black-headed Gull, Abbotsbury Swannery,
February 2023 © Steve Groves

Pheasant... Present throughout.

Red-legged Partridge... Up to five were noted regularly.

Domestic/Feral Pigeon... Present throughout.

Woodpigeon... Present throughout. 

Collared Dove... Present throughout.

Water Rail... Present throughout.

Moorhen... Present throughout. Eleven were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Coot... Present throughout. Two-hundred-and-eighty-five were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Little Grebe... Present throughout. The highest count was of eighteen on the 2nd. 

Great Crested Grebe... Present throughout. Eleven were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Oystercatcher...  Present throughout. Eight were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Lapwing... Present throughout. Two-thousand-plus were noted on several dates.

Golden Plover... From one to four were noted on four dates. 

Ringed Plover... One was present on the 20th.

Curlew... One or two were noted regularly from the 23rd to the end of the month.

Curlews, Abbotsbury Swannery, February 2023 © Steve Groves

Black-tailed Godwit... One on the 21st only.

Turnstone... One on the 1st only.

Dunlin... One on the 3rd only.

Snipe... Present throughout. The highest count was of twelve-plus on the 2nd.

Common Sandpiper... At least one of the two over-wintering birds was noted regularly but both were seen on two dates.

Redshank... Present throughout. The highest count was of seven-plus on the 3rd.

Black-headed Gull... Present throughout. The highest count was of one-thousand-plus on the 21st.

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

Common Gull... Present throughout. The highest count was of four-thousand-plus on the 20th. in addition, a first winter showing characters of the Russian form heinei was seen on the 20th/21st.

Great Black-backed Gull... Single figures were present throughout.

Herring Gull... Present throughout. The highest count was of four-hundred-plus on the 20th.

Lesser Black-backed Gull... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of twelve on the 16th. All those identified to subspecies were of the British form graellsii.

Cormorant... Present throughout. The highest count was of eighteen on the 14th. However, the regular roost was not counted and around fifty would normally be expected in February. Individuals of both the Atlantic carbo, and Eurasian sinensis forms were noted.

Cattle Egret... Present throughout. The highest count was of forty-four-plus on the 20th.

Grey Heron... Present throughout. The highest count was of five on the 19th.

Little Egret... Present throughout. Ten were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 19th.

Sparrowhawk... Singles were noted on the 6th and 21st.

Marsh Harrier... One or two, were seen regularly but three were noted on the 19th.

Marsh Harrier, Abbotsbury Swannery, February 2023 © Steve Groves

Red Kite... One or two were regularly encountered.

White-tailed Eagle... Three immature birds (presumably released individuals from the Isle-Of-Wight reintroduction project) flew north west on the 23rd. This is the first sight record for the site but several have been tracked via radio tags in the area previously.

Buzzard... Present throughout.

Barn Owl... Singles were seen on the 3rd and 7th.

Tawny Owl... One to three were heard regularly.

Kingfisher... One to three were regularly encountered until the 15th. 

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

Kestrel... Present throughout.

Merlin... One was seen on the 21st.

Peregrine... Singles were seen on the 12th and 16th.

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... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Cetti's Warbler... Present throughout.

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

Chiffchaff... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Firecrest... At least one was regularly encountered.

Goldcrest... Present throughout.

Wren... Present throughout.

Treecreeper... At least one was regularly encountered.  

Starling... Present throughout. The large roost that was present in February was not checked but was presumably still ongoing in the first part of the month at least. Otherwise, a flock of twenty-plus were seen regularly foraging in the adjacent meadows.

Song Thrush... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Mistle Thrush... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Redwing... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of fifty-plus on the 12th.

Blackbird... Present throughout.

Robin... Present throughout. 

Stonechat... Single figures were regularly encountered.

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

Dunnock... Present throughout.

Grey Wagtail... One or two were regularly encountered. 

Pied Wagtail... Single figures were regularly encountered.

Meadow Pipit... Single figures were regularly encountered.

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... One on the 2nd only.

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. 

March 2023 bird news to follow soon...

Abbotsbury Swannery Bird Sightings - January 2023...

 Highlights...

There were no national, county or site rarities this month but less than annual visitors were a Common Scoter, up to seven Kittiwakes and up to thirty-six Cattle Egrets, whilst along with the latter species, three Scaup were scarce enough to feature on the rare bird information services. 

Scaup (ad. ♀), Abbotsbury Swannery, January 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... Small flocks of up to thirty were seen flying west on five dates but the only settled birds were two on the 20th. All those identified to subspecies were of the Russian form.

Canada Goose... Present throughout. The highest count was of at least two hundred on the 28th.  

Black Swan... One to three were regularly encountered.

Mute Swan... Present throughout. Three hundred and ten were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 22nd.

Whooper Swan... The resident (presumed escape) was present throughout.

Shelduck... Present throughout. The highest count was of thirty-two on the 5th.

Shoveler...  Present throughout. The highest count was of at least eighty on the 18th.

Shoveler (♂), Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2023 © Steve Groves

Gadwall...  One on the 28th only.

Wigeon... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of at least ten on the 25th.

Mallard... Present throughout. Three hundred and sixty were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 22nd.

Pintail... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of sixteen on the 25th.

Teal... Present throughout. The highest count was of at least three hundred on the 4th.

Pochard... Present throughout. The highest count was of three hundred and seventy on the 22nd.

Tufted Duck... Present throughout. The highest counts were of at least one hundred and fifty on the 22nd and 29th.

Scaup... An adult female was present on the 14th and again on the 18th accompanied by two second calendar year females. All three then lingered to the end of the month.

Scaup (1cy ♀ & ad.♀), Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2023 © Steve Groves

Common Scoter... A second calendar year female was seen regularly from the 1st to the 7th.

Common Scoter (1cy ♀), Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2023 © Steve Groves

Red-breasted Merganser... Present throughout. The highest count was of at least twenty on the 31st.

Pheasant... Present throughout.

Red-legged Partridge... Up to six were noted on three dates.

Domestic/Feral Pigeon... Present throughout.

Stock Dove... One on the 24th only.

Woodpigeon... Present throughout. 

Collared Dove... Present throughout.

Water Rail... Present throughout.

Moorhen... Present throughout. Six were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 22nd.

Coot... Present throughout. Five hundred and sixty were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 22nd.

Little Grebe... Up to twenty were present throughout. 

Great Crested Grebe... Up to ten were present throughout.  

Great Crested Grebes, Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2023 © Steve Groves

Oystercatcher...  One or two were noted on three dates.

Lapwing...  Present throughout. The highest counts were of at least two thousand on the 30th and 31st. These are the highest site counts for at least twenty years!

Golden Plover...  Regular from the 17th to the 30th. The highest count was of at least sixty on the former date.

Ringed Plover... One was present from the 22nd to the 27th.

Black-tailed Godwit... One on the 25th only.

Turnstone... One on the 19th and six on the 27th.

Dunlin... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of at least eight on the 2nd.

Dunlins, Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2023 © Steve Groves

Snipe... Present throughout. The highest count was of forty on the 22nd.

Common Sandpiper... At least one was regularly encountered.

Redshank... Present throughout. The highest count was of at least nine on the 13th.

Redshank, Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2023 © Steve Groves

Kittiwake... Three were present on the 3rd and singles were noted on the 7th, 8th, 12th and 13th.

Black-headed Gull... Present throughout. The highest count was of at least two hundred on the 13th.

Mediterranean Gull... Regularly encountered. The highest counts were of at least five hundred on the 3rd and 13th.

Common Gull... Present throughout. The highest counts were of at least one thousand on the 4th and 5th.

Great Black-backed Gull... Present throughout. The highest count was of at least forty on the 12th.

Herring Gull... Present throughout. The highest count was of at least three hundred on the 29th.

Lesser Black-backed Gull... Regularly encountered, albeit in single figures. All those identified to subspecies were of the British form.

Cormorant... Present throughout. Six were counted during the Wetland Bird Survey on the 11th. However, the regular roost was not counted and around fifty would normally be expected in January. Individuals of both the Atlantic and Eurasian forms were noted.

Cattle Egret... Present throughout. The highest count was of thirty-six on the 31st.

Grey Heron... Present throughout, albeit in single figures.

Little Egret... Present throughout. The highest count was of eight on the 5th.

Sparrowhawk... One was noted on the 22nd.

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

Red Kite... One at least, was regularly encountered.

Buzzard... Present throughout, albeit in single figures.

Barn Owl... One was seen on the 9th.

Kingfisher... One or two were regularly encountered. 

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

Kestrel... Up to two at least were present throughout.

Magpie... Up to three were seen regularly.

Jackdaw... Present throughout.

Rook... Present throughout.

Carrion Crow... Present throughout.

Raven... Regularly encountered.

Coal Tit... One or two at least were regularly encountered.

Blue Tit... Present throughout.

Great Tit... Present throughout.

Skylark... One was noted on the 30th.

Cetti's Warbler... Present throughout, at least three were noted on the 24th.

Long-tailed Tit... Regularly encountered. 

Chiffchaff... One or two at least were regularly encountered.

Firecrest... One was noted on the 29th and 31st.

Goldcrest... One or two at least were regularly encountered.

Wren... Present throughout.

Treecreeper... At least one was regularly encountered.  

Starling... Present throughout. At least twenty-five thousand roosted nightly.

Song Thrush... One or two at least were regularly encountered.

Mistle Thrush... One was noted on the 2nd and two on the 21st.

Redwing... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of at least four on the 26th.

Blackbird... Present throughout.

Fieldfare... Two were seen on the 29th.

Robin... Present throughout. 

Stonechat... One or two at least were regularly encountered.

House Sparrow... Regularly encountered around the cottages at adjacent Grove Lane but one was seen in the lower grounds on the 23rd.

Dunnock... Present throughout.

Grey Wagtail... One was noted on the 16th. 

Pied Wagtail... Present throughout. 

Meadow Pipit... Present throughout. The highest count was of at least ten on the 2nd.

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

Rock Pipit, Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2023 © Steve Groves

Chaffinch... Present throughout.

Bullfinch... One was noted on the 31st.

Greenfinch... Regularly encountered. The highest count was of at least four on the 29th.

Goldfinch... Present throughout.

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; Alan Barrett, Ian McLean and Nick Urch for carrying out the WeBS. 

February 2023 bird news to follow soon...