JUNE 2011 BIRD NOTES

June Highlights: Black-throated Diver, Little Egret, Common Scoter and Osprey.

Last month’s first summer Black-throated Diver was last seen on 12^th, it obviously moved on despite being into its moult. A Little Egret was seen in flight on 22^nd, then landed at Paul Stanley Hide, and was still on site near the Wildlife Centre (WLC) on 30^th. Great Crested Grebe had 3 broods by the end of the month, each with 1 young and a Mute Swan pair have 6 cygnets, usually seen being displayed to the WLC.  Barnacle Geese have again failed breeding and the birds have left site. Mallard added 8 broods this month, taking the total to 17 broods this year, well above an average year. The first Tufted Duck brood appeared at Sheepwash on 25^th and another on 29^th, although the latter brood seemed parentless at the time of observation. Moorhen showed 2 broods by 11^th and Coot 3 broods by 15^th, which is low compared with the past few years. Notable counts included 47 Great Crested Grebe on 15^th, 7 Heron on 29^th, 343 Canada Geese on 20^th, a hybrid drake Shelduck/Mallard cross from 20^th, a drake Wigeon on 7^th, 3 Teal on 29^th, 98 Mallard on 15^th, a drake Pintail from 3^rd to 7^th, a pair of Red-crested Pochard from last month to 7^th, 2 drake Pochard from 1^st to 8^th and 171 Tufted Duck and 142 Coot on 15^th. Five drake Common Scoter flew in early on 29^th and were joined briefly by 2 others in the afternoon.

Raptor records included a Sparrowhawk carrying prey on 11^th and on several subsequent days, all into the same woodland area. A Common Buzzard was causing chaos with the breeding Black-headed Gulls and Common Tern on Flat Island on 21^st and 5 Buzzard were in the air on 8^th and 16^th. An Osprey flew southwest over the dam wall at 0828hrs on 1^st and a Peregrine was seen on 15^th, 22^nd and 27^th.

Wader breeding so far this year is; only 2 Oystercatcher broods and another pair still sitting, at least 6 broods of Lapwing, which is better than recent years, and 3 broods of Redshank. Other waders recorded include a Ringed Plover on Stones Island on 30^th, a Sanderling on Sheepwash Spit on 9^th, 9 Dunlin at Sheepwash on 16^th, 18 Black-tailed Godwit at the WLC on 28^th and another 13 on 30^th and 2 Curlew and 2 Common Sandpiper on 29^th.

Black-headed Gull nests at the WLC were 7 on the tern raft and at least 3 on HorseshoeIsland. On 29^th, 19 chicks were noted in broods of 3+2+2 on the raft and 4+3+2+2 on the island, many of these were from the raft. Three nests at Sheepwash had failed on 1^st, most likely by fox predation. The number of nests on Flat Island is not known, but young at one nest could be seen on 15^th and 61 Black-headed Gulls roosted there on 3^rd. Lesser Black-backed Gull numbers are beginning to build up towards the end of the day, with 10 on 20^th and 120 on 29^th. A second summer Yellow-legged Gull was on Horseshoe Island on 29^th. The pair of Common Terns breeding on Flat Island had probably failed by 20^th.

A Collared Dove nest in the Visitor Centre car park had 2 big young in it on 5^th and cars parked within feet of it on two sides. A Barn Owl was around Sheepwash on 25^th, 200 Swift went through on 5^th, a Kingfisher was at Millfields on 16^th and 23^rd and a Green Woodpecker at Millfields on 13^th. Three pairs of Swallow are breeding in the Millfields area and there are 18 House Martin nests around the Visitor Centre. A Grey Wagtail family were on Stones Island on 20^th, a Redstart family in WLC Creek also on 20^th, a Sedge Warbler singing in the WLC reeds from 7-29^th, a pair of Reed Warbler feeding a nest in Hopton Arm reedbed on 26^th, a Lesser Whitethroat family in WLC Creek on 30^th, 4 Whitethroat pairs reported breeding, 3 Willow tit families noted, the local Raven pair with 2 juveniles successfully in the air on 11^th, 6 Raven flew over on 29^th and 11 active/used House Sparrow nests were found around the Visitor Centre on 1^st.

95 Species this month compared with 87 in June 2010, 93 in 2009, 91 in 2008, 93 in 2007 and 89 in 2006.