Bird Notes May 2022 – Carsington Bird Club

May 2022 BIRD NOTES

HIGHLIGHTS: Great Northern Diver, Red-necked Grebe, Osprey, Green Sandpiper, Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher and Pied Flycatcher.

Water bird maxima were from the WeBS count on 14^th unless dated otherwise. 11 Mute Swan, 1 Pink-footed Goose reported on 7 dates within the first half of the month, 24 Greylag Goose, 153 Canada Goose, 13 Barnacle Goose 23^rd, 6 Shelduck 6^th, 2 Mandarin 3^rd, 12 Wigeon 3^rd, 17 Gadwall 7^th, 2 Teal 5^th, 65 Mallard, 4 Pochard 1^st, 60 Tufted Duck, 2 Goldeneye 7^th and 14^th, 2 Goosander 2^nd, the Great Northern Diver departed as expected early in the month (last seen on 6^th), 6 Little Grebe, 81 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Red-necked Grebes reported up till 4^th and then a single bird till the 12^th,when this individual also departed, 21 Cormorant 19^th, 2 Little Egret reported on 10 occasions within the month, 5 Grey Heron 3^rd and 14^th, 14 Moorhen, 74 Coot, 1 Kingfisher 18^th. Brood numbers included 13 Greylag, 10 Canada, 12 Mallard, 1 Moorhen, 5 Coot. Mute Swans also noted sitting on nests

Raptor sightings included 2 Red Kite on 7 dates, 2 Sparrowhawk 5^th,10^th and 30^th, 8 Buzzards 5^th and 10^th, 1 Osprey 4^th, 12^th and 13^th, 2 Kestrel 8^th, 12^th and 19^th, a single Hobby 18^th, 1 Peregrine 2^nd, 6^th and 10^th.

Thirteen species of waders through this month with 8 Oystercatcher on 6 different dates, 6 Ringed Plover 3^rd, 3 Lapwing 21^st, 3 Sanderling 10^th, 6 Dunlin 10^th, 2 Common Snipe 1^st, 5 Black-tailed Godwit 15^th, 5 Whimbrel 3^rd, Single Curlew noted on 9 occasions, 6 Redshank 10^th, 1 Green Sandpiper 3^rd, 4 Common Sandpiper 5^th, 4 Turnstone 3^rd.

Maximum Gull numbers were 1 Mediterranean Gull on 9 different dates, Black-headed Gull present all month, 3 Common Gulls 5^th, 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls 12^th, 15^th and 23^rd, 2 Herring Gulls 16^th, 19^th, 20^th and 28^th, a single Great black-backed Gull seen on 12 occasions.

Terns continued to pass through with 3 Common Tern 15^th, c20 Arctic Tern 2^nd, and 10 on the following day.

Among other species were 2 Red-legged Partridge 8^th, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker 10^th, 1 Tawny Owl 10^th and 19^th, 35 Swift 12^th, 300 Sand Martin 1^st and 3^rd, 100 Swallow also 1^st and 3^rd, 80 House Martins 12^th, 2 Yellow Wagtail 1^st, 2 Grey Wagtails present on 8 dates, 5 Pied Wagtail 3^rd, 8 Redstart 15^th, 11 Sedge Warbler 7^th, 6 Reed Warbler 14^th with 4 singing, 42 Blackcap 11^th, 14 Garden Warbler 11^th, 1 Lesser Whitethroat around the wildlife Centre Creek on 8 occasions, 2 Whitethroat 31^st, 6 Goldcrest singing 23^rd, 6 Treecreeper either with young or carrying food 23^rd, 53 Chiffchaff 11^th, 12 Willow Warbler 11^th, 2 Spotted Flycatcher 18^th, 5 Pied Flycatcher 19^th, 3 Willow tit 4^th, 5 Tree Sparrow 30^th also seen carrying food on the 4^th.

Perimeter count conducted on 11^th.

A total 111 species for this month compared to 111 in 2021, 87 in 2020, 108 in 2019, 104 in 2018.