April 2022 Bird Notes
April 2022 BIRD NOTES
HIGHLIGHTS: Great Northern Diver, Red-necked Grebe, Osprey, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Sand Martin and Grasshopper Warbler
Water bird maxima were from the WeBS count on 16th unless dated otherwise. 12 Mute Swan 22nd, 30 Whooper Swan (flew West 08:30) 3rd,1 Pink-footed Goose 3rd, 7th, 10th, 25th and 30th, 45 Greylag Goose, 135 Canada Goose, 11 Barnacle Goose 10th and 11th, 6 Shelduck 25th, 2 Mandarin 30th,12 Wigeon 3rd, 27 Gadwall, 63 Mallard, 9 Teal 2nd, 3 Shoveler 10th, 66 Tufted Duck, 1 Common Scoter 27th, 8 Goldeneye 9th, 1 Goosander 23rd, 1 Great Northern Diver present all month, 13 Little Grebe, 82 Great Crested Grebe 3rd, 2 Red-necked Grebes reported most days till month end, 26 Cormorant 11th, 2 Little Egret 7th and 18th, 1 Great White Egret 10th,8 Grey Heron, 10 Moorhen, 78 Coot, 1 Kingfisher 2nd, 3rd and 11th.
Raptor sightings included 3 Red Kite 3rd and 5th, 3 Sparrowhawk 8th, 8 Buzzards 8th, 1 Osprey 12th and 13th, 2 Kestrel 13th,15th, 16th and 20th, 1 Peregrine reported 6 dates within the month.
Thirteen species of waders through this month with 13 Oystercatcher 1st, 4 Little Ringed Plover 17th, 1 Ringed Plover reported on 11 dates within the month 2 Lapwing 29th, 1 Dunlin 12th and 28th, 4 Ruff 23rd, 6 Common Snipe 2nd, 1 Black-tailed Godwit 1st, 21st and 23rd, 3 Whimbrel flying North on the 22nd, 5 Curlew 9th, 12 Redshank 16th, 3 Greenshank 27th, 2 Common Sandpiper 28th.
Maximum Gull numbers were 1 Mediterranean Gull on 9 different dates, 9 Little Gull 11th, 1000 Black-headed Gull 17th, 10 Common Gull 14th and 22nd, 80 Lesser Black-backed Gulls 17th, 30 Herring Gulls 14th, 1 Yellow-legged Gull 18th, 2 Caspian Gull 30th, 10 Great black-backed Gulls 12th and 13th, and a single Kittiwake 3rd and 26th.
Terns have started to pass through with 2 Sandwich Terns 12th, 1 Common Tern 19th and 22nd, 5 Arctic Tern 29th, 2 Black Tern 14th.
Among other species were, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker reported on 10 dates, 3 Tawny Owl 9th, 1 Swift 29th, 5 Skylark 27th, 200 Sand Martin 13th and 100 reported on 5 different dates, 50 Swallow 27th, 10 House Martins 25th and 27th, 444 Meadow Pipit 8th, 2 Yellow Wagtail 26th, 3 Grey Wagtails 8th, 9th and 29th, 15 Pied Wagtail 8th, 5 Redstart 18th and 24th with males singing at various locations around the reservoir, 3 Wheatear (2 male 1 female ) 13th, 104 Blackbird with 42 singing 29th, 37 Song Thrush with 25 singing 29th, 32 redwing 2nd, 12 Mistle Thrush 29th, 1 Grasshopper Warbler 20th, 10 Sedge Warbler 25th and 29th, 2 Reed Warbler 26th one in WLC creek and one from Hopton reedbed, 5 Lesser Whitethroat all singing 29th, 1 Whitethroat 13th, 9 Garden Warbler 29th, 85 Blackcap 29th, 90 Chiffchaff 29th, 22 Willow Warbler 29th, 4 Pied Flycatcher 29th, 4 willow tit 30th.
Perimeter count conducted on 29th.
A total 117 species for this month compared to 99 in 2020, 118 in 2019, 117 in 2018, 124 in 2017.