July 2022 BIRD NOTES
HIGHLIGHTS: Purple Heron, Marsh Tit, Arctic and Black Tern, Green Sandpiper, Garganey, Ruddy Shelduck.
The Juvenile Purple Heron was seen over Stones for around 4 minutes before flying away. This is a first for Carsington Water.
Water bird maxima were from the WeBS count on 23rd, unless dated otherwise. 31 Mute Swan 31st, 300 Greylag Goose 5th, 846 Canada Goose 6th, 2 Barnacle Goose reported most dates within the month, 1 Ruddy Shelduck reported on 13 occasions, 7 Shelduck 10th, 34 Gadwall 30th, 20 Teal 24th, 343 Mallard, 3 Garganey 31st, 1 Shoveler on 7 dates, 12 Pochard 21st, 346 Tufted Duck, 28 Common Scoter 31st, 15 Little Grebe, 81 Great Crested Grebe 30th, 36 Cormorant 28th, 9 Little Egret 30th, 2 Great White Egret 29th, 14 Grey Heron, 1 Purple Heron 28th, 26 Moorhen 30th, 665 Coot, 1 Kingfisher 7th and 21st.
Raptor sightings included 5 Red Kite 24th, 1 Sparrowhawk on 8 different dates this month, 6 Buzzards 20th and at least one individual seen most dates, 1 Osprey reported on 27th, 5 Kestrel 28th but with 2 and 3 birds seen for most of the month, 2 Peregrine 13th.
Fifteen species of waders through this month with 12 Oystercatcher 6th, 7 Little Ringed Plover 7th and 8th, 1 Ringed Plover 9th, 28th, 29th and 31st, 100 Lapwing 3rd, 3 Knot 21st, 4 Dunlin 25th, 1 Ruff 9th, 7 Snipe 31st, 8 Black-tailed Godwit 14th, 2 Whimbrel 21st, 3 Curlew 21st and 29th, 13 Redshank 21st, 1 Green Sandpiper 13th, 14 Common Sandpiper 5th, 2 Turnstone 22nd, 23rd and 29th.
Maximum Gull numbers were 250 Black-headed Gull 6th, 4 Common Gull 29th and 30th, 115 Lesser Black-backed Gulls 12th with 92 reported on 28th, 1 Herring Gulls 17th and 25th, 3 Yellow-legged Gull 12th, 22nd and 29th, 2 Great black-backed Gulls 10th.
30 Common Tern 22nd, 6 Arctic Tern 21st, 6 Black Tern 22nd.
Among other species were 25 Swift 14th, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker 5th and 27th, 3 Skylark 30th, 20 Sand Martin 24th, 100 Swallow 30th, 30 House Martins 30th, 2 Yellow Wagtail 20th, 9 Grey Wagtails 13th, 150 Pied Wagtail 28th, 4 Redstart 9th and 31st, 1 Wheatear 30th, 8 Sedge Warbler 30th, 5 Reed Warbler 27th, 1 Lesser Whitethroat 8th, 10th, 25th and 30th, 1 Whitethroat 10th, 4 Garden Warbler 10th, 10 Blackcap 5th and 14th, 13 Chiffchaff 5th, 4 Willow Warbler 27th, 1 Spotted Flycatcher 9th, 11th, 23rd, 25th and 31st, 2 Marsh Tit 5th (first since 2013), 7 Willow Tit 8th, 7 Tree Sparrow 25th.
A total 110 species for this month compared to 95 in 2021, 108 in 2020, 104 in 2019, 107 in 2018, 105 in 2017.
This is the highest total for July since the records started back in 1993