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Monthly Bird Reports
June
2007
June is the month when the locally hatched young birds
appear although the cold and wet whether has had an impact on the survival
of many. Also, male ducks are beginning to lose there breeding plumage and
put on camouflage for the autumn, which is termed eclipse plumage.
Little Egret
was present on 28th. In excess of 100 Canada Geese
and up to 30 Egyptian Geese are present for their moult
period. One brood of Gadwall, 4 of Tufted Duck, 2 of Great
Crested Grebe and a brood of Swans have appeared this month as
well as some more Mallard broods. Single Wigeon and Pochard
passed through.
Up to 3 Hobby, resident Kestrels and
Sparrowhawk have been seen. The Barn Owls boxes were
inspected on the 6th and they have 4 young. The parents have
recently been seen hunting the new workings in the early mornings and late
evenings. They have been finding sufficient food to survive the wet periods
when unable to hunt, so the population of small mammals is high this year.
There was evidence of young Pheasants being taken as well.
A few Lapwings have young, including one baby that
has been raised on the scrap in front of Colebrook Hide. 4 or possibly 5
pairs of Little Ringed Plover have attempted to breed resulting in up
to 7 young, but not all have survived the wet cold conditions. Also at least
two pairs of Redshank have had young, with probably 2 young
surviving. Returning Green Sandpipers arrived on 16th with
3 on 24th. A Ringed Plover was present on the 8th.
The young Black-headed Gulls were ringed by
members of the
Newbury Ringing Group this month. The very wet and
cold conditions have resulted in very low productivity with only 79 young
ringed from 124 nests. The first young were flying by the end of the month.
Common Terns have failed to nest at all at Moor Green this year, but
one or two pairs are regularly present and it is still not too late.
Swallows,
House Martins and Swifts breed nearby and feed over the lakes,
and a few Sand Martins are always about and probably breeding
somewhere on the diggings.
There seem to be more Common Whitethroat than
previous years and good numbers of the other six species of Warblers.
It may be that the ground nesting birds have suffered more from the
wet conditions than those building nests in undergrowth and bushes. The
report of Tree Pipits on the 28th is the first for 5
years.
Bruce Archer
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May
2007
May is the month for the residents to breed and the
occasional stop-over by birds heading further north to breed. In contrast to
April, May has been cold and wet this year.
Little Egret
were present on 13th and 27th. Numerous families of
Mallard and Canada Geese can be seen – also Moorhen,
and 2 broods of Egyptian Geese on 27th. The 3 nests of Mandarin
Ducks in the nest boxes hatched, but the young are rarely seen on the
Reserve, preferring the more secluded lakes to the south and east. A male
Ruddy Duck dropped by on the 24th.
Hobby
has been regular but not numerous.
Peregrine were seen on 2nd and two on the 4th.
A pair of Kestrels are probably nesting in the top section of the
Barn Owl box on the new workings and I believe the Barn Owls are
feeding young in the main section of the box. After being evident last
month, Little Owls seem to have disappeared from the willow tree near
the
notice board. 2 Red-legged Partridge were seen around the 16th.
The last departing Snipe was seen on the 7th
and Green Sandpiper on the 4th. By the month end, young
Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover and Redshank were present.
The passage of waders has continued with Ringed Plover
(up to 8) between 13th and 29th, Greenshank on
1st and 28/29th, Oystercatcher around the 20th,
Common Sandpiper until 12th and Dunlin (up to 11)
between 10th and 27th. A Little Stint, 2
Wood Sandpipers and a Whimbrel on the on 1st. A flock
of 7 Sanderling were present on the new workings on 27th
with 4 remaining until 29th, an exceptional record. A
Knot was also present on the 28th,
which is only the second record for the site, the previous being in 1992.
 The
Black-headed Gull colony has an estimated 160 nests this year, and
young were visable by the end of the month. While over 30 Common Terns
were present at the beginning of the month, they do not appear to be nesting
on the Reserve for the first time since 1991. The pressure from the Gulls
and the predation by (probably) Mink last year must have deterred them. A
passing Arctic Tern was present on the 4th.
The build up of Sand Martins, Swallows,
House Martins and Swifts continued into the month. More Yellow
Wagtail and Wheatear have been seen, including a Blue-headed
Wagtail (a continental race of Yellow Wagtail) around the 24th.
Good numbers of Warblers are breeding in the area, but poor weather
may affect the outcome. Blue and Great Tits have done well in
the nest boxes this year, including at least one nest containing young of
both species!
Bruce
Archer
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April
2007
April is a month of transition with the wintering birds
departing and the summer arrivals; plus some just passing through. Excessive north winds
this month delayed the movement of birds. The
last Goosander I saw was seen on 17th and the last
Goldeneye on the 5th.
A pair of Shelduck has been seen on four occasions
during the month, so it is possible they could be nesting somewhere nearby.
The first young Mallard were seen on the 10th and the fist
young Canada Geese on the 23rd with several broods of each
by the end of the month. 3 female Mandarin Ducks are sitting on eggs
in the nest boxes and the adults are seen regularly on the lakes. Mute
Swans are nesting on Snipe Island as usual.
Buzzards
seem to have gone quiet compared to the earlier part of the year. A couple
of sightings of Red Kite over the reserve are an increasing
trend. The Kestrels are nesting somewhere west of the Reserve. The
first Hobby I saw was on the 24th. The regular pair of
Little Owls continue to be seen frequently around the old willow tree at
the bottom of the paddock by the car park. On the 3rd I confirmed
that we have a pair of Barn Owls present, so they could have eggs by
now.
Snipe
still present on the 22nd. Green Sandpiper still present
on the 23rd with 2 on the 16th. The Ringed Plover
which arrived in March was last seen on the 12th. Several
Little Ringed Plover are present with a regular pair on Colebrook Lake.
Probably 4 or more pairs of Redshank settled for the summer.
Passage waders have been a bit sporadic with:
Oystercatcher on the 9th, Common Sandpiper regularly
from the 18th, Greenshank on 10th, 16th,
24th and 30th, Spotted Redshank on the 16th,
3 Dunlin on the 24th and an
Avocet on the 20th, which is only the second record
for the site, the previous being in 1992.
The Black-headed Gulls started to nest on the 17th
with about 36 nests by the end of the month. The first Common Tern was
seen on the 11th with at least 20 by the end of the month. There were
sightings of Little Gulls: 1 on the 12th, 4 on the 13th,
3 on the 19th and 1 on the 24th.
Small numbers of Sand Martins, Swallows,
House Martins and Swifts have arrived, but there must be more to come. Yellow
Wagtail and Wheatear have been seen on passage. Warbler arrivals
in April were: Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat,
Sedge Warbler, Garden Warbler and Reed
Warbler in that order. Lesser Whitethroat was recorded on a
couple of days, but probably passing through.
Bruce Archer
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March 2007
March began with a wet week, followed by a dry and sunny
week, then followed by a cold wet week and finished with a bit of everything
week. This seems to have delayed arriving and departing migrant birds.
The geese have paired up and dispersed, although they are
still mobile – about 20 Egyptians roost on Tern Island along with
some Canadas and a pair of Swans. There have been a couple of
pairs of Greylags as well, but I didn’t see them in the last week so
they may have settled somewhere else. The numbers of ducks has dropped, but
a few of everything except Pintail are about. Mandarin Ducks have
appeared, usually on Grove Lake; by the 27th there were Mandarin
eggs in 4 on the nest boxes on the Reserve. A male Ruddy Duck is
still hanging around on Horseshoe Lake. I expect the Goosander and
Goldeneye will be off shortly.
I had not seen any Little Egrets for a few weeks
and had assumed that they had moved back to the coast until a couple turned
up on the 21st, and one was still around at the end of March.
The Peregrine Falcon that was around in February
took up station on the pylon south of Horseshoe Lake and could be seen there
daily until last week – sometimes eating some hapless prey item; both an
adult male and a juvenile have been reported. The regular pair of Little
Owls seems to have taken up residence in the old willow tree at the
bottom of the paddock by the car park, and I have seen another pair in the
old oaks by the pond on the north of the new workings. I was pleased to see
the Barn Owls back in the boxes on the Reserve on the 16th. Let’s
hope they can hold there own against the resident pair of Kestrels
this year, who can manage with an old crows nest, or even the top section of
the owl boxes.
Snipe
are still around and I believe Ian Brown counted over 30 on a survey of the
lake margins during the month. A Ringed Plover turned up on the 9th
and Little Ringed Plover arrived on the 17th. The first of
at least 4 Redshank arrived on the 12th. There has not
been any passage waders reported, which is unusual.
Up to 200 Black-headed Gulls are still courting on
Tern Island, but no sign of any Common Terns yet. Chiffchaff arrived
mid month and the number of singing males must be more than 15 in the area.
I have not heard any other warblers yet. Stock Doves were brooding
eggs in one of the nest boxes by the 13th, but unfortunately they
failed after hatching, probably due to the cold spell the following week. By
the 27th there were three boxes with Stock Dove activity;
and plenty of Blue Tit and Great Tit nest building activity,
but no eggs.
Bruce Archer
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February 2007
Little Egret
seem to be present most days, but not in
such numbers as last month. I assume, like the local Grey Herons,
they are thinking of nest building – perhaps in one of the south coast
colonies. Following last month’s hatching of Egyptian Geese, Steve
Farmer found a nest of six eggs on Grove Island during the work party on the
20th, no wonder there are so many about.
Apart from good numbers of Wigeon,
Teal, Shoveler, Pochard, Gadwall, Tufties
and Mallard; up to 4 Goldeneye (sometimes on the Hampshire
lakes) and up to 23 Goosander have been present. The pair of
Pintail on Grove Lake has been joined by a second male mid month and the
pair of Ruddy Duck on Horseshoe Lake has been joined by at least 2
more males. It is noticeable that toward the end of the month, the Ducks are
moving about much more – possibly signalling a northward movement. I have
not seen any Mandarin Ducks yet this year, but I hear that they are
on the more sheltered lakes outside the Reserve.
A Peregrine Falcon has been reported
sporadically through the month and entertained the work party on the 11th. The
Little Owls have been more visible in the trees on the new
workings and have been seen in the nest box over there.
Lapwing
numbers reached 900+ on the 1st
and I have seen Golden Plover with them on the 2nd (20) and on the
17th (8). Snipe became more visible during the
frosty spell in the middle of the month and I heard of a report of 11 seen
on Colebrook North. The Green Sandpiper has been elusive this winter;
my only sighting of it was at Grove Lake on the 3rd. An
Oystercatcher was reported on the 21st and Dunlin on
24th, so wader passage has begun. Water Rail have been
seen from Grove hide.
The Gull numbers were falling off rapidly
toward the month end – except for the 200+ Black-headed Gulls that
are taking over Tern Island during the day with their courting behaviour
even though it will be April before nest building starts.
The pair of Stonechat are still
resident just the other side of the conveyer on the new workings. Mistle
and Song Thrushes have been singing for most of the month and the
numbers of Redwing and Fieldfares have increased on the local
paddocks as berry supplies run out.
Skylarks
have been singing since the beginning of the month on fine days. The number
of finches is much less than most years, with hardly any Siskin,
Redpolls and Brambling – even the local Linnet flock is no
more than a few birds.
Up to 12 Reed Buntings on the feeding
station is a record, and Yellowhammer numbers seem to be higher than
last year.
Bruce Archer
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January 2007
The New Year started with 3 or 4 Great Crested Grebes
in front of Colebrook Hide taking 4 reasonable sized fish in 15 minutes.
Does the cold water slow down the fish and make them easer to catch I
wonder? One or two Little Egrets on most days and up to 25
Cormorants about.
On 8th, I watched a family of 7 baby Egyptian Geese
with their parents on Grove Lake; 8 young were reported a few days before.
Within a couple of weeks they had disappeared; probably due to predation
rather than the cold – daft birds.
A typical winter situation with around 400 Wigeon,
60 Teal, 80 Shoveler, 5 Goldeneye - why do we get more
males than females on this site, whereas at other Berkshire sites Goldeneye
females out number males? Up to 19 Goosander from mid month in the
Grove roost; John Clark tells me that some are roosting at Bramshill now,
with a combined total of 30+ in the area. A pair of Pintail took up
residence on Grove Lake from 19th and were still there at the end of the
month and pair of Ruddy Duck were present on Horseshoe Lake from the
17th for about a week, but sometimes difficult to locate.
The first bird I saw at Moor Green this year was a
Buzzard flying over as I got out of the car before sunrise on the 1st.
Kestrel were to be seen sometimes perched on the Owl boxes – unfortunately
no reports of Barn Owls this winter. Little Owls were regularly seen
in the trees on the new workings; favouring the ivy covered one in the row
in the NE section.
Up to 550 Lapwing on site; a few Snipe
around the lake margins, but only one report of a Green Sandpiper
that I am aware of.
The Gull roost has been mainly on Horseshoe Lake, with
day-time roosting on the gravel diggings to the west. Numbers down from
last month, but 6 species present including Yellow-legged Gulls and
an adult Great Black-backed Gull mid month. Black-headed Gulls
have begun to hang out on Tern Island, perhaps staking a claim to a future
nest site.
A pair of Stonechat have been resident just the
other side of the conveyer on the new workings all month. There seemed to
be plenty of Nuthatches, Great Spotted Woodpeckers and the odd
Treecreeper around the area of the Peanut feeders. A few
Bullfinches are often present in the trees by Colebrook Hide, but I have
yet to see them on the feeding station.
Bunting numbers increased in the last week of the month
with 5 Yellowhammer seen on the new workings and 6 Reed Bunting
on the ground feeder on the 30th.
Bruce Archer
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December 2006
As we
slip toward winter, the wildfowl continue to arrive. Little Egrets
reached 7 on the 30th – a new site record. A pair of Pintail put in
a brief appearance on 6th, and a pair of Smew were seen coming to
roost on Grove Lake on the 23rd, a species not recorded at Moor Green since
1999. Goosander numbers were up to 13 by the middle of the month.
Goldeneye are about, but, like Goosander the higher numbers have not yet
been reached, probably because of the mild weather.
Nine
species of duck can be expected on a tour of the reserve in January:
Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Pochard,
Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye and Goosander. There are also up to five species of geese – none of which are truly wild:
Greylag, Canada, Egyptian, Barnacle, and if you
are lucky – the 4 remaining Snow Geese.
Buzzard and Sparrowhawk were present in December, but I did not
see a Kestrel. The Little Owls are calling regularly and you
might, if you are lucky, seen one in the row of trees on the new workings.
Water
Rails are present on the lake margins, but you have to be lucky to see
them out in the open. I have had a couple of sightings recently in the NW
corner of Colebrook North. Snipe are more likely to be seen, but
there do not seem to be many about yet. A single Green Sandpiper has
been around all month and is likely to be found at the hide end of Grove
Lake.
The Gull
roost has been mainly on Grove Lake, with day-time roosting on the gravel
diggings to the west. Good numbers of Black-headed Gulls are
present, with up to 200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, some Common
Gulls and a few Herring Gulls and Yellow-legged Gulls.
Redwing and Fieldfare numbers have increased through the month
and Mistle Thrush and Song Thrush have been singing. A
few Siskins and Lesser Redpoll can usually be found feeding in
Alders, but numbers are low, with flocks of less than 20 birds.
I have
recently installed two new peanut feeders on the trees near the car park.
With some luck, the Lesser-spotted Woodpecker that was seen on the
16th will drop in.
Bruce Archer
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November 2006
November is when the winter
season really starts and the remaining waterfowl arrive. The number of
Great Crested Grebes increased to 13, Little Egrets appeared in
the middle of the month and up to 2 were present by the end of the period.
The first Goosanders I saw were on the 3rd with at least 6 by month
end and a single male Goldeneye arrived on the 4th. The numbers of
wintering ducks has increased and I noted 52 Pochard on the 23rd and
an estimated 300 Wigeon by the month end.
The highlight of the month
has to be the female Ring-necked Duck
that showed up on Grove Lake for the afternoon of the 19th. It was first
identified by John Clark on the Yateley pits the day before and was around
there for at least a week. It is the American variety of our Tufted Duck
and each year a few make it to Europe. This is the first record for Moor
Green Lakes.
As well as the resident
Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel, a Red Kite
drifted over as the work party slaved away on Long Island on the 21st;
surely a good enough reason to join in? On the 25th I saw a juvenile
Peregrine Falcon on the new workings – it managed to upset 400
Lapwings and 150 Gulls before coming to rest on one of the gravel banks. It
was seen again on the 28th. Raptor of the month was a juvenile Osprey
seen flying over the site on the 5th.
Up to 2 Green
Sandpipers were present for the first part of the month, but recent
flooding of the diggings has made it less favourable for them to feed there
lately.
Gulls sleep at night on the
water and gather together for safety, I assume. They seem to favour Grove
Lake recently, but may also choose Horseshoe or Colebrook North. More than
600 Gulls arrive a dusk and leave before dawn. These are nearly all adult
Lesser Black-backed Gulls with some Herring Gulls, but there
are also Common Gulls and a few Yellow-legged Gulls with
them. A smaller number of Gulls congregate on the open diggings in the
afternoons. On the 14th I found 2 Lesser Black-backs wearing red leg
rings that indicated they were hatched in Suffolk, one at Orfordness and the
other on roof tops near Ipswich. An adult Great Black-backed Gull
was present on 25th.
There are only a few
Redwings and Fieldfares about. Siskins can usually be
found feeding in Alders and a few Lesser Redpolls are with them.
A single Brambling
was seen by Noel Silver on the ground feeder near the hide and a Reed
Bunting has been present along with the ever present Chaffinches.
Bruce Archer
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October 2006
October is an ambiguous month with wintering
species arriving in numbers, but ducks beginning to show breeding plumage
and courting behaviour. Two Great Crested Grebes were performing the
“weed dance” on 5th and a brood of young Mallard were seen on Grove
Lake on 21st. Up to 51 Barnacle Geese have been present, all that
remains of the feral flock, along with 4 Snow Geese. There are a
couple of odd geese; one appears to be a Barnacle x Snow, and the
other a Barnacle x Ross’ Goose.
I only count the ducks if I am bored – the
maximum counts I have are 173 Wigeon on the 25th, 38 Teal, 22
Shoveler and 18 Pochard. The mild weather seems to be
delaying the arrival of Goldeneye and Goosander.
Buzzard,
Sparrowhawk and Kestrel are resident. On the 8th, I came
across a Sparrowhawk with a struggling thrush on Lower Sandhurst Rd
at 06:42 in the morning – it was still quite dark. Shows how early they can
hunt if hungry. The local pair of Red-legged Partridges was seen on
the 29th and Water Rails have been heard from Colebrook Hide.
The habitat of the open diggings is proving
attractive to waders with this month’s highlight being 5 juvenile Little
Stints that were found by Kevin Carter on the 1st. They were present
for a couple of hours before flying off as a heavy shower arrived. A
Common Sandpiper was present on 14th and 15th. Green
Sandpipers were present all month with high counts of 8 on the 14th and
5 on the 29th. A Dunlin showed up on the 25th.
Sometime around the middle of the month the
local Gull roost moved to Colebrook Lake North. More than 700 Gulls arrive
a dusk and leave before dawn. These are nearly all adult Lesser
Black-backed Gulls, but there are also Common Gulls and a
few Yellow-legged Gulls with them. A smaller number of Gulls
congregate on the open diggings in the afternoons. On the 14th there was a
1st winter Great Black-backed Gull and on the 16th a
Yellow-legged Gull. Black-headed Gulls are ever present in
variable numbers.
100 House Martins were reported on the
8th and I saw a Swallow on the 16th – the same day that I saw my
first Redwings of the winter.
At least 4 Stonechats have arrived for
the winter and Chiffchaffs are still present, sometimes singing,
often moving with the flocks of Long-tailed Tits. Siskins
have been seen from the middle of the month, and the Linnet flock on
the new workings is up to 50+.
On the 31st I saw my first Mink in this
area – not a good sign for breeding birds.
Bruce
Archer
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September 2006
Two late families of Great Crested Grebes
remain, one on each of the lakes, each with 2 young. Little Grebes
have moved onto the reserve, one recently taken to feeding in the scrape in
front of Colebrook Hide Geese are returning in numbers: 44 Barnacle
Geese seen on the 4th, 60 Egyptian Geese on the 23rd and up to
400 Canada Geese An escaped Lesser White-fronted Goose spent
the day in the area on 16th September.
Ducks that spend the winter here have started
to arrive with the first Wigeon on the 11th, up to 65 by the end of
the month. The first Pochard appeared on 3rd, up to 10 by month end,
and up to about 30 Teal and 8 Shoveler. It will be another
few weeks before Goldeneye and Goosander arrive. Mandarin Ducks seem to
move to more sheltered lakes for the winter.
Buzzard,
Sparrowhawk and Kestrels are resident with Hobby still
around until the 28th at least.
A few waders passed through with Little
Ringed Plovers on 2nd, 3rd and 7th and Common Sandpipers on 2nd,
3rd and 4th. Green Sandpipers spend the winter in the area, with up
to 5 early in the month, but only one since the 19th. Up to 200 Lapwing
have been present all month. Snipe are present by can be elusive,
the most I have seem at any one time in September is 4.
Gulls have taken to gathering on the gravel
areas of the new workings on fine afternoons, with up to 50 Lesser
Black-backed Gulls, 2 Herring Gulls, plus a Yellow-legged Gull
on the 26th and the first Common Gull of the winter on the 28th.
Black-headed Gulls are ever present.
Little
Owl, Tawny Owl
and Barn Owl have been seen this month.
The summer birds are almost all gone, but
Chiffchaff remain and a few will spend the winter in the warmer spots
along the river. A Whinchat was present on the 18th and 19th. The
last Reed Warbler I saw was on the 17th, the last Willow Warbler
on the 13th and the last Blackcap on the 4th. Two Spotted
Flycatchers were around the horse paddock by the car park until the 4th
September.
The ground feeder by the main path near
Colebrook Hide was cleaned and feeding started on the 10th September. Birds
seen there so far this autumn are Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinch,
Reed Bunting, plus Crow, Magpie and Pheasants.
Bruce Archer
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