April 2007 Bird Report

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