June 2007 Bird Report

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