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April
2008 Bird Report
April is a month of change
when most of the winter visitors leave and the summer visitors arrive with
an urge to breed. It is also the start of the passage migrants which may
stay a while before heading further north.
 The
departing birds include the Greylag Geese which are still in
the general area. The last Pochard I saw were on the 2nd,
Goosander on the 8th, Shoveler on the 17th, last Wigeon
and Teal on the 23rd. Gadwall, Tufted, Mallard
and Mandarin will stay to breed, but no sign of ducklings yet. Pair
of Egyptian Geese hatched 10 young around 4th and has done very well
to keep all 10. Several Canada Geese are still on eggs. There have
been a few sightings of up to 3 Shelduck this month.
Barn Owls
are regular on the new
workings; Little Owls seem to have occupied the old willow tree at
the bottom of the paddock by the car park. The pair of Kestrels may
have taken over the owl box north of Colebrook Lake. Regular sightings of
Peregrine, Red Kite and up to seven Buzzards have occurred
this month. There were 2 sightings of passing Osprey on the 5th and
7th, the latter lingering for 10 minutes. The first Hobby of the year
on was seen 26th. A pair of Red-legged Partridges present.
Snipe
numbers down to one on 27th. Green Sandpipers increased to 5 around
the 8th with one still present at the end of the month. Up to 2 Common
Sandpipers present from the 12th, a Whimbrel dropped in on the
13th and a Dunlin on the 18th. Lapwings are nesting. Up to 6
Little Ringed Plovers and 8 Redshank seem settled for the summer.
Black-headed Gull
numbers up to 300+ on Colebrook Lake with signs of nesting. A
Mediterranean Gull has been seen with the Black-heads on 15th, 17th and
21st. Little Gulls seen on 16th and 23rd. A few Common Terns
from 16th. Two Arctic Terns on the 23rd when there were 80 at Fleet
Pond!
Sand Martins
from the end of March are digging nest holes on the gravel banks. Arrivals
of Swallow from the 1st, House Martin from the 6th and
Swift from the 19th. A Water Pipit on the 23rd with sightings of
Yellow Wagtails and White Wagtails from then on. A
Nightingale on 13th and 21st are only the
second and third site records of this species. The first Wheatear of
the year was seen on the 25th.
Willow Warblers,
Whitethroat, Sedge Warblers, Garden Warblers, Reed
Warblers and Lesser Whitethroat arrived in that order to join the
numerous Chiffchaff and Blackcaps. A Firecrest on the
25th completed the picture.
As always, please report your own sightings on the record
sheets in Colebrook Hide or send them to Ian Brown, the
Moor Green Bird Recorder.
Bruce
Archer
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