January 2009 Bird Report

January soon turned cold with a freeze-up from the 4th to the 10th followed by a wet period with 3 inches of rain and overnight frosts.

Up to 2 Little Egrets on most days. A Bittern was seen going to roost on the 8th. A few hundred Canada Geese spend all their days feeding on the local paddocks. Up to 59 Egyptian Geese and the feral Barnacle flock of 22 also present. A visiting gaggle of up to 25 Greylags have been seen regularly and a family of 4 White-fronted Geese on the 21st were only the second site record.

Two male Smew on the 1st and 2nd were a good start for the year. The freeze-up caused concentrations of the ducks on Grove and Horseshoe Lakes with 60 Goosander on 3rd, 57 on 5th, reduced to 31 by the 16th. 4 Goldeneye reduced to one by the 31st.  A lone Shelduck on 26th and 27th.

Maximum duck numbers: 244 Wigeon, 98 Gadwall, 190 Tufted, 69 Pochard, 58 Mallard, 40 Teal and 80 Shoveler.

The juvenile Hen Harrier seen at the end of December has put in several appearances during January, mainly around the middle of the day – it is evidently wintering in the local area. The resident Kestrels seen regularly, Buzzard and Sparrowhawk present; single report of Peregrine and Red Kite. The Barn Owl seems to have found a mate, because 2 have been present since the 4th.

The number of Lapwings dropped to a handful during the freeze-up, but recovered to 200 later in the month. The fist ever record of a wintering Ruff occurred between the 5th and 15th and a very early visit from a Ringed Plover on 18th. At least 4 Green Sandpipers, at least 10 Common Snipe, a Jack Snipe and at least 3 Water Rails around for most of the month.

Up to 2 Yellow-legged Gulls, 20 Herring Gulls and 110 Lesser Black-backed Gulls at roost. A few Common Gulls and 60 Black-headed Gulls; the later showing a tendency to hang around Tern Island where they may nest in a few months time.

A Raven seen flying over on the 2nd will be the first site record if accepted.

Skylarks and Meadow Pipits evident from mid month and Thrushes, Redwings and Fieldfairs numbers seem to be increasing.  Good numbers of Goldcrests are present in trees along the river with the Tits.  Siskin and Lesser Redpolls numbers seem to have dropped.

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