Deeside Naturalists' Society Bird Report 2020
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Deeside Naturalists’ Society Bird Report 2020 Twite. Peter Haslem Written April 2021 by Pete & Sue Haslem. 1 Deeside Naturalist Society (DNS) reserve is managed by the committee of trustees together with the support of Uniper. The reserve is strictly accessed by members only. For further information on joining please visit our website. www.deenats.org.uk The total number of species seen on the reserve stands at 243 (including 16 escapes). One new species for the reserve was Cetti's warbler heard near the Ashpool 24/09 by SH. A pair of Grey Partridge has taken up residence on the reserve since November (GEM). The DNS reserve is observed from two main view points. 1. Firstly from the West hide this provides panoramic views across Oakenholt RSPB marsh, Flint sands and with a telescope Burton and Neston marshes. The West hide also provides a clear view of the fresh water pools (Ash pool and meadow pool) and associated grassland. Tides and weather influence the movement of waders, wildfowl and seabirds on the Dee estuary. 2. Secondly from the Bunded hides (Dee, Middle and East) where brackish pools are fed with tidal water providing a refuge for waders and ducks. 2 The surrounding hedges, trees and grazing land attract year round and migration passage species. 122 species were recorded in 2020. From 4019 records. 2020 will be remembered for the Covid 19 restrictions which caused the reserve to be closed April to July. Consequently no recording was carried out and the yearly record reflects this. For birds usually observed on passage during spring there are no recorded sightings. Starting in 2012, we have been entering all DNS records into BTO’s Bird Track. This system is based on 1x1km squares and the reserve is described by quadrants: SJ2671 Includes Ash pool area and Oakenholt marsh SJ 2672 Flint sands and the Dee up to the breakwater (revetment). SJ 2771 Grazing fields, the power station, garden compound and the Bunded pools. SJ2772 Including Breakwater and Burton Marsh in Wales. Observers record their sightings in the hide logs, summarised monthly and recorded on Bird track. For the purpose of this report totals are added together for each species. Many records are supported by photographic and/or video evidence. Use of a mobile phone attachment on a telescope provides a quick easy record shot. Photos included in the report were taken this year and on the reserve. Quality varies as distance and environmental conditions dictate. All images are phone scoped using Samsung A21 and Swarovski ATX 95 telescope. We feel their inclusion enhances the sightings reported. 3 Map of reserve: Hides are shown as dots. 1. SJ2672 CQNR Oakenholt Marsh and Flint Sands. 2. SJ2671 CQNR Ash Pool and Meadow Trail. 3. SJ2771 CQNR Bunded Pools and Garden Compound. 4. SJ2772 CQNR Whitesands. THE SPECIES LIST FOR 2020. Birds seen in less than 5 previous years on the Reserve are shown in bold face. Birds that nested this year as shown as (B). The tables show the maximum count for each month, except for raptors where the total sightings per month is shown. Bird records are taken from hide logs and WeBS counts. Some 4019 individual records. 4 Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa). Up to four recorded during February and March. Probably released birds from local shoot. Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix). A pair was first recorded 16/11 (GEM & GP). A rare sighting on the reserve since the 1990s. Grey Partridge. Glen Morris. Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus). Seen often around the feeding stations. Both adult and juvenile birds are probably released from a nearby shoot. Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) All year. Mute Swan Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2 2 23 4 2 11 5 Whooper Swan (Cygnus Cygnus). Winter visitor. Whooper Swan Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 9 24 Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus). Winter. Pink-footed geese are now annual on the Dee estuary and can be seen in their thousands on or flying over Burton marsh. Large groups are seen on Oakenholt and on the river in front of the West hide. The huge numbers are generally recorded on Dee estuary Whitesands. Pink footed Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 12 25 400 1100 2000 1600 120 Pink-footed geese. Peter Haslem. White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons). Winter. One recorded sighting 07/03 (SH). 6 Greylag Goose (Anser anser). A feral population usually with Canada geese. Truly wild birds are hard to distinguish from the domestic feral population and rare. Domestic geese and hybrid birds are common among the mixed Canada and Greylags. Canada goose (Branta Canadensis). We see Canada geese all year round up to several thousand in number. Canada G Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Oakenholt 1800 1500 200 300 2000 900 3000 2000 Ash Pool 450 500 70 60 440 30 250 1 Comp 2 Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis). Two or three are regularly seen with Canada geese and are probably part of the feral group associated with the Dee estuary. Barnacle Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Goose 1 2 5 1 1 Brent Goose (Branta Bernicia). winter. Some two hundred pale bellied Brent geese over winter around Hilbre Island. Our records probably come from this population. Six on Oakenholt 10/3 (SH). Brent Goose Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1 6 7 Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea). Eleven records. Ruddy Shelduck Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1 1 1 1 Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna). All year. Shelduck numbers increase to a thousand plus for their summer moult before dispersing. Shelduck Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Oakenholt 100 150 150 50 85 70 96 80 Ash pool. 8 50 25 Bunded 13 15 12 40 8 12 12 Wigeon (Anas Penelope). Winter. Wigeon winter in their thousands on the Dee estuary. Huge flotillas of ducks can be seen on the river, especially on a rising tide. Hundreds take refuge on the Ash pool and Bunded pools where they are seen grazing. Wigeon Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Oakenholt 800 400 300 1 6 820 3000 Ash pool. 60 60 90 33 20 Bunded. 210 400 195 20 121 400 400 8 Gadwall (Anas strepera). Winter. A small number overwinter on the Ash pool. Gadwall Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 5 8 2 4 5 7 7 Teal (Anas crecca). Winter. Small numbers of early returners arrive in August many in eclipse plumage. Numbers build up rapidly as they are joined by thousands on the river feeding on the edge of the rising tide. Teal Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Oakenholt 300 250 120 50 1000 1500 1000 600 Ash pool. 12 80 26 50 900 190 110 40 Bunded 250 200 90 45 75 70 500 150 Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). Seen throughout the year. Mallard Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Oakenholt 55 200 26 25 40 32 Ash pool 30 20 6 400 50 12 12 6 Bunded 100 95 4 30 110 51 122 40 9 Pintail (Anas acuta). winter Northern pintail over-winter on the Dee in thousands. They are seen in large flotillas on the rising tide often with Wigeon. Pintail Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 75 62 15 8 2 5 2 Shoveler (Anas clypeata). winter Shoveler can be seen feeding and displaying on the Ash pool. Numbers are usually single to low teens. Winter visitor. Shoveler Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 7 11 2 4 7 6 4 Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula). All year. A regular feature on the Ash pool. Tufted Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 4 8 10 2 1 1 1 2 Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator). Winter. One record for December (SH). 10 Goosander (Mergus merganser). Winter. Goosander Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 3 2 1 1 1 Swift (Apus apus). Common summer visitor. First record 1/8 (SH). Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). Juvenile 17/8 briefly (PH). Feral Pigeon (Columba livia). One or two racing pigeons end up on the reserve each year taking advantage of our full feeders. Stock Dove (Columba oenas). Common resident and winter visitor. Stock dove Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 40 110 30 12 32 3 1 11 Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus). Resident throughout and numbers enhanced by winter influx. Woodpigeon Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 80 40 30 4 3 1 6 15 Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) Regularly seen by entrance road and along the railway. Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus). Resident on the Ash pool. Moorhen Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 19 12 13 8 10 6 11 14 Coot (Fulica atra). Resident with larger numbers over wintering. Coot Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 12 14 9 40 44 55 60 30 Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) resident Little Grebe Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Ash pool 3 2 5 3 1 1 1 Bunded 6 5 2 2 8 10 6 8 12 Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus).