York Ornithological Club Report 1997 Published By
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YORK ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB REPORT 1997 PUBLISHED BY YORK ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB 1998 Compiled by A. Booth, J. Pewtress, J. Robinson I. Traynor, R. Traynor, P. Watson Edited by D. Stevens Produced by M. Pirozek CONTENTS Committee 5 Recording Area 6 Editorial 7 Highlights 11 RingingReport 1996 15 Recoveries 1995 15 Classified Records 20 Contributors 59 CO!Q~IflEE Chairman; I.R. Newton 9 Fairway Clifton York. Y03 GQA Tel. York 653151 Secretary; Ms 0. Sheehan 71 Moor Lane Dringhouses York. Y03 1QX Tel. York 706515 Treasurer: Mrs. R. Traynor The Owl House 137 Osbaldwick Lane York. YOl 3AY Tel. York 424832 Recorder: J. Pewtress Hammerton House 31 Piercy End KirbymoOrSide York. YO6 60Q Tel. 01751 431001 Assistant Recorders: Mrs B. P.nderson 3. Robinson I. Traynor R. Traynor P. watson Committee member: Mr T. Lawson Mrs M. Pirozek S CLUB RECORDING AREA EDITORIAL Thanks are due once again to all those members and non-members who have submitted records for this report. The species accounts have been compiled by Andy Booth (Divers to Ducks), Jim Pewtress, Raptors to Coot), Peter Watson (Waders to Auks), Ruth Traynor (Doves to Warblers#) and Jackie Robinson (Tits to Buntings) and edited by Danae Stevens. Muriel Pirozek has been responsible for the final production of the Report. Thanks to Andy Booth for the illustrations. The processing of records places a time consuming and often repetitive workload on the above person, who have given their time freely to produce this Report and our grateful thanks are due to them. The Report has been slightly delayed this year due to the fact that it is my first year as Editor, a job done so magnificently in the past by Jim Pewtress, who has set a high standard for me to follow. Our thanks also go to the members of the Committee for the work they have done throughout the year, our travelling members who so kindly share with us their intrepid expeditions and those members who offer lifts to those without transport for club outings and other trips. We welcome to the club new members who have joined this year. We have tried to produce a report of interest and our aim is to have complete and accurate coverage of our area. Perhaps new members live in areas not covered by other club members and we would be delighted to receive records from them. Guidelines for submitting records are available from the Recorder. It was heartening to receive so many records this year from independent recorders, in the absence of any ‘official’ records from the Lower Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve. The absence of the ‘official’ records may account for the apparent reductions in sightings of some species, most notably within the Divers to Ducks and Waders to Auks sections. Several records of scarcer species were submitted without descriptions, and this is made clear at the end of that record. We are trying to achieve an accurate and true account of the birds in our area and any species which appear on the YNU/BBRC list must have a description and must be submitted via the Recorder. The YNtJ/BBRC list of species usually appears every five years, however, if a member would like an up-to-date list this is available from the Recorder. As an extra reminder we have again published the list in this year’s Report. It is never too late to submit descriptions from previous years and if accepted they will be included in future Reports, but it is best practice to submit records as soon as possible after the sighting. Danae Stevens 7 THE NEED FOR FIELD DESCRIPTIONS To enable us to present our report with complete accuracy contributors are reminded that records of the following species must be supported by field descriptions, taken in the field before reference to text books. They will be sent to the Yorkshire Naturalists Union Reports Committee for consideration before being accepted for publication. It would help both the Recorder and the YNU if descriptions were sent as soon as possible after the sighting. Forms based on those accepted by the British Birds Rarities Committee can be obtained from the Recorder or any YNU Vice-County Recorder. Uncommon and Difficult Species: Great Northern Diver Pomarine Skua Black-throated Diver Long-tailed Skua Slavonian Grebe Mediterranean Gull Black-necked Grebe Ring-billed Gull Cory’s Shearwater Iceland Gull Great Shearwater Sabine’s Gull Storm Petrel Roseate Tern Leach’s Petrel Black Guillemot Purple Heron Bee-eater White Stork Woodlark Bean Goose Richard’s Pipit Teal “Green-winged Teal” Tawny Pipit Red-crested Pochard Bluethroat Ferruginous Duck Cetti’s Warbler Surf Scoter Savi’s Warbler Honey Buzzard Aquatic Warbler Red Kite Marsh Warbler Montagu’s Harrier Icterine Warbler Goshawk Barred Warbler Rough-legged Buzzard Barred Warbler Golden Eagle Pallas’s Warbler Hobby Yellow-browed Warbler Spotted Crake Firecrest Crane Red-breasted Flycatcher Stone Curlew Woodchat Shrike Kentish Plover Golden Oriole Temminck’s Stint Chough Pectoral Sandpiper Raven Buff-breasted Phalorope Serin Red-necked Phalorope Scarlet Rosef inch Grey Phalarope Cirl Bunting Ortalon Bunting B In view of the increasing number of reports of locally uncommon species being received, and in the light of certain anomalies e.g. regular occurring birds such as Hobby and Glaucous Gull require descriptions whereas species not recorded in the Y.O.C. area such as Sooty Shearwater or Razorbill do not, the recorders feel that some substantiation of records of some other species is required. Accordingly, contributors MAY be asked to provide supporting details for the following species: Fulmar Quail Long-eared Owl Manx Shearwater Corncrake Hoopoe Sooty Shearwater Turnstone Wryneck Gannet Bar-tailed Godwit Shorelark Shag Knot Raven Garganey Purple Sandpiper Bearded Tit Long-tailed Duck Little Stint Ring Ouzel Common Scoter Curlew Sandpiper Black Redstart Velvet Scoter Sanderling Great Grey Shrike Eider Avocet Red-backed Shrike Ruddy Duck Great Skua Hawf inch Red-breasted Merganser Little Gull Twite white-fronted Goose Kittiwake Crossbill Brent Goose Sandwich Tern Snow Bunting Buzzard Little Tern Lapland Bunting Marsh Harrier ALL Auks 9 Earliest and latest dates for migrants Species Arrival Date Last Reported Black-necked Grebe 20th April 28th August Turtle Dove 13th May 5th July Cuckoo 27th April 9th June Swift 24th April 27u September Sand Martin 11th April 30th August Swallow 2nd April 20th october House Martin 10th April 9th October Tree Pipit 13th April 5th July Yellow Wagtail 5th May 16th September Grasshopper warbler 22nd April 24th June Sedge Warbler 27th April 19th August Lesser Whitethroat 7th May 19th August Whitethroat 24th April 17th July Blackcap 23rd March 22nd December Chiffchaff 12th March 29tb September Willow Warbler 2nd April 28th October Spotted Flycatcher 18th May 26th August 10 HIGHLIGHTS OF 1997 1ThNUARY Early January was cold with overnight frosts and north-easterly winds. Daytime temperatures were below freezing and there was a sprinkling of snow over much of eastern England. When the winds turned to the southwest on 11th, slightly milder conditions prevailed and the second half of the month saw temperatures above the seasonal average. It was the driest January on record for 200 years. The year started promisingly with a Great Grey Shrike delighting viewers at Fulford Ings and at least two wandering Smew in the Lower Derwent Valley. Both species proved good value and were present through to at least mid-February. Impressive flocks of Skylark (330 at Newton upon Derwent on 1st) and Corn Bunting (30 at Church Bridge on 8th) braved the cold spell at the start of the new year. Later in the month an improvement in temperatures resulted in the first amorous proclamations of House Sparrows, Song Thrushes, Blackbirds and Skylarks. FEBRU?.RY Although rainfall was not excessive February was nevertheless mild, wet and windy. The weather was dominated by a series of deep Atlantic depressions, bringing with them strong southwesterly winds. Aside from the long-staying Great Grey Shrike (until 16th), waterbirds provided most of the interest this month. Wildfowl enthusiasts were still being treated to Smew at Bank Island as well as Bewicks Swan, White-fronted Geese (seven), Goosander (200+) at Wheldrake Ings on 2nd, with Greylag Geese (c.400), Bean Goose (9th) and Pink-footed Geese (three on 15th) at Castle Howard. Waterbirds were further represented by a first winter Glaucous Gull at Wheldrake Ings on 2nd and an adult Mediterranean Gull at North Duffield Carrs on 13th. Unfortunately, no descriptions for these two sightings were provided so that Club is unable to support these records. A wintering Ruff again at Wheldrake Ings on 2nd completed the waterbird line-up. NZiRCH With high pressure and light south to southwesterly winds March was exceptionally mild, at least for the first three weeks. It cooled off towards the end of the month although with the wind turning to the north-west. Rainfall stayed low across the country. Little of especial note occurred throughout early March with only the arrival of Blackcap (Fulford golf course on the 10th) 11 and Chiffchaff (Wheldrake Ings on 12th), and the antics of Barn Owls at Osbaldwick Road, Riccall and Slingsby keeping members’ spirits up. Nine Pink-footed Geese at Wheldrake on the 14th increased the interest, but the best bird of the month arrived in the form of a Waxwing at Brandsby on 23rd. APRIL The dry and mild weather continued into April with high pressure and light winds being the norm, although there were some overnight frosts, daytime temperatures remained above average and there was little rainfall before 25th. The mild weather of March continued until April, leaving only a few reminders of winter - Merlin at Stearsby on 1st and 33 Pink- footed Geese at Wheldrake on 20th.