HILFIELD PARK RESERVOIR WILDLIFE REPORT 2013
Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
HILFIELD PARK RESERVOIR WILDLIFE REPORT FOR 2013
CONTENTS
Introduction 2
List of contributors 2
Review of 2013 Peter Delaloye 3
Birds, systematic list Mark McManus and Eirwen Edwards 4
Birds year-by-year review Bob Cripps 27
Ringing report Mike Beatley 33
Butterflies Steve Murray 42
Dragonflies Steve Murray 47
Mammals, reptiles and amphibians Bob Cripps 50
Moths 2013 Rachel Terry 52
The ultraviolet reflectance of feathers Richard Melzack Ph.D 58
Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust 68
1 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
INTRODUCTION
Hilfield Park Reservoir is a Local Nature Reserve in the ownership of Affinity Water (previously Veolia Water). It was established as a nature reserve in 1969, after an agreement between the company and Hertfordshire County Council, with management undertaken by Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust (HMWT).
The water surface covers about 46 hectares (115 acres) at top level and is surrounded by 32 hectares (80 acres) of woodland, bramble scrub and grassland with a number of ponds. The storage capacity of the reservoir is approximately 600 million gallons.
This is the twenty-third report, continuing to encourage a wider interest in the site and the recording of its wildlife.
I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this report. Special thanks are due to Stephen Murray, Bob Cripps, Mark McManus, Eirwen Edwards, Rachel Terry, Rob Hopkins, Tony Blake, Jack Fearnside and Mike Beatley without whom it would not have been possible to prepare this report.
All future records of any aspect of natural history relating to the reserve would be gratefully received.
I would also like to take this opportunity to request that both authors and the report itself are acknowledged fully, following part or complete use of this report as reference.
Peter Delaloye HMWT Volunteer Warden
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
We are grateful to the following for submitting records. All records have been submitted to the county recorder.
J. Bailey R. Cripps M. McManus E. Stainthorpe M. Beatley P. Delaloye R. Melzack R. Terry I. Bennell E .Edwards J. Moss J. Thompson T. Blake J. Fearnside M. Murphy R. Boyden E. Inzani S. Murray D. Chandler H. Inzani P. Peretti K. Cramer P. McManus M. Rossor
2 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
REVIEW OF 2013
Pride of place this year goes to the insects.
On 6 October Stephen Murray discovered a Vagrant Emperor dragonfly near the south east bay, not only the first sighting for Hilfield, but also the first for Hertfordshire. This records has been accepted by the national dragonfly rarities committee.
Not to be outdone, butterflies provided three new species for the site: Purple Emperor, Silver- washed Fritillary and Chalkhill Blue.
Meanwhile Rachel Terry’s moth report for 2013 includes nearly 60 new species for the reserve!
It was another poor year for the breeding Black-necked Grebes, but two young did fledge.
Other notable bird records were: The first Wood Warbler to be ringed at the reservoir (last sighting in 2001) The second occurrence of Cetti’s Warbler (both ringed, the first in 2003) A juvenile/first winter Grey Phalarope (the last in 2008).
Once again we would like to thank Rob Hopkins of HMWT and his Green Team who have carried out vital work around the reserve, particularly cutting back overgrown vegetation on the south bank.
Peter Delaloye HMWT Volunteer Warden
3 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
BIRDS OF HILFIELD PARK RESERVOIR 2012
MUTE SWAN Cygnus olor One pair bred with six cygnets first noted on May 29th and all six surviving until the end of the year.
Maximum monthly counts (adults + juveniles):
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2+1 2 3 4 4+6 4+6 4+6 4+6 2+6 4+6 7 2+6
GREYLAG GOOSE Anser anser Five records involving nine birds this year. One on March 3rd and two birds on the 7th with two again on April 7th, June 1st and from September 8th until the 16th.
GREATER CANADA GOOSE Branta canadensis One pair bred with an adult first noticed on the nest on April 20th and a brood of six first seen on May 16th.
Maximum monthly counts:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 23 10 13 4 23 113 109 48 354 110 25 24
EGYPTIAN GOOSE Alopochen aegyptiacus Just a single record of three birds flying over on November 28th.
SHELDUCK Tadorna tadorna In March single birds on the 11th, 14th and 19th, in May two birds flying over on the 19th and finally a single bird present on November 3rd.
4 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
MANDARIN Aix galericulata A single record of two birds flying over on October 6th.
WIGEON Anas penelope In April 12 birds were still present on the 2nd dropping down to 2 on the 7th. The first returning birds were two on July 13th.
Maximum monthly counts:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 164 107 108 12 ------2 4 13 51 113 119
GADWALL Anas strepera Three broods were raised this year.
Maximum monthly counts:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 72 27 30 23 18 42 91 45 24 15 46 53
TEAL Anas crecca The following records were received. Six on January 17th, one male on February 16th, in March one on the 3rd, two on the 17th, three on the 24th and 30th and four on the 31st, in April 15 on the 6th and one on the 8th. In the autumn three on July 11th and two on the 21st, in August 5 on the 25th, in September one on the 7th and eight on the 30th, in October seven on the 19th, in November two on the 3rd and six on the 19th and in December three on the 17th.
Maximum monthly counts:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 6 1 4 15 ------3 5 8 7 6 3
MALLARD Anas platyrhynchos Seven broods raised this year with two in April, three in May, one in June and one in July.
Maximum monthly counts:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 4 4 14 10 15 7 2 6 7 5 6 7
PINTAIL Anas acuta Three records this year consisting of nine birds. Two males on February 8th, three males and two females on March 14th and two birds on September 22nd.
5 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
SHOVELER Anas clypeata Recorded in every month this year. In April 40 were present on the 3rd with just four on the 14th and two on the 21st. In May three males were seen on the 10th and 11th with a single bird present on the 12th. The first returning bird was a male present from June 26th.
Maximum monthly counts:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 18 15 46 40 3 1 2 24 45 13 16 32
POCHARD Aythya farina As with Shoveler recorded in every month this year. Three were still present on April 24th with a single male seen on May 23rd.
Monthly maximum counts:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 53 8 16 3 1 18 158 200 150 10 14 31
TUFTED DUCK Aythya fuligula No breeding this year.
Monthly maximum counts:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 60 114 124 80 40 40 169 286 107 59 47 88
SCAUP Aythya marila The female remained from December 2012 until January 11th. There was one new bird in 2013, a male present on April 28th.
6 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
GOLDENEYE Bucephala clangula In January two on the 27th and one on the 28th and 29th, in February one on the 3rd, two female/1st winters on the 9th, 10th, 16th and 17th with one male and four female/1st winters on the 18th. In March a pair on the 10th and three on the 16th, 17th and 20th, in April a female was present from the 7th until the 14th. The first returning bird was a single on October 27th, in November two juveniles on the 13th, a pair on the 20th, a female on the 24th, 25th with two on the 27th and one again on the 28th.
Monthly maximum counts:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2 5 3 1 ------1 2 1
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER Mergus serrator After a two year absence this species returns to the Hilfield year list with a male seen on April 3rd.
GOOSANDER Mergus merganser Three records this year. A female on January 7th, a pair on March 10th and a female flew in and stayed for eight minutes on October 27th.
RUDDY DUCK Oxyura jamaicensis In January three birds were present until a cull on the 15th. The cull did not fully achieve its aim however as two were still present the day after and for the rest of the month and then throughout the summer until they were last seen on October 1st. No records were received for November or December.
Maximum monthly counts:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 ------
7 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
LITTLE GREBE Tachybaptus ruficollis Just one brood this year with 3 young noted on June 23rd. The July count includes two independent juveniles.
Maximum monthly counts:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2 1 4 3 4 4 5 3 4 5 4 2
GREAT CRESTED GREBE Podiceps cristatus Seven broods this year with the first noted on July 21st with two more at the end of July and four more during August.
Maximum monthly counts:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 13 9 13 22 23 26 55 85 100 66 50 20
BLACK-NECKED GREBE Podiceps nigricollis Please note that Black-necked Grebe is a ‘Schedule 1’ species and is protected by law. Please follow any on site notices concerning breeding birds.
Two chicks fledged from two different nests. For the first time at the reservoir birds built nests on the rafts with a total of seven built, and several failed attempts made to build an eighth, but only one chick was hatched from these with all the other attempts failing. The first chick was noted on June 20th and the second on July 1st with both birds still doing well into August. The first bird of the year arrived on February 5th and was seen on four more dates with three birds then present on the 19th. In March numbers built up with 14 birds present by the end of the month while in April the highest count was of 19 birds on the 20th. The highest count in May was of 20 birds. In June 19 birds on the 1st down to 15 on the 19th. In July the highest count was of 13 adults plus two juveniles. In August two adults and two juveniles on the 1st with one adult and one juvenile on the 6th and just the adult left on the 13th. In September an adult on the 19th, in October an adult on
8 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013 the 1st, 15th and 25th. In November one from the 5th until the 10th, three on the 12th and 13th, one from the 15th until the 26th and two on the 30th. In December single birds seen on several different dates with at least four different adults involved and an adult and a 1st winter were seen on the 29th.
CORMORANT Phalacrocorax carbo Recorded throughout the year.
Maximum monthly counts:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 14 5 12 5 3 2 3 9 23 31 7 6
LITTLE EGRET Egretta garzetta In January one flew over on the 12th, in August one over on the 4th, one repeatedly placing a stick in a tree on the 8th and one on the dam on the 14th and 15th. Finally one flew over on November 29th.
GREY HERON Ardea cinerea Records received were as follows. In January four on the 9th, one on the 26th and 27th, in February two on several dates, in March one on the 10th and several other dates. In April two on the 7th, one on the 14th, two on the 17th and 20th and one on the 21st, in May one on the 5th, in June one on the 2nd, 16th and 23rd. In July two on the 21st four on the 24th and two on the 28th, in August four on the 1st, two on the 4th and one on the 10th, in September two on the 1st and several other dates. In October three on the 4th and one on the 27th, in November two on the 1st, one the 3rd, 10th and 15th and in December three on the 2nd, one on the 8th, three on the 14th and one on the 15th and 29th.
Maximum monthly counts:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 4 2 1 2 1 1 4 4 2 3 2 3
9 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
RED KITE Milvus milvus In February one on the 2nd, in March one on the 22nd, in April two on the 1st, 2nd and 20th and one on 11 other dates. In May one on seven dates and two on the 16th, in June four on the 23rd and one on eight other dates, in July one on six dates and in August one on three dates. In September just a single record of one on the 30th with two seen on October 6th while in November there were singles on three dates and in December adult birds were seen on three dates and a juvenile on the 22nd.
SPARROWHAWK Accipiter nisus Seen throughout the year. One on five dates in January. One on three dates in February, six dates in March, nine dates in April with two on three dates. One on two dates in May, five dates in June and four dates in July. In August singles were recorded on five dates and just two dates in September with two seen on October 6th and singles on four other dates. Single birds were again recorded on four dates in November and two dates in December.
COMMON BUZZARD Buteo buteo Single birds were recorded on six dates in January, in February three on the 16th, two on the 17th and singles on three dates, in March four on the 14th, a pair on five dates and singles on 3 dates. In April a mating pair in the southeast woods on the 6th, four birds were seen on five dates and one or two on 12 other dates, in May four on the 31st, three on the 18th and 26th, two on the 7th and singles on 12 other dates, in June a juvenile was giving hunger calls from the castle lake trees on the 30th while six were seen on the 8th with one or two on 13 other dates. On July 31st a home bred juvenile was seen flying strongly and two juvenile were seen flying with an adult on August 8th and three juveniles with an adult on the 18th. In September five birds on the 20th, four on the 1st and 24th and three on the 30th, in October three seen on the 6th and a total of nine birds were seen soaring together on the 7th. In November three on 3rd, two on the 10th and singles on 11 other dates, in December four on the 15th, two on the 6th and 14th and singles on four other dates.
10 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
KESTREL Falco tinnunculus Recorded throughout the year. There was a failed breeding attempt in the south bank nest box. Four birds were noted on April 20th and 21st.
HOBBY Falco subbuteo First record of the year was of a single bird on April 28th followed by two on May 5th and singles on the 11th, 12th and 15th and 16th and 29th. A single bird was seen on June 2nd with two on the 3rd and a single again on July 28th with singles again on August 17th and 26th. In September single adults on the 1st, 10th, 12th, 15th and 21st, an adult with a juvenile on 22nd, and adult on the 24th, an adult with two juveniles on the 26th and 27th, an adult making a food pass to a single juvenile on the 28th, an adult on the 29th and two juveniles on the 28th and finally two juveniles on October 1st and one on the 4th.
PEREGRINE Falco peregrinus Eight records this year. An adult landed on the southwest pylon on February 22nd, in May an adult on southeast pylon on the 17th, one flew low over the reservoir on the 18th and two adults were present together on the 30th. In June one on the 3rd, in October one flew around the reservoir for 15 minutes on the 27th and one was seen briefly on the 29th and finally one was seen on November 5th.
RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE Alectoris rufa Four records this year. Two on the dam embankment on March 27th, two on April 10th and 20th and two on November 10th.
PHEASANT Phasianus colchicus Five breeding attempts this year with two of them failing. Records received as follows. In January one on the 1st and four on the 2nd and 13th, in February two on the 9th, five on the 14th and two again on the 17th, in March two on the 24th. In April four on the 7th, three on the 9th, 14th and 17th and four again on the 20th and 21st. In May two on the 26th and two tiny fledglings
11 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013 were noted on the 29th while two other breeding attempts failed this month. In June four on the 23rd with a second brood of juveniles noted on the 18th with a third brood noted August 7th. In September eight juveniles were seen together on the 14th and in November two adults were seen on the 3rd.
WATER RAIL Rallus aquaticus In January singles on the 9th, 13th, 17th and 27th, in March one heard on the 10th, in April one on the 7th and 19th and 26th and the last spring record was of one on May 16th. The first returning bird was one under the hide on September 9th with one then seen on the 24th. In November singles on the 24th and 27th and in December one on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th with two on the 17th and 18th and one again on the 19th.
MOORHEN Gallinula chloropus Five broods this year, two in June and July and one in August.
Monthly maximum counts:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 3 4 6 4 1 2 2 5 10 4 1 3
COOT Fulica atra A total of 19 broods this year the same as last year. The first brood was noted on May 31st followed by another ten in June with eight in July.
Monthly maximum counts:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 50 40 40 75 47 130 241 143 115 165 194 234
OYSTERCATCHER Haematopus ostralegus Recorded on six dates this year. One on one of the rafts on March 22nd, single birds present on April 9th and 18th and two on the dam on May 6th and June 4th and again on August 3rd.
LAPWING Vanellus vanellus In January 106 flew over on the 1st with 23 over on the 13th, in February 110 over on the 19th and eight on the 24th, in March three flew over on the 10th and 17th. There were three birds on the dam on April 28th while in May one was seen on the 12th with three on the dam on the 5th and 18th. Five birds were on the dam on July 6th and the next and last record was of three on December 22nd.
DUNLIN Calidris alpina Five records this year. One on the dam on January 19th, one seen on March 10th and 24th, one flew over on May 11th and a juvenile was on the dam on October 12th.
12 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
COMMON SNIPE Gallinago gallinago Just the one record of a single bird on the south bank on January 2nd.
WOODCOCK Scolopax rusticola In January one in the north pines on the 6th and one by the east fountain on the 12th, in February one in the ESE woods on the 11th, in March in north bank scrub on the 5th and one in the ESE woods on the 30th. The last first winter period record was of two on the north bank on April 10th. The only second winter period record was of two or possibly three birds in the north pines on November 15th.
WHIMBREL Numenius phaeopus On April 21st two were seen flying over before landing in Pages farm field where they stayed for a short while before flying off south at 2.15pm.
13 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
CURLEW Numenius arquata One record of two birds circling the reservoir from 7am until 8am on April 17th.
REDSHANK Tringa tetanus One on the dam on April 11th, one on June 16th and singles on the dam on July 10th and 19th.
GREEN SANDPIPER Tringa ochropus One on April 21st first flushed along the north bank and then seen along the dam.
COMMON SANDPIPER Actitis hypoleucos Seen on 91 dates this year. The first record was of one on March 10th followed by another single on April 14th. Birds were recorded on 16 dates in April with four on two dates and three also on two dates. Seen on 13 dates in May with two on four of those days. Three were on the dam on June 30th and birds were seen on 17 dates in July with four on the 26th. In August recorded on 21 dates with four on the 8th and in September recorded on 22 dates with three on the 5th and the last record was of a single bird on the 26th.
GREY PHALAROPE Phalaropus fulicarius A juvenile/first winter bird was present on October 28th and 29th and was the first record since 2008.
MEDITERRANEAN GULL Ichthyaetus melanocephalus Recorded on 50 dates this year. In January an adult and a 1st winter on the 1st, two adults on the 2nd, one adult on the 3rd, a 1st winter on the 6th, 7th and 25th and an adult and 1st winter on the 26th. In February a 1st winter on the 5th, 6th, 8th and 11th, two adults and a 1st winter on the 16th, 17th and 18th, one adult on the 19th, two 1st winters on the 21st and a single adult on the 22nd. In March an adult on the 1st, 3rd, 10th, two adults on the 11th and three adults together on the 12th and an adult was present on April 5th. There were no more records until September when a 1st winter was seen on the 23rd, a 2nd winter, two 1st winters and a juvenile on the 25th, an adult and 1st winter on the 26th and one 1st winter on the 28th. In October an adult was present on the 1st, a 1st winter on the 4th and 5th, two 1st winters on the 6th, an adult on the 15th, 1st winter on the 17th, adult again on the 18th and two adults on the 19th, one adult and 2nd winter on the 22nd, 2nd winter on the 23rd, adult on the 25th, two adults on the 26th, adult again on the 27th, adult and 2nd winter on the 29th and two adults on the 30th. In November a 2nd winter was present on the 2nd, an adult on the 10th, 13th and 16th, an adult and 1st winter on the 24th and an adult on the 26th, 27th and 28th. In December an adult on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 8th,10th, 12th, 13th and 24th and an adult and 2nd winter on the 29th.
LITTLE GULL Hydrocoloeus minutus In March three adults on the 7th, four on the 8th, one on the 10th, a 1st winter on the 11th an adult again on the 25th. In May a single adult on the 12th and 13th and in October a 1st winter on the 12th and 13th.
14 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
BLACK-HEADED GULL Chroicocephalus ridibundus The first signs of breeding were noted on March 2nd with two females begging for and receiving food. Five broods were noted by the end of May and there were 19 broods by the end of June with the first flying juvenile noted on the 24th. A white adult was recorded on seven dates in January and six in February and on the 2nd and 10th of March, October 24th, November 13th, 16th, 19th and 30th and December 6th, 12th, 13th and 15th. In March 910 passage birds were counted on the 28th mostly consisting of 1st winters and then further spring passage in April consisted of 971 on the 2nd, over 1000 on the 5th and 800 on the 10th again consisting of mainly 1st winters. On January 22nd 8000+ were present and 3000 on March 11th.
COMMON GULL Larus canus The following counts were received. There was 500 0n January 26th, 800 on February 2nd with 1000 on the 24th, 300 on March 16th and 30th, 20 on April 8th, eight on October 6th and 13 on December 15th.
15 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL Larus fuscus The following counts were received. There was 500 0n January 26th, 800 on February 2nd with 1000 on the 24th, 300 on March 16th and 30th, 20 on April 8th, eight on October 6th and 13 on December 15th.
HERRING GULL Larus argentatus The following counts were received. In January 397 on the 28th, 500 on February 2nd, 136 on September 5th with 100 on the 24th and 630 on November 9th.
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL Larus marinus In January an adult on the 1st, two immature birds on the 3rd and an adult again on the 11th and 31st, an adult on February 3rd and two immature birds on March 17th with an adult on the 27th.
KITTIWAKE Rissa tridactyla A 1st winter was in the gull roost on December 31st.
SANDWICH TERN Sterna sandvicensis Two adults were present for at least an hour on August 26th. This species was last seen in 2010 and is not an easy species to connect with at Hilfield.
COMMON TERN Sterna hirundo There were nine breeding pairs this year with six broods raised. The first brood was noted on June 29th with the second the next day, three more in July and the sixth on August 6th. The first flying juvenile was noted on July 28th. The first record of the year was of three birds on April 13th with the highest April count being 20 on the 16th. Highest count in May was of 45 on the 15th with 28 on the 17th and 22 on the 22nd. Highest count in June was of 26 on the 15th. Five birds were preent on August 25th and the last record of the year was of a juvenile on September 1st.
ARCTIC TERN Sterna paradisaea Two records this year with at least two birds present on April 16th and one present on the 17th.
LITTLE TERN Sternula albifrons No records this year.
2012: As well as the bird seen on May 2nd there was an additional record of one flying high north at 10.30am on April 23rd.
FERAL PIGEON Columba livia Regularly seen throughout the year.
16 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
STOCK DOVE Columba oenas Under recorded but usually present around the castle area. The following records were received. Two on January 13th and 27th, one on February 17th, two on March 10th and 24th, two on four dates in April, one on May 12th and five on the 26th with two of them being pulli. One on September 26th, 50 on October 8th and 10th, one on November 10th and December 1st and 8th.
WOOD PIGEON Columba palumbus Resident and seen on every visit to the reserve. The only count received was of 80 on November 3rd.
COLLARED DOVE Streptopelia decaocto Three records this year. One on February 24th, one over on May 19th and one on June 2nd.
RING-NECKED PARAKEET Psittacula krameri Recorded in every month. In January 18 flew over to roost on the 5th with nine in the reserve on the 26th and eight on the 27th. In February 12 flew to roost on the 28th while in March five on the 30th was the highest count. Highest in April was 10 on the 13th, seven on the 1st in May while birds were only heard in June. Two were seen on July 13th with nine flying south on August 3rd and seven seen on September 22nd. In October 32 flew to roost on the 5th, nine to roost on November 30th and six birds present on December 3rd and 6th.
CUCKOO Cuculus canorus Just the one record of a bird perched in a tree on the west bank on June 26th.
BARN OWL Tyto alba A good run of records from February to May. In February a single bird on the 11th, 19th, 22nd and 23rd with two on the 24th and the single bird again on the 27th. In March two on the 10th and one on the 12th, in April one on the 11th and 19th and finally one on May 26th. Two of these sightings involved a bird roosting in the northeast woods with the other sightings all of birds hunting.
LITTLE OWL Athene noctua One was seen near the garages on November 9th and then heard by the castle on the 30th.
COMMON SWIFT Apus apus One on April 24th was the first of the year, nine days later than last year. By April 28th 100 birds were present and in May 400 were seen on the 8th, 10th and 12th with 500 on the 15th with at least two partial white birds seen in these flocks. In June 200 were present on 11th and 100 on the 23rd with the only July record received being of 10 birds on the 28th. In August 11 on the 10th, one on the 11th and two on the 17th and the last record of the year was a single bird on September 8th.
17 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis Recorded on 12 dates this year. All records were of single birds recorded on the following dates. January 13th and 16th, February 9th, March 5th, August 29th, September 8th, 26th and 29th, October 4th, November 5th, 20th and finally December 19th.
GREEN WOODPECKER Picus viridis Resident. Recorded from April to December, with a maximum of 6 birds together on August 6th.
GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER Dendrocopos major Resident. Recorded from February to December, usually 1 to 2 birds, with 3 in December, and 4 in February. Four juveniles were ringed in July.
WOODLARK Lullula arborea There was one record of a Woodlark on March 15th, viewed in Pages Farm from the viewing platform overlooking Hilfield Park Reservoir. This species was previously last recorded on the reserve in 1955.
SKYLARK Alauda arvensis There were seven records, between February and April, June and November. Usually single birds, or recorded as heard, most often singing over the aerodrome.
SAND MARTIN Riparia riparia The first birds of the year were singles recorded on 10 March, one flying north, another a very tired looking bird by the dam wall. Again a single on 11 March, in the snow. Records in April reached c50 birds on 14th. A single bird was reported in June, and eight birds in August. There were c200 birds on 15 Spetember, with the last record being three birds on 22 September.
SWALLOW Hirundo rustica The first birds of the year were five on April 15, followed by seven on the 16th. April records continued to be plentiful, with a maximum of c200 on 19th. Swallows were recorded on several dates in May, with c300 on 15th. There was a single bird recorded on June 2nd. One juvenile bird was caught and ringed on August 25th, as part of normal ringing activities. There were autumn records of c100 on 9th, five birds on September 15th, with the last record of 100 on September 22nd.
HOUSE MARTIN Delichon urbicum The first bird of the year was a single recorded on April 13th. Subsequent April records were two on 16th, and 20 on 17th. In May records of c200 birds were recorded on 11th and 15th. Two juveniles were caught and ringed on September 22nd. Autumn passage in September included c500 birds on 15th, with the last record being 100 birds on 22nd.
18 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
MEADOW PIPIT Anthus pratensis Winter records were received for March and December, with a maximum of 10 on March 28th, and four reported on a few dates 8-15 December. There was one spring record of four birds on April 8th. Autumn passage was recorded from September 15th, with a maximum of c20 birds on the 22nd. Meadow Pipits were well recorded throughout October and November, with maxima of 19 birds on October 6th and 10 on November 3rd. The last November record was of six birds on the 29th. There were increased ringing efforts and success for this species in 2013, with 49 birds ringed between September and December, 46 of which were first-year birds.
ROCK PIPIT Anthus petrosus Five records were received, with one bird recorded on the dam on March 31st and April 1st, and then three autumn records of two birds on 27th, and 1 bird on September 28th and 29th.
YELLOW WAGTAIL Motacilla flava There were single birds recorded regularly from April 16th, with two recorded on Pages Farm on April 22nd. There was one record each of single birds for May and June, on 5th and 16th respectively. Autumn records were of single birds on September 22nd and 30th.
19 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
GREY WAGTAIL Motacilla cinerea Between one and three birds were recorded in every month except December. In January singles were recorded on 20th and 23rd. In February singles recorded on 21st, 23rd and 24th. In March one or two birds were recorded on ten dates, with three birds on 29th and 31st. April recorded one to two birds on 14 dates, including one adult male trapped and ringed on April 7th, and three birds sighted on 1st, 8th, 13th and 20th. May recorded one bird on 1st and two on 7th. June received one record of two birds on the 5th. Single birds were recorded on July 9th and August 27th, then one bird on September 15th and 28th and two birds on September 22nd. there were records of single birds on four dates in October, and a final record of one bird on November 3rd.
PIED WAGTAIL Motacilla alba yarellii Resident. Pied Wagails are regularly seen along the dam and breed on the bridge. The first juvenilles are recorded as beginning to fledge on May 25th, eventually numbering five juvenilles. A record for June 2nd of 12 birds included eight juveniles. A second brood was recorded being fed under the bridge on June 29th and subsequently fledging from there on July 13th.
WHITE WAGTAIL Motacilla alba alba There was only one record this year of a single bird at Pages Farm on March 13th.
WHITE/PIED WAGTAIL Motacilla alba There were 11 other records of Pied/White Wagtails. March through May recorded one to four birds, with the peak counts of four being on March 10th and April 9th and 20th. In Septemeber one bird was recorded on the 3rd. In November two birds were recorded on 3rd, and three on 10th.
WAXWING Bombycilla garrulus There were two records of birds flying over the reservoir in 2013: a flock of 50+ flying east over the south bank on January 6th, and six birds flying north-west on March 21st.
WREN Troglodytes troglodytes Resident. Twenty-eight juvenile birds were ringed between May and August.
DUNNOCK Prunella modularis Resident. Twelve juvenile birds were ringed between May and August, with a further seven juveniles ringed in September and November. A maximum of six birds were recorded on 2 June.
ROBIN Erithacus rubecula Resident. Seventeen juvenile birds were ringed between May and August, with a further ten juveniles ringed in September.
BLACK REDSTART Phoenicurus ochruros There was one well recorded bird present from November 29th to December 9th. It was seen mainly around the pumphouse and on the dam. The bird was trapped and ringed on December
20 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
8th, and proved to be a first-year female. A record of a bird was also received for November 7th, from a private site adjacent to the reserve.
WHEATEAR Oenanthe oenanthe One to three birds were recorded almost daily throughout March, from 24th until April 6th. On April 31st two birds were trapped and ringed, both identified as second-year males.There were two birds recorded on April 13th and 26th, and one bird on May 3rd-4th. The bird recorded on May 4th was reported as the Greenland race O. o. leucorhoa, and was the last spring record. Autumn records were of single birds on August 13th, 29th and 30th, and then one bird on the dam on October 18th and 19th.
BLACKBIRD Turdus merula Resident. There was only one juvenile bird ringed in the May to August period this year. During that period at least eight different males and five different females were present, suggesting that several
21 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013 pairs were present but it was a poor breeding season. Seventeen birds were caught and ringed throughout the whole year, and a further 11 individuals trapped bearing rings from previous years.
FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris Double-figure counts were recorded in five winter months: 12 birds on January 3rd, 70 on February 10th and 30 on February 11th, c20 birds recorded on March 24th and 25 on March 28th, then 12 birds on November 10th and 41 on November 28th, 75 on December 12th and 21 birds on December 29th.
SONG THRUSH Turdus philomelos Resident. There was one significant count of a flock of c20 birds in bushes on October 17th. There were three juvenile birds ringed between May and August. During this period there were also four males and three females trapped. Thirteen birds were caught and ringed throughout the whole year, and a further five individuals were trapped bearing rings from previous years.
REDWING Turdus iliacus Redwings were recorded in good numbers in both winter periods and during the autumn. There were maximum counts recorded of: 15 birds in January, 6 in February, 30 in March, 35 in October, c30 in November and c100 in December. Single birds were recorded on April 7th and September 1st. Forty-nine birds were ringed during December, 44 of which were first-year birds.
MISTLE THRUSH Turdus viscivorus Resident. There were records of five birds in January and February, two to four in March, one to three in April, three on the dam on July 28th, five birds on November 10th, and one on December 7th.
CETTIS WARBLER Cettia cetti A female was caught and ringed as part of normal ringing activities on the south bank of the reservoir on April 28th.
GRASSHOPPER WARBLER Locustella naevi There was one record of a bird reeling near to the viewing platform on April 19th.
SEDGE WARBLER Acrocephalus schoenobaenus Four birds were seen on April 21st with another single on the 28th. Five juvenile birds were ringed between May and August, along with three adult birds and one of indeterminate age. Two birds ringed elsewhere in the UK were also trapped and recorded as part of regular ringing activities (see more information on these birds in the Ringing Report).
REED WARBLER Acrocephalus scirpaceus The first bird was recorded on April 24th. The last record was of six birds on August 6th. A total of 62 Reed Warblers was ringed between May and August, 26 of which were juveniles. A further five juveniles were ringed in September. During the May-August period another 24 returning individuals
22 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013 were caught, including one originally ringed elsewhere in the UK (see more information in the Ringing Report).
GARDEN WARBLER Sylvia borin The first record of the year is of one bird on April 28th. There were sightings through May and June, with a maxima of three singing males on May 7th. The only juvenile was ringed between May and August, though three different adult birds were ringed between April 28th and June 2nd. The last record is of a single bird seen on September 13th.
BLACKCAP Sylvia atricapilla The first record of the year was of a male on April 14th. Birds were regularly recorded between April and June, with a maximum of 20 birds on April 20th. The last record is of five birds on September 27th. Between May and August 30 juveniles and 30 adults were ringed (11 male, 18 female, one unsexed). A further 30 juveniles were ringed in September. Only one returning ringed bird was re-trapped this year, in April. One bird ringed elewhere in the UK was trapped during regular rinigng activities (see more information in the Ringing Report).
LESSER WHITETHROAT Sylvia curruca There was one sight record of a single bird on August 25th. Three birds were ringed this year – an adult female in July, and two juveniles in August.
WHITETHROAT Sylvia communis The first bird was recorded on April 21st. There were two or three birds present thereafter throughout April and June, with the last record being eight birds on June 23rd. Thirty-five juvenile birds were ringed between May and August. Nine adult individuals were also ringed in this period, and a further seven had been ringed in April (eight were female, four male, and four unsexed). Two returning birds were re-trapped this year in April and June, both males. These ringing records suggest at least six breeding pairs were on site this year.
WOOD WARBLER Phylloscopus sibilatrix There was one record of a single bird trapped and ringed as part of normal ringing activities on the north bank on April 18th. This is the first record since 2001.
CHIFFCHAFF Phylloscopus collybita The first bird recorded was on 10 March. Birds were then recorded from March until 30 June, with a maximum of 20 birds present on 20 April. Thirty-three juveniles were ringed between May and August, with a further 16 juveniles ringed in September. Three birds were recorded on August 6th, five on September 22nd and two on September 27th. One bird was recorded on November 1st, with a bird ringed on November 7th, these records representing either very late last passage records, or wintering bird(s).
WILLOW WARBLER Phylloscopus trochilus The first birds were recorded on April 7th, when three were present. Records were received for seven dates in April, with five birds on April 16th and one to three on other dates. A bird was heard 23 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013 on June 16th. Five juveniles were ringed in August (two of these on the 18th). There were two autumn sight records, each of a single bird, on August 25th and September 8th. Three juvenile birds were ringed in September, the latest on the 12th, which represented the last record for the year.
GOLDCREST Regulus regulus Resident. Records were received across the year. Eighteen birds were ringed this year, including ten juveniles trapped between September and November.
FIRECREST Regulus ignicapilla There was one record of a bird trapped on the north bank on April 14th.
LONG-TAILED TIT Aegithalos caudatus Resident. Significant counts include: 12 birds on January 1st, eight on March 10th, and 40 plus on November 1st. A record was received of a chick being fed on May 16th. Twelve juveniles were caught during May to August.
BLUE TIT Cyanistes caeruleus Resident. Breeds in good numbers around the reserve. A total of 182 nestlings was ringed from the nest boxes. Data from the ringing group gave some peak winter numbers of c30 birds in November and c50 in December (a combination of birds caught and others sighted, generally around the feeder site).
GREAT TIt Parus major Resident. Breeds in good numbers around the reserve. A total of 60 nestlings was ringed from the nest boxes. Data from the ringing group gave some peak winter numbers of c20 birds in November and c18 in December (a combination of birds caught and others sighted, generally around the feeder site).
24 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
COAL TIT Periparus ater Resident. Breeds in small numbers. There were six sight records of one or two birds in the winter months from November to February. Five birds were ringed in 2013 (including one juvenile in July), and a further three birds caught.
NUTHATCH Sitta europaea Resident. There were eight sight records of single birds. Two birds were ringed in 2013 (one a male, the other unsexed), and another female bird re-trapped.
TREECREEPER Certhia familiaris Resident. There were 11 sight records of one to two birds in the winter months from November to February. Six birds were ringed in 2013, and a male bird ringed in a previous year was caught.
JAY Garrulus glandarius Resident. Significant sightings include counts of five and eight birds on April 7th and 21st respectively, and five birds on November 10th. One juvenile bird was ringed in September.
MAGPIE Pica pica Resident. There were sightings throughout year, with 18 birds present on December 29th.
JACKDAW Corvus monedula Possibly breeding. Recorded regularly in the spring months, March through June. A pair were recorded nest building in a cavity in the castle on April 10th, and three birds were seen in and around the cavity on May 5th and 13th. Autumn and winter counts included maxima of six birds in September, 15 in October and 20 in December.
ROOK Corvus frugilegus There were two records for this species this year: a single bird flew over on February 16th, and 12 birds were sighted on April 20th.
CARRION CROW Corvus corone Resident. Breeds locally. Two to four birds were seen regularly, often around the dam.
RAVEN Corvus corax There was one record of a single bird seen flying south over the reservoir on January 9th.
STARLING Sturnus vulgaris There were two spring records of two birds sighted on June 2nd and one bird on June 23rd. There were autumn/winter sightings of 40 birds on November 10th and c200 on November 19th.
25 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
CHAFFINCH Fringilla coelebs Resident. All the counts come from the ringing group, and include ringed and sighted individuals. There were significant counts of 20 birds on February 17th, 15 on March 10th and 20 on March 28th, then one to five birds were recorded on 14 other dates in April to June, September, November and December. Twenty-eight birds were ringed in 2013, including three juveniles in September, and a further three birds caught.
GREENFINCH Carduelis chloris Resident. Sight records were received between January and March. Three birds were ringed this year, two of which were juveniles, ringed in September.
GOLDFINCH Carduelis carduelis Resident. A total of 63 birds was ringed this year, including four juveniles ringed between May and August. The maximum number of birds recorded at any one time was of c15 birds on July 11th.
SISKIN Carduelis spinus Records were received for January, February and March. The maximum recorded was five birds on February 24th. Ten birds were ringed this year.
LINNET Carduelis cannabina One bird was recorded on November 3rd.
LESSER REDPOLL Carduelis cabaret There were four records of 1-2 birds in January, February and April. Six birds were seen on October 31st. There were three November records, with a maximum of three birds on two of the dates. Four December records included a maximum of 21 birds on the 17th. Seven birds were ringed in 2013.
BULLFINCH Pyrrhula pyrrhula Resident, but in declining numbers. One to two birds were recorded in February through April, July and December, with three birds recorded on January 13th. Three birds were ringed this year.
REED BUNTING Emberiza schoeniclus Resident and breeds on site. Six birds were recorded on January 9th, then one to three in other months. Eleven birds were ringed this year, including seven juveniles between May and August.
ESCAPE
MONK PARAKEET Myiopsitta monachus One was heard and seen well perched on May 5th, the first record since 2009.
Mark McManus and Eirwen Edwards
26 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
BIRDS – YEAR BY YEAR REVIEW
Year 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 Last seen Mute Swan l l l l l l l l l l l Bewick’s Swan l l Whooper Swan l l White-fronted Goose l l Greylag Goose l l l l l l l l l l l Canada Goose l l l l l l l l l l l Brent Goose l l l Egyptian Goose l l l l l l Shelduck l l l l l l l l l l l Mandarin l l l l l l l l l Wigeon l l l l l l l l l l l Gadwall l l l l l l l l l l l Teal l l l l l l l l l l l Mallard l l l l l l l l l l l Pintail l l l l l l l l l Garganey l l l l Blue-winged Teal 1998 Shoveler l l l l l l l l l l l Red-crested Pochard l l l l l l l Pochard l l l l l l l l l l l Ring-necked Duck 2001 Ferruginous Duck 1961 Tufted Duck l l l l l l l l l l l Scaup l l l l Eider 1963 Long-tailed Duck 1985 Common Scoter l l l l l l Velvet Scoter 1976 Goldeneye l l l l l l l l l l l Smew l l l l l Red-breasted Merganser l l l Goosander l l l l l l l l l l l Ruddy Duck l l l l l l l l l l l White-headed Duck l l l Red-legged Partridge l l l l l l l l l Grey Partridge 1960 Pheasant l l l l l l l l l l l Red-throated Diver 1965 Black-throated Diver 1967 Great Northern Diver l
27 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Year 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 Last seen Little Grebe l l l l l l l l l l l Great Crested Grebe l l l l l l l l l l l Red-necked Grebe l l Slavonian Grebe l Black-necked Grebe l l l l l l l l l l l Leach’s Petrel 1983 Cormorant l l l l l l l l l l l Shag l Bittern l l l Little Egret l l l l l l l l Grey Heron l l l l l l l l l l l Honey Buzzard l Red Kite l l l l l l l l l l l Marsh Harrier l l Sparrowhawk l l l l l l l l l l l Buzzard l l l l l l l l l l l Osprey l l l l l l Kestrel l l l l l l l l l l l Merlin 1979 Hobby l l l l l l l l l l l Peregrine l l l l l l l l Water Rail l l l l l l l l l l l Spotted Crake 1967 Moorhen l l l l l l l l l l l Coot l l l l l l l l l l l Oystercatcher l l l l l l Avocet l l Little Ringed Plover l l l l l l l l l l Ringed Plover l l l l l l l l Golden Plover l l l l l Grey Plover 2001 Lapwing l l l l l l l l l l l Knot l Sanderling l l l l Little Stint l Curlew Sandpiper l Dunlin l l l l l l l l l l Ruff l Jack Snipe 1996 Snipe l l l l l l l l l l l Woodcock l l l l l l l l Black-tailed Godwit l Bar-tailed Godwit 2001
28 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Year 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 Last seen Whimbrel l l l l l l l l Curlew l l l l l l l Spotted Redshank l Redshank l l l l l l l l l l l Greenshank l l l l l l l l l l Green Sandpiper l l l l l l Wood Sandpiper l Spotted Sandpiper l Common Sandpiper l l l l l l l l l l l Turnstone l l l Grey Phalarope l l Long-tailed Skua 1988 Mediterranean Gull l l l l l l l l l l l Laughing Gull l Little Gull l l l l l l l l l l l Sabine’s Gull 1988 Black-headed Gull l l l l l l l l l l l Common Gull l l l l l l l l l l l Lesser Black-backed Gull l l l l l l l l l l l Herring Gull l l l l l l l l l l l Yellow-legged Gull l l l l l l l l l Glaucous Gull 1980 Great Black-backed Gull l l l l l l l l l l l Kittiwake l l l l l l l Sandwich Tern l l l l Common Tern l l l l l l l l l l l Arctic Tern l l l l l l l l l l Little Tern l l l l Black Tern l l l l l l l l l l White-winged Black Tern 1970 Little Auk 1995 Feral Pigeon l l l l l l l l l l l Stock Dove l l l l l l l l l l l Wood Pigeon l l l l l l l l l l l Collared Dove l l l l l l l l l l Turtle Dove 2001 Ring-necked Parakeet l l l l l l l l Cuckoo l l l l l l l l l l l Barn Owl l l l l l l l l Little Owl l l l l l l l l l Tawny Owl l l l l l l l l l Short-eared Owl l l l Swift l l l l l l l l l l l
29 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Year 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 Last seen Alpine Swift 1990 Kingfisher l l l l l l l l l l Hoopoe 1973 Green Woodpecker l l l l l l l l l l l Great Spotted Woodpecker l l l l l l l l l l l Lesser Spotted Woodpecker l l l l l l Woodlark l Skylark l l l l l l l l l l l Sand Martin l l l l l l l l l l l Swallow l l l l l l l l l l l Red-rumped Swallow 2000 House Martin l l l l l l l l l l l Tree Pipit l Meadow Pipit l l l l l l l l l l l Rock Pipit l l l l l l Water Pipit 1992 Yellow/Blue-headed Wagtail l l l l l l l l l l Grey Wagtail l l l l l l l l l l l Pied/White Wagtail l l l l l l l l l l l Waxwing l l l Wren l l l l l l l l l l l Dunnock l l l l l l l l l l l Robin l l l l l l l l l l l Black Redstart l l l l l Redstart l l Whinchat l l Stonechat l l l l l Wheatear l l l l l l l l l l l Ring Ouzel 1993 Blackbird l l l l l l l l l l l Fieldfare l l l l l l l l l l l Song Thrush l l l l l l l l l l l Redwing l l l l l l l l l l l Mistle Thrush l l l l l l l l l l l Cetti’s Warbler l l Grasshopper Warbler l l l l Aquatic Warbler 1960 Sedge Warbler l l l l l l l l l l l Reed Warbler l l l l l l l l l l l Lesser Whitethroat l l l l l l l l l l l Whitethroat l l l l l l l l l l l Garden Warbler l l l l l l l l l l l Blackcap l l l l l l l l l l l
30 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Year 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 Last seen Eastern Crowned Warbler l Wood Warbler l Chiffchaff l l l l l l l l l l l Willow Warbler l l l l l l l l l l l Goldcrest l l l l l l l l l l l Firecrest l l l l Spotted Flycatcher l l l l l l l l Pied Flycatcher 2000 Bearded Tit 1974 Long-tailed Tit l l l l l l l l l l l Marsh Tit l Willow Tit 1994 Coal Tit l l l l l l l l l l l Blue Tit l l l l l l l l l l l Great Tit l l l l l l l l l l l Nuthatch l l l l l l l l Treecreeper l l l l l l l l l l l Golden Oriole 1984 Red-backed Shrike 1965 Great Grey Shrike 1970 Jay l l l l l l l l l l l Magpie l l l l l l l l l l l Jackdaw l l l l l l l l l l l Rook l l l l l l l l Carrion Crow l l l l l l l l l l l Raven l l l Starling l l l l l l l l l l l House Sparrow l Tree Sparrow 1987 Chaffinch l l l l l l l l l l l Brambling l l l l l l l Serin 1973 Greenfinch l l l l l l l l l l l Goldfinch l l l l l l l l l l l Siskin l l l l l l l l l l l Linnet l l l l l l l l l l l Lesser Redpoll l l l l l l l l l l Common Redpoll l Crossbill l Bullfinch l l l l l l l l l l l Hawfinch 1982 Snow Bunting 1978 Yellowhammer l l
31 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Year 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 Last seen Cirl Bunting 1959 Little Bunting 1960 Reed Bunting l l l l l l l l l l l Corn Bunting 1984
Escapes 1984 Black Swan 1998 Snow Goose 1997 Pink-footed Goose 1993 Barnacle Goose l Bar-headed Goose l 1998 Argentine Bluebill 2002 Ruddy Shelduck l 1995 Bahama Pintail l Marbled Teal 1998 Grey-headed Gull 2002 Monk Parakeet l l l Grey Cockatiel 2000 Cockatiel 1998 Parakeet Sp. 2001 Double-barred Finch l
Key: l = recorded in that year
Bob Cripps
32 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
RINGING REPORT FOR 2013
The year started well with reasonable numbers of birds ringed during a mild January. From here on, the weather turned wet and cold with wildly fluctuating temperatures through February to March. This resulted in very poor catches at our regular winter feeder site. Only 52 new birds were ringed from 16 sessions through this period to the end of March.
April started cold at 3°C and fluctuated to 23°C then turning cold again and remaining still very wet. This turned out to be a disaster for the early nesters. Only 79 birds were ringed from nine sessions during this month.
There were a couple of notable birds passing through in April, a first for Hilfield was a Wood Warbler on the 18th and a Grey Wagtail on the 7th, caught along the northern edge of the dam, was the first since 2004. Another first for ten years was a Cetti’s Warbler, probably just passing through, on 28th.
CES (Constant Effort Site) started in the first week of May, still with very low numbers of birds being caught, only 20 ringed from the first three CES sessions, at this south side site.
June saw more settled weather conditions, although still on the wet side. Numbers ringed at last started to improve. It was not until the end of June when we started to catch the first young birds for the year. CES 7 on the 30th June saw 48 birds ringed that day. A bird that is not often seen here is a Kingfisher which was caught on CES in July, only the third in a number of years. The north side study of Reed Warblers was a little disappointing this year, with few birds ringed. For the remainder of the year the birds caught had returned to their usual numbers. Autumn migration came and went without any noticeable increase in birds.
Another rare bird in December was a Black Redstart, a first since 1996, which had been around the pumping station for a week before being tempted by mealworms and a tape lure into a spring trap.
The introduction of a new pipit trap and a new tape for Redwings saw a dramatic increase in these species numbers caught during the autumn and winter period. Meadow Pipits numbered 49, up from 25 the previous year and Redwings totals also 49, up from none in 2012.
The national decline in Greenfinches was mirrored at the Reservoir with just three birds caught all year compared with 23 in 2012.
33 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Compared with 2012, new birds ringed were very similar.
Annual summary 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 New birds ringed 1066 1377 1715 1188 1264 No. of species 35 45 44 43 47 No. of pulli 330 193 364 217 244 No. of retraps 417 1022 1348 1260 1183
Pulli report Pulli ringed this year were Blue Tits, Great Tits, Stock Doves.
This year 78 nest boxes were cleared over the winter and early spring period. Of these 42 boxes were used and 36 were unused. We found that birds from 31 boxes had fledged and 11 nests were abandoned either at the egg laying stage or during the early fledging period. This is not surprising given the non seasonal weather and possible shortage of suitable food for the young during the nesting period.
From the 31 successful boxes, 182 Blue Tits were ringed along with 60 Great Tits.
As of November 2013 the retrap rate of pulli was 28 out of 182 for the Blue Tits, which percentage wise is just about the yearly average. Great Tits did better with 17 retrapped from the 60 pulli ringed, which is 28%, a slightly increased percentage from previous years. There must be a certain amount of dispersal for many of the young which does distort the percentage numbers.
Two Stock Doves were ringed in their usual nest box.
Ringing totals as an indication of population change at Hilfield between 1998 and 2010
Species 1998 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Song Thrush 4 12 19 8 25 19 15 17 13 Sedge Warbler 34 7 5 1 9 15 6 12 6 Reed Warbler 91 85 50 59 85 149 114 96 67 Lesser Whitethroat 11 10 6 2 0 8 8 0 3 Whitethroat 26 33 12 9 38 27 55 18 51 Garden Warbler 14 6 12 6 4 6 14 8 4 Blackcap 88 51 60 54 79 87 139 120 101 Chiffchaff 52 21 43 28 34 75 111 55 78 Willow Warbler 19 12 7 4 8 12 9 3 13 Goldcrest 11 7 25 17 7 29 29 45 18 Long-tailed Tit 28 32 47 60 10 42 52 7 34 Reed Bunting 18 8 10 4 5 6 12 9 11 Siskin 0 0 0 0 0 1 8` 28 10 Lesser Redpoll 0 0 0 1 0 9 28 47 7 Goldfinch 11 3 1 4 1 60 101 51 62
34 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
150 Migrants 100 Residents Reed Warbler Song Thrush Blackcap Goldcrest 120 Chi cha 75 Long-tailed Tit Whitethroat Reed Bunting 90 50 60
25 30
0 0 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12 '13 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12 '13
Song Thrush Little change year-on-year with 13 birds.
Sedge Warbler Better than average numbers with 14 birds, 12 new and 2 controls, one in April and the other in August. First bird caught 21.04.13 and the last 01.09.13.
Reed Warbler Another poor year with just 67 birds. First bird caught 19.05.13, the last ringed on 01.09.13 with a last retrap on 08.09.13.
Lesser Whitethroat After no birds in 2012, we had three this year.
Whitethroat A good recovery for these birds with a return to our previous high number. First bird on 24.4.13, last ringed bird on 18.8.13 with a last retrapped bird on 1.9.13.
Garden Warbler Another low count for this species with just four birds.
Blackcap Similar numbers to previous years with 101 birds, just a little down on the previous two very good years. First bird was on 14.4.13 and the last bird on 29.9.13. There were no winter Blackcaps caught here in 2013.
Chiffchaff An increase for this bird in 2013 compared with a disappointing previous year. First bird 7.4.13 and the last 7.11.13 which is possible an over wintering bird.
Willow Warbler A good year for this species with birds seen on spring passage, 10.4.13 to 28.4.13 and autumn passage, 4.9.13 to 12.9.13. There is no sign of local breeding here.
Goldcrest An average number of birds after last years excellent count.
Long-tailed Tit Another species that has bounced back to average numbers after last years poor results.
Reed Bunting No real change in the status of these birds with 11 ringed.
35 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Siskin After last year’s excellent results for this bird, numbers were down to just ten birds which is still very good compared to previous year’s of none.
Lesser Redpoll This bird is well down on the previous good year with just seven birds. There were two of our retraps from the previous year.
Goldfinch Little change in the numbers from the last four years.
Monthly totals of new birds ringed in 2013
Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Mute Swan 1 4 5 Canada Goose 2 1 3 Water Rail 1 2 3 Moorhen 1 2 2 1 6 Common Sandpiper 3 1 4 Stock Dove 2 2 Woodpigeon 1 1 Swift 1 1 Kingfisher 1 1 Great Sp. Woodpecker 1 4 1 1 7 Swallow 1 1 House Martin 2 2 Meadow Pipit 6 19 19 5 49 Grey Wagtail 1 1 Wren 1 1 2 2 1 16 13 4 1 1 42 Dunnock 1 7 1 1 7 6 4 3 30 Robin 1 1 7 5 5 10 1 1 31 Black Redstart 1 1 Wheatear 2 2 Blackbird 2 1 2 1 4 2 1 4 17 Song Thrush 2 1 3 1 2 1 2 1 13 Redwing 49 49 Cetti's Warbler 1 1 Sedge Warbler 1 2 7 2 12 Reed Warbler 3 7 23 29 5 67 Whitethroat 7 4 15 13 12 51 Lesser Whitethroat 1 2 3 Garden Warbler 1 1 1 1 4 Blackcap 24 6 6 15 19 31 101 Wood Warbler 1 1 Chiffchaff 19 3 15 9 10 21 1 78 Willow Warbler 5 5 3 13 Goldcrest 6 1 1 10 18 Long-tailed Tit 3 2 2 4 9 4 7 3 34
36 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Coal Tit 1 3 1 5 Blue Tit 2 1 32 155 7 40 54 9 2 302 Great Tit 1 2 7 38 53 15 15 27 2 5 2 167 Nuthatch 1 1 2 Treecreeper 1 1 4 6 Jay 1 1 1 3 Chaffinch 2 3 6 1 4 3 8 1 28 Greenfinch 1 2 3 Goldfinch 7 4 4 1 5 1 1 16 24 63 Siskin 4 3 3 10 Lesser Redpoll 1 1 4 1 7 Bullfinch 2 1 3 Reed Bunting 1 1 5 3 1 11
Grand Total 37 21 31 79 93 281 132 187 183 31 91 98 1264
Total Species 17 11 12 18 12 17 20 22 20 7 15 15
Ringing totals
2013 1994-2013 Species Adults Pulli Adults Pulli Mute Swan 5 31 Canada Goose 3 13 Wigeon 16 Teal 3 Mallard 49 Ruddy Duck 3 Sparrowhawk 8 Kestrel 3 40 Water Rail 3 39 Moorhen 6 86 Coot 104 Dunlin 1 Common Sandpiper 4 22 Common Tern 39 Stock Dove 2 16 Woodpigeon 1 14 Cuckoo 1 Little Owl 1 14 Tawny Owl 1 2 Swift 1 174 Kingfisher 1 50
37 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
2013 1994-2013 Species Adults Pulli Adults Pulli Green Woodpecker 24 Great Spotted Woodpecker 7 54 Sand Martin 7 Swallow 1 10 House Martin 2 42 Meadow Pipit 49 211 Grey Wagtail 1 7 Pied Wagtail 3 4 Wren 42 590 16 Dunnock 30 445 Robin 31 574 Wheatear 2 7 Black Redstart 1 2 Redstart 2 Stonechat 1 Blackbird 17 338 4 Song Thrush 13 189 Redwing 49 58 Mistle Thrush 6 Grasshopper Warbler 1 Cetti’s Warbler 1 2 Sedge Warbler 12 350 Reed Warbler 67 1573 Lesser Whitethroat 3 101 Whitethroat 51 338 Garden Warbler 4 144 Blackcap 101 1201 Eastern Crowned Warbler 1 Wood Warbler 1 1 Chiffchaff 78 944 Willow Warbler 13 228 Goldcrest 18 309 Firecrest 3 Spotted Flycatcher 2 Pied Flycatcher 1 Long-tailed Tit 34 645 Coal Tit 5 61 Blue Tit 120 182 1869 2483 Great Tit 107 60 1382 995 Treecreeper 6 56 Nuthatch 2 9 Jay 3 75 Magpie 18
38 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
2013 1994-2013 Species Adults Pulli Adults Pulli Carrion Crow 1 Starling 54 Chaffinch 28 222 Brambling 3 Greenfinch 3 79 Goldfinch 63 334 Siskin 10 82 Lesser Redpoll 7 100 Common Redpoll 2 Bullfinch 3 102 Reed Bunting 11 252 5 Ring-necked Parakeet 3
Total numbers 1020 244 13737 3618 Species 47 73 11
Returning ringed warblers This year saw the return of just one Blackcap from the previous year.
Disappointingly there were only three returning Chiffchaffs caught, after eight returned in 2012.
Only two Whitethroats returned, one from 2012 ringed as a 4 male and another a veteran from July 2009 which was also ringed as a 4 male.
Reed Warblers did much better for returns with 15 birds, very slightly down on last year. Again they included some veteran birds. Three were ringed in 2008 and for two of these it was the first time we had retrapped them since. Of the others one was from 2009, two from 2010, two from 2011 and six from 2012, one of which was a returning Control.
Hilfield north side reed bed This year we were unable to do as much monitoring of the north side Reed Warblers as we have done in previous years for various reasons. Of the returning adults, six were found to be nesting here, all known dedicated north side birds. There were four additional new adult birds ringed here. Of these ten adults we had four males and four females with two being unsexed. We ringed only eight juveniles here but there may have been more if we had completed more ringing sessions.
39 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Controls and recoveries The controls and recoveries are arranged by species, with ringing details on the first line and recovery data on the second.
The following codes have been used: Age when ringed: 1. pullus (nestling or chick) 3. Hatched during calendar year of ringing, with a 3J In juvenile plumage 5. Hatched during previous calendar year 4. Hatched before calendar year of ringing, but exact year unknown 6. Hatched before previous calendar year, but exact year unknown Sex: M = male, F = female
Birds ringed elswhere and controlled at Hilfield Park Reservoir
Sedge Warbler Y001406 4 28.07.2011 Icklesham, East Sussex Controlled 4 21.04.2013 Hilfield Res. Herts 663 day, 109 km, 321 degrees
Sedge Warbler Y855432 3J 27.07.2013 Wicken Fen, Cambs Controlled 3J 04.08.2013 Hilfield Res. Herts 8 days, 84 km, 210 degrees
Reed Warbler X270953 4M 10.07.2010 Bedfont Lakes, Bedfont, Greater London Controlled 4 04.08.2013 Hilfield Res. Herts 1121 days, 26 km, NNE This was a re-trap of a control from 2012.
Blackcap L497646 3F 04.09.2010 Queen Mary Reservoir, Surrey Controlled 4F 20.06.2013 Hilfield Res. Herts 1020 days, 28 km, 022 degrees
Lesser Redpoll 317663 3 12.11.2011 Cissbury Ring, Worthing, West Sussex Controlled 3 02.12.2012 Hilfield Res, Herts 386 days, 88 km, 003 degrees
Lesser Redpoll L778192 6 11.02.2012 Mildenhall, Suffolk Controlled 4 13.12.2012 Hilfield Res, Herts 306 days, 98 km, 217 degrees
Siskin 12609259 4M 10.01.2012 Blauberg, Antwerp, Belgium Controlled 4M 10.10.2012 Hilfield Res, Herts 274 days, 372 km, 281 degrees
40 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Birds ringed at Hilfield Park Reservoir and recovered elsewhere in 2013
Reed Warbler T675894 3 23.07.2006 Hilfield Res. Herts 4 11.09.2013 Salbura, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Alava, Spain 2607 days, 993 km, 191 degrees A good recovery after seven years.
Reed Warbler L768804 3J 07.08.2011 Hilfield Res. Herts 4 01.06.2013 Marston Moretaine, Beds 664 days, 47 km, 342 degrees
Reed Warbler X386935 4 27.07.2012 Hilfield Res. Herts 4 07.07.2013 Stanwell Moor, Surrey 350 days, 27 km, SSE
Reed Warbler Y972816 3J 18.08.2013 Hilfield Res. Herts 3J 05.09.2013 Broadwater Gravel Pit, Greater London 18 days, 14 km, 238 degrees
Dunnock Y972543 5 05.05.2013 Hilfield Res. Herts Killed by cat 06.09.2013 Bushey, Herts 124 days, 2 km, 181 degrees
Blackcap Y972125 3 16.09.2012 Hilfield Res. Herts 4F 19.05.2013 Skaw, Whalsay, Shetland 245 days, 970 km, 358 degrees Possibly on its southerly migration from Shetland in 2012.
Blackcap Y972110 4M 09.09.2012 Hilfield Res. Herts 5M 16.05.2013 Oriestone Forest, Kent 249 days, 104 km, 129 degrees
Goldcrest DJY794 3 28.10.2012 Hilfield Res, Herts Controlled 3 18.12.2012 Marston Sewage Works, Lincs 52 days, 149 km, 352 degrees
Song Thrush RW93878 5 10.04.2013 Hilfield Res. Herts Found dead, hit window 25.09.2013 Kantens, Eemsmond, The Netherlands 168 days, 509 km, 068 degrees
Mike Beatley
41 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
THE BUTTERFLIES OF HILFIELD PARK RESERVOIR 2013
SMALL SKIPPER Thymelicus sylvestris Recorded between July 8th and August 20th in significantly higher numbers than the last two years, being described as quite common during mid-late July.
ESSEX SKIPPER Thymelicus lineola Careful scrutiny of the salient features revealed the presence of one on July 14th and two on the 28th. Perhaps this species has been overlooked during the previous eight years.
LARGE SKIPPER Ochlodes venata First seen on June 19th, considerably later than usual. The best count was of 20 on July 8th and the final two were noted on the 18th.
CLOUDED YELLOW Colias croceus After a three year absence this eye-catching butterfly bounced back very strongly. Isolated sightings comprised a male on June 21st and a Helice form female on August 11th. From August 23rd to September 7th the species was continually present along the dam embankment in good numbers, with a best count of six on September 5th.
BRIMSTONE Gonepteryx rhamni Observations on 20 days between April 20th and June 19th constituted a four-fold increase on the previous year. The best count was of five on May 7th and up to three ovipositing females were seen on ten dates. Single fresh summer brood specimens found on seven dates between July 8th and August 25th was also a big improvement on the usual situation.
42 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
LARGE WHITE Pieris brassicae Sightings on 23 dates between April 23rd and September 18th was a huge improvement on the previous year. The best actual count was of five on July 15th, though considerably more than that seemed to be present in early August.
SMALL WHITE Pieris rapae Recorded on numerous dates between April 20th and October 17th, with a peak of about 20 on July 28th.
GREEN-VEINED WHITE Pieris napi Following the first two on May 1st there was a sharp spike in numbers with at least ten on the 7th. Subsequently much lower numbers were seen, with the last two on September 22nd.
ORANGE TIP Anthocharis cardamines The entire flight season was late, ranging from May 1st to June 21st, and numbers peaked at 15 on May 7th.
PURPLE HAIRSTREAK Quercusia quercus Once again an evening survey of flight activity around the north monad of the reserve was undertaken on July 17th. In hot but cloudy conditions 70 were counted between 19:10 and 20:05. Casual observations of the oak canopy between the east fountain and south-east bay on July 28th indicated a high density in that area.
WHITE-LETTER HAIRSTREAK Satyrium w-album Surprisingly there was a further increase in numbers near the east fountain. Sightings between July 9th and 21st peaked at six on the 13th.
43 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
SMALL COPPER Lycaena phlaeas Recorded on numerous dates between May 19th and November 10th, with best counts of 25 on August 7th and 15 on October 7th.
BROWN ARGUS Aricia agestis The spring brood commenced with one on June 4th and ended with one just four days later. The late summer brood though was truly exceptional, beginning with five on August 7th. There were records on a further 16 dates until September 27th with multiple sightings predominating, and a best count of six on September 5th.
COMMON BLUE Polyommatus icarus A very good year for this species, which was noted on numerous dates between June 2nd and September 24th. Counts in June and August were mainly in double figures with an exceptional 69 on August 23rd.
CHALKHILL BLUE Lysandra coridon Of three species new to the reserve this year this must surely be the least anticipated. A male in dazzling pristine condition was found near the south-west pylon on July 21st and was still there the following day. On August 7th a male was found c.300 metres away along the south bank, in such fresh condition that it could only be a second specimen. Photographic details of a male found nearby on August 18th suggest the latter two records refer to the same individual.
HOLLY BLUE Celastrina argiolus One-two were seen on eight dates between May 1st and June 6th. The only evidence of a second brood concerned one on August 4th.
PURPLE EMPEROR Apatura iris On July 18th there was a chance encounter with this majestic species when one flew over the oak canopy near the east fountain; the first record for Hilfield. The next day it became apparent that two were flying about above the treetops. Two were there again on the 21st and 22nd, when it seemed likely that two individuals flying in from the adjacent Bio Products site were additional. On the 24th a superb telescope view of one perched on an oak leaf was obtained and the final record was of one on the 25th.
RED ADMIRAL Vanessa atalanta There were records on 14 dates between May 25th and October 24th but the only multiple count was of three on July 17th.
SMALL TORTOISESHELL Aglais urticae Seen between April 7th and October 6th with a very large increase in numbers and dates recorded. The best spring count was of seven on April 23rd. Emergence of the summer brood began on June 27th and peaked at 26 on July 11th.
44 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
PEACOCK Inachis io Very low numbers were noted from March 5th to mid-April, after which there was a strong presence, reaching a peak of 25 on May 1st. The summer brood was also much improved with a best count of 33 on August 4th, but the last three months of the flight season saw only a few singletons, the last being on November 15th.
COMMA Polygonia c-album Noted in every month between March 5th and October 7th, with a best count of eight on July 18th.
SILVER-WASHED FRITILLARY Argynnis paphia Another major highlight of the year was the discovery of this species on the reserve for the first time. A single specimen was at the north-east corner, giving exceptionally good views as it nectared on ragwort flowers on August 23rd.
SPECKLED WOOD Pararge aegeria There were numerous sightings between May 13th and October 10th, with a huge best count of 32 on September 5th.
MARBLED WHITE Melanargia galathea Following a late start with one on June 30th numbers were worryingly low well into July, but then rapidly rose to 113 on July 22nd. The final one was seen on August 7th.
GATEKEEPER Pyronia tithonus Numbers rose from two on July 15th to being described as abundant on August 4th; apparently an improvement on recent years. The last two were seen on August 25th.
MEADOW BROWN Maniola jurtina The main bulk of sightings were between June 19th and September 7th, with a peak of at least a hundred on July 9th. Most unexpectedly a pristine and exceptionally bright specimen was found on September 27th and 29th, surely a rare example of a second brood.
SMALL HEATH Coenonympha pamphilus Not seen since 2006, a single specimen of this previously abundant grassland species was found near the boathouse on June 26th and 27th.
RINGLET Aphantopus hyperantus The first five on June 29th increased to a best ever 189 on July 11th and the last two were seen on August 10th.
45 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
BUTTERFLIES – YEAR BY YEAR REVIEW
Year 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 Last seen Small Skipper l l l l l l l l l l l Essex Skipper l l Large Skipper l l l l l l l l l l l Clouded Yellow l l l l l l Brimstone l l l l l l l l l l l Large White l l l l l l l l l l l Small White l l l l l l l l l l l Green-veined White l l l l l l l l l l l Orange Tip l l l l l l l l l l l Purple Hairstreak l l l l l l l l l l l White-letter Hairstreak l l l l l l l l l l l Small Copper l l l l l l l l l l l Brown Argus l l l l l l l l l l l Common Blue l l l l l l l l l l l Chalkhill Blue l Holly Blue l l l l l l l l l l l Purple Emperor l Red Admiral l l l l l l l l l l l Painted Lady l l l l l l l l l l Small Tortoiseshell l l l l l l l l l l l Peacock l l l l l l l l l l l Comma l l l l l l l l l l l Dark Green Fritillary l Silver-washed Fritillary l Speckled Wood l l l l l l l l l l l Wall Brown 1993 Marbled White l l l l l l l l l l l Gatekeeper l l l l l l l l l l l Meadow Brown l l l l l l l l l l l Small Heath l l l Ringlet l l l l l l l l
Key: l = recorded in that year
Stephen Murray
46 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
THE DRAGONFLIES OF HILFIELD PARK RESERVOIR 2013
BANDED DEMOISELLE Calopteryx splendens A pretty good year for this riverine species, seen on five dates between July 6th and August 21st. The sole multiple sighting was of two males on July 13th.
RED-EYED DAMSELFLY Erythromma najas A disappointing year with mainly one-three seen between June 19th and August 30th , with the exception of nine males on July 5th. No breeding behaviour was observed.
SMALL RED-EYED DAMSELFLY Erythromma viridulum This distinctive but easily overlooked species returned to having another poor year. Recorded between August 6th and the 27th the best count was of four males on the latter date. The only ovipositing pair was seen on August 8th.
AZURE DAMSELFLY Coenagrion puella The only record concerned a single male at one of the south bank ponds on June 14th.
COMMON BLUE DAMSELFLY Enallagma cyathigerum An extremely abundant species of the reservoir recorded between May 25th and October 8th.
BLUE-TAILED DAMSELFLY Ischnura elegans Seen between June 14th and August 26th with a best count of four on July 8th.
MIGRANT HAWKER Aeshna mixta The first two were seen on August 17th, and throughout September over 50 were spread around the reservoir on several dates. This marked a welcome return to form after the inexplicable dip in numbers in the previous year. Three on October 24th appeared to be the last record of the year, until one made an unexpected appearance on November 13th.
47 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
SOUTHERN HAWKER Aeshna cyanea A fairly good year with records on eight dates between August 4th and September 24th. The only multiple sightings were of a separate male and female on August 10th and 11th.
BROWN HAWKER Aeshna grandis This species was seen on just eight dates between July 15th and September 2nd. The best count was of only four on July 18th and two ovipositing females seen on the 26th.
VAGRANT EMPEROR Anax ephippiger By far the biggest event of the dragonfly year was the discovery of a male behind the south-east bay on October 6th. It gave prolonged close range views as it hung from dead thistle stems but unfortunately flew off shortly before the arrival of a photographer. A search failed to relocate it, as did more extensive searches on the following days.
This record has been accepted by the national dragonfly rarities committee and represents the first record for Hilfield and Hertfordshire.
EMPEROR DRAGONFLY Anax imperator After a late first sighting on June 25th numbers rose to very impressive levels, peaking at 11 males and two ovipositing females on July 15th. Breeding activity was also better than in recent years with ovipositing females seen on a further eight dates. The final record was of one male on August 18th.
BROAD-BODIED CHASER Libellula depressa Two of the three south bank ponds were enlarged during the previous autumn, resulting in a much improved set of records. Single males were noted on thirteen dates between June 19th and July 28th, plus two males on July 6th, and single ovipositing females were observed on five dates.
BLACK-TAILED SKIMMER Orthetrum cancellatum Recorded between June 19th and August 27th but a best count of 36 on July 17th was only one- third that of the previous year.
COMMON DARTER Sympetrum striolatum Following the first three on August 11th there were frequent records until the last sighting of two on November 10th. Numbers appeared higher than usual, with a best count of 20 males and four ovipositing pairs on September 20th.
RUDDY DARTER Sympetrum sanguineum Sightings on four dates between August 18th and 30th was better than average, but fell well short of the excellent numbers of the previous year. All were males and the only multiple count was of two at the south bank ponds on the 29th.
48 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
RED-VEINED DARTER Sympetrum fonscolombii Three males were in hunting flight along the dam on July 5th, four on the 6th, and at a brief glance one on the 7th. Often they were fifty yards or more out over the water and could easily be overlooked. Despite prolonged watching no females were seen to arrive.
DRAGONFLIES – YEAR BY YEAR REVIEW
Year 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 Last seen Banded Demoiselle l l l l l l l l l l Emerald Damselfly 2000 Large Red Damselfly l l l l l l l l l l Red-eyed Damselfly l l l l l l l l l l l Small Red-eyed Damselfly l l l l l l l l l Azure Damselfly l l l l l l l l Common Blue Damselfly l l l l l l l l l l l Blue-tailed Damselfly l l l l l l l l l l l Migrant Hawker l l l l l l l l l l l Southern Hawker l l l l l l l l l l l Brown Hawker l l l l l l l l l l l Vagrant Emperor l Emperor Dragonfly l l l l l l l l l l l Lesser Emperor l l l l l Hairy Dragonfly l Four-spotted Chaser l l l l l Broad-bodied Chaser l l l l l l l l l l l Black-tailed Skimmer l l l l l l l l l l l Common Darter l l l l l l l l l l l Ruddy Darter l l l l l Yellow-winged Darter 1995 Red-veined Darter l l l l l l
Key: l = recorded in that year.
Stephen Murray
49 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
MAMMAL, REPTILE, AMPHIBIAN AND FISH RECORDS 2013
MAMMALS
COMMON SHREW Sorex araneus One record on 23 June.
COMMON MOLE Talpa europaea Mole hills were noted throughout the year.
GREY SQUIRREL Sciurus carolinensis Local resident.
BROWN RAT Rattus norvegicus Two records this year both involving dead rats, the first was found on the south bank on 12 January and the second on the north bank on 14 April.
RABBIT Oryctolagus cuniculus Local resident, with a maximum count of two on 24 March.
RED FOX Vulpes vulpes Nineteen records this year all of singletons.
WEASEL Mustela nivalis Three records all around the garage area, starting with one on 10 March, two on 14 October and finally with one on 1 November.
MUNTJAC Muntiacus reevesi There were 21 records in 2013 with a maximum count of seven on 30 March. Regular sightings of five were seen throughout February.
50 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
GRASS SNAKE Natrix natrix Four records, all involving singletons which were dispersed around the reserve, on the following dates: 14 April, 6 June, 2 and 12 September.
TERRAPIN SPECIES The Terrapin which had been on the reserve for several years was caught and removed from site.
NEWT sp Three records this year, all coming from the south bank. Two from the new ponds adjacent to the water’s edge and one from the mini ponds by the upper path, with a maximum count of three on 23 April, two from the lower ponds and one from the mini ponds. A single newt was recorded on 16 May as well.
FISH
MIRROR CARP Cyprinus carpio Two sightings, the first on 2 June off the north bank with an estimated weight of 8lbs. The second sighting was of two estimated to weigh in at 7lbs and 8lbs.
Bob Cripps
51 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
MOTH (LEPIDOPTERA) RECORDING AT HILFIELD PARK RESERVOIR 2013
SPECIES LIST FOR HILFIELD RESERVOIR IN 2013
Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals Date Status Local status 17 Hepialus lupulinus Common Swift 23 21-Jun-13 Common 25 Ectoedemia intimella 1 15-Jul-13 Local New to Hilfield 37 Ectoedemia albifasciella 1 21-Jun-13 Common New to Hilfield 99 Stigmella hybnerella 4 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 123 Tischeria ekebladella 1 21-Jun-13 Common 227 Monopis laevigella Skin Moth 2 21-Jun-13 Common 308 Parornix finitimella 1 15-Jul-13 Common 309 Deltaornix torquillella 1 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 333 Phyllonorycter salictella 1 15-Jul-13 Common viminiella 410 Argyresthia brockeella 1 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 411 Argyresthia goedartella 2 15-Jul-13 Common 417 Argyresthia spinosella 2 21-Jun-13 Common New to Hilfield 424 Yponomeuta evonymella Bird-cherry Ermine 34 15-Jul-13 Common 428 Yponomeuta rorrella Willow Ermine 2 15-Jul-13 Local New to Hilfield 441 Paraswammerdamia 18 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield nebulella 450 Scythropia crataegella Hawthorn Moth 2 15-Jul-13 Common 464 Plutella xylostella Diamond-back Moth 3 21-Jun-13 Migrant 481 Epermenia falciformis 1 21-Jun-13 Local New to Hilfield 492 Coleophora flavipennella 1 15-Jul-13 Common 493 Coleophora serratella 1 15-Jul-13 Common 504 Coleophora 1 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield lusciniaepennella 535 Coleophora ibipennella 2 15-Jul-13 Local 537 Coleophora kuehnella 2 15-Jul-13 Local New to Hilfield 553 Coleophora striatipennella 1 21-Jun-13 Common 559 Coleophora peribenanderi 1 21-Jun-13 Common 582 Coleophora 1 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield glaucicolella 584 Coleophora alticolella 1 21-Jun-13 Common New to Hilfield 606 Elachista humilis 1 21-Jun-13 Common 640 Batia lunaris 1 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 642 Batia unitella 4 15-Jul-13 Common 658 Carcina quercana 2 15-Jul-13 Common 668 Luquetia lobella 1 21-Jun-13 Local New to Hilfield 756 Parachronistis albiceps 1 15-Jul-13 Local New to Hilfield 757 Recurvaria nanella 1 15-Jul-13 Nb New to Hilfield 787 Bryotropha terrella 3 15-Jul-13 Common 4 21-Jun-13 844 Syncopacma larseniella 18 15-Jul-13 Local New to Hilfield 874 Blastobasis lacticolella 1 15-Jul-13 Common
52 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals Date Status Local status 906 Blastodacna atra Apple Pith Moth 1 15-Jul-13 Nb New to Hilfield 937 Agapeta hamana 4 21-Jun-13 Common 12 15-Jul-13 0964a Cochylis molliculana 1 15-Jul-13 Local New to Hilfield 965 Cochylis hybridella 2 15-Jul-13 Local 970 Pandemis cerasana Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix 1 21-Jun-13 Common 4 15-Jul-13 972 Pandemis heparana Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix 2 15-Jul-13 Common 977 Archips podana Large Fruit-tree Tortrix 6 15-Jul-13 Common 979 Archips crataegana 1 15-Jul-13 Local New to Hilfield 980 Archips xylosteana Variegated Golden Tortrix 8 15-Jul-13 Common 983 Choristoneura 4 21-Jun-13 Local New to Hilfield hebenstreitella 989 Aphelia paleana Timothy Tortrix 1 15-Jul-13 Common 993 Clepsis spectrana Cyclamen Tortrix 1 15-Jul-13 Common 998 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 2 15-Jul-13 Common 1001 Lozotaeniodes formosanus 2 15-Jul-13 Common 1002 Lozotaenia forsterana 1 15-Jul-13 Common 1011 Pseudargyrotoza 2 21-Jun-13 Common New to Hilfield conwagana 2 15-Jul-13 1018 Cnephasia communana 2 15-Jul-13 Local 7 21-Jun-13 1020 Cnephasia stephensiana Grey Tortrix 9 15-Jul-13 Common 1021 Cnephasia asseclana Flax Tortrix 7 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 1024 Cnephasia incertana Light Grey Tortrix 1 15-Jul-13 Common 1032 Aleimma loeflingiana 22 15-Jul-13 Common 1033 Tortrix viridana Green Oak Tortrix 16 15-Jul-13 Common 1044 Acleris ferrugana 3 15-Jul-13 Common 1053 Acleris hastiana 1 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 1063 Celypha striana 1 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 1076 Celypha lacunana 11 15-Jul-13 Common 6 21-Jun-13 1079 Piniphila bifasciana 1 15-Jul-13 Local New to Hilfield 1082 Hedya pruniana Plum Tortrix 4 15-Jul-13 Common 3 21-Jun-13 1083 Hedya nubiferana Marbled Orchard Tortrix 15 15-Jul-13 Common 1084 Hedya ochroleucana 1 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 1086 Hedya salicella 14 15-Jul-13 Common 1108 Lobesia abscisana 4 15-Jul-13 Common 1113 Eudemis profundana 1 15-Jul-13 Common 1115 Ancylis achatana 6 15-Jul-13 Common 1146 Epinotia rubiginosana 1 15-Jul-13 Local New to Hilfield 1165 Zeiraphera isertana 15 15-Jul-13 Common 1168 Gypsonoma sociana 2 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 1169 Gypsonoma dealbana 4 15-Jul-13 Common 1175 Epiblema uddmanniana Bramble Shoot Moth 1 21-Jun-13 Common
53 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals Date Status Local status 3 15-Jul-13 1176 Epiblema trimaculana 2 21-Jun-13 Common 1177 Epiblema rosaecolana 4 21-Jun-13 Common New to Hilfield 1187 Epiblema costipunctana 1 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 1197 Eucosma campoliliana 2 15-Jul-13 Common 1200 Eucosma hohenwartiana 25 15-Jul-13 Common 1201 Eucosma cana 2 21-Jun-13 Common 5 15-Jul-13 1205 Spilonota ocellana Bud Moth 3 15-Jul-13 Common 1236 Pammene fasciana 2 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 1293 Chrysoteuchia culmella Garden Grass-veneer 37 15-Jul-13 Common 4 21-Jun-13 1301 Crambus lathoniellus 5 21-Jun-13 Common 1 15-Jul-13 1304 Agriphila straminella 3 15-Jul-13 Common 1316 Catoptria falsella 10 15-Jul-13 Common 1331 Acentria ephemerella Water Veneer 6 15-Jul-13 Common 1333 Scoparia pyralella 4 21-Jun-13 Common 2 15-Jul-13 1334 Scoparia ambigualis 2 15-Jul-13 Common 12 21-Jun-13 1336 Eudonia pallida 2 15-Jul-13 Local New to Hilfield 1338 Dipleurina lacustrata 8 15-Jul-13 Common 1378 Phlyctaenia coronata 1 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 1390 Udea prunalis 1 15-Jul-13 Common 1392 Udea olivalis 1 21-Jun-13 Common 2 15-Jul-13 1415 Orthopygia glaucinalis 1 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 1426 Achroia grisella Lesser Wax Moth 1 15-Jul-13 Local New to Hilfield 1428 Aphomia sociella Bee Moth 1 21-Jun-13 Common 1 15-Jul-13 1436 Conobathra repandana 2 15-Jul-13 Common 1437 Acrobasis consociella 2 15-Jul-13 Common 1439 Trachycera advenella 3 15-Jul-13 Common 1452 Phycita roborella 26 15-Jul-13 Common 1455 Dioryctria simplicella 1 15-Jul-13 Local New to Hilfield 1461 Assara terebrella 1 15-Jul-13 Na New to Hilfield 1474 Ephestia parasitella 3 15-Jul-13 Local unicolorella 1483 Phycitodes binaevella 1 15-Jul-13 Common 1504 Platyptilia pallidactyla 6 15-Jul-13 Common 1648 Drepana falcataria Pebble Hook-tip 1 21-Jun-13 Common 1652 Thyatira batis Peach Blossom 1 21-Jun-13 Common 14 15-Jul-13 1653 Habrosyne pyritoides Buff Arches 1 21-Jun-13 Common 42 15-Jul-13 1669 Hemithea aestivaria Common Emerald 6 15-Jul-13 Common
54 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals Date Status Local status 1702 Idaea biselata Small Fan-footed Wave 9 15-Jul-13 Common 1705 Idaea fuscovenosa Dwarf Cream Wave 1 15-Jul-13 Local New to Hilfield 1708 Idaea dimidiata Single-dotted Wave 1 15-Jul-13 Common 1711 Idaea trigeminata Treble Brown Spot 1 15-Jul-13 Local New to Hilfield 1713 Idaea aversata Riband Wave 15 15-Jul-13 Common 1727 Xanthorhoe montanata Silver-ground Carpet 3 21-Jun-13 Common 1738 Epirrhoe alternata Common Carpet 2 21-Jun-13 Common 1742 Camptogramma bilineata Yellow Shell 1 15-Jul-13 Common bilineata 1758 Eulithis pyraliata Barred Straw 2 15-Jul-13 Common 1764 Chloroclysta truncata Common Marbled 1 21-Jun-13 Common Carpet 2 15-Jul-13 1765 Cidaria fulvata Barred Yellow 3 15-Jul-13 Common 1766 Plemyria rubiginata Blue-bordered Carpet 4 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield rubiginata 1768 Thera obeliscata Grey Pine Carpet 18 15-Jul-13 Common 1776 Colostygia pectinataria Green Carpet 4 21-Jun-13 Common 1773 Electrophaes corylata Broken-barred Carpet 3 21-Jun-13 Common 1777 Hydriomena furcata July Highflyer 9 15-Jul-13 Common 1778 Hydriomena impluviata May Highflyer 1 21-Jun-13 Common 1803 Perizoma alchemillata Small Rivulet 1 15-Jul-13 Common 1811 Eupithecia tenuiata Slender Pug 4 15-Jul-13 Common 1837 Eupithecia subfuscata Grey Pug 6 21-Jun-13 Common 6 15-Jul-13 1860 Pasiphila rectangulata Green Pug 8 15-Jul-13 Common 1862 Gymnoscelis rufifasciata Double-striped Pug 2 15-Jul-13 Common 1887 Lomaspilis marginata Clouded Border 2 15-Jul-13 Common 1893 Macaria liturata Tawny-barred Angle 1 21-Jun-13 Common 5 15-Jul-13 1904 Plagodis dolabraria Scorched Wing 1 21-Jun-13 Common 1906 Opisthograptis luteolata Brimstone Moth 45 15-Jul-13 Common 1921 Crocallis elinguaria Scalloped Oak 1 15-Jul-13 Common 1922 Ourapteryx sambucaria Swallow-tailed Moth 8 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 1931 Biston betularia Peppered Moth 1 21-Jun-13 Common 5 15-Jul-13 1937 Peribatodes rhomboidaria Willow Beauty 1 21-Jun-13 Common 1937 Peribatodes rhomboidaria Willow Beauty 5 15-Jul-13 Common 1941 Alcis repandata Mottled Beauty 13 15-Jul-13 Common 1944 Hypomecis punctinalis Pale Oak Beauty 1 21-Jun-13 Common New to Hilfield 1950 Parectropis similaria Brindled White-spot 1 21-Jun-13 Local New to Hilfield 1954 Bupalus piniaria Bordered White 8 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 1955 Cabera pusaria Common White Wave 1 21-Jun-13 Common 13 15-Jul-13 1956 Cabera exanthemata Common Wave 3 15-Jul-13 Common 1958 Lomographa temerata Clouded Silver 12 15-Jul-13 Common 62 21-Jun-13
55 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals Date Status Local status 1961 Campaea margaritata Light Emerald 5 15-Jul-13 Common 12 21-Jun-13 1962 Hylaea fasciaria Barred Red 1 15-Jul-13 Common 1981 Laothoe populi Poplar Hawk-moth 1 15-Jul-13 Common 1991 Deilephila elpenor Elephant Hawk-moth 13 15-Jul-13 Common 1994 Phalera bucephala Buff-tip 1 15-Jul-13 Common 2011 Pterostoma palpina Pale Prominent 5 21-Jun-13 Common 2026 Orgyia antiqua Vapourer 1 15-Jul-13 Common 2031 Leucoma salicis White Satin 1 15-Jul-13 Local New to Hilfield 2039 Atolmis rubricollis Red-necked Footman 1 15-Jul-13 Local New to Hilfield 2043 Eilema sororcula Orange Footman 2 21-Jun-13 Local 2047 Eilema complana Scarce Footman 18 15-Jul-13 Local 2049 Eilema depressa Buff Footman 7 15-Jul-13 Local 2050 Eilema lurideola Common Footman 7 15-Jul-13 Common 2060 Spilosoma lubricipeda White Ermine 1 21-Jun-13 Common 2064 Phragmatobia fuliginosa Ruby Tiger 1 15-Jul-13 Common 2069 Tyria jacobaeae Cinnabar 2 21-Jun-13 Common 2077 Nola cucullatella Short-cloaked Moth 6 15-Jul-13 Common 2088 Agrotis clavis Heart and Club 3 15-Jul-13 Common 2089 Agrotis exclamationis Heart and Dart 3 21-Jun-13 Common 13 15-Jul-13 2098 Axylia putris Flame 8 15-Jul-13 Common 2102 Ochropleura plecta Flame Shoulder 4 21-Jun-13 Common 5 15-Jul-13 2107 Noctua pronuba Large Yellow Underwing 2 15-Jul-13 Common 2110 Noctua fimbriata Broad-bordered Yellow 1 15-Jul-13 Common Underwing 2123 Diarsia rubi Small Square-spot 3 21-Jun-13 Common 2126 Xestia c-nigrum Setaceous Hebrew 1 15-Jul-13 Common Character 2128 Xestia triangulum Double Square-spot 11 15-Jul-13 Common 2147 Hada plebeja Shears 1 21-Jun-13 Common 2150 Polia nebulosa Grey Arches 1 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 2157 Lacanobia w-latinum Light Brocade 1 21-Jun-13 Local New to Hilfield 2160 Lacanobia oleracea Bright-line Brown-eye 1 15-Jul-13 Common 2164 Hecatera bicolorata Broad-barred White 1 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 2193 Mythimna ferrago Clay 5 15-Jul-13 Common 2198 Mythimna impura impura Smoky Wainscot 3 15-Jul-13 Common 2205 Mythimna comma Shoulder-striped 1 21-Jun-13 Common Wainscot 2 15-Jul-13 2278 Acronicta megacephala Poplar Grey 5 15-Jul-13 Common 2280 Acronicta leporina Miller 2 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 2283 Acronicta tridens Dark Dagger 1 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 2284 Acronicta psi Grey Dagger 1 21-Jun-13 Common New to Hilfield 6 15-Jul-13 2289 Acronicta rumicis Knot Grass 7 15-Jul-13 Common
56 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Code Taxon Vernacular Individuals Date Status Local status 2318 Cosmia trapezina Dun-bar 5 15-Jul-13 Common 2319 Cosmia pyralina Lunar-spotted Pinion 3 15-Jul-13 Local 2321 Apamea monoglypha Dark Arches 27 15-Jul-13 Common 2322 Apamea lithoxylaea Light Arches 1 21-Jun-13 Common 8 15-Jul-13 2334 Apamea sordens Rustic Shoulder-knot 1 21-Jun-13 Common 1 15-Jul-13 2337 Oligia strigilis Marbled Minor 6 21-Jun-13 Common 8 15-Jul-13 2339 Oligia latruncula Tawny Marbled Minor 2 21-Jun-13 Common 10 15-Jul-13 2340 Oligia fasciuncula Middle-barred Minor 27 21-Jun-13 Common 2341 Mesoligia furuncula Cloaked Minor 1 15-Jul-13 Common 2343 Mesapamea secalis Common Rustic 1 15-Jul-13 Common 2345 Photedes minima Small Dotted Buff 1 15-Jul-13 Common 2380 Charanyca trigrammica Treble Lines 1 21-Jun-13 Common 2381 Hoplodrina alsines Uncertain 7 15-Jul-13 Common 2382 Hoplodrina blanda Rustic 1 15-Jul-13 Common 2387 Caradrina morpheus Mottled Rustic 1 15-Jul-13 Common 2410 Protodeltote pygarga Marbled White Spot 32 21-Jun-13 Common 28 15-Jul-13 2421 Bena bicolorana Scarce Silver-lines 2 15-Jul-13 Local New to Hilfield 2422 Pseudoips prasinana Green Silver-lines 1 21-Jun-13 Common New to Hilfield 1 15-Jul-13 2423 Nycteola revayana Oak Nycteoline 4 15-Jul-13 Common 2434 Diachrysia chrysitis Burnished Brass 5 15-Jul-13 Common 2441 Autographa gamma Silver Y 3 15-Jul-13 Common 2442 Autographa pulchrina Beautiful Golden Y 3 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 2450 Abrostola tripartita Spectacle 1 21-Jun-13 Common 2473 Laspeyria flexula Beautiful Hook-tip 14 15-Jul-13 Common New to Hilfield 2474 Rivula sericealis Straw Dot 18 21-Jun-13 Common 1 15-Jul-13 2477 Hypena proboscidalis Snout 4 21-Jun-13 Common 10 15-Jul-13 2492 Herminia grisealis Small Fan-foot 2 21-Jun-13 Common 2493 Macrochilo cribrumalis Dotted Fan-foot 2 15-Jul-13 Nb New to Hilfield
Rachel Terry
57 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
THE ULTRAVIOLET REFLECTANCE OF FEATHERS
November 2013
Richard Melzack Ph.D
This study was carried out primarily at Hilfield Park Reservoir with the help of the bird ringing group, who afforded me the chance to get close to many bird species, and who taught me a great deal about the birds, for which I will always be grateful.
Thank you Peter, Jack, Mike, Bob, Eirwen and Kenny.
Introduction
When it was first discovered that birds had the ability to see within the ultraviolet (UV) there was great excitement in avian research to find the ‘hidden from human view’ signals that this ability could have.
Was there an ability to use UV sight in the attraction of a mate? Did this ability give them a way of locating food without the need for colour vision? Did it help in flight orientation?
It was a new line of study that was worked on with gusto. Claims have been made for a number of species having specific UV abilities. There is a good summary given by Cuthill, I.C.et al. 1999. ‘UV vision and its functions in birds’ In: Adams, N.J. & Slotow, R.H. (eds) Proc. 22 Int. Ornithol. Congr., Durban: 2743-2758. Johannesburg: BirdLife South Africa, and an updated report by Stephens and Cuthill entitled: ‘Hidden Messages: Are Ultraviolet Signals a Signals a Special Channel in Avian Communication?’ Bioscience 57(6): 501-507. 2007.
To summarise, UV and/or near violet sight has been reported in a number of bird species. To date about 40 species across a range of taxa have been studied either by behavioural studies, spectrophotometric or genetic studies for UV abilities. Although this is a small sample of all bird species (there are around 10,000 bird species globally) it is assumed, and I suggest, probable, that this ability is common in birds to a larger or lesser extent.
There are some well reported studies suggesting practical uses of UV vision, one being the female Blue Tit’s Cyanistes caeruleus ability to select a mate, with the catchy title: ‘Blue Tits are ultraviolet tits’ published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society on 22nd March 1998 in Vol: 265; number 1395; pp 451-455 Lond B, and another popular paper suggesting that the Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus can track their prey (voles) using the UV reflectance of the excretion trails. This paper, entitled: ‘Attraction of Kestrels to vole scent marks visible in ultraviolet light’, was accepted and published by the highly prestigious journal Nature Vol 373 1995.
I should make my position clear, after reading these two papers, I consider both the Blue Tit and Kestrel conclusions unproven as they, first, have not been replicated, and second, they are behavioural studies. Behavioural studies are of concern as there will always be, to a lesser or greater
58 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013 extent, an element of subjectivity within the data set. However, it is clear that, due to the reporting of these two conclusions in the popular press, the results have been ‘accepted’ as biological fact.
Indeed, my suspicions were heightened, regarding the Kestrel paper, when I decided to take some UV images of rodents (these were white mice) in a cage full of litter that they had been running about on all night. I expected an image which reflected the litter in the UV, and found none.
Due to my concerns I made contact with one of the main researchers in the field of avian senses, Prof Graham Martin, Emeritus Professor of Avian Sensory Science at Birmingham University, and asked him for his opinion about these studies, he remarked:
Re: The Blue Tit study. That he agreed that it (the study) needs to be replicated, and continued by adding, that ‘the trouble is that these days no one wants to just replicate a study and confirm a finding since it would not get published in a “high impact” journal and everyone now chases high impact publications, so whether it will be replicated is an open question. Nowadays it seems that if a result is published in a reputable journal then that is sufficient to say that it must be true.’ My point exactly!
Re: The Kestrel study: he suggested that the study had always been a little contentious, adding, perhaps a little too neat? He then mentioned that there has been a recent paper which challenges the conclusion that urine trails could provide a cue adding ‘it does seem that the rather neat story about Kestrels using vole urine trails as a means of locating a good foraging site, may be suspect.’
Another study, however, based on UV imaging, suggests that there are bird species that have a so called ‘secret signal’ that only birds can see, in a book by Prof Geoffrey E Hill called Bird Colouration published by National Geographic. UV images of the birds seem to show a different pattern in the feathers that is revealed in the colour spectral range. This genus is Myophonus, the whistling thrush. That, however, is the only reported genus, so far, using a UV camera, that may have a UV pattern. What it is used for is still a mystery, if indeed it is confirmed. This genus is worthy of more study in this area.
This, as other studies on UV feather reflectance, have tended to be carried out on skins of birds from museum specimens. A case in point can be found in a paper by Eaton and Lanyon called: The ubiquity of avian ultraviolet plumage reflectance inProceedings of Biological Science 2003 Vol. 270 pp. 1721-1726. This study collects UV reflectance data on the dorsal and ventral patches of 312 bird species representing 142 families. They found that all specimens reflected some UV light, and concluded that all avian studies on behaviour, ecology, and evolution involving plumage colouration would benefit by taking UV reflectance into account.
What is clear is that there are no UV reflectance images of live birds in the literature. In a personal communication with Prof Innes Cuthill, Professor of Behavioural and Sensory Ecology, Bristol University, he pointed out the pitfalls in the collection of these images to get hard core scientific data, and he is of course, correct, but nevertheless, there is merit in taking pictures of live birds to see, as he put it, ‘what is out there’.
This was the purpose of the Hilfield study.
59 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Background
What is sight?
There have been some significant advances in the field of vision in recent years, in the biochemical, and genomic (genetic) fields, where some of the gene sequences that are responsible for sight have been identified.
In summary, sight is the brain’s interpretation of electromagnetic waves first arriving at receptors in the back of the eye (the cone and rod cells of the retina), where opsins (also known as visual pigments) are the first step of the biochemical cascade which ends at the sight centre of the brain, called the visual cortex, this is the site which interprets this cascade as sight. Colour vision occurs by the selective agitation of the cones, by different wavelengths. The, so called, visible spectrum, commonly understood to be between 400nm (nm=nanometer, the wavelength measure), and 700nm, is the range Homo sapiens (humans) can detect. Within that range there are three main peaks of cone sensitivity located in the retina at the back of the eye, namely red wavelength (570nm), green (540nm), and blue (450nm). This kind of colour vision is called trichromatic as it has three peak sensitivities. From these primary visual colours, and their ‘mixing’, a pallet of colours are perceived in the visual cortex.
Birds and other animals, including reptiles and some fish are tetrachromatic. Meaning that they have three peaks in the ‘visible’ spectrum just as humans do, but that they also have another cone that has a peak sensitivity between 300nm and 400nm. This area of the electromagnetic spectrum is described as ultra violet light.
Vision in birds
It is understood that birds not only have the additional UV sensitivity but that they have much better colour vision than humans.
Within 400nm to 700nm (the colour vision wavelengths), birds have improved vision due to the presence of coloured oil droplets within the cones cells. The effect of this is to alter the wavelength and so expand the range of colour and hues they can see. This is beyond human perceptual abilities.
It is fair to say, therefore, that birds have a much wider visual range than humans, seeing many more colour hues than we can see and additionally being able to see in the UV.
Furthermore, when comparing to human eyes other differences can be seen.
Bird’s eyes have striated iris muscle groups. This gives them the ability to open and close their irises voluntarily (personal communication, Dr David Williams, Cambridge University), whereas our irises have smooth muscle groups which open and close involuntarily in response to light intensity. The effect being that they can control the aperture, we cannot. It has been suggested that some birds use this ability as a signalling device (Craig and Hulley 2004 South African Journal of Science 100, November/December 2004).
60 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Also, birds have a so called ‘third eye lid’, the nictitating membrane, which is transparent or translucent, the function of which is to protect and moisten the eye while maintaining visibility.
Further, it has been suggested that bird’s eyes are large in proportion to their skull size and as such do not have the ability to swivel their eyes as mammals do as they don’t have the musculature to do so. Subsequently their eyes are fixed. This is not quite the case. Birds do have eye musculature that can rotate the eye between twelve and fifteen degrees in any direction (personal communication, Prof. Graham Martin). This is much less than in mammals, including humans, however, it should be stated that, contrary to much of the literature, they have some ability to move their eyes. There is a paper in Ibis 2008 150: pp. 485-494: Fig 4, by Prof Martin et al, with images showing the eye movements of cormorants, which makes this point very well.
Anatomy of bird retinas
The retinal architecture in birds has been studied by a ophthalmologist called Casey Albert Wood. He published a book of hand drawn pictures of a large array of bird species in 1917. This book is still referred to today, and can be viewed on the internet (search for the Fundus Oculi of birds by Casey A Wood). In it he shows that a number of birds of prey have two fovea (the fovea is the part of the retina that shows up as a pit in the retina, and is responsible for the sharpest vision) one is shallow (for close vision) and one is deep (for distance vision), indeed a paper has recently been published suggesting a mathematical model of the way a peregrine falcon could keep it’s prey aligned with it’s deep fovea having a spiral flight into it’s prey, and keeping the deep fovea in position until the last moment. (The Deep Fovea, sideways vision and spiral flight paths in Raptors Nov 2000, Vance A. Tucker, The Journal of Experimental Biology 203, 3745-3754). Mind you I have never seen a peregrine dive the way they describe!
Feather colours
When looking at the colours of the feathers in the visual range 400nm to 700nm, it has been determined that the colours seen are based on a mixture of pigments, and structural colours. The darker colours are primarily produced by a family of pigments called melanins, such as black, brown, and red. These are produced by biochemical production of the cells in the feather stem cells. The lighter colours such as yellow are metabolised from carotenes ingested in food and then metabolised, and the other colouration is based on the nanostructure of the feathers, these are the structural colours mentioned above, indeed all blue colours in birds is derived this way.
Iridescence is also a nanostructural phenomenon, and is perceived when light strikes the nanostructure of the feathers and reflects different wavelengths selectively when the bird moves. The result being that at any one time the wave length, and so the colour, reflected will be different producing the iridescence perceived.
The mixing and dosage of this array of colours by pigments and structural colours produces a pallet (gamut) of colours unsurpassed in the animal kingdom.
There are other rarer feather pigments such as psittacofulvins and psittacins which produce reds, yellows and greens in parrots. Porphyrins, is another pigment group, which are produced by
61 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013 modifying amino acids, and are found in some owls, pigeons and gallinaceous species. See www. birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/studying/feathers/color. 1
And then there Is white
A white feather is understood to be a feather without pigment, and that the white perceived is the reflection of all wavelengths (full spectrum) via the nanostructural makeup of the white feather. This logically suggests that there are structural differences to the structure of a white feather and a blue feather, as both colours are structural. To date I have not found any studies confirming this suggestion.
Method
The birds were captured during general mist netting sessions. Ultra violet images were taken of the birds caught using a converted Nikon D300 camera sensitive to 300nm to 400nm. Due to the movement of the birds in the hand and the speed needed for exposure, direct daylight would not give clear results with this system, so a UV flash gun was employed. The effect was to give a clear picture of the bird on a dark background.
Robin Erithacus rubecula. Robin Erithacus rubecula. Caught Hilfield 10th April 2011. Caught Hilfield 24th April 2011.
1 Note: There is a recent paper entitled: ‘Structure and optical function of amorphous photonic nanostructures from avian feather barbs: a comparative small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis of 230 bird species’ by Vinod et al in Journal of the Royal Society 2012 suggesting that the nanostructure of non iridescent barbs within the feather that produce the colours are likely to be self assembled having evolved over millions of years of selection resulting in a consistent optical function.
62 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major. Caught Hilfield. major. Wing, caught Hilfield 1st April 2012.
Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus. Caught Hilfield KingfisherAlcedo atthis. Caught Hilfield 22nd April 2012 Ring LA35851. 28/8/2011.
KingfisherAlcedo atthis. Caught Hilfield KingfisherAlcedo atthis. Caught Hilfield 28/8/2011. 28/8/2011.
63 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Male Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs. Caught Hilfield Male ChaffinchFringilla coelebs. 13th March 2011.
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis. Caught Hilfield GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis. Caught Hilfield 24th July 2011. 24th July 2011.
Jay Garrulus glandarius. Caught Hilfield 10th Jay Garrulus glandarius. Caught Hilfield 22nd April 2010. July 2012.
64 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus. Caught Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus. Caught Hilfield 24th July 2011. Hilfield 4th September 2011.
Male Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula. Caught Hilfield Male BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula. Caught 19th 29th May 2011. February 2012.
Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus. Caught Hilfield Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus. Caught Hilfield 1st 13th March 2011. April 2012. 65 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Results
The result was a set of black and white pictures, from Hilfield, to see if there was any hidden UV signals in live specimens of birds captured.
As can be seen from a selection of images set out here above, that there are no hidden signals in the UV in the species photographed. Further, the images show that lighter and darker areas of birds mimic the visible spectrum pattern. Indeed, it seems from this study that there may be a clear distinction between the different colours based on the dominant colour.
It suggests that when melanins are dominant the main effect in UV absorption as in the dark effect in the Robin’s Erithacus rubecula breast, and when the carotenes are dominant then the main effect is UV reflection, as in the wing of the GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis.
A surprise here was that the breast of the male BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula reflected UV suggesting, if the above is correct, that carotenes are probably a constituent of the breast colour (redness, as in Robins, is produced by dominance of melanins). The contention that carotenoids are a constituent of a bullfinch’s breast colouration has been confirmed by paper entitled: ‘Carotenoids in bird plumage: the complement of red pigments in the plumage of wild and captive bullfinch’ Stradiet al 2001 Comparative biochemistry and physiology Part B Biochemistry molecular biology Vol: 128, Issue 3, pp: 529-535.
Another highlight of this study was seeing how blues reflect UV. Indeed, as shown, in the images of a Jay’s Garrulus glandarius wing and the back of the KingfisherAlcedo atthis, both positively beam in UV. It is an unanswered question, why these, and no doubt, other species, have evolved to be so noticeable. Further, white also beams in the UV, and white is even more ubiquitous on birds, not to mention carotene based colouration that also makes birds stand out.
This result confirms the contention that, in general, there is no ‘secret’ pattern that cannot be seen by humans, but instead, the ability to see in UV increases the contrast and clearness of the sight in birds.
This sharpening up vision using the ability to see in UV, along with all the other visual abilities, mentioned above, that birds can call upon, belongs, therefore, to a suite of visual aids that gives birds significantly better vision than their mammalian counterparts.
The questions keep coming
Although this study confirms that there is no specific UV pattern that manifest in feather reflectance, some intriguing questions have emerged.
Carotenes reflect UV, so why do yellow, carotene based, irises, absorb UV, as in the Scops OwlOtus scops in this article, and also confirmed in the SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus by the author?
Blue, particularly metallic blue, such as in the Jay and Kingfisher positively beam in the UV. Why would feathers evolve to be highly visible for all to see? In these two species the argument of sexual
66 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013 selection, i.e the females chose the more colourful males, does not work as the sexes have the same colouration (isomorphic). Indeed although there is a large literature dealing with mate choice it still remains a mystery in both isomorphic (birds where the sexes are the same, e.g kingfishers), and dimorphic species (where sexes are visually significantly different).
Indeed, I have recently received a paper mapping the eye movements of Peahens Pavo cristatus when observing Peacocks displaying, (‘Through their eyes: selective attention in peahens during courtship’, Jessica L. Yorzinski et al, The Journal of Experimental Biology 216, pp3035-3046, 2013), and these data suggest that peahens take very little notice of the upper tail display!
Go figure.
White is very common on many species, the same question arises as with blue with regard to high visibility.
The amazing colours, with white being one of those colours, found on some bird species, is difficult to explain from a functional point of view. It certainly makes them more visible, so being camouflaged by blending in with the vegetation is not the function. LBjs have got that right when it comes to camouflage.
This study also suggests that:
In feathers, all melanins absorb and all carotenes reflect UV.
This would be interesting to confirm or deny.
The search for answers continues.
Richard Melzack Ph.D
67 Hilfield Park Reservoir Wildlife Report 2013
Elstree Aerodrome
Flying club
North Bank Hilfield Castle Viewing platform
Pond Feeding site Sewage works
Main Hilfield Park Reservoir entrance
Hilfield Lane East fountain N Vegetation cleared Tern rafts in 2011 Laboratory
South SE Bay fountain Hide
A41
M1
Dagger Lane
Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust is a charity dedicated to protecting wildlife and wild places for everyone for the future. We have 21,000 members and are one of 47 local Wildlife Trusts across the UK.
We safeguard and manage 44 nature reserves. Our vision is for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone. Our mission is to protect wildlife, restore biodiversity and to connect people with the natural world in Hertfordshire and Middlesex.
Our aim is to be the most active and influential wildlife champion in the counties.
68