Long Preston Bird Report 2018 Compiled by Ian Court The Long Preston Floodplain Project is a partnership between the RSPB, Natural England, the Environment Agency, the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, North Yorkshire County Council, the Ribble Rivers Trust, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, local landowners and farmers Introduction Long Preston Deeps is in the area of the upper Ribble valley between Long Preston and Settle, lying between the Forest of Bowland and Yorkshire Dales National Park. This unique area of lowland wet grassland stretches from Settle south to Cow Bridge, where the Wigglesworth to Long Preston Road crosses the river and is bordered on the east by Long Preston and the A65 and the Wigglesworth to Rathmell road on the west. Long Preston Recording Area The recording area combines the Long Preston Wetland Grassland Project area and the adjacent area to the south, including Hellifield Flash. A map of the recording area that includes details of access points can be found on the following page. The conservation management that has been implemented by the project has only been possible because of the close cooperation with the local farmers, other land users and local residents. We would ask that visitors are considerate when parking and do not block any access. Visitors should also be aware that fishermen are regularly present along the river and wildfowling takes place between 1st September and 31st January. In order to maintain these positive relationships, the project would like to remind visitors that the Long Preston floodplain is in private ownership and should only be accessed using the public rights of way shown on the project trail map. There are good but limited opportunities for watching the area from the surrounding roads, with a series of viewpoints also shown on the trail map, but please be aware that the birds can be distant and a telescope is strongly recommended. The bird hide can be access along the Ribble Way, north from Cow Bridge. Car parking is very limited so please ensure that you do not block any roads or access tracks. Park carefully by the bridge at SD 82799 57022. Development is being undertaken at and around Hellifield Flash that will have a significant detrimental impact on the site. It should be noted that Waterside Lane is reported to be a private road, but the Flash can also be viewed from public footpaths. Bird Records If visiting the area, we hope that you will take the time to submit your records. We would encourage all observers to enter their records on BirdTrack https://www.bto.org/volunteer- surveys/birdtrack/about as this will help in the production of both the local and county bird report, the latter published by the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union. Records can also be entered into the log book in the bird hide, entered on the East Lancashire Ornithologists’ Club website http://www.eastlancsornithologists.org.uk/Rep-Birdlist.aspx or sent to the YNU North Yorkshire Bird Recorder Ian Court [email protected] A Map of the Long Preston Recording Area and Access Information For more information on the Long Preston Floodplain Project visit http://longprestonfloodplainproject.org/ 2018 Highlights Despite a decrease in observer effort compared to the previous few years, the total of 127 species that were recorded during the year was surprisingly higher than the 123 species in 2017 and 119 in 2016. Although it is pleasing to see that some species are increasing, the lack of any sightings of Yellow Wagtail and Grey Partridge highlight just how significant the declines of many once common species have been. It was a relatively quiet start to the year with a Great White Egret present on 26th January the highlight of the month, the third consecutive year that this species has been recorded. A Ruff at Hellifield Flash was an unseasonal record on 2 nd February. Many winter visitors were in short supply throughout the early part of the year with a Goldeneye at Hellifield Flash on 11th February surprisingly the only record of the year. A group of 28 Russian White-fronted Geese were present below Hollow Gill on 15th February but unfortunately didn’t linger. A Jack Snipe on 23rd February flew from the scrape in front of the hide with one of its commoner cousins and was a welcome sighting of what is normally a rarely seen species. The high numbers of Shoveler present in recent years continued again in 2018 with numbers at 73 on 26th February, just one short of the previous highest count. In March there will often be a build-up of some wader species as they congregate on the floodplain before moving to breeding areas. This year, 139 Oystercatcher on 18th equalled the previous highest area count recorded on 10th March 1991. Single Red Kites were also noted during the month, with sightings on 14th and 30th only the third and fourth records in the area. There was also a notable increase in Gadwall during late spring with ten on floodwater on Snipe Ground on both 24th March and 15th April, equalling the previous highest counts recorded in November and December 2016. A Woodcock inadvertently flushed on the north eastern floodplain on 22nd March during a WeBS count was the first record for five years. April started well with an Osprey seen on 1st; a species that must surely be passing over more frequently than records suggest. The rest of the month was disappointing for passage birds with a female Wheatear near Cow Bridge on 6th surprisingly the only record of the year. There were five Ruff below Hollow Gill and in the central floodplain area on 8th April and four that were still present on 10 th . Similarly, the five Dunlin present in the same area mid-month were the only records on the floodplain during the year. One of the few highlights was an Avocet on Middle Marsh on 15th, 17th and 18th. In April there can often be a mix of lingering winter visitors mixing with newly arrived summer migrants. One of these eclectic mixes of migrants occurred on 22nd when a Whooper Swan flying low north over Cow Bridge passed through the same binocular view of the first Swift of the year. In May at least three pairs of Shoveler and a single male, and a pair of Garganey were present up until mid-month giving a tantalising hint of what breeding birds the area could potentially support if the pools did not dry out. Migrants were few and far between with three Whimbrel and a Wood Sandpiper at Hellifield Flash on 4 th , four Garden Warblers in the north eastern floodplain on the 20th May and two Greenshank near Wigglesworth Hall on 27th the only notable records. Although observer effort decreased in June, a Quail inadvertently flushed on the north east floodplain was an unexpected bonus for the fieldworker carrying out a WeBS count on 17th. A Whitethroat seen on the same visit was also the only record during the year. After two in March, another Red Kite was seen heading down the valley on 1st July. The near permanent presence of Little Egrets in the last few years have always brightened up a day’s birding in the local area but a group of 16 seen feeding near Cow Bridge on 15th July must have been a spectacular sight. Passage migrants were thin on the ground during August with a Stonechat present on Snipe Ground on 10th and Redstarts near the bird hide on 11th and 18th. More unexpected was a Common Scoter seen on the WeBS count on 12th August, only the ninth record and fourth occasion that this species has been recorded in the area. A Wood Sandpiper at Hellifield Flash on 14 th August was also a notable record. One of the highlights of late summer and early autumn was the number of Tree Sparrows, with 63 on 9th September possibly a mix of local breeders and passage migrants? October was a quiet month apart from a juvenile Shag that was present briefly at Hellifield Flash on 24th, presumably disorientated after strong westerly winds the previous day and overcast conditions. It is frustrating that local rarities rarely stick around with this bird being no exception, spending several minutes feeding in the flash and a few minutes resting on the shore before flying off into the murk. Almost as rare in the recording area, a party of six Crossbills spent even less time ‘on the patch’ as they flew north over Cow Bridge on 27th October. The rest of the year was uneventful, but a female Blackcap in bushes near Long Preston station on 17th November was a very unusual winter record in the area. Greylag Geese used to be relatively scarce in the area but numbers have been increasing in recent years, with the first three-figure count being reached on 9th December when 103 were present. A few did move on but there were still at least 99 at the end of the month. There were also some impressive counts of Raven in December, when singles or small groups were seen heading north west over the floodplain on a number of afternoons, presumably from feeding areas along the western fringe of the Dales to roost somewhere in Bowland? Totals of 18 on 14th and 14 on 16th December were notable and were the highest counts in the recording area. A SYSTEMATIC LIST OF THE BIRDS OF HELLIFIELD FLASH AND LONG PRESTON DEEPS There is considerable movement of birds between Hellifield Flash and the Long Preston Deeps area, even on a daily basis, and so for many species the peak monthly counts derived from casual observations are included along with a summary of the monthly WeBS counts.