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Various problems have prevented us from updating this section of the site in recent months. We hope to resume our sightings reports in the near future. Please bear with us.

April 2004
Members were looking for incoming migrants this month, however some winter visitors lingered on. There were still 34 Whooper Swans at North Duffield on the 12th, but a Garganey had arrived at Bank Island on the 26th. A sighting of Grey Partridge from Strensall was worthy of mention, though this was once a common bird in the area. There was a Marsh Harrier at North Duffield on the 26th. An Oystercatcher was an unusual sighting for Dunnington, on the 29th. On the same day, a Common Tern, ringed green and yellow, was seen on the River Ouse. A Turtle Dove was at Elvington on the 26th. The first Cuckoo was reported from Riccall on the 17th. The first Swifts were seen on the 28th, at Strensall, and Helmsley (just outside the recording area). A Yellow Wagtail was at Acaster on the 29th. Three Waxwings were at Knapton on the 19th. Six Wheatears were at Strensall on the 22nd, with two seen on the 26th, and three on the 28th, following a big fall on the coast on the 16th. A Reed Warbler was at Strensall on the 28th. Corn Buntings were observed from mid April, in Thornton and Wilberfoss.

February 2004
The very welcome flooding which arrived towards the end of January continued to attract a good number and variety of waterbirds and provided the main interest this month, encouraging many birdwatchers to visit the Lower Derwent Valley. The regular wintering herd of up to 55 Whooper Swans in the south of the valley was joined by 4 adult Bewick’s Swans from the 18th. Another long-stayer was the Tundra Bean Goose which frequented Aughton Ings and North Duffield Carrs during the month while an additional 4 birds paused briefly at Aughton on the 16th with 2 reported from Bubwith Ings on the 19th and 20th. A large and impressive northwesterly movement of Pink-footed Geese witnessed throughout northeast England on the 12th was represented by total counts of 2300 over the Lower Derwent and 800 over Naburn Sewage Works. Other interesting goose records included a White-fronted Goose still present at Storwood until at least the 4th while 7 adults dropped in briefly at Bank Island on the 22nd and a Barnacle Goose which frequented the southern part of the valley was joined by a second bird from the 20th with another seen moving with the Pinkfeet over Naburn on the 12th. 84 Shelduck were back in the Lower Derwent Valley by the 28th with notable duck counts there including a total of 13171 Wigeon on the 22nd, 188 Gadwall (136 at Wheldrake Ings) also on the 22nd, 4650 Teal on the 28th (with c. 150 on floods at Fulford Ings on the 15th and 4 at Clifton Ings on the 2nd being a new species for that site), 2080 Mallard in the Lower Derwent on the 22nd when 573 Pintail (181 at Aughton; 141 at Wheldrake), 160 Shoveler, 2079 Pochard (17th) and 348 Tufted Ducks (22nd – with 22 on a pond at Wistow on the 14th). Only small numbers of Goldeneye and Goosander were noted at their usual haunts, though, but the wildfowl flocks in general also brought with them rarer species with a drake Ring-necked Duck being found at Wheldrake Ings on the 14th before moving to the North Duffield/Aughton Ings area. A ‘redhead’ Smew seen near Elvington on the 21st was the only record for that species this month and the only gamebird records of note were 10 Grey Partridges at East Cottingwith on the 6th and a male calling near Naburn Sewage Works on the 12th. Raptors seemed a bit thin on the ground (or off it!) with wintering birds in the Lower Derwent including a couple of Merlins and up to 3 Peregrines although more unusual records consisted of single Red Kites at Appleton Roebuck on the 6th and Elvington two days later, a Common Buzzard over North Duffield Carrs on the 28th and as yet unsubstantiated reports of an Osprey flying low northeast at Laythorne on the 27th and Goshawks in the Copmanthorpe area. 2 Water Rails were wintering in the car park scrub at Wheldrake Ings while an adult was seen well at Fulford Ings on the 20th. Counts of Moorhen and Coot in the Lower Derwent included respective totals of 348 and 823 on the 22nd while more waders were attracted to the valley as the floods slowly receded with the first Oystercatchers back in the North Duffield area by the 5th, 5000+ Golden Plover there on the 18th, 3651 Lapwing in the valley as a whole on the 22nd with 500+ on flooding at Fulford Ings on the 10th and 11th, 331 Dunlin at Thorganby Ings on the 12th where 60 Ruff were present on the 22nd, 11 Jack Snipe at Low Catton Ings on the 21st and Seavy Carr on the 22nd with singles flushed at other sites outside the valley, 6 Woodcocks seen at Thornton Ellers on the 4th with 2 at Askham Bog on the 7th and one at Skipwith Common on the 28th. More unusual waders included a Spotted Redshank on the River Derwent at East Cottingwith on the 21st and a Green Sandpiper on the Pocklington Canal all month. One of the highlights of the month was the large numbers of gulls noted which attracted scarcer species, particularly to the roost at Wheldrake Ings, including adult Mediterranean and Yellow-legged Gulls, small numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gulls and at least 5 Iceland and 3 Glaucous Gulls with a probable Kumlien’s Gull – an adult – being seen at Fulford Ings on the 10th. Away from the waterbirds, there were regular Barn Owl sightings in the Lower Derwent Valley with a Long-eared Owl flushed from pine trees at Skipwith Common on the 28th and 1-2 Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers posing for some fortunate observers at Askham Bog on the 15th and 22nd. The floods in other areas attracted passerines such as Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails while the only Waxwing record concerned a single bird flying north over Fulford Ings on the 11th. Good counts of resident species along the River Ouse between York and Naburn on the 11th included 26 Wrens, 48 Dunnocks and 56 Robins with 24 Song Thrushes and 10 Mistle Thrushes noted along that stretch the following day. Numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing were noticeably low throughout the recording area although snow on higher ground was probably responsible for a count of 1100 Fieldfares in the Lower Derwent Valley on the 28th while a wintering Stonechat remained at North Duffield Carrs all month and a sunny spring-like morning prompted a Chiffchaff to sing at Scarcroft Green, York on the 19th. Good counts of Tree Sparrows were received, particularly from feeding stations, with 150 at Thorganby on the 9th and 14th while more notable finch records included up to 2 Bramblings at the North Duffield feeders from the 14th, 80 Greenfinches roosting at Elvington throughout the month, c. 100 Siskins at Askham Bog on the 7th, up to 250 Linnets at Rawcliffe Cornfield NR mid-month, 8 Crossbills on the Castle Howard-Terrington road on the 15th and a female Hawfinch visiting a private garden in Wheldrake village from the 9th to at least the 16th. Finally, the most significant Corn Bunting count this month was of 140 at the Melbourne roost on the 3rd.

January 2004
The new year started where the old one left off with the Lower Derwent Valley dry and consequently holding disappointing numbers of wildfowl in particular. However, we did get some flooding towards the end of the month and waterbird populations started to build up at long last – better late than never! Whooper Swans were seen at several sites in the valley with the maximum herd count received being 31 at Aughton Ings on the 24th. Bean Geese lingered from December 2003 with up to 3 Taiga and 2 Tundra being reported. A small movement of Pink-footed Geese was reflected by counts of 26 flying west over Fulford Ings on the 3rd and 69 over North Duffield Carrs on the 10th while a Barnacle Goose was seen with other geese at Bank Island on the 9th and Wheldrake on the 18th. 22 Shelduck were at Ellerton by the 18th as numbers of Wigeon and Teal in particular finally started to increase with respective maxima of 6500 and 450 noted at certain sites in the Lower Derwent. 13 Gadwall were on the main pool at Wheldrake Ings on the 11th with 17 there on the 16th while Pintail numbers rose to 153 at Wheldrake by the 30th as did Pochard and Tufted Duck with counts reaching 70 and 56 respectively by the month end. 90 Pochard were noted at Castle Howard Lake on the 2nd when 40 Tufted Ducks, 5 Shoveler and 2 Ruddy Ducks were also present. However, only single-figure counts of both Goldeneye and Goosander were reported from the usual sites for most of the month although 37 Goosander were noted at Wheldrake Ings late on where a pair of Smew appeared briefly on the 23rd. There were no interesting raptor records this month but 25 Grey Partridge were seen at Poppleton on the 10th and wader numbers increased in the Lower Derwent Valley as the floods arrived. Counts included 600+ Golden Plover at West Cottingwith on the 25th, 2100 Lapwing at Wheldrake on the 21st, 220 Dunlin feeding with 156 Redshank at Bubwith Bridge on the 29th and 24 Ruff at North Duffield on the 25th. However, very few Snipe and Curlew were reported but single Woodcocks were seen at Askham Bog on the 10th and Wheldrake Ings the next day. Lower Derwent Valley gull roosts built up from mid-month with up to 11400 Black-headed Gulls, 590 Common Gulls, 1147 Herring Gulls and 815 Great Black-backed Gulls being counted. These roosts also attracted more unusual species with 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls noted at Wheldrake Ings where an adult Mediterranean Gull, a second-winter Iceland Gull and probably two different first-winter Glaucous Gulls were reported. An adult Iceland Gull was also seen by the A19 Linton-on-Ouse turn-off near the Alne landfill site on the 3rd. 2100 Woodpigeons were feeding on set-aside at Dunnington Common on the 30th while Barn Owls were noted at Thorganby on the 18th and Wheldrake Ings on the 30th. A Kingfisher frequented a ditch at Hassacarr Nature Reserve throughout the month with a Green Woodpecker feeding on grassland at Skipwith Common on the 1st. 15 Skylarks and 20 Meadow Pipits were counted at Wheldrake on the 21st with smaller numbers noted at Dunnington Common. Winter thrushes seemed to be in short supply in our region although flocks of Fieldfare reported were 76 at Hagg Bridge on the 2nd , 18 at Middlethorpe Ings on the 3rd and 150 flying over Seavy Carr on the 14th. A wintering Chiffchaff was seen in Rawcliffe on the 23rd while 6+ Marsh Tits, 6+ Treecreepers and c. 10 Siskin were seen in Askham Bog on the 10th with some Marsh Tits already in song while a single of this species visiting a garden at Dunnington Common on the 28th was the first seen there for many years! 3 Jays flew over the York-Selby cycle track at Escrick on the 5th with two noted at Bank Island on the 24th while Rook counts included 200 at Dunnington Common on the 17th and 1700 in the Hagg Bridge area on the 24th. Tree Sparrows frequented the feeding station at North Duffield Carrs throughout the month with 50 counted at Dunnington Common on the 17th and 140 feeding on rape at Rawcliffe Ings (no date) accompanied by 200 Linnets and 25 Reed Buntings. A mixed flock of passerines south of Skipwith Common on the 1st included 20 Chaffinches and 20 Lesser Redpolls with 127 Greenfinches counted on wires over the field there. 2 Bramblings were seen near the eastern edge of Skipwith Common on the 1st with another 2 accompanied by 36 Chaffinches at Dunnington Common on the 17th where the mixed finch flock also included 200+ Greenfinches, 20 Linnets and a Twite which was a first record for the Dunnington area! 18 Yellowhammers were feeding in a turnip-provisioned field of sheep at Naburn Sewage Works on the 3rd with 61 at Dunnington Common on the 17th where 26 birds was the highest count of Corn Bunting for the month. An impressive 300-400 of the latter species was present in the Strensall area and much smaller numbers elsewhere included 4 birds in a small oak tree at Barlby on the 1st while 17 Reed Buntings were noted at Wheldrake Ings on the 21st.