December 2006
Extensive flooding of both the Ouse and the Derwent attracted large numbers of waterbirds to the region, especially the Lower Derwent Valley where the best area was between Aughton and Ellerton which the Whooper Swan herd, of up to 80 birds, favoured. The single adult Bewick’s Swan remained with this flock throughout the month, but was not always easy to pick out! This area also held impressive numbers of geese, ducks and waders with totals of 6000 Wigeon, 4000 Teal and 125 Pintail estimated on the 15th when a drake Green-winged Teal was found. Up to 4000 Wigeon were seen at Wheldrake Ings where a first-winter drake American Wigeon was discovered on the 9th, but it proved to be frustratingly elusive and was only reported intermittently during the rest of the month. 400 Wigeon were counted at Bank Island on the 8th where 60 Tufted Duck were also present though diving ducks were generally in short supply in the Lower Derwent Valley. A pair of Scaup took up residence on the floods between Naburn and Acaster Malbis from the 12th with just the drake remaining from the 14th-17th while a drake reported at Wheldrake Ings from the 10th may have been a misidentification of the hybrid Pochard x Tufted Duck seen at close range from the Pool Hide there on the 17th. Castle Howard Lake held the usual selection of wildfowl this month and was probably the best place in the York area to see Goldeneye and Goosander with up to ten and five present respectively while a pair of Mandarin Ducks was reported from this site on the 2nd. Four drake Goosander were present on the floods between Naburn and Acaster Malbis on the 16th and birds were presumably also present in the traditional areas along the Ouse north of York, though no reports were received to that effect. Meanwhile, a drake Red-breasted Merganser was reported to be present on floods at Bubwith briefly on the 11th but no Smew have been seen in the region so far this winter. A covey of 11 Grey Partridge was noted near Huby on the 20th before quickly disappearing into the fog while an immature Gannet reported flying south down the Derwent at Low Catton on the 29th was perhaps more surprising! Few raptors were seen this month but a Goshawk was reported flying over the A64 near the Castle Howard turnoff on the 4th and a Common Buzzard flew low east over Askham Bog on the 17th with a fine male Merlin delighting an observer near Naburn the next day and a Peregrine noted at Wheldrake Ings on the 26th. A Water Rail was flushed from cover at Rawcliffe Meadows on the 1st while waders were rather prominent in the Lower Derwent Valley as the floods persisted (as they were allowed to in certain areas this winter!). There were literally thousands of Golden Plover and Lapwing with up to 50 Dunlin and 30 Ruff reported as well as a maximum count of 13 Black-tailed Godwits on the 26th and a single Knot seen with Redshanks at Thorganby Ings on the 15th while two birds were with Lapwings on floodwater at Middlethorpe Ings late in the month. Two adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls came in to roost at Ellerton Ings on the 17th while an adult Iceland Gull was seen in the Wheldrake Ings roost on the 13th and 17th with a leucistic Black-headed Gull also present on the former date. A Barn Owl hunting along the roadside just north of Skipwith village was the only report received of that species this month, perhaps reflecting the bad vole year, while a Little Owl was seen at Dunnington on the 8th with a probable glimpsed briefly in flight at Fulford Ings on the 22nd. Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers were well reported with singles at Fulford Ings on the 1st, Dunnington on the 8th, Knavesmire Wood on the 16th (probably the Fulford Ings bird) and Castle Howard on the 30th. An elusive Water Pipit frequented the windpump area of Wheldrake Ings from the 26th while Stonechats were present at several sites including Copmanthorpe and Heslington Tillmire – no doubt benefiting from the exceptionally (perhaps not now!) mild winter. Fieldfare and Redwing were around but not in great numbers while wintering Blackcaps were seen at Askham Bog, Heslington and York Science Park. At least two each of Marsh and Willow Tit were noted at Askham Bog during the month with two of the former species at Fulford Golf Course on the 5th and one of the latter at Wheldrake Ings on the 17th when a mobile flock of about 30 Siskins was at Askham Bog. Some farmland birds have been rather scarce this winter with Corn Buntings particularly hard to come by.

November 2006
November was rather uneventful birdwise with little notable movements and significantly less records than previous months. The Whooper Swan herd favoured the southern end of the Lower Derwent Valley, as usual, and peaked at 91 birds on the 14th while two adult Bewick’s Swans reportedly joined them on the 21st though only one was seen subsequently. Winter flooding attracted other wildfowl to the Valley with up to five Pink-footed Geese and a single Barnacle Goose at Bank Island early on while up to four of the latter – presumably feral birds – lingered in the Wheldrake area with two at Castle Howard Lake on the 19th. Large numbers of dabbling duck had built up by the end of the month with thousands of Wigeon providing quite a spectacle along with hundreds of Mallard and Teal and good numbers of Pintail (55 at north Duffield Carrs on the 6th). Castle Howard Lake was probably the best place for diving ducks, however, though these were in disappointingly low numbers with up to only four Goldeneye and seven Goosander reported, while a drake Red-breasted Merganser put in an all-too-brief appearance on the 25th; elsewhere, a female-type Scaup on a small pool by the River Rye near West Ness was a good find on the 3rd and was still present on the 5th! Raptors were rather thin on the ground (or in the air!) with Common Buzzards reported from Castle Howard, Huby and Terrington while a Merlin was seen at North Duffield Carrs on the 9th as well as a Peregrine with others at Stockton-on-the-Forest the same day and Castle Howard on the 11th. The Great Lake also held up to ten Great Crested Grebes and four Little Grebes with at least 300 Coot counted on the 2nd while wintering waders were well represented, especially in the Lower Derwent Valley where there were counts of up to 3000 Golden Plover, 800 Lapwing, 100 Dunlin and 30 Ruff, while two Jack Snipe were seen at Strensall Common on the 19th and single Green Sandpipers at Cliffe on the 5th, North Duffield Carrs on the 10th and Naburn Sewage Works on the 19th. Gull numbers also started to increase, especially at traditional roost sites such as Castle Howard Lake and Wheldrake Ings, but the highlight this month was an adult Yellow-legged Gull watched heading south down the River Ouse at Fulford Ings on the 19th when a Little Owl was seen at Acaster Malbis though a Long/Short-eared Owl seen at dusk over the road between Bubwith and Breighton was perhaps more intriguing! Unseasonal ‘summer’ visitors were a House Martin at North Duffield Carrs on the 17th and a Yellow Wagtail at Bishopthorpe on the 19th while a male Blackcap bathing in a Heslington garden on the 6th was rather more expected! Fieldfares and Redwings were fairly hard to come by with the biggest flocks reaching 100 and 50 respectively while Stonechats were well reported with wintering birds at Copmanthorpe and Castle Howard Lake as well as the usual sites of North Duffield Carrs and Strensall Common. Single Bramblings were noted at Bank Island and Poppleton on the 3rd and Wheldrake Ings on the 6th with ten near Gilling on the 19th while a Twite flew west over Cliffe on the 5th as part of a small movement of Linnets.

October 2006
At last things really got going this month with the first signs of winter arriving in the form of seven Whooper Swans at North Duffield Carrs on the 28th with the herd having ‘picked up’ another 20 birds when they were seen at nearby Ellerton Ings on the 30th. The usual autumn passage of Pink-footed Geese produced counts of 300 heading south over Thorganby Ings on the 3rd and 100+ southeast over Osbaldwick the following day while a single bird frequented the Wheldrake area from the 25th. Numbers of Greylag Geese built up in the Lower Derwent Valley as well as at Castle Howard with c. 1800 at the former site by the 25th and 500+ at the latter by the 16th. 12 White-fronted Geese moved through North Duffield Carrs on the 22nd – part of a regional influx – while an adult of the Greenland race was identified at Bank Island on the 25th, lingering until the 30th at least, and up to three Barnacle Geese were seen in the Wheldrake area from the 15th. Wigeon counts included 800 on the pool at Wheldrake Ings on the 1st while two Pintail were seen in that area on the 15th with three on the pool two days later and a pair on Castle Howard Lake on the 14th with single Goldeneye and Goosander also present. Three Grey Partridges were seen at Bank Island on the 9th while family parties of Great Crested Grebe remained at both Naburn Marina and York University Lake early in the month with a single Little Grebe noted at Castle Howard Lake on the 14th. Common Buzzards continued to be seen in several areas and a Goshawk was reported from the outskirts of York on the 28th. One, possibly two, Spotted Crakes surprised conservationists performing management work at Bank Island on the 5th while numbers of Coot on Castle Howard Lake had topped the 500 mark by the 14th. Autumn wader passage had more or less finished so attention switched to counting flocks of wintering birds: respective peak counts of Golden Plover and Lapwing were 2,600 near Riccall and 1000+ at Bishopthorpe during the first week while 15 Dunlin and 11 Ruff were recorded at Bubwith Ings on the 30th. A Jack Snipe was seen in front of the Swantail Hide at Wheldrake Ings on the 3rd with three at Bank Island on the 5th while at least six were caught and ringed at North Duffield Carrs late in the month and another four seen at Wheldrake on the 29th. On the passerine front, numbers of Swallows and House Martins began to dwindle though at least 100 of the former were still around Dunnington on the 2nd with the last reported this month being a single over Wheldrake Ings on the 15th while two House Martins were hawking insects over Copmanthorpe the same day. Four Grey Wagtails were observed roosting in branches overhanging Newburgh Priory Lake on the 19th with three at nearby Pond Head Farm while a single White Wagtail was reported amongst a flock of 12 Pied Wagtails in the Copmanthorpe area on the 2nd. A female Whinchat was also seen in Copmanthorpe that day with up to two Stonechats noted at Wheldrake Ings from the 17th while two Wheatears were seen near Rufforth on the 8th and a single bird by the River Derwent at Bubwith Bridge next day. The first Redwings reported were 11 passing over Sheriff Hutton on the morning of the 12th when another two flew west over Heslington while a flock of some 80 birds flew low southwest over the York University campus on the early morning of the 26th. Single Chiffchaffs remained at Wheldrake Ings on the 2nd and Poppleton on the 7th while a Willow Warbler was reported from riverside willows (where else?) at the former site on the 9th. An unusually high number of Jays was noted in Askham Bog on the 28th, no doubt taking advantage of the superabundance of acorns this autumn!

September 2006
Normally a rather busy month as birds are on the move again but there were less records received than for August! Scrub clearance around the pool at Wheldrake Ings has provided a more ‘open’ feel which attracted significant counts of wildfowl including 166 Wigeon, 456 Mallard and 390 Common Teal on the 23rd. Castle Howard Lake held 48 Wigeon, a single Pintail and four Shoveler the following day as well as two Little Grebes. Meanwhile, an exhausted Manx Shearwater was picked up in Elvington on the 20th and later taken to the coast for release. A male Honey Buzzard flew low south over Sand Hutton on the 3rd while Common Buzzards were again well reported and an Osprey was seen flying over Selby on the 30th, mobbed by gulls. Single Hobbies were seen chasing hirundines at Rufforth on the 7th and Dunnington on the 13th and Peregrines noted eyeing up the waders at Brind on the 4th and interacting with other raptors at Terrington on the 18th. The ‘wader field’ at Brind mentioned last month continued to produce the goods with counts of up to 200 Golden Plover, 850 Lapwing, six Ruff and 100 Common Snipe as well as up to six juvenile Curlew Sandpipers early in the month. Increasing numbers of Golden Plover and Lapwing were reported elsewhere while the pool at Wheldrake attracted up to five Green Sandpipers during the month with a single Ruff noted there on the 24th and a Common Sandpiper by the Millennium Bridge at York on the 18th. A possible Long-eared Owl surprised one observer as it flew out of willows between the Pool and Swantail hides at Wheldrake Ings on the 8th while late Swifts were reported from several sites with the last being a single high over Heslington on the 8th. A Green Woodpecker was heard around the York University/Walmgate Stray area throughout the month with another at Fulford Ings on the 15th while hirundine numbers built up prior to migration with Sand Martins seen up to the 20th and maximum counts of 150 Swallows at Dunnington on the 13th and 100+ House Martins at Osbaldwick on the 13th and 14th. Up to 26 Yellow Wagtails were feeding in the ‘wader field’ at Brind early in the month with 80+ Pied Wagtails by the slurry lagoons there while Grey Wagtails began to return to urban areas and two Whinchats were seen in front of the Tower Hide At Wheldrake on the 25th. No incoming winter thrushes were reported but warblers were still much in evidence with the last Common Whitethroats noted at Fulford Ings on the 18th and two juvenile Willow Warblers present together there on the 15th. Lesser Whitethroats were seen at Clifton Park on the 4th and Fulford Ings on the 15th while Spotted Flycatchers were well reported until mid-month with an impressive 12 seen together at Clifton Park on the 4th! Notable flocks of Tree Sparrows consisted of 200 in the Copmanthorpe area on the 5th and 110 at Terrington on the 18th while exotica included the long staying Blue-fronted Amazon (who’s a pretty boy, then?) seen again at Clifton Park on the 5th with a Cockatiel also noted there on the 9th...

**STOP PRESS** Belated news broke this month of a Lesser Grey Shrike at Ryton near Malton from 23rd-26th June; unfortunately information was suppressed at the time because the landowner would not allow access to his land; nonetheless, a nice addition to the York area list!

August 2006
A rather quiet month as usual with attention often switching from birds to butterflies and dragonflies! There was little of interest in the Lower Derwent Valley with next to no water although c. 80 Common Teal were counted at Wheldrake Ings on the 27th. A Garganey was a good find at Castle Howard Lake on the 16th while a late brood of Shoveler was seen along the Pocklington Canal on the 28th with a rather early adult female Goosander on the river at Newton-on-Ouse on the 1st. A pair of Grey Partridges raised at least five young in a Dunnington garden while interesting raptors included a Black Kite reported flying low east at Melbourne Scamland on the 5th and three Marsh Harriers passing north over Castle Howard on the 25th during a regional movement of the species. Single Marsh Harriers were also seen at more traditional sites in the Lower Derwent Valley during the month while a particularly large juvenile female Sparrowhawk caused the observer some consternation when it appeared in a Heslington garden on the 13th! Up to ten Common Buzzards were seen in the Castle Howard area with others present in the Lower Derwent Valley while Hobbies were noted in the Dunnington area and a Peregrine recorded near Melbourne on the 1st. As for waders, an Oystercatcher flew east over Fulford Ings on the 22nd while Lapwing and Golden Plover flocks began to build up at the start of the month. A good new wader site was discovered in the form of a slurry field along the road between Bubwith and Howden, near Brind, on the 26th when Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Dunlin, Ruff, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, Green and Wood Sandpipers were all recorded! Elsewhere, eight Whimbrel flew south down the River Ouse near Cliffe on the 11th with up to five Green Sandpipers and two Common Sandpipers noted on the pool at Wheldrake Ings throughout the month. Green Sandpipers were also seen at Bank Island and North Duffield Carrs while a Little Gull was found at Castle Howard Lake on the 16th with a Yellow-legged Gull at Laytham the previous day and up to possibly five different Common Terns regularly visited York University Lake during the month with birds also seen down the Ouse at Fulford Ings and Naburn Marina. Single Cuckoos were noted at Cliffe on the 11th and along the Pocklington Canal on the 25th while large concentrations of Swifts included 150+ at Shipton on the 1st and 50+ between Sheriff Hutton and Strensall on the 16th but most birds had departed their breeding sites by mid-month. The summer roost of hirundines in maize fields at Dunnington numbered up to at least 3000 birds while a Tree Pipit flew south over Naburn Sewage Works on the 20th and Yellow Wagtails were reported from several sites. Up to three Whinchats were seen at Wheldrake Ings and North Duffield Carrs from the 16th with a variety of commoner warblers noted including Lesser Whitethroats in several areas while there was a pleasing increase in sightings of Spotted Flycatcher. At least three each of both Marsh and Willow Tit were recorded at Skipwith Common on the 26th while a Nuthatch moved through a Heslington garden with a tit flock on the 29th. Finally, two Jays at the bottom end of Heslington Tillmire on the 25th were said to be unusual.

July 2006
Normally about the quietest month of the year as breeding birds become elusive although return movement of wading birds heralds the start of ‘autumn’ on the ornithological calendar! Wildfowl records were few and far between with a drake Garganey at Wheldrake Ings on the 2nd being the only report for that species while a drake Ring-necked Duck in eclipse plumage was noted at North Duffield Carrs the following day but unfortunately not in an area accessible to the public – could it have been the bird seen by many at the end of May? A female Tufted Duck with five young in a dyke behind the Pool Hide at Wheldrake on the 8th was not unusual but a juvenile Goosander on the river at Newton-on-Ouse on the 4th was early. A Quail was heard calling in the same area late in the evening of the 21st while up to 2 Little Egrets remained at Wheldrake Ings until at least the 8th where the last remaining standing water attracted 22 Grey Herons on the 3rd. Raptor sightings were again prominent this month with Red Kites noted at Wheldrake on the 12th, Acomb (York) on the 19th and Terrington on several dates, up to 2 Marsh Harriers lingering in the Lower Derwent Valley throughout, a ringtail Montagu’s Harrier (perhaps the same as last month’s bird) at Terrington on about the 10th, a displaying male Goshawk in the north of the recording area on the 1st, up to 5 Common Buzzards at a number of sites, single Ospreys east over Castle Howard on the 1st and south over North Duffield Carrs on the 9th, one to two Hobbies at four different locations and an adult Peregrine over Clifton Ings on the 1st. Returning to waders, 2 Oystercatchers were at Wheldrake on the 3rd with one at Naburn Sewage Works on the 19th and 5 at Newton-on-Ouse on the 21st, two Avocets put in an all-too-brief early morning appearance at Wheldrake Ings on the 15th where 2 Dunlin were seen on the 24th and a single Black-tailed Godwit on the 8th, a Snipe was flushed from a pool in Askham Bog on the 3rd, single Greenshanks were at Wheldrake on the 3rd and 24th with up to 3 Green Sandpipers there during the month and up to 7 of the latter species at the traditional site of Melbourne Scamland while 1-2 Common Sandpipers were noted along the river at Newton-on-Ouse. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was picked out from the hordes of Lesser Black-backed Gulls near Wheldrake on the 26th with 450 of the latter coming in to roost at Elvington water treatment works the previous evening. Single Common Terns were seen at three sites along the River Ouse during the month while a Turtle Dove reported from the Dunnington area must have been a pleasant surprise... Owl reports were few with a single Barn Owl seen on the YOC evening excursion to Fulford Ings on the 4th and pairs of Little Owls noted at Welburn and Copmanthorpe with 2 recent fledglings seen at the latter site. 450 Swifts were counted over Dunnington on the 26th – a prelude to an early departure this year – while a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Sand Hutton Central Science Laboratory on the 24th was more unusual. A Yellow Wagtail was noted at Bishopthorpe on the 15th with good numbers in the Dunnington area while a Grey Wagtail by the river at Newton-on-Ouse on the 22nd was unseasonal with two juveniles on rooftops in Fulford the same day. A female Black Redstart on farm buildings near Terrington on the 24th was a good find (how many go unnoticed in out-of-the-way places?) while there was some indication of early warbler movement in a garden at Newton-on-Ouse where a Garden Warbler was seen on the 30th and 4 Willow Warblers passed through on the 29th. Two juvenile Blackcaps at the same site on the 2nd were locally bred as was a juvenile Spotted Flycatcher fledged on the 1st with other birds seen at Wheldrake Ings on the 8th and Bank Island on the 12th as well as two in the Dunnington area throughout the month. At least 3 Marsh Tits were noted in the Castle Howard area with singles of its congener Willow Tit at the windpump at Wheldrake Ings on the 24th and the car park there on the 26th.

June 2006
A quieter month than last, as is the norm, with our summer visitors all settling down to breed. Summering wildfowl included two drake Wigeon and two drake Teal at both Bank Island and Wheldrake Ings on the 10th – perhaps with nesting females nearby? Up to 3 drake Garganey were at North Duffield Carrs early on with two also seen at Wheldrake Ings on the 9th and 10th while a drake Pochard was on the pool at Wheldrake about the same time and 2 Ruddy Ducks were noted at North Duffield on the 3rd. Single Grey Partridges were seen at Bishop Wood and Overton while 3 calling Quail were reported in the East Cottingwith area on the 8th. Three Great Crested Grebes at Bank Island on the 1st did not linger as water levels quickly dropped while the pair at York University Lake had 3 newly-hatched chicks by the 5th. Up to 7 Little Egrets were reported from the Lower Derwent Valley during the month with up to 5 seen together at any time while a Bittern was seen flying up from the scrape in front of the Geoff Smith Hide at North Duffield Carrs on the 2nd and a Purple Heron was claimed flying between Aughton and Ellerton on the 26th. A female Marsh Harrier was seen regularly at North Duffield but a ringtail Montagu’s Harrier observed flying south over Castle Howard on the 24th was undoubtedly the pick of the raptors! Further support came in the form of an Osprey north over Thorganby on the 23rd, an unseasonal male Merlin over Crockey Hill on the 22nd, at least five sightings of Hobby and a pair of Peregrines breeding just outside the region. A Spotted Crake heard calling several times during the night at North Duffield Carrs was encouraging while waders were much less in evidence this month with the highlights being a Little Ringed Plover at Bank Island on the 26th, roding Woodcock at Yearsley Moor amongst other places, a pair of Redshank on territory at Middlethorpe Ings, a Greenshank at Wheldrake Ings/North Duffield Carrs on the 4th and a Green Sandpiper at Bank Island on the 26th. A Common Tern flying downriver at Newton-on-Ouse on the 5th was unusual while 2 were seen at Wheldrake Ings on the 10th. Up to 2 Turtle Doves at Yearsley Moor early in the month were sadly the only records of this rapidly declining species in the recording area while Barn, Little and Tawny Owls were all seen in the usual places and a male Nightjar was back at its traditional site in Yearsley Moor on the 2nd. Green Woodpeckers were heard calling at Clifton Ings on the 9th and Wheldrake Ings on the 16th while Woodlarks were noted at a couple of sites with 2 juvenile Grey Wagtails seen in Askham Bog on the 5th and another 2 birds around the sewage works at Bank Island on the 26th. A pair of Nightingales was confirmed to be breeding at an undisclosed site with fledged young noted by the 10th while reeling Grasshopper Warblers were found at Strensall Common on the 6th and Melbourne on the 10th/11th. Good numbers of Sedge Warbler were reported from Wheldrake Ings along with the usual population of Reed Warblers in the reedbed there and other singing birds at Castle Howard Lake and along the Pocklington Canal. A singing Lesser Whitethroat remained at Bishop Wood on the 10th with Garden Warblers noted at a number of localities and Spotted Flycatchers seen at Yearsley Moor on the 10th and at Bishopthorpe Palace from then onwards. A Willow Tit was noted at Wheldrake Ings the same day and a Nuthatch heard at Bishopthorpe Palace on the 24th. Finally, an escaped Senegal Parrot provided a rude awakening call outside one member’s house in Strensall on the 23rd!

May 2006
May is normally one of the busiest months of the year and this one was no exception! Wildfowl were thinning out, as usual, although there were still 30+ Wigeon, 20 Teal, 15+ Shoveler and 25+ Tufted Ducks at North Duffield Carrs on the 1st. Up to 4 different Garganey were seen at this site during the month with a drake still at nearby Wheldrake Ings on the 1st. A confiding male Ring-necked Duck was found at North Duffield on the 29th and performed admirably for all-comers in front of the Garganey Hide there until the 31st. Meanwhile, a late Goosander was noted on the river at Newton-on-Ouse on the 15th. Up to 3 Black-necked Grebes continued to be reported at North Duffield throughout the month but became more difficult to see as water levels dropped and the vegetation grew. A Grey Partridge accompanied by chicks was a surprise find at Coneysthorpe during a bird race on the 27th. A Great White Egret was seen by a lucky few flying over Storwood and Wheldrake Ings on the evening of the 4th and then again at North Duffield Carrs early the following day. One to two Little Egrets were also noted on several occasions while a White Stork noted at a number of localities from the 4th was presumably one of the free-flying birds from Harewood House near Leeds! Raptors were well reported this month with a dark morph Honey Buzzard moving east over Beningbrough on the 31st, a Red Kite near Pocklington on the 18th, up to 2 Marsh Harriers lingering in the Lower Derwent Valley all month, a Goshawk in the north of the region on the 21st, a Common Buzzard over Fulford Ings on the 5th, single Ospreys seen at four sites from the 5th, single Hobbies at five sites from the 7th and a Peregrine still at North Duffield Carrs on the 1st. It was a busy month too for waders with a Little Ringed Plover at North Duffield on the 18th, a notable passage of Ringed Plovers there mid-month with a peak of 65 counted on the 18th, a single Grey Plover at the same site on the 1st, a passage of Dunlin mid-month with 47 counted at North Duffield on the 15th, an impressive passage of Black-tailed Godwits early in the month peaking at 151 birds at North Duffield on the 2nd, 70 Whimbrel still roosting at Wheldrake Ings on the 1st down to 35+ by the 6th, single Greenshanks at North Duffield on five dates with a Wood Sandpiper there on the 10th and Common Sandpipers along the Ouse at Bishopthorpe on the 5th and Newton on the 6th. Interesting gulls and terns included a first-winter Mediterranean Gull at North Duffield Carrs on the 4th with up to five different Little Gulls noted there early in the month when several Arctic and Common Terns passed through the site while the only record of Black Terns this spring consisted of a party of 8 birds moving quickly north at North Duffield again on the evening of the 4th. Turtle Doves were in short supply again this year with at least 3 birds present at Yearsley Moor by the 18th and a pair at nearby Ampleforth on the 21st being the only records while high concentrations of Swifts were noted in several areas with, for example, c. 100 at North Duffield Carrs on the 29th when a partial albino bird showing a neat white rump caused some excitement when first seen! The only Lesser Spotted Woodpecker reported this month was a female at Strensall Common YWT Reserve on the 8th though records of chats were notable with a singing Nightingale taking up territory at an undisclosed site early in the month, one to two Redstarts seen at Castle Howard and Yearsley Moor, a Whinchat reported at Strensall Common on the 18th and up to 4 passage Wheatears seen at three sites early in the month. The first Sedge Warbler had returned to Fulford Ings by the 6th with at least 3 singing males there by the 8th and another at Askham Bog on the 14th. Other noteworthy warbler records consisted of a Lesser Whitethroat at Heslington on the 3rd, a count of some 28 Whitethroats along the Ouse between York and Naburn on the 5th, single Garden Warblers in the Fulford Ings area between the 1st and 5th with 10 counted at Yearsley Moor on the 18th and singing male Wood Warblers at York University on the 13th and Yearsley Moor from the 23rd. The first Spotted Flycatcher of the year was noted at Newton-on-Ouse from the 5th with others at Wass Wood on the 10th, Brayton Barff on the 16th and Bishopthorpe Palace from the 28th. However, a female/first-winter male Golden Oriole at Newton-on-Ouse on the 6th was a real surprise but unfortunately did not hang around for anyone other than the finder to see it! A Jay flying southwest over the Millennium Bridge on the early morning of the 28th was unexpected as was a Raven seen overhead at Thorganby and Wheldrake Ings on the 5th.

April 2006
This month saw the arrival of a number of summer migrants (although ‘spring’ was generally a couple of weeks late this year) as well as the departure of most of our winter visitors. The Lower Derwent Whooper Swan herd was still present early on with at least 50 in the valley on the 2nd. These may have accounted for a flock of some 40 birds flying northwest over Dringhouses on the 4th while a similar number lingered at Skip Bridge, just outside the recording area, from the 2nd-5th with just 4 birds remaining at North Duffield Carrs on the 9th. Other wildfowl were on the move as well with 3 Shelducks on Middlethorpe Ings on the 11th being a local patch tick for the YOC Recorder! A good total of 60 Pintail was counted at Aughton Ings on the 2nd while only a single drake was left at North Duffield by the 30th where 2 Garganey were seen on the 7th with birds still in the area well into May while a drake took up residence on the refuge at Wheldrake Ings from the 29th. 85+ Tufted Duck at North Duffield Carrs on the 26th was notable while a Tufted Duck x Scaup hybrid seen at Thorganby on the 16th caused initial excitement for the finder! The immature female Scaup was seen again at Castle Howard Lake on the 1st when a female Common Scoter was also present while the elusive drake remained on the River Derwent at North Duffield Carrs until the 4th. Two Goosanders were at Wheldrake Ings on the 9th with 3 on the river at Newton-on-Ouse on the 27th and 6 on the River Wharfe east of Tadcaster on the 30th. A pair of Grey Partridges was seen just north of Shipton on the 27th while an early Quail was heard calling at North Duffield on the evening of the 20th. Up to 6 Black-necked Grebes were present on the floods at North Duffield Carrs from the 3rd but proved to be mostly distant and elusive while a White Stork noted flying over the Millennium Bridge, York on the 28th will be subject to the usual suspicion of not being a genuinely wild bird. Interesting raptors were a bit thin on the ground, though a female Marsh Harrier was seen on several occasions at Wheldrake Ings from the 21st with a possible male Goshawk displaying near York on the 29th while Common Buzzards were reported from several localities with single Merlins seen over Askham Bog on the 2nd and 16th and regular sightings of Peregrine made in the Lower Derwent Valley throughout the month. It was an exciting time on the wader front, however, with floodwater in the Lower Derwent area providing the following highlights: 2 Avocets at Aughton Ings on the 20th, Ringed Plover at Bank Island on the 29th, Grey Plover at Aughton on the 21st where a Knot was seen on the 21st and 26th, a maximum of 20 Ruff at North Duffield on the 2nd, a good passage of Black-tailed Godwits with a peak count of 114 at Aughton on the 20th, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits coming in to roost at Wheldrake Ings on the 20th with one doing likewise at Storwood on the 26th while the internationally important roost of Whimbrel at Wheldrake started early this year with 16 on the 16th rising to 72 by the 29th before the rapid drainage of the reserve forced birds to move on... A winter-plumaged Spotted Redshank at North Duffield Carrs and Aughton Ings on the 2nd could have been different to the summer-plumaged bird seen at Aughton on the 20th while 25 Redshanks were counted there on the 26th with a Greenshank at Aughton on the 20th and Bank Island on the 29th, Green Sandpiper at Wheldrake on the 12th, an unsubstantiated report of 2 Wood Sandpipers at Wheldrake on the 29th when there was a Common Sandpiper at Bank Island with a Turnstone at North Duffield on the 16th. Elsewhere, Oystercatchers were noted at Middlethorpe Ings, Naburn Sewage Works and Newhay with a rather restless flock of some 500 Golden Plover seen in the Bishopthorpe area on the 24th, a Snipe displaying at Heslington Tillmire on the 11th with one still present at Fulford Ings on the 29th, a roding Woodcock in Wheldrake Wood on the 15th, 3 Redshanks at Middlethorpe Ings on the 10th with 3 at Heslington Tillmire the following day and 2 near Fishponds Wood, Acomb on the 20th while pairs of Common Sandpiper were seen on the river at Newton-on-Ouse on the 22nd and on the Wharfe east of Tadcaster on the 30th. A first-summer Little Gull frequented North Duffield Carrs from the 24th while c. 70 Common Gulls on floodwater at Middlethorpe Ings on the 7th was notable as was a Kittiwake seen briefly at Wheldrake Ings on the 6th. A pair of Common Terns had returned to Naburn Marina by the 26th while a light passage at North Duffield from this date involved at least 4 Arctic Terns and one Common Tern (29th). The first Cuckoo of the year was heard in Naburn on the 16th followed closely by one in Poppleton on the 19th and others at several sites from the 21st while a Short-eared Owl seen flying over the A64 in the Fulford area on the 22nd must have been quite a surprise! The first Swift was seen over Skipwith Common on the 26th followed by singles at Newton-on-Ouse on the 27th and Naburn Sewage Works on the 29th when 6 were at North Duffield and 2 at Bank Island. ‘Yaffling’ Green Woodpeckers made their presence known at a number of locations during the month while the only Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was one heard drumming and calling from the car park at Wheldrake Ings on the 9th. Woodlarks were reported from a couple of sites while Sand Martin numbers increased dramatically with a peak count of c. 500 along the Wharfe east of Tadcaster on the 30th. Swallows also became more widespread and the first House Martins were seen at Aughton on the 3rd and Naburn Sewage Works on the 7th where numbers had built up to c. 150 by the 29th. A Tree Pipit was an unusual find in the company of 4 Yellow Wagtails and 3 White Wagtails feeding in a ploughed field opposite the latter site on the 17th while singing birds were on territory at Strensall Common from the 22nd and Skipwith Common from the 26th. The first Yellow Wagtail of the year was noted at North Duffield on the 9th while, in addition to the birds at Naburn, a national influx of White Wagtails was represented by 3 at North Duffield Carrs on the 16th and one at Elvington Airfield the same day. A female Redstart was seen well at Strensall Common on the 29th while Stonechats were on territory there. A single Wheatear at Elvington Airfield on the 17th was followed by another at North Duffield on the 19th but this was nothing compared to the impressive ‘fall’ of 31 counted in a ploughed field at Storwood on the 21st, which must be a York area record! Further birds were seen there from the 26th while a male at York University on the early morning of the 21st was most unexpected... Lingering Fieldfares consisted of 10 flying south over Naburn Sewage Works on the 7th, c. 20 in the Dunnington area on the 11th and a single at Middlethorpe Ings on the 17th. Most of the regular breeding warblers made their appearance this month although a Grasshopper Warbler singing from a bramble patch at Low Moor Allotments, Fulford on the 18th did not hang around! The first Sedge Warbler was noted at Wheldrake Ings the same day with perhaps the same Reed Warbler giving brief snatches of song from bushes at Naburn Bridge on the 20th and nearby Naburn Marina on the 26th. The first Lesser Whitethroats were singing at Fulford Ings and Naburn Marina on the latter date while Whitethroats had arrived in the Lower Derwent Valley by the 21st before soon becoming common and widespread in the recording area. The first singing Blackcap noted was in a Heslington garden on the 4th (where a male had overwintered) with another in the Fulford area two days later while 2 Garden Warblers were reported from Askham Bog on the 16th. Chiffchaffs became widespread this month, as usual, with the first Willow Warbler noted singing at Askham Bog on the 5th. A Nuthatch was heard and seen singing at Bishopthorpe Palace on several dates while another was heard at Castle Howard on the 30th and Tree Sparrows were recorded at Bishopthorpe and Coneysthorpe. A flock of over 100 Siskin was still at Strensall Common on the 22nd while c. 20 Lesser Redpolls were seen at Askham Bog on the 6th with the Mealy Redpoll at York University putting in a brief reappearance on the 11th. A flock of c. 70 Linnets was on the flooded set-aside strip between Fulford golf course and Heslington Tillmire the same day while a male Crossbill flying south over York University on the 2nd was unusual and was the only report of that species this month.

March 2006
The first half of the month was very cold and dry with spring being held up by about two weeks but milder weather later on brought some welcome flooding to the Lower Derwent Valley. The Whooper Swan herd remained with up to about 50 birds present although the flock did start to fragment as the month progressed. A single Pink-footed Goose was at Sand Hutton Central Science Laboratory on the 9th while 4 were at Aughton Ings on the 12th with a skein of 150 moving high west over Naburn Sewage Works on the 18th. Meanwhile, a pair of Greylag Geese with 5 newly-hatched chicks the previous day was an early indication that spring was just around the corner! Highlight of the month for some was a drake Green-winged Teal found at Wheldrake Ings on the 10th which remained until at least the 19th when it reportedly had moved into the ditches as the reserve became flooded. Up to 50 Pintail were counted in the Lower Derwent Valley during the month while a drake Garganey put in a brief appearance at North Duffield Carrs on the 22nd with an immature female Scaup seen on Castle Howard Lake from the 22nd and a drake Common Scoter found on the River Derwent at North Duffield on the 31st. Interesting raptor records included sightings of a pair of Red Kites flirting with our region in the Pocklington area from mid-month while a Marsh Harrier was seen at Wheldrake Ings on the 11th and 12th and a ringtail Hen Harrier was watched quartering the ground behind the shooting butts at Strensall Common on the 15th. A displaying male Goshawk was viewed distantly from Fulford Ings on the 29th when a female Sparrowhawk was doing likewise at Askham Bog with Peregrines seen regularly in the Lower Derwent Valley and one flew over Dunnington on the 30th while several reports of Common Buzzard this month indicate that this species is on the increase in the York area. There was a dearth of wader records received during the month with the Lower Derwent being either too dry or too wet! However, 65 Dunlin were counted at Wheldrake Ings on the 10th with up to 12 Ruff noted in the valley on the 12th when 25+ Common Snipe were seen and 2 Woodcock flushed from the riverside path at Wheldrake on the 19th with another at Strensall Common the same day while a single flying low south over Wenlock Terrace, Fulford on the 26th was far more unexpected! Strensall Common also held 2 displaying Curlews on the 18th while up to 2 Black-tailed Godwits were noted at North Duffield Carrs throughout the month. An adult Iceland Gull made a welcome return to the Wheldrake Ings roost on the 23rd while a second-winter Glaucous Gull was reported just outside the YOC recording area at Holme-on-Spalding-Moor on the 16th with over 500 Black-headed Gulls attracted to the floods along the River Ouse south of York on the 18th. A flock of 25 Stock Doves feeding in fields north of Wheldrake Wood on the 12th was notable while several Barn Owl reports were received as usual with most sightings from the Lower Derwent Valley and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was seen at Skipwith Common on the 26th with the Green Woodpecker remaining in the York University/Science park area all month. On the passerine front, Woodlarks began to return to their favoured haunts. The first Sand Martin was seen at Fulford Ings on the 29th while 200 were over Castle Howard Lake on the 31st and the first Swallow was noted at North Duffield Carrs on the 27th with 9 at Wheldrake Ings the following day. A Rock/Water Pipit flew over Wheldrake Ings on the 25th while a flock of 16 Waxwings flew north over Bishopthorpe Crematorium on the 11th but did not stop. At least one pair of Stonechats was still present on Strensall Common early in the month with a male Wheatear seen at Elvington airfield on the 27th. Up to 30 Fieldfares were seen in the Heslington area while the wintering Cetti’s Warbler was still reported intermittently from the reedbed at Wheldrake Ings with a male Blackcap seen in a Heslington garden on the 6th and the first Chiffchaff noted at Strensall Common on the 18th. A pair of Nuthatches was on territory at Bishopthorpe Palace from the 18th while Mealy Redpolls were found at Wheldrake Wood on the 4th and beside York University Lake on the 16th with their commoner ‘Lesser Redpoll’ cousin being seen in good numbers at several sites, often in the company of Siskins. Up to 20 Crossbills continued to delight visitors to Wheldrake Wood while roosts of Reed Bunting were noted at Melbourne and North Duffield with 30 Corn Buntings at the Melbourne site on the 12th.

February 2006
This month was rather quiet for waterbirds with unusually dry weather compounding the negative impact of the regrettable release of water from Wheldrake Ings. Up to 50 Whooper Swans remained in the North Duffield area while a passage of Pink-footed Geese on the 11th produced totals of c. 400 birds over both Naburn Sewage Works and Harewood Whin. Only 6 Pintails were noted at North Duffield Carrs where there were several thousand Wigeon while 20 Teal were seen along the River Ouse at Riccall on the 5th. A first-winter female Scaup was seen again at Castle Howard Lake on the 4th where 106 Pochard and 32 Goldeneye the following day were noteworthy counts while Goosanders were reported from a number of sites along the Ouse, 20 at Poppleton being the highest concentration. Two Grey Partridges at Harewood Whin on the 11th were the only gamebirds of note while interesting raptors included Red Kite near Tadcaster (no details), a Goshawk over Wheldrake Ings on the 13th with a probable male displaying at Askham Bog on the 19th (where 3 Sparrowhawks were seen on the 25th) and single Peregrines seen at both North Duffield Carrs and Wheldrake Ings. Wader numbers were not spectacular but there was a good variety with a pair of Oystercatchers at Naburn Sewage Works on the 11th, 200 Dunlin and 30 Ruff at North Duffield Carrs on the 5th, a Jack Snipe at Fulford Ings on the 4th and 5th with 3 at Harewood Whin on the 11th and another single at Rawcliffe Meadows on the 15th while counts of Common Snipe included 30 by the Ouse at Riccall on the 5th, 10+ at Harewood Whin on the 11th and 20 at Poppleton on the 26th with 30 Curlews at Wheldrake Ings on the 21st. A first-winter Mediterranean Gull at Castle Howard Lake on the 5th was a good find considering the ‘uncountable’ number of Black-headed and Common Gulls there! Barn Owls were reported from several localities to the south of York while 2 rufous-brown ‘raptors’ disturbed in hawthorn scrub at Acaster Aerodrome on the 10th could well have been roosting Long-eared Owls. It was certainly the season for Green Woodpecker reports with several birds seen or heard including a very vocal male which took up residence in and around York University campus and the Science Park while up to two Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers in Askham Bog were as elusive as ever as far as most visitors to the site were concerned! Others were reported from Wheldrake Wood on the 11th and Castle Howard on the 15th. Skylarks made a welcome return to their breeding grounds this month with 13 birds singing at Strensall Common. Numbers of Pied Wagtails attracted to the fly-filled filter beds at Naburn Sewage Works had built up to at least 150 birds by the 11th while a single Waxwing was still in Selby on the 4th though 8 at Rawcliffe Ings on the 15th put in an all-too-brief appearance... Stonechats were noted at Strensall Common and East Cottingwith while the only Fieldfare flock reported was 110 at Acaster Selby with counts of Redwing including 50 at this site on the same date and 35+ at Middlethorpe Ings on the 4th. Marsh Tits were again evident in Askham Bog with Willow Tits regularly seen here and at Wheldrake Ings. An impressive mixed finch and bunting flock in stubble at Acaster Selby on the 5th consisted of a minimum of 290 Linnets, 89 Chaffinches, 74 Greenfinches, 3 Lesser Redpolls, 24 Yellowhammers, 5 Reed Buntings and 8 Corn Buntings! A group of 7 Bullfinches was also seen in the area while 50 Chaffinches and 75 Linnets were noted in a weedy field by the Ouse at Poppleton on the 26th. Flocks of Siskin have been widespread this winter with 200 counted feeding in alders along the River Rye at West Ness on the 5th and c. 20 at Naburn Sewage Works on the 11th. Lesser Redpolls were seen in several locations with c. 25 at Naburn Sewage Works on the 11th being the highest count. 12 Crossbills were hard to pin down at Yearsley Moor on the 5th while up to c. 20 birds seen regularly in Wheldrake Wood from the 8th were much easier to see and ultimately proved to be the main attraction of the month.

January 2006
The Lower Derwent Valley attracted most interest as usual at the start of the year although the deliberate and drastic drainage of Wheldrake Ings towards the end of the month reduced an impressive estimate of 15,000 waterbirds to hardly any in the space of ten days! The Whooper Swan herd at North Duffield Carrs hovered around the 40 mark throughout while a notable movement of several hundred Pink-footed Geese was witnessed across the region on the 22nd although a dark-bellied Brent Goose at North Duffield on the 15th was more of a surprise but it did not linger for local listers. The floodwaters in the valley attracted a fantastic number and variety of wintering duck including counts of 1500 Wigeon at North Duffield Carrs and up to 60 Pintail and 80 Shoveler at Wheldrake Ings. Diving species, however, were in short supply although two immature female Scaup at Castle Howard Lake were quite an attraction with up to 40 Goldeneye also present. There were also some interesting raptor records with Buzzard, Peregrine and Merlin all regularly reported in the Lower Derwent and a female of the latter noted at Naburn Sewage Works on the 21st with a male seen in the Dunnington area (no details). Meanwhile, a female Sparrowhawk went off in hot pursuit of a Moorhen flushed by the observer in Askham Bog on the 7th! Two Water Rails were seen at Wheldrake Ings early in the month while wader numbers in the valley were impressive with large flocks of Golden Plover and Lapwing as well as reasonable counts of Dunlin, Ruff and Redshank. An Oystercatcher at Naburn Sewage Works was probably wintering as was a Green Sandpiper at the same site while up to two Woodcocks were seen in Askham Bog. The gull roosts at Castle Howard and Wheldrake Ings continued to do well with the latter attracting a regular adult Iceland Gull during the month as well as a first-winter of this species (11th) and an adult Yellow-legged Gull on the 22nd with a second-winter Mediterranean Gull there on the 13th and an adult of this species at North Duffield Carrs on the 17th although two adult winter Little Gulls at Newburgh Priory Lake were an altogether more unexpected find. On the passerine front, Naburn Sewage Works attracted up to around 100 Pied Wagtails, two Grey Wagtails and about a dozen Meadow Pipits though only single Waxwings were reported at Middlethorpe Ings and Selby. The pairs of Stonechat remained in residence at North Duffield Carrs and Strensall Common while Fieldfare flocks included 400 along the road between East Cottingwith and Ellerton on the 2nd and 120 at Bishopthorpe on the 5th with the same number in the Dunnington area where 50 Redwings were also noted. Perhaps the most popular bird of the month, however, was the highly elusive Cetti’s Warbler found in the reedbed at Wheldrake Ings on the 6th with the only other warbler species noted being Blackcap in the form of a female in Acomb on the 7th and 8th and a male in a Poppleton garden on the 12th. Askham Bog held the usual few Marsh Tits as well as a single Willow Tit with two of the latter seen at Wheldrake Ings. Finch flocks were much in evidence with a large mixed gathering at Heslington Tilmire including two Bramblings while Rawcliffe Cornfield NR attracted good numbers of Linnet as well as Tree Sparrows and Corn Buntings with up to 43 Tree Sparrows counted in stubble fields at Dunnington. Six Crossbills were seen in Redhouse Wood on the 8th with up to 14 in Wheldrake Wood from the middle of the month. Meanwhile, 30 Siskins were in Gashouse Wood, Escrick on the 2nd with up to 50 Lesser Redpolls in Askham Bog the same day while the single Mealy Redpoll was seen again between Bank Island and Wheldrake Ings also on the 2nd with at least two found in Elvington Industrial Estate towards the month end. Finally, six Reed Buntings had returned to Fulford Ings by the 21st and for something completely different the escaped Blue-fronted Amazon (a parrot!) was seen again at Clifton Rugby Club on the 13th.