Water’s Edge 2005 Report

Summary of the Water's Edge year 2005

The first two months of the year were characterised by a general stability in bird numbers on the park with few highlights. Up to 94 Pochard and 44 Teal were exceptional as was the location of four Woodcock on the Middle Lagoon island in January. The high tide wader roost held good numbers of Redshank on spring tides with 170 counted in February when they were joined by a Spotted Redshank. A drake Mandarin Duck over-flying the park on February 3 rd was the first record for two years; it later took up residence in the Humber Bridge viewing area ponds for a week. Scarce wintering passerines included a pair of Stonechats, up to 14 Tree Sparrows and two Willow Tits the latter two species befitting from the winter feeding programme. The most exciting and attractive passerine visitant was a fine adult Waxwing present from February 5-6 th but the flock of eight Bullfinches on the guilder rose were arguably just as attractive in their brilliant plumage. Also in the rare passerine stakes was a male Snow Bunting frequenting the adjacent foreshore on February 4 th .

March produced no great surprises but the lengthening days brought the first signs of breeding activity amongst which the appearance of a pair of Great Crested Grebes on pond B was notable. These birds went on to fledge a single juvenile from a brood of two in June the first proven breeding for the park. Otherwise wildfowl were decidedly normal with a drake Scaup on the 10 th being the only species of note. This bird was accompanied by a hybrid diving duck resembling a Lesser Scaup raising thoughts of the reappearance of the 2004 drake but this was not to be and both birds moved on quickly. A Bittern watch on the evening of the 10 th produced a prolonged sighting of two displaying birds flying over the park while the Barn Owl also appeared from its prospective nest box. Unfortunately an infestation of Grey Squirrels took over most of the nest boxes in 2005 and no Barn Owls were known to have bred. Unusual in terms of numbers was the gathering of 15 Carrion Crows in the ash wood on the 2 nd . This early spring concentration of birds may be adults and broods of young from the previous year or the occurrence of passage birds leaving the country but it has occurred at this time in past years. As spring rapidly approached the first migrants arrived in the predictable form of two singing Chiffchaffs on the 25 th but most unexpected was a singing Willow Warbler recorded the same day forming the earliest ever occurrence of this specie sin the clay pits. The only other migrant recorded by the end of the month was Blackcap with a male turning up on the 31 st . Warmer days brought out the first hibernating butterflies with Small Tortoiseshell on the 14 th and Peacock 25 th while mammal sightings included of Red Fox, Grey Squirrel, Water Vole and Stoat with a few Pipistrelle bats on the wing on warmer evenings.

April typically sees the largest arrivals of the earlier summer migrants and 2005 was no exception with 100 Sand Martins present by the 5 th ; these early hirundines were accompanied by three Swallows and the second earliest ever local House Martin. Also on the aerial feeder front Swifts continue a recent trend of record early arrivals with 18 present by the 25 th and no less than 40 on the 26 th a sure sign that weather patterns are changing. Other migrants were more mixed with a Reed warbler on the 12 th being ten days earlier than the first bird in 2004 but a general lack of many species even by the end of the month following some periods of cold north and east winds once characteristic of the mid April period. A male Little Ringed Plover on the 2 nd eventually attracted a mate but failed to nest. Other migrant arrivals included Sedge Warbler on the 17 th and Yellow Wagtail 28 th but it was May 1 st before there was a marked influx of spring migrants which featured the first annual occurrences of Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Turtle Dove and Cuckoo while the same weather conditions also produced a park record count of seven Northern Wheatears on the same day. Additional scarce birds noted in April were Marsh Harrier 24 th , Green Sandpiper 25 th and a superb flock of 16 Arctic Terns which fed over Pond A north on the afternoon of the 25 th . This body of water proved to be a major attraction to aerial insect feeders in late April and May as an abundance of insect larvae pulled in flocks of Swallows, House and Sand Martins and Swifts. A pair of Common terns took up residence on the new tern raft on April 25 th but took a long time to settle to nesting and were only sitting on eggs in mid-June. In addition to this pair up to ten other Common terns were feeding over the pond on several dates late April and May and Arctic Terns passed through on 4 th , when three birds were present all day and a further 12 moved through late afternoon. Single Arctic Terns were then logged on May 6 th and 7 th with two on the 8 th and one on the 13 th . Most interest though centred upon the small feeding flock of Little Gulls which frequented pond A north intermittently from May 4 th to 12 th . These delightful birds fed so close to observers that intimate plumage details could be observed with the naked eye. Later in the month four of the birds moved on only to be replaced by nine immature birds making a day peak of ten on the 20 th . Other passage birds of note were a singing male Whinchat on May 8 th and possibly a second bird on the 10 th while a dashing Hobby drifted over on the 20 th , a pair of Marsh Harriers displayed overhead on the 1 st , 1-2 Avocets made sporadic visits and a now-rare Turtle Dove arrived on the 21 st .

On the breeding bird front there were first proven occurrences of Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Willow Tit, the latter pair rearing five or six young an excellent result for this declining species. Waterfowl had a very mixed breeding season probably as a result of the cold and wet spells of weather in April. Most species hatched late broods which were smaller than normal while large numbers of ducks did not bring off any young. Mallard had a particularly poor year with just ten broods totalling 57 young having been seen. This compares with an average of 20 broods and 135 young in the last three seasons. Pochard broods were late to hatch with the first not seen until June 4 th and although the five broods seen was the same as in 2004 there were only 19 young hatched compared to 33 in the previous year. Seven broods of Tufted Duck held 45 young with only 19 fledging less than half the productivity of 2004. No broods of Shelduck, Shoveler or Gadwall were found. The nine broods of Little Grebe hatched 30 young of which 20 fledged an improvement on the last two years. Of the two Mute Swan broods of six cygnets the pair from pond C lost four young by the first week of June but then both broods of six and two fledged the first time that two broods have fledged on the park. A Bittern from a nest elsewhere in the clay pits fed regularly in pond B in June and the Common terns finally fledged one juvenile. An unusual sighting on June 22 nd was that of a Peregrine passing over the park a most notable summer occurrence. As July opened a fledged brood of five young Kingfishers adorned the branches of a bush in the Middle Lagoon, the Bittern was seen on several dates and the Kestrel pair fledged three young after a fitful start to the breeding season. Nothing rare or even scarce appeared on the bird front but a singing male Grasshopper Warbler from the 8-9 th was unexpected after a spring absence.

The autumn wader passage was probably best described as confusing! There were just two records of Greenshank and one of Green plus three of Common Sandpiper all three formerly regular species on the park ponds. In contrast Black-tailed Godwit numbers continue to increase on the adjacent estuary with a regular roosting presence culminating in 18 birds being seen on pond A north. Along with the roosting Redshank, up to 146, and Dunlin, up to 260 in early October, came a single Curlew Sandpiper on September 14 th , 18 Knot and two Bar-tailed Godwits October 2 nd . An adult Little Stint paused briefly on August 18 th when a Wood sandpiper flew west and a juvenile Spotted Redshank arrived on the 24 th and subsequently made frequent visits through to the middle of October. The star of the wader performance though, was a juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper which arrived, looking exhausted, on September 26 th and fed voraciously on the park invertebrates to October 1 st . This was the third park record of this vagrant wader which breeds in northern Canada and eastern Siberia but winters in South America.

Autumn seemed to arrive early as most summer migrants departed by the end of August; records of Spotted Flycatcher on 25 th and 26 th , two Turtle Doves 10 th and a gathering of 130 House Martins and 500 Sand Martins in mid-month were all notable as was a Peregrine passing over the park on the 2 nd . September proved to be unremarkable for passerines but October made amends with the arrival of a first for the clay pits on the morning of the 10 th . Following a large arrival of Yellow-browed Warblers on the East coast in the previous week a single bird was heard calling and later tracked down to the plantation by the ash wood. There seemed to be two birds calling but this was not confirmed for definite until the 14 th when both were seen together. These were the first ever records of this diminutive Siberian vagrant in the Barton area. Along with the Yellow-broweds cam an unusual flock of 19 Lesser Redpolls and on the adjacent estuary there was a marked movement of waterfowl which included 400 Wigeon, 10 Pintail, 9 Red-breasted Merganser, 128 Common Scoter and a drake Scaup. Seabirds were also caught up in the movement with two Arctic Skuas and three juvenile Gannets passing. On the park an adult Common tern lingered to October 3 rd becoming the latest ever individual of this species and it was joined on the last day by a late juvenile Arctic Tern. A Bittern flew over on the 13 th and one dropped in on the 30 th ; up to four Stonechats were regular throughout October and November, a Twite on October 27 th was a notable local bird while a Wheatear which stayed from October 20-30 th was the latest ever record for the Barton area. November and December were then rather quiet with few birds of note but the wintering Tree Sparrow flock reached 20 birds, three Willow Tits, 28 Siskin and up to five Water Rails were all notable.

The year was particularly poor for butterflies with almost complete absence of Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells and no Painted Ladies only Speckled Woods again making a good showing. Dragonflies also had a poor year.

Species accounts:

Breeding bird species

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis

During January there were few sightings of this species but breeding birds started to return by early February. Only nine pairs were found in 2005 and of these only six actually nested. First broods were not seen until late June but repeat clutches meant that nine broods hatched a minimum of 30 young of which 20 fledged a considerable improvement on 2003 and 2004 but still below the productivity recorded in 2000-2002. Up to 20 birds remained through September and 14 in October but the number then fell to just 2-3 birds in November and December.

Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus

A single bird remained on Pond B throughout January attaining breeding plumage by early February. A second bird arrived on pond A north on February 5 th and there was a pair on pond B by the end of the month. During March a third individual moved between the Middle Lagoon and pond A south while the established pair displayed on pond B. Breeding was confirmed in mid April when the female was found sitting on a nest in pond B and a second pair were displaying on pond A north. The first successful nest for the park produced two young in the last week of May but one was lost within the first week leaving one juvenile which fledged in July.

During early May a fifth bird was also present on the northern ponds confirming an exceptional change in status for this species. A fledged juvenile from another site arrived on pond A north in the last week of June. One bird remained on pond A north throughout much of August and September with odd birds also being present through early October.

Mute Swan Cygnus olor

Up to five birds were present in January with the resident pair again adopting pond B by the end of the month when a second pair were on pond A south. The pair on pond B had built a nest by the end of March when a second pair were seen mating on pond C. The second nest was constructed in early April and both females were sitting by the 11 th . The pair on pond B hatched six young on May 12 th and the second pair also hatched six cygnets a week later but this brood was quickly reduced to two young by early June. All eight remaining cygnets survived to mid September when they started to disperse. Although birds made occasional visits in November there were long absences in the latter months of the year.

Greylag Goose Anser anser

Up to 16 birds returned in March with three pairs apparently sitting. The first brood of five goslings appeared on the Middle Lagoon island on April 11 th . A further 3 broods hatched with 18 goslings present by May 2 nd . In total four broods hatched 23 young of which 16 fledged a decrease of three broods, seven hatched and five fledged on the record totals for 2004.

Canada Goose Branta canadensis

A flock of 20-40 birds returned to the northern park in the first week of February after a prolonged absence. There were then up to 20 birds through March with pairs establishing breeding territories by the end of the month. The first brood of eight goslings hatched on the Middle Lagoon on May 2 nd and two more broods of four each appeared later in the month. The total of three broods with 16 young of which 10 fledged were all up on the 2004 figures but generally show stability in the breeding numbers of this species in the park where two broods has been the norm since 2001 but with considerable variation in fledging success.

An autumnal build up in numbers saw counts of up to 122 birds in mid August and a late influx brought 88 birds in the latter part of December.

Shelduck Tadorna tadorna

The first bird of the year was on the northern pond on March 1 st at a time when breeding birds were starting to prospect on the estuary. A pair was present on the Middle Lagoon and the northern ponds on a number of dates from March 31 st to late June but no broods were seen for the third consecutive season.

Gadwall Anas strepera

Counts in the first two months of the year were relatively low with a maximum of 14 birds being noted, well down on the numbers recorded in autumn 2004. There were still ten birds at the end of March with 10-12 present through April and two females with up to seven males in early May. A count on June 2 nd revealed that there were 16 birds, mostly males on the park ponds and this increased rapidly to 34 birds by the 23 rd and 40 on July 3 rd . Thereafter numbers fell with only 10-15 present from mid July to late October as water levels fell in all the ponds. There were then further decreases with just 2-4 birds recorded to mid December when a small increase produced counts of 8-10 birds. For the second successive year no broods were seen.

Teal Anas crecca

In early January up to 44 birds were frequenting the park but this total fell to around 14-20 birds by February although 33 were again present in the third week. Most were feeding on the New Lagoons and the northern ponds. Ten birds remained throughout March with a female showing signs of agitation at the end of the month suggestive of breeding behaviour but there was no subsequent suggestion of breeding having taken place. Five pairs lingered to April 12 th with 3 pairs to 14 th but there was then a complete departure and no birds were seen from then until June 8 th when three drakes were again on the Middle Lagoon. There were then no further records until eight birds appeared on July 3 rd . The first autumn arrivals occurred in mid August when flocks of 20-35 birds were flying around the park but none stayed for any length of time and just 1-5 birds were noted on most days. A sudden increase to 65 birds on September 1 st coincided with the start of the shooting season and an obvious movement of birds on the adjacent estuary. Up to 25 were then feeding on the northern ponds and the remnants of the Middle Lagoon throughout from the beginning of September to the year end.

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

The first brood of nine was seen on Pond B on April 29 th . It was a very poor breeding season for this species with just 13 broods hatching 67 young of which 47 fledged. This compares to the average of 18 broods hatching 129 young over the previous four seasons. Up to 120 birds were present from August through to the end of October falling to 70-80 through November-December.

Shoveler Anas clypeata

With no hard weather to concentrate birds the number of Shoveler on the park in January remained low with a peak of just five birds. During February there were up to seven birds on pond B and the Middle Lagoon but visits became much less frequent from mid-month. A female and up to three drakes were present in early April suggestive of potential breeding. A single male occurred occasionally on the Middle Lagoon through to May 2 nd . No broods were seen for the sixth successive season but two females and two males returned to the ponds from June 4 th , presumably being failed breeders. The number of birds peaked in early July with 7 present before the Middle Lagoon all but dried out in August when just one to five birds was present on odd dates to the last week of the month. The muddy puddle at the southern end of the Middle Lagoon attracted nine birds at the end of August with a subsequent increase to 12 on September 1 st and 15 by the 14 th . Numbers then fell to 9 during October and there were up to eight on several dates to the end of the year.

Pochard Aythya ferina

An exceptional gathering of Pochard in January peaked with a count of 94 birds on the 18 th . This flock remained on pond B for several days before declining slowly to 40 by the middle of February and then to 18 by mid March and eight on the 31 st . Up to 12 drakes were displaying to four females in late April – mid May. The first brood was not seen until June 4 th when two juveniles accompanied a female on the Middle Lagoon. In total six broods hatched holding 24 young of which at least six fledged a particularly poor success rate but slightly better than 2004.

As fledged birds dispersed from the park only a single juvenile remained in the latter half of August and through September. The first small influx of the autumn brought in eight birds on October 3 rd but there was no regular presence and typically there were only 2-8 birds present throughout November and December.

Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula

Birds were scarce in the early part of the year with a maximum count of just eleven in January – February but this increased through March with 14 being seen on several dates. A good number of drakes (up to 10) and ducks (4-5) were present through April and May with potential breeding females being pursued by a bevy of drakes. An early brood was found on pond B on June 7 th with 6 juveniles accompanied by a single juvenile Pochard of the same age presumably a result of egg dumping by a female Pochard. In total seven broods hatched holding 45 young of which 19 fledged. This is a drastic decrease on the excellent season enjoyed by Tufted Ducks in 2004 when 16 broods held 87 young and 44 fledged.

A total of 44 adults were counted on June 21 st increasing to 61 on the 25 th prior to their annual wing moult. Almost all of the birds had left by the last week of July when only eight were counted. Thereafter there were up to 15 birds recorded in August and September but less than ten per day through October-December.

Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis

There were sporadic occurrences in January but it was the first week in February before the first real signs of a return of breeding birds was evident. Up to ten individuals were noted on pond B on February 5 th but numbers then declined again in March with three pairs being present at the month end. During the latter half of April and early May there were three females and three males on pond B and a pair on pond C. An early brood of 7 young appeared on pond B on June 8 th with a second brood of 5 on the same pond by the 19 th . In total seven broods were seen with 25 small young of which 16 fledged. Only 1-3 birds remained in late August with two juveniles from mid September to early October when they departed.

Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus

A single male was usually present in the southern sallows in January but became less frequent in February and March. By early April the male became more frequent again and a female was seen. Although the male was taking food into the nest site into July no fledged juveniles were seen for the third successive year which is somewhat disturbing. Up to two males roosted in the southern willows in October – December.

Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

A male was occasionally hunting the northern meadows in January and he appeared to be showing an interest in the nest box by the Folly at the end of the month. This bird disappeared and there were no regular records for two months. A male arrived on April 12 th and displayed attracting a female on the 17 th with both birds being seen in the nest box. Courtship feeding and mating continued through to May 9 th with the female apparently sitting by the third week. The female appeared to be feeding small young in the box on June 19 th and the presence of at least one downy youngster was confirmed on July 3 rd . By the 16 th three well grown and juveniles were exercising their wings at the entrance to the box with first flights noted on the 22 nd . Two birds remained to July 31 st but all the juveniles had departed by August 2 nd . This is only the second successful nesting attempt on the complex following the first in 2003 which also reared three young. A young male became a frequent visitor again in mid-late October.

Pheasant Phasianus colchicus

At least one male was present through the winter and spring. A female with at least two young was found near the sewage works on the New Lagoons embankment on June 7 th . And these had fledged when seen there again on August 25 th . Two males and at least two females remained throughout the rest of the year.

Water Rail Rallus aquaticus

Up to three birds were heard during January but it is likely that more individuals were present during this period. There were no subsequent records through the spring and the species is considered not to have bred in 2005. The first of the autumn and late winter was seen on September 26 th on the muddy remains of the Middle Lagoon. An October arrival brought at least three birds to the reedbeds but there could well have been twice this number present. The strong presence was maintained through November and December.

Moorhen Gallinula chloropus

The first brood of six appeared by the first bridge on pond C on May 7 th but by this time the chicks were already about two weeks old. A total of 12 broods hatched a minimum of 41 young of which 27 are known to have fledged successfully. The number of pairs and broods has now declined through two successive years but productivity increased in 2004 with a slight decline this year.

Coot Fulica atra

The over-wintering population fell to just 77 birds in January but increased again to 95 in mid February. As food supplies obviously became scarce many birds resorted to grazing on grass around the pond edges and joined the bread eating Mallards on pond A south. The first brood hatched on pond B south on April 12 th with five more broods hatching before the end of the month and then a series of nests hatched young in the first week of May. In total there were 20 pairs present in the breeding season but those on the northern ponds and New Lagoons failed to hatch any young. From the 17 broods which did hatch 43 chicks fledged five less than in 2004. Since the huge increase in productivity noted between 2000 and 2001 there has been a steady decline in the number of broods and hatched young in every subsequent year.

Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius

A male occurred on the northern pond on April 2 nd and what appeared to be a different male was in the same area on April 11 th following which a pair were on the new lagoons on May 7 th . The presence of these birds was intermittent through to the 18 th when the male started to display in earnest and a female was frequently present on the new lagoons. A single bird was present sporadically through to July 16 th but there appeared to have been no nesting attempt on the park. The appearance of three fledged juveniles on the new lagoons on July 18 th suggested that a pair may have bred locally. These three fed on the exposed muddy areas on the new lagoon through to the 25 th . A peak of five birds was noted on the 31 st with an adult and four juveniles present but there were just two juveniles by August 2 nd with one lingering to the 11 th .

Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula

The first bird of the year, a male, arrived on the northern shingle on March 10 th and displayed around this area through to early May. Three birds were present on the 6-8 th . The male continued to hold the territory on the chalk and a female arrived in mid June and appeared to be sitting on the 19 th but the nest site was abandoned three days later. The male was still present in mid July. A single juvenile was on the new lagoon on August 18 th accompanied by a Little Stint.

Common Tern Sterna hirundo

The first two birds were seen on April 21 st with up to four individuals being present in the next week. The newly installed tern raft on pond A north was quickly adopted by a pair in early May. The pair were, however, late settling to lay with incubation not getting under way until mid June. A single fluffy chick was seen on the raft on July 13 th ; its growth was typically rapid and it was wing flapping and almost fledged by the 26 th making successful flights in the first week of August. During the latter half of August the breeding pair and the fledged juvenile made sporadic visits to the raft and up to 8 birds were also seen daily over the park. The two adult birds were last seen on the raft on September 8 th but then surprisingly a moulting adult returned on September 29 th and spent some time on the raft until it was last seen on October 3 rd being the latest ever record for the park.

Other pairs moved through the area daily with up to eight birds being seen on some occasions in late April and early May as they fed on the abundant insect larvae over pond A north and family parties which included 4-6 juveniles and 4-6 adults frequented the new lagoons in late July and August.

Stock Dove Columba oenas

The first birds of the year were already displaying around the nest boxes in mid January but following this brief burst of activity most birds departed again by the end of the month before returning in the second week of February. Fewer pairs than normal were present in spring and summer apparently due to the predations of Grey Squirrels which took over one of the nest boxes during the spring. Only three pairs were considered to have bred and success was poor. A single pair persisted in visiting the boxes through to mid December but continuous Grey Squirrel presence meant that no young appeared to have fledged.

Woodpigeon Columba palumbus

Up to 40 birds could be found around the more mature scrub and woodland areas of the park during the year and at least ten pairs were considered to have bred.

Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto

Up to four birds were present in January – February often frequenting the trees by the Folly and the ash woodland. Three pairs were located in April in the ash wood, by the car park and in the south-east woodland. A gathering of birds developed in the dead trees at the south-west corner of the Middle Lagoon in late July with 15 birds present on the 22 nd and this increased to 20 birds by mid August. Up to 14 were recorded in September and 8 in October.

Barn Owl Tyto alba

Although probably present in the early months of the year the first sighting of a bird emerging from its roosting box was on the evening of March 10 th . There were then only sporadic sightings and the species was not considered to have bred in 2005. The constant presence of Grey Squirrels around the nest boxes was considered to be a possible factor in thwarting a breeding attempt.

Pied Wagtail Montacilla alba

A pair returned to the northern park in late January frequenting the area around the visitor centre construction site. The pair adopted their usual nesting area in the office car park where the pallets of bricks proved typically attractive. In early May there were two pairs present on the northern site with territorial aggression being evident and at least three broods fledged.

During August feeding birds numbered up to 10 on the northern ponds but by September most had departed leaving 4-6 birds which remained to late October with 2-4 being occasional in November – December.

Wren Troglodytes troglodytes

Birds were in song by the first week in February on mild days with territories being established in the usual areas. The total of 20 breeding territories identified in spring was exactly the same as 2004.

Dunnock Prunella modularis

In the spring a total of 14 breeding territories were located up by two on the figure for 2004.

Robin Erithacus rubecula

As the weather started to warm up and day length increased the number of singing Robins increased through early February with some of the males becoming particularly tame where territories bordered footpaths and walkways. The first fledged juveniles appeared in the ash wood in mid May in spite of the presence of numerous cats from the adjacent housing estate. The number of breeding territories was 13 the same figure as noted in the previous three seasons suggesting that this is the carrying capacity of the site.

Blackbird Turdus merula

Good numbers of Blackbirds remained in the park following the marked arrival in late autumn 2004. Up to 30 birds could be located in January with numbers gradually falling through February with the departure of winter visitors as food supplies diminished. The breeding season survey revealed the presence of 16 territories in 2005 a slight increase on the set-back noted in 2004. Between 12 and 16 territories have been identified each year during 2000 to 2005. Influxes of birds occurred through mid-late October swelling the park population to 30+ birds with 15-20 remaining through November to mid December.

Song Thrush Turdus philomelus

On mild days in January two to three males were already singing with gusto around the park. In addition the rank vegetation by the play area and the uncut northern meadows also held up to eight birds during the early winter period. Spring song became more prevalent through early February as males established breeding territories but thereafter the number of birds decreased leaving just one pair in April and early May. There was no subsequent improvement in the breeding population with the single pair reflecting the third successive year of declines for this species on the park. The abundance of cats in the favoured plantations is certainly detrimental to the fledging of young passerines and may be affecting adult survival.

Autumn arrivals of continental birds occurred from late September but there were never more than four birds present.

Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus

A pair of Mistle Thrushes returned to the northern park in mid January and were often to be found foraging on the mown areas of the northern meadows. A male was singing on March 31 st and the pair were foraging for a brood on the northern meadows in April with the nest being to the south of the park. The fledged youngsters were being fed in the car park area in the third week of May when at least three juveniles were present. Up to four birds were noted again from late August through to mid September with two birds throughout October, November and December.

Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

The first bird of the spring arrived on April 17 th with a second located on May 3 rd . A male again held a territory in the rank vegetation of the ditch by the car park from early May attracting a mate on the 8 th . A total of six territories were identified during the spring-summer, four less than in 2004 and three less than 2003 marking a disappointing decline in abundance. Rapid growth of hedgerows and trees around the park has affected the suitability of some habitats but annual fluctuations in numbers also occur in line with variations in over-winter survival and the vagaries of spring migration. At least five juveniles were still present on August 15 th with the last on the 27 th .

Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus

An early songster was in pond C on April 12 th the earliest ever record for the park beating the previous earliest on April 13 th 2001 by a day. Up to ten birds were singing by May 2 nd but in the cool weather at the start of May the full complement of songsters was far from apparent. It is difficult to make an accurate census of this species due to the difficulty of accessing much of the reedbed habitat but new territories were established in the developing reedbeds on the northern ponds with a notable increase on the northern lagoon and it is estimated that at least 60 males held territories in 2004. This is the highest total recorded during the seven years that these breeding season records have been obtained. Breeding success was hard to judge but good numbers of young appeared to fledge from later broods although the vast majority of birds had departed by the first week in September with just one being recorded on the 12 th .

Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca

First record of the year concerned a singing male in the eastern park on May 1 st where it remained through to the 9 th . There were no further sightings until two fledged juveniles were seen on August 10 th .

Whitethroat Sylvia communis

May 1 st produced the first songster of the spring, part of a large arrival of this species around the clay pits on that date. There were three singing males by May 7 th and four territories were eventually identified but only one pair is known to have bred successfully. The last records were of single birds seen on August 25 th and one of September 1 st .

Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla

Predictably the first songster of the year was in the eastern hedgerow by the Pasture road entrance on March 31 st . By April 5 th he had attracted mate and they were investigating potential nest sites. No other birds arrived until April 12 th when a male was singing from the ash wood. Further males were noted in song in the last week of April. Some of the pairs reared two broods in the favoured southern scrub. The total of seven occupied territories was, by one, the highest total recorded to date. Five territories were recorded in 2002 and six in the previous two years.

After an absence of five weeks two female plumaged birds were seen in the western plantations on October 19 th .

Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

The first territorial birds returned to the south-eastern scrub and woodland in the third week of March with three males present by the 25 th . These territories are usually occupied first and there must be a strong chance that it is the same males or their offspring which arrive in the same places each year. A female was nest building by the Pasture Road entrance on April 11-12 th . Disappointingly after a build up to five territories in 2003 and 2004 there were only two occupied territories in 2005 after one male departed in April having failed to attract a mate. The 2005 season was known to have seen large declines in Chiffchaff numbers in the UK and thus the reduction in local numbers may be a reflection of a wider decline of the species rather than a deterioration of local habitat quality. Up to six birds were around the park in mid September falling to 2-3 in early to mid October and one lingering to mid November.

An eastern bird was heard and seen on October 19 th .

Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus

An exceptionally early bird was in song on the Middle Lagoon island on March 25 th . This is the earliest ever Willow Warbler record for the clay pits complex by five days and beats the previous earliest Water's Edge record, on April 3 rd , by a full nine days. More birds arrived during early April with 10 males present by the 17 th . Ten territories were occupied in 2005 two less than in 2004 a possible reflection of the loss of open habitat between the rapidly developing plantations or maybe a reflection on the declining status of this summer visitor. Up to five juveniles were present on August 25 th but these proved to be the last of the year.

Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus

A winter flock often moved through the park in January – February with eight to ten birds being counted but their presence at the feeders was rather infrequent in contrast to previous years. Two pairs were located with nests in the bushes around the office block and in the south-east woodland and both fledged broods in mid May. Autumn tit flocks held up to 14 Long-tails.

Blue Tit Parus caeruleus

The feeding stations held most of the Blue Tits in January but by early February males were already singing in prospective territories. With the erection of new nest boxes around the woodlands a new record total of seven pairs attempted to breed in 2005 but success was generally poor.

Great Tit Parus major

One of the early spring songsters, the number of ‘piping' Great Tits increased through late January into February when at least four males were often audible from one spot. In spite of the addition of several new nest boxes around the park only two pairs of Great Tits nested the same total as 2001-2002 and 2004. Three pairs were recorded in 2000 and 2003.

Willow Tit Parus montanus

During January the Folly feeders attracted three different individuals with two making frequent visits through to early March and a single bird still being recorded through to April 18 th . The presence of a pair was confirmed in the last week of April when two birds were seen and a male was singing from the willow thicket in pond B. Successful breeding was proven in mid May when a brood of fledged youngsters was being fed by the adults in the pond B willow thicket. At least five or six of the juveniles were still around the area in the first week of June with odd birds being noted through July and August to early September. A single bird occurred in mid October with two visiting feeders in November and a peak of three in December.

Magpie Pica pica

The wintering flock usually only numbered five to seven birds but there were 14 on February 5 th and gatherings of up to 16 birds in mid March. Although three nests were constructed only one pair bred successfully rearing at least five young from a nest on the Middle Lagoon island. Up to 14 birds were present throughout the late summer and autumn - winter.

Carrion Crow Corvus corone

Two pairs were present throughout the early winter months with a sudden increase to 15 on March 2 nd . All of these birds were sitting in the tops of the ash trees in the south-west wood with much calling and interaction taking place. It is possible that some of these birds were on passage or were young from the previous year. Interestingly a gathering of 11 birds was noted in the same place on March 5 th 2003. Three pairs nested the same as in 2003 and 2004 in the same locations.

Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs

The total of 11 occupied territories was three up on the 2004 figure and represents the highest number of this species yet recorded on the park. Following a stable 6-7 territories recorded from 2000 to 2003 there has now been an increase in two successive years reflecting the maturation of the woodland and scrub on the park.

Greenfinch Carduelis chloris

One pair in 2005 was the same as 2004 and is a typical total for the park to date.

Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis

A flock of 40-50 birds frequented the alders in the western park and the annual weeds on the northern park during January –early February declining to 10-20 birds by the end of the month. There was no suggestion of breeding in 2005. Seeding thistles on the northern meadows attracted up to 60 birds in August and September with 48 still present to mid October but less than 16 in November and <10 in December.

Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula

This beautiful finch is always a delight to encounter and the western park proved to be an excellent area to see them in January and February as a small flock gathered to feast on the remaining guilder rose berries. At their peak there were five stunning pink chested males and three females making this one of the best periods ever for this species in the park. For the third successive season two pairs nested with at least one of these being double brooded. Up to four birds were present through the autumn and late winter period.

Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus

Typically inconspicuous in the winter months it was only by watching the feeders by the Middle Lagoon that the true number of Reed Bunting present could be appreciated. By early February more birds returned to the park with some feeding on the annual weeds on the northern park in addition to the increased numbers using the feeders. The first males were in song in the south-eastern reedbeds by March 2 nd . The total of 12 breeding territories identified during the spring and summer was a new record total for this red listed species. Expansion of breeding range into the developing areas of habitat on the northern park has enabled the species to increase in number with new territories being occupied for the first time in 2005 (see map).

Non-breeding species

Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo

One or two birds were occasional in January – February with a single again in late April and early May. One or two birds were occasional from August to December.

Bittern Botaurus stellaris

Two birds flew west over the park with one calling loudly just after darkness fell on the evening of March 10 th . A booming male to the east of the park could be heard daily in April and early May. Visits by a feeding female became quite frequent in June and early July when she was often seen in pond B. One flew west high over the park on October 13 th and one dropped into pond C on the 30 th .

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

Two immatures dropped into pond C on April 17 th these being the first records for several weeks. Up to three birds were then occasional from May to October with odd singles through November and December.

Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus

A flock of 200 birds flew west over the northern park on the morning of February 5 th . Similarly a skein of 126 flew south on October 2 nd .

[Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis ]

Two birds which appeared to be escapees from captivity or at best feral birds were seen on the northern park on May 13 th and 15 th .

Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata

A superb drake flew west low over the northern park on February 3 rd before settling on the viewing area pond. It had reportedly been seen on the Middle Lagoon earlier in the week. This is only the second park record of this exotic waterfowl following a female which was present on the Middle Lagoon on odd dates between February 15 th and March 4 th 2002. The coincidence of February arrival dates is noteworthy.

Wigeon Anas penelope

There were no records until a flock of 12 was noted on pond B on September 1 st . Up to four were on the same water on odd dates to the middle of the month but there were no more records until two passed through on October 6 th .

Pintail Anas acuta

A female spent October 3 rd on the northern ponds.

Scaup Aythya marila

Two fine plumaged adult drakes were on pond B along with a hybrid possibly Lesser Scaup/Scaup on the afternoon of March 10 th .

Goldeneye Bucephala clangula

A single female was seen on a few dates in January. A pair were present on pond B throughout March with the male often displaying to the female. The first birds of the autumn were two females on Pond B on October 5 th . There were then 1-3 birds occasionally on Pond A north through November and December.

Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus

A male flew east over the park on April 24 th being the first of the year. On May 1 st a male was displaying over the park as a female moved slowly east. There were no records then until a female flew east on July 9 th .

Hobby Falco subbuteo

A superb adult flew slowly west over the northern park on May 20 th .

Peregrine Falco peregrinus

An adult flew west over the park and landed on the bridge wires on the evening of June 22 nd . A bird flying over the northern ponds on the morning of August 2 nd was being harassed by three different Common Terns.

Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus

Up to 14 birds were feeding on the adjacent estuary in March-May with 1-2 birds often being heard and seen flying over the park during this period but none were noted on the ground. A pair were displaying over the park on the unusual date of August 2 nd and two roosted with Redshanks on 31 st .

Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta

There were a number of reports of two birds flying around the northern ponds in late April and the first half of May but no sustained presence. Birds were also frequently seen over the adjacent estuary during April and May.

Lapwing Vanellus vanellus

A small presence of birds was noted on the new lagoons and the south end of the Middle Lagoon from mid June with a peak of 22 birds being recorded on the 23 rd . A record count of 66 birds was made on July 3 rd all of these resting on the northern New Lagoon where an abundance of mud was available due to the dry weather. Up to 10 were occasional on the northern pond in August and early September.

Knot Calidris canutus

A summer plumaged adult was roosting on the new lagoon on July 18 th and two juveniles joined the Redshanks roost on September 7 th . The same roost flock held 8 juveniles on the 14 th and two on the 17 th . During late September Knot became a regular feature of the high tide roosts peaking with 18 birds present in the first week of October.

Little Stint Calidris minuta

A moulting adult was feeding with a Ringed Plover o the new lagoon on the morning of August 18 th before flying off west.

Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos

A splendid juvenile arrived on the new lagoons on the evening of September 26 th and appeared to be in an exhausted state. By the following day it was much more active and settled into a pattern of feeding on the various northern ponds by day and resorting to the new lagoon in an evening. It stayed for six days being last seen on October 1 st , and at times became particularly tame when feeding near the boardwalk offering watchers and photographers a superb experience. This is the third occurrence of this scarce wader which breeds in Arctic Canada and far Eastern Siberia.

Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea

Odd juveniles were seen on the adjacent mudflats in early September before one joined the roosting waders on pond A north on the 14 th .

Dunlin Calidris alpina

Up to 10 Dunlin accompanied the roosting Redshank on the northern ponds in January – February. There were odd records of 1-2 birds with the Redshank flock through March prior to the arrival of a flock of 12 summer plumaged birds on May 6 th . The first bird of the autumn was an adult on the new lagoon from July 26-29 th . One or two birds accompanied the roosting Redshank in late August and early September with a peak count of 19 being made on September 14 th . The number of roosting Dunlin jumped dramatically in the first week of October with 260 present on the 3 rd but the high numbers were short-lived with no more than 50 being recorded in late October and less than 20 in November and December.

Snipe Gallinago gallinago

Snipe remained scarce in the early part of the year with just a few sightings of 1-5 birds on the New Lagoons in January – February. One was recorded in early April. A single bird had returned on July 27 th . Three were on the new lagoon on August 18 th with five or six there through to mid November.

Woodcock Scolopax rusticola

Although clearly present every winter, roosting birds are only noted when they are flushed from the dense bracken which they frequent on the parks islands. A walk on the Middle Lagoon island on January 25 th flushed four individuals, a recent record, and suggestive of a good autumnal influx of continental birds.

Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa

Somewhat surprisingly three Black-tailed Godwits were frequent on the northern pond from January 11-15 th . This species is a scarce visitor to the park and all past records have been in the autumn, July-October so this mid-winter occurrence was unexpected but ties in with the increasing numbers wintering on the Humber estuary. A flock of 34 birds flew south and then west over the park on April 28 th . An unusual record concerned a single bird on the Middle Lagoon on June 3 rd . A party of four birds arrived on July 17 th but their stay was short-lived. Up to four juveniles accompanied the Redshank in high tide roosts in late August and early September with a peak count of 11 on the 14 th . A further increase in the number of birds on the adjacent inter-tidal to 88 birds in early October also saw an increase in the number frequenting the ponds at high tide with a new peak count of 18 birds being recorded.

Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica

A juvenile bird flew east over the park on September 14 th and on the adjacent estuary on the 17 th . Two juveniles joined the high tide wader roost on the evening of October 2 nd .

Whimbrel Numenius phaepus

A flock of 12 birds drifted over the northern park during a thunderstorm on the afternoon of May 7 th before dropping down on the adjacent foreshore.

Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus

The wintering individual first seen in October 2004 was noted with the roosting Redshank on a few dates from January through to February 6 th mainly on the northern pond or pond A north. A fresh plumaged juvenile fed on the new lagoon on August 24-30 th being the second record of the year for the park. What was presumably the same bird joined the roosting Redshank on pond A north from September 14-17 th and then occurred almost daily through to October 13 th reappearing briefly on the 24 th .

Redshank Tringa totanus

Birds were regular on the northern ponds in the first two months of the year but numbers were highly variable depending upon tidal height and time and disturbance levels. The high tide roost produced counts of 130 on January 11 th , 81 on the 18 th and 170 during February 6-7 th . Up to 80 birds were regular in the roost to March 2 nd . The roost varied in number through March and April with a late high count of 30 birds on April 25 th . Single birds were also noted feeding at the southern end of the Middle Lagoon when water levels were low. After a gap in sightings in early May two birds were on the new lagoons on the 20 th . There were no further records until the first autumn migrants, seven, were noted roosting on the new lagoon on July 20 th . The high tide roost was slow to build up in the autumn with just 23 on August 10 th but 44 by the 24 th . Further increases took the count to 142 on August 31 st on a spring tide with 98 present on September 7 th and 91 on the 14 th before 146 were present again on the 17 th . Up to 84 birds roosted in early October but following planting of their favoured roost with reeds the number of birds using the site fell to less than 20 in late November and December.

Greenshank Tringa nebularia

A single bird was on the Middle Lagoon mudflats on August 2 nd before flying off west and another flew west on the 10 th .

Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus

A spring migrant flew east calling over the northern park on April 25 th . The first bird of the autumn was feeding on the new lagoon on July 22 nd with another bird noted there on August 15 th ; a very poor showing for this formerly regular migrant.

Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola

One flew west over the northern park on August 18 th .

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

Spring migrants were quite late with the first record not being until May 1 st but on this date there were three birds on the northern ponds. Two of these remained through to the 14 th and were seen in wing-waving display on the 7 th . Unfortunately there were no further sightings until the first autumn passage migrant appeared on July 20 th . Further birds occurred on August 2 nd , 10 th and 18 th ; a very poor showing for this typically regular migrant.

Little Gull Larus minutus

A first summer individual was on pond A north on May 3 rd being joined by four more birds two adults and two second summers on the 4 th with all five birds frequenting that pond at some time on each day until the 12 th . As the birds fed by dipping to pick insect larvae from the surface of the water they provided exceptional views for visitors. Little Gull is a scarce spring migrant in the area with late April and early May being the best times for occurrences on the park ponds. The adult birds departed after the 12 th but the number of first-summers increased with a peak of 10 birds, nine first-summer and a second summer, being present on the 20 th and eight on the 21 st . These are unprecedented numbers for the park ponds.

Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus

Daily gatherings of bathing and loafing birds on the northern ponds produced counts of up to 200 birds in January – February. Many fewer birds were noted in March-May. The first fledged juvenile arrived on July 1 st and there was an influx of adult birds on the 3 rd when 35 were on the new lagoons. Up to 100 were a daily sight on the northern pond at various ties of day but mostly in the early mornings in October – December.

Common Gull Larus canus

Daily gatherings of bathing and loafing birds on the northern ponds produced counts of up to 20 birds in January increasing to 30+ in February as adults began their dispersion back to breeding sites. Up to 10 were noted daily on the northern pond from August to December.

Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus

Odd birds were over the northern park in late April and early May. An adult perched on top of the Kestrel box pole on August 2 nd .

Herring Gull Larus argentatus

Single birds were occasionally noted bathing and loafing with the smaller gulls on the northern ponds during January – May.

Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus

In addition to the frequent passage of birds over the ponds odd individuals occasionally dropped in to bathe and loaf with the smaller gulls in the first months of the year.

Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea

In the late afternoon of April 25 th a flock of 16 Arctic Terns dropped down onto pond A north where they fed for twenty minutes before moving off north-east onto the Humber. A single bird was present the following day with four Common Terns. In what was a very good spring for the passage of this superb aerial ‘sea swallow' three birds were found feeding over pond A north with the local Common terns on May 6 th . At 17:30 another flock of 12 birds dropped down from a great height and picked up the three feeding birds before the whole flock moved off north-east over the Humber. A single bird was present in the same area on the 7 th and two on the 8 th with one again on the 13 th completing an exceptional spring passage for this elegant species. A late juvenile passed through the northern park on October 3 rd .

Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur

The first spring migrant flew south-west on May 1 st and a singing male toured the southern park on the 21 st . Two birds were feeding on the northern park on August 10 th and were later relocated with the Collared Dove flock at the southern end of the Middle Lagoon later the same day.

Cuckoo Cuculus canorus

It was most pleasing after the poor showing in recent years to hear a male Cuckoo around the northern park during May 1 st -2 nd . But the presence was short-lived and after flew west on May 8 th there were no more records in the year.

Swift Apus apus

The first birds of the year arrived early during late April with 10 on the 26 th following which there were up to 40 by the end of the month. During a period of cold winds in early May up to 70 birds could be seen feeding over the park in an evening and this number increased to 2-300 at the end of the month and in the first week of June. The vast majority of the local breeding birds departed in the first week of August with single birds being seen to the 26 th .

Kingfisher Alcedo atthis

Two birds were displaying on the Middle Lagoon on March 10 th and there were fairly frequent sightings of a single bird through to the 31 st with occasional records again through April and May and more frequent occurrences in June as fledged youngsters arrived. On the evening of July 1 st a total of five birds was counted on the ponds, all the birds apparently being recently fledged juveniles from a nearby nest. Several birds were noted through the month with pond E being particularly favoured along with the northern ponds where low water levels made fishing very easy for newly fledged youngsters. One or two birds occurred throughout September to the year end.

Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major

Three different birds were seen in January visiting the feeders on odd dates. Two birds started drumming from the same bough on an old ash tree by the ash wood on February 5 th but both turned out to be females. A male also made occasional visits and he also started drumming towards the end of March continuing through to the middle of April. The female was seen entering a nest hole in the ash wood on May 1 st confirming breeding on the park for the first time. Noisy juveniles could be heard calling from the nest hole by mid June and all fledged in the last week of the month. One to two birds were frequent in August – December.

Sky Lark Alauda arvensis

A single bird was in the northern meadows on February 26 th ; the first occurrence of the year. A male was in song over the meadows on March 31 st but there were no further sightings until May 1 st then none after this date until a single bird was seen on June 4 th but there was no evidence of nesting in 2005. Passage birds passed over the park on several days through October with a hard weather movement of 14 south on December 28 th .

Sand Martin Riparia riparia

The first migrants arrived in late March but there were few sightings until April 5 th when a sudden arrival saw 100 birds feeding over the eastern ponds. This flock remained for three days before departing. Up to 40 birds were feeding over pond A north during cooler weather at the end of April. During the later half of August up to 500 birds could be seen feeding over the park in the evenings prior to roosting in other parts of the clay pits complex. The last birds were present on September 13 th . Birds were frequent to mid month after which the last two were seen on the 27 th .

Swallow Hirundo rustica

The first of the year were three birds seen on April 5 th with an increase to 25 birds noted over the period 17-18 th . Up to 50 birds were feeding over pond A north and pond B during the last days of April with several perching on the new tern raft. August saw up to 40 birds from the nearby tile-works feeding over the northern park with a pre-roost gathering of 400 birds noted on the evening of September 7 th . Numbers were then low with les than 20 per day to mid month. One on October 2 nd and 2 on the 5 th were followed by the last birds of the year on the 19 th when two flew south-west.

House Martin Delichon urbica

An early bird was with the Sand Martin flock on April 5 th this being the joint earliest ever record for the clay pits, following one on April 5 th 2001, and the earliest on record for Water's Edge. Numbers remained low thereafter until 30 were present on the 28 th increasing to 60+ on May 6 th . Up to 40 birds were feeding around the new visitor centre in mid-late July and this flock increased to 130 by August 10 th . Most birds had departed by mid September with later counts being of eight on the 24 th , two south October 1 st and unusually 14 south on the 11 th .

Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis

Up to 10 birds were occasional on the northern meadows in January – February. The breeding of 2004 was not repeated but a singing bird was present in late June. Passage birds occurred on the northern meadows from the last week of September with 8-12 present in the first week of October. Numbers increased from mid month with up to 26 birds on the mown meadows in the last week and 10-20 remaining through November.

Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus

This species was scarce on the local part of the estuary in the 2004-2005 winter and it was February 4 th before one was seen on the northern ponds and even then its stay was all too brief. The first autumn arrival was on the northern ponds on October 26 th and there were sporadic occurrences in the same area through November – December.

White Wagtail Montacilla alba alba

A passage White Wagtail fed from the newly installed tern raft on pond A north from April 26 th -28 th .

Yellow Wagtail Montacilla flava

The first migrant flew over on April 28 th with three moving west on May 1 st and 1-2 daily from the 2 nd to the 4 th . Up to three birds made short visits to the northern ponds in mid to late August. A single migrant was heard over the park on September 13 th .

Grey Wagtail Montacilla cinerea

Surprisingly the first bird of the year was not recorded until March 14 th when one flew west over the northern ponds. Autumn passage commenced on September 12 th when a single bird flew west. One was present on October 2 nd and 3 flew west on the 3 rd . Thereafter single birds were occasional through October but there were no sightings in November or December.

Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus

The winter of 2004-2005 saw a major invasion of this beautiful berry eating passerine arrive in Britain. It was not until February 5 th though that one occurred on the park. A stunning adult complete with glowing yellow primary and tail tips it made itself at home feasting on berries of hawthorn, wild rose and guilder rose around the western park for two days. On the 6 th it was even seen indulging in aerial fly-catching displays during some exceptionally mild and sunny weather.

Whinchat Saxicola rubetra

A singing male was feeding around the car park and play area early on the morning of May 8 th and what may have been this or a different male was by the sewage works on the 10 th . These are rare occurrences for this scarce passage species which is typically only recorded on the northern park in August or September.

Stonechat Saxicola torquata

The wintering pair remained around the northern park through to February 6 th with the female being seen to March 3 rd . They were often to be found on the area of rough vegetation between the play area and the visitor centre. The first bird of the autumn was a male which arrived on September 28 th and frequented the northern meadows through to the October 1 st . A pair took up residence on the northern park on the 10 th with two males being seen from the 11 th -12 th . Two pairs were first confirmed on the 24 th with all four birds remaining to the 28 th after which one pair departed but the remaining pair were then present to mid December.

Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe

A single bird on April 30 th was the precursor to a record arrival of seven birds on May 1 st . At least two males were still present on the 2 nd and a male and female were located on the 3 rd . A very late autumn bird frequented the area around the northern pond and the visitor centre from October 24 th to the 30 th .

Fieldfare Turdus pilaris

The first autumn birds, three, flew west on October 13 th with the next movements on the 25 th . Several flocks passed westwards in November and the first half of December with odd parties dropping in briefly to feed on hawthorn berries.

Redwing Turdus iliacus

Three birds joined Blackbirds and Song Thrushes on the grassland by the Folly on January 28 th and there were up to 20 birds in the ash woodland in the last week of February and the first week of March. First autumn arrivals took place in mid-October with 54 on the park on the 15 th but birds were heard overhead every night from 13 th to 18 th .

Garden Warbler Sylvia borin

A fledged juvenile bird joined a roving flock of tits and warblers on the western park on August 2 nd .

Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus

This Siberian breeder was added to the Waters' Edge and Barton avifauna on the morning of October 10 th following a large arrival along the East coast of Britain in the previous week. It is possible that two birds were present on the 10 th when there appeared to be two different individuals calling but this was not confirmed until the 15 th when two birds were seen together. Both birds frequented the south-west woodland but more typically the younger trees in the western plantation as well as the hawthorns around pond E.

Goldcrest Regulus regulus

A singing male was in the south-eastern scrub on April 5 th and what may have been the same bird was in the conifer wood on the 11 th along with a Coal Tit. This same bird was singing from the conifers on May 2 nd suggesting that a breeding attempt was taking place either there or in the adjacent property to the east of Pasture Road. Autumn passage birds occurred from mid September with a peak in the second half of October when up to six birds were present. Two birds remained through November and December.

Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata

A juvenile bird joined a mobile tit flock on the park on August 25 th with an adult being seen the following day these being the only records for the park in 2005.

Coal Tit Parus ater

One was by the Folly feeders on April 2 nd and two birds were present on the 11 th in the conifer wood and in the plantation near the ash wood. A singing male was heard in the conifers in the south-east of the park in early May but breeding was not considered to have taken place. After a summer absence one on October 1 st heralded the start of the autumn movements . Only odd birds were seen in October and there was no consistent presence.

Jay Garrulus glandarius

A typically dated bird flew through the park on September 30 th .

Starling Sturnus vulgaris

Small numbers, up to 15 birds, fed occasionally on the northern meadows in January – April increasing to 20-40 birds in early May as adults collected food for their broods around Barton. Flocks of fledged juveniles arrived during the last week of May with peaks of 50-60 birds being logged from the northern meadows in June.

House Sparrow Passer domesticus

Some birds from the healthy population on the adjacent house and across Barton Haven occasionally moved into the car park area and adjacent scrub in the early part of the year with peak counts of up to 20 birds being recorded. During early May birds were collecting food for young in nearby nests and up to 20 adults could be encountered around the northern meadows and plantations. The usual early summer peak of fledged juveniles and adults produced counts of 60+ birds in the last week of June on the northern meadows and particularly around the car park area. This flock increased to 90+ in the middle of July indicative of a successful breeding season locally.

Tree Sparrow Passer montanus

The wintering flock peaked at 14 birds in January but assessing precise numbers was difficult with the birds often ensconced in thick cover between bouts of feeding on the winter feeding stations. A single bird was inspecting a nest hole in an old ash by the Folly in late January. Several birds lingered through the first two weeks of April with a new peak count of 17 birds being logged. A pair were seen on odd dates in early May collecting food and flying off west presumably to a nest site outside the park boundaries. Two adults and two juveniles fed on the northern park in mid August. Up to 12 birds frequented feeders during November increasing to 20+ in late December.

Brambling Fringilla monifringilla

One was heard on October 15 th and at least two were feeding in the sycamores on the 28 th .

Siskin Carduelis spinus

After a blank early winter period the first sighting was of a single bird flying west over the ash wood on September 12 th . A party of five followed the next day after which there were up to 14 daily through to late October. There was a further influx of birds with a peak of 28 recorded in early December.

Linnet Carduelis cannabina

Typically birds were absent in January with a flock of 14 making a brief visit to the northern park on February 6 th , being the first record of the year. Up to three pairs were feeding on the newly sown areas by the vole ditches in May and June but no nesting attempt was recorded on the park. Adult and young birds fed on the northern meadows and around the car park area in late June. Small numbers occurred in September and October with a peak of 12 on October 28 th .

Lesser Redpoll Carduelis cabaret

One or two birds were occasionally noted with the Goldfinch flock on the western alders in January-February. After one on October 3 rd a flock of 12 on the 5 th was the largest number of this species recorded for some years. Even this peak was exceeded though later in the month when 19 were counted on the 23 rd . The flock declined in November with just odd birds being noted in December.

Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis

An itinerant male flew up and down the Humber embankment but failed to find any feeding area to his liking on the morning of February 4 th .

Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella

Three birds were on the northern park on October 27 th .

Butterflies 2005

A full list of all the 24 species recorded on Water's Edge between 1999 and 2005 inclusive is given below;

Small skipper Thymelicusylvestris

Large skipper Ochlodes venatus

Large white Pieris brassicae

Small white Pieris rapae

Green-veined white Pieris napi

Orange tip Anthocharis ardamines

Clouded yellow Colias crocea

Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni

Small tortoiseshell Aglais urticae

Comma Polygonia c-album

Painted lady Vanessa cardui

Red admiral Vanessa atalanta

Peacock Inachis io

Meadow brown Maniola jurtina

Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus

Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus

Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus

Speckled wood Pararge aegeria

Wall brown Lasiommata megera

White-letter Hairstreak Satyrium w-album

Small copper Lycaena phlaes

Holly blue Celastrina argiolus

Brown argus Aricia agestis

Common blue Polymmatus icarus

Butterflies recorded in 2005 with first recorded dates:

Small tortoiseshell Aglais urticae March 14 th

Peacock Inachis io March 25 th

Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni April 12 th

Green-veined white Pieris napi April 12 th

Speckled wood Pararge aegeria April 21 st

Small white Pieris rapae May 1 st

Orange tip Anthocharis cardamines May 1 st

Large white Pieris brassicae May 8 th

Holly blue Celastrina argiolus May 20 th

Red admiral Vanessa atalanta June 8 th

Small copper Lycaena phlaes June 8 th

Common Blue Polymmatus icarus June 8 th

Large skipper Ochlodes venatus June 18 th

Meadow brown Maniola jurtina June 20 th

Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus July 3 rd ,

Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus July 3 rd ,

Small skipper Thymelicu sylvestris July 3 rd ,

Comma Polygonia c-album July 9 th

Wall brown Lasiommata megera Aug 12 th

Odonata 2005

Species recorded in 2005 with first dates of occurrence:

Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans May 19 th

Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum June 4 th

Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum June 8 th

Azure Damselfly Ceriagrion puella June 19 th

Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum June 25 th ,

Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis July 9 th – August 10 th

Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta August 10 th

Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum August 10 th

Graham P Catley BSc

Nyctea Ltd

This report may not be reproduced without written authority from Graham Catley. www.nyctea.co.uk