Linacre WeBS and Nest box News

Yesterday morning is was cool (just 3 degrees) but dry, still and sunny, so I took the opportunity to pop down to Linacre for a few hours to count the ducks, check the nestboxes and see if there were any new summer migrants on the patch.

Last week when I checked the boxes there was just the beginnings of few nests, but the birds had obviously been busy this week as there were now 15 nests with eggs ranging from 2 to 10! None were being incubated yet, so no full clutches yet. Still, all good data for the BTO's Nest Record Scheme.

There weren't many birds about on the water, but a pair of Greylag Geese prospecting for possible nest sites was interesting, as was my first sighting of Kingfisher, flying down the top reservoir. Other birds present were: Mallard (30), Tufted Duck (21), Mandarin Duck (5 males), Coot (8), Moorhen (1), Grey Wagtail (1 on the middle reservoir) and Great Crested Grebe (3; 2 on the middle reservoir and 1 on the top reservoir).

No new summer migrants were seen today, but there were 6 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow Warblers and several Blackcaps singing, along with Swallows that were heard, but not seen.

This year's Year List has moved on this week with 3 Little Ringed Plovers at Carsington Water on Wednesday,
Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler singing yesterday at Poolsbrook Marsh and today's Kingfisher.

Year list update:
112- Little Ringed Plover
113- Whitethroat
114- Sedge Warbler
115 - Kingfisher

Nest boxes in use.

At the start of April I put 5 new tit boxes up at a farm site in Coal Aston. Yesterday I got a text to say that there were eggs in 2, so I popped across to check and found this.

First eggs!

There were 2 clutches of 6 and 7 eggs. Another of the boxes had a lined nest, but no eggs, and the other 2 boxes were empty. Neither clutch was being incubated, so presumably there will be more eggs to come. I think 1 nest is Blue Tit and 1 is Great Tit. Nest Record cards will be started for the BTO's Nest Record Scheme.

RSPB Bempton, Scarborough and Flamborough

I spent this weekend in Scarborough celebrating my up-coming birthday (thanks Jayne!!). We started off at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, then moved on to Scarborough, and then visited The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's Flamborough Cliffs Reserve.  Over the 2 days we added 7 new species to the "year list", enjoyed some lovely weather, great food and company (thanks again Jayne) and stunning views of some of our amazing seabirds.

The weekend trip started at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, where the first birds we saw were the Gannets, followed closely by Kittiwakes, Guillemots, Razorbills and a couple of Puffins. Skylarks and Meadow Pipits were singing everywhere, and Tree Sparrows were feeding around the centre.

Gannets, Kittiwakes, Guillemots and a Razorbill

Razorbill and Kittiwake

After Bempton, we drove down into Scarborough. We had a walk around the town, went on the beach, had a spot of lunch at the excellent  C.A.L.F. vegetarian café, and added a couple more birds to the list, namely Purple Sandpiper (30 roosting on the breakwaters in the harbour at high tide), and a male Scaup, that was present on the lake in Peasholme Park (no photo, it was just too far away).

Purple Sandpiper

Also present in the harbour were about 6 pairs of Kittiwake that were on nests, several Herring Gulls, a pair of Rock Pipits, two Turnstones and a stunning breeding plumaged Redshank.

Pair of Kittiwakes nesting in Scarborough harbour.

Turnstone

Redshank

This morning we left Scarborough and headed down to North Landing at Flamborough Cliffs. We didn't see anything new, but we did spot a pair of Puffins, and I managed to get a reasonable photo.

Puffins

Year List update:

105 – Gannet

106 – Kittiwake
107 – Guillemot
108 – Razorbill
109 – Puffin
110 – Purple Sandpiper
111 - Scaup

Incubation's begun!

I had a quick check in the Starling nest box on the side of my house this evening and this is what I found.

Incubating Starling

According to my nest recording book (see here- well worth getting a copy), the eggs are laid daily. I had 2 eggs on the 14th, so if she's laid 4 eggs, as she did last year, the full clutch should have been finished today. Apparently incubating begins with the penultimate egg i.e. yesterday's, and with he bird sitting tight on the nest, this seems to be a good indication that incubation has begun. My check only lasted 30 seconds, and as incubation usually lasts about 12 days (range of 11 - 15 days) days, I'll leave well alone now until the chicks have hatched. Hopefully there will be four healthy chicks by the end of the month!.

As always, this observation has been entered into the BTO's Nestbox Challenge Survey.

Starling Nest 2015- First eggs!

I've had a "Starling nestbox" on the side of my house since 2010. In the first year, it was used Great Tits who managed to raise a brood of six. It wasn't used in 2011 or 2013, and 2 failed nesting attempts took place in 2012. 2014 was the most successful year so far with 4 young raised to fledging, and this year will hopefully see another good season.

The first signs of nesting began on 8th March, when this photograph was taken (sorry about the lens cap!) As you can hopefully see, the "nest" at this time is just a few pieces of grass.

8th March 2015

 

By the time this second picture was taken some 2 weeks later there is a much more recognisable cup shape appearing.

22nd March 2015

 

The third picture shows a well developed nest and the final picture, taken this evening, shows the first 2 eggs of the 2015 season.

 

8th April 2015

14th April 2015

 

The average brood size is between 2-5 eggs, with each new egg laid daily, so I'll check back at the weekend to see how the clutch has developed.

 

As in previous year's I'll be monitoring the nest for the BTO's Nestbox Challenge, and, if the young survive, I'll ring this chicks as I did last year (see post here).

Blackcap and Chiffchaff

Today's ringing session saw 5 members of Sorby Breck Ringing Group down at the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's Avenue Washlands reserve in Chesterfield. The forecast wasn't great, so we got down nice and early to get a few hours in before the wind picked up. The ringing was slow, but we still got a single Chiffchaff and our first Blackcap of the year, a male bird born last year.

Blackcap

As well as these two species we also caught a couple of Reed Buntings, 2 Bullfinches, 2 Wrens, 2 Yellowhammers, 1 Blackbird, 1 Greenfinch , 1 Dunnock, 1 Long-tailed Tit and a few Blue and Great Tits.

The Blackcap was a "year tick" and we also had 3 Linnets flying around the site, which were also new for the year. A Barn Owl was seen just before I arrived, so this "tick" will have to wait for another day!

Year List update:
103 – Linnet
104 - Blackcap

Monsal Dale Redstart

The sun was shining again this afternoon, and despite it being only 9 degrees and pretty windy, Jayne and I went for a walk along Monsal Dale.

As soon as we got out of the car we heard the first of six or so singing Chiffchaffs, and a Willow Warbler. We also came across this Common Toad that was walking back across the path away from the water.

Common Toad

 

We then set off following the River Wye towards Monsal Head where we spotted 4 Dippers, including this pair, a Grey Wagtail, a pair of Mandarin Ducks, 3 Swallows, a Common Buzzard and several Mallards.

Dippers

 

After a spot of lunch at Hobb's Café at the top of Monsal Head (lovely Watercress and Potato soup for Jayne and a Banana and Peanut Butter toastie for me!), we walked back along the valley when Jayne spotted a flash of red fly out from this tree; a male Redstart!! We managed to get a decent view as it landed in a tree on the other side of the river, but unfortunately it disappeared before I could get a photograph. Click here to see and hear just how amazing a bird it is.

River Wye

 

Checking in the Derbyshire Ornithological Society's Bird Report for 2013 I noted that the first Redstart reported in that year was 12th April, so today's bird beats that by 1 day- nice! Unfortunately, another bird was reported in Lathkill Dale on 9th April this year, so ours isn't the first for 2015.

 

Year List update:

102 - Redstart