Bird & wildlife sightings from the Barnsley recording area.
Sunday, 9 June 2013
Prior Royd Wood
Firstly, I know it is on the border so is Prior Royd Wood in our reporting area?
If so, or I suppose even if not, there was a singing Wood Warbler there this morning.
Ian, Dave Pearce has informed me that Prior Royd Wood is in our area. Back in the old days the hair-pin bend at Ewden was the site for Wood Warbler, but I'm told they are no longer there. However, we now have birds singing at several sites where I wasn't aware they used to be. I assumed we had lost Wood Warblers in line with the national trend but could it be they are switching sites with the change in habitat? I usually suffer a nose bleed when I visit the moors nowadays so maybe I'm just out of touch. As I don't have time to trawl back through all the reports can anyone enlighten me?
Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix) THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE Migrant breeder. Confined to the moorland fringe woodlands as a breeding bird with occasional passage birds in the lowlands. Birds usually arrive in early May; earliest 15th April 1981 at Howell Wood, breeding figures fluctuating with a peak of 20 pairs in 1997; 15 of these in the Ewden Valley, with numbers apparently much reduced since then. Birds depart breeding areas in July with last birds often recorded on passage at lowland sites; latest one in the Canyon, Wath area on 11th September 1993.
2006 Around fourteen singing males were recorded from six sites within three areas in the south and south west of the district. This is much improved on previous years and probably represents increased observer effort in locating birds this year rather than a genuine increase in population. The first was a singing male at Thickwoods, Langsett Reservoir on 6th May (JMT) whilst in the Broomhead area there were three singing males on 10th May (JIM) and one singing south of Broomhead Reservoir on the 16th (DL). In the Wharncliffe Wood – Greno Wood area, now the districts stronghold for this species, there were two singing males at Wharncliffe Wood on 9th May with three there on the 17th (RD) and two at Wheata/Prior Wood on 14th May. At Greno Wood, one singing male present on 14th May and 15th June (DL), 18th May (RD).
2007 Very few records this year. The first was a singing male at Botany Bay, Wintersett on 28th April (PS et al). Two birds were in the Broomhead area on 9th May (JIM) and 2 males held breeding territories at Langsett Banks during the summer (MCW). There were no autumn records.
2008 All records this year, apart from one, came from the Wharncliffe area. The first were 2 there on 10th May (RD) increasing to 8 on 15th, up to 5 were seen regularly in the same area until 29th May and 8 were present on 26th June, 2 of which were singing and 2 carrying food. Two birds were recorded at Langsett on 1st June. There were no autumn records.
2009 The first arrivals were 2 singing males on Wharncliffe Heath and a separate bird in Wharncliffe Wood on 7th May (AH). One was singing close to Langsett Reservoir on 10th May (CRD) and numbers in Wharncliffe Wood increased from 2 on 19th May (MGO) to a maximum of 9, 8 of which were singing, on 25th May (RD).
One male held a breeding territory at Broomhead Reservoir (MCW) and breeding obviously occurred at Wharncliffe Wood although the last record from there was on 12th June (AH). There were no autumn records.
2010 Very few records were received this year with the first involving one singing from a lone Scots Pine on Little Moor on 27th April (MCW). Single singing males were noted in Wharncliffe Wood on 8th and 21st May and in Cliff Wood on 12th May.
Three males held breeding territories at Broomhead Reservoir and one was seen carrying food in Wharncliffe Wood on 27th June. There were no autumn records.
2011 A very disappointing showing this year. The first was a single bird in Wharncliffe Wood on 22nd April (DWf) with a different bird there on 23rd. One was noted in the same area on 3rd May and one was singing in birch woodland to the north of Wharncliffe Heath on 12th June, the last sighting of the year.
2012 I had two singing males in Wharncliffe Wood on 27th May last year.
3 comments:
Ian, Dave Pearce has informed me that Prior Royd Wood is in our area. Back in the old days the hair-pin bend at Ewden was the site for Wood Warbler, but I'm told they are no longer there. However, we now have birds singing at several sites where I wasn't aware they used to be. I assumed we had lost Wood Warblers in line with the national trend but could it be they are switching sites with the change in habitat? I usually suffer a nose bleed when I visit the moors nowadays so maybe I'm just out of touch. As I don't have time to trawl back through all the reports can anyone enlighten me?
Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix) THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE
Migrant breeder.
Confined to the moorland fringe woodlands as a breeding bird with occasional passage birds in the lowlands. Birds usually arrive in early May; earliest 15th April 1981 at Howell Wood, breeding figures fluctuating with a peak of 20 pairs in 1997; 15 of these in the Ewden Valley, with numbers apparently much reduced since then. Birds depart breeding areas in July with last birds often recorded on passage at lowland sites; latest one in the Canyon, Wath area on 11th September 1993.
2006
Around fourteen singing males were recorded from six sites within three areas in the south and south west of the district. This is much improved on previous years and probably represents increased observer effort in locating birds this year rather than a genuine increase in population.
The first was a singing male at Thickwoods, Langsett Reservoir on 6th May (JMT) whilst in the Broomhead area there were three singing males on 10th May (JIM) and one singing south of Broomhead Reservoir on the 16th (DL).
In the Wharncliffe Wood – Greno Wood area, now the districts stronghold for this species, there were two singing males at Wharncliffe Wood on 9th May with three there on the 17th (RD) and two at Wheata/Prior Wood on 14th May. At Greno Wood, one singing male present on 14th May and 15th June (DL), 18th May (RD).
2007
Very few records this year. The first was a singing male at Botany Bay, Wintersett on 28th April (PS et al). Two birds were in the Broomhead area on 9th May (JIM) and 2 males held breeding territories at Langsett Banks during the summer (MCW). There were no autumn records.
2008
All records this year, apart from one, came from the Wharncliffe area. The first were 2 there on 10th May (RD) increasing to 8 on 15th, up to 5 were seen regularly in the same area until 29th May and 8 were present on 26th June, 2 of which were singing and 2 carrying food. Two birds were recorded at Langsett on 1st June. There were no autumn records.
2009
The first arrivals were 2 singing males on Wharncliffe Heath and a separate bird in Wharncliffe Wood on 7th May (AH). One was singing close to Langsett Reservoir on 10th May (CRD) and numbers in Wharncliffe Wood increased from 2 on 19th May (MGO) to a maximum of 9, 8 of which were singing, on 25th May (RD).
One male held a breeding territory at Broomhead Reservoir (MCW) and breeding obviously occurred at Wharncliffe Wood although the last record from there was on 12th June (AH). There were no autumn records.
2010
Very few records were received this year with the first involving one singing from a lone Scots Pine on Little Moor on 27th April (MCW). Single singing males were noted in Wharncliffe Wood on 8th and 21st May and in Cliff Wood on 12th May.
Three males held breeding territories at Broomhead Reservoir and one was seen carrying food in Wharncliffe Wood on 27th June. There were no autumn records.
2011
A very disappointing showing this year. The first was a single bird in Wharncliffe Wood on 22nd April (DWf) with a different bird there on 23rd. One was noted in the same area on 3rd May and one was singing in birch woodland to the north of Wharncliffe Heath on 12th June, the last sighting of the year.
2012
I had two singing males in Wharncliffe Wood on 27th May last year.
Thanks Baldy!
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