Wintersett Annual Round Up 2016

Weather

January, February and March were mild.   April was cold and wet.  May had a few warm and sunny days, but was mainly cool and cloudy.  June was cold and cloudy.  July was wet and cloudy.  August was mostly warm with a few cloudy, wet spells.  September was warm and cloudy with some cool winds and showers.  October was mild overall.  November was generally mild and dry, with just two days of  heavy  rain and one day of snow on the 9th.  December started mild with just a handful of wet days, then in the last quarter, turned very cold and frosty with blue sky. The last day of the year was a mild 8 degrees, cloudy with a south westerly breeze.

The Wintersett Area recorded 166 bird species for 2016

The Top Ten Birds were: -

1. Kumlien's Gull – 3 birds, an adult, a 3rd W and a juvenile, in the Wintersett Reservoir Roost on 25th and 26th February

2. Long-tailed Skua 1 adult - 20th June

3. Hawfinch – 1 flew south 18th October

4. Firecrest – a male from 18th - 20th March and 1 ringed on 29th October

5. Great White Egret - 24th September, 14th and 15th October and 23rd

    November

6. Hen Harrier – a male on 5th May

7. Ring Ouzel - 2nd October

8. Raven - 10th April and 23rd August

9. Great Northern Diver - 17th November

10. Scaup – 9 on 29th October is the biggest flock recorded here.

Other highlights:-

3 Spectacular Gull Roosts.

On the 25th and 26th of February  9 species of Gull were recorded in the roosts. On the 27th February there were 10 species of Gull recorded.

The latest ever Spotted Flycatcher was seen on 6th October.

The refilled Sand Martin Box,with 24 holes, had 100% occupancy by 26th June. The earliest broods had fledged by then with 300 birds counted over Wintersett Reservoir.

Positive news for farmland birds with 400 Linnets on the Pol on 28th August - the largest number for decades,  and 700 Skylarks seen on Cold Hiendley Field is the highest number ever.

Glaring Omissions:  Smew,   Barnacle Goose,  Egyptian Goose,  Short-eared Owl, Ruddy Duck,  Little Tern,  Whinchat and Twite.

Other Critters

Numbers of insects were poor due to the cold and wet weather, however

a Red-eyed Damselfly at Wintersett Res on 9th June,  was new for the list.

Moth highlights:

There was a huge influx of Diamond-back Moths with 282 trapped on the 7th June.  A Scarce Silver Y was new for the Wintersett List.

Coleoptera:  A rare beetle Pyropterus nigroruber  was found  in Haw Park on 19th July

Herptiles: Grass Snake records have increased, with sightings at Royston Canal, Haw Park Wood, Moorhouse Lane Pond,  and on the road near Crofton.  

And finally:

The Wintersett Team  wish everyone

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR

and excellent birding in 2017