Edderthorpe

Not too much changing day to day at present with most birds in the middle of breeding seasons. Three broods of Lapwings have emerged this week and will hopefully prosper better than those earlier season broods which almost all perished. Dabbling ducks are having a superb breeding season, particularly on Houghton Washland where there are 3 broods of Shoveler, 4 of Gadwall and at least 15 of Mallard. With the low water levels on Edderthorpe there has been a late summer feel to this week, the first returning autumn Green Sandpiper arrived on 18th as did an influx of Lapwings with numbers rising to 112 from just 60 four days earlier. Up to 9 or 10 Ringed Plovers, 4 Little Ringed Plovers and 20 Redshank are usually present and Little Egrets are being seen daily again. On a more negative note, construction as began recently in the Symphony compound at the southern side in an area where 4 pairs of Lapwing, a pair of Ringed Plovers and a pair of Skylarks have territories this year. The Lapwings have already moved away having failed to raise any young but the others were still on territory at the weekend..... And on Cudworth Common a great big wind turbine was erected last week. The threats to the areas wildlife continue to escalate.