2018 Birding Review.

Last year 2018 proved to be a very good year for bird species at Astbury Mere with a record total of 105 being recorded. This was mainly due to a dedicated few that put many many hours of work in , and as the saying goes hours spent equals birds found . Also thanks must go to visiting birders who kindly sent in there sightings swelling our total even more. Undoubtabley  the highlight of the year was the influx of Hawfinch into the UK from Scandinavia , which Astbury had its share of eight birds staying with us for over eight weeks . Giving many hours of entertainment to over one hundred visiting and local birders.

 

Monthly Review Jan 6th saw eighty Pink-footed Geese fly over heading in a north / west direction , this was the first of a few sighting of this species throughout the next two months. The rest of the month produced the usual winter wildfowl with Goosander , Goldeneye , Shoveler, Gadwall, Teal and Wigeon all putting in a appearance. Feb 15th was the start of the Hawfinch sightings with first a single bird being found with a pair of Brambling and eight Siskins. Just twenty minutes later we had three birds and along with Brambling numbers continued to increased as the days went on. Brambling have only ever been recorded in single figures before at this site , so to see flocks of between ten and twenty birds was a nice site . The feeding station we set up played it's part and on many days birds could be found feeding along side other finches. Feb 23rd brought our first Oystercatcher sighting of the year along wit a pair of Gadwall both scarce birds at the mere. A site MEGA on Mar 2nd when only our second ever record of a Redhead Smew was found the last one being twenty two years ago. Unfortunatly it only stayed with us for one day .

The next few days proved to be quite a little purple patch as on Mar 3rd our first ever record of Short-eared Owl when a bird was unexpectedly flushed from the conservation area at 6-00 in the morning. This one was definitely to quick for my camera as it headed in the opposite direction , but was relocated later the same day some four miles away quartering farm fields. Also same day two Dunlin were found these are also very scarce at the mere .

A bad snow storm during the morning of Mar17th brought five Greater Scaup down on the mere they had been displaced from nearby Tittesworth reservoir during the bad weather . They included two drakes and three females,they stayed with us for eight days giving excellent views to all who visited . Also during the snow storm a female Stonechat another first for the site was briefly seen by one birder but was flushed by a jogger and flew off . It was relocated later same day over the other side of the mere this time seen by two different birders.

Mar18th brought another first sighting at the mere when a flock of thirty two Golden Plover flew over quickly followed by another flock of eleven birds. Curlew usually fly over in early spring in just ones or two's so it was nice to see six over on Mar19th. The end of March into early April saw the usual migrants appear , Apr11th and yet another first when a single Arctic Tern graced the mere , the identification took some discussion with five of us but was clinched with on site photos.

On April 14th an amazing fifty two Brambling were counted and there could have been a few more , like I said earlier we only had record's in single figures so this was an exceptional year at the mere. Just a few days after this sighting not one could be found anywhere. With a little bit of patience reasonable views and photo's could be had around the feeding station.

On Apr 19th two Common Sandpiper's arrived of which on closer inspection one was ringed. Photographs showed the colours and information soon came back. It was a female ringed on 02/05/2017 on the river Spey at Cromdale a small village downstream of Grantown on Spey in Cairngorms NP. The bird had also been sighted in Dublin and along the west coast of Flintshire. Three birds were present for a couple of days on the mere. Two Shelduck recorded on Apr 22nd another scarce and not annual bird . May 1st and again another first for the site when a male Pied Flycatcher sang for 30 minutes before disappearing in the wood on the eastern edge of the mere. Also the same morning and again very scarce was a singing Lesser Whitethroat this one I did get on camera.

A Hobby was seen chasing Martin's on a number of occasions on May 3rd , these birds breed close by but are not a regular site at Astbury.

Three more Shelduck on May 5th and the first returning Reed Warbler noted on May 8th. During the next few months most birders tend to give the mere a wide berth as watersports , fishing and other activities take a strong hold. Birding early mornings only I tend to turn my attention to Butterflies and Dragonflies. Aug 1st two Common Sandpiper's arrived and on Aug 26th an exceptional record of two Greenshank feeding early morning for over a hour before being disturbed by dog walkers. The last and only other record was 2002.

Yet another site first on Aug 31st when a Little Egret was found on the sand bank just off the sailing club beach. The bird stayed for a few hours giving excellent views as it flew across the mere to the fisherman's beach and back again . This first record is really surprising as one or two birds are seen regular just less than a mile away .

A drake Common Scoter was found early morning on Sept 2nd but only stayed for 30 mins before flying off in poor light in a north / westerly direction. But just two days later Sept 4th two drakes appeared and stayed all day giving close views at times but in poor light. Iam never satisfied.

Sept 8th and our one and only Black Tern of the year again early morning it was soon being harrassed and chased off by local gulls. Sept 19th and three Snipe flew over obviously flushed from further afield. Oct 5th and a first winter Mediterranean Gull was in amongst a large flock of around three hundred Black headed Gulls but when all the birds took off the Med Gull did not return and was lost from site. Oct 27th and a single Common Sandpiper's showed reasonably well along the sailing club beach area.

Nov 16th and two Whooper Swans flew around the mere trying to land before flying off in a north / east direction , this personally gave Mark his one hundred species at the mere for the year and gave us a record 105 species for the site. Nov 18th and another Dunlin noted along with another record of Little Egret flew over Nov 25th. Thirteen Pink-footed Geese flew over Dec 9th , and a large Skien of around 150 birds over Dec 12th. Only our second ever record of Woodcock seen by the ranger flying over visitors centre at dusk on Dec 13th. With records throughout the year of Tawny Owl , Kingfisher , Goosander , Goldeneye , and Raven etc it proved to be a exceptional year for birds at the mere. I would personally like to thank all who sent records into me you all know who you are many thanks for making it a record year. Steve Seal.