Sand
Martin |
Swallow |
House
Martin |
SAND
MARTIN
Riparia riparia.
Common migrant breeder/passage visitor.
The first bird arrived, more or less on cue, on 18th March at Otley Wetland. Sizable parties of 40 were seen 10 days later at Barden Scale and Knotford Nook, and there was then a good influx of birds throughout April and into early May. Most records in this period came from the Wharfe Valley (but with Marley well-represented), and included seven counts of between 40 and 100 birds, and four comprising three figures. These were at Otley Wetland, being 180, 150 and 200, building up to the year’s highest total of 300 on 6th May.
As is fairly normal for this bird, autumn migration was light, and the highest daily count comprised just 13 birds, with the final sighting at Roils Head on 23rd September. Breeding data was limited to two locations. At Otley Wetland there were 15 nests, and 266 young were ringed at the well-established colony at Ben Rhydding, about 30 down on last year’s total.
BARN
SWALLOW
Hirundo rustica
Common migrant breeder and passage visitor.
A good number of reports came from all parts of the recording area, and the first bird was seen over Trough Lane, Oxenhope, on the rather early date of 19th March. There was just one further record in the month, and no great influx during April, when there were three-figure counts only at Otley Wetland, with 120 birds, and Elland Gravel Pits, which had 250. Noticeably more arrivals were seen in May, including notable counts of 102 at Thornton Moor, 111 at Cold Edge Dams and 320 at Otley Wetland on 1st, probably including some of the 120 birds seen there the previous day.
Relatively few records were submitted for June and July, but these included breeding data. This was noted at Leeshaw Reservoir, and at St. Ives, where adults were seen with young. More detailed information was provided from the The Ellars, where five young were seen in a nest, and Knotford Nook, where, from 37 nests, 119 young were raised, one more than in 2004. At Leeshaw in August, another two pairs were seen feeding young. Clearly, these records from only four locations fall far short of the true picture.
The numbers of birds seen on autumn migration covered the period 31st July to 12th October, and were well up on last year. As with all records under this heading, they came largely from the south of the area, and mostly from the three well-watched sites, which recorded the following numbers:
Thornton Moor Reservoir : 3552 in all. Maxima of between 100 and 250
birds on seven days, with 1633 on 4th September, the biggest daily
migration count on record (DCB, MD).
Denholme Clough : 1257 in all. Maxima of between 100 and 250 on five
days.
Cold Edge Dams : 893 in all. Daily maxima of 140, and 450 (on 11th September).
Elsewhere, there were 200 birds at Luddenden Dean on 18th September,
and 300 at Ogden Water on 7th.
HOUSE
MARTIN
Delichon urbica
Common migrant and passage visitor.
The first arrival was seen at Otley Wetland on the fairly typical date of 8th April, but, as often happens, there was then a gap of several days before others dribbled in, and the first evidence of any sort of influx was 40 birds seen at Marley Sewage Works at the beginning of May.
Despite widespread sightings, there were no other counts approaching this figure until return migration became apparent around the middle of August, and continued until the final bird was seen at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 10th October. During this period, some 2150 birds were seen on passage, mainly in the south of the area, and three-figure day counts of 150 and 280 were recorded at Thornton Moor on 3rd and 26th September, and, on 7th September, 300 birds passed Ogden Water and 120 went through Luddenden Dean.
For the second year running, breeding activity was much under-recorded. Indeed, most of the information related to Timble Library, where a local ringer (PRo) - whose efforts are also evident in the Report in respect of many other species - located young in 15 nests. Otherwise, breeding was reported only from Queensbury and Burley-in-Wharfedale.