Mute
Swan |
Whooper
Swan |
MUTE
SWAN Cygnus
olor
Common resident breeder.
In complete contrast to last year’s high count, this year’s was in the spring, with 26 being seen at Otley Wetland in April. Double-figure counts occurred at this site several times throughout the year, with Yeadon Tarn being the only other site to have more than 10, when 11 were seen at the end of the year.
Breeding took place at six locations, with 32 young being fledged. During August, two were seen with red neck-rings, which indicated they had been ringed at Ripon and Hay-a-Park Gravel Pits, both in 2001.
WHOOPER
SWAN Cygnus
cygnus
Uncommon but regular passage visitor.
A first-year bird recorded in 2003 at Fewston and Swinsty Reservoirs stayed at Fewston throughout the summer. It was first recorded on 10th January, and the last definitive record, before the picture was confused by new arrivals, was 25th September. By late summer it had moulted to the all-white plumage of adulthood.
In the first winter period there were six birds on Ogden Water on 3rd January. March is a regular passage month, and on the 27th a flock of 28 was tracked across the Aire Valley from Trough Lane, Oxenhope, over St.Ives and then up the valley from Stockbridge. On the same day, another 24 were found at Warley Moor Reservoir, with two Bewick’s Swans. Also on that date, 15 were on Thornton Moor Reservoir for their second day, and this location had flocks of 42 and 40 on the 28th. The last day of the month produced nine birds on Lower Barden Reservoir.
The second winter
period produced fewer birds than the first, but there were more sightings.
The first four of these involved family parties. Two adults with two immatures
were seen in October over Oxenhope on 10th, Doe Park Reservoir on 16th
and on Silsden floods on 24th. A pair with four immatures was at Lindley
Wood Reservoir on 4th November, and three days later, three flew east
past Stockbridge. On 14th November, two adults flew down the Wharfe Valley,
only for one to return and the other to be found on Chelker Reservoir
later the same day. A single was found on Tong Park Reservoir on 15th
November and stayed into December. Twelve flew south-east past Thornton
Moor on 28th November, and the final sighting of the year was of three
at Thruscross Reservoir on 26th December.
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BEWICK’S
SWAN Cygnus
columbianus
Scarce passage visitor
Recorded for the second successive year. Two were found on Warley Moor Reservoir 27th March (SJ et al).
PINK-FOOTED
GOOSE Anser
brachyrhynchus
Seen regularly over-flying on passage, and occasionally as a winter visitor.
During the first winter period, skeins started to appear by mid-January, when, on the 10th, flocks comprising 48, 90 and 115 were noted over Bolton Abbey, Leathley and Barden respectively. Both Oxenhope and Cullingworth then had 140 pass over on 21st and 23rd January. Typically, larger numbers traversed the recording area during February, when three separate flocks of 250 were seen over Burley from 9th to 11th,with another 100 on the latter date. Two hundred then flew over the Aire Valley at Riddlesden the following day. At Warley Moor Reservoir 1000 birds were watched in four skeins on 15th , all heading west. The last large flock to be seen in this period was spotted from Elland Gravel Pits on 29th February, when 130 made their way north-west.
Four birds lingered
well into spring, and visited Otley Wetland and Lindley Wood Reservoir,
while five were at Leeshaw Reservoir into early May. The pair that over-summered
last year in the Washburn and Otley areas appeared to do so again.
Not surprisingly, the first returning birds were seen from one of the
visible-migration watchpoints. Thornton Moor had 24 and 103 pass through
on 24th September, and small numbers dribbled into the area until mid-October.
Visible-migration observers were the only people to record triple-figure
counts in October and November, with 200 over Cold Edge on 17th October,
and 257 and 360 respectively at this location and Thornton Moor on 14th
November. Towards the year-end, 320 were watched over Redcar Tarn on 29th,
and flocks of 130 and 40 flew west past Knotford Nook on 30th December.
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GREYLAG
GOOSE Anser
anser
Common resident breeder, and passage visitor.
The largest flocks were seen on Lindley Wood Reservoir once again, with the maximum being 480 on 13th September, this figure being over 60 less than last year’s record high count. Other triple-figure counts came from Reva, Thruscross and Fewston Reservoirs.
Breeding success was
reported at Kex Gill, Denton Moor, Hawksworth Moor, Dowley Gap, and the
reservoirs at Carr Bottom, Lindley Wood, Thruscross and Weecher.
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CANADA
GOOSE Branta
canadensis
Common resident breeder.
Breeding occurred
at 13 sites as this goose maintained its common breeder status. The high
counts once again came from the three Washburn Valley reservoirs and Otley
Wetland. The latter site held the year’s highest total, when 350
were counted on 15th September.
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BARNACLE
GOOSE Branta
leucopsis
Probable escapee and uncommon passage/winter visitor.
Last year’s
wintering bird stayed at Ogden Water into 2004, and was seen at other
sites between there and Oxenhope throughout spring. It visited the reservoirs
at Doe Park, Thornton Moor and Leeshaw, before being last seen at Cold
Edge Dams on 9th June. Another bird was seen in November at both Otley
Wetland and Lindley Wood Reservoir.
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EGYPTIAN
GOOSE
Alopochen aegyptiacus
Scarce visitor/possible escapee.
On 4th January, one flew over Glovershaw, heading for Shipley Glen (SR).