2004 Report

2005 Report

2006 Report

COMMON SHELDUCK Tadorna tadorna
Passage/winter visitor and breeder
Shelduck were back at their stronghold in the Group’s recording area, Otley Gravel Pits, by 2nd January when a male was present. There were regular sightings at this site until 7th June with the maximum of 3 being seen on 27th February. On 7th June an adult was seen with a juvenile but not seen subsequently.
Elsewhere, two were at Elland Gravel Pits on 3rd January, a singleton was at Chelker on 12th January, a male turned up at Kex Gill on 16th March, a female dropped in at Thornton Moor Reservoir before heading south-west on 23rd April, and a pair were at Fewston Reservoir on 27th April.
The only two autumn sightings which occurred happened to be the highest counts for the year. On 23rd August 14 flew south over Denholme Clough. The final record was of seven on Chelker Reservoir on 14th September.

MANDARIN DUCK Aix galericulata
Uncommon, but increasingly frequent visitor and sporadic breeder, escapee
The high numbers on the River Wharfe at Strid Woods continued from December last year but only achieved a maximum of c20 on 3rd January. Sightings here rapidly tailed off with no birds seen during the next two months, however, a pair seen during April raised hopes for breeding. There were two records of females with young, both with one juvenile and on the River Wharfe. One of these sightings was on 6th June at the Strid (JLT) and the other at Drebley on 15th June (JF), so it is possible they were the same mother and young.
A male lingered at Elland Gravel Pits from January until April and possibly returned in November attracting the company of a second male and a female by 28th December (NK, BS, HBC). Knotford Nook was another site to have Mandarin present when a pair was found on 10th October and two males on 17th October (KM). The final sighting away from the River Wharfe was of four at Otley Gravel Pits on 2nd December (AJ). Back to top of page

EURASIAN WIGEON Anas penelope
Regular passage migrant and winter visitor.
Once again the pattern of sightings favoured the latter half of the year. The New Year saw numbers notably reduced without any reaching double figures and no records for February. The six seen on a private lake on 11th April proved to be the highest count for the first winter period, whereas the build up at Knotford Nook in November reached a Group record of 135! During this period Lindley Wood Reservoir also had a good total of 80 present but it is believed that these would have been birds from Knotford.
Other sites having mainly single figure counts included; Silsden floods, Cold Edge Dams, Chelker Reservoir, Fewston Reservoir, Ogden Water, Stockbridge, Thornton Moor Reservoir, Silsden Reservoir and Redcar Tarn. Back to top of page

GADWALL Anas strepera
Increasingly regular passage migrant and winter visitor
The first of the year was an unexpected visitor to Doe Park Reservoir, a male on 16th March. Another male was found at Knotford Nook on 25th April. The first female was at Otley Gravel Pits on 15th June. two males at the same site accompanied a female on 21st September. A female was seen at Lindley Wood Reservoir on 30th November. Fewston Reservoir had four present on 8th December and five by the 15th. Numbers fluctuated greatly at Knotford Nook in the second winter period which is shown in the list below:
November 13th (8) 19th (3) 22nd (5) 23rd (6) 25th (4) 26th (3) 30th (3)
December 5th (6) 6th (8) 13th (1) 14th (7) 19th (7) 20th (2) 28th (6) Back to top of page

COMMON TEAL Anas crecca
Resident, passage and winter visitor; occasionally breeds locally.
Records were received throughout the year from many sites, except for June, but once again no breeding confirmation was reported. 2003 was a better year for numbers being seen compared with the last two years, as maxima reached over 100 on more than one occasion. Lindley Wood Reservoir had a good total of 135 on 25th October and 100 were seen on a private lake on 7th November. Other impressive totals were 80 at Marley Sewage Works on 28th December, 53 at Fewston Reservoir on 15th December, 55 in Riddlesden on 13th December and 65 at Esholt Sewage works on 3rd March. Back to top of page

MALLARD Anas platyrhynchos
Common resident breeder; passage/winter visitor.
Breeding records were received from 19 different sites, though this will be quite an under-count.
The following were the maxima from the only waters holding in excess of 100 birds:
Lindley Wood Reservoir 300 in December
Fewston Reservoir 250 in December
Thruscross Reservoir 167 in November
Elland Gravel Pits 158 in December
Knotford Nook 138 in October
Swinsty Reservoir 135 in October Back to top of page

NORTHERN PINTAIL Anas acuta
Regular passage and occasional winter visitor, usually in small numbers.
Quite a good year for this species with eight sightings, though none were of more than two birds. The only two sightings for the first half of the year were both of two at Lindley Wood Reservoir on 24th February (RHP) and on 25th February at Fly Flatts. Beaverdyke Reservoir had the first of the autumn with a single on 11th August (AJ). Scargill Reservoir had a female on 5th September (JLT, AJ). On a private lake an immature male was found on 12th October (AJ).
A female turned up at Lindley Wood Reservoir on 15th October and another 2 were at Knotford Nook three days later (KM). The final sighting of the year was a male that stayed at Lindley Wood Reservoir from 6th December until 14th (SJ, MD, KM). Back to top of page

NORTHERN SHOVELER Anas clypeata
Passage/winter visitor in small numbers, has bred.
The year started off on 1st January for Shoveler when a 1st winter male and a female were found at Otley Gravel Pits (SJT), and another female was at Knotford Nook (MD). The female lingered at the Gravel Pits until the next day and was possibly still there when one was seen on 31st January. A pair was found at Kex Gill on 22nd March (AJ, MD). But the highest count of the year belonged to Doe Park Reservoir when 3, 2 males and a female, were observed on 14th April (MD). A female at John O’Gaunts/Beaverdyke Reservoirs was seen from 9th August until the 15th (SJ, CJC, AJ, KM). A single female on 6th November at Cold Edge Dams was the final sighting (HBC). Back to top of page

COMMON POCHARD Aythya ferina
Passage/winter visitor, occasionally summers.
The steady decline of Pochard in the Group’s recording area continued in 2003. As with many waterfowl the nuclei of the population moved from Otley Gravel Pits to Knotford Nook. This year’s maximum was only 16 seen on 13th November and 19th December. No one site had this species present all year, Knotford came close with the summering male moving to Otley Gravel Pits for May before returning in June. Once again the only other site away from Otley to record double figures was Yeadon Tarn with twelve on 4th March.
Other sites with Pochard present at some point during the year were; Chelker Reservoir, Lindley Wood Reservoir, Doe Park Reservoir, Elland Gravel Pits, Fewston Reservoir, Beaverdyke Reservoir and Denton Hall Lake. Back to top of page

TUFTED DUCK Aythya fuligula
Passage/winter visitor and increasing resident, with some breeding.
All recorded breeding attempts this year were unsuccessful. All three nests at Otley Gravel Pits were predated.
On the whole it was an extremely poor year, all sites were a shadow of their former selves. A flock of 68 at Knotford Nook was the highest count received, but that wasn’t maintained even allowing for birds to traverse to and from Otley Gravel Pits. Chelker Reservoir, the other stronghold, also failed to attract consistently large numbers. Sixty-five was the highest count in August.
Significant maxima outside the summer months were:

GREATER SCAUP Aythya marila
Increasingly regular passage/winter visitor
2003 was a poor year for Scaup in the Group’s recording area. There were just three individuals found and only during the second winter period. The first, a male, was at Fewston Reservoir on 11th September (JRW). A female found at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 21st October (KM) not only stayed in the area until 30th November, but also managed to do a tour of the reservoirs close to Oxenhope. It spent some time on Leeming reservoir and Fly Flatts where it was last seen. Another long staying female arrived at Otley Gravel Pits on 21st November (KM) and remained until the year-end, incorporating a visit to Knotford Nook on 14th December before returning to the Gravel Pits.AYTHYA Hybrid
A female showing signs of Tufted x Greater Scaup parentage was identified on Chelker Reservoir on 27th September where it was seen for a few days. Back to top of page

LONG-TAILED DUCK Clangula hyemalis.
Scarce winter/passage visitor.
A long staying first-winter female was found at Leeming Reservoir on 20th November (MS et al). The following day it was seen at Thornton Moor Reservoir and then at Fly Flatts where it resided until the 30th November. Meanwhile back at Leeming it reappeared for the original finder on 3rd December. By the 7th it was back at Fly Flatts but ended it’s tour back at Thornton Moor on 19th December. Back to top of page

COMMON SCOTER Melanitta nigra
Scarce, but regular, passage visitor
There were only three sightings of Common Scoter this year. The first was a female at Leeshaw Reservoir on 25th May (BS, SJ, MD). The highest count was the 6 males found at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 19th June (KM). 2 males and a female/immature were the last sighting of the year, spotted on Lindley Wood Reservoir on 9th August (MD, SJ). Back to top of page

COMMON GOLDENEYE Bucephala clangula
Common passage/winter visitor, occasionally summers
Knotford Nook and Otley Gravel Pits once again proved to be the most reliable places to see birds in double figures. Lindley Wood and Chelker Reservoirs only had such numbers between them. Knotford had the highest number with 34 on 15th February, though Otley Gravel Pits wasn’t far behind on 5th March with 32. On 14th December, thirteen birds was Chelker Reservoir’s highest count for the year. Lindley Wood Reservoir managed to reach ten by 23rd March.
Fifteen sites recorded Goldeneye present, with the latest being 26th April, with the earliest returning bird on 15th October both at Otley Gravel Pits. Back to top of page

RUDDY DUCK Oxyura jamaicensis
Uncommon passage/winter visitor, with sporadic breeding
All seven records came from two sites. A small private lake had the majority of these records with also the first and last of the year. Two pairs on 22nd April was the highest count of the year (AJ). Knotford Nook had one on 29th April (PR). There were no records of breeding this year despite several sightings during the breeding season on the private lake. Two females put in an appearance at Knotford Nook on 12th October (IPG). The final sighting was also of two females on 7th November (AJ). Back to top of page