2003 Report

2005 Report

2006 Report

COMMON SHELDUCK Tadorna tadorna
Passage/winter visitor and breeder

One of the highest counts was the first record of the year, when five were at Thornton Moor Reservoir as early as 2nd January. Singles were seen throughout the month at Otley Wetland and Fewston Reservoir, the latter holding the high count of seven on 24th January. Lone birds continued to be seen at Otley Wetland until the end of March. On 8th February, three were seen flying up the Aire Valley at Farnhill Ings, and a week later, a pair was at Otley Wetland, with possibly the same birds being seen throughout April and into May. Three flew over Thornton Moor Reservoir on 28th March, and a pair was seen at Denton Park Lake on 30th April.

In summer, there were single juveniles at Lindley Wood Reservoir on 19th July, Swinsty Reservoir on 30th , and at John o’Gaunt’s Reservoir on 8th August. Three birds again passed Thornton Moor on 25th July. The floods at Silsden held two immatures on 4th and 5th September, and four were seen flying over Glovershaw three weeks later, with perhaps the same birds at Lindley Wood on 26th. In October, three more birds were on passage at Thornton Moor, and the final sighting of the year was possibly a returning adult at Otley Wetland on 30th December.

MANDARIN DUCK Aix galericulata
Uncommon, but increasingly frequent visitor and sporadic breeder, escapee.

Most of this year’s sightings came from the stretch of the River Wharfe between the Cavendish Pavilion and the Barden Bridge area, with a peak count of 30 on 28th November. This equalled the Group record. A pair was also seen in the nearby Valley of Desolation on 21st March, and a male was at Elland Gravel Pits in January and December. At least three breeding locations were confirmed along the Wharfe.

EURASIAN WIGEON Anas penelope
Regular passage migrant and winter visitor.

Whilst the first returning birds were two at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 5th August, the Otley area dominated the records, with over half the 140 reported sightings coming from Otley Wetland or Knotford Nook. All counts over 50 came from the latter site, and after 28th October. The peak count of 84 on 2nd December was considerably down on last year’s 135 at the same site.
Elsewhere, Cold Edge Dams had 39 fly past on 5th September, and, on 1st October, 23 were seen at Thornton Moor Reservoir during another visible-migration count. Eighteen were seen on 3rd October on Lindley Wood Reservoir, which had its highest count of 48 on 23rd. These might also have been the birds seen at a private site mid-month.

GADWALL Anas strepera
Increasingly regular passage migrant and winter visitor.

Virtually all records came from the Otley area, and it is possible the same birds visited a number of sites.
The highest counts were at both ends of the year, when seven were seen at a private location and Knotford Nook on 10th January and 23rd December. Knotford Nook held up to six birds in January, and Otley Wetland had a male on 19th and a pair on 31st March. The last records of the spring were a male at Lindley Wood Reservoir on 9th April, and a female there the following day.

On 30th August, two pairs commuted between Otley Wetland and Knotford Nook. Numbers then fluctuated at the latter site until the year-end, and up to four birds at other nearby locations in early October could well have been the Knotford ones.
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COMMON TEAL Anas crecca
Resident, passage and winter visitor; occasionally breeds locally.

Found throughout the year, but once again no breeding records were received, despite pairs being seen at three different sites in May and June. The highest count was of approximately 100 birds at Sandbeds Flash, near Keighley, on 28th November. Silsden floods was the only other site to have more than 60 present, when 73 were found in October.
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MALLARD Anas platyrhynchos
Common resident breeder; passage/winter visitor.

Reported from only 16 different sites, though this is definitely an under-count. The following are the highest totals of the year, but only on water bodies holding in excess of 100 birds:
Fewston Reservoir 222 in January
Lindley Wood Reservoir 200 in October
Swinsty Reservoir 156 in November
Overall, a poorly-reported species in 2004.
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NORTHERN PINTAIL Anas acuta
Regular passage and occasional winter visitor, usually in small numbers.

A slightly better year than 2003 with 10 sightings, though once again only in low numbers. An echo from last year was the first being seen at Lindley Wood Reservoir, this time an adult male moulting out of eclipse on 29th January (KM). Another male was found at Burley-in-Wharfedale on 5th February (JH), and Swinsty Reservoir had a pair on 16th (JP) and a male ten days later (PRi). The last sighting of the first winter period was another male at Kex Gill Quarry on 14th March (SJ,MD)
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Initiating the second winter period sightings, two females/immatures were seen at Otley Wetland on 5th September (AJ, RS) and presumably the same birds at Lindley Wood Reservoir (JF). Exactly one month later a female was found on Lindley Wood Reservoir (KM). The year’s highest count of three birds was at Silsden on the flooded fields near the River Aire on 29th October, and the final sighting was a female at Knotford Nook on the same day (SJ).
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GARGANEY Anas queruedula
Scarce passage visitor.

Two males spent a short time at Knotford Nook on 27th March (SJ, KM, AJ).

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NORTHERN SHOVELER Anas clypeata
Passage/winter visitor in small numbers, has bred.

A male on Silsden Reservoir was the first of the year on 15th February (SJ, MD). The only two spring records were of six at Otley Wetland on 17th April (SJ) and three at Elland Gravel Pits on 21st (HBC). The first autumn record was of three at Knotford Nook on 30th August (SJ). The highest count of the year came six weeks later when eight females/first winters were at Otley Wetland on 13th October (KM). Small numbers were seen here intermittently throughout the month, and the last sighting of the year was a female at this location on 26th December (SJ, MD)
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COMMON POCHARD Aythya ferina
Passage/winter visitor, occasionally summers.

A better year than last as there were several counts over 20 and from three different sites. The highest counts were at Otley Wetland on 13th March and 23rd October, when 36 and 32 respectively were seen. Yeadon Tarn managed a peak of 26 on 28th February, but 22 at Knotford Nook on 19th December was surprisingly that site’s only count over 20. Fewston Reservoir was the only other location to record double figures, with the highest of 18 on 28th December.

A male appeared to spend the summer months in the Otley area, visiting both the wetlands and Knotford.
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TUFTED DUCK Aythya fuligula
Passage/winter visitor and increasing resident, with some breeding.

Breeding occurred at two sites. The first, Otley Wetland, had at least two nests, though, once again, three pairs over- summered. The second, Marley Sewage Works, had a female with eight young on 14th August.
Another poor year overall for numbers, though the maximum managed to reach three figures, with about 100 at Chelker Reservoir on 7th August. Away from the four sites shown below, winter flocks comprising double figures were recorded at only five other locations: Silsden and Hewenden Reservoirs, Manningham Park, Redcar Tarn and a private site.

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GREATER SCAUP Aythya marila
Increasingly regular passage/winter visitor.

A female spent until 18th April at Otley Wetland, though she was first recorded at Knotford Nook on 10th January (KM) and may well have been the bird seen in the area at the end of 2003. A second female appeared on 7th March at the wetlands (KM). After a gap of three months, a female/immature was found on Lower Laithe Reservoir on 23rd July (BV). On 10th November, three first- winter birds spent a little time on Fewston Reservoir (AGG, PRi), and the last sighting of a very poor year for this species was of a male at Knotford Nook on 6th December (KM).
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COMMON SCOTER Melanitta nigra
Scarce, but regular, passage visitor.

A poor year for this species within the recording area, with only two sightings. A first- summer male spent some time at Swinsty Reservoir on 25th May (AGG), and another male was at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 11th July (DCB).
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COMMON GOLDENEYE Bucephala clangula
Common passage/winter visitor, occasionally summers.

Only four sites recorded double- figure counts: Lindley Wood Reservoir, Knotford Nook, Otley Wetland and a private location. The peak count was of 29 at Otley Wetland on 19th March. The last spring record was of a pair at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 8th May, and the first returning for the winter were two at Cold Edge Dams on 10th October.
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RUDDY DUCK Oxyura jamaicensis
Uncommon passage/winter visitor, with sporadic breeding.

The first sighting of the year was the only spring record, and was a single at Denton Park Lake on 6th May (PR). A first-year female then spent two months at Otley Wetland from 9th September until 28th October, (PR et al), being joined by a second female for three days from 24th October. The final record was of a pair at this site on 3rd November (AGG).
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