2003 Report

2004 Report

2006 Report

WATER RAIL Rallus aquaticus
Uncommon but regular winter visitor.

Twenty-five records is now about average for this skulking species and came from three new sites, as well as the regular ones.

In the first winter period, a single bird was seen at Otley Wetland in January with two in February. January also produced two birds at Esholt Sewage Works, and Sandbeds Flash, a new location, had a bird at the end of March. In contrast, High Royd Sewage Works, in the south-west corner of the recording area, has long been a reliable location, and two birds were present at the end of February, and up to three on several days in the following month. In the same general area, there was an increasingly infrequent record of a bird at Elland Gravel Pits on 27th March.

Two birds were seen at Stockbridge Nature Reserve on 5th October, with three by the month-end, and one was seen or heard irregularly to the end of the year. About this time, a bird was heard at St. Ives (another new site) on 5th November, and the Aire Valley had another record, with a single at Marley Sewage Works on 14th December. The final month also produced records of two birds at Otley Wetland, three at High Royd Sewage Works, and a single at a private site, where the species has been previously unrecorded.

MOORHEN Gallinula chloropus
Resident breeder.

In relation to the total number of reports received, this species probably produces more breeding records than any, and this was again well, though probably not fully, reported.

A pair was noted mating at Strid Wood as early as 4th February, but the first young were not seen until 21st May, at St. Ives, and another bird was on a nest there two weeks later. Also in June, there were young at Weecher Reservoir, and in July breeding was reported from Bingley North Bog, Crossflatts and the Valley of Desolation. The following two months brought reports of juveniles at Fewston Reservoir, Tong Park Reservoir, a private location, and Cold Edge Dams, where two young fledged from each of three broods.

Whilst other records came from a widespread area, there were surprisingly (and in marked contrast with 2004), no reports from any of the local sewage works, and the best count came from the relatively under-watched Tong Park Reservoir, where ten birds were present on 22nd January and 27th September. Four other locations, St. Ives, Strid Wood, Redcar Tarn and Otley Wetland, had between four and seven birds on a number of occasions.

COMMON COOT Fulica atra
Resident breeder, passage/winter visitor.

Whilst reported in every month, there was only a handful of records covering the summer months, and the majority of records came from Knotford Nook and Otley Wetland, where the birds are usually most evident.

Counts in the first winter period were, as is usually the case, lower than those in the second, and 98 birds at Otley Wetland in January, and 60 at Knotford Nook in March were the maxima. Numbers from September onwards were distinctly higher, but didn’t reach the totals seen in 2004 and other recent years. The highest monthly counts at the two main locations in this period were:

A few other locations had counts in the low double figures, and only Redcar Tarn topped more than 20, with 45 birds present in late July.

Nest-building was noted at St. Ives on 13th February, and pairs with young were seen there in May. Also in May, a bird was seen on a nest at a private site, but without any report of the result, although another nest, at Otley Wetland, subsequently produced two small young. Three young birds accompanied by adults were also noted at Leeshaw Reservoir in June.

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