The first was at Strid Woods on 14th April with 11 birds here by 29th April. Birds were seen feeding young here but regretfully no figures for breeding success were submitted. 12 young were ringed at Dob Park Wood with 13 young being ringed at Nell Bank. A nest in Middleton Woods contained seven young whilst breeding will almost certainly have taken place at Folly Hall Woods.

Birds were also noted at Drebley and Lindley Wood Reservoir with the final records of the year being two passage birds at Paul Clough on 28th July and a single there the following day.

Once again, Strid Woods provided the majority of the records, with adults noted feeding young in many nest boxes. In Dob Park Wood four nests produced nine young, but in nearby Folly Hall Wood it was described as a poor breeding season. At Low Snowden, five nests produced a total of seven young.

In other areas, singing birds were noted with no suspicion of breeding. These consisted of Hirst Wood (the year’s first sighting on 22nd April), Nell Bank, Middleton Woods and Fewston Reservoir.

Passage birds rarely figure in the records, so four sightings in autumn are noteworthy. One was at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 22nd August, and, in September, birds were at Paul Clough on 9th and Doe Park Reservoir on 12th and 23rd.

Most of the information supplied relates to breeding or related activity, with few other records.

The first sighting was of a bird at Dob Park Bridge on 12th April, one of the earliest dates on record, and within a month there were many reports from the regular breeding sites. Singing males were also noted at Low Wood, where a male was seen flying to a nest-box (but without proof of breeding), Hanging Wood, Middleton Woods, Hirst Wood and St. Ives.

Proven breeding came only from the woodlands where nest boxes have been provided, without which it is probable there would be little breeding activity and very few birds. The breeding summary for the principal locations is:

Dob Park/Snowden Area : 54 young ringed from eight nests
Folly Hall Wood : 43 young ringed from ten nests
Strid Wood : 24 young ringed from ten nests
Swinsty Reservoir : 4 young ringed from one nest

At Nell Bank, a female found dead on the nest had been ringed at Strid Wood two years previously. It will be noted that the success rate at Strid Wood is considerably less than at the three other sites.

Passage migrants of this species are not often seen in the recording area, so three birds found in Paul Clough on 7th August were notable. This was the final, and rather early, record.