Double figure counts have been hard to come by in recent years with only a couple of sites coming close. Knotford Nook led the way with a maximum of 16 seen in December 2003. The only other site to have double figures was Chelker Reservoir but only after three pairs bred there, 12 were seen in mid-September. Sightings came from 25 locations scattered across the recording area throughout the year.

Another three breeding records came from Low Dam (Thruscross), Dunkirk and a pair was seen at their nest on Silsden Reservoir. The previous two sites had only one young present.

Only three breeding records were received, from Dunkirk, Denton Park Lake and a private site in the east of the area. Two pairs nested at Dunkirk but only one pair succeeded in fledging young due to flooding. All three pairs managed to fledge their young at Denton Park, as did the other pair, giving a total of seven young in all.

Elsewhere, there were no double-figure counts, but Knotford Nook had nine birds on several occasions towards the year end. Although recorded throughout the recording area, the number of sites dropped to 22.

This species was reported from 24 locations, slightly up on 2004, and throughout the year. These included the less than regular sites of St. Ives where a bird was present in April, and Silsden Reservoir, which had one in October. The only double-figure count came from Knotford Nook, where ten birds were present in late January, but there was a notable count of seven birds on Tong Park Reservoir on two dates in autumn and winter.

Breeding was definitely established on the River Wharfe and at a private location, and possibly took place at John o’ Gaunt’s Reservoir.

Around 100 records came from 21 locations, in line with last year, but there were few sightings in the summer months, with only five reports covering the whole of June and August, and nothing at all for May and July. Against this background it is unsurprising that there were just two breeding records: from Denton, where six young were seen, and John o’ Gaunt’s Reservoir, where a juvenile accompanied its parents in August.

There has been a scarcity of double-figure gatherings in recent years, and a count of seven birds at Tong Park Reservoir on 13th January was the best.

Whilst there were fewer reports than last year, the numbers of widespread locations were, at 25, slightly up, and there was one of the few double-figure counts in recent years, when 11 birds were seen at Otley Wetland Nature Reserve on 17th December.

It is evident the species is largely a visitor to the area outside the breeding season, as only two reports covered the period between the beginning of June and the end of August, one of which concerned the sole breeding record at Kex Gill Quarry.