Three birds had returned to Kex Gill Quarry by 7th March with a pair staying to breed and raise one juvenile.

One ringed plover was at Leeshaw Reservoir on 29th April and 15th May, with two there on 12th May. Three birds frequented this site on 10th August.

The only other record concerned two birds at Fewston Reservoir on 28th June.

One was back at Kex Gill Quarry on 17th March, but no breeding occurred there this year. Singles were seen here and at Thornton Moor Reservoir until 29th May, and the latter site had the only multiple sightings, when five flew through on 3rd and 16th May.

All return passage observations were at Thornton Moor, the first being a single on 10th July. Two adults were present on 31st July, possibly lingered until 9th August, and were joined by a juvenile on 4th August. A further five passed through during a migration watch on 31st July, and the final sighting was a pair heading north- west on 8th October.

Unusually, all this year’s records came from the south of the recording area, and, with two exceptions, all the birds seen were at Thornton Moor Reservoir. The first were four at this location on the unusually late date of 24th April, following which up to three birds were noted on five dates to 5th June. Autumn passage produced birds on 16 dates between 31st July and 25th September, with notable counts of nine on the latter date and the 10th of the month, and five on 25th August.

Away from here, three birds were seen at Cold Edge Dams on 30th April, and one flew over Denholme Clough on 20th August.

For the second successive year there was no evidence of breeding.

Unusually favourable shoreline conditions at Thornton Moor Reservoir during the autumn passage period undoubtedly contributed to 2006 being the most productive year since 1999.

This location had the year’s first returning bird on the very early date of 18th February, but, surprisingly, there were then no further reports until early May, when singles were seen at Kex Gill on the 10th and Warley Moor Reservoir on the 11th, followed by three birds at Weecher Reservoir three days later. June produced only one record: another individual at Warley Moor, and there was then another long gap before the first relocating birds were seen in late July, comprising one at Leeshaw Reservoir and two at Thornton Moor. All the other records were in August, and apart from another (or perhaps the same) bird at Leeshaw on the 1st, and one at John o’ Gaunt’s on the 12th, all the other records came from Thornton Moor.

The 12 reports covered the period from the 1st to the 28th, and in the main comprised two birds at most, but with three on the 19th, and excellent counts of nine and six on the 14th and the 20th. Even allowing for some possible duplication, at least 29 birds were involved during a good passage period.

On the downside, for the third successive year, birds failed to breed.

Last year’s Report described 2006 as the most productive since 1999: this year, with only one report, was the worst on record. It concerned a bird on passage at Lindley Wood Reservoir on 26th April.

A better, though still modest, showing had May migrants (all singles) at Soil Hill, Kex Gill Quarry and Warley Moor Reservoir, and there were six at Thornton Moor Reservoir in August.