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.

Whilst almost all the spring records came from around Otley, those in autumn were predominantly from the south of the recording area.

Otley Wetland produced most of the early sightings, commencing with a pair on 21st March, followed by two on 30th, and 1st April, and a different individual on 22nd April. At other sites during this period, there were two pairs on Lindley Wood Reservoir on 23rd March (the year’s highest count), a pair on Knotford Nook two days later, and two more on Silsden Reservoir on 4th April.

Return passage commenced with three birds at Cold Edge Dams on 10th July, with a September record of one at Otley Wetland on 4th, and there were three at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 31st October, and one at a private location on 24th. The final sighting was a single at Redcar Tarn on 6th November.

All but three of this year’s records came from the first five months.

A bird found at Tong Park Reservoir on 13th January was the local observer’s first there in over 20 years of monitoring the site, but it clearly found the location to its liking, as it remained until 8th February. Around the same time a male was seen at Knotford Nook on 15th February, and a month later there were two pairs at Otley Wetland. The early months were completed by reports of a bird over Barden Scale on 5th April, pairs at Knotford on 24th April and Stockbridge Nature Reserve on 6th May, plus another bird at Otley just over a week later.

In autumn, two of the records were of singles at Knotford on 23rd September and 2nd October, and three birds over Caldene Fields on 18th October was a good local record.

A relatively poor year, with only seven records of perhaps 10 birds. On 17th February, a pair was seen at Otley Wetland, and probably the same at Knotford Nook. This was followed by an unusual summer record of two birds on Leeshaw Reservoir on 20th June. December produced the remaining sightings: three birds at Cononley Ings on the 7th, and an unusual find of a male at Manningham Park on the 20th.

In Airedale, a pair on the river near Cononley on 4th January were followed by one on Redcar Tarn on 8th February. Otley Wetland had the remaining records: a single on 19th March, three on 3rd April, and two on the 19th.