Potteric Carr wildlife sightings 2019/20

Thursday 18th

• 11  Mute Swan - plus 6 young
• c250 Gadwall 
• 3 Shoveler
• 54 Pochard 
• 14 Tufted Duck - plus 2 young
• 9 Little Grebe - plus 2 young including one being piggy-backed
• 5 Great Crested Grebe
• 11 Greylag Geese
• 12 Canada Geese 
• 19 Cormorant - cell 1b
• 2 Bittern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 6 Little Egret - Huxter Well Marsh
• 10 Grey Heron
• 4 Great Crested Grebe - 2 adults and 2 small young on cell 1b
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female over Huxter Well Marsh 
• 3 Buzzard - from Tofield Hide
• 1 Hobby - hunting from the dead oak in front of Duchess Hide
• 1 Water Rail - calling on cell 1b
• 65 Lapwing - Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Green Sandpiper - 2 on East Scrape and one on cell 3b
• 8 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 29 Black-headed Gull 
• 35+ Swift - continuous movement SW
• 1 Kingfisher - Piper Marsh and Willow Marsh
• 2 Willow Tit - main car park and Young Eaa
• 2+ BEARDED TIT - heard and later seen from Mitchell Hide
• 12 House Martin - over Old Eaa
• 3 Cetti's Warbler
• 4 Chiffchaff
• 1 Blackcap
• 1 Whitethroat
• 8 Reed Warbler
• 1 Greenfinch
• 1 Reed Bunting

Other: 2 Roe Deer, 2 Red Admiral, 2 Gatekeeper, several Ringlet

Sue and Roger Bird, David Beresford, Mark Roberts, Chris Bell, visitor reports

Tuesday 16th

• c250 Gadwall
• 30 Pochard
• 24 Tufted Duck - including 4 young
• 4 Pheasant - female and 3 young on Loversall Carr Fields
• 3 Bittern - 2 at Huxter Well Marsh and one circled Decoy Lake and dropped into the Reedbed Filtration Ponds
• 5 Little Egret
• 2 Grey Heron
• 6 Great Crested Grebe
• 2 Marsh Harrier - females
• 1 Hobby - perched in the dead oak near Duchess Hide
• 1 Peregrine - flew towards Huxter Well Marsh from the Visitor Centre
• 138 Lapwing
• 1 Green Sandpiper - cell 3b
• 5 Common Tern
• 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull - adult and 2 young on Sedum House roof
• 5 Herring Gull - 2 adults and 3 well grown young on Sedum House roof
• 2 Stock Dove - Beeston Plantation
• 1 Kingfisher - perched at the Lagoon
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - calling in Beeston Plantation
• 1 Jay - Beeston Plantation
• 2 Willow Tit - in a large mixed tit flock on the Access Track
• 2 House Martin - from the Visitor Centre
• 1 Reed Warbler - singing in the pond in Beeston Plantation
• Wren - family party in Beeston Plantation

Butterflies: 1 SILVER-WASHED FRITILLARY in Beeston Plantation (different from Sunday's), 1 Purple Hairstreak from Duchess Hide also 3 others, 45+ Ringlet, 7 Meadow Brown, 1 Speckled Wood, 6 Gatekeeper, 1 Red Admiral, 1 White-letter Hairstreak, 4 Essex Skipper

Other: 2 Hare in Loversall Carr Field, 2 Cinnabar Moth, 10+ Cinnabar Moth larvae

Sue Bird, Keith Lynes, Dave Carroll, David Harding, Geoff Chatterton, visitor reports, YWT staff, Derek Parker on behalf of the Tuesday Volunteers, Darren Wozencroft

Sunday 14th

• 13 Shelduck -  cell 1b
• 2 Wigeon - Lagoon
• 71 Mallard
• 14 Shoveler
• 14 Tufted Duck - also 2 juvs on Piper Marsh and 3 juvs on the Lagoon
• 2 Bittern - several sightings of birds in flight over Huxter Well Marsh
• 7 Little Egret
• 6 Grey Heron
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female
• 2 Sparrowhawk - including one carrying prey
• 4 Kestrel - family party near the iPort
• 1 Hobby - perched in the dead oak near Duchess Hide
• 1 Peregrine - carrying prey over Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Water Rail - calling from cells 1b, 3b and 4
• 2 Oystercatcher - over
• 1 Little Ringed Plover - cell 3b
• 258 Lapwing - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Dunlin - over
• 2 Green Sandpiper - cell 3b
• 1 Redshank - over
• 12 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Common Gull - adult and first-summer flew west
• 1 Barn Owl
• 1 Kingfisher - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Green Woodpecker - one calling near Iron Bridge and a juv on Hawthorn Bank
• 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker - one on Hawthorn Bank and 2 at Seven Arches Carr
• 2 Jay - Young Eaa
• 3 BEARDED TIT - singles heard at East Scrape and West Scrape and seen near Mitchell Hide
• 1 Nuthatch - Young Eaa

Butterflies: 1 SILVER-WASHED FRITILLARY aberration (2nd Reserve record), 2 White-letter Hairstreak in Beeston Plantation, 6 Purple Hairstreak, 2 Red Admiral, 10 Comma, 1 Essex Skipper near the VC, 5 Small Skipper, 7 skipper sp., 44 Ringlet, 5 Gatekeeper, 6 Meadow Brown, 4 Speckled Wood, 2 Green-veined White, 5 Small White

Other: 2 Lunar Hornet Moth

Richard Scott, Tony Elliott, Michael Bird, Jenny Kingsland, Sue Richardson, Allen Holmes, Pete Greaves, Darren Wozencroft, Mark Roberts, Gary Dyson, Sue and Roger Bird, Steve Elliott, The Army Ornithological Society, visitor reports

Saturday 13th

• 2 Wigeon - Lagoon
• 200 Gadwall
• 12 Teal
• 70 Pochard
• 2 Bittern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 5 Little Egret
• Little Grebe - 4 juv Lagoon, independent juvs on West Scrape and cell 1a
• Great Crested Grebe - 2 very small young on cell 1b
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female
• 1 Sparrowhawk
• 4 Kestrel
• 1+ Hobby - one over Willow Marsh in the morning and one perched in the dead oak near Duchess Hide in the afternoon
• 1 Peregrine - over M18 and perched on a pylon
• 4 Water Rail - one cell 1b, juv and one calling at cell 3b, one West Scrape
• 1 Oystercatcher
• 105 Lapwing
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - cell 1b
• 7 Black-tailed Godwit - on West Scrape in the evening
• 1 Green Sandpiper - cell 3b
• 1 Greenshank - cell 1b/West Scrape
• 6 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Stock Dove - singing near the viaduct
• 1 Kingfisher - Mother Drain
• 1 Green Woodpecker - calling near Iron Bridge
• 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Hawthorn Bank and Seven Arches Carr
• 2 BEARDED TIT - calling near Mitchell Hide
• Whitethroat - family party in Big Hedge

Butterflies: Red Admiral, 2 Essex Skipper

Other: Broad-bodied Chaser. Lancaster bomber flew very low SW past Mitchell Hide

Richard Scott, Michael Bird, Helen Womack, Daren Wozencroft, visitor reports

Friday 12th

• 1+ Bittern - seen in flight and watched in the reeds for 15 mins
• 1 Sparrowhawk
• 2 Hobby - hawking insects over the north-west corner of Huxter Well Marsh during the afternoon
• 1 Oystercatcher
• 1 Little Ringed Plover - cell 3b
• 1 Green Sandpiper - cell 3b

Chris Bell

Thursday 11th

• 20 Cormorant - cell 1b
• 1 Bittern - flew across West Scrape towards Seven Arches Carr and possibly the same one flew back with a full crop on to cell 3a/3b
• 7 Little Egret - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female hunting
• 3 Buzzard - up together over Seven Arches Carr
• 1 Kestrel - over Piper Marsh and Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Hobby - catching dragonflies over Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Oystercatcher - cell 1b
• c100 Lapwing - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Green Sandpiper - cell 3b
• 8 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 20 Swift - west
• 1 Kingfisher - hover-fishing on cell 3a
• Willow Warbler - adults feeding newly fledged young on the Access Track
• 1 Song Thrush - juvenile on Loversall Bank

Butterflies: 1 Painted Lady and a Purple Hairstreak in front of Hawthorn Bank Hide

Other: Roe Deer with a fawn in Black Carr Field

Sue and Roger Bird, Dave Carroll, Ian and Janet Heppenstall

Tuesday 9th

• 200+ Gadwall
• 3 Teal
• 1 Shoveler
• 34 Pochard
• 28 Tufted Duck
• 12 Cormorant
• 3 Little Egret
• 5 Grey Heron
• 1 Little Grebe
• 5 Great Crested Grebe
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female
• 2 Buzzard
• 32 Lapwing
• 1 Little Ringed Plover - on West Scrape and later in front of Mitchell Hide
• 1 Green Sandpiper - West Scrape
• 2 Common Tern
• 1 Kingfisher - in front of Piper Marsh Hide
• 2 Cetti's Warbler
• 2 Greenfinch - in front of Duchess Hide

Butterflies: 60+ Ringlet, 1 Painted Lady, 1 Red Admiral, 1 Comma

Other: Roe Deer with fawn in Black Carr field, 2 White Plume Moth

Keith Lynes, Michael Bird, Philip Goucher, Doug Smith, Geoff Chatterton, David Harding, Derek Parker, Tuesday volunteers

Moth Trapping Report for Friday Night, 5th July

Another mild night and another bumper haul of moths, although some marauding beast, probably of the Avian variety or, possibly, a Hornet, had very obviously entered the trap, judging by the number of loose moth wings scattered about, after the moth bodies had been removed and eaten.

Nevertheless, we identified a total of 106 species, including another 2 first reserve records. Rhumatha senex (Round-winged Muslin) is a small Footman moth that is scarce and quite localised in VC63. Like other Footman species, its larva feeds upon lichens and mosses. Argyresthia glaucinella is a rarely encountered species, with very few Yorkshire records, mostly from other VC63 locations. The larva of this one feeds upon the bark of oak and horse chestnut trees.

There were some other notable records, including second reserve records of 3 Tortricid species: Eana incanana, Hedya ochroleucana and Epagoge grotiana. The nationally rare Gelechiid, Gelechia muscosella was also recorded. It was first found at Potteric Carr in 2008 and odd ones have turned up occasionally since then.

Other good records from this trapping included Coleophora trifolii (2), Schoenobius gigantella (2), Phycitodes binaevella, Dwarf Cream Wave, Blackneck (3), Buff Footman and Eyed Hawk-moth.

Ian Heppenstall, Harry Beaumont and Janet Heppenstall

Sunday 7th WeBS Counts

• Coot 206
• Bittern 3
• Grey Heron 6
• Little Egret 6
• Lapwing 48
• Gadwall 120
• Mallard 50
• Pochard 66
• Shoveler 8
• Teal 6
• Kingfisher
• Green Sandpiper

Mark Roberts, Sue and Roger Bird

Sunday 7th

• Tufted Duck - with 7 new young on the Lagoon
• 19 Cormorant - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2+ Bittern - several sightings of at least 2 birds at Huxter Well Marsh
• 6 Little Egret
• Little Grebe - juv on cell 1b
• 3 Marsh Harrier
• 6 Buzzard
• 1 Kestrel
• 2 Peregrine - M18
• 3 Water Rail - East Scrape, cell 1b, cell 4
• 3 Oystercatcher - cell 1b
• 100 Lapwing
• 1 Little Ringed Plover - cell 1b
• 1 Common Sandpiper - West Scrape
• 1 Green Sandpiper - cell 3b
• 5 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Stock Dove - Central Grassland
• 1 Kingfisher - Loversall Delph and Mother Drain
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Seven Arches Carr
• Coal Tit - family party in Black Carr Field
• 5 BEARDED TIT - 4 near Mitchell Hide and one flew by Hawthorn Bank Hide
• 1 Nuthatch - Black Carr Field

Butterflies: 1 Gatekeeper along the Access Track, 1 MARBLED WHITE on Loversall Bank near the Education Centre

Other: Grass Snake near the VC

Richard Scott, Rob Burns, Mark Roberts, Barrie Shilton, Sue Cullen, Sue Richardson, Sue and Roger Bird, Allen Holmes

Saturday 6th

• 22 Cormorant - cell 1b
• 2+ Bittern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 6 Little Egret - 5 at Huxter Well Marsh and one at Willow Marsh
• 1 SPOONBILL - adult on East Scrape departed SW at 11.55 (RJS and visitor report)
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female
• 2 Sparrowhawk
• 8 Buzzard
• 2 Kestrel - M18 and Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Hobby - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Peregrine - M18
• 1 Water Rail - cell 1b
• 3 Avocet - adult and 2 fully grown young on cell 3b
• 3 Oystercatcher - 2 over the VC and one on cell 1b
• 3 Little Ringed Plover - Huxter Well Marsh
• 11 Black-tailed Godwit - 9 circled Huxter Well Marsh at 9.05am and continued south. One on cell 1b in the morning was joined by another in the afternoon.
• 1 Green Sandpiper - cell 3b
• 4 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 30 Swift - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Kingfisher - Loversall Delph and Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Seven Arches Carr
• 2 Willow Tit - St Caths Copse
• 1 BEARDED TIT - calling near Mitchell Hide
• 1 Whitethroat singing in front of VC
• 2 Treecreeper - one along Willow Bank and one in St Caths copse

Butterflies: 6 Red Admiral, 1 Painted Lady, c100 Ringlet along Willow Bank, Cottage Drain and Loversall Bank

Other: 2 Southern Hawker, one along Willow Bank and one along Loversall Bank, 1 Young Roe Deer along Willow Bank 

Richard Scott, Michael Bird, Helen Womack, Sue and Roger Bird, visitor reports

Friday 5th

• 1 Hobby - high over Huxter Well Marsh from Hawthorn Bank Hide
• 1 Kingfisher - Loversall  Delph
• 2 Goldcrest - Loversall Delph

Andy Dalton

Thursday 4th

• 1 Bittern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Oystercatcher - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Ringed Plover - cell 1b
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - cell 3b
• 1 Green Sandpiper - West Scrape/cell 3b
• 1 WOOD SANDPIPER - on West Scrape at 8pm but flew off high at 8.20
• 2 Redshank - cell 1b/West Scrape
• 5 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 200 Starling - going to roost at cell 4

Other: 2 Roe Deer fawns in the car park

Richard Scott

Wednesday 3rd

• 8 Tufted Duck - female and 7 new young on Old Eaa 
• 3 Pheasant - female and 2 young at the Visitor Centre 
• 3 Little Egret - Huxter Well Marsh 
• 1 Marsh Harrier - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Buzzard - over Seven Arches Carr 
• 1 Hobby - over Huxter Well Marsh 
• 2 Oystercatcher - adult and young on cell 2a
• 1 Avocet - Huxter Well Marsh
• c50 Lapwing - flew onto cell 1b
• 1 Black-tailed Godwit - Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Common Tern - fishing on Huxter Well Marsh 
• 4 Herring Gull - the 2 pairs that were nesting on the raft on cell 1a and on Decoy Lake have both failed
• 1 Kingfisher - flew across cell 2a

Butterflies: 1+ Essex Skipper, 5 Purple Hairstreak

Odonata: 4 Red-veined Darter (1 at West Scrape, 3 at cell 3a), 1 Red-eyed Damselfly

Sue and Roger Bird, Darren Wozencroft, visitor reports

Moth Trapping Report for Saturday Night, 29th June

Because Saturday night had been so mild, we had a huge catch of moths to sort out on Sunday morning. So far we have recorded 105 species, with, perhaps, another 3 moths remaining to be identified.

Particularly pleasing was the identification of 3 new reserve records: Coleophora tamesis ; Eana incanana and Parapoynx stratiotata (Ringed China-mark). Coleophora tamesis is regionally scarce, whilst the other 2 are moderately common.

The larvae of Coleophora tamesis feed in a mobile case on seedheads of Jointed Rush. Eana incanana is associated mainly with Bluebells, also Dog Daisy. The Ringed China-mark is an aquatic species whose larvae feed upon pondweeds and other aquatic plants.

Other notable species we recorded included 1 Parachronistis albiceps ; 2 Cream-bordered Green Pea ; 2 Schoenobius gigantella ; 1 Blackneck ; 3 Beautiful Hook-tip ; and 2 Scarce Silver-lines. 

Best of the rest were 6 Elephant Hawk-moths ; 3 Common Emerald ; 1 Peach Blossom ; 1 Small Yellow Wave ; and 2 Green Silver-lines.

Ian Heppenstall, Harry Beaumont and Janet Heppenstall

Tuesday 2nd

• 4 Mute Swan - pair with 2 young on Low Ellers Marsh (seen from train)
• 170 Gadwall
• 65 Pochard
• 18 Tufted Duck - plus new broods of 6 and 2 young
• 14 Cormorant
• 2 Bittern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 4 Little Egret
• 4 Grey Heron
• 2 Great Crested Grebe - adult with well-grown young on cell 2b
• 2 Marsh Harrier
• 4 Buzzard
• 2-3 Hobby - 2 on Willow Marsh and 1 hunting dragonflies on Huxter Well Marsh
• Coot - a Carrion Crow pounced on a Coot nest and stole one of the eggs
• 2 Oystercatcher - adult and juv
• 1 Little Ringed Plover - cell 2a
• 2 Common Sandpiper - cell 1b
• 1 Green Sandpiper - West Scrape
• 2 SPOTTED REDSHANK - cell 2a (SB, DC)
• 2 Redshank - cell 2a
• 4 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 4 Herring Gull - adult and 3 juvs on Sedum House roof
• 1 Stock Dove
• 30 Swift - SW
• 2 Kingfisher - Piper Marsh, Huxter Well Marsh, Mother Drain
• 2 Jay
• 1 Green Woodpecker - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Hawthorn Field
• 3 Swallow
• 1 Treecreeper
• 1 Blackbird - juv near St Catherine's Field

Butterflies: 9 Meadow Brown, 40+ Ringlet, 2 Comma, 1 Red Admiral, 2 Speckled Wood, 5 Painted Lady

Dave Carroll, Sue Bird, Mick Bellas, Ian and Janet Hepenstall, Helen Womack, Keith Lynes, Michael Bird, Richard Scott, visitor reports

Monday 1st

• 2+ Bittern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female
• 1+ Hobby - immature hunting over Huxter Well Marsh and perching in the dead oak. Also seen in pursuit of the Peregrine over Hawthorn Bank.
• 1 Peregrine - carrying prey over Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 BEARDED TIT - one calling and 2 juvs seen briefly in flight from Duchess Hide

Sue Brook, Karl Dutton

Sunday 30th

• 28 Cormorant - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Bittern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Marsh Harrier - female
• 1 Hobby - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Oystercatcher - Huxter Well Marsh
• 5 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 60 Swift - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1+ BEARDED TIT - calling near Mitchell Hide

Odonata: 

• 2 Banded Demoiselle
• 1 Emerald Damselfly
• c25 Blue-tailed Damsel
• c100 Azure/Common Blue Damsel
• 2 Red-eyed Damselfly  -  on the surface algae, Cell 3a Huxter Well
• 14 Emperor
• 2 Southern Hawker
• 1 Brown Hawker
• 38 Black-tailed Skimmer
• 12 Four-spot Chaser
• 12 Common Darter
• 3 Ruddy Darter
• 1 Red-veined Darter  -  Cell 3a Huxterwell 1230hrs

Butterflies:

• 10 Large Skipper
• 2 Small Skipper
• 4 skipper sp.
• 1 Brimstone
• 1 Green-veined White
• 1 Small White
• 9 Painted Lady
• 6 Red Admiral
• 2 Small Tortoiseshell
• 6 Comma
• 1 Common Blue
• 1 Speckled Wood
• 23 Meadow Brown
• 44 Ringlet

Mammals: Field Vole on the Central Grassland path, Brown Hare in Beeston,  3 Roe Deer

Richard Scott, Darren Wozencroft

Saturday 29th

• 3+ Bittern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 4+ Little Egret
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female
• 1 Hobby - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Water Rail - East Scrape and Cell 4
• 1 Avocet - cell 1b
• 4 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• Lesser Black-backed Gull - adult and 3 juvs on Sedum House roof
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Seven Arches Carr

Odonata:

• 5 Banded Demoiselle
• 4 Emerald Damselfly
• 4 Large Red Damselfly
• 82 Azure Damselfly
• 104 Common Blue Damselfly
• 27 Blue-tailed Damselfly
• 17 Emperor  -  a new site record - previously 12 on 4/7/2015
• 1 Southern Hawker
• 48 Four-spotted Chaser  -  a new site record - previously 46 on 31/5/1998
• 26 Black-tailed Skimmer  -  best count since 2006
• 12 Ruddy Darter
• 61 Common Darter
• 1 Red-veined Darter  -  male on West Scrape 1730hrs

Butterflies:

• 19 Large Skipper
• 3+ Small Skipper
• 12 skipper sp.
• 2 Brimstone - both males
• 1 Orange Tip - a late female on Loversall Bank
• 3 Small White
• 2 white sp.
• 47 Painted Lady  -  probably a reserve record?
• 8 Red Admiral
• 1+ Peacock
• 2 Small Tortoiseshell
• 7 Comma
• 4 Common Blue
• 56 Meadow Brown
• 46+ Ringlet
• 3 Speckled Wood

Richard Scott, Pete Greaves, Keith Lynes (butterflies), Darren Wozencroft (butterflies and odonata)

Friday 28th

• 2 Bittern - several sightings of birds in flight at Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Grey Heron
• 1 Marsh Harrier - male
• 1 Sparrowhawk
• 2 Kestrel - M18
• 3 Hobby - birds seen over Huxter Well Marsh all day. At one point 3 were in the air together.
• 1 Water Rail - cell 4
• 4 Oystercatcher - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Little Ringed Plover - cell 3b
• 7 Common Tern - including a juv at Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Kingfisher - Mother Drain near the entrance
• 2 BEARDED TIT - near Mitchell Hide
• 5 Swallow - over cell 4

Butterflies: Painted Lady flew by East Scrape

Richard Scott, Adrian Andruchiw, Andy Dalton, Vernon Barker, visitor reports

Thursday 27th

• 40+ Gadwall - West Scrape
• Tufted Duck - female with 5 young on Piper Marsh
• 1+ Bittern - in flight over Huxter Well Marsh
• 6 Little Egret
• 1+ Marsh Harrier
• 3 Buzzard - over East Scrape
• 1 Kestrel
• 2 Hobby
• 3 Little Ringed Plover - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Black-tailed Godwit - West Scrape
• 1 Common Sandpiper - East Scrape and West Scrape
• 5 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Barn Owl
• 1 Kingfisher
• 4 Jay - 2 adults and 2 young near Royal Mail depot
• 1 Coal Tit - juv
• 1 Treecreeper - Black Carr Field area
• 2 Bullfinch - pair in Black Carr Field

Other: Bank Vole - Piper Marsh path, China Mark moths

John Purrington, Andy Dalton, Gary Benn

Wednesday 26th

• 19 Teal - 14 males and 5 females
• 1+ Bittern - in flight over Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Little Egret
• 1 Ringed Plover - juv on cell 1b
• 3 Little Ringed Plover - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Curlew - landed on the island on cell 1b at 9pm
• 2 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Tawny Owl - begging calls from juvs
• 100 Swift - over Huxter Well Marsh in the evening
• 200 Sand Martin - over Huxter Well Marsh in the evening
• 1+ BEARDED TIT - calling near Mitchell Hide

Richard Scott

Tuesday 25th

• 8 Little Egret
• 2 Little Ringed Plover
• 1 Common Sandpiper
• 5 Redshank
• 2 Common Tern
• 1 Kingfisher
• 3 Cetti's Warbler
• 8 Chiffchaff
• 7 Blackcap
• 4 Whitethroat
• 4 Reed Warbler
• 1 Treecreeper
• 2 Bullfinch

Ryan McClarence

Sunday 23rd

• 24 Cormorant
• 2 Bittern - flying together at Huxter Well Marsh
• 4 Little Egret
• 1 Marsh Harrier - male
• 2 Sparrowhawk
• 6 Buzzard
• 3 Kestrel
• 2 Hobby - adult over Decoy Lake and a first-summer at Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Water Rail - cell 4
• 5 Oystercatcher - 2 adults and juv on West Scrape and 2 adults on cell 2a
• 1 Avocet - West Scrape
• 82 Lapwing - Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Little Ringed Plover - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Dunlin - an early returning adult on cell 3b
• 2 Redshank - cell 3b
• 3 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Tawny Owl - Willow Bank
• 1 Kingfisher - Piper Marsh

Other: 3 Roe Deer including Mum and Fawn on Central Grassland, 2 Emerald Damselflies - Dragonfly Ponds

Richard Scott, Col Neale, Jenny Kingsland, Sue Cullen, Sue Richardson, Gary Dyson, Allen Holmes

Saturday 22nd

• 3 Teal - 2 males and a female on cell 1b
• Pochard - females with 2 young on cell 2a and 4 young on cell 2b
• 16 Cormorant - cell 1b
• 1 Bittern - seen in flight a few times over Huxter Well Marsh
• 4 Little Egret
• 1 Marsh Harrier - male
• 10+ Buzzard
• 2 Kestrel
• 2 Hobby
• 1 Water Rail - cell 4
• 3 Oystercatcher - 2 adults and a juv on cell 3b
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - Huxter Well Marsh
• 6 Common Tern - 2 at Huxter Well Marsh on 4 flew east
• 1 Cuckoo - an adult flew over East Scrape to cell 4
• 70 Swift - including a few flying south
• 1 BEARDED TIT - calling in front of Hawthorn Bank Hide

Richard Scott, Helen Womack, Michael Bird

Friday 21st

• 1 Hobby - still hunting insects at 10.10pm
• 2 Collared Dove - in the VC car park
• 1 Barn Owl
• Tawny Owl - begging calls from young
• 1 Lesser Whitethroat - singing near the VC

Richard Scott, Dave Carroll

Thursday 20th

• 14 Mute Swan - plus young in broods of 5, 7 and 2
• 31 Greylag Geese
• 14 Canada Geese 
• 170+ Gadwall
• 1 Teal
• 3 Shoveler
• 45 Pochard - including 3 juvenile
• 12 Tufted Duck
• 10 Little Grebe - plus 2 young
• 9 Great Crested Grebe
• 4 Cormorant
• 2 Bittern
• 6 Little Egret
• 3 Grey Heron
• 1 Marsh Harrier - male
• 1 Sparrowhawk
• 2 Buzzard
• 1 Oystercatcher
• 8 Avocet
• 15 Lapwing - including 1 chick
• 1 Common Tern
• 25 Black Headed Gull - plus 3 chicks on Old Eaa
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
• 2 Jay
• 30+ Swift
• 30+ Sand Martin
• 2 House Martin
• 8 Cetti's Warbler
• 8 Chiffchaff
• 1 Willow Warbler
• 5 Blackcap
• 5 Whitethroat
• 10 Reed Warbler
• 2 Song Thrush
• 2 Greenfinch
• 7 Reed Bunting

Other: 2 Roe Deer

David Beresford

Wednesday 19th

2 Willow Tit - Loversall Delph

VC logbook

Tuesday 18th

• 16 Mute Swan - pairs with 5 and 7 young
• 71 Gadwall
• 2 Shoveler
• 70 Pochard - including one with one young and one with three young
• 9 Tufted Duck
• Pheasant - 3 young
• 1 Bittern - flew along the edge of cell 2a and dropped down near Hawthorn Bank Hide
• 1 Little Egret
• 3 Grey Heron - including one juvenile
• 6 Little Grebe
• 5 Great Crested Grebe
• 2 Marsh Harrier - including  male
• 2 Buzzard
• 2 Hobby - over Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Oystercatcher
• 13 Avocet
• 1 Little Ringed Plover
• 27 Lapwing
• 1 Common Tern
• Black-headed Gull - adult with 3 young still on Old Eaa
• 2 Herring Gull
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
• 2 BEARDED TIT - from Mitchel Hide
• c40 House Martin - over Decoy Lake
• 14 Cetti's Warbler - including 3 which were caught and ringed near the VC
• 4 Bullfinch

Lepidoptera: 10 Painted Lady, 2 Meadow Brown, 1 Common Blue, 1 Brimstone, 1 Speckled Wood, 4 Small tortoiseshell, 1 Six-spot Burnet, 1 Cinnabar

Other: 5 Roe Deer including 3 fawns, 1 Bank Vole, 5 Harlequin Ladybirds, 2 22-spot Ladybirds, 1 Dock Bug, 1 Male four spotted chaser around dipping ponds near the VC, 2 Pellucid Fly, 3 Common Spotted Orchid

Keith Lynes, Michael Bird, David Carroll, Barry Wardley, Derek Parker, Tuesday volunteers, Debbie Ross

Monday 17th

• 4 Pochard - female with 3 small young on cell 2b
• 1 Little Egret - Decoy Lake
• 1 Marsh Harrier - male hunting over Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Oystercatcher - adult feeding young cell 3b
• 11 Avocet - 3 adult and 3 juvs West Scrape, 2 adult and 3 juvs on cell 3b
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - singles on cells 1b and 3b
• 1 Common Tern - fishing on cell 2b
• 60 Swift - feeding low over Huxter Well Marsh
• 5 Cetti's Warbler - singing
• 1 Garden Warbler - singing along Hawthorn Bank

Dave Carroll

Sunday 16th including WeBS count

• 175 Gadwall
• 1 Teal - a male on cell 1b was the only one present on the reserve!
• 78 Mallard
• 69 Pochard - plus broods of 1 and 5 on Huxter Well Marsh
• 22 Cormorant
• 5 Little Egret
• 1 Marsh Harrier - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Hobby
• 6 Avocet - including 3 juvs
• 4 Oystercatcher
• 2 Little Ringed Plover
• 2 Common Tern
• 75 Swift
• 1 BEARDED TIT - in front of Duchess Hide
• 60 hirundines

Odonada: 1 Banded Demoiselle, 1 Emerald Damselfly, 7 Large Red Damselfly, 216 Azure Damselfly, 62 Common Damselfly, 26 Blue-tailed Damselfly, 1 Hairy Hawker - Loversall Delph, 3 Emperor, 1 Broad-bodied Chaser - male at Square Pond, 13 Four-spot Chaser

Butterflies: 3 Large Skipper, 2 Brimstone, 3 Red Admiral, 1 Meadow Brown (also one last Monday), 7 Speckled Wood. A Painted Lady seen yesterday was part of a national influx.

Mark Roberts, Darren Wozencroft

Saturday 15th

• 5 Bee Orchids and an Elephant Hawk-moth on Willow Bank
• 1 Painted Lady in the flutterby garden

James & Beryl Myers, Darren Wozencroft

Thursday 13th

• 7 Cettis Warbler
• 8 Blackcap
• 9  Chiffchaff
• 1 Willow Warbler
• 7 Whitethroat
• 1 Greenfinch
• 16 Reed Warbler
• 9 Reed Bunting
• 3 Song Thrush 
• 30+ Swift
• 3 House Martin
• 30+ Sand Martin
• 2 Cormorant
• 4 Little Egret
• 1 Bittern
• 2 Oystercatcher and 1 juvenile on West Scrape
• 21 Avocet (a record count)
• 18 Lapwing including 1 chick
• 1 Marsh Harrier, male 
• 180+ Gadwall including 8 ducklings
• 19 Tufted Duck
• 78 Pochard including 3 juvenile
• 3 Teal
• 2 Shoveler
• 11  Mute Swan +5 young
• 8 Little Grebe
• 8 Great Crested Grebe
• 17 Grey Lag Geese
• 6 Canada Geese 
• 2 Common Tern
• 31 Black Headed Gull +3 chicks on old EAA
• 3 Herring Gull
• 4 Lesser Black Backed Gulls
• 1 Kingfisher on square pond
• 1 Collared Dove
• 1 Water Rail on West Scrape
• Other -  3 Roe Deer

David Beresford

Wednesday 12th

• 3 Shelduck
• 3 Little Egret
• 3 Grey Heron
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female
• 1 Buzzard - Black Carr Field
• 9 Avocet - 3 adults and 2 juveniles on Huxter cell 3b,  and 2 adults and 2 juveniles on West Scrape
• 3 Oystercatcher
• 1 Ringed Plover
• 2 Redshank
• 100+ Swift - Huxter Well Marsh
• 20+ Sand Martin - Huxter Well Marsh
• 10+ House Martin - Huxter Well Marsh
• 4 Reed Bunting

Other: 2 Roe Deer (female with fawn), 1 Bank Vole

Paul Paddock

Sunday 9th

• 2 Shelduck
• Pochard - female with 6 young on 2a
• 2 Bittern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Marsh Harrier - male hunting over Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Sparrowhawk
• 15 Buzzard
• 2 Hobby - together over Huxter Well Marsh
• 4+ Water Rail - 2 calling at West Scrape and at least 2 calling from cell 3b close to Mitchell Hide
• 1 Avocet - West Scrape
• 5 Oystercatcher - 3 adults and 2 juvs
• 1 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 70 Herring/Lesser Black-backed Gull - a group of mainly herrings flew south
• 150 Swift
• 2 Kingfisher - on the square pond, one was a juvenile, both were probably juvs
• 4 Willow Tit - 2 adults and 2/3 in a large mixed tit flock along Loversall Bank
• 5 BEARDED TIT - 2 male and 3 female/juv near Mitchell Hide
• 1 Lesser Whitethroat - singing next to West Scrape Hide

Sue and Roger Bird, Richard Scott, Andy Bell, visitor reports

Saturday 8th

• 2 Shelduck
• 2 Bittern
• 3 Little Egret
• 3 Grey Heron
• 1 Marsh Harrier - male
• 2 Hobby
• 2 Water Rail - West Scrape and cell 4
• 3 Avocet - Huxter Well Marsh
• 4 Oystercatcher - 2 adult and 2 young on West Scrape
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - cell 3b
• 1 Redshank
• 11 Common Tern - 2 on regular feeding flights from the iPort and 9 dropped in ahead of rain, landed on cell 1b before departing east at 9.15am
• 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull - cell 1b
• 1 Yellow-legged Gull - sub-adult cell 1b
• 4 Herring Gull - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Great Black-backed Gull - 2cy cell 1b
• 90 Swift
• 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Young Eaa/Childers Wood
• 6 BEARDED TIT - 2 males, one female and 3 juvs seen from Mitchell Hide
• Cetti's Warbler - family party near West Scrape Hide
• 2 Pied Wagtail - adult and juv on West Scrape

Richard Scott, Michael Bird, Gary Dyson, visitor reports

Thursday 6th

• 16 Mute Swan + 12 young
• 11  Greylag Geese
• 11 Canada Geese + 3 goslings
• 120+ Gadwall
• 26 Pochard
• 14 Tufted Duck
• 10 Little Grebe
• 7 Great Crested Grebe
• 6 Cormorant - cell 1b
• 3 Bittern - 2 on Piper Marsh and one at Huxter Well Marsh
• 10 Little Egret - including 6 on cell 3b
• 3 Grey Heron
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female
• 3 Buzzard - over Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Hobby - over Huxter Well Marsh and Piper Marsh
• 3 Avocet - 2 on 3b and one on West Scrape
• 4 Oystercatcher - on West Scrape 2 adult and 2 young
• 30 Lapwing - 22 and one young on West Scrape, 4 on 2a and 3 on Loversall Pool
• 1 Dunlin - cell 1b
• 2 Redshank
• 3 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 21 Black Headed Gull + 3 chicks - Old Eaa
• 4 Herring Gull
• 100 Swift - over Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Kingfisher - flew over Loversall Bank
• 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker - an adult feeding a fledged young in Black Carr Wood and one in Beeston Plantation
• 3 BEARDED TIT - 2 juveniles from Mitchell Hide and one in front of Tofield Hide
• 10+ House Martin
• 4 Cettis Warbler
• 9 Chiffchaff
• 4 Willow Warbler
• 14 Blackcap
• 3 Whitethroat
• 2 Garden Warbler - one near the under bridge and one at the end of Willow Marsh
• 6 Reed Warbler
• 1 Treecreeper
• 30 Starling - feeding on Huxter Well Marsh and flying back to Bessacarr to feed their young
• 6 Song Thrush - including family of 5 in triangle by pumping station and Old Eaa path
• 2 Bullfinch - near Piper Marsh Hide
• 1 Greenfinch
• 3 Reed Bunting

Other: 3 Red Admiral, single Orange Tip, Peacock and Brimstone, Emperor Dragonfly in front of Piper Marsh hide, Common Spotted Orchids along Loversall Bank

David Beresford, Sue and Roger Bird, Vernon Parker, Barry Wardley, visitor reports

Wednesday 5th

• 2 Bittern - different birds seen in flight at 11.20 & 11.40 at Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Little Egret
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and cc
• 1 Sparrowhawk - male at Huxter Well Marsh
• 4 Buzzard
• 1 Hobby - in the dead tree on Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Water Rail - heard at Decoy Marsh
• 1 Common Tern
• 60 Swift
• 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker - one on the Access Track and one calling on Hawthorn Bank
• 2 Cetti's Warbler - heard from the Access Track

Other: 1 Great Crested Newt, 1 Smooth Newt, 1 Bank Vole, 5 Roe Deer, 4 Large Skipper, 2 Common Blue, 3 Speckled Wood, 2 Hairy Hawker, 1 Black-tailed Skimmer, 3 Four-spot Chaser

Sue Brook, Darren Wozencroft

Moth Trapping Report for Saturday Night, 1st June

The warm weather provided perfect conditions for moth trapping and, as a consequence, a very healthy total of 80 species were recorded, including one new reserve record and one or two other noteworthy species.

The new reserve record was a single Epagoge grotiana, a rare and very local Yorkshire Tortricid moth, with just a handful of records concentrated in the south and east of VC63. The larvae feed on oak, hawthorn and bramble.

Also recorded were a male and female of Schoenobius gigantella, a Pyralid moth and a reedbed specialist, first seen on the reserve in 2017, when it was only the second VC63 record, then again in 2018 and now in 2019. Once largely restricted to coastal reedbeds in southern England and East Anglia, this species has clearly become established at Potteric Carr.

Two infrequently recorded species were trapped. Epinotia demarniana and Freyer’s Pug were both last observed in 2010.

Best of the rest included Eyed Hawk-moth (1), Orange Footman (1), Alder Moth (3), Green Silver-lines and White-pinion Spotted.

Ian Heppenstall, Harry Beaumont and Janet Heppenstall

Tuesday 4th

• Mute Swan - 2 adults with 7 young from Duchess Hide, 2 adults with a small young on Piper Marsh
• 4 Shelduck
• 49 Gadwall - including a female with 4 young on Piper Marsh
• 2 Shoveler
• 30 Pochard
• 20 Tufted Duck
• 2+ Bittern - 6 sightings of 2 or more birds
• 6 Little Egret
• 3 Grey Heron
• 8 Great Crested Grebe - also a small young on cell 2b
• 1 Marsh Harrier - male
• 5 Buzzard
• 1 Hobby
• 1 Avocet - cell 3b
• 4 Oystercatcher - 2 adults with 2 young on West Scrape
• 12 Lapwing - also one juv on West Scrape 
• 1 Little Ringed Plover - West Scrape
• 4 Redshank 
• 2 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Black-headed Gull - with 2 young on Old Eaa
• 6 Herring Gull - 3 pairs on cell 1a, Decoy Lake and Sedum House roof
• 20 Swift - Huxter Well Marsh
• 5+ Great Spotted Woodpecker - adults feeding fledged young in Beeston Plantation and one calling along Cottage drain 
• 2 Jay - Beeston Plantation
• 2+ Coal Tit young with a large tit flock
• 6 BEARDED TIT - a single male was seen at the same time as another male in a family party of 5
• 8 Sand Martin - Huxter Well Marsh 
• 5 Cetti's Warbler
• 2 Treecreeper - Beeston Plantation 
• 2  Blackbird - one collecting food in Beeston Plantation and one on a nest in the compound 
• 2 Song Thrush - collecting food in Beeston Plantation 
• 1 Mistle Thrush - collecting food along Loversal Bank near Beeston Plantation 
• 1 Greenfinch - singing in the old wardens carpark
• 2 Bullfinch - a pair at the Iron Bridge

Other: 3 Bee Orchid along Willow Bank

Keith Lynes, Michael Bird, Adrian Andruchiw, Sue and Roger Bird, Dave Carroll

Monday 3rd

• 1 Little Egret
• 1 Marsh Harrier
• 1 Hobby - seen from VC
• 1 Avocet
• 4 Oystercatcher - 2 adults and 2 juvs
• 1 Black-tailed Godwit
• 2 Common Tern
• 170 Swift - over Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Willow Tit - juvs seen in copse near the screen at the Reedbed Filtration Ponds
• 6 BEARDED TIT

Butterflies: 1 Large Skipper, 1 Dingy Skipper (Reedbed Filtration Ponds), 4 Brimstone (2m 2f), 2 Orange Tip (1m 1f), 4 Red Admiral, 2 Comma, 3 Peacock, 1 Brown Argus (Flutterby Garden), 9 Common Blue, 14 Speckled Wood

Odonata: 10 Banded Demoiselle, 4 Large Red Damselfly, c300 Azure Damselfly, c200 Common Blue Damselfly, 45 Blue-tailed Damselfly, 
6 Hairy Hawker, 1 Emperor (teneral), 3 Black-tailed Skimmer, 2 Broad-bodied Chaser (1m 1f), 27 Four-spot Chaser

Other: 2 Great Crested Newt, 1 Common Frog, 1 Grass Snake, 1 Roe Deer

Darren Wozencroft, Dave Carroll, visitor report per Dave Carroll, Mark Roberts

Sunday 2nd

• 4 Shelduck
• 2 Bittern - one had a dangling leg
• 2 Little Egret
• 3 Grey Heron
• 2 BLACK-NECKED GREBE - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 RED KITE - a tatty bird flew west over Seven Arches Carr at 10.15
• 1 Marsh Harrier - male
• 1 Hobby - Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Avocet
• 7 Oystercatcher - 2 adults and 2 young on West Scrape, 3 over
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - cell 1b
• 1 Black-tailed Godwit - West Scrape
• 6 Redshank - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Common Tern
• 2 BEARDED TIT - male and a female/juv near Mitchell Hide

Richard Scott, Allen Holmes, Jenny Kingsland

Saturday 1st

• 4 Shelduck
• Gadwall - female with 5 young on Piper Marsh
• Pochard - female with 7 young on cell 1b
• 1 Bittern -  a few sightings at Huxter Well Marsh
• 6 Little Egret
• 2 BLACK-NECKED GREBE - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Marsh Harrier - male
• 10 Buzzard
• 2 Kestrel - M18
• 3 Hobby - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Water Rail - cell 4
• 1 Avocet - West Scrape/cell 3b
• 5 Oystercatcher - the 2 adults and 2 young have relocated to cell 3b. Another adult on cell 1b.
• 2 Ringed Plover - on cell 1b early morning
• 3 Little Ringed Plover - West Scrape/Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Black-tailed Godwit - West Scrape/Huxter Well Marsh
• 6 Redshank - West Scrape/Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Common Tern
• 1 Kingfisher
• 3 BEARDED TIT - juvs near Mitchell Hide
• 14 Cetti's Warbler - 13 singing and one calling
• 1 Wheatear - on Central Grassland early morning
• 3 Greenfinch

Richard Scott, Michael Bird

Friday 31st

• Bittern - 5 sightings on Huxter Well Marsh from 12.10 - 2.30pm. One was booming on Willow Marsh and then circled high and flew towards Huxter Well Marsh.
• 3 Little Egret 
• 2 Grey Heron - over Huxter Well Marsh 
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female
• 4 Buzzard - from Duchess hide 
• 2 Hobby - perched in the dead oak tree and hunting over Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Avocet - flew to West Scrape from the iPort
• 3 Oystercatcher - 2 adults and one young
• Barn Owl - chicks were ringed at 2 nests, each containing 5 young
• 200 Swift - over Huxter Well Marsh 

Sue and Roger Bird, Helen Womack, Jim Horsfall, visitor reports

Thursday 30th

• Bittern - seen 5 times
• 3 Marsh Harrier - male and 2 females
• 2 Buzzard
• 2 Hobby
• 2 Avocet - from Mitchell Hide
• 3 Lapwing chicks - 2 on West Scrape one on cell 3b
• 1 Little Ringed Plover - West Scrape
• 22 Black-tailed Godwit - West Scrape
• 2 Kingfisher - Mother Drain
• 4 Cetti's Warbler

Adrian Andruchiw

Wednesday 29th

• 6 Shelduck
• 3 Bittern - 2 females undertaking feeding flights and a third bird flew high towards Lincoln Carr. Also, one dead bird found.
• 8 Little Egret - flying together over Huxter
• 1 Sparrowhawk
• 4 Buzzard
• 2 Kestrel
• 4 Hobby - eating dragonflies on the wing
• 2 Avocet
• 4 Oystercatcher - 2 adults with 2 young on cell 2a
• 4 young Lapwing - 3 on West Scrape and one on cell 3b
• 1 Little Ringed Plover - West Scrape and cell 3b
• 23 Black-tailed Godwit - West Scrape
• 4 Redshank
• 2 Common Tern
• Cetti's Warbler - several singing around the reserve
• 100 Swift - feeding low over Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Kingfisher - Mother Drain
• 3 BEARDED TIT
• 1 Lesser Whitethroat - carrying food near Mitchell Hide

Dave Carroll, Sue and Roger Bird, Paul Paddock, Gary Dyson, Adrian Andruchiw, visitor reports

Moth Trapping Report for Saturday Night, 25th May

Following what had been a very mild night, we were pleased to see a big improvement in the number and variety of moths trapped. A total of 46 species were identified, with one more, a Gelechiid, awaiting determination. 

Although none of the recorded moths were new or particularly rare, there were several less frequently recorded species, notably Sandy Carpet (last observed in 2011); Aphomia sociella or Bee Moth; Brown Rustic; and Oak Nycteolene.

Poplar Hawk-moth (5), Pale Tussock (2), Alder Moth (4), White-pinion Spotted, Broken-barred Carpet, Monopis weaverella (2), Seraphim and Oak-tree Pug were best of the rest.

Ian Heppenstall, Harry Beaumont and Janet Heppenstall 

Tuesday 28th

• 28 Pochard
• 11 Tufted Duck
• 9 Cettis warblers
• 1 Greenfinch near Old Eaa
• 61 Gadwal
• 7 Shelduck
• 2 Grey Heron
• 21 Cormorants
• 1 Sparrowhawk
• 6 Little Egrets
• 1 Garden Warbler
• 50 plus Swifts
• 1 House Martin
• 1 Swallow
• 12 Sand Martins
• 1 LRP on West Scrape
• 2 Lapwing and 1 young on West Scrape
• 1 male Marsh Harrier
• 3 Great Crested Grebes
• 2 Shoveler
• 2 Lapwing and 1 young on cell 3B
• 1 Little Grebe
• 2 Bittern 
• 1 Hobby over Huxter Well
• 1 Lapwing and 1 young on cell 2A
• 2 Oystercatcher and 2 young on cell 2A
• 1 Common Tern

Other: 1 Roe Deer, 3 Rabbits, 5 Brimstones 1 orange tip 3 common blues 2 small white and 3 banded demoiselles, 1 Dingy Skipper, Small Copper, 2 Broad-bodied Chaser, 1 Hairy Dragonfly, 4 Four-spotted Chaser

Keith Lynes, Michael Bird, Phillip Goucher, Dave Harding, Geoff Chatterton, Ian and Janet Heppenstall

Monday 27th

• 3 Shelduck
• 2 Bittern - several sighting of birds in flight across Huxter Well Marsh
• 6 Little Egret
• 1 Marsh Harrier - male
• 1 Sparrowhawk
• 10 Buzzard
• 2 Kestrel
• 2 Hobby - one catching dragonflies in front of Hawthorn Bank Hide and one distantly chasing swifts
• 5 Oystercatcher - pair with a single juv and 2 over
• 3 Common Tern
• 2 BEARDED TIT - calling near Mitchell Hide and Hawthorn Bank Hide

Richard Scott, Sue and Roger Bird, Gary Dyson, Chris Bell

Sunday 26th

• Mute Swan - pair with 7 young on the Lagoon
• 4 Shelduck
• 1 Bittern
• 4 Little Egret
• 8 Great Crested Grebe - seen from Mitchell Hide, including 2 pairs displaying
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female
• 1 Hobby - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Avocet
• 2 Oystercatcher - flew towards the iPort
• Lapwing - pair with 3 small young on West Scrape
• 4 Redshank
• 13 Lesser Black-backed Gull
• 10 Herring Gull
• 2 Great Black-backed Gull
• 200 Swift - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Jay
• 2 BEARDED TIT - male and one heard near Mitchell Hide

Richard Scott, Sue Richardson, Sue Cullen, Mark Roberts

Saturday 25th

• Mute Swan - 7 juvs on West Scrape, 5 juvs on cell 2a
• 6 Shelduck
• 3 Bittern - seen in flight several times at Huxter Well Marsh
• 7 Little Egret
• 3 Grey Heron
• 3 Marsh Harrier - male and 2 females
• 4 Buzzard
• 2 Kestrel
• 2 Hobby
• 1 Peregrine
• 2 + 2 juv Oystercatcher
• 15 Lapwing including 1 chick - Huxter Well Marsh 
• 1 Little Ringed Plover - from Hawthorn Bank Hide 
• 6 Redshank
• 3 Common Tern
• 70 Swift
• 4+ Chiffchaff
• Blackcap - 1 male and 1 fledgling seen at Hawthorn bank hide and also another male and fledgling close to Piper Marsh
• 1 Lesser Whitethroat - near Tofield Hide
• 3 Whitethroat
• 3 Starling
• 2 Linnet - Big Hedge
• 4 Reed Bunting

Other: 

Other Wildlife - at the dragonfly pools were Hairy dragonfly, Grass Snakes and Pirate wolf spider, Hornet along Mother Drain, Banded Demoiselle

Richard Scott, Allen Holmes, Katie Smith

Friday 24th

• 1 Black Swan
• 3 Hobby - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 CRANE - on cell 1b, last seen at 11.30. As far as I know the first time one has been grounded.

Michael Dyson, Andy Dalton

Thursday 23rd

• 6 Cettis Warbler
• 1 Bullfinch
• 19 Blackcap
• 7  Chiffchaff
• 4 Willow Warbler
• 7 Whitethroat
• 14 Reed Warbler
• 6 Reed Bunting
• 1 Song Thrush
• 1 Jay
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker – Beeston plantation
• 10+ Swift
• 2 House Martin
• 4 Cormorant
• 1 Bittern - West Scrape
• 7 Little Egret
• 2 Grey Heron
• 4 Oystercatcher - 2 adults and 2 chicks on 2a
• 1 Little Ringed Plover
• 2 Redshank
• 14 Lapwing including 2 chicks
• 1 Marsh Harrier
• 1 Hobby 
• 4 Buzzard
• 80 Gadwall
• 1  Shoveler
• 19 Tufted Duck
• 16 Pochard
• 14  Mute Swan +14 young
• 7 Little Grebe
• 6 Great Crested Grebe
• 8  Grey Lag Geese
• 14 Canada Geese +3 goslings
• 2 Common Tern

David Beresford, Mark Roberts

Tuesday 21st

• 1 Song Thrush near Loversal Delph ares
• 1 Avocet on West Scrape
• 5 Cettis
• 4 Shoveler
• 3 Bitterns two seen flying left to right at different times across the front of Mitchell Hide and one seen later flying across the front of Hawthorn Bank Hide
• 1 Golden Plover on island in front of Mitchell Hide
• 24 Pochard
• 23 Tufted Duck
• 3 Tree Creepers on Oak tree in Black Carr field
• 1 Linnet near Mitchell Hide
• 1 Bullfinch near the old cafe
• 4 Common Terns on Huxter Well Marsh
• 4 Lapwings
• 2 Little Egrets
• 6 Buzzards
• 1 Marsh Harrier
• 2 Little Grebes
• 3 Great Crested Grebes
• 5 Herring Gulls
• 1 Redshank on West Scrape
• 1 Hobby over Huxter Well Marsh
• 7 Shelduck
• 1 Little Ringed Plover from Hawthorn Bank Hide
• 1 Oystercatcher from Hawthorn Bank Hide

Other: 3 Speckled Wood, 1 Peacock, 1 Brimstone, 1 Orange Tip and 1 Common Blue and 3 rabbits

Keith Lynes, Michael Bird, Phil Goucher, Dave Harding, Dougie Smith, Barry Wardley, visitor reports

• 14 Mute Swan     2 pairs with 5 young each Huxter Well Marsh
• 17 Pochard      males cell 1b
• 3 Bittern     thought to be different birds
• 3 Grey Heron
• 5 Buzzard
• 1 Kestrel
• 1 Hobby
• 1 Oystercatcher    cell 2a
• 2 Avocet    1 West Scrape, 1 cell 1b
• 1 Redshank   West Scrape
• 4 Lapwing young from two broods   (3 and 1)
• 1 Golden Plover    on cell 1b
• 6 Ringed Plover    on cell 1b (arrived afternoon, MB)
• 4 Common Tern   Huxter Well Marsh (2 headed for iPort)
• 40 Swift    over Huxter Werll Marsh

Other:  1 Small Tortoiseshell, 2 Brimstone, 2 Common Blue, 1 Dingy Skipper, 1 Green-veined White.

Dave Carroll, Sue Bird, Mick Bellas

Moth Trapping Report for Saturday Night, 18th May

This proved to be a very disappointing moth trapping, with only 13 recorded species, all in low numbers. It had obviously been a cooler night than anticipated. The only highlights were a single Orange Footman and 2 Maiden’s Blush. Brown Silver-line is a common species associated with Bracken but the single individual recorded was the first on the reserve since 2002.

Ian Heppenstall, Harry Beaumont and Janet Heppenstall
 

Monday 20th

• 1 Willow Tit - Hawthorn Bank
• 2 BEARDED TIT - a male and female/juv at Huxter Well Marsh

Mark Roberts

• Cetti`s Warbler x 5 around site
• Common Tern x 2 Huxter Well
• Lesser Whitethroat x 2 around site
• Hobby x 1 hawking Huxter Well
• Bullfinch 1 male

Butterflies: Comma x 1, Orange Tip x 5 also ovum x 4 on Cuckoo Flower & Garlic Mustard, Peacock x 3, Speckled Wood x 3, Small Copper x 1 pond at Beeston Plantation, Dingy Skipper x 1 pond at Beeston Plantation

Moths: Glyphipterix simpliciella x 12, Adela reaumurella x 1 female, Anthophila fabriciana x 3

Martin Warne

Sunday 19th

• 6 Shelduck
• 3 Bittern - 2 booming and one seen in flight over West Scrape
• 1+ Hobby - birds seen high over Hawthorn Bank in the morning and at Huxter Well Marsh in the afternoon
• 1 Water Rail - calling near Mitchell Hide
• 2 Avocet - West Scrape
• 2 Oystercatcher
• Lapwing - chicks seen at Decoy Lake (2), cell 2a and cell 3b
• 1 Little Ringed Plover - West Scrape
• 2 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Rook - over
• 4 BEARDED TIT - 4 birds were seen together, of which 3 were seen well enough to confirm they were juveniles. The first confirmed breeding record for the reserve.
• 1 Song Thrush - along the path near Decoy Marsh
• 6 Bullfinch - pairs near Decoy Marsh and Old Eaa and singles at Iron Bridge and Hawthorn Bank

Butterflies: 4 Dingy Skipper, 2 Brimstone, 1 Green-veined White, 4 Orange Tip, 1 Common Blue, 1 Small Copper, 2 Peacock, 3 Speckled Wood

Damselflies/Dragonflies: 1 Red-eyed Damselfly (teneral male), c.10 Large Red Damselfly, c.50 Azure Damselfly, c.50 Common Blue Damselfly, 4 Blue-tailed Damselfly, 1 Hairy Hawker, 1 Broad-bodied Chaser, 7 Four-spot Chaser

Other: 2 Grass Snake, 1 Great Crested Newt, 5 Smooth Newt

Richard Scott, Mark Roberts, Sue Richardson, Darren Wozencroft, Sue and Roger Bird, Dave Carroll, Sheila Bury, Ian and Janet Heppenstall

Saturday 18th

• 6 Shelduck - 5 on Huxter Well Marsh and one on Old Eaa
• 2 Bittern - one booming quietly and one in flight
• 1 Avocet - Huxter Well Marsh/West Scrape
• 1 Oystercatcher
• Lapwing - small juv on cell 2a
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - Huxter Well Marsh/West Scrape
• 1 Common Sandpiper - West Scrape/cell 1b
• 1 Redshank - West Scrape
• 2 Common Tern - fishing at Huxter Well Marsh and flying to the iPort Lakes
• 1 Cuckoo - singing along Hawthorn Bank. The first of the year.
• 1 Lesser Whitethroat - singing between VC and car park
• 1 BEARDED TIT - calling at Huxter Well Marsh
• 7 Cetti's Warbler
• Treecreeper - family party along Hawthorn Bank

Other: Four-spotted Chaser on a window frame in Hawthorn Bank Hide and a Shrew was inside the hide

Richard Scott, Michael Bird

Thursday 16th

• 5 Cettis Warbler
• 19 Blackcap
• 1 Garden Warbler
• 9  Chiffchaff
• 6 Willow Warbler
• 9 Whitethroat
• 8 Reed Warbler
• 4 Reed Bunting
• 1 Greenfinch
• 1 Song Thrush
• 1 Pied Wagtail
• 10+ Sand Martin
• 60+ Swift
• 2 Swallow
• 10+ House Martin
• 12 Cormorant
• 3 Little Egret
• 1 Avocet
• 14 Lapwing
• 1 Marsh Harrier (M)
• 1 Sparrowhawk
• 1 Hobby in dead oak
• 5 Shelduck
• 48 Gadwall
• 2 Teal
• 1  Shoveler
• 25 Tufted Duck
• 27 Pochard
• 5 Little Grebe
• 6 Great Crested Grebe
• 8  Grey Lag Geese
• 11 Canada Geese + 6 goslings
• 33 Black Headed Gulls
• 5 Lesser Black Backed Gulls
• 35 Herring Gulls
• 2 Common Tern
• 1 OSPREY
• 3 L.R.Plover
• 2 R.Plover
• 2 Buzzard
• 2 Oystercatcher
• 1 Redshank

David Beresford, Adrian Andruchiw

Tuesday 14th

• 7 Shelduck - some were displaying
• 33 Gadwall
• 2 Shoveler
• 28 Pochard
• 11 Tufted Duck
• 1 Bittern - seen twice at Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Little Egret - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Grey Heron
• 6 Great Crested Grebe
• 3 Marsh Harrier - male and two females 
• 6 Buzzard
• 2 Hobby - feeding high over Huxter Well Marsh 
• 2 Avocet - West Scrape
• 18 Lapwing - 9 pairs counted
• 1 Little Ringed Plover - cell 3b
• 1 Common Sandpiper - cell 2a
• 2 Redshank - Huxter Well Marsh/West Scrape
• 4 Common Tern - some display and small fish gift on Huxter Well Marsh 
• 3 Great Black-backed Gull - cell 1b
• 2 Stock Dove - over Huxter Well Marsh 
• 14 Swift - over Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Green Woodpecker
• 1 Jay - Huxter Well Marsh (feeding flights?)
• 3 Rook - over the compound
• 1 BEARDED TIT - Huxter Well Marsh
• 6 Cetti's Warbler
• 2 Song Thrush
• 1 Greenfinch - singing in the old wardens carpark

Butterflies: 9 Orange Tips 4 Small Whites 2 Speckled Wood 4 Brimstone and 2 Peacock

Dragonflies/Damselflies: Hairy Dragonfly, 4 Spot Chaser, Broad Bodied Chaser and Common Blue, Blue Tailed and Red Damselfly

Other: Grass Snake in Black Carr Wood

Sue and Roger Bird, Dave Carroll, Keith Lynes, Michael Bird, Mick Bellas

Sunday 12th

• 1 Little Egret - from the Visitor centre this afternoon
• 1 Marsh Harrier - a female carrying nesting material flew over Willow Marsh towards Huxter Well Marsh 
• 4 Buzzard - watched from the Visitor centre in the afternoon 
• 1 Water Rail - calling in the Reedbed filtration ponds
• 1 Oystercatcher - chased a Marsh Harrier over the pumping station
• 2 Lapwing - still sitting on Love Island
• 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull - on Sedum House 
• 3 Herring Gull - on the raft 2 adults and one 3rd call year
• 15 Swift - over Willow Marsh 
• Great Tit - young have fledged the first of the season
• 2 Coal Tit - in Beeston Plantation
• 4 Greenfinch - in the old Wardens Carpark
• 2 Bullfinch - a pair behind the compound
• 4 Reed Bunting - singing in Willow Marsh 

Other: Hairy Dragonfly, 4 Large Red Damselfly and a Grass Snake swam across the channel from Beeston hide

Sue and Roger Bird, Robin Mokryj, visitor reports

Saturday 11th

• 4 Shelduck - cell 1b
• Mallard - with 3 small young on West Scrape
• 1 Bittern - booming at Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Sparrowhawk - up together over Hawthorn Bank
• 3 Hobby - hawking insects over Huxter Well Marsh between 3.30 and 4pm
• 2 Water Rail - calling at cell 2a and West Scrape
• 2 Avocet - West Scrape (copulating)
• 4 Oystercatcher - Huxter Well Marsh
• 4 Little Ringed Plover - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Dunlin - cell 2a
• 1 Common Sandpiper - cell 2a
• 1 WOOD SANDPIPER - over Huxter Well Marsh at 1.55pm
• 2 Redshank - West Scrape
• 2 Coal Tit - Beeston Plantation
• 1 BEARDED TIT - calling at Huxter Well Marsh
• 7 Cetti's Warbler

Richard Scott, Michael Bird, Adrian Andruchiw, Nigel Walker

Bird Ringing

A male Lesser Whitethroat ringed at Potteric Carr on 12th May 2018 was re-trapped at Carr Lodge on 28th April 2019

Doncaster Ringing Group

Thursday 9th

• 20  Mute Swan
• 21  Grey Lag Geese
• 21 Canada Geese
• 4 Shelduck
• 71 Gadwall
• 2 Teal
• 4  Shoveler
• 26+ Pochard
• 33+ Tufted Duck
• 4 Cormorant
• 1 Bittern - chased around cell 1b by Black-headed Gulls
• 2 Little Egret
• 1 Grey Heron
• 5 Little Grebe
• 4 Great Crested Grebe
• 1 Marsh Harrier - male
• 1 Sparrowhawk
• 1 Kestrel
• 5 Avocet
• 1 Oystercatcher
• 3 Ringed Plover
• 3 Dunlin
• 2 Common Sandpiper
• 2 Redshank
• 40+ Swift
• 70+ Sand Martin
• 10+ Swallow
• 40+ House Martin
• 7 Cettis Warbler
• 9  Chiffchaff
• 6 Willow Warbler
• 16 Blackcap
• 8 Whitethroat
• 12 Reed Warbler
• 1 Song Thrush
• 12 Reed Bunting

David Beresford, Dave Carroll, Mark Roberts

Wednesday 8th

• 2 Shelduck - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Wigeon - male and female on cell 1b
• 1 Bittern - seen in flight at Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Marsh Harrier - male
• 1 OSPREY - hovered over cell 1b before heading off north (11:30)
• 5 Avocet - Huxter Well Marsh/West Scrape
• 1 Oystercatcher - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 GREY PLOVER - one through high at 11:17 and the next came through low over cell 1b at 11:22. Both were heading north-east.
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - Huxter Well Marsh
• 6 KNOT - 5 east (09:20) and one was on West Scrape all afternoon. A record count for the reserve. All previous sightings have been of singles.
• 2 Redshank - West Scrape
• 3 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 7 Lesser Black-backed Gull - cell 1b
• 33 Herring Gull - cell 1b
• 1 Yellow-legged Gull - 4cy on cell 1b
• 5 Great Black-backed Gull - cell 1b
• 5 Stock Dove - over
• 40 Swift - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 BEARDED TIT - male seen and another heard 
• 2 Skylark - Huxter Well Marsh
• 70 Sand Martin - Huxter Well Marsh
• 10 Swallow - Huxter Well Marsh
• 30 House Martin - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Lesser Whitethroat - singing at VC and West Scrape
• 2 Pied Wagtail - Huxter Well Marsh

Other: Fox at West Scrape

Richard Scott

Tuesday 7th

• 10 Canada Goose - two broods of three new goslings each pair near visitor centre
• 7 Shelduck
• 28 Gadwall
• 6 Teal
• 15 Mallard - three females with new broods totalling 12 ducklings
• 2 Shoveler
• 17 Pochard
• 16 Tufted Duck
• 1 Goldeneye - female seen from from Mitchell Hide
• 1 Bittern  - showed at reedbed edge for 30 mins cell 1b
• 3 Little Egret
• 1 Little Grebe
• 4 Great Crested Grebe
• 1 Marsh harrier - male at Huxter Well Marsh
• 4 Buzzard
• 2 Water rail - calling
• 6 Coot  - family of 5 new chicks
• 1 Oystercatcher -  West Scrape
• 6 Lapwing
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Dunlin - Huxter Well Marsh
• 4 Black-headed Gull  2 pairs on Old Eaa
• 100+ Swift - over Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Kingfisher - Mother Drain
• 1 Jay - Seven Arches Carr
• 20+ Long-tailed Tit - two family parties
• 2 BEARDED TIT - male and female at Huxter Well Marsh
• 5 Cetti's Warbler
• 3 Lesser Whitethroat - singing males in different areas (VC, PM and Mitchell Hide)
• 2 Treecreeper
• 1 Pied Wagtail - Decoy Lake
• 2 Reed Bunting

Butterflies: 3 Orange Tip, 1 Small White

Other: Rabbit, Bank Vole

Keith Lynes, Dave Carroll, Sue Bird, Mark Roberts

Monday 6th

2 Egyptian Geese
1 Goldeneye - a late female on cell 2b
1 Bittern - seen in flight from West Scrape Hide
2 Marsh Harrier - male and female
2 Avocet - West Scrape
2 Oystercatcher - cell 2a
4 Little Ringed Plover - Huxter Well Marsh
2 Redshank - cell 3b
20 Swift - Huxter Well Marsh
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - male was feeding on the ground in Beeston Plantation
1 BEARDED TIT - Huxter Well Marsh
1 Skylark - Huxter Well Marsh
170 Sand Martin - Huxter Well Marsh
12+ Long-tailed Tit - family party in St Caths Copse
5 Garden Warbler
2 Lesser Whitethroat - singing near the VC and West Scrape Hide
2 Treecreeper - Cottage drain and Willow Bank
2 Song Thrush - Beeston Plantation 
1 Mistle Thrush - singing in Beeston Plantation 
1 Greenfinch - male in St Caths Field
3 Linnet - Central Grassland

Richard Scott, Mark Roberts, Ian Heppenstall, Gary Dyson, Sue and Roger Bird

Sunday 5th

• 4 Shelduck
• 4 Little Egret
• 1 Marsh Harrier - seen from VC
• 4 Buzzard - together
• 4 Avocet - West Scrape
• 1 Oystercatcher
• 1 Goldcrest - Black Carr Field
• 1 BEARDED TIT - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Garden Warbler - singing along Mother Drain near Piper Marsh Hide
• 1 Lesser Whitethroat - singing along Mother Drain near Piper Marsh Hide
• 1 Greenfinch - Loversall Triangle

Sue Cullen, Mark Roberts, Andy Dalton

Saturday 4th

• 5 Shelduck - cell 1b
• 1 Goosander - 1st-summer male on cell 1b, seen earlier flying over the iPort
• 2 Bittern
• 5 Little Egret
• 1 Marsh Harrier - male
• 1+ Hobby - 3 sightings over Huxter Well Marsh/Hawthorn Bank
• 1 Oysteratcher - cell 2a
• 1 Little Ringed Plover - cell 1b
• 1 Common Sandpiper - cell 2a
• 1 Common Tern - SW towards the iPort
• 1 ARCTIC TERN - north through Huxter Well Marsh (12.47pm)
• 30 Swift
• 1 Rook - over
• 1 BEARDED TIT - Huxter Well Marsh
• 100 Sand Martin
• 2 Lesser Whitethroat - singing along Mother Drain near Piper Marsh Hide and just south of Mitchell Hide

Richard Scott

Friday 3rd

• 4 Canada Goose - pairs with 3 young on Decoy Lake and 3+ young on Willow Marsh 
• 3 Shelduck - a pair on cell 1b and one on cell 3b
• 22 Teal - 20 on West Scrape and 2 on cell 1b
• 2 Bittern - booming and one flew across cell 2a and one perched on cell 1b
• 2 Little Egret - Huxter Well Marsh 
• 1 Marsh Harrier - male hunting on Huxter Well Marsh 
• 3 Buzzard - watched from the Visitor centre 
• 1 Hobby - over Huxter Well Marsh (visitor report)
• 3 Avocet - West Scrape 
• 2 Oystercatcher - Huxter Well Marsh 
• 1 Common Sandpiper - cell 3b
• 3 Redshank - 2 on West Scrape and one on cell 3b
• 10 Swift - over Huxter Well Marsh 
• 1 Jay - Loversal Delph 
• 150 hirundines - a mix of Swallow, Sand Martin and House Martin 
• 3 Garden Warbler

Sue and Roger Bird

Thursday 2nd May

• 17 Mute Swan
• 30 Greylag Geese
• 31 Canada Geese
• 5 Shelduck
• 93 Gadwall
• 8 Teal
• 5 Shoveler
• 20+ Pochard
• 30+ Tufted Duck
• 4 Cormorant
• 2 Bittern - booming
• 3 Little Egret
• 4 Little Grebe
• 3 Great Crested Grebe
• 1 Marsh Harrier - male
• 1 Sparrowhawk
• 1 Redshank
• 1 Little Ringed Plover
• 1 Common Sandpiper
• 5 Swift
• 50+ Sand Martin
• 4 Swallow
• 6 Cetti's Warbler
• 12 Chiffchaff
• 6 Willow Warbler
• 20 Blackcap
• 2 Garden Warbler
• 7 Whitethroat
• 2 Sedge Warbler
• 11 Reed Warbler
• 4 Greenfinch
• 8 Reed Bunting

David Beresford

Wednesday 1st

• 2 Bittern - booming
• 3 Little Egret
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female
• 1 Hobby - hunting at Huxter Well Marsh and perched in the large dead oak
• 5 Avocet - on West Scrape in the evening
• 2 Lapwing - pair at Decoy Lake
• 3 Little Ringed Plover - including a pair copulating at Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Common Sandpiper - cell 2a
• 3 Redshank - West Scrape
• 1 Stock Dove - Loversall Pool
• 15+ Swift - over Huxter Well Marsh
• 100+ Sand Martin - over Huxter Well Marsh in the evening
• 1 Swallow
• 2 Garden Warbler
• 2 Lesser Whitethroat
• 6+ Whitethroat
• 2 Sedge Warbler
• 2 Greenfinch - VC Feeders

Buffer Area - Carr Lodge

• 2 Red-legged Partridge
• 5 Blackcap - singing
• 1 Garden warbler - singing
• 2 Lesser Whitethroat - singing
• 8 Whitethroat - singing

Mick Bellas, Andy Dalton, Gary Dyson, Mark Roberts, Allen Holmes, visitor reports

Tuesday 30th

• 5 Shelduck
• 85 Gadwall
• 25 Teal
• 1 Shoveler
• 18 Pochard
• 22 Tufted Duck
• 10 Little Egrets - including 7 together
• 3 Little Grebe - 2 on Decoy Lake and 1 from Duchess Hide
• 3 Great Crested Grebe
• 3 Oystercatcher
• 5 Lapwing
• 1 Redshank
• 1 Herring Gull - Decoy Lake
• 7 Swift - the group spent some time over Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Jay - along the access track
• 6 Cetti's Warbler
• 1 Garden Warbler - singing beside the Access Track
• 1 Song Thrush - near St Caths Field

Butterflies: 5 Brimstone, 11 Orange Tip, 2 Speckled Wood

Keith Lynes, David Harding, Geoff Chatterton, Dave Carroll, Sue Bird

Monday 29th

• 5 Shelduck
• 1 Bittern
• 3 Little Egret
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - West Scrape
• 2 Redshank - West Scrape
• 6 Cetti's Warbler
• 3 Whitethroat - near West Scrape

Adrian Andruchiw

April Ringing Totals from Doncaster Ringing Group

Totals for two visits to Carr Lodge YWT was 69 birds processed (from 6 nets on each visit, totalling c.100m) including:

• 5 Chiffchaff (7 in March)
• 14 Willow Warbler
• 11 Blackcap (4 in March)
• 6 Whitethroat
• 1 Lesser Whitethroat

One of the Blackcaps and the Lesser Whitethroat were controls - possibly locals from Potteric Carr.

Other notable birds included Reed Buntings, Redwings, a pair of Treecreepers and a Great Spotted Woodpecker but no Willow Tits despite luring. Buzzards and a Marsh Harrier overhead, Grey Partridge on the deck

Saturday 27th

• 4 Shelduck - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Wigeon - male on cell 1b
• 2 Bittern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 6 Little Egret - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 BLACK-NECKED GREBE - Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Marsh Harrier
• 2 Oystercatcher - cell 2a
• 1 Ringed Plover - over
• 1 Curlew - SW
• 1 Common Tern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Common/Arctic Tern - west
• 2 Common Gull - both 2cy on cell 1b
• 5 Stock Dove - over
• 2 Kingfisher - chasing each other along the bridleway
• 2 BEARDED TIT - Huxter Well Marsh
• 10 Swallow - Huxter Well Marsh
• 100 Sand Martin - Huxter Well Marsh
• 20 House Martin - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Lesser Whitethroat - along Mother Drain near Piper Marsh

Richard Scott, Gary Dyson, Bernard Featherstone

MOTH TRAPPING REPORT FOR MONDAY NIGHT, 22 APRIL, 2019

20 species were recorded, which is a healthy total for a trapping night in April. The highlight was the 2^nd Potteric record of Chocolate-tip Clostera curtula. The first was in May, 2018. Chocolate-tip remains a very scarce moth in Yorkshire but is evidently increasing. Its larvae feed on various poplar and willow species.

Other, previously recorded Potteric moths trapped for the first time this year included Dyseriocrania subpurpurella, Flame Carpet, Early Tooth-striped (2), Double-striped Pug, Lunar Marbled Brown (2), Lesser Swallow Prominent (3), Pebble Prominent, Muslin Moth (3) and Shuttle-shaped Dart (3).

Ian Heppenstall, Harry Beaumont, Janet Heppenstall

Friday 26th

• 1 Bittern - booming
• 4 Little Egret
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female
• 5 Buzzard - up together
• 1 Peregrine - through Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Oystercatcher - cell 2a
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - West Scrape
• 1 Snipe - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Black Carr Wood
• 1 FIRECREST - at the junction of Loversall Bank and Willow Bank (AD)
• 1 BEARDED TIT - Huxter Well Marsh 
• 150+ Sand Martin - Huxter Well Marsh
• 5 House Martin - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Lesser Whitethroat - near Piper Marsh and Decoy Marsh

Dave Carroll, Sue and Roger Bird, Ian Heppenstall, Andy Dalton

Thursday 25th

• 2 Greylag Goose - with 4 new young on 3a
• 2 Shelduck - cell 1b 
• 3 Wigeon - males on cell1b
• 2 Mallard females with 5 new young 3b and 8 on 1b
• 11 Cormorant - cell 1b 
• 2 Bittern - booming on Huxter Well Marsh 
• 7 Little Egret - cell 1b
• 2 Marsh Harrier - a pair were seen from Tofield hide
• 2 Buzzard - over Black Carr Wood 
• 1 Peregrine - in front of the Visitor Centre (from the log book)
• 2 Water Rail - cell 2a
• 5 Avocet - West Scrape
• 2 Oystercatcher - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - Huxter Well Marsh 
• 1 Common Sandpiper - cell 2a
• 1 Redshank - West Scrape 
• 2 Snipe - cell 3a
• 56 Herring Gull - dropped on to cell 1b in front of the rain
• 1 Great Black-backed Gull - cell 1b 
• 2 Kingfisher - at the under bridge were very vocal and copulating
• 1 Skylark - singing over Huxter Well Marsh dropped on to the grassy knoll
• c100 Sand Martin - were feeding low during a heavy shower
• 2 Swallow - Huxter Well Marsh 
• 2 House Martin - were with the Sand Martins
• 5 Cetti's Warbler - singing
• 1 Lesser Whitethroat - Mother Drain opposite Piper Marsh
• 1 Whitethroat - singing next to the car park
• 1 Bullfinch - a male was feeding on seeds on the path past Old Eaa

Sue and Roger Bird, SC, Gary Dyson, Richard Scott

Wednesday 24th

• 6 Canada Geese - Piper Marsh
• 17 Teal - West Scrape
• 1 Bittern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Redshank - West Scrape
• 1 Willow Tit
• 2 Linnet - a pair nest-building at Rossington Carr Fields

Rob Burn, Mark Roberts

Tuesday 23rd

• 2 BLACK-NECKED GREBE - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Bittern - booming
• 2 Marsh Harrier
• 2 Little Ringed Plover
• 3 Redshank
• 8 Common/Arctic Tern - a flock at Huxter Well Marsh included at least one Arctic
• 4 BEARDED TIT - including 2 males at Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Grasshopper Warbler - 'reeling' between Decoy Lake and Loversall Pool

Steve Furber, Adrian Andruchiw

Monday 22nd

• 5 Shelduck - cell 1b
• 4 Wigeon - cell 1b
• 2 Bittern - booming
• 4 Little Egret
• 2 BLACK-NECKED GREBE - Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Marsh Harrier
• Coot - 3 adults with 4 chicks on Piper Marsh
• 3 Oystercatcher
• 22 Lapwing - 4 Loversall Pool, 18 cell 1b
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - cell 3b
• 3 Redshank
• 1 Kingfisher - Mother Drain
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Black Carr Wood
• 2 BEARDED TIT - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Lesser Whitethroat - near Tofield Hide
• 7 Whitethroat - mainly around the perimeter of Huxter Well Marsh and one in Willow Marsh next to Loversall Bank
• 1 Grasshopper Warbler - 'reeling' in Willow Marsh (west end)
• 2 Nuthatch - together in Black Carr Wood
• 4 Song Thrush - pair in St Caths Copse, 1 Black Carr Field, 1 Seven Arches Carr
• 1 Yellow Wagtail - over
• 2 Greenfinch - both singing at St Cath Field

Other: Pike - Mother Drain near the underbridge

Richard Scott, Mark Roberts, Dave Carroll, Sheila Bury, Andy Bell

Sunday 21st including WeBS count

• 2 Shelduck - cell 1b
• 3 Wigeon - cell 1b
• 70 Gadwall
• 37 Teal
• 23 Shoveler
• 24 Pochard
• 26 Tufted Duck
• 3 Bittern - booming at Huxter Well Marsh
• 8 Great Crested Grebe
• 2 BLACK-NECKED GREBE - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Marsh Harrier - male
• 1 Hobby - over Piper Marsh
• 3 Avocet
• 2 Oystercatcher - cell 2a
• 19 Lapwing
• 3 Redshank - Huxter Well Marsh
• 7 Snipe - including 6 on Loversall Pool
• 1 Kingfisher - Mother Drain behind Education Centre
• 1 Goldcrest - singing along Cottage Drain
• 2 Willow Tit
• 1 BEARDED TIT - male on Reedbed Filtration Ponds flew over Loversal Pool
• 1 Greenfinch - singing in St Caths Field

Other: 5 Bank Voles,  2 Grass Snake,  5 Great Crested Newt,  3 Smooth Newt,  1 Common Frog

Buffer Area - Short Lane Fields

• Cetti's Warbler, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat

Mark Roberts, Sue and Roger Bird, Darren Wozencroft, Allen Holmes, Richard Scott, visitor reports

Saturday 20th

• 3 Wigeon - cell 1b
• 3+ Bittern - at least 3 booming, one at Willow Marsh and at least 2 at Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 BLACK-NECKED GREBE - Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Marsh Harrier
• 1 SPOTTED CRAKE - Loversall Pool
• 1 Avocet - West Scrape
• 3 Oystercatcher
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - cell 2a
• 4 Redshank - West Scrape
• 4 Snipe - Loversall Pool
• 1 Stock Dove - singing in Black Carr Wood
• 2 BEARDED TIT - male and female near Mitchell Hide
• 1 Skylark - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Garden Warbler
• 3 Mistle Thrush - singing at Beeston Plantation, Black Carr Wood and cell 4
• 2 Pied Wagtail - Huxter Well Marsh

Buffer Area - Short Lane

• Cetti's Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat

Richard Scott, Andy Dalton, Helen Womack, Pete Greaves, Sue Bird, Alan Hobson

Friday 19th

• 2 Egyptian Geese
• 4 Shelduck
• 3 Wigeon
• 4+ Bittern - booming from Willow Marsh and 3 locations around Huxter Well Marsh also a number of sightings.
• 5 Little Egret
• 2 BLACK-NECKED GREBE - Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Marsh Harrier
• 3 Sparrowhawk
• 10 Buzzard`
• 1 Kestrel
• 1 Peregrine
• 5 Water Rail - including 3 at Loversall Pool
• 1 SPOTTED CRAKE - Loversall Pool
• 50 Coot
• 1 Avocet - cell 1b
• 3 Oystercatcher - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 WHIMBREL - north
• 1 Green Sandpiper - Loversall Pool
• 2 Greenshank - Huxter Well Marsh
• 4 Redshank - Huxter Well Marsh
• 5 Stock Dove - 3 on Loversall Carr Fields and 2 over Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Black Carr Wood
• 1 Skylark - Huxter Well Marsh
• 12+ Cetti's Warbler
• 13 Willow Warbler
• 2 Sedge Warbler
• 10 Reed Warbler
• 1 Yellow Wagtail
• 1 Pied Wagtail
• 1 White Wagtail

Richard Scott, Robin Mokryj, Stuart Churchill, visitor reports

Thursday 18th

• 12 Mute Swan
• 18  Greylag Geese
• 12 Canada Geese
• 4 Shelduck
• 9 Wigeon
• 80 Gadwall
• 70+ Teal
• 12 Mallard - a female with brood of 11 chicks on Loversall Pool
• 1 GARGANEY - drake on cell 1b and West Scrape
• c100 Shoveler
• 10 Pochard
• 30+ Tufted Duck
• [1 BUFFLEHEAD - a female on cell 2a seen from Hawthorn Bank Hide. This is the presumed escaped bird which has been seen at a number of sites in the East Midlands. The bird has a ring on its right leg.] Also reported on Tuesday afternoon (Peter Hendry)
• 8 Cormorant
• 3 Bittern - all booming
• 6 Little Egret
• 3 Grey Heron
• 6 Little Grebe
• 3 Great Crested Grebe
• 2 Marsh Harrier 
• 2 Buzzard
• 1 Sparrowhawk
• 1 SPOTTED CRAKE - Loversall Pool
• 2 Oystercatcher
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - cell 3b
• 1 Redshank - West Scrape
• 6 Snipe
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Black Carr Wood
• 9 Cetti's Warbler
• 11 Chiffchaff
• 3 Willow Warbler
• 14 Blackcap
• 2 Treecreeper
• 1 Song Thrush - singing Rossington Bank
• 1 Yellow Wagtail - north
• 1 Pied Wagtail
• 4 Linnet - over Tofield Hide
• 6 Reed Bunting

Butterflies: 20 Orange Tip, 8 Speckled Wood, 3 Peacock, 15 Brimstone 

Buffer Area - Carr Lodge

• 1 Stock Dove, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker a pair in courtship flight, 2 male RING OUZEL (AD et al), 2 Mistle Thrush on feeding flights, 1 Lesser Redpoll over

Gary Johnston, Andy Dalton, David Beresford, Dave Carroll, Steve Furber, Sue and Roger Bird, Richard Scott, Ian and Janet Hepenstall, Pete Greaves

Wednesday 17th

• 3 Wigeon - cell 1b
• 17 Cormorant - departed NE in the evening
• 3 Bittern - including 2 boomers
• 2 BLACK-NECKED GREBE - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Marsh Harrier - male
• 4 Water Rail - 2 at Loversall Pool and singles at Reedbed Filtration Ponds and cell 2a 
• 1 SPOTTED CRAKE - Loversall Pool
• 2 Oystercatcher - cell 2a
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Curlew - over West Scrape
• 1 Green Sandpiper - Loversall Pool
• 3 Redshank
• 34 Snipe - 8 on cell Loversall Pool and 26 in 3 groups lifted off from Huxter Well Marsh in the evening, mainly heading SE
• 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull - Sedum House roof
• 2 Herring Gull - Decoy Lake
• 100 Woodpigeon - St Caths Field
• 1 Willow Tit
• 2 Treecreeper
• 1 Pied Wagtail - Huxter Well Marsh

Other: Pike in Mother Drain, Pheasant predated an egg near cell 4, Grass Snake, Small Tortoiseshell, 4 Brimstone, 3 Speckled Wood, 2 Orange Tip, Bank Vole

Gary Dyson, Col Neale, Dave Carroll, Richard Scott

Tuesday 16th

• 2 Egyptian Geese - cell 1b
• 3 Wigeon - cell 2a
• 1 GARGANEY - male on cell 2a
• 2 Bittern - booming on Huxter Well Marsh 
• 3 Little Egret - cell 1b
• 1 Marsh Harrier - female over Huxter Well Marsh 
• 1 Sparrowhawk - over Black Carr Wood 
• 1 Buzzard - over Hawthorn Bank 
• 3 Water Rail - Loversall Carr pool
• 1 SPOTTED CRAKE - Loversall Pool 
• 18 Lapwing - 16 on cell 1b and 2 on Loversall pool 
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - cell 3b
• 1 Green Sandpiper - flew from Decoy Lake to Loversall Pool
• 2 Redshank - 2 on Loversall pool and later 2 on Huxter Well Marsh 
• 8 Snipe - 7 on Loversal Pool and one on Piper Marsh
• 2 Swallow - north
• 5 Cetti's Warbler - singing and one showed well in front of Hawthorn Bank Hide 
• 8 Willow Warbler - singing
• 1 Reed Warbler - Seven Arches Carr 
• 1 Nuthatch - calling along Hawthorn Bank and seen in Black Carr Wood 
• c50 Redwing - in Beeston Plantation were very vocal
• 1 Mistle Thrush - St Caths Field

Sue Bird, Dave Carroll, Phil Goucher, Mick Bellas, Dave Harding, Dougie Smith, Graham Sharply

Monday 15th

• SPOTTED CRAKE - still on Loversall Pool

Gary Dyson

Sunday 14th

• 11 Shelduck - 9 on cell 1b and 2 on Old Eaa
• 11 Wigeon - cell 2a
• 94 Shoveler - cell 1b
• 3 Bittern - including 2 boomers
• 2 Little Egret - cell 1b
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female
• 5 Buzzard
• 1 Kestrel - at the VC 
• 1 Water Rail - calling on the Reedbed Filtration Ponds, Loversall Pool and Willow Marsh
• 1 SPOTTED CRAKE - Loverall Pool
• 3 Oystercatcher - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Little Ringed Plover - flew from the direction of the iPort to cell 3b
• 6 Snipe - one in front of Mitchell Hide, 2 at Piper Marsh, 3 at Loversall Pool
• 1 ARCTIC TERN - flew low east over Huxter Well Marsh at 8.04am (SF, RJS)
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - drumming in big trees in the dip on Hawthorn Bank North
• 2 Goldcrest - a male singing and a female in St Caths copse
• 1 Willow Tit
• 1 BEARDED TIT
• 6 Cetti's Warbler
• 4 Willow Warbler - singing across the reserve
• 2 Treecreeper - St Caths Copse and Hawthorn Field
• 1 Pied Wagtail - over West Scrape 

Other: 4 Hare on Loversall Carr Fields, Tawny Mining Bee

Sue and Roger Bird, Richard Scott, Sue Cullen, Steve Furber, Justin Parker, Stuart Churchill, Peter Williams

Saturday 13th

• 3 Shelduck
• 2 GARGANEY - a pair on West Scrape late afternoon flushed by a harrier and moved over to cell 1b (RJS)
• 2 Bittern - booming at Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Marsh Harrier - male, female and cc
• 5 Water Rail - 2 calling at Loversall Pool, singles calling at cell 1b, West Scrape and Willow Marsh
• 1 SPOTTED CRAKE - on Loversall Pool all day but elusive at times
• 2 Oystercatcher - cell 2a
• 4 Redshank - 2 on Loversall Pool and 2 at Huxter Well Marsh
• 25 Herring Gull - cell 1b
• 20 Great Black-backed Gull - cell 1b
• 1 Green Woodpecker
• 1 Rook - N
• 30 Sand Martin - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Reed Warbler

Buffer Area - Short Lane Fields

• Cetti's Warbler and Whitethroat

Rob Burns, Richard Scott, Col Neale, Martin Roper, Dave Meikle, Sue and Roger Bird

Friday 12th

• 4 Shelduck - cell 1b
• 3 Wigeon - cell 2a
• 3 Bittern
• 6 Little Egret - Huxter Well Marsh 
• 2 Marsh Harrier - pair displaying 
• 1 Sparrowhawk - over Huxter Well Marsh 
• 1 Buzzard - over Huxter Well Marsh 
• 1 OSPREY - over Loversall Pool at 11.55 (TL)
• 2 Water Rail - one calling on Loversall Pool and one singing in Seven Arches Carr
• 1 SPOTTED CRAKE - on Loversall Pool all day
• 2 Oystercatcher - cell 2a
• 2 Redshank - cell 2a
• 8 Snipe - 7 on Loversall pool and one on cell 2a
• 1 Green Woodpecker - in Black Carr Wood and later on Huxter Well Marsh 
• c30 Sand Martin - Huxter Well Marsh 
• 1 BEARDED TIT - male seen from Mitchell Hide
• 5 Cetti's Warbler - singing on Huxter Well Marsh 
• 2 Willow Warbler - singing in Piper Marsh Scrub and in cell 4

Buffer Area

• Ring-necked Parakeet at Short Lane Farm in the morning, flew towards Bessacarr

Sue and Roger Bird, Tina Langford, Pete Greaves, Richard Collis, John Burdall, visitor reports

Thursday 11th

• 22 Mute Swan
• 11  Greylag Geese + 6 Goslings
• 15 Canada Geese
• 4 Shelduck
• 18 Wigeon
• 54 Gadwall
• 80+ Teal
• c150 Shoveler
• 17 Pochard
• 42 Tufted Duck
• 5 Little Grebe
• 4 Great Crested Grebe
• 8 Cormorant
• 2 Bittern - booming at Huxter Well Marsh
• 5 Little Egret
• 5 Grey Heron
• 1 Marsh Harrier
• 2 Sparrowhawk
• 2 Buzzard
• 1 Kestrel
• 2 Water Rail - Loversall Pool
• 1 SPOTTED CRAKE - found on Loversall Pool by visiting birders. The first since 1999.
• 2 Oystercatcher - over
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Black-tailed Godwit - West Scrape
• 4 Redshank - 2 at West Scrape and 2 at Loversall Pool
• 7 Snipe
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Beeston Plantation
• 2 Coal Tit
• 6 Cetti's Warbler
• 19 Chiffchaff
• 1 Willow Warbler
• 14 Blackcap
• 1 Nuthatch - Hawthorn Bank
• 1 Treecreeper
• 2 Song Thrush
• 30+ Redwing - Beeston plantation
• 4 Bullfinch

Steve Furber, Adrian Andruchiw, Richard and Tricia Scott, David Beresford, visitor reports

Wednesday 10th

• 2 Wigeon - West Scrape
• 2 Teal - Piper Marsh
• 8 Pochard - Piper Marsh
• 6 Tufted Duck - Piper Marsh
• 2 Bittern - booming
• 7 Little Egret
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female
• 1 Sparrowhawk
• 2 Kestrel
• 1 Water Rail - Reedbed Filtration Ponds
• 2 Oystercatcher - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Redshank - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Snipe - Piper Marsh
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
• 1 Jay - Beeston Plantation
• 1 Swallow
• 1 House Martin
• 1 Reed Warbler - Seven Arches Carr
• 1 REDSTART - male in bushes at the edge of Loversall Field next to Division Drain. Still present in the early evening. (GD et al)

Other: 3 Peacock, 7 Orange Tip, 1 Bank Vole, 2 Roe Deer

Gary Dyson, Gary Johnston, Vernon Barker, Derek and Anna Parker, Richard Collis, Richard Scott, Allen Holmes, Mark Roberts

Tuesday 9th

• 1 Bittern - booming
• 7 Little Egret
• 1 BLACK-NECKED GREBE

Phil Goacher

Plodia interpunctella Indian Meal Moth – a new moth record for Potteric Carr N.R.

In early April, I was presented with a moth for identification, one of 3 that had emerged from a package of wild bird food. The date was 2 April and staff member, Abi Gibbons had opened the package in the Visitor Centre stock room and managed to capture one of the moths. The moth was distinctively marked, with dark brown forewings marked with a broad pale yellow band near the base of the forewing. It was not a moth I recognised but Harry Beaumont quickly identified it as Plodia interpunctella Indian Meal Moth.

Plodia interpunctella is a member of the Pyralidae and is a synanthropic species (associated with human activity). Its larvae feed upon a variety of stored grain, cereals, fruits, nuts, etc. It is particularly associated with wild bird food stored in warehouses, shops, etc and can be a minor pest species. The Potteric moths appear to have pupated within the box, which contained individually wrapped packets of suet pellets, which themselves were undamaged. So the larvae must have fed on material previously stored in the box.

Yorkshire records of this species are very thinly distributed across the county, with only 4 records from VC63, the most recent one being in 2005. So this is an interesting, albeit slightly unusual new record and, as a minor pest species, perhaps a rather unwelcome one!

Ian Heppenstall

Moth Trapping Report for Saturday Night, 6th April

A modest total of 10 species were trapped, of which 2 were additions to the 2019 list. Digitivalva pulicariae and Grey Birch are not uncommon species but, nevertheless, are not recorded every year. Digitivalva pulicariae is a micro-moth associated with fleabane and was last recorded in 2015. The Grey Birch, as a larva, feeds mainly on birch and this one was last seen in 2016.

Diurnea fagella, Brindled Pug, Brindled Beauty, Yellow Horned, Hebrew Character, Common Quaker, Twin-spot Quaker and Clouded Drab were the other species trapped.

Ian Heppenstall, Harry Beaumont, Janet Heppenstall

Monday 8th

• 4 Shelduck - cell 1b
• 18 Wigeon - cell 2a
• 6 Cormorant - cell 1b 
• 1 Bittern - booming on Huxter Well Marsh 
• 3 Little Egret - cell 1b
• 2 Marsh Harrier - displaying over Seven Arches Carr then a female hunting over Huxter Well Marsh 
• 2 Sparrowhawk - pair displaying over Black Carr Wood
• 2 Buzzard - circling together over the compound 
• 3 Water Rail - calling on cell 4, West Scrape and cell 2a
• 2 Oystercatcher - Huxter Well Marsh 
• 8 Lapwing
• 8 Snipe - 6 on Loversall pool and 2 on Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Bearded Tit - calling at cell 3b
• 1 Skylark - singing over Mitchell Hide 
• 12 Sand Martin
• 7 Cetti's Warbler - singing 
• 1 Willow Warbler - singing along the Access Track

Butterflies: Brimstone, Peacock, 2 Orange Tip, Comma and Green-veined White

Buffer Area

• Ring-necked Parakeet over Short Lane Fields at dusk, Cetti's Warbler at Short Lane Fields pond

Sue Bird, Dave Carroll, Sheila Bury, Mark Roberts, Richard Scott

Sunday 7th

• 2 Egyptian Geese - Piper Marsh
• 2 Bittern - one seen flying near Mitchell hide and one booming
• 1 Marsh Harrier
• 3 Buzzard
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - cell 3b
• 3 Redshank - cell 2a
• 7+ Snipe - Loversall Pool
• 7 Stock Dove - Loversall Carr Fields
• 1 Tawny Owl
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Black Carr Wood
• 4 Willow Warbler - 3 along Cottage drain and one near the VC
• 2 Treecreeper - Black Carr Wood
• 1 Wheatear - female on Central Grassland seen from East Scrape screen
• 2 Siskin - over Access Track

Sue Cullen, Mark Roberts

Saturday 6th

• 3+ Bittern - including 2 booming
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female
• 2 Sparrowhawk - displaying
• 10 Buzzard
• 1 OSPREY - over Piper Marsh around 10.30 (HW)
• 6 Water Rail - West Scrape, East Scrape, cell 1b, cell 4 and 2 at Reedbed Filtration Ponds
• 2 Avocet - West Scrape
• 3 Oystercatcher - over
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - cell 3b
• 32 Lapwing - 30 at Huxter Well Marsh and 2 at Loversall Pool
• 2 Redshank - West Scrape
• 1 Green Woodpecker
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
• 1 Goldcrest - singing at Black Carr Wood/Black Carr Field. No sign of the firecrest today.
• 3 Coal Tit - Black Carr Field
• 1 Willow Tit
• 4 BEARDED TIT - 2 seen near Mitchell Hide, singles heard near East Scrape and Tofield Hide
• 1 Skylark - singing over Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Treecreeper - singing along Hawthorn Bank
• 1 REDSTART - in trees near pond on purple route in Discovery Zone (per BirdGuides)
• 1 Grey Wagtail - over the Access Track to Decoy Marsh

Other: 2 Foxes, 1 Weasel

Richard Scott, Helen Womack, Gary Johnston, John Burdall, Keith Rich, Dave Carroll, visitor reports

Friday 5th

• 4 Shelduck
• c20 Wigeon - over Huxter Well Marsh towards iPort
• 2 Bittern
• 1 GREAT WHITE EGRET - Huxter Well Marsh and Mother Drain near Iron Bridge
• 2 Marsh Harrier
• 1 OSPREY - flew east over Loversall Carr Fields towards Huxter Well Marsh about 10.15 (SO, SB et al)
• 1 Peregrine
• 1 Water Rail - East Scrape
• 2 Oystercatcher
• 3 Little Ringed Plover - cell 3b
• 1 Green Woodpecker - Willow Marsh
• 1 Rook - south
• 1 FIRECREST - singing in the pines at the edge of Black Carr Wood/Field (JW et al)
• 1 BEARDED TIT - calling and seen briefly near Mitchell Hide
• 5 Cetti's Warbler
• 1 Stonechat - male seen from Mitchell Hide

Other: Water Vole

Simon Oliver, Steve Bellamy, Richard Scott, Vernon Barker, Adrian Andruchiw, Andy Dalton, Nidge Nilsen, Jonathan Walker

Thursday 4th

• 100+ Shoveler - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Cormorant
• 3 Bittern - booming at Decoy Marsh/Old Eaa Marsh and 2 booming at Huxter Well Marsh
• 8 Little Egret - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 GREAT WHITE EGRET - cell 1b
• 3 Marsh harrier - male and 2 females
• 1 Sparrowhawk
• 7 Buzzard - mostly distant views
• 1 Kestrel
• 2 Oystercatcher
• 2 Lapwing - pair at Loversall Pool
• 6 Snipe - 1 Loversall Pool, 1 Decoy Marsh, 1 Piper Marsh, 3 Huxter Well Marsh
• 4 Herring Gull - pairs at Decoy Lake and Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Stock Dove - Decoy Lake
• 1 Green Woodpecker
• 8 Jackdaw - foraging in cut grass next to Visitor Centre
• 2 Coal Tit - singing
• 1 Willow Tit
• 200+ Sand Martin - feeding over Huxter Well and groups purposefully west
• 6 Swallow - through Huxter Well Marsh
• 8 Cetti's Warbler - singing
• 1 Willow Warbler
• 14 Blackcap
• 1 Mistle Thrush - singing in Hawthorn Field
• 2 Brambling - Loversall Triangle near the viaduct
• 4 Reed Bunting - singing

Other: 3 Roe Deer at Huxter Well Marsh, Fox at Loversall Carr Fields

Gary Johnston, Andy Dalton, Dave Carroll, Sue and Roger Bird, Saxilby U3A birdwatchers

Wednesday 3rd

• 6 Shelduck
• 15 Teal - Loversall Pool
• 2 Bittern - booming
• 1 GREAT WHITE EGRET - West Scrape
• 1 BLACK-NECKED GREBE
• 1 RED KITE - with distinctive feather loss on left wing
• 2 Marsh Harrier - pair displaying
• 4 Buzzard
• 1 Water Rail
• 2 CRANE - thermalling high over Hawthorn Bank at 1pm heading north (IM, AL)
• 2 Oystercatcher
• 2 Lapwing - pair at Loversall Pool
• 1 JACK SNIPE - with 8 Snipe on Loversall Pool
• 13 Snipe
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Hawthorn Bank
• 50 Sand Martin - dropped into Huxter Well Marsh between showers
• 4 Cetti's Warbler
• 2 BEARDED TIT - near Mitchell Hide
• 2 House Sparrow - between Sedum House and the Royal Mail building. The first sighting on the reserve for a few years?

Buffer Area - Carr Lodge

• Green Woodpecker, Willow Warbler, 6 Blackcap

Ian Morris, Andrew Leggett, Andy Dalton

Ringing  Recoveries

Cetti's Warbler ringed at Potteric Carr on 12th July 2018 was controlled at Leighton Moss, Lancashire on 28th March 2019. This is the first recovery of a Doncaster ringed Cetti's Warbler.

Great Tit trapped Potteric Carr on 2 March 2019 had been ringed at Renishaw, Derbyshire on 25th November 2018.

Bev Baxter and Bekah per Jim Horsfall

Tuesday 2nd

• 2 Egyptian Geese - flew from cell 1b to Piper Marsh
• 4 Shelduck
• 48 Gadwall
• 48 Teal
• 150+ Shoveler
• 22 Pochard
• 40 Tufted Duck
• 7 Little Grebe
• 11 Great Crested Grebe
• 2 BLACK-NECKED GREBE - Huxter Well Marsh
• 4 Bittern - Huxter Well Marsh. 3 males were identified.
• 8 Little Egret
• 2 Marsh Harrier - pair
• 7 Buzzard
• 2 Oystercatcher - cell 2a
• 8 Lapwing
• 9 Snipe
• 1 Tawny Owl
• 2 Green Woodpecker - calling on Huxter Well Marsh and in Beeston Plantation
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - calling in Beeston Plantation
• 1 Willow/Marsh Tit - Willow Pool feeders
• c100 Sand Martin - Huxter Well Marsh
• 5 Swallow
• 5 Cettis Warbler
• 20+ Chiffchaff
• 1 Willow Willow - on the edge of Beeston Plantation
• 20 Blackcap
• 4 Treecreeper - 2 pairs in Beeston Plantation
• c50 Redwing - Beeston Plantation
• 2 Mistle Thrush - Beeston Plantation
• 3 Bullfinch
• 1 Lesser Redpoll - Beeston Plantation

Other: 7 Roe Deer - 4 in Beeston Plantation and 3 on Loversall Carr Fields

Sue Bird, Dave Carroll, Mick Bellas, Dave Harding, Steve Furber, Keith Lynes, Phil Goucher, Dougie Smith, Geoff Chatterton, Paul Paddock, Chris Bell, S Brook, K Dutton, I Richardson

Monday 1st

• 5 Shelduck - Huxter Well Marsh
• 5? Bittern - 2 Bittern booming and 2 seen on Huxter Well Marsh and one on Piper Marsh
• 4 Little Egret - Huxter Well Marsh
• 6 Great Crested Grebe - 3 pairs displaying on Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Marsh Harrier - a pair displaying
• 3 Sparrowhawk - 2 over Willow Bank and one over Old Eaa
• 5 Buzzard
• 1 Water Rail - calling in the Reedbed Filtration Ponds
• 19 Lapwing - 17 on cell 1b and 2 on Decoy Lake island
• 1 Common Sandpiper - flew across Piper Marsh
• 1 Green Sandpiper - Loversall Pool
• 3 Snipe - one on Piper Marsh and 2 on cell 3b
• 1 Green Woodpecker - calling in Black Carr Wood
• 2 Jay - Decoy Marsh
• 2 Jackdaw - in the nest box next to Mother drain near Decoy Lake
• 50+ Sand Martin - over Huxter Well Marsh 
• 6 Blackcap - singing

Buffer Area

• Curlew NW over Gladstones Fields at 6.45pm, Cetti's Warbler singing at the Short Lane pond, 2 Wheatear on Short Lane Fields and the rough field near the rail college, 2 Mistle Thrush at Short Lane Fields

Dave Carroll, Sheila Bury, Sue and Roger Bird, Allen Holmes, Rob Leach, Richard Scott

The toilet near the education centre and compound has been temporarily closed due to continued vandalism and misuse

Mark Roberts (Field Officer)

Sunday 31st

• 60 Whooper Swan - north at 9.40am
• 21 Wigeon - cell 2a
• 2 Bittern - booming at Piper Marsh and cell 4
• 7 Little Egret - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 GREAT WHITE EGRET - Huxter Well Marsh but elusive
• 1 BLACK-NECKED GREBE - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Marsh Harrier - pair sky-dancing
• 3 Sparrowhawk
• 10 Buzzard
• 2 Peregrine - immature over the iPort and later an adult mobbing a buzzard near the iPort
• 2 Water Rail - cell 1b and cell 4
• 4 Avocet - West Scrape
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - cell 3b
• 9 Snipe - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Green Woodpecker - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 BEARDED TIT - calling near Mitchell Hide
• 1 Skylark - singing over Huxter Well Marsh
• 60 Sand Martin - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Meadow Pipit - over
• 1 Brambling - Hawthorn Bank
• 1 Greenfinch - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Siskin - over

Richard Scott, Sue Cullen

Saturday 30th

• 9 Shelduck - 7 on Huxter Well Marsh and 2 on Old Eaa
• 3 Bittern - one booming at Piper Marsh and 2 seen a number of times near Mitchell Hide
• 6 Little Egret
• 1 GREAT WHITE EGRET - on Huxter Well Marsh during the afternoon but elusive
• 3 Marsh Harrier - pair and cc
• 2 Sparrowhawk
• 10 - Buzzard
• 1 Kestrel
• 1 Peregrine - immature drifted east and was mobbed by a sparrowhawk
• 4 Water Rail - 2 on Loversall Pool, Cell 4, Old Eaa
• 2 Avocet - dropped into West Scrape mid afternoon
• 2 Oystercatcher
• 2 Little Ringed Plover - cell 3b
• 1 Curlew - on cell 2a late afternoon but was flushed by a black-headed gull just before 5pm and flew off NW
• 4 Snipe - 3 at Decoy Lake and one at Loversall Pool
• 1 Green Woodpecker - ranging from Iron Bridge to Hawthorn Bank
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Black Carr Wood
• 1 BEARDED TIT - calling in front of Mitchell Hide
• 50 Sand Martin - over Huxter Well Marsh in the afternoon
• 1 Swallow - over Huxter Well Marsh in the afternoon
• 1 House Martin - over Huxter Well Marsh in the afternoon
• 1 Meadow Pipit - Central Grassland
• 3 Siskin - over

Buffer Area - Gladstones Fields

• Tawny Owl calling overnight, Green Woodpecker

Richard Scott, Helen Womack, Andy Dalton

Friday 29th

• 2 Mute Swan - pair at Piper Marsh
• 6 Gadwall - Piper Marsh
• 4 Teal - Piper Marsh
• 1 Pochard - Piper Marsh
• 2 Bittern - Piper Marsh. One booming.
• 5 Little Egret
• 1 Marsh Harrier - female high over the centre of the reserve
• 3 Little Grebe - Piper Marsh
• 4 Buzzard
• 3 Oystercatcher - Huxter Well Marsh
• 4 Snipe - Piper Marsh
• 1 Green Woodpecker - 'yaffling' in Black Carr Wood
• 9 Cetti's Warbler - singing. One giving good views along Willow Bank.
• 15+ Chiffchaff - singing
• 10 Blackcap - singing. A big arrival.
• Bullfinch - 2 pairs Willow Bank/Cottage Drain area

Butterflies: 4 Brimstone, 3 Peacock, singles of Orange Tip, Speckled Wood and Small Tortoiseshell 

Vernon Barker, Pat and Janet Heath, Keith Horton

Thursday 28th

• 2 Bittern - one booming at Huxter Well Marsh and one seen at Loversall Pool
• 2 Marsh Harrier - pair
• 3 Buzzard
• 7 Avocet - West Scrape
• 2 Oystercatcher - cell 2a
• 5 Ruff - cell 1b
• 2 Snipe - Piper Marsh
• 2 Green Woodpecker
• 1 Coal Tit - singing Black Carr Field
• 1 Willow Tit
• 8 Sand Martin
• 3 Blackcap - 2 males and a female

Butterflies: 6 Orange Tip, 8 Comma, 28 Peacock, 6 Brimstone, 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 1 Speckled Wood

Other: 1 Fox, 3 Dark-edged Bee-Fly

Dave Carroll, Helen Womack, Sue and Roger Bird, Darren Wozencroft, Paul Bowker

Wednesday 27th

• 4 Shelduck - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Bittern - booming at Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Little Egret
• 4 Grey Heron
• 1 BLACK-NECKED GREBE - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Marsh Harrier - cc over Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Oystercatcher
• 1 Willow Tit
• 1 Marsh Tit - seen and heard in Big Hedge
• 100+ Sand Martins - over Huxter Well Marsh at 1pm
• 4 Cetti's Warbler
• 1 Blackcap - Black Carr Wood
• 2 Treecreeper - Black Carr Wood and Beeston Plantation

Other: 4 Roe Deer

Buffer Area - Carr Lodge

• 3 Redshank

Ray Harrison, Paul Paddock, Andy Dalton, Mark Roberts, Mick Bellas

Tuesday 26th

• 5 Shelduck
• 38 Gadwall
• 39 Teal
• 122 Shoveler
• 15 Pochard
• 22 Tufted Duck
• 1 Bittern - at 11am crossed the path between two reedbeds just to the left of Mitchell Hide
• 4 Little Egret
• 1 GREAT WHITE EGRET -  flew off East Scrape circled Huxter Well Marsh then flew off
• 1 Grey Heron
• 15 Little Grebe
• 7 Great Crested Grebe
• 1 BLACK-NECKED GREBE - Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Marsh Harrier
• 1 Sparrowhawk
• 5 Buzzard
• 1 Peregrine - female flew low over Huxter Well Marsh and over Hawthorn Bank Hide
• 2 Oystercatcher - cell 2a
• 1 Water Rail - Old Eaa
• 6 Lapwing
• 12 Snipe
• 1 Green Woodpecker
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Black Carr Wood
• 12 Sand Martin - in small groups SW
• 4 Coal Tit - all singing in separate territories.
• 2 Willow Tit
• 1 Goldcrest - singing St Caths Copse
• 16 Chiffchaff
• 4 Cetti's Warbler
• 2 Treecreeper - Black Carr Wood
• 2 Reed Bunting

Dave Carroll, Sue Bird, Keith Lynes, Michael Bird, Phil Goucher, Dougie Smith, Dave Harding, Adrian Andruchiw

Monday 25th

• 5 Shelduck - 2 on Old Eaa and 3 on Huxter Well Marsh 
• 1 Wigeon - cell 2a
• 1+ Bittern - 3 sightings at Huxter Well Marsh 
• 7 Little Egret - Huxter Well Marsh 
• 1 BLACK-NECKED GREBE - Huxter Well Marsh  
• 4 Marsh Harrier - a pair over Low Ellers and 2 cc over Piper Marsh/Huxter Well Marsh 
• 2 Sparrowhawk - over Black Carr Wood and at the visitor centre
• 4 Buzzard
• 1 Water Rail - calling on cell 2a
• 4 Avocet - cell 1b
• 4 Oystercatcher - Huxter Well Marsh 
• 2 Redshank - cell 2a
• 8 Snipe - 5 on cell 2a and 3 on Piper Marsh 
• 1 Green Woodpecker - calling along Hawthorn Bank 
• 2 BEARDED TIT - heard between Mitchell Hide and Tofield Hide and one heard calling from Hawthorn Bank Hide
• 100 Sand Martin - north in 3 groups of 10, 50, 40
• 20+ Chiffchaff - singing
• 1 Treecreeper - Beeston Plantation
• 1 Pied Wagtail - male at Decoy Lake
• 3 Greenfinch - St Caths fields
• 1 Linnet - a male singing next to Tofield hide
• 5 Lesser Redpoll

Butterflies: 5 Peacock, 4 Comma, 1 Brimstone

Keith Lynes, Richard Collis, Sue and Roger Bird, Mark Roberts

Sunday's sightings have been updated to include WeBS counts

Sunday 24th

• 46 Gadwall
• 35 Wigeon - cell 1b
• 59 Teal
• 109 Shoveler
• 64 Tufted Duck
• 45 Pochard
• 2+ Bittern - heard booming at 8am and singles seen near Mitchell Hide and Tofield Hide
• 5 Little Egret - Huxter Well Marsh
• 24 Little Grebe
• 8 Great Crested Grebe
• 1 BLACK-NECKED GREBE - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Marsh Harrier - male and female
• 3 Sparrowhawk - over Piper Marsh
• 1 Peregrine - seen distantly from Hawthorn Bank Hide
• 3 Water Rail - 2 calling from Old Eaa and one calling from cell 2a
• 120 Coot
• 2 Oystercatcher - cell 2a
• 15 Snipe
• 1 Green Woodpecker - near Iron Bridge
• 2 BEARDED TIT - one calling near Mitchell Hide and a male seen in front of Tofield Hide
• 2 Skylark - one singing over Huxter Well Marsh and one flew west
• 40 Sand Martin - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Treecreeper - Beeston Plantation
• 3 Meadow Pipit - W

Buffer Area - Carr Lodge

• Woodcock, singing Goldcrest

Richard Scott, Mark Roberts, Sue Cullen, Adrian Andruchiw, Andy Dalton, Derek and Anna Parker

AGONOPTERIX PURPUREA, a micro-moth new to Potteric Carr

On 19 February, a small micro-moth was spotted in one of the bird hides on Hawthorn Bank. This is not unusual at this time of year, when micro-moths of the Genus Mompha are regularly found in these hides. This, however, looked much more like an Agonopterix species, though not one that I recognised. The colour was unusual, a mixture of red-brown and black. The moth was collected and, subsequently, dissected. The genitalia appeared to be those of Agonopterix purpurea and the moth, itself, looked very like the illustrations of this species in the published literature and online.

The Yorkshire Moths website showed no records of this species in the county, so the moth and genitalia slide were passed to Harry Beaumont, County Microlepidoptera Recorder for consideration. Harry was able to confirm the identification and added that there had, in fact, been a couple of recent Yorkshire records, in 2017 and 2018, both in South Yorkshire localities. The Potteric Carr Agonopterix purpurea represents, therefore, the 3^rd Yorkshire record. Plus, of course, it is the first Potteric Carr record of this species.

The larvae of Agonopterix purpurea feed on various Umbellifers and the moths hibernate as an adult, which is why the moth could be found in a bird hide in February.

Ian Heppenstall

Moth Trapping Report for Thursday Night 21st March

It had been a very mild night and, as a consequence, we trapped an excellent total of 21 species of moths, with good numbers of some of the commonest ones. Eriocrania sangii, Diurnea fagella, Agonopterix ocellana, Acleris hastiana, Oak Beauty, Brindled Beauty, Brindled Pug, March Moth, Early Thorn, Lead-coloured Drab and Red Chestnut were all additions to the 2019 year list.

Ian Heppenstall, Harry Beaumont, Janet Heppenstall

Saturday 23rd

• 9 Shelduck - 7 at Huxter Well Marsh and 2 at Old Eaa
• 130 Shoveler - Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Little Egret
• 1 GREAT WHITE EGRET - arrived from the east onto Huxter Well Marsh at 12.00
• 1 BLACK-NECKED GREBE - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Marsh Harrier - pair displaying
• 3 Sparrowhawk
• 15 Buzzard
• 1 Kestrel
• 2 Peregrine - mobbed a buzzard over the M18
• 8 Water Rail - calling at Reedbed Filtration Ponds, Old Eaa, cell 1b, cell 4, East Scrape, Lagoon, Piper Marsh, West Scrape
• 2 Oystercatcher - over Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Little Ringed Plover - flew over Huxter Well Marsh at 12.15
• 1 Curlew - over Huxter Well Marsh at 6.50am
• 1 Ruff - on the island at the back of cell 1b at 8am
• 2 Redshank - West Scrape
• 5 Snipe - 2 on cell 2a and 3 at West Scrape
• 3 Stock Dove - over
• 1 Green Woodpecker - Seven Arches Carr/Iron Bridge
• 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker - over Seven Arches Carr and Old Eaa
• 3 Jay
• 1 Willow Tit
• 3 Skylark - one singing at Huxter Well Marsh and 2 over
• 40 Sand Martin - mainly west through Huxter Well Marsh
• 14 Cetti's Warbler - singing
• 21 Chiffchaff - singing
• 1 Blackcap - male in Loversall Triangle
• 1 Nuthatch - Black Carr Field
• 2 Song Thrush - singing at Rossington Bank and Hawthorn Bank
• 4 Mistle Thrush - 3 on Loversall Carr Fields and one singing in Beeston Plantation
• 1 Meadow Pipit - Central Grassland
• 3 Greenfinch - one at St Caths Field and 2 in Big Hedge

Butterflies: 5 Peacock, 1 Small Tortoiseshell

Richard Scott, Adrian Andruchiw, John Burdall, Pete Greaves

Thursday 21st

• 70 Wigeon - 20 on cell 2a and c50 flew on to 2a at 12.45 from the iPort
• 1 'Brewers' Duck - West Scrape 
• 1 Bittern - Piper Marsh
• 8 Little Egret - 7 on Huxter Well Marsh and one on Short Lane Fields 
• 1 GREAT WHITE EGRET - cell 1b and later 2a
• 1 Grey Heron - Willow Pool
• 3 Marsh Harrier - including a pair displaying 
• 2 Sparrowhawk
• 2 Buzzard - over Huxter Well Marsh 
• 1 Water Rail - calling on West Scrape 
• 10 Avocet - West Scrape 
• 3 Oystercatcher - Huxter Well Marsh 
• 1 Lapwing - displaying over Decoy Lake
• 1 Curlew - flew over N calling
• 3 Snipe - 1 on cell 2a and  2 on 3b
• 2 Coal Tit - Access Track 
• 1 Willow Tit
• 1 Treecreeper
• 5 Chaffinch - Willow Pool
• 2 Siskin - Access track 
• 2 Reed Bunting - Willow Pool

Rob Burns, Gary Dyson, Brenda Mccabe, Sue and Roger Bird, Andy Dalton, Michael Bird, visitor reports

Tuesday 19th

• 3 Shelduck
• 78 Wigeon - dropped on to cell 2a at 2pm
• 51 Gadwall
• 35 Teal
• 1 Pintail - male on West Scrape
• 91 Shoveler
• 30 Pochard
• 33 Tufted Duck
• 1 Bittern - cell 3b at 12.20pm
• 2 Little Egret
• 9 Little Grebe
• 5 Great Crested Grebe
• 2 Marsh Harrier - female and immature male
• 1 Buzzard over Black Carr Wood above 11.45am
• 4 Water Rail - calling in the Reedbed Filtration ponds, 2 females were singing
• 2 Oystercatcher
• 14 Lapwing
• 2 Redshank - cell 1b
• 4 Snipe
• 2 Herring Gull - on the raft on Decoy Lake
• 2 Green Woodpecker - one in Black Carr Wood and one in Beeston Plantation
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Black Carr Wood
• 5 Coal Tit - 3/4 territories and some territorial dispute along Cottage Drain
• 2 Willow Tit
• 1 Sand Martin - over Huxter Well Marsh
• 11 Cetti's Warbler - singing
• Long-tailed Tit - very busy nest bulding across the reserve
• 11 Chiffchaff - singing
• 2 Treecreeper - Beeston Plantation and Black Carr Wood
• 1 Song Thrush - near Sedum House
• c120 Redwing - St Caths Field
• 1 Mistle Thrush - singing in Beeston Plantation
• 8 Bullfinch four pairs, 2 pairs in Seven Arches Carr, one pair in Piper Marsh scrub and a pair along Cottage drain
• 2 Greenfinch - St Caths Field
• 4 Lesser Redpoll - Piper Marsh Scrub
• 15 Siskin

Keith Lynes, Michael Bird, Dave Harding, Geoff Chatterton, David Horncastle, Gary Dyson, Sue Bird, Dave Carroll, Andy Dalton

Monday 18th

• 5 Shelduck - West Scrape
• 6 Wigeon
• 5 Little Egret
• 2 Grey Heron
• 2 Little Grebe - from Cottage Drain hide
• 4 Oystercatcher
• 3 Snipe
• 1 Marsh Harrier
• 2 Buzzard - over Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Barn Owl
• 1 Green Woodpecker - St Caths Field
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - male drumming in Black Carr Wood
• 3 Sand Martin
• 4 Cetti's Warbler - singing
• 8 Chiffchaff - singing
• 5 Redwing 
• 1 Greenfinch
• 3 Lesser Redpoll - Willow Bank
• 2 Siskin

Other: 3 Great Crested Newt, 8 Smooth Newt, 1 Common Frog, 1 Brimstone, 3 Roe Deer

Buffer Area

• Marsh Harrier over Low Ellers, 2 Song Thrush singing along Short Lane

Pat Heath, Derek and Anna Parker, Darren Wozencroft, Richard Scott

Sunday 17th

• 8 Shelduck - Huxter Well Marsh and Old Eaa
• 22 Wigeon - cell 2a
• 1 Bittern - Huxter Well Marsh
• 4 Little Egret - Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Snipe - 2 Decoy Marsh, 1 Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Grey Heron
• 2 Marsh Harrier - cream-crowns over Huxter Well Marsh and Old Eaa
• 2 Sparrowhawk - pair over Piper Marsh
• 4 Buzzard - up together over Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Oystercatcher - over Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Redshank - cell 2a
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Black Carr Wood
• 1 Sand Martin
• 4 Cetti’s Warbler - singing
• 4+ Chiffchaff - singing
• 2 Greenfinch - singing male and a female in St Caths Field
• 20 Siskin - Access Track

Other - Grass Snake in Black Carr Field

Buffer Area - Carr Lodge

• 79 Wigeon, 17 Gadwall, 24 Teal, 3 Grey Heron, 1 Redshank,  1 Jay

Richard Scott, Michael Bird, Ian and Janet Heppenstall, Sue Cullen, Martin Roper, Chris Robinson, visitor reports
 

Saturday 16th

• 2 Egyptian Geese - circled Huxter Well Marsh before flying towards iPort Lakes
• 7 Shelduck
• 2 Bittern - landed together in a reedbed at Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Little Egret - St Caths Field
• 2 Marsh Harrier - cream crowns at Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Sparrowhawk
• 3 Buzzard
• 2 Kestrel
• 2 Peregrine - a pair circling over Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Water Rail - Old Eaa
• 3 Oystercatcher - up to 3 flying between iPort Lakes and the reserve
• 1 Dunlin - over Huxter Well Marsh
• 27 Snipe - 2 on cell 2a and a flock of 25 put up by a harrier. The highest count of the year so far.
• 2 Kingfisher - Mother Drain
• 1 Green Woodpecker - Hawthorn Bank
• 1 Sand Martin - SW
• 7 Chiffchaff - 5 singing and 2 calling
• 2 BEARDED TIT - a male called and flew past Mitchell Hide while another was still calling in the reeds in front of the hide. A surprising find considering the challenging conditions.
• 1 Skylark - singing at Huxter Well Marsh
• 1000+ Starling - small murmuration near the VC after 6pm
• 5 Greenfinch - west at dusk

Other: 4 Roe Deer

Richard Scott

Friday 15th

• 4 Shelduck
• 1 Bittern
• 2 Little Egret
• 2 Marsh Harrier
• 1 Sparrowhawk
• 2 Buzzard - over Black Carr Wood
• 2 Oystercatcher
• 1 Redshank
• 4 Snipe
• 300 Black-headed Gull - on cell 1b during the morning
• 150 Herring Gull - on cell 1b during the morning
• 2 Kingfisher
• 1 Sand Martin - over Loversall Pool at 13:25 going SW
• 4 Cetti's Warbler
• 3 Chiffchaff
• 12 Reed Bunting

Other: 3 Roe Deer, 1 Grass Snake, 8 Frogs in Decoy Marsh, 1 Brimstone, 1 Peacock, 1 Small Tortoiseshell

Darren Wozencroft, Sue and Roger Bird

Thursday 14th

• 1 Shelduck
• 2 Wigeon
• 2 Little Egret
• 2 Marsh Harrier - one seen eating a coot at Piper Marsh
• 1 Oystercatcher
• 2 Snipe - on the island on Piper Marsh 
• 300+ Black-headed Gull - Huxter Well Marsh 
• 6 Common Gull - cell 1b
• 20 Herring Gull - cell 1b
• 1 Kingfisher - flew across Piper Marsh 
• 2 Coal Tit - along Cottage Drain
• 6 Cetti's Warbler - singing 
• 1 Chiffchaff - singing along Hawthorn Bank 
• 1 COMMON REDPOLL - with 2 Lesser Redpolls at Hawthorn Bank at 10.15am

Other: 6 Roe Deer, Muntjac near Piper Marsh, Grass Snakes in Black Carr Field and Loversal Delph, 1 Tree Bumblebee, 4 Buff/White-tailed Bumblebee

Sue and Roger Bird, Darren Wozencroft, visitor reports

Tuesday 12th

• 2 Little Egret - St Caths Field
• 1 Marsh Harrier - female at Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Oystercatcher - cell 2b
• 10 Snipe - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Herring Gull - on raft on cell 1a
• 1 Kingfisher - Mother Drain
• 11 Carrion Crow - in a tree Corbett Wood
• 2 Coal Tit - pair in Black Carr Field
• 2 Willow Tit
• 8 Cetti's Warbler - singing in separate areas
• 2 Chiffchaff - singing
• 50 Redwing - St Caths Field

Dave Carroll, Sue Bird, Ian and Janet Heppenstall

Moth Record for Tuesday 5th March

A Grey Shoulder-knot moth was found on the breeze blocks in the compound. This species isn't recorded every year, although we did have one last year. This is the first for 2019. They like to rest on greyish backgrounds that mirror their own colouring, which is why this one was resting on the breeze blocks.

Roger Bird, Ian Heppenstall

Monday 11th

• 2 Shelduck -  West Scrape
• 5 Little Egret - from Mitchell Hide
• 1 GREAT WHITE EGRET - from Mitchell Hide
• 10 Little Grebe - across reserve
• 8 Great Crested Grebe
• 1 Marsh Harrier - two Sightings
• 2 Chiffchaff - Black Carr Wood and Hawthorn Bank

Other: 2 Grass Snakes and 3 female Roe Deer

Pat Heath

Sunday 10th

• 4 Shelduck
• 2 Wigeon
• 9 Little Grebe
• 4 Great Crested Grebe
• 1 BLACK-NECKED GREBE - a bird in summer plumage seen from Mitchell Hide
• 6 Little Egret   -  4 in St Caths and 2 on cell 1b
• 3 Marsh Harrier - cream-crowns. One carrying a small prey item.
• 6 Buzzard
• 4 Peregrine - a record count. A pair seen late morning to the east of the reserve and in the early afternoon 4 were up together in the same area, one stooping on pigeons. Later one flew low over Huxter Well Marsh and straight over Hawthorn Bank Hide giving brilliant views. One later seen carrying a large prey item over Hawthorn Bank.
• 1 Oystercatcher - over Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Black-tailed Godwit - over cell 2b at 2.55pm, circled but left east
• 7 Snipe  -  5 on cell 2a, singles on cell 1b and in front of the VC
• 20 Common Gull - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Green Woodpecker - Huxter Well Marsh
• 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker - calling from Hawthorn Bank and Corbett Wood
• 1 Skylark - singing over Huxter Well Marsh
• 4 Cetti's Warbler
• 2 Chiffchaff  -  Hawthorn Bank
• 1 Song Thrush
• 1 Mistle Thrush
• 1 Meadow Pipit - Central Grassland
• 1 Greenfinch - singing in St Caths Field
• 40 Siskin - 20 at the car park and 20 at Piper Marsh

Other: 3 Roe Deer, 1 Bank Vole along Hawthorn Bank

Darren Wozencroft, Richard Scott, visitor reports

Saturday 9th

• 30+ Pochard - cell 2a
• 1 Bittern - flew (probably) from the rear of Piper Marsh to the middle of the Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Little Egret
• 3 Marsh Harrier - male and 2 cream-crowns, with one seemingly driven off SW
• Buzzard - several sightings
• 2 Snipe - Decoy Marsh and cell 2a
• 4 Cetti's Warbler - calling at various locations
• 3 Chiffchaff - 2 in the Hawthorn Bank area and one at Old Eaa
• 9 Lesser Redpoll - 3 in a tree at Black Carr Field and 6 on Hawthorn Bank
• 10+ Siskin - 4 feeding on path near Willow Pool Hide and at least 6 feeding near Piper Marsh

Other: Roe Deer in St Catherines Field

Chris Bell

Friday 8th

• 3 Shelduck - 2 on 1b and one on Old Ea
• 3 Little Egret - Huxter Well Marsh 
• 1 Marsh Harrier - female on Willow Marsh 
• 1 Buzzard - over Huxter Well Marsh 
• 1 Curlew - flew from 1b at 12.40 and went west
• 5 Snipe - cell 2a
• 5 Common Gull - cell 1a
• 1 Goldcrest - singing in St Caths Copse
• 1 Willow Tit - heard in St Caths Copse 
• 2 Cetti's Warbler - singing in Huxter Well Marsh 
• 2 Chiffchaff - singing along Hawthorn Bank and in Willow Marsh
• 1 Siskin - male singing near the pumping station
• 2 Lesser Redpoll - Willow Bank 
• 2 Bullfinch - pair in St Caths copse 

Other: 3 Roe Deer on Huxter Well Marsh 

Sue and Roger Bird

Moth Trapping Report for Thursday Night, 28th February

It hadn’t been an especially mild night but, nevertheless, there were plenty of moths around on Friday morning to keep the interest going. There was a total of 12 species trapped, none of them unexpected or uncommon, but it was the number of individuals that was impressive. Totals included 37 Common Quaker, 11 Small Quaker, 7 each of Clouded Drab and Chestnut, 4 Yellow Horned, 3 each of Twin-spot Quaker and Hebrew Character, plus singles of 5 other species.

Yellow Horned, Shoulder Stripe, Small Quaker, Clouded Drab, Engrailed, Common Quaker, Twin-spot Quaker and Hebrew Character were all additions to the 2019 year list.

Ian and Janet Heppenstall

Thursday 7th

• 2 Marsh Harrier - pair displaying high above the reserve this morning
• 2 Snipe - flushed off the edge of Decoy Lake
• 2 Kingfisher - along Mother Drain half way down the Access Track
• 1 Sand Martin - over Piper Marsh
• c30 Siskin - around the Pumping Station

Andy Dalton, visitor report

Wednesday 6th

• 4 Shelduck
• 2 Bittern - Huxter Well Marsh, seen from Duchess Hide and Tofield Hide
• 2 Little Egret
• 1 Marsh Harrier
• 4 Cetti's Warbler - 3 at Huxter Well Marsh and one at Decoy Marsh

Other: 2 Roe Deer

Adrian Andruchiw, Paul Paddock

Tuesday 5th

• 5 Shelduck
• 75 Gadwall
• 18 Teal
• 41 Shoveler
• 1 Bittern - seen from Duchess Hide
• 32 Pochard
• 51 Tufted Duck
• 5 Cormorant
• 3 Little Egret
• 6 Great Crested Grebe
• 3 Little Grebe
• 1 Marsh Harrier
• 2 Sparrowhawk
• 5 Buzzard
• 1 Peregrine - over Huxter Well Marsh at 3pm
• 1 Water Rail - in the Iron Bridge area
• c35 Lapwing
• 1 Curlew - cell 1b at 3pm
• 1 Woodcock - Loversall Delph
• 3 Snipe - from Hawthorn Bank Hide
• 2 Herring Gull - on the raft on Decoy Lake were displaying
• 2 Kingfisher - pair along Moth Drain
• 2 Green Woodpecker - Huxter Well Marsh and Seven Arches Carr
• 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker - drumming in Black Carr Wood
• 3 Goldcrest - Black Carr Wood, Black Carr Field and St Caths Copse
• 3 Coal Tit
• 5 Willow Tit - counted during a survey
• 7 Cetti's Warbler
• 2 Chiffchaff - singing
• 1 Treecreeper - Black Carr Wood
• 1 Redwing - near Decoy Marsh
• 1 Song Thrush
• 1 Pied Wagtail
• 6 Lesser Redpoll - Beeston Plantation
• 2 Siskin - Rossington Bank

Other: 5 Roe Deer, 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 3 Grass Snake in Black Carr Field, 1 Smooth Newt in Loversall Field pond

Ray Harrison, Keith Lynes, Michael Bird, Helen Womack, Dave Harding, Geoff Chatterton, Darren Wozencroft, Sue Bird, Dave Carroll, David Horncastle

Sunday 3rd

• 5 Shelduck - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Little Egret
• 1 GREAT WHITE EGRET - briefly on cell 1b late morning
• 1 Marsh Harrier - Old Eaa
• 6 Buzzard - including one with a white upper-tail
• 3 Water Rail - 2 calling at Huxter Well Marsh and one at Old Eaa
• 3 Oystercatcher - commuting between Huxter Well Marsh and iPort Lakes
• 2 Snipe - some aerial activity over Huxter Well Marsh
• 4 Stock Dove - together over Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Kingfisher - Mother Drain near the entrance
• 1 Green Woodpecker - Willow Marsh
• 1 Sand Martin - through Huxter Well Marsh at 10.45. The earliest record by 4 days.
• 1 Skylark - singing over Huxter Well Marsh
• 7 Cetti's Warbler
• 6+ Redwing - feeding in St Caths Field
• 3 Pied Wagtail - Huxter Well Marsh
• 30 Goldfinch - St Caths Field
• 30 Lesser Redpoll - in birch trees on Hawthorn Bank near St Catherine's Hide
• 1 COMMON REDPOLL - with the Lessers on Hawthorn Bank
• 30 Siskin - in alders near the pumping station

Other: young Bank Voles on Hawthorn Bank

Richard Scott, Allen Holmes

Saturday 2nd

• 6 Shelduck
• 2 Little Egret - Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 GREAT WHITE EGRET - SE following the Mother Drain
• 1 Marsh Harrier - cc
• 1 Sparrowhawk
• 6+ Buzzard
• 1 Peregrine - beyond the M18
• 40 Lesser Black-backed Gull - increase in numbers in the roost
• 360 Herring - roosting
• 35 Great Black-backed Gull - a big drop in numbers
• 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker - pair in Beeston Plantation and one drumming in Black Carr Wood
• 2 Raven - seen between 12.40 and 2.30pm 'blogging' beyond the M18 to the east of the iPort
• 1 Skylark - SW
• 4 Goldcrest
• 1 Marsh Tit - Black Carr Wood
• 3 Chiffchaff - 2 singing and one trapped and ringed
• 5 Treecreeper - 4 in Beeston Plantation, 1 in St Caths Copse
• 40 Lesser Redpoll - over Willow Marsh

Richard Scott, Nigel Walker

Thursday 28th

• 24 Mute Swan
• 19 Greylag Geese
• 14 Canada Geese
• 7 Shelduck - West Scrape
• 150+ Gadwall
• 40+ Teal
• 30+ Shoveler
• 12 Pochard
• 56 Tufted Duck
• 13 Cormorant
• 1 Bittern - dropped into reeds opposite Tofield Hide
• 4 Little Egret
• 2 Heron
• 5 Little Grebe
• 6 Great Crested Grebe
• 1 Marsh Harrier - in the dead oak at Huxter Well Marsh
• 1 Oystercatcher
• 70+ Lapwing
• 4 Snipe
• 2 Green Woodpecker - Willow Bank and Huxter Well Marsh
• 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker
• 2 Goldcrest - Black Carr Wood
• 4 Coal Tit
• 5 Cetti's Warbler
• 4 Song Thrush - singing
• 10 Redwing
• 7 Bullfinch
• 20+ Lesser Redpoll
• 4 Reed Bunting

Other: 5 Roe Deer, 1 Fox, 1 Rabbit

Michael Bird, David Beresford

Wednesday 27th

• 1 Little Egret
• 1 Marsh Harrier
• 2 Buzzard
• 1 Water Rail
• 1 Green Woodpeclker - Black Carr Field
• 2 (or 4) Great Spotted Woodpecker - pair in Black Carr Wood and a pair at Loversall Triangle
• 2 Goldcrest - Black Carr Field
• 1+ Coal Tit - Black Carr Field
• 2 Chiffchaff - singing at Loversall Pool and Cottage Drain
• 3+ Song Thrush - singing

Other: several Brimstones and lots of reports of Grass Snakes 

Buffer Area - Carr Lodge

• 7 Greylag Geese, 5 Mallard, 10 Teal, 3 Grey Heron, 5 Pheasant, singing Treecreeper

Mark Roberts, Andy Dalton, Chris Robinson, Vernon Barker, visitor reports

Tuesday 26th

• 1 Whooper Swan - cell 1b
• 4 Shelduck
• 160 Gadwall
• 30 Teal
• 60 Shoveler
• 15 Pochard
• 40 Tufted Duck
• 4 Little Egret
• 7 Great Crested Grebe
• 2 Marsh Harrier
• 7 Buzzard - up together
• 2 Water Rail - singing at Decoy Marsh and cell 1a
• 3 Oystercatcher
• 50 Lapwing
• 1 Barn Owl
• 1 Kingfisher - Mother Drain
• 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Beeston Plantation and drumming at Hawthorn Field
• 4 Goldcrest - Black Carr Wood
• 4 Coal Tit - singing in separate areas
• 1 Skylark - Loversall Carr
• 5 Chiffchaff - singing in separate areas
• 5 Cettis Warbler - Decoy Lake, Old Eaa, Huxter Well Marsh, Seven Arches Carr
• 4 Treecreeper
• 4 Song Thrush
• 10 Lesser Redpoll - St Catherine's Copse
• 5 Siskin - back of Decoy Lake