Wildlife of the Rodwell Trail
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last year's birds:
2021 (91 sp) previous years: 2020 (103 sp) 2019 (94 sp) 2018 (108 sp) 2017 (94 sp) 2016 (76 sp) 2015 (75 sp) yearly summaries: 2021 (91 sp) 2020 (103 sp) 2019 (94 sp) 2018 (108 sp) 2017 (94 sp) 2016 (76 sp) 2015 (75 sp) 2014 (75 sp) 2013 (66 sp) 2012 (79 sp) 2011 (84 sp) 2010 (99 sp) 2009 (98 sp) 2008 (97 sp) best months: Dec 2013 (50 sp) Jan 2013 (50 sp) Jan 2010 (60 sp) Nov 2008 (57 sp) Oct 2008 (57 sp) |
75 species so far this year
Great Northern Diver Black-throated Diver Black-necked Grebe Slavonian Grebe Great Crested Grebe Fulmar Cormorant Grey Heron Little Egret Dark-bellied Brent Goose Black Brant Shelduck Mallard Goosander Red-breasted Merganser Common Scoter Sparrowhawk Buzzard Peregrine Kestrel Oystercatcher Whimbrel Curlew Common Sandpiper Black-headed Gull Mediterranean Gull > Common Gull Herring Gull > Lesser Black-backed Gull Great Black-backed Gull Sandwich Tern Common Tern Little Tern Guillemot Razorbill Wood Pigeon Feral Pigeon Stock Dove Collared Dove Green Woodpecker Great Spotted Woodpecker Swift Swallow House Martin Meadow Pipit Pied Wagtail Grey Wagtail Wren Dunnock > Robin Stonechat Blackbird Song Thrush Sedge Warbler Common Whitethroat Lesser Whitethroat Blackcap Chiffchaff Willow Warbler Goldcrest Long-tailed Tit Coal Tit Blue Tit Great Tit Jay Magpie Rook Raven Jackdaw > Carrion Crow Starling House Sparrow > Chaffinch Greenfinch Goldfinch Linnet |
![]() Kestrel, 12th March 2022 A flock of five Common Sandpipers on the shore opposite Wyke Halt was a clear indication that autumn migration is underway, at least amongst waders. In the harbour the first juvenile Sandwich Tern of the year was flying west with four adults. June 19th Three young Rooks were on the Marsh thus morning, presumably all from the three-nest colony nearby. June 4th A pair of Stock Doves flew over Wyke Cutting this morning. Later on a Kestrel and a Peregrine were both huntingin the Hillcrest Road area. June 2nd The annual singing Stock Dove was back again this morning, in the usual spot at the northern end of the platform at Rodwell Halt. Previous records have all been since 2015 and on a variety of dates between February and October. May 27th The first fledgeling Rook was in the trees by Asda this morning, with one adult in attendance. At Wyke Cutting the Common Whitethroat is still on territory although no Lessers have been singing there this year. ![]() Little Egret, 27th May 2022 The first Lesser Whitethroat of the year was singing above the Sailing Club this morning and out in the harbour the first Common Terns could be seen, along with several Sandwich and Little Terns. April 29th The first Sedge Warblers of the year were singing at Downclose and Wyke Cutting, where there was also a singing male Whitethroat. The Whimbrel heard yesterday was still on the shore nearby, along with four Oystercatchers which appeared to be two pairs defending territories. Other evidence of breeding noticed today: pairs of Greenfinches at Downclose and Wyke Cutting pairs of Long-tailed Tits at Downclose, Buxton Road and Wyke Road calling Great Spotted Woodpecker at Rodwell Halt near Wyke Road singing Goldcrest at Downclose all three Rook nests occupied at Asda. ![]() Oystercatcher and Whibrel, 2nd May 2022 The first Little Tern of the year was fishing off the Sailing Club this morning, with a Whimbrel heard there also. April 24th The southern end of the trail added two new birds for the year with a Whitethroat singing in a typical site in Wyke Cutting and a few Swallows heading north. A pair of Pied Wagtails appear to be nesting immediately south of the trail somewhere and a rare spring Jay flew across Old Castle Road. April 17th A third nest has appeared in the proto-rookery next to Asda, with eight Rooks in attendance this morning. At Smallmouth a Fulmar flew south along the shoreline and three Whimbrel and two Little Egrets were feeding out in the harbour on the low tide. April 10th Blackcaps were much in evidence this morning with five or six singing males spread along the length of the trail. In contrast there were just two Chiffchaffs, one at Chickerell Road and one opposite the Sailing Club. This year Chaffinches have also hern quite scarce with one singing just south of Buxton Road and another just off the trail near the Outdoor Education Centre. At Smallmouth a couple of Linnets were still about and the adult male Kestrel was back again. Two mergansers just south of Smallmouth may have been the last ones left of the wintering flock. April 3rd The first Sandwich Terns of the year, eight of them, were off Sandsfoot this morning and ranging widely throughout the harbour. A Blackcap singing at Rodwell Halt was also a first for the year. Off Smallmouth the flock of 50 Red-breasted Mergansers was the highest total seen since early January. March 26th Another two year ticks for the trail this morning with Green Woodpecker and Linnet both in Wyke Cutting. March 21st Two new species for the year list today with a Meadow Pipit heading north over Wellworthy Close and a pair of Shelduck out in the harbour flying towards the breakwaters. March 19th Another Kestrel today, this time a female hovering above the Sailing Club. A bit further on at Wyke Road a Sparrowhawk flew along the trail and at Rodwell Halt a Goldcrest was singing, the first of the year. ![]() Rook on nest, 12th March 2022 An adult male Kestrel hunting over the southern end of the trail was an interesting sighting today, suggesting that there may perhaps be a female on eggs nearby somewhere. At the other end of the trail the Rooks were in attendance at both nests near Asda. ![]() Magpie, Newstead Road, 12th March 2022 Ears were more useful than eyes today with a Jay calling from the Outdoor Education Centre and a Buzzard calling nearby at Wyke Road. A bit further along the trail at Sandsfoot Halt the same (or perhaps a different) Buzzard flew low over the trail. February 26th Last year's Rook nests survived until last week when Storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin put paid to them but this morning there were two new ones, built on the same spot by Asda but on the opposite side (east). February 20th A first for the trail today when a Black Brant turned up with a flock of Dark-bellied Brents at the Sailing Club. February 13th A male Peregrine made a low pass over the trail this morning near Sudan Road where there was also a Coal Tit calling. Two Song Thrushes together near Buxton Road were a good indication that they will breed there again this year, always their favourite site. February 6th The first Jay for several weeks was at Rodwell Halt as were two Coal Tits. In the harbour everything was a bit distant in the choppy water but I just about managed to locate eight Black-necked Grebes, two Slavonian Grebes and what was probably a female Goosander flying north high up. January 30th A Song Thrush was singing at Rodwell Halt this morning, along with the Chiffchaff at Buxton Road were the first sightings of both species this year. Sandsfoot produced the first Common Scoter of the year and a flock of 33 Cormorants flying south low over the shoreline. Further out the harbour produced 11 Black-necked Grebes, 2 Slavonian Grebes and 25 mergansers, a typical count for recent weeks. January 11th A very foggy mornng but three Black-throated Divers were so close off the Sailing Club that they could be seen very clearly. Further out a record count for this winter of twelve Black-necked Grebes were found with two Slavonian Grebes in the distance. At Rodwell Halt a Jay was heard calling for the second time this week. January 3rd An excellent start to the year with Black-throated and Great Northern Divers and Black-necked and Slavonian Grebes all off the Sailing Club, whilst overhead four Ravens flew north. A bit further on a Goosander flew over the southern end of the Trail and a smart male Stonechat was at the end of Wyke Cutting. At Rodwell Halt a Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming loudly. more on my video blog ... |