May 2024 Summary
New “Year Ticks” in May 2024: 26
New “Life Ticks” in May 2024: 0
Total Species for 2024 so far: 114
Birding Group
The first birding group of the month was to Wigan Flashes on the 7th May 2024 where we got a few good year ticks, the best of which was two Hobbies quartering above us. We went on our own for a high tide on the Wirral taking in Burton Mere Wetlands and Leosowe Lighthouse on 9th May 2024. At the former we got year first Sedge Warbler and Swallow and at the latter we got the less expected Whinchat and Gannet, two great birds for our year list. On the 14th May we went to RSPB Leighton Moss even though the rest of the birding group cancelled due to bad weather. They went to Burton instead but we had booked a pub room overnight so that we could make a two-day event of it and we decided to risk the weather which turned out to be nowhere as bad as was predicted and gave us some great sightings including seven year ticks. The following day we went back to Leighton Moss briefly but mainly the 15th May was spent at Brockholes Nature Reserve where we got a year tick Garden Warbler but also had a warm few hours with a Hobby thrown in for good measure. Ove the two days we saw eighty-two species. On the 21st May the birding group went to Upper Goyt Valley and Danebower Quarry where we missed some of our usual target birds but had a good raptor day and between the valley and the quarry we got six new year ticks including osme of the best views of a male and female Ring Ousel foraging for worms then returning to their nest near the quarry tower.
There was no scheduled birding group day for the 28th and the weather was wet yet again.
In the Garden
In the garden we saw a year first Mistle Thrush on the 10th May and also a pair of Swifts. The breeding season has seen the birds come back to the garden in numbers so we have more Goldfinch and a lot more House Sparrows. We have even had a Blackbird (it sounds crazy that this should be in any way remarkable but they have been scarce this year – at least in our garden). A brief spell of sunshine meant that we could sit out for a bit and in doing so discovered that a Blue Tit had occupied the nest box we have about 10 feet from the ground on our external chimney breast. We saw it come and go a couple of times so we are hoping that it bodes well for a brood. Unfortunately, because they have not used the box the last couple of years, I decided not to put the camera inside it so we just have to guess at what is going on in there! Starling numbers rose to up to a dozen and some of this years birds are among them. As the month progressed the manic feeding activity continued, sometimes accelerated by the frequent heavy rain; several House Sparrows chicks , a Starling chick and even a Magpie chick were all caught on the camera trap (that I use for the Hedgehogs) being fed by their parents.
Year Ticks for May 2024
- Jay at Wigan Flashes 7 May 2024
- Hobby at Wigan Flashes 7 May 2024
- Whitethroat at Wigan Flashes 7 May 2024
- Song Thush at Wigan Flashes 7 May 2024
- Sedge Warbler at Burton Mere Wetlands 9 May 2024
- Swallow at Burton Mere Wetlands 9 May 2024
- Gannet at Leosowe Lighthouse 9 May 2024
- Whinchat at Leosowe Lighthouse 9 May 2024
- Great Black Backed Gull at Leosowe Lighthouse 9 May 2024
- Swift at Our Garden 10 May 2024
- Mistle Thrush at Our Garden 10 May 2024
- Pochard at RSPB Leighton Moss on 14 May 2024
- Bittern at RSPB Leighton Moss on 14 May 2024
- Spoonbill at RSPB Leighton Moss on 14 May 2024
- Osprey at RSPB Leighton Moss on 14 May 2024
- Bar-tailed Godwit at RSPB Leighton Moss on 14 May 2024
- Knot at RSPB Leighton Moss on 14 May 2024
- Common Snipe at RSPB Leighton Moss on 14 May 2024
- Great Black-backed Gull at Brockholes on 15 May 2024
- Garden Warbler at Brockholes on 15 May 2024
- Tree Pipit at Upper Goyt Valley on 21 May 2024
- Cuckoo at Upper Goyt Valley on 21 May 2024
- Red Kite at Upper Goyt Valley on 21 May 2024
- Ring Ousel at Danebank Quarry on 21 May 2024
- Wheatear at Danebank Quarry on 21 May 2024
- Red Grouse near Danebank Quarry on 21 May 2024