May 2019 Summary

May 2019 : Summary

UK Species Year List to May: 161
Total UK Species in May: 128
New “Year Ticks” in May: 23
New “Life Ticks” in May: 0

Life ticks in May 2019

1. NONE

Year ticks in May 2019

1. Red-legged Partridge at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen on 1st May 2019
2. Common Crane at NWT Hickling Broad on 2nd May 2019
3. Little Ringed Plover at NWT Cley on 3rd May 2019
4. Red-crested Pochard at RSPB Titchwell Marsh on 4th May 2019
5. Grey Partridge at Chosely Drying Barns on 4th May 2019
6. Fulmar at Hunstanton Cliffs on 4th May 2019
7. Purple Heron at Burnham Overy Staithe on 5th May 2019
8. Whimbrel at Burnham Overy Staithe on 5th May 2019
9. Swift at NWT Holmes Dunes on 5th May 2019
10. Dotterel at Chosely Drying Barns on 6th May 2019
11. Golden Plover at Chosely Drying Barns on 6th May 2019
12. Great Northern Diver at RSPB Titchwell on 6th May 2019
13. Marsh Tit at Sculthorpe Hawk and Owl Trust Reserve 6th May 2019
14. Turtle Dove at RSPB Titchwell on 9th May 2019
15. Black Terns at RSPB Frampton Marsh on 10th May 2019
16. Greenshank at WWT Martin Mere on 14th May 2019
17. Mandarin Duck at Goyt Valley 21^st May 2019
18. Red Grouse at Goyt Valley 21^st May 2019
19. Pied Flycatcher at Goyt Valley 21^st May 2019
20. Spotted Flycatcher at Goyt Valley 21^st May 2019
21. Tree Pipit at Goyt Valley 21^st May 2019
22. Common Redstart at Goyt Valley 21^st May 2019
23. Ring Ouzel at Dane Bower Quarry 21^st  May 2019

 

Obviously a large part of the month was given over to our holiday birding which is described here but we did get a few birding group days out towards the middle and end of the month. The first of the month that we could make was to WWT Martin Mere on the 14th May where we got year tick Greenshanks and did our first walk of the reedbed trail ever.

By far the best birding group moring in terms of year ticks must have been our visit to the Goyt Valley at Dane Bower Quarry on 21st May 2019 where we got seven including a pair of lovely Ring Ouzels but also the Flycatchers and Redstarts we always hope to get there. Tree Pipit was another specialty of the area. The last birding group day of the month was to Burton Mere Wetlands on the 28th May where we had really good views of the two summer plumage Spoonbills.

 

 

Garden

In the garden we have had large numbers of Starlings appearing with their young. The maximum number of new birds has been five, often accompanied by another dozen or so adults. I think there may be trhree Starlings nests in our neighbour’s (two gardens down) tree.

Additionally we have had a few Goldfinch and lots of House Sparrows, the occasional Robin (or two), Dunnock (which might also have a fledgling), Wren, Blackbird and the usual Woodpigeons and Feral Pigeons. The Starlings seem to keep them away, however. I have been feeding them regularly.

I have seen the occasional Blue and Great Tit, including what looks like a single fledgling. Swifts in fairly modest numbers here seen over the garden but Swallows and House Martins are absent from the immediate vicinity. We had a fly-over of six Ring-necked Parakeets.

Tree Bees have taken over our nest box on the chimney breast but I think the Blue Tits shunned it this year before the bees settled in.

When we got back on the 11th May, there was a bit of a mini heat wave for a few days but then it returned to being overcast.

As the month went on we started to see around five fledged Starlings and two or three fledged Blue Tits. The Robin has been making a lot of journeys to the meal worm tray so I imagine we will see some junior Robins soon.