Nocturnal Listening – End of June Update
A terrible month with only 13/30 nights even vaguely
suitable and many of those had to be terminated prematurely for me in Airedale.
Even most of the better nights were fragmented by rain and made useless by
moderate to strong winds. No nights
suitable to get the other stations up and running! Continuing on from
May, no more Swallows recorded. Dispersal evidenced by presence in and during
gaps in the dawn chorus noted from the beginning of the month, firstly Dunnock,
then Greenfinch, Common Partridge, Jackdaw, Wren, Goldfinch and just last week
a Redpoll over and through calling for all it was worth. The dawn chorus,
initially dense and preventative has for me now eased and is worth analysing,
surely to improve more this month. Mistle Thrush have been around for a while
but first recorded last evening at dusk. Blackbirds just over the last few days
have started up with their enigmatic flight calls again. Other passerines,
again more difficult and yet to check out.
Oystercatchers on several occasions and Curlews on the move from early
June but mainly from mid month. Last night was particularly good for Curlews,
just as it was starting to rain and the station was being shut down for the
night after a glance on at the radar again showed little prospect till after
dawn. The most interesting June passage bird for me has been another LRP, going
through over dry land, miles away from water, well after dark. Many well spaced
calls heard on approach and past in the silence of the night with only sheep as
a backdrop. This was on the 17th, immediately following a period of exceptional
rain which would no doubt have overwhelmed habitat terminally? Prospects for
July little better, so perhaps a bad year to get started! Hopefully an Indian
summer?? Again this evening more curlews over as heard thro the window in the
gappy light rain but station shut as overnight prognosis (weather wise) is
usless with near continuous rain forecast and even now showing on the radar.
A Bit more detail for those interested.....
Nothing to analyse tonight for me so some time to catch up
and expand a bit! and yes,You,ve got in one Rob, but it shouldn't have been
like that. Its a great pity the weather has been so poor as to me June is one
of the most exciting months, when things really start to happen up here. The
Curlews form big and very dramatic post breeding flocks as do the Golden
Plovers and there is usually a good bit of movement through and most likely on
at night, evidenced by vocalisation from the sky, especially prominent when
elevated. This year very little of this has been apparent - not to say it
hasn't been happening but just obscured by conditions or reduced. Just for the
record my patch of moor was almost sterile even by early June, without doubt
related to the terrible conditions.... and then even more and worse to come!
Redshank, starting with the failures also start to leave the uplands an in-byes
early as well and this often evidenced in the night sky but not this year.
Oystercatchers have been difficult with the late spring movement seeming almost
to merge into the early autumn disprsal. Swamp birds almost but not quite
absent from the June night skies over Wharfedale, with none over Airedale. Was
half hoping for a swift or crossbill but not happened yet. The siskin was heard
moving during an afternoon, high over our local grave yard. Again Canadas
en-route to moult sometimes vocal at night but again despite trying we missed
out almost completely, one capture over Wharfedale with nothing over Airedale,
as described later for Shelduck it is possible tho with the big congregations
that a more local trend is developing. Shelducks should just have started but
lots of time to go here yet.... sometimes vocal, at least over the high moors
and waters, tho to date never from here. Leaving the coast at this time of year
in the evening when suitable, right on the edge of dark is when I have managed
to contact them in the past, very high or have them dropping in. Although the
pattern in later years is reputed to be changing, with more now stopping in the
west to moult. Never heard noise from the Scoters overland tho which at this
time going the opposite way, so possibly passing in middle or opposite end of
night for us in autumn and this might explain the apparent absence - but I
wonder if anyone knows different re calling? """"re this,
Nelson recalls a W Eagle Clarke record from 1879 on 24th April, ie the other
end of the year when Clarke recorded a
most extraordinary migration of scoters at Skipton-in-Craven.... shortly after
dusk birds were heard passing over head and continued during the night, many
being bewildered and flying against chimney pots and houses. At the railway
station they were immolated against telegraph wires and several were picked up
on the following morning, one porter securing as many as seventeen. It was calculated
that in all, one hundred and fifty had been taken, the majority of which were
males.""""" Interesting that the birds were recorded
first shortly after dusk, which fits with an evening west coast departure! Herring Gulls (a very few) can sometimes be
picked out on call from the lessers (thousands) as they pass. Small gulls,
BHG's make a very small start with their evacuation from the colonies.... again
only just a hint of this happening so far with a few captured over Wharfedale
last month. July should see a massive change in gull passage as the colonies
break properly and species diversity increases. Lapwings also on the shuffle
with several captures mainly early in the month. LRP, the only unusual June
wader... and was hoping for better, but time yet as autumn is only young.. Even
after listening for only a few months, I am starting to grasp how migration at
night is structured in relation to both species time and conditions, which may
also affect calling frequency and it
really is interesting!!! Still addicted!
Dave
