Review of 2013
Well, it's definitely been a bit of a mixed year on the patch but, on balance, definitely more highs than lows. In total, I managed to record
103 species - the graph below shows that April and May are definitely the best months to visit, based on range of species on offer:
Selected accounts for a few of the more notable birds seen during the year are given below:
Shelduck – a pair flew over on 7th May.
Red-legged Partridge – a single bird near Harford Hill on 20th April.
Little Egret – One flew over Tapenhall farm, Porter’s Mill on 22nd September. Another was reported near Porter’s Mill on the 6th December, two flew over Coney towards Westwood on the 7th December and, finally, one fed along the Salwarpe and adjoining fields next to Coney Meadow on the last afternoon of the year.
Bittern – a bird discovered on the evening of the 16th February showed on most evenings for the next 3 - 4 weeks. It was last reported in mid-March.
Red Kite – One over the small fishing pool near Tapenhall Farm, Porter’s Mill, on the 31st March and another drifted over High Park and Coney Meadow on 27th May.
Peregrine – One over Coney on 14th April, one circling over Porter’s Mill on the 8th September and another caught a Starling from a pre-roosting flock at Coney Meadow on 30th December.
Hobby – Regular sightings between May and September. This year’s first record was on 2nd May and it was last recorded on 1st September.
Oystercatcher – One flew over Coney Meadow on the 6th April. Two flew over Ladywood and along the Salwarpe valley on 6th May and another heard in flight over Coney on 5th June.
Green Sandpiper – Regularly seen around the New Mill area and around Ladywood sewage works in the first winter period up to 6th April. One present in this favoured area on 29th December.
Woodcock – One flushed from Gorsey Bank, Droitwich Community Woods, on the 19th January and again from the very same spot on the 24th March. Both of these sightings followed bouts of snow / freezing weather. Two Woodcocks were flushed from the damp scrubby area between New Mill and Harford Hill on the 6th April.
Common Tern – Two flew over Coney on 20th May. One flew over on the 6th August with another recorded on the 10th.
Barn Owl – One regularly seen hunting over Coney Meadow in February / early March.
Tree Pipit – One flew over Coney on 28th April, one over on 6th May and another on 12th May.
Yellow Wagtail – a good showing for this species this year with three separate records. The first was a flyover bird calling on the evening of the 17th April. A male flew over on the morning of the 2nd May and a juvenile lingered around Coney Meadow on the evening of the 8th July, perching on wires and flying onto the ground near the reedbed.
Waxwing – Up to three present in Droitwich Woods, perched in bushes near the canal and in ‘the thicket’ area on the 19th January.
Northern Wheatear – One first winter / female-type present around a mound of earth just north of Ladywood on 5th October.
Common Redstart – A relatively poor year with only two sightings, both in August.
Whinchat – Excellent spring passage for this species resulted in three records for the patch – one near Ladywood on the 25th April and two records from Coney Meadow on 27th April and 7th May. All were males.
Grasshopper Warbler – Up to three reeling males at Coney between 16th April and 5th June.
Cetti’s Warbler – One called from Coney reedbed on 20th April.
Spotted Flycatcher – Very late to arrive this year and no evidence of breeding (unlike the past 3 years). Perhaps the presence of breeding Sparrowhawks near Salwarpe church was a factor.
Crossbill – A single bird landed briefly in Droitwich Community Woods on the evening of 12th August after circling the eastern part of Coney Meadow. It then flew off west towards Salwarpe calling constantly.
No records of Curlew this year and only one record of Lapwing (hard-weather movement involving a flock 75 birds in January) both reflect local declines for these species. Owls, too, seemed more difficult with only a few records of Little Owl and only one of Tawny - both of which were more regular in former years. From a personal perspective, another low-point was missing much of the late autumn passage due to illness.
Non-avian highlights included the discovery of 2 extant
Glow-worm colonies on the patch, the first patch record of Four-spotted Chaser, 100's of Common Toads in the spring, over 100 species of Moths recorded, loads of Grass Snakes, several Clouded Yellows and a
Hummingbird Hawk-moth.
Here's to a great year for wildlife in 2014 - a very HAPPY NEW YEAR to all! B
B