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Whisby Nature Park: Wildlife Highlights at Whisby Nature Park 2009

Whisby Wildlife Highlights 2009

Birds.

 An Avocet, the first for the Nature Park ‘proper’, almost landed at Grebe Lake on 16th May.

 From 24th January to at least 26th February, a Bittern was seen and photographed at Grebe Lake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bittern at Grebe Lake

Image by Peter Harvey

 

 Possibly a new record for the Nature Park, a Black Swan appeared on 21st December at Willow Lake.

 Spring passage of Black Terns through the area was observed with up to 3 from 10th to 25th May. A returning bird was noted on 26th June.

 Around 315 pairs of Black-headed Gulls were estimated to have nested, almost all at Grebe Lake with a very few at Willow Lake and 1-2 failed attempts at Thorpe Lake.

 Probably the most significant avian event of the year was the breeding of Black-necked Grebes. Two pairs nested and raised at least three young. The breeding birds appeared from 22nd May so had probably attempted nesting somewhere else prior to that. After one pair had failed during late May, they were joined by another pair and a further singleton in mid-June. Two nests produced young so that a high count of 9 was achieved on 20th July. Some dispersal of juveniles was noted with singles at Teal Lake from 13th to 30th September.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black-necked Grebe at Whisby 

Image by Peter Harvey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black-necked Grebe pair at Whisby

Image by Brian Cocksedge

 

 At Grebe Lake there was 1 Black-tailed Godwit at Teal Lake on 3rd July and 2 at Grebe Lake on 9th.

 There was a remarkable count of 60 Carrion Crows in a pre-roost gathering a Grebe Lake on 7th November.

 What was described as a ‘classic’ adult Caspian Gull was seen at Teal Lake and other North Hykeham pits on 9th December.

 There were 10 records of 1-2 Common Sandpipers in spring from 13th April to 27th May and 23 records of up to 3 returning from 12th July to 8th September.

 Encouragingly, around 30 pairs of Common Terns nested at Grebe Lake with about 40 young fledging. The vast majority used rafts at the eastern end of Grebe Lake. Birds were present from 9th April to 29th August.

 Up to 3 Dunlin occurred on spring passage from 17th April to 15th May.

 A drake Ferruginous Duck spent most of January on working pit areas west of Whisby.

 Although none were fully confirmed, three people reported a Firecrest in various locations on 9th January.

 Gadwall bred at Willow Lake where at least three broods totaling 12 young appeared on the water. More than 100 birds were counted on each monthly WeBS survey from September onwards peaking at 256 on 20th November, a site record.

 A Green Sandpiper was at Teal Lake throughout January. Autumn passage brought up to 3 from 3rd July to the end of the year, mostly from Teal Lake but also Thorpe Lake, Grebe Lake and the Pike Drain.

 5-6 Green Woodpeckers, representing presumed observations of family parties, were recorded on 8th July, 2nd August and 6th September, but the only specified records of juveniles were on 1 on 12th June and 2 on 21st August. Smaller numbers counted at all seasons.

 The only record of Greenshank was 1 over Thorpe Lake on 30th June.

 A group of 12-17 Grey Partridges frequented the agricultural fringes of Redland’s old yard from early August onwards.

 A ‘ring-tail’ harrier was seen over the Sandhills on 30th April but could not be identified.

 Hobbys were seen from 29th April to 30th September but records were considerably less frequent than in recent years.

 There were 95 separate observations of Kingfishers during the year featuring all the main water-bodies.

 A Knot flew from Grebe Lake on 31st July.

 It was a remarkable year for Linnets with 50 on 1st January and 70 on 26th November, both at Teal Lake where 4-5 were also seen regularly in June although there was no proof of breeding. Large areas of gorse to the south and north-east of Teal Lake might provide habitat. Up to 5 birds were seen particularly often in July although there were records in every month.

 A Little Egret was seen at Teal Lake throughout January, with 2 there in the first half of March. 1-2 frequented Grebe Lake in late July and 13th August. Finally one was seen in Pike Drain on 28th and 30th December, with 1 at Teal Lake on 23rd and 2 on 28th.

 Single adult Little Gulls were seen at Thorpe Lake on 17th April and 6th May.

 Little Ringed Plovers were present from 25th March to 10th September and bred unsuccessfully at Dave’s Island, Thorpe Lake. The first eggs were seen on 29th May, but these disappeared. Two birds were on nests by 26th June and these hatched broods of 3 each confirmed by 22nd July but all were predated by 30th. The cause of failure was not known but sparrowhawks seem the most likely culprit.

 A Little Tern briefly visited Thorpe Lake on 14th May. The second reserve record.

 The regular summering Mediterranean Gull appeared early at the Grebe Lake colony on 19th January and stayed until 9th July. 2 adults were at Willow Lake from 3rd to 13th April. The bird at Grebe Lake on 24th April was not the regular bird (which has a characteristic flaw in wing feathering). In the 3rd week of July a 1st summer Mediterranean Gull was also present at Thorpe Lake and Grebe Lake.

 Nightingales were recorded from 12th April to 11th August. About 10 territories were identified using CBC methods. The importance of the Whisby birds was underlined by the reported absence of birds in both Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire and the total of only 15 territories recorded in Lincolnshire. 2-3 juveniles were seen in the second week of June.

 The only Osprey of the year was reported on 12th September.

 Oystercatchers were recorded from 19th February to 22nd August and pairs successfully bred at b9oth Dave’s Island, Thorpe Lake (2 fledged) and Bruce’s Island, Grebe Lake (1 fledged). In late July a juvenile was seen at Teal Lake which may have been too young to have flown there, accompanied by an adult.

 There were 5 Peregrine reports up to early April, presumably associated with the birds in the City.

 The 61 Pink-footed Geese at Teal Lake were a rare case of migrants resting on the Nature Park.

 A drake Pintail in dull plumage was seen at Teal Lake on 12th and 18th December. An apparently different drake was there on 23rd December.

 Single Red Kites were seen on 1st May, 22nd June, 12th August and 7th October. This is the first case of multiple occurrences in a year.

 A drake Red-crested Pochard was at Willow Lake on 13th January. Two drakes in dull plumage and a female appeared there 12th – 15th November. A drake was at Apex Pit on the latter date and also 22nd. Unsexed birds were at Willow Lake on 20th (2) and 29th (1).

 Single Redshanks were recorded in January (2), March, June and July.

 A Ringed Plover was recorded at Teal Lake 8th May, 1-2 were frequently at Grebe Lake or Thorpe Lake between 9th May and 3rd July. Another was seen at Grebe Lake on 13th September.

 A drake Ring-necked Duck was identified at Apex Pit on 21st November, Grebe Lake on 22nd and Teal Lake on 25th.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ring-necked Duck at Grebe Lake

 

 Sand Martins, although present from 14th March to 10th September, failed to breed on the Nature Park for the first time in very many years. This thought to be at least in part because of temporarily superior conditions in nearby working gravel pits.

 13 Snipe at Teal Lake on 9th October stood out from records of up to 4 recorded up to 15th May and from 22nd June, mostly at Teal Lake but also at Grebe Lake.

 2-3 Spotted Flycatchers were seen on 7th September, part of a local movement recorded elsewhere in the general area.

 A vocal Water Rail was heard at Grebe Lake 7th October – 7th November. One was seen at Teal Lake on 28th December.

 Waxwings from 2008 were seen on 1st January at the carpark (4) and Teal Lake (2).

 A Whimbrel was at Thorpe Lake very early on 25th April. Others overflew the site on 5th August (7) and 29th (1).

 9 Whooper Swans flew over on 16th March. 6 flew over on 7th November and 7 on 9th.

 The wintering adult Yellow-legged Gull stayed until 9th January. A returning bird arrived back on 3rd November and stayed until 22nd November. Various other birds, mostly in sub-adult plumages, appeared briefly in May and July. An adult was seen at Grebe Lake on 31st December

 

Butterflies.

 Brown Argus had a reasonable season in both broods (12th May – 12th June; 20th July – 11th September) after the disastrous 2008 flight period.

 A Clouded Yellow was identified on 8th August.

 

Bees and Wasps.

 Bumblebees new to the site were Bombus hypnorum (2nd and 3rd County Records), and the Cuckoo-Bumblebees Bombus rupestris and B. sylvestris.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bombus hypnorum (right)

 

 The site was surveyed during the first of a three year effort by Allan Phillips of the Lincolnshire Naturalists’ Union. Combined with existing data, the Nature Park has thereby been shown to support over 100 species of bees and wasps, making it an important site regionally. In addition to the Bumblebees, 2 males of the small black brood parasite Sphecodes niger were discovered which carries a ‘Nationally Restricted’ status. The great majority of bees and wasps are much smaller than familiar communal species. A most attracytive example of those found is Trichrysis cyanea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trichrysis cyanea     Image Henk Wallays

 

 Other Invertebrates.

 Many species of Soldierflies are of biodiversity significance; Oplodontha viridula is a green and black fly of damp habitats and was found on 12th July, while the yellow and black Oxycera rara turned up on 19th July.

 A related species of Stiletto Fly Acrosathe annulata was caught on 12th July in the Sandhills area, where deep sand deposits were left behind from the washing process at the former gravel pit working site. The species is virtually confined to coastal dunes but is known from sandy inland areas such as the Norfolk Brecks and Hartlebury Common in Worcestershire. The Whisby Sandhills are only about 0.5 hectares in extent and so its presence there is extraordinary.

 Whilst searching for bees and wasps, Allan Phillips discovered a yellow and black Cranefly Nephrotoma crocata, also in the Sandhills, on 12th May. This handsome insect is a Nationally scarce red data book species and associated with heathland habitats.

 During the summer, we were able to prove that as we had suspected, the large colony of Chimney Sweeper moths in the Pike Drain has developed feeding on an alternative food plant as that published, Pignut, does not occur on the Nature Park. Likely larvae taken from Cow Parsley plants developed into Chimney Sweepers. The moths were recorded from 11th May to 4th June when over 100 were counted.

 Emperor Moth larvae were recorded on 26th July and 2nd August.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Emperor Moth larva

 

 The handsome Gold Spot moth was recorded for the first time on the Nature Park feeding during the day on 9th August (1) and 16th (3).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gold Spot

 

 Clearwing moths remained in the spotlight as another new species, Red-tipped Clearwing, was attracted to pheromones on 8th June and 14th. The rare Yellow-legged Clearwing, was attracted on 8th June when over 30 appeared.

 A Hairy Dragonfly was identified on 28th May indicating that it retains a slender hold on its status at Whisby.

 

Lower Plants.

 A silver-grey lichen Parmelia perlata was identified by Mark Seaward, the County Recorder, on a willow trunk as being the first Lincolnshire record for 150 years.

 

Mammals.

 Water Voles returned to the site for the first time since 2002, being seen in the Pike Drain alongside Coot Lake from 30th March until 13th May after which the vegetation became very dense and may have screened their continued presence.

 

Plants.

 Bee Orchids were counted at a number of sites in November indication a site population of about 285 plants, a substantial reduction on last year.

 Broad-leafed Helleborine was recorded at no less than 7 new sites in a spectacular increase in range, whilst apparently disappearing from its main colony at Magpie Walk. 52 plants grew at Pylon Enclosure, one of the new sites, where summer grazing was discontinued for the first time in many years. About 80 plants were located across the site.

 About 80 Common (lesser) Broomrape plants flowered at Thorpe Lake peninsula but were severely grazed by rabbits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common (Lesser) Broomrape

 

 Only 9 Green-flowered Helleborine plants were found this year, with 6 flowering. However, this species is known to be erratic in its appearance.

 A new colony of 100+ Heath Cudweed plants was discovered at5 Thorpe Lake peninsula. A similar number are scattered around Teal Lake grasslands but have not been counted.

 The Maiden Pink plants flowered at Teal Lake.

 A single very weak Pyramidal Orchid appeared at Plover Beach.

 For the first time an effort was made to count Southern Marsh Orchids at all significant sites on the Nature Park in late May and we arrived at a total of 10,260. There were 8,500 plants at the Orchid Glade.

 43 Twayblade plants were discovered at the Green-flowered Helleborine site where they were protected against deer/rabbit grazing.

 

Reptiles.

 There were 3 observations of single Common Lizards between mid April and late May, on either side of the A46.

 A Grass Snake was reported at Coot Lake in late July.

 

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