Bird Records For Thorne Moors 1986

No report was originally written for this year, the following has been constructed by Bryan P. Wainwright (2003) from, most notably Limbert, (1990) A Supplement to Thorne Moors Birds and Man. Nature Conservancy Council: Wakefield. Additional records came from other sources. Some fairly common species that were present however, went unrecorded.


English and scientific names, and sequence of birds, follows the List of Birds of the Western Palearctic (British Birds Ltd, 1997). The RSPB species of conservation concern cannot be used retrospectively, and so has not been used. Exceptional records such as earliest dates refer to the period up to 1986 only.

 

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Five were recorded on 25th June.

Whooper Swan
 Cygnus cygnus
On 22nd January 19 passed east.

Greylag Goose Anser anser 
A skein of 17 flew over on 21st August, that were probably this species.

Shelduck Tandorna tandorna
A pair occurred on 8th and 29th May and 15th June.

Wigeon Anas Penelope
One was seen on 2nd November.

Common Teal A. crecca 
Resident, c.120 were seen on 2nd November. 

Mallard A. platyrhynchos
Resident. Three young with a female were observed at Thorne Waste Drain on 6th July.

Shoveler A. clypeata
Three were logged on 30th August.

Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
A pair was seen at the Paraffin Cuttings on 26th May with asingle there on 30th August.

Birds of prey
Sites given for raptors are general. Usually only the first area of observation is stated, except where sites were very far apart. A comma between records of the same date means separate records. Depending on views the same bird of prey may be recorded differently by different observers. For example with Marsh Harrier; recorded as a female by one observer or a cream-crown by another, therefore with the following records this is taken into account and only the minimum number of birds per day is taken. Totals are the minimum possible numbers, calculated for all areas, plumages and observers for that day. All are adult birds, unless otherwise stated. Some birds are not aged and sexed due to distance or poor views.

Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus
One was at Will Pits on 29th May. This is the first record for Thorne Moors.

Marsh Harrier Circus cyaneus 
Generally cream-crowns were seen between May and September.

Hen Harrier C. cyaneus 
A male appeared on 8th May and a probable second year male was seen on 29th May and 2nd June.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus       
No more than three pairs bred and the maximum outside the breeding season was no more than four.

Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 
Resident.

Merlin F. columbarius 
A single on 2nd September was followed by a female or immature at Dykes Marsh Farm on 17th July and on the moors on 20th July.

Hobby F. subbuteo
Two were seen on 26 May. The next sighting was 9th July, and up to four birds were seen on three July dates, with the last sighting on 30th August.

Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa
Two were seen on 26th February for example.

Grey Partridge Perdix perdix 
Resident.

Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
Resident.

Moorhen Gallinula chloropus   
Resident.

Common Coot Fulica atra
Resident, not as common as Moorhen.

Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius 
One or two recorded this year, from flooded workings.

Great Ringed Plover C. hiaticula 
A single was present at the colliery from 11th June, with two at the flooded workings on 26th May, and one at Mill Drain Marsh the following day. 

Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus 
Bred at the flooded workings.

Dunlin Calidris alpina
One summer plumaged bird was present at the flooded workings near the Shoulder o’ Mutton on 11th May.

Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
Noted mid-March to May at the peat workings, showing signs of breeding. Maximum was five on 18th May.

Redshank Tringa totanus
Birds remained at some thinly vegetated peat workings during the wet spring, particularly in the areas NW of Shoulder o’ Mutton. One or two were present here from 6th May to 18th June, sometimes giving display-flights. Two flew over Inkle Moor on 17th August. Maximum was four on 30th May.

Green Sandpiper T. ochropus
Three were seen along Thorne Waste Drain, on 8th August. 

Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
Bred again at the Paraffin Cuttings: totals of adults reached c.400 on 18th and 26th May, with 250+ on 18th June. At flooded peat workings NW of Shoulder o’ Mutton, a few territorial gulls were present on 11th May, with c.15 a week later, on 18th. On 30th, two flightless young were seen with four adults overhead. 

Lesser Black-backed Gull L. fuscus 
Infrequently seen.

Herring Gull L. argentatus 
Infrequently seen, one flew over Collis’s Tram on 6th July for example.

Great Black-backed Gull L. marinus
Infrequently seen.

Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus 
Resident.

Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
One was seen on 11th May at Woodpecker Corner. 

European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus 
Counts revealed c.41 churring males. A bird was seen along Marshland Road, Moorends, on 7th September.

Common Swift Apus apus
One was seen on 11th May. Over 350 were counted on 18th May many were heading west. 

Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
A single was seen along a moor drain on 16th June.

Green Woodpecker Picus viridis 
Resident.

Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major
Resident.

Sky Lark Alauda arvensis 
Resident, one on 11th May for example.

Swallow Hirundo rustica
Nine were seen on 11th May. Last date was 29th October, when one was heading south-west.

House Martin Delichon urbica
One on 27th April equalled the previous earliest record. Around 20 were seen on 19th May. One was present on 8th August.

Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis
No unusually high counts.

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
Two flew overhead on 5th October.

Pied Wagtail M. alba
Resident.

Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
Resident.

Hedge Accentor Prunella modularis 
Resident.

Robin Erithacus rubecula
Resident.

Rufous Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos 
Eight territorial males were recorded on 22nd and 28th May, and four from 4th to 8th June, there were five on 11th June and three on 19th. 

Whinchat Saxicola rubetra    
Four were at the Eastern Boundary of the Southern Canals on 6th July.

Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus
A male occurred at the colliery area on 1st May.

Blackbird T. merula 
Resident.

Fieldfare T. pilaris 
On 2nd November, around 430 were counted.

Song Thrush T. philomelos 
Resident.


Redwing
 T. iliacus 
On 6th October, about 920 were counted passing west, with some birds landing. 

Mistle Thrush T. viscivorus
Four including an immature were seen on the peat moors on 29th May.

Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia
One was noted reeling along Jones Cable on 6th July.

Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
At least two were present by 6th July for example.

Reed Warbler A. scirpaceus
At least two were present along the Canal Towpath by 11th May.

Whitethroat Sylvia communis
At least one was present by 11th May.

Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
Present. One was ringed in August last year, at Thorne Moors and was later controlled at Gamston Wood near Retford, Nottinghamshire, in July 1986.

Willow Warbler P. trochilus
At least one was present by 11th May.

Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus
Two flew from the Paraffin Cuttings towards Inkle Moor on 2nd November.

Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus
Resident.

Willow Tit Parus montanus 
Resident.

Blue Tit P. caeruleus 
Resident, 12 were noted on 26th February.

Great Tit P. major
Resident.

Treecreeper Certhia familiaris
A single was seen at a wood along Thorne Waste Drain on 16th and 26th January. 

Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius
One was at Woodpecker Corner on 29th July for example. 

Magpie Pica pica
Resident.

Rook Corvus frugilegus
One flew over the moors on 9th March.

Carrion Crow C. corone
Resident. A nestling ringed in Owston Wood, Doncaster, on 22nd May 1984 was recovered on Inkle Moor on 15th March 1986.

Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
Resident.

Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
Resident.

Brambling F. montifringilla
On 6th October 18 were recorded.

Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
Resident.

Goldfinch C. carduelis 
Resident, nine were seen along Jones Cable on 26th August. An adult was feeding at least three fledged young in the colliery area on 3rd August.

Linnet C. cannabina 
Resident.

Twite C. flavirostris
One flew over the Shoulder o’ Mutton on 2nd November.

Common Redpoll C. flammea
Resident.

Common Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula 
Resident.

Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella
Resident.

Reed Bunting E. schoeniclus 
Resident.

 

List of Observers 1984-1989

R. Armstrong, C. Auld, H. Avery, David Beaumont, M. Betts, R. Bridson, A. Craig, Trevor A. Ede, Brian C. Eversham, A.R. Farrar, Clive Featherstone, G. Featherstone, R.A. Frost, Adrian Handley, Steve Hiner, John Hornbuckle, David Hursthouse, T. Isherwood, M.F. Jackson, Steve L. James, Martin Limbert, Alan Marshall, Claud Marshall, R.A. Marshall, T.M. Melling, Andrew Middleton, D. Page, William H. Priestley, S. Reed, Colin Rook, Peter C. Roworth, Adrian Scutt, C. Straw, P. Sutton, W.A. Taylor, N. Thoresby, Bryan P. Wainwright, Colin Wall, Terry J. Wells, K. Whiteley, D. Wozencroft, John Wozencroft.