May 2018 : Summary
UK Species Year List to May: 131
Total UK Species in May: 81
New “Year Ticks” in May: 11
New “Life Ticks” in May: 0
Year ticks in May
Ring-necked Parakeet -6th May fly-over our garden
Scaup 15th May Leighton Moss
Swift 15th May Leighton Moss
Mandarin Duck 15th May Macclesfield Forest
Whitethroat 22nd May at Burton Mere Wetlands
Ringed Plover 22nd May at Burton Mere Wetlands
Little Ringed Plover 22nd May at Burton Mere Wetlands
Spotted Flycatcher 29th May Goyt Valley
Wheatear 29th May Goyt Valley
Common Sandpiper 29th May Goyt Valley
Tree Pipit 29th May Goyt Valley
Summary
Bad weather made for a slow start to the birding month but it picked up later in the month becoming very sunny half way through and then we had a bit of a mini heatwave near the end of the month. We had a year first Ring-necked Parakeet fly over our garden and the big news of the month is that our Blue Tit family havd seven chicks in the nest, all growing by the day and quickly outgrowing their nest cup. Eventually one of them died and we were left with six but they didn’t seem to being that well fed and became a cause for worry. We spent far too long looking at “tit tv”
Birding group-wise we had outings on the 8th to RSPB Leighton Moss where we got a year tick Scaup – and at ultra close distance as well being just a few metres from the “Causeway Hide” We also got year first Swifts. The best birding was down at the Eric Morcambe hide, though, where it rained heavily again, but we got a nice group of Bar-tailed Godwits and a summer plumage Spotted Redshank and some Knot.
On the 15th we went to Macclesfield Forest which was pretty quiet but we got year-tick Mandarin Ducks and had a lovely walk in the sunshire and warmth.
On the 22nd we went to RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands had the unusual sight of a Red Kite and a Buzzard intracting over the area of the barn. We also got our first Whitethroats, Ringed and Little RInged Plovers of the year.
On the 29th we went to the Upper Goyt Valley and were a little disppointed not to get Redstarts but we did get the usual Spotted Flycatchers and Tree Pipits, both year ticks, as well as some nice Siskin. We also went to the quarry looking, unsuccessfully, for Ring Ousel but we did get year tick Wheatears.
The month, as a whole, was a game of two halfs – the first half was very wet and the second half scorching hot. The birding highlight of the month was our own tits, however, who at the end of the month still had not fledged though they look to be on the verge of it and have looked that was for a couple of days.