Birds

Bilton Birds

This section currently consists of two articles both written by Bill Williams, please donate further articles and photographs if you can.

Bilton Birds 1996 | Nidd Gorge 2000

Bilton Birds 1996

By Bill Williams

I was away throughout October so these records do not reflect that month.

Overall 1996 was a good year highlighted by the many waxwing sightings and the fact Goosander bred in the Gorge area. Near the river the odd vagrants occurred which, though relatively common birds, do not often frequent the Nidd Gorge, (that is: coot, teal, oystercatcher and goldeneye with to a lesser degree Greylag Goose and Canada Goose). Rarer birds included a drake mandarin duck and carolina (wood) duck which spent the winter of 1995/96 in the Gorge.

Other new additions to birds seen in the area this year, include common snipe, sand martin (new to me at least) and interestingly a tree sparrow, now a rare bird indeed.

On a less happy note, the savage decline in the numbers of many song birds shows little sign of improvement. Many song birds are running at 30% of their numbers just ten years ago and I would single out locally skylarks, pied wagtails and linnets. All of which were numerous five years ago and are now rarely seen. We also lost our resident kingfisher last year (probably due to the very cold weather) although odd sightings were reported in summer.

The high level of disturbance and vandalism probably accounts for the total loss of our less common birds, some of which reflect a national decline. I have not seen locally a water rail, jack snipe, stonechat, stock dove or wheatear for many years and the chances of seeing them again seem increasingly remote! More recently the number of dippers has declined and we seem on the threshold of losing them as a resident species.

Waders continue to be a major disappointment. The Sewage Works area has enormous potential if only the bottle diggers would leave the area alone and Yorkshire Water would help, just a little. My own guess is that we could add between 12 and 20 species to the Nidd Gorge List.

The built up areas remain important, because they offer an area in which blue tits, sparrows, robins, etc.; the so called common birds are able to breed. The rewards come mainly in the winter months, as for example when I encountered a flock of goldfinch in the Hill Top area and of course who could forget the waxwings.

My records suggest a surprisingly high figure of 33 species were present throughout the year, but we should not forget some of the relatively common birds are decreasing so rapidly they will soon be rare. As an example, the reduction in bullfinch numbers nationally has induced the RSPB to feature the bird as the 1997 logo for membership cards. Unlike many places we still have bullfinches, goldfinches, long-tailed tits, nuthatches, treecreepers and grey wagtails as well as whitethroats and yellowhammers, most of which are already lost to many areas.

Clearly, we must continue to be vigilant and records are very important. If you see any birds you can not identify or ones you know are not common locally do please let us know. Any committee member will pass on information

Nidd Gorge 2000

By Bill Williams

As expected, the crow tribe dominated with jays being a lot more numerous than in recent years.

It has to be said that the year 2000 was remarkable for the scarcity of interesting sightings. On the plus side, the now rare bullfinch seems to have established a small colony and so do yellowhammers which, with whitethroats, maintain their presence along the old railway track.

House sparrows and starlings are certainly less numerous these days than they were a few years ago, but their numbers do seem to be steadier.

It is the absences however, which are the most remarkable. I didn't even hear a cuckoo, the kingfisher I saw only once. Green woodpeckers occurred on very few occasions, likewise herons, whilst dippers seem to have disappeared completely. I am told a rare lesser spotted woodpecker was seen during the year.

Little grebes were more numerous, but towards the end of the year tufted ducks were dramatically reduced in number and have not reappeared in any great number. Like a lot of once resident birds, numbers are diminishing. I saw coot and oystercatcher on single occasions, but although there were a few fieldfare, I saw no redwings.

Our resident mute swan, a very tame bird dubbed Elton, had to be removed to a sanctuary after a youth deliberately shot it's eye out. I make no further comment.

Kestrel and sparrowhawk were fairly regular and I believe goshawks were also sighted.

Over the years I have personally seen 106 species in the Nidd Gorge, but in 2000 I managed just 65 and hope 2001 proves to be a much better year.

© Bilton Historical Society 1996-2007