Godwit breeding numbers growing

The majority of those seen here are of the islandica race,many of which winter in southern Ireland and breed in increasing numbers thanks to improved conservation, on farmland in Iceland.

The nominate race limosa, which has its strongholds in the Netherlands and Denmark eastwards across Russia, is also seen here.

A welcome development has been the return of black-tailed godwits as a breeding bird to this country and, although progress has been slow, numbers are increasing.

There are now about 50 pairs breeding here and this year one pair has successfully hatched three chicks at Natural England's Lower Derwent Valley reserve between York and Selby.

Black-tailed godwits were once widespread here and regarded as a great delicacy at Tudor banquets but the familiar combination of over-hunting, the drainage and ploughing up of wetlands and Victorian collectors of eggs and stuffed birds had driven them to extinction by 1855. They even became increasingly uncommon as a winter visitor.

Their return was in 1952 when a pair was discovered nesting in the Ouse Washes although this was kept a closely guarded secret for a number of years. Two pairs attempted to nest at Cley, in Norfolk, between 1968 and 1970 but were foiled each time by a combination ofpredators and the weather.

More pairs now nest on the Ouse Washes, although in northern England there have been at the most only two pairs at Newton marsh on the Fylde in Lancashire and several breeding attempts in the Lower Derwent Valley in the last two years.

Two pairs were present in the valley this year, one of the limosa race at North Duffield Carrs, which failed, possibly due to predation, the other successful pair of the islandica race, at Wheldrake Ings.

It is still necessary to keep nest sites secret because of the threat from egg collectors, a raid on the house on Teeside by police and RSPB investigators uncovered a clutch of black-tailed godwit eggs labelled Wheldrake Ings 1999.

After hatching the godwit chicks are well protected by their parents. Theytake to the air this month and will soon be out on the mud on the Humber or Wash estuaries where they will join many thousands more arriving from Iceland.

Singing quails have been heard across the region with 37 in the Lower Derwent Valley, including four that have been caught and ringed.

There have also been several in South Yorkshire, one at Fairburn Ings near Castleford and one at the North Cave Wetlands, East Yorkshire.

There have also been a number of little gulls seen on passage with two at Tophill Low, East Yorkshire and two at the RSPB's Saltholme reserve on Teeside.

A male and female red-backed shrike and a singing marsh warbler were among the birds seen at Spurn while a pomarine skua was seen off Flamborough Head. A singing marsh warbler is at Edderthorpe Flash in South Yorkshire. Six spoonbills called inat the Blacktoft Sands reserve near Goole last week and one was seen there again this week.Two ruddy shelducks were also seen there.

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CW 19/6/10