Species Account
Extract from Bird Report 2024
Numerous winter visitor that has bred, but may be doing so less frequently. Included in 11.1% of BirdTrack lists. (Red list).
Confirmed breeding took place at Rookery North and South ClPs, with a female and one large juvenile, a female with two young juveniles and a female with seven older juveniles, all on 29th June. At Quest ClP there were eight fully fl edged juveniles on the same day and at Coronation ClP there was a female with one juvenile on 27th July. In addition, at Broom East there was a pair copulating on 1st April, and then a duck distress-calling there on 25th April when a Red Kite flew over.
During the fi rst quarter, the highest site counts were 94 at Grovebury SP on 1st January, 121 at Rookery North ClP on 6th January, 65 at Southill Lake on 14th January, 100 at Broom East on 5th February and 56 at Luton Hoo on 12th February. By March, numbers had dwindled, with the highest counts being 53 at Southill Lake on the 10th and 34 at Coronation ClP the next day. In the April to June period the highest count of adults was of 18, at Quest ClP on 29th June. During the next three months numbers remained low, with peaks of 17 at MCP Wetlands NR on 21st July and 27 at Brogborough Tip & Pools on 19th September. In October, the best was a rather low 35 at Brogborough Lake on the 19th, before numbers started to increase towards the end of November. Counts then reached 210 at Brogborough Lake on the 25th, with large numbers more widespread, including 175 at Stewartby Lake on 12th December, and 520, the year’s top count, at Brogborough Lake on 23rd December. Overall, these figures were much lower than in 2023, partly due to access problems at Brogborough Lake which, for a long time, has been the best site in the county for diving ducks.
