Review Of The Local Patch Year .......2024

A pretty decent year overall in 2024 at East Halton/Goxhill, with me recording a satisfying count of 165 species. This included 4 personal 'New' species for my local patch list, these included in order of appearance, a Nuthatch between East Halton Skitter and Winter's Pond in June, a flyover Woodlark in October, a long awaited Yellow-browed Warbler at Winter's Pond in October and last but not least, only the second record of Red-necked Grebe. This latter record was the first since the famous big freeze in the winter of 1978/79.

I also managed to find only my second record of Purple Sandpiper for my personal patch list, with 2 being found in November.

Several species were not recorded this year and included no Auks being seen, Curlew Sandpiper and Scaup, with a poor showing of seabirds in the autumn also, resulting in only Arctic Skua being seen by myself.

The overall breeding season was poor on a whole with only low numbers of summer migrants arriving and Barn Owls are just about absent, with only one pair being present that I'm aware of.

On the plus side though, Cetti's Warblers continue to do well, with at least 7 singing males and two broods of juveniles were seen and those reed nesting species Marsh Harrier, Bearded Tit and the star this year Bittern also bred.

Waders were represented when Oystercatchers bred with a pair fledging 3 young and Little-ringed Plovers continued to visit, but didn't breed again.

The Marshes were in fairly good condition throughout the year, attracting Wood Sandpipers, Garganey, Little Gulls and Spoonbills in the spring, but there was poor breeding success amongst the Waders unfortunately, with no Redshanks this year and most of the Lapwings attempting to nest, were predated. The autumn saw a party of 5 juvenile Spoonbills spending the day here, my largest personal local patch count of the species to date.

I'm now looking forward to 2025 and to see what this year brings.

The following are some favourite photos and video clips from this year all taken with my phone or phone x telescope combo.

Winter's Pond, December.

Little Egret, Winter's Pond, December.

Female Kingfisher, Winter's Pond, December.

Russian White-fronted Goose, East Halton, December.

Merlin, East Halton Marshes, December.

Stunning Skies Over Goxhill Marsh, December.

A Sleeping Red-necked Grebe, Just How I Found It In December.

Grey Heron, Winter's Pond, December.

Russian White-fronted Geese, East Halton, December.

After The Storm, East Halton, December.

Stunning Sunrise At Winter's Pond, November.

One Of 2 Purple Sandpipers, East Halton, November.

Snow Bunting, Goxhill, November.

Snow Buntings, Goxhill, November.

juvenile/1st Winter Caspian Gull In The Mist, Winter's Pond, September.

Male Cuckoo, Winter's Pond, May.

Bittern, May.

Spoonbill, East Halton Marshes, May.

Wood Sandpiper, East Halton Marshes, May.

Great-white Egret, Winter's Pond, April.

My Earliest Yellow Wagtail Since I Began Birding, March.

Lovely Lighting Over the Humber, March.

Male Brambling, East Halton Skitter, March.

Winter's Pond Dawn, February.

Russian White-fronted Goose, January.