Bassenthwaite Lake NNR

March: The wintering waterfowl were leaving the lake with much reduced numbers of most species - not surprising as Sand Martins were back on 25th, but beaten by a Chiffchaff on 22nd at Derwent Foot.

Grey Wagtails were nesting before the month end, and Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit were displaying. In sunny warm conditions on 29th Peacock butterflies were about, and Goldeneye were mating, when David Thomason spotted a Bittern - a very early morning call, and I arrived in time to see the bird on the lake shore and flying across towards the river, not to be seen again. A Bittern was present on the previous day at Mersehead on the Solway, perhaps the same bird.

April: The Ospreys returned and provided most of the excitement for the month and beyond (see separate note), but the male Scaup was still with us as well, and Swallows arrived back on the 2nd, Blackcap on the 9th and Willow Warbler on 8th, and Dunnocks singing wildly all month. Great Crested Grebe were down to nine pairs. Other likely breeders were 3 pairs of Tufted Ducks and a handful of Teal. Late staying Wigeon and Goldeneye usually occur in small numbers.

The national Lowland Wet Grassland Wader Count repeated an earlier survey which had included Bassenthwaite. The April count found a healthy 39 pairs on the survey area but less healthy was the count of only 2 Lapwing and 4 Curlew.

A nest box Tawny Owl had 3 young on 16th and Mallards were already showing with small broods of ducklings. The best day of the summer is always the return of the Common Sandpipers, and this was slightly late this year on 21st; I doubt they would have come at all if they had known what was in store this summer!

Orange-tips were about on 21st, closely followed by Pied Flycatcher the next day. It was all go with returning Sedge Warbler (in small numbers) and Garden Warbler and Redstart on 24th.

The first year of a Water Rail study around the NNR, of which there will be more detail in due course, confirmed the wetland areas as one of the best Cumbrian locations for this elusive species, with 14 pairs and 4 singles being located.

Finally for this month Grasshopper Warbler returned in good numbers and by the 28th Reed Warbler were back in the reed beds.

May: Disaster struck! Over the night of the 24th four inches of rain fell at the valley heads, and adding to already saturated ground the lake level rose, the fenland was covered with 2 metres of water, and only the third summer flood in 40 years drowned out all ground-nesting species at the height of the breeding season, quite depressing.

Survey work had found 21 pairs of Reed Bunting on one area, all now under water, Grasshopper Warbler disappeared over night and were not heard again.

However there are some positives, and they were seen from the Osprey viewpoint with Garganey and Marsh Harrier making brief appearances, with a finale of 9 Shelduck flying north on the 31st.

June: To continue a most unusual year for ‘oddities’ a Black-throated Diver in full breeding plumage was seen by observers on the 3rd. Previously-flooded Common Sandpiper were re-laying, but Greenfinch and Linnet already had fledglings.

Barn Owls were day-hunting and some Goosanders had young although one nest still had 9 eggs. An intruder Osprey was about, but by 17th the first of the eggs had hatched from the resident pair.

July: Water levels still at a winter height. The annual feral goose count was undertaken on the three lakes of Bassenthwaite, Derwentwater and Thirlmere, and a slight increase was noted from the previous year.

The two Osprey juveniles were ringed at five weeks old, a male and a female.

Barn Owls had produced smaller broods than previous years. A summering Goldeneye was still present and lucky observers in the hide saw Water Rail, and juvenile Moorhen - a rare bird at Bass - was also noted. Juvenile Teal were also seen, near a crèche of Goosander with 21 young on 13th.

August: Migrating Ospreys were seen heading south on 14th and 15th, but did not interact with the locals. The first of this year’s young to leave the nest was on 17th and the female wasted no time and left on migration on 24th. Crossbills were in Dodd Wood and a Raven was feeding young in a tree top. Lapwings returned to the grazed pasture areas and Teal numbers began to rise again, a sure sign that the summer is nearly over, confirmed by ten wigeon returning by the month end.

Summary

It has been an exceptional year for unusual birds to the lake arriving and staying for short periods, the most unusual year I can personally recall. It was also a poor year for many birds due to the floods and constant high water - all the more frustrating that access was denied last year, one of the driest for ten years!

Records are important for future conservation reasons, and I urge members to submit record cards of sightings, and contact me directly at the National Park Office at Threlkeld if you have Bassenthwaite records, birds, flora, invertebrates, etc.

Bassenthwaite Lake NNR is owned and managed by the Lake District National Park Authority.