Derwentwater - breeding season highlights, 2002

Hopefully the eight drumming Snipe I heard in March had time to fledge a few before the Lodore Marshes were flooded for weeks on end. Three pairs of Oystercatcher nested on one island and I believe some of their young managed to keep their heads above water. Common Sandpipers sadly arrived in fewer numbers than usual and those that did turn up must have had a torrid time as I didn't find a single successful family.

The normally prolific mergansers didn't fare much better with only a single late brood of four. There was also just a single brood of seven goosanders. Mallards probably had an average year with as usual only a few broods seen. I've never understood what on earth the large number of bread scrounging mallards on the lake get up to as they never seem to produce many young. Teal and Tufted Duck were seen for a while and may have attempted to breed

The Lesser Black-Backed Gulls nesting islets were more or less permanently under water with the usual 3 or 4 pairs only managing one fledged young. It is barely worth mentioning the fact that the Mute Swans failed as usual. This pair have been with us for over 10 years now and I have only seen cygnets once and even these didn't survive. Perhaps it's something to do with their luxury diet of bread & cake

No sign of much success with sedge or reed warblers either though I struggled to wade near enough to be sure. Hopefully they all tried again after some probable early losses

Coots must have suffered with the varying water levels as I only saw two young. Amidst all this doom and gloom the Moorhens at the hotel pond quietly managed at least two broods and two sets of Water Rails were happily calling to each other in early September which I am optimistically taking as a good sign

With no sightings for some time I had presumed that the Great Crested Grebes must have also failed. Then on my September lake count I heard the insistent calling of young grebes. The adult was being continually pestered to dive for fish by three medium sized young. Every time she caught a fish she placed it on the water to her rear for her young to "catch". If this species, notorious for failing, can have such a successful year despite the awful weather then maybe it wasn't so bad after all. Still here's to a glorious spring next year and in particular to the return of the excited piping of Common Sandpipers guarding their young.

Dave Piercy