Water Rails in East Lancashire 1992 -2005.

by Tony Cooper.

Allen Holmes posted the following entry in the forum section of the East Lancs Birding Website on 24 January 2006: “It seems that we have a better than average winter for Water Rails in the Burnley area, if not East Lancs.  From texts and speaking to people, I know of 8 this winter near Burnley: 2 Lomeshaye Marsh, 2 Wood End Sewage Works, 1 Lowerhouse Lodge, 1 Grove Lane Marsh - Padiham, 1 Rowley Lake, 1 Lee Green Res.  Are there any previous years with as many records as this winter in East Lancashire?  Maybe more could be found at other suitable sites.”

After speaking to Allen, I decided to look up all the records held in the ELOC database; this runs from 1992, when the club’s records were first computerised.  As no summer records have ever been received, the following table shows the probable number of separate birds recorded during each winter period.

The earliest recorded return was of a single juvenile at Wood End Sewage Works on 31st August 1995.  In the absence of any other sightings there are no real grounds for thinking this constitutes evidence of breeding rather than being an exceptionally early incoming bird.

Another early date was on 12th September 1999 when 2 adults and at least one juvenile were seen at Lee Green Reservoir.  According to BWP, the last hatch in Britain is in early August and fledging takes from 20 to 30 days.  It is therefore just possible that this was a family party that had bred there, though this would make the lack of sightings earlier in the summer rather puzzling.  They were not seen after 29th October so that even if not breeders, they were more likely to have made a stop while on passage to somewhere else.  Perhaps the numbers should therefore be amended to 1 for Lee Green (in Jan-Mar 2000) and the total for the winter to 2.

In the 14 years covered by the data, there was only one other September return, also to Lee Green and that on 21st.  Apart from October returns to 3 sites in 2002, most first dates are in November and December, indicating that most records are probably of true wintering birds.

The latest record was one on 23rd April 2004 at Lomeshaye Marsh; was it hoping to stay and breed?  Otherwise, there have been very few sightings after mid-March.

This is a species whose secretive habits and choice of habitat mean that it is much under-recorded.  However, I would make two observations: there has been an increase in the number of people going out birding since 1992 and the advent of the East Lancs Birding Website means that records are now being submitted that previously may not have found their way into the ELOC database.  Bearing these points in mind, while Allen’s observation that it is a better winter than average is undoubtedly true, it would be difficult to draw any long-term conclusions from such low and variable annual totals.

The briefest glance at the table will show that the vast majority of the records come from Calder catchment in the east of the ELOC recording area.  The only exceptions are from West Bradford in 2001/02 and from both Newton and Sunnyhurst (Darwen) in 2002/03,  As none of these sites could be considered as ‘wetland’, these records must refer to wandering or passage birds.  Does anybody know of any reasonably extensive wetlands in other parts of the area.  If there are, they are surely worth a careful check.

This article was based on records submitted to the ELOC Recorder and, more recently, the East Lancs Website.  If any reader knows of further records that could add to the overall picture in the club’s recording area, (see the ELOC website for a map) I should be pleased to receive them.

(Tony Cooper, 25 January 2006)