Carsington Bird Club

It was pretty windy and raw, but the 21 hardy travellers on the most recent Carsington Bird Club coach trip were well wrapped up and enjoyed investigating two wetland reserves in South Yorkshire on Sunday, 3 February, logging a total of 56 species over the several hours they spent in hides or on the hoof. 

First on the agenda was the RSPB's Old Moor site, near Barnsley, then the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's Potteric Carr reserve, which for anyone travelling from Derbyshire is conveniently located on Doncaster's southern fringe and just a mile north of the M18 motorway.

After an 8am start, the coach made good time and gave the visitors more than three hours at Old Moor, where there was the promise of recently-seen Bittern: but unfortunately no-one left the site - with its six hides - with that particular species ticked off. 

Plenty of other good sightings of waterfowl, though, including Gadwall, Goldeneye, Pochard and Water Rail .... and still to go was still Potteric Carr, another location which proclaimed regular Bittern sightings!

This time the group dispersed around a very large site, with no fewer than 12 hides dotted around both well-established, new and developing wetland environments. 

One of the hides had the best of both words, with a bird table and seed, nut and fat dispensers attracting a fine array of passarines, including Willow Tit, various finches, Reed Bunting, and even a Greater-Spotted Woodpecker.

The group enjoyed a good three hours at Potteric Carr, too, but as the sunlight drained from a darkening sky there was still no news of Bitterns and people reassembled on the bus and compared notes ... until trips organiser Peter Oldfield returned with a few others who had all caught a fleeting glimpse of this most elusive water bird as it took briefly to the air.

Only 20 people on the coach including Peter.

Left Carsington at 08:00h, arrived at 10.30, left at 16:00h - back at 18:30h.

Didn't see the Beavers (apparently nocturnal) or Bill Oddie and Co although plenty of BBC vans, cables, floodlights etc.

Bird highlights were over 1000 Whooper Swans, good numbers of wild ducks and geese plus two Peregrine Falcons, three Buzzards, two Marsh Harriers, a Hen Harrier, Kestrel and Little Owl.

A Hooded Crow on Anglesey?

It certainly caused a few puzzled looks among Carsington's birders as they scrabbled for their field guides to ensure that Ireland and Scotland is indeed where you're supposed to see them, but sure enough that's what it was - and the handsome male on the hilltop was not just passing through - for a few of us even also saw his mate sitting on a nest only about 12 feet up in a pine tree nestling in a small valley.

The RSPB's South Stack reserve, near Holyhead, also had the delights of Puffins, Razorbills, Guillemots and Kittiwakes.  Stonechats, Wheatear and pipits were typical of the territory. 

The main prize, though, and surprisingly easy to spot were the half a dozen Choughs that obligingly hopped around the well-cropped fields or took to the air in front of us for their breathtaking display of aerobatics among the jackdaws, auks and gulls.

Earlier on, after a long drive beginning at Carsington Water at 7.45am, the 35 Bird Club members enjoyed a couple of hours at the Conwy reserve, which is flat, pleasantly open and well laid out with several hides overlooking lagoons and scrapes. 

In fact, being next to a tidal estuary and with scrubland packing the fringes of the site, separating it from the busy A55 main coast road, it contains several quite different habits within the relatively small area inside its perimeters.

That made for some good varied birding - with waterfowl, warblers, hirundines and other summer visitors all figuring prominently. 

Reed Buntings posed nicely for photos, and the reeds held noisy but shy Reed and Sedge Warblers, while both Whitethroats and their "Lesser" cousins were evident.  Shelduck, Oystercatcher, Curlew and Redshank probed the sand and mud, and overhead several Buzzards and Kestrels made an appearance. 

In one hide a Ringed Teal - a rarity that had dropped in - was pointed out by some local birders, and later identified by the RSPB staff at the Conwy reserve.

In all at least 66 species were logged, though there could have been more.  Below are the combined records of a few of the CBC travellers; apologies for any absentees ...

Blackbird, Rook, Pied Wagtail, Coot, House Sparrow, Moorhen, Reed Warbler, Stock Dove, Reed Bunting, Mallard, House Martin, Kestrel,
Starling, Grey Heron, Canada Goose, Tufted Duck, Shelduck, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Buzzard, Great Black-backed Gull, Greenfinch, Magpie, Whitethroat, Jackdaw, Chiffchaff, Chough, Blue Tit, Meadow Pipit, Great Tit, Guillemot, Black-headed Gull, Razorbill, Herring Gull, Puffin, Song Thrush, Kittiwake, Dunnock, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Robin, Wheatear, Swift, Wood Pigeon, Swallow, Great Crested Grebe, Carrion Crow, Little Grebe, Curlew, Yellowhammer, Mute Swan, Cormorant, Sedge Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Linnet, Hooded Crow, Ruddy Duck, House Sparrow, Stonechat, Skylark, Wren, Fulmar, Little Egret, Teal and Collared Dove ...... and a Ringed Teal ( a rarity pointed out and later identified at the RSPB base )

Good photo of an Adder by Roy (or Jane) Luckett who say it was caught by a couple doing a count on Sth Stack.

About 15 hardy souls turned up at Fairholmes on the 10th of March to be greeted by more birders than birds!

Trips by the Sheffield RSPB local Group and Derbyshire Ornithological Society (DOS) made the valley a pretty popular crowded place.

First stop was Derwent Dam where we quickly picked up on a male Goshawk that circled for a few minutes allowing every one to pick up on the main points of id.

The RSPB and DOS groups gradually headed up the valley leaving us to pick up on Raven, Buzzard, Kestrel and prolonged views of a Peregrine which showed just how powerful a flyer they can be.

Next stop was Birchinlee, where Matthew provided a short history lesson on the valley and the village (Birchinlee) where all the workers that built the dams lived.

After that it was on to the top of the valley where siskins, coal tits, treecreepers and other assorted woodland birds put on a good show but Crossbill views were rather brief.

Last stop of the day was Windy Corner where a female Sparrowhawk was added to the raptor list and two more Ravens put in an appearance.

All in all, a very successful morning with everyone getting views of Goshawk, the species we had all come to see!

A brief report from Matthew Capper - RSPB "Aren't Birds Brilliant!" Project Officer