Little Egret – Carsington Bird Club

August 2011 Bird Notes

AUGUST 2011 BIRD NOTES

August Highlights: 4 Little Egret, Marsh Harrier, Osprey, 20 Species of Wader, Mediterranean Gull, Sandwich Tern, Wood Warbler and Marsh Tit.

What a difference a year makes: Aug 2010 Highlights ‘A dull month with no highlights’ and only 94 species compared with 119 species this Aug, which is just 3 species below the best ever month at Carsington. Waterbird maximums included 19 Little Grebe on 15^th, 51 Great Crested Grebe on 5^th, 34 Cormorants on 31^st, a site record number 4 Little Egret on 14^th, 12 Heron on 15^th, 23 adult Mute Swan plus 6 cygnets on 10^th, a Pink-footed Goose on 2^nd and 14^th (escapee?), 8 Greylag on 22^nd, a year maximum 403 Canada Geese on 20^th, 5 Shelduck on 17^th, 11 Wigeon on 31^st, 38 Gadwall on 21^st, 114 Teal on 29^th, 319 Mallard on 15^th, 5 Shoveler on 18^th and 26^th, 1 Red-crested Pochard 12^th-31^st, 4 Pochard on 2^nd and 277 Tufted Duck plus 664 Coot during the WeBS count on 16^th.

A site rare female or immature Marsh Harrier flew over Stones Island heading northeast at 1745hrs on 31^st. Sparrowhawk were noted carrying prey on 1^st and 2^nd and 6 Common Buzzard were in the air on 30^th. An Osprey was around 0950-1030hrs on 19^th, attracting mobbing from 2 Buzzard and an immature Peregrine and later from 3 Herons, all with necks fully outstretched. Another Osprey cruised straight through heading south at 1215hrs on 30^th. A Hobby was seen carrying prey on 12^th and there were many records of Peregrine, with 3 together on 4^th and 8^th.

Wader passage has been superb, low water levels have helped and, apart from StonesIslandand Sheepwash being the favourite locations, BrownAleBayand Millfields have held waders on the muddy shore. Maximum counts included: 15 Oystercatcher on 28^th, 10 Little-ringed Plover on 12^th, 16 Ringed Plover on 13^th, 1 Golden Plover flying over on 8^th and 24^th, 20 Lapwing on 1^st, 17 Knot in flight on 26^th including 1 bird retaining some red summer plumage, 2 Sanderling on 9^th, a Little Stint on 12^th-13^th and 20^th, 4 Dunlin on 12^th-17^th, 3 Ruff briefly on 23^rd, 3 Snipe on 15^th, a Black-tailed Godwit on 1^st and 8^th, 3 Whimbrel flew over on 15^th, 2 Curlew flew over on 14^th, a Spotted Redshank on 18^th, 3 Redshank on 9^th and 31^st, 3 Greenshank on 26-31^st, a Green Sandpiper 14^th-31^st, 11 Common Sandpiper on 8^thand 5 Turnstone on 24^th.

Last month’s juvenile Mediterranean Gull was again on site this month on 15^th and 16^th and 2 Common Gull were noted on 14^th. The gull roost started with 4600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls being counted flying in on 26^th, most during the last minutes of any daylight. The winter resident Yellow-legged Gull was present all month and was seen eating fish on 14^th, 3 birds were noted on 31^st. Two Sandwich Terns were a welcome sight on 13^th, with 3 Common Tern on 1^st and 3^rd and an Arctic Tern on 27^th.

There were 2 Stock Doves on 12^th, 7 Collared Dove on 8^th, a Little Owl near a nest box on 16^th, 2 Swift on 13^th, a Kingfisher on 3^rd, a Green Woodpecker and a Skylark on 15^th and 3 Meadow Pipit on 31^st. Yellow Wagtail were moving through from 12^th, and 19 on 22^nd is certainly an autumn passage site record. The maximum Pied Wagtail count was 91, 5 Redstart on 8^th, 2 Wheatear on 8^th, a Wood Warbler and 2 Spotted Flycatcher in Fishtail Creek on 28^th, a Marsh Tit calling behind Sheepwash Hide on 1^st, 150 Goldfinch on Stones Island on 27^th and 3 Crossbills flew over Hopton Arm on 13^th.

119 Species were recorded this August compared with 94 in 2010, 102 in 2009, 99 in 2008, 109 in 2007, 97 in 2006, 105 in 2005, 113 in 2004 and 110 in 2003.

CBC Newsletters

Aug 2011 Newsletter

No 3 / August 2011

CHAIRMAN’S THOUGHTS

As I write this, the sun has come out again after a heavy shower of rain. We keep being told it’s been a poor summer, but it certainly seems to have been pretty dry – as demonstrated by the low water levels at Carsington Water. The bonus of this has been an extended, deeper shoreline attractive to a wider than usual range of waders and Little Egrets.

A whiff of autumn is already around and the first birds are back on the reservoir in the form of Pochard and Teal. I read recently an estimated quarter of the world’s bird species migrate – and we have abundant chances of seeing this avian strategy working on the reservoir. That same article also revealed some ‘weird demises’ that came to light as a result of research through ringing: BTO recoveries included a Mute Swan killed by tigers at Chester Zoo, a Reed Warbler found dead in a spider’s web and an Osprey ringed in Strathclyde that was found in the stomach of a crocodile in the Gambia!

Nothing so dramatic at Carsington Water, hopefully, but this year sharp-eyed bird-watchers there have seen rings that unmasked a real ‘wild’ Barnacle Goose among our escapee flock and an Osprey that was a Scottish bird (explaining why it chose not to stay long, dashing our hopes of breeding on the new platforms dashed). Behind such sightings there might be an interesting story, so keep watching our site and recording what you see.

Moving on, do you know when the first non-folding telescope and tripod combination became available to birdwatchers or when the first Act of Parliament was passed fully protecting birds and their nests? If not, may I recommend that you come along to our first indoor meeting of the new season – on Tuesday 20 September – and hear about ‘The History of Birdwatching from 1939 to the Present Day’. The following month (on 18 October) the BTO’s Graham Appleton will be talking about ‘Four Years of Atlas work’, which was completed this year and details the most up-to-date information on wintering and breeding birds of theBritish Isles.

We were on tenterhooks this summer after an Osprey threatened to stay on the new platforms built to entice them to breed. It didn’t happen but it gives us hope! If you want to know more about this project come along to Hognaston Village Hall on 15 November to hear David Bennett talk about ‘The Osprey Project’.

In December, I’m hoping our Christmas party can be ‘home-grown’. I have recently been to ‘Pecha Kucha’ evenings at the Quad in Derby. This is a new worldwide phenomenon that challenges speakers to put up 20 slides and talk about each for 20 seconds: that’s a six-minute 40-second presentation. Could we interest a handful of members in doing this at our party? Let me know soonest (but certainly by November) if you’re up for it, then send me 20 pictures – on any subject of your choice – and I’ll put them on my computer, ready for a quickfire presentation though my projector. We wouldn’t stick rigidly to the time limit, though it might be fun to do so!

Peter Gibbon

IMPORTANT NOTICE: TRIP CANCELLED

For anyone who booked or was planning to do so, please note that our proposed September club trip to the Wash and Frampton Marsh reserve has been cancelled. This was due to a misunderstanding with the company organising the Wash cruise. This would have been the centrepiece of the event for most people, so club officials decided it would not be sensible to rearrange it on any lesser basis.

Peter Oldfield has returned monies to those who had already booked, and notification of the cancellation appeared on the website some weeks ago – but we realise not everyone has a computer so this is to flag it up to anyone not ‘online’.

LOW WATER MEANS LOTS OF WADERS – AND IT’S A RECORD JULY

As autumn approaches, with the usual build-up of waterfowl and gull numbers, Carsington Water can look back on a productive breeding season, and unusually high species records during the summer months. The 95 species logged in June was the best for that month for several years, and 105 the following month was the best July tally ever since records began at this rich birding site in 1992.

Breeding had its ups and downs. Coot, Tufted Duck, Moorhen and Gt Crested Grebe were well down on the previous year, but six Lapwing broods represented an increase, two three-strong broods of Little Ringed Plovers was excellent to see, and two Oystercatcher and three Redshank pairs also successfully bred. Black-headed Gull nests failed at Sheepwash – possibly due to fox predation – but there were 19 chicks from several nests on the tern raft andHorseshoeIsland, with further young possible onFlatIsland.

Eighteen House Martin nests were counted around the perimeter of the Visitor Centre, where Swifts were also seen feeding young. Over in the Hall Wood area, at least two Raven and two Buzzard young were raised.

The very dry conditions saw the reservoir water levels sink which was, at least, good for waders and no fewer than 20 species had been seen during August alone – including Whimbrel, Curlew, Turnstone, Dunlin, Knot, Little Stint, Ruff, Sanderling, Greenshank, Redshank, Spotted Redshank, Common and Green Sandpipers, and Black-tailed Godwit.

Peregrines seem to be getting more and more regular, with sightings on many days and as many as three seen at any one time. Two Red Kites were viewed at the end of July, an Osprey kept up this species’ excellent 2011 attendance record with another sighting in June, while there were two Hobby sightings in late August. One or more Sparrowhawks were observed carrying prey into the same piece of woodland on several dates throughout June and July, and as many as six Buzzards were seen aloft at one time. Similar numbers of Ravens were also seen soaring on warm days.

One of the highest numbers of Yellow Wagtails seen at one time at Carsington – 19 – were noted in late August, a family group of Grey Wagtails (hard hit during the last tough winter) were singing on Stones Island in June, while as many as 91 Pied Wagtails were recorded on the same day. Redstarts have been a rare sight at Carsington in recent years, but a family group was regularly noted, often near the Wildlife Centre. Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Spotted Flycatcher and Willow Tit pairs bred as, for the first time, did a pair of Reed Warblers.

Little Egrets have become a more regular sight since June, and as many as four were seen together in August. Gull numbers are now on the rise, with up to 800 Lesser Black-backs counted in mid-August.

One far less welcome visitor is the predatory Yellow-legged Gull that seems to find plenty of warm-blooded food around the reservoir: already this year it has been seen to take a rodent and another Little Grebe, seemingly and sadly its favourite prey last year.

BIRD OF THE ISSUE: LITTLE EGRET

The sight of these beautiful small white herons is becoming increasingly common around the coasts and now also inland in the UK. Yet there is evidence to show that Little Egrets (Egretta Garzetta) were relatively common inBritain up to mediaeval times, even in territories much further north than Derbyshire. Overhunting and a mini ice-age saw them disappear, and for a long time they were considered a ‘continental’ bird.

They eat fish, insects, amphibians, crustaceans and reptiles – so Carsington Water is a good hunting territory for them. And with the lower water levels, widening the wading area and making some stretches of water much shallower than usual, this summer has been a good time for Little Egrets (as reported above).

They are distinctive birds of the heron family, with attractive white plumes on head, back and chest, jet black legs and yellow feet – quite different from anything other than the Great White Egret (or Heron), which is much larger, and Cattle Egret, with lighter legs and orange-buff crest and back, which is a much rarer sight in the UK.

Little Egrets have only been reappearing in theUKin good numbers for around the last 20 years, with the first pair breeding inDorsetin 1996. There are now around 150 pairs breeding in the UK, with another 1,500 overwintering, so they’re becoming a much more familiar sight as they spread around the coasts and estuaries of southern England, Devon, Cornwall, Wales and East Anglia, and gradually push further north. Long may it continue.

NEW LOOK TO CBC WEBSITE

The website has been completely re-written, for easier maintenance and to enable web postings to be pre-prepared and then scheduled to appear at specific dates and times. It will also enable a more flexible approach to editing of web content.

Despite its new look, it continues to provide all the familiar features people seem to enjoy, such as the on-line sightings board and Roger Carrington’s excellent monthly round-up of bird sightings at the reservoir. It also has the ability to allow users to catch-up on any content missed at publication time, such as newsletters or features, which are stored as ‘blog posts’ – so, if you missed a post, or would just like to look at previous postings, simply click on ‘Archives’ and review them month by month, or find them by the online search facility.

Selecting the “Categories” link on the right allows users to focus the content to a particular subject matter, such as Newsletters or News. There are over 12 categories ranging from CBC information, to special features, to details of where to stay and what to do when visiting Carsington Water.

There is also a word “tag” list down on the right-hand-side. This allows users to find a page or pages which have a particular word or phrase: for example click on “Osprey” to locate some content containing that word.

Wherever you find yourself on the website you can always return to base by either clicking the “Home” button at the top, or by clicking the “Carsington Bird Club” header text.

The website has also been written to be accessible by most Android Smartphones, Apple iPhones and iPads, and the like. The web pages automatically format themselves for the mobile you are using, so you need never be far from the information you require!

Have a look round and if you’ve any questions, please ask (via the ‘contact us’ page) – we value your feedback.

Richard Pittam – Webmaster

CLUB WALK BAGS 48 SPECIES

For the club’s June walk – a more ambitious effort than usual – leaders Roger Carrington and Peter Gibbon set a target of 50 species, but fell just tantalisingly two short. After meeting at Millfields car park, the small group was ferried up to Hopton Arm and then took three hours to meander back to their vehicles along the eastern shore of the reservoir, assembling plenty of highlights on the way.

These included a close-up and personal view of a female Sparrowhawk preening, a Willow Tit group going about their family business, an Oystercatcher on a nest, and two families of Moorhens.

The other species recorded were Gt Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Buzzard, Coot, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Common Tern, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Gt Spotted Woodpecker, Swallow, House Martin, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Reed Warbler, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch and Reed Bunting.

There were no walks in July and August, reflecting the invariable shortage of both birds and people to spot them!

HELPING TO HALT THE MALTESE SLAUGHTER

We are lucky enough to have somewhere inMaltawhere we can work and stay, so we usually visit two or three times a year. The island is located on the central Mediterranean migration flyway betweenEuropeandAfricaand should be a great place for birding, but in fact it is notorious for the annual slaughter of thousands of birds by shooting and trapping – not for locally important economics or profit; but simply for amusement.

The sound of distant – and often not so distant – illegal gunfire signals the reality of what is happening. Walking around the hunting grounds, as they are called, with literally thousands of spent shotgun cartridges at your feet is one of the most depressing sights imaginable. As was the long-eared owl we came across when walking with friends: it had been shot and had a badly-damaged wing.

We were surprised to discover an Important Bird Area existed right in the centre of the capital, Valletta. This winter roost of white wagtails could, we read, contain as many as seven thousand overnight in the mature ficus trees by the cathedral. It was difficult to believe, so we decided to watch the next day. As we headed for the location in the late afternoon we saw birds coming in from all directions, largely unnoticed by the tourists and shoppers. The noise level grew as the trees filled with birds, and we sat until it grew dark when the calling finally subsided.

When we visited in March this year we were horrified to see that the trees had been cut back. We discovered that they had been were pruned without a permit and that the workers continued to cut the trees, even while police were asking them to stop. In November the birds were observed trying to land on what foliage was left and flying around looking for an alternative site. We have not yet been able to find out just how successful they were.

All is not bleak, though, and there are many people working to change the culture, and educate the future generations to appreciate nature, and not seek to destroy it. After all, things have not always been so good here in theUK.

There are now two wetland nature reserves, one of which is right opposite the largest tourist beach in Mellieha. This year Black-winged Stilts bred successfully there – a first forMalta. At the weekends the reserves are open to the public and we have spent many happy hours there. Dedicated volunteers work in their own time to run, maintain and, importantly, protect the reserves, which also provide a focus for education.

One of the most important tasks is taking school parties around and showing them how the birds live – and this is working. One of the volunteers told us that children are now putting pressure on their fathers and uncles to stop hunting, and that he personally knows of at least one hunter who has given up. More will follow.

It’s refreshing to see that most of the Maltese you meet in the hides are young. One day we were watching a lone drake swim slowly into view: neither of us reacted to the bird as we recognised it, but a group of teenagers in the hide exploded with excitement – yelling ‘Pochard, Pochard!’, taking pictures and calling their friends to come and see this rare bird.

It was a touching moment, and one that shows the tide is turning. We were more excited by our first, fleeting view of a Little Bittern from the same hide. The teenage wardens obviously learn fast, too, for as we spoke to one about what we’d seen he was at first very cautious about confirming the known presence of the bird.

As we chatted, he then told us about a website he and his friend were building on birding in Malta. We checked it out and were really impressed. It’s well worth a look – www.birdinginmalta.com

Meanwhile, the key organisation on the island is BirdLife Malta(www.birdlifemalta.org) which, among other things, manages the two reserves and holds spring and autumn camps to record both the migrations and the illegal activities of the hunters.

Sue and Dave Edmonds

WHAT’S ON

Our Chairman Peter Gibbon will be first up during our 2011-12 indoor season, at Hognaston Village Hall, when he delivers ‘part two’ of his History of Birdwatching on Tuesday, 20 September. The full CBC events programme up to the end of the year is as follows:

20 September – Indoor meeting: ‘The history of birdwatching (1939-present day) by Peter Gibbon – Hognaston Vill Hall (7.30pm)

18 October – Indoor meeting: ‘Four years of Atlas work’ by Graham Appletonof the BTO – Hognaston Vill Hall (7.30pm)

15 November – Indoor meeting: ‘The Osprey Project’ by David Bennett, STW volunteer ranger – Hognaston Vill Hall (7.30pm)

20 December – CBC Christmas party – Hognaston Vill Hall (7.30pm)

For most Severn Trent Water events at Carsington Water, it is advisable to book through the Visitor Centre reception (01629 540696).

The programme for the rest of 2011 is as follows:

First Sunday of each month – Birdwatching for Beginners (enjoy a gentle two-hour walk led by experienced STW volunteer David Bennett) – Meet Visitor Centre 10am

2 September – Wildlife Discovery Room with STW and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust – Wild Fridays (fun-packed day for families with young children in Visitor Centre (11am-4pm)

3 September – Bat Safari (£2.50 – book; bring stout footware and warm clothing) – Millfields car park (8.45pm)

14 September – Optics demonstrations (guidance on binoculars/telescopes) – RSPB shop (10am-4pm)

8-9 October – Derbyshire Beekeepers Association annual honey show and sale – Visitor Centre (1.30-4pm)

14-15 October – Optics demonstrations (see earlier entry for details)

30 October – Halloween family fun day in Wildlife Discovery Room – Visitor Centre (evening)

16 November – Optics demonstrations (see earlier entry for details)

20 November – Learn about wildlife in winter, and make a garden bird feeder at the Open Door Day in Wildlife Discovery Room – Visitor Centre (11am-4pm)

2-3 December Optics demonstrations (see earlier entry for details)

Carsington Bird Club

July 2011 Bird Notes

JULY 2011 BIRD NOTES

Highlights: Little Egret, Red Kite, Mediterranean Gull, Grasshopper Warbler and Crossbill.

By the end of July, this year’s numbers of broods totalled: Little Grebe 1 (1 last year), Great Crested Grebe 3 (8), Mallard 20 (20), Tufted Duck 4 (26), Moorhen 3 (7) and Coot 3 (12). Maximum counts, excluding young, were 5 Little Grebe on 25^th, 32 Great Crested Grebe on the official WeBS count carried out on 18^th, 24 Cormorant on 29^th, 1 Little Egret on 1-4^th and 25-31^st, 12 Heron on 27^th, 22 Mute Swan on 6^th plus 6 cygnets, 2 Greylag Geese on 10^th, 359 Canada Geese on 18^th, 1 juvenile Shelduck on 3^rd and 26^th, 1 Wigeon on 14^th and 23^rd, 5 Gadwall on 6^th, 4 Teal on 6^th, 267 Mallard on 22^nd, 4 Pochard on 20^th, 182 Tufted Duck on 18^th, 4 Common Scoter on 21^st and 30^th, 8 Goosander on 27^th and 408 Coot on 18^th.

Raptors included 2 Red Kite together over Fishtail Creek on 29^th at 1845hrs before gliding off northeast, Sparrow Hawk carrying prey on 6^th and 25^th, 6 Buzzards on 13^th and at least 2 young calling from woodland on 28^th, 2 Kestrel on 25^th and many records of Peregrines, with 3 together over Hopton Arm on 31^st.

Little Ringed Plover have taken advantage of the wide shore available this year and bred, showing a brood of 4 on 25^th and another brood of 4 on 26^th. Wader maximum numbers were 5 Oystercatchers on 23^rd, 8 Little Ringed Plover on 29^th excluding young, 3 well flighted juvenile Ringed Plover on 11^th, at least 50 Lapwing on 18^th, a Sanderling at the Wildlife Centre on 19^th, 7 Dunlin on 18^th, an early Snipe on 30^th, 3 Black-tailed Godwit on 11^th and singles on many dates, 1 Curlew on 11^th, 4 Redshank on 18^th, 5 Greenshank on 13^th, 2 Green Sandpiper on 28^th and a site record 18 Common Sandpipers on 18^th.

A well flighted juvenile Mediterranean Gull was at the Wildlife Centre on 19^th. This is the first juvenile recorded on site and one asks where has it travelled from. An adult Med Gull was also at the Wildlife Centre on 21^st. Black-headed Gull numbers totalled 270 on 20^th including 55 juveniles, but not all had hatched here. There were 4 Common Gulls on 20-22^nd and Lesser Black-backed Gull numbers were increasing, with 180 on 20^th. The winter resident adult Yellow-legged Gull was on site from 3^rd and seen devouring a smallish mammal on 4^th thought to be a mole, followed by a Little Grebe on 13^th, surprised it could find one! Other Yellow-legged Gulls were on site, with 5 recorded on 21^st. Common Terns were passing through in very small numbers, with a maximum of 5 on 23^rd and 1 Arctic Tern on 22^nd.

Swifts looked to be feeding young in the eaves of the Visitor Centre early in the month and 50 were noted passing through on 13^th. An adult and a juvenile Green Woodpecker were together at Millfields on 13^th. Early passage was noted with a Meadow Pipit on the dam wall on 22^nd, a Yellow Wagtail on Sheepwash Spit on 25^th and a Wheatear on the dam wall on 28^th. A Grasshopper Warbler was heard reeling near Millfields Island on 23^rd and remained until 27^th. A Reed Warbler family were seen in Hopton Arm Reedbed on 17^th and a pair of Spotted Flycatcher were feeding 3 just fledged youngsters in Penn Carr on 13^th. A nationwide Crossbill movement has been well noted here with fly-overs of 3 on 13^th, 6 on 22^nd, at least 1 on 23^rd, 2 on 24^th and 12 on 26^th. Finally one observer reported 2 bizarre predations occurring within one half hour on 30^th. A mole, crawling across the hard foreshore towards vegetation, in front of Sheepwash Hide, was attacked, killed and taken by 3 Magpies, only to be followed by a Southern Hawker dragonfly taken in mid-air by a Blackbird.

105 Species were recorded this month (well above the former July record of 102 in 2004), compared with 91 in July 2010, 95 in 2009, 97 in 2008, 94 in 2007, 94 in 2006 and 97 in 2005.

Carsington Bird Club

Jan 2011 Bird Notes

JANUARY 2011 BIRD NOTES

January Highlights: Great Northern Diver, Little Egret, Smew, Kittiwake and Mealy Redpoll.

A reasonable January for species numbers when there is no migration movement either locally or nationally. Bird numbers are noticeably low away from the water, which is mainly due to the snow and freezing conditions of Nov/Dec, having forced many southwards. Bird numbers on the water are slightly down on previous winters and a reported Ruddy Duck cull on 25^th will certainly have contributed to the decrease.

The 2 juvenile Great Northern Divers stayed on from the Christmas period and were joined by another juvenile from 29^th, taking our site total to 3 birds. A Little Egret was on Sheepwash Spit briefly on 13^th, then went into Hopton Arm Reedbed. Pink-footed Geese were around with Canadas, with a maximum of 4 on 29^th, and skeins over were; 43 west at 0955hrs plus 170 west at 1100hrs, both on 24^th, 150 west at 1425hrs on 26^th and 80 west at 0930hrs plus 50 west at 1020hrs, both on 29^th. Another Little Grebe was killed and eaten by the Yellow-legged Gull on 13^th and these grebes are currently rarely seen on site. Site counts this month were from the WeBS count on 16^th, unless dated otherwise, and included 1 Little Grebe, 56 Great Crested Grebe on 2^nd, 28 Cormorant on 18^th, 3 Heron on 13^th, 10 Mute Swans, 33 feral Barnacle Geese, 2 Shelduck on 17^th, 231 Wigeon, 7 Gadwall on 2^nd, 110 Teal, 210 Mallard, 3 Pintail on 19^th, 2 Shoveler on 6^th, 45 Pochard on 2^nd, 553 Tufted Duck, 41 Goldeneye on 10^th, a female Smew all month, 4 Goosander on 19^th, 4 Moorhen and 1340 Coot.

Raptor records were few, with 2 Sparrow Hawk on 8^th, 5 Common Buzzards in the air on 19^th, 2 Kestrel on 18^th and a Peregrine seen on 9^th, 13^th and 17^th.

Waders included an Oystercatcher at Millfields on 20^th, 315 Lapwing on 24^th, a Dunlin 17-18^th, a Snipe on 17^th, a Curlew over on 15^th, 17^th and 18^th and Redshank around all month, with a maximum 4 on 24^th.

The gull roost has been poor and little watched. It contained an adult Mediterranean Gull on 24^th and an adult Kittiwake briefly on 22^nd before flying off north. Counts included 2500 Black-headed Gulls on 6^th, 350 Common Gulls on 24^th, 200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on 6^th, 150 Herring Gulls on 6^th, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls on 12^th and 24^th and 30 Great Black-backed Gulls early morning on 3^rd.

Two Stock Dove were in Tail Bay on 29^th, a Kingfisher noted on 2^nd and 17^th, 3 Skylark over on 6^th, 1 Meadow Pipit on 9^th, 17^th and 19^th, a Grey Wagtail at Hopton End on 13^th, 6 Fieldfare 9-10^th, 12 Redwing on 24^th, 2 Goldcrest in Hall Wood on 6^th, 8 Long-tailed tit on Paul Stanley feeder on 16^th, 3 Willow Tit on Wildlife Centre feeder on 6^th, 3 Nuthatch and 2 Treecreeper in Hall Wood on 6^th, 12 Rook on dam wall fields on 28^th, 2 Raven from Sheepwash on 18^th and other dates, 40 Chaffinch at Wildlife Centre on 24^th, 40 Siskin on 10^th and at least 2 Common (Mealy) Redpoll reported near Lane End Hide on pagers on 30^th. This is only the second record of Mealy at Carsington and, until recently this species required a DOS rarity form submission.

89 Species this month comparing well with 86 in January 2010, 86 in 2009, 85 in 2008, 89 in 2007, 89 in 2006, 95 in 2005, 91 in 2004, 87 in 2003 and 75 in 2002.