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News Items

 Posted by on August 21, 2024  Carsington Bird Club, Events, News  Comments Off on News Items
Aug 212024
 

CBC Meeting Schedule for 2024/25 commences in September

CBC indoor meetings are held in Carsington Water’s main visitor centre and they start at 19.30h.
 
 

** TUESDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER ** – Talk: Extramadura.  Steve Lovell explores this distinctive unspoiled region with its natural beauty and wealth of fabulous wildlife and spectacular birds.

** SUNDAY, 6 OCTOBER ** – Club trip to the ever-popular and productive Frampton Marsh; arrive at the visitor centre 10.30am.  Contact Chris Lamb (see details at the end of the newsletter) if you wish to come along.  It’ll be a convoy of cars, and a lift could be available for those not wishing to drive.

** TUESDAY, 15 OCTOBER ** – Talk: Reintroducing the Osprey.  Simon Curtin describes this outstanding UK conservation success story, also describing its reproductive, feeding and migratory behaviour.

** SUNDAY, 17 NOVEMBER ** – Local Club trip to Willington, the DWT reserve that usually has plenty on display, often including a rarity or two.  Again, contact Chris Lamb if you’re interested in going.

** TUESDAY, 19 NOVEMBER ** – Talk: Kruger National Park.  David Tolliday will detail the range of mammals, birds, insects and people who live in South Africa’s largest wildlife sanctuary.

 
 
Other Activities

– First Sunday of the month – Birdwatching for Beginners – Meet Visitor Centre (10am-12 noon)

Please Note:

Almost invariably held on the first Sunday of the month (meet in the courtyard at 10am – but please book with reception if you intend to come).

 
Outdoor Activities

For Severn Trent’s spring programme, it’s often sensible to book a place with the visitor centre (on 01629 540696).


Newsletter No 3 / August 2024

 Posted by on August 20, 2024  CBC Newsletters  Comments Off on Newsletter No 3 / August 2024
Aug 202024
 

No 3 / August 2024

Welcome to the third newsletter of the year, where we look at what’s been happening over the summer period … summer, that is, once it finally arrived.  The weather was far from perfect during the first half of the year, but in recent weeks the sun’s been out and temperatures have improved.

Club activities are relatively quiet over the summer – recognising that the holiday season is in full swing (if you have managed to get away, I hope you had a great time – and enjoyed good weather – wherever you’ve been).  As you can see below, however, we have a busier programme of events as summer slips into autumn. 

The indoor season of talks begins next month, with Steve Lovell taking us into the intense heat and wildlife-rich Extramadura on 17 September, and we’re also planning a longer-range club trip – to the ever popular Frampton Marsh – in October, then a more local trip to the Wildlife Trust’s Willington reserve the following month.

Something that did happen over the summer was the formal opening of the new Sheepwash hide, which Severn Trent kindly allowed us to link to the club by way of a dedication to the memory of Roger Carrington … and we invited Roger’s widow, Lilian, and daughter Helen along to cut the ribbon on the new hide.  Read on for a more detailed report on that.

As a club, we also joined a number of other organisations in supporting the annual Hen Harrier Action day, and that, too, is described in a little more detail later.

As ever, there’s a report on what’s been around at the reservoir, which invariably throws up some interest, with most of the recent highlights surrounding the feverish breeding activity that has seen juvenile birds popping up in all corners of the site.  Read on – and I hope we’ll see you at a forthcoming indoor meeting or trip.  Meanwhile, happy birding.

Gary Atkins

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Below are the dates of upcoming events.  Remember – all indoor meetings are held on the third Tuesday of the month in the Visitor Centre’s Henmore Room, beginning at 7.30pm:

** TUESDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER ** – Talk: Extramadura.  Steve Lovell explores this distinctive unspoiled region with its natural beauty and wealth of fabulous wildlife and spectacular birds.

** SUNDAY, 6 OCTOBER ** – Club trip to the ever-popular and productive Frampton Marsh; arrive at the visitor centre 10.30am.  Contact Chris Lamb (see details at the end of the newsletter) if you wish to come along.  It’ll be a convoy of cars, and a lift could be available for those not wishing to drive.

** TUESDAY, 15 OCTOBER ** – Talk: Reintroducing the Osprey.  Simon Curtin describes this outstanding UK conservation success story, also describing its reproductive, feeding and migratory behaviour.

** SUNDAY, 17 NOVEMBER ** – Local Club trip to Willington, the DWT reserve that usually has plenty on display, often including a rarity or two.  Again, contact Chris Lamb if you’re interested in going.

** TUESDAY, 19 NOVEMBER ** – Talk: Kruger National Park.  David Tolliday will detail the range of mammals, birds, insects and people who live in South Africa’s largest wildlife sanctuary.

FIRST EVER SHOVELER BROOD AS THE BIRDS GET BUSY OVER SUMMER

Carsington’s birds have been busy breeding over the summer; those away from the water keeping a low profile, some species almost disappearing, while those on it have been a bit more evident.  One of the highlights without doubt was the site’s first ever brood of Shovelers, with five young noted on 18 June.

At the end of July, wildfowl brood numbers were mostly quite impressive: Tufted (14), Mallard (24), Gadwall (10), Gt Crested Grebe (29) and Little Grebe (3).  More than a dozen Coot broods were evident and several Moorhen broods represent a big improvement in this species that was only being counted in low single-digits a few years ago.  Seven Oystercatcher pairs bred, Greylag and Canada Geese were both well into double-figure broods and a pair of Barnacle Geese had three young.

There was plentiful evidence of breeding by the passerine population – both summer visitors and residents.  Successful species included Willow Tit, Spotted Flycatcher, Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Garden, Reed and Sedge Warblers and Redstart, and juvenile Tawny Owls, Nuthatch and Jays were all recorded.  It’s not quite over yet, of course, so more young birds will appear at the reservoir in the coming days and weeks.

Another successful species was Black-headed Gull, with 100 juveniles counted at the end of June.  That cohort was reduced by one, though, as a Peregrine was seen eating one on 30 July.  Peregrines have been quite active, in fact, with another just three days earlier spotted mobbing a Honey Buzzard – a species not seen since 2011, yet producing two records in July.

A single Osprey on 8 July was the only recent record for this iconic migrant, while Hobbies were seen on three dates in June, a single date in July and two more in August; on at least one occasion Swallows were their target.  Four Red Kites and eight Buzzards were flying high on 28 July.  The site’s other resident raptors, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel, were logged more regularly.

A Black-necked Grebe was another highlight during July, and the more unusual ducks noted were a Scaup on 17 July, and Common Scoter, two of which were spotted on 20 June and three on 17 July.  Boosted by breeding, Canada Geese numbers topped four figures, at 1,088, in late June.

Herons have not been around in great numbers, the maxima being two Little Egrets on 11 July and a single Great White Egret on 17 July, while no more than four Grey Herons have been seen on any one day.  Waders, after a sparse showing in June, were more populous in July when 12 species were recorded, including two Knot on 11 July, two Whimbrel and seven Common Sandpipers on 22 July, a single Sanderling the following day and single Turnstone on the 25th.

It’s been relatively quiet on the gull front, with Kittiwake, Mediterranean and Caspian the most noteworthy.  The Caspian Gull was reported on seven dates in July and maintained its presence on site into August.  A roost of 1,500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on 19 July hinted at the larger numbers to come over the winter, while two Yellow-legged Gulls have also been seen quite regularly in recent weeks.  Meanwhile, Common, Little, Black, Arctic and Sandwich Terns have passed through in relatively small numbers.

The influx of hirundines, beginning with Sand Martins in March which built to a maximum count of 300 in early May, continued with 100 Swallows and the same number of House Martins on 24 May.  Pied Wagtail numbers blossomed over the summer, hitting 80 on 25 July, and other highlights around the dam wall were the occasional Whinchat and Wheatear, and more regularly seen Yellow Wagtails which were moving north in May, then south in late July and August.  Pied and Spotted Flycatchers have graced the site this year, with the six ‘SpotFly’ recorded on 25 July including three adults and three juveniles.

As many as 10 Willow Tits have been counted – on 29 May – yet no Tree Sparrows (previously one of our most robust species) were reported during July.  Warblers have had a decent year, despite as ever getting quieter and more difficult to see after breeding … so it was good to see a site scarce Grasshopper Warbler on 20 July.

ROGER REMEMBERED AS NEW SHEEPWASH HIDE OPENS

The formal opening of the new Sheepwash hide in July provided the perfect backdrop for both CBC and Severn Trent to honour Roger Carrington for his huge contribution to birding in general and recording in particular at the reservoir over many years.

Roger, who sadly passed away in 2022, was the club’s designated Recorder on site for more than a decade, and spent many happy hours at the previous Sheepwash hide, binoculars and ‘scope at the ready.  While he never got to see the construction of its replacement, adding his name to a plaque on the door seemed entirely natural and appropriate when the new Sheepwash hide was opened in late July.

Roger’s widow, Lilian, and daughter Helen officiated at the ribbon-cutting, and were doubly pleased to see (and sit on) a bench seat that also bore an inscription dedicated to Roger.

The old hide had been built on stilts and while there was no imminent hint of danger, a safety study reflected concern at its longer-term integrity, so it was decided to condemn the old hide and design and build a new one.  That took longer than anticipated, for a number of reasons, but Severn Trent worked steadfastly to clear these obstacles and the Sheepwash successor has already been given a thumbs-up by the birding fraternity that reckons it’s located in the best place for scanning the reservoir.

Roger served as a core member of the Carsington Bird Club committee, advising on all aspects of birding including breeding surveys, bird boxes and where to locate them and habitat improvements, also editing and producing many of the well-regarded CBC annual reports that have created a permanent record of birdlife across three decades at Carsington Water. 

In addition, importantly, he forged a purposeful relationship with our hosts, Severn Trent, who often took his advice on the birdlife and habitats key species are happiest inhabiting.

Many people learned a great deal from Roger, whose calm nature and quiet demeanour encouraged them to ask questions (even the more obvious ones!) and take on board a little of his large fund of knowledge.

CLUB SUPPORTS ACTION DAY FOR HEN HARRIER

For the second time in five years, the Hen Harrier Action Day (HHAD) was staged at Carsington Water – and for the first time Carsington Bird Club joined the numerous wildlife organisations supporting the annual event, thanks in the main to Louise and John Sykes, who regularly attend events with a ‘pop up’ display table that serves to both advertise the club and raise money through a wide range of sales items.

The HHAD itself aims to educate the general public about the plight of this iconic species (and other raptors) that are persecuted due to the skewed perception that they are a nuisance and deplete the ‘stocks’ of game birds on sporting estates.

Chris Packham was in attendance, though on this occasion did not give a speech.  Others that did included Jo Smith, CEO of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Olivia Blake, the MP for Sheffield Hallam, Dr Rose O’Neill of the Campaign for National Parks, author Mark Cocker and Mark Thomas of the RSPB Investigations Team.  Representatives of Protect the Wild and Wild Justice also appealed for common sense in the public’s dealings with and perception of Hen Harriers.  A gospel choir and folk singer Martin Simpson added music to the activity mix.

As well as this programme of high-profile speakers, who addressed the crowd during the afternoon, each supporting organisation also took the opportunity to promote its own goals and activities. 

The hard-working Sykes put on an excellent display, as ever, and had a little help from neighbours and a few other club members in manning the stand.  They raised over £150 on the day, which the club will plan to spend on helping wildlife projects around the site.

BTO LAUNCHES APPEAL TO BOOST BIODIVERSITY

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is appealing to all nature lovers to help out with their current focused campaign to slow down the biodiversity crisis that most wildlife organisations agree is affecting local, regional and global eco-systems.

If ‘crisis’ sounds dramatic, then some of the statistics backing this claim are indeed frightening.  The 2023 State of Nature report, which corralled data and expertise from more than 60 nature conservation and research organisations, including the BTO, revealed that nearly one in six species in the UK are threatened with extinction … joining the 151 species that already went out of existence since the 16th century.

Many factors are combining to create the crisis, many driven by human influence such as habitat destruction, pollution, radical changes in agricultural practices, the spread of invasive species and climate change.  The impact on certain species in the UK has been devastating – and birds have certainly not escaped those effects.

Just one example is the Turtle Dove, which has reduced by 99 per cent between 1967 and 2020, and is now only seen at all in half of its previous habitats, while overall populations of 46 per cent of bird species declined in the five years to 2021.  The UK ‘Red List’ addresses species considered to be of greatest conservation concern – and while that list contained 36 species in 1996 it now comprises 70 including familiar species such as House Martins, Greenfinches, Lapwings and Skylarks as well as Nightingales and Puffins.

Click the link below, or cut and paste it into your URL box, to learn more about the vital importance of biodiversity and how the BTO, its members and its scientists can help to arrest its decline, further assisted by the practical and financial support from the general public.

https://www.bto.org/understanding-birds/biodiversity-loss-and-uk-birds

KNOW YOUR COMMITTEE – Here are the club officials and their contact details……..
       
Committee Post Name Telephone Email Address  
Chairman and Publicity Gary Atkins 01335 370773 garysatkins@aol.com
Treasurer / Membership John Follett 01332 834778 johnlfollett@virginmedia.com
Recorder Rob Chadwick 07876 338912 rob.chadwick322@gmail.com
Events co-ordinator Chris Lamb 01629 820890 cflamb@yahoo.co.uk
Secretary Louise Sykes 01335 348544 louise.sykes5065@gmail.com
…..and the website address is:   http://www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk
Webmaster Richard Pittam n/a Contact Richard via the website
         

 

Roger Remembered as New Hide Formally Opens..

 Posted by on July 24, 2024  Carsington Bird Club, CBC Newsletters, Events, Severn Trent Water  Comments Off on Roger Remembered as New Hide Formally Opens..
Jul 242024
 

As part of a formal opening of the new Sheepwash hide at Severn Trent’s Carsington Water, Roger Carrington was honoured for his huge contribution to birding on site and to consistent recording of birdlife at the large reservoir. Roger, who passed away in 2022, was Carsington Bird Club’s Recorder for more than a decade.

 

A very old picture of Roger with what now, would be called an ‘ancient’ scope…


He spent many happy hours at the previous hide, binoculars and ‘scope at the ready, and on 23 July a ribbon-cutting for its replacement was undertaken by Roger’s widow, Lilian, accompanied by daughter Helen. They were able not only to read the plaque on the door of the hide, describing Roger’s key role, but also enjoy the nearby bench that has been dedicated to Roger’s memory.


When it became clear the old hide had had its day, plans were put in place to design and build a new hide. Though Roger never saw these plans come to fruition, he would have been very happy with the successor – reckoned by birders to be located in the optimum position for scanning much of the reservoir.


Roger served as a core member of the Carsington Bird Club committee, advising on all aspects of birding including breeding surveys, bird boxes and where to locate them, habitat improvements – often working hand-in-glove with the Severn Trent – and editing and producing many of the detailed annual reports that serve as a permanent bird-related history across three decades at what is one of Derbyshire’s top wildlife and public engagement sites.


Many people learned a great deal from Roger, whose calm personality and quiet demeanour encouraged them to ask questions (even obvious ones!) and take on board a little of his large fund of knowledge.

STOP HARRYING THE HARRIERS!

 Posted by on July 11, 2024  Carsington Bird Club  Comments Off on STOP HARRYING THE HARRIERS!
Jul 112024
 
The poster below is advertising a big event at Carsington Water on 10 August 2024. 
 
The Action for Wildlife Day is designed to reduce the persecution of one of our rarest raptors – the Hen Harrier – and will include some heavyweight speakers, including Chris Packham, Mark Cocker and Mark Avery.  There will also be music and fun activities for the children.
 
Carsington Bird Club is one of dozens of wildlife-focused organisations that will have stalls or stands at the event, so if you want to support this excellent cause, pop along and see us.  It begins at 11am and continues until late afternoon.
 

CBC Newsletter No 2 – May 2024

 Posted by on May 17, 2024  CBC Newsletters  Comments Off on CBC Newsletter No 2 – May 2024
May 172024
 

The winter period was a particularly wet and miserable time, and while it’s still raining outside as I write this, there has at least been some brighter and warmer weather in recent weeks to enjoy amid the showers.  Whatever the weather, though, it seems the birds take very little notice and just get on with things as the reservoir report below details.

The bird club, meanwhile, has completed its indoor winter season of talks and undertaken a couple of trips and a ‘springtime songster’ walk, which turned out to be hardly that as it coincided with a particularly wet day; there were compensations, though, as species like Arctic Tern, Red-crested Pochard and Hobby made their way onto people’s year-lists from the warmth of the Wildlife Centre!

There are reports on all of this activity on the following pages.  The trips we’ve undertaken have been disappointingly undersubscribed, although the weather again had a part to play in at least one of them.  Hopefully everything will conspire to make the next one (which will be in the autumn now) a more well-populated success.

Hopefully you’ve now renewed your memberships for the current year, as we have a number of plans for events and activities over the coming months – and you should by now also have received your annual reports, which details the birding highlights and statistics for 2023.

Talking of ‘subs’, at our AGM at the March indoor meeting, we announced that membership fees will be rising from £7.50/£10 (single/family) to £8/£12 from 2025.  Also agreed at the AGM was the removal from the Club’s constitution of the £500 limit on a single item of expenditure, which could have proved a hurdle to our spending some of our funds to support habitat improvements at Carsington.

The new Sheepwash hide, as many of you may have experienced, is now open for business, offering a different (and for those who can remember) and well-loved perspective of the reservoir.  The committee is also working with our Severn Trent hosts to utilise a proportion of our club funds (happily growing in recent times with the injection of funds from John and Louise Sykes’ promotional and sales events) for habitat improvements in certain areas of the site aimed at aiding and abetting certain species.  We can hopefully update you more fully on these activities in future issues of the newsletter.

Gary Atkins

 

SPRING BRINGS SCARCITIES, REGULARS AND RECORDS

Comprehensive observation at the reservoir continued to help high counts, with the total species count for March of 110 being the highest ever for that month, while 123 seen in April was the third highest since records began over 30 years ago.

Our Great Northern Diver departed a little earlier than usual, on 22 April, after its usual test flights, but that was not the end of the visiting Gaviaforms for this ‘winter’ as a Red-throated Diver called in and offered good views on 5 May.  Sawbills also starred over this period, with a Smew that appeared on 7 March being the first of this striking species for 13 years, and a Red-breasted Merganser seen in April the first since 2022.

A Grasshopper Warbler found on 20 April was also the first of its kind at the reservoir since 2022, and represented the swathe of visiting migrants arriving this year – some passing through and some who will remain and raise new families.  Sand Martins turned up on 13 March, followed by the first Wheatear on the 16th, then Swallows on 28th, Blackcaps on 29th and Willow Warblers on the 30th.

During April, the new arrivals came thick and fast, starting with Redstart on the 6th, then Yellow Wagtails (8th), Reed Warbler (10th), Pied Flycatcher (12th), Sedge Warbler (16th), quickly followed in the latter half of April by Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler.  We had to wait until May for the first Swifts (on the 5th) and Spotted Flycatcher (9th).

Populations of both arriving and resident small birds were particularly evident as territorial behaviour, nest building and singing pinpointed their presence, and a perimeter walk at the beginning of May found 126 Blue Tits, 122 Chiffchaffs and Robins, 118 Wrens, 103 Blackbirds, 65 Blackcaps, 46 Great Tits and 39 Dunnocks, double-figure totals of Willow and Garden Warblers and nine Sedge Warblers.

Other passerine highlights included Brambling, still being seen regularly in late April, a single Hawfinch noted on 31 March, and a site-scarce Green Woodpecker on the first day of March.

An Osprey was recorded on 26 March, with four sightings of this iconic raptor during April.  A single Marsh Harrier on 24 April was nice to see, while up to three Red Kites were noted on several dates.  As noted in a later article, a Hobby was seen on 28 April, and Barn Owls were observed on two dates in March, and up to four Tawny Owls were calling on some mornings.

The high water levels have not left many margins or much exposed mud for waders, but still up to 11 species were noted in both March and April, highlights being as many as 15 Oystercatchers, 11 Golden Plover (albeit overhead!), 10 Black-tailed Godwits and two Bar-tailed Godwits on dates in late April and early May.  As many as 29 Curlew were recorded during March, and Whimbrel have been showing up more regularly during April and May.

A nationwide inland influx of Arctic Terns was reflected at Carsington with up to 17 counted pausing at the reservoir to feed, along with lower numbers of Common Terns, two Sandwich Terns on two dates in April, but an impressive 11 Black Terns showed up on 11 May.

Kittiwakes are a pleasure to see, showing up in March, April and May, as are Little Gulls, up to three of which were noted in March and April, when at least one Mediterranean Gull was around on 10 separate dates.  A roost observation in March produced over 500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2,000 Black-heads and a massive 2,650 Common Gulls.

 

TALKS SEASON ROUNDS OFF FAR AWAY – THEN RIGHT AT HOME

Southern Africa was the destination for the talk at our February meeting.  The rich biodiversity of this part of Africa makes it home to an incredible variety of flora and fauna and our speaker – Nigel Slater – took us on a journey to Botswana and Zimbabwe, showing us some of the amazing birds and other wildlife he has experienced there.

Our final meeting of the 2023-24 programme, in March, had a much more local theme.  Andy Broadhurst was our guest, describing the work of the Derbyshire Swift Conservation project, which was formed in response to the massive decline of Swifts across Derbyshire. His talk covered everything from the basics of the Swift’s lifecycle and breeding cycle, to the various theories of why Swifts are declining so much, together with suggestions of what people can do at a local level to help this iconic species.

At the end of the meeting, we decided to do ‘our bit’ by purchasing two of the Swift boxes Andy had brought along to demonstrate how easy it is to provide nest sites among our communities.

 

REWARDING BIRDING TRIPS – NEAR AND AFAR

The jury is still out on whether CBC’s membership prefers trips closer to home or those farther afield, exploring new territories, since both recent trips attracted fairly small groups of participants.

The wet start to the day may have been the reason for only eight well-wrapped-up souls turning up for our walk, in March, to Wyver Lane, the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust site on the outskirts of Belper.  It certainly did not look promising for seeing many birds, but the weather slowly cleared up and the the group was rewarded with a good variety of species seen or heard.

Setting off from the East Mill car park, a quick look from the bridge over the fast-flowing River Derwent for the chance of Goosanders or Grey Wagtails, proved unproductive, but the walk along Wyver Lane towards the reserve produced several common birds, including Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Wren, Dunnock and House Sparrow.

Reaching the wetland area we picked out a number of Tufted Duck, Teal and Gadwall on the water, along with a male Mandarin Duck which added a splash of colour with its bright plumage.  A female Goosander and a pair of Shoveler were observed from the hide, then as we left it a pair of Snipe were flushed and flew briefly before dropping out of sight.

A single Great White Egret was spotted creeping along inside the reeds, before flying away over the river. A couple of Grey Herons were more obliging, staying in full view on the water’s edge.

The sound of singing Chiffchaffs became almost a constant backdrop to our walk, with probably at least 10 individuals heard and in some cases seen high in the trees.  From the fields behind the hide and the observation ramp, the ‘yaffling’ of a Green Woodpecker was heard several times, but we were unable to find it.  Similarly, the distant drumming of a Great Spotted Woodpecker was picked out, but again the bird was not seen.

We spent some time watching the feeders towards the end of the lane and were very pleased to see a Marsh Tit, scarcer than its similar ‘Willow’ cousin in this part of the country, as well as Nuthatches, Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits and, of course, numerous Blue and Great Tits.  A Water Rail was briefly spotted by one of the group in the reeds near the feeders, but couldn’t be located again.

By the end of the morning a total of 44 species had been recorded by the group, which was a far better result than could have been anticipated under the laden skies at the start

Our focus shifted further afield for the next trip – to the RSPB’s St Aidan’s reserve, near Leeds, earlier this month.  We had planned to go there last autumn, but the succession of storms left the site waterlogged.  In much nicer conditions on Sunday, 12 May, we were very fortunate to have the services of Paul Morris, brother of one of our members John Morris, as our guide for the day.  Paul is a very experienced bird recorder at the site and has extensive knowledge of the birds there.

Having started the day with a welcome drink in the aptly named Little Owl café, we set off and almost immediately spotted one of the resident Little Owls sitting on one of the girders of the dragline (a huge machine that was also home to a pair of Kestrels, Paul told us).  This massive structure, a famous landmark of the reserve, is a reminder of the site’s industrial past as an opencast coal mine. 

The sound of various songbirds filled the air as we continued our walk. A Cetti’s Warbler announced its presence with its scolding song, and the descending cadence of a Willow Warbler and the repetitive notes of a Chiffchaff were heard often. Reed Warblers sang unseen in the reedbeds, but Whitethroats and Sedge Warblers were more obliging, singing from the tops of bushes next to path.

In the distance the unmistakable booming of at least two Bitterns could be heard, but we were not lucky enough to see one.  The network of lakes which make up the reserve held a variety of ducks, with plenty of Shoveler, Gadwall, Tufted Duck and Pochard in evidence.  Thanks to Paul simply knowing where to look, another highlight came in the form of two male Garganays, just visible on the grassy shore of one of the lakes.  Later on, a handful of Shelduck were noted, as well as a few Wigeon and Teal still present.

Large numbers of Black-headed Gulls were nesting on the islands on the lakes, with their raucous calls providing a constant backdrop.  Smaller counts of Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls were seen, along with a single Great Black-backed Gull, but more notable still was a Mediterranean Gull which was identified as it flew past us.

One of the star species at St Aidan’s is the Black-necked Grebe, and it was a delight to see four of these smart looking grebes, now resplendent in their breeding plumage.  The Black-necked Grebe is a very rare breeder in the UK, but they have bred successfully at this reserve in recent years.

By the end of the day we had recorded a total of 52 species, namely: Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Shelduck, Shoveler, Mallard, Gadwall, Wigeon, Teal, Garganay, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Coot, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Common Tern, Cormorant, Bittern, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Little Owl, Buzzard, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Swift, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Skylark, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Cetti’s Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Wren, Blackbird, Robin, Meadow Pipit, Reed Bunting

Our most sincere thanks again go to Paul for spending his time with us and sharing his extensive knowledge of the reserve. 

Chris Lamb

 

RAIN TURNS SPRINGTIME SONGBIRD WALK INTO A TERN-FEST

Unfortunately the very un-springlike wet weather experienced recently continued to make its mark on Sunday 28 April, the day of our annual Springtime Songbird walk at Carsington Water.  Nevertheless, our hardy (or perhaps foolhardy?) seven-strong group, led by Simon Roddis – having met up in heavy rain outside the Visitor Centre, but quickly choosing the haven of the Wildlife Centre – were rewarded for dipping on warblers with great views of a busy group of terns and a distant Hobby.

Traditionally we would start off with a walk around Stones Island to look for, and listen to, the many songbirds advertising their presence at this time of year.  Instead, from the warm and dry Wildlife Centre, it was a variety of wildfowl that filled our notebooks.  Canada Geese, Mute Swans, Mallards, Tufted Ducks, a pair of Gadwall, male and female Common Pochards were seen, along with a very fine looking male Red-crested Pochard.  On the bank on the far side a Greylag Goose with gosling was noted, and later two Barnacle Geese flew across the water.  With water levels obliterating most of Horseshoe Island, waders were in short supply, with just a couple of Redshanks seen and an Oystercatcher sitting on a nest.

Taking advantage of the rain were large numbers of hirundines flying low over the water feeding on the abundant insects.  Swallows made up the vast majority, with smaller numbers of Sand Martins present and a couple of distant House Martins to add to the mix.

A group of nine Arctic Terns flying over the reservoir soon grabbed our attention.  In recent days there had been a steady influx of these passage birds across Derbyshire, with the weather no doubt holding up their journey north to their breeding grounds.  A single Common Tern was also picked out and it obligingly sat on top of the camera pole, despite the repeated attempts of a Black-headed Gull to displace it.  Through a scope it was possible to see the black tip of its more orangey-red bill, which helps to differentiate it from its Arctic cousins.

Thanks to the keen eyes and identification skills of both Simon and Jon Bradley, who we met in the WLC, we were also able to find a distant Hobby perched high in a tree on the north side of Shiningford Creek. Sightings of this summer visiting falcon are always scarce at Carsington, so this was an excellent bird to add to our list.

As ever, we were indebted to Simon Roddis, one of our expert bird recorders, who even with the paucity of singing warblers helped us hoist our walk list to an unlikely grand total of 35 species in the hour and a quarter we were together. 

Chris Lamb

 

 

KNOW YOUR COMMITTEE – Here are the club officials and their contact details……..

 

 

 

 

Committee Post

Name

Telephone

Email Address

 

Chairman and Publicity

Gary Atkins

01335 370773

garysatkins@aol.com

Treasurer / Membership

John Follett

01332 834778

johnlfollett@virginmedia.com

Recorder

Rob Chadwick

07876 338912

rob.chadwick322@gmail.com

Events co-ordinator

Chris Lamb

01629 820890

cflamb@yahoo.co.uk

Secretary

Louise Sykes

01335 348544

louise.sykes5065@gmail.com

…..and the website address is:   http://www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk

Webmaster

Richard Pittam

n/a

Contact Richard via the website