admin – Carsington Bird Club

For Sale

Two good pairs of bins both in excellent condition. Contact below if interested.

Carl Zeiss Conquest 8 x 32 binoculars – excellent condition – £495
Carl Zeiss Conquest 10 x 32 binoculars – excellent condition – £ 495

Telephone Glyn on 07831 440641

News Items

********** Membership News **********

From 1st January 2025, membership joining fees have changed – see link here.

CBC Meeting Schedule for 2025/26 commences in September.

Indoor meetings are held in the Carsington Water Visitor Centre – starting at 19.30h.

** TUESDAY, 16 SEPTEMBER ** – Talk: The birds and wildlife of south-west Turkey; Gary Hobson describes this multi-habitat area sitting at the edge of Europe and Asia.

** SUNDAY, 12 OCTOBER ** – We jump in our cars for a club trip to the RSPB’s excellent reserve at Burton Mere on the Wirral. We aim to arrive at the visitor centre by 10.30am. Contact Chris Lamb (see details at the end of the newsletter) if you wish to come along. A lift could be available for those not wishing to drive.

** TUESDAY, 14 OCTOBER ** – Talk: The British Trust for Ornithology; Jon Potts describes the important work undertaken by the BTO (note that, unusually, this is the second Tuesday of the month).

** TUESDAY, 18 NOVEMBER ** – Talk: India – Land of the Tiger; the ever-entertaining Tony Davison tells us about his trip last year where he encountered a plethora of birdlife … and the iconic Bengal Tiger.

** TUESDAY, 16 DECEMBER ** – Talk: Birds and Islands; David Parkin reprises the presentation on the evolution of birdlife on island that he was due to give us last season before an injury forced him to postpone.

If you need a lift – or for any more information – contact Chris Lamb [ cflamb@yahoo.co.uk ], who will be able to offer help.

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).

Events Member Reports

Members trip to Gibraltar Point, Sunday 12th March 2023

A regular band of CBC members were very pleased to escape the Derbyshire snow and head to the Lincolnshire coast on Sunday 12th March to visit the Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve.

After meeting up for a cup of coffee in the Visitor Centre café, we headed out towards the shore on a path which took us along the edge of the salt marshes. The song of Skylarks could be heard above us as we walked, though the strong winds were clearly making most of the smaller birds hunker down for shelter. A few Meadow Pipits, a Reed Bunting and a flock of Linnets were seen briefly before they dived down for cover.

Large numbers of Brent Goose were feeding on the grassy areas on the salt marsh, along with a couple of Redshanks and a Curlew probing for food in the mud. In the distance we could also pick out a pair of Roe Deer.

As we reached the beach, the strength of the wind became more apparent and certainly made it hard to keep binoculars and telescopes steady as we looked for possible sea birds. A number of Oystercatchers were feeding on the shoreline, along with a large flock of Sanderling constantly running along the water’s edge like little clockwork toys. The only sea ducks spotted were a group of some 10-15 Common Scoter flying low over the water.

In the afternoon we decided to move to the more sheltered areas of the reserve, where a number of hides looking out over freshwater marshes offered the chance to see more waders and wildfowl. Our wader tally increased with Black-tailed Godwits, Lapwings and Avocets, as well as more Curlews and Redshanks. Wintering Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler were still present in good numbers, along with a handful of Shelduck.

Woodland birds were in fairly short supply during the day due to the terrain of the reserve, though a Great Spotted Woodpecker, which was first heard calling then seen as it flew between the trees, was a notable find.

The sightings board at the reserve indicated the possibility of 5 Water Pipits at the Fenland Lagoon, so we set off in that direction and were rewarded with clear views of 3 of them, showing well as they moved about on the mudbanks. The Water Pipit is a fairly scarce winter visitor to the UK, mainly in eastern and southern England, so it provided an excellent highpoint to end the day on before we set off back home.

A collective total of 45 species were recorded by the group:

Greylag Goose, Brent Goose, Canada Goose, Shelduck, Shoveler, Mallard, Gadwall, Wigeon, Teal, Tufted Duck, Common Scoter, Moorhen, Coot, Avocet, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Sanderling, Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Cormorant, Little Egret, Pheasant, Wood Pigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Rook, Skylark, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Robin, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Water Pipit, Linnet, Reed Bunting.

Chris Lamb

Carsington Bird Club

Bird Notes – February 2023

February 2023 BIRD NOTES

HIGHLIGHTS: Great Northern Diver, Whooper Swan, Water Rail, Jack Snipe and Marsh Tit.

Water bird maxima were from the WeBS count on 12^th unless dated otherwise. 1 Great Northern Diver reported most days till the end of the month, 8 Little Grebe, 24 Great Crested Grebe 27^th, 19 Cormorant 2^nd, 1 Little Egret 5^th, 9^th and 24^th, 4 Grey Heron 9^th, 2 Mute Swan 3^rd, 15^th and 27^th, 14 Whooper Swan 27^th only on site for the single date first group of 4 adults and 6 juveniles left at 08:08 and the remaining 4 left at 08:25, 151 Pink-footed Goose 27^th, 35 Greylag Goose 1^st, 260 Canada Goose 27^th, 35 Barnacle Goose 24^th, 4 Shelduck 6^th, 1 Mandarin 20^th, 161 Wigeon 27^th, 84 Gadwall 12^th, 733 Teal 6^th, 277 Mallard 6^th, 1 Pintail 6^th, 10^th and 12^th, 2 Shoveler 7^th and 20^th, 1 Pochard reported on 7 dates this month, 25 Tufted Duck 16^th, 1 Common Scoter (drake) 12^th, 10 Goldeneye 12^th and 27^th, 4 Goosander 5^th, 1 Water Rail 22^nd and 26^th, 10 Moorhen 22^nd, 135 Coot 27^th.

Raptor sightings included 4 Red Kite 1^st, 4 Sparrowhawk 3^rd, 10 Buzzards 26^th, 2 Kestrel 20^th, 1 Peregrine reported on 11 dates.

Eight species of waders through this month with 12 Oystercatcher 14^th, 16^th and 27^th, 150 Lapwing 1^st and 9^th, 1 Dunlin 10^th and 22^nd, 1 Jack Snipe 6^th, 14^th, 20^th, 22^nd, 23^rd and 26^th, 10 Snipe 16^th, 3 Woodcock 2^nd, 15 Curlew 26^th, 4 Redshank 12^th.

Maximum Gull numbers were Black-headed Gull present all month but not in significant numbers, Common Gull also present this month, 500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls 5^th, 20 Herring Gull 10^th, 2 Yellow-legged Gull 9^th, 1 Caspian Gull 6^th, 3 Great black-backed Gull 2^nd.

Perimeter counts were conducted on 7^th and 28^th along with the other species were 1 Tawny Owl heard calling 3^rd and 12^th, 2 Red-legged Partridge 1^st and 5^th, 6 Great Spotted Woodpecker 7^th with 4 drumming, 8 Skylark 15^th, 40 Meadow Pipit 7^th, 4 Grey Wagtails 7^th, 9^th and 21^st, 54 Wren 28^th, 156 Robin 28^th, 93 Blackbird also 28^th, 70 Redwing 28^th, 33 Long-tailed Tit 28^th, 1 Marsh Tit reported on 9 dates this month, 8 Willow Tit 7^th, 15 Coal Tit 7^th, 175 Blue Tit 28^th, 86 Great Tit 7^th, 14 Treecreeper 28^th, 40 Magpie 28^th, 1000 Jackdaw 10^th, 18 Raven 22^nd, 8 Tree Sparrow 16^th, 38 Chaffinch 7^th, 8 Greenfinch 28^th, 75 Siskin 6^th, 80 Linnet 2^nd and 3^rd, 6 Lesser Redpoll 2^nd and 21^st, 24 Bullfinch 7^th, 9 Reed Bunting 22^nd.

The total 93 species noted compares to 92 in 2022, 90 in 2021, 93 in 2020, 92 in 2019, 87 in 2018.

This is the joint second highest total for February only beaten by 96 way back in 2004.