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NEXT CLUB TRIP – CARR VALE, 29th APRIL 2018

As we’re spoiled for choice in Derbyshire for good birding sites, we have decided to stay fairly local for the next Club trip and are aiming for Carr Vale, a Derbyshire Wildlife Trust site near Bolsover, on Sunday, 29 April 2018.

Like Carsington, this wetland reserve is thought to be among the top five birding sites in the county.

We suggest meeting at 10am. Anyone interested in going should make their own way there by car, although if you are struggling to get there under your own steam, contact Chris Lamb (either by phoning 01629 820890 or e-mail at cflamb@yahoo.co.uk) who will try to organise a lift.

DIRECTIONS: From Chesterfield, head towards Bolsover on the A632 and, shortly after going over the M1 motorway, turn right at the second island you come to – along Riverside Way (there’s a sign to the Peter Fidler Reserve, which is adjacent to Carr Vale) – and park in the small car park at the top of this lane, beyond the industrial units.

http://www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/carr-vale-flash

Please note there is no visitor centre here, so no cafe or toilets are available.

Carsington Bird Club

Subscriptions 2018

Club Subscriptions are now due for 2018.

Single Member:	£7.50	p.a.
Family/Joint Membership:	£10.00	p.a.
Junior (under 16):	£1.00	p.a.
Group Membership (eg School or Company):	£15.00	p.a.	(per Group – max. 1 Annual Report per Group)

Cheques should be made payable to “Carsington Bird Club” and sent to – 8 Buckminster Close,
Oakwood, Derby, DE21 2EA, or click here for the on-line application/renewal form.

Any queries please contact the Membership Secretary John Follett [ Tel: 01332 834778 or Email:
johnlfollett@virginmedia.com ].

Carsington Bird Club Member Reports

Birding Down Under – a venture into the unknown!

Chris Lamb

Getting away from the Derbyshire winter at the end of 2017, my wife Nicole and I enjoyed a fabulous trip to Australia, sightseeing, visiting family and friends and of course birding. It was our first time there, so everything was new and amazing – the spectacular scenery, the iconic sites such as Uluru (Ayers Rock), Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House and the fabulous variety of birdlife.

It is difficult to pick out highlights of the birds we saw, but among the most memorable must be the Southern Cassowary (Australia’s largest and allegedly the world’s most dangerous bird!), the Bush and Beach Stone-curlews, the Bowerbirds of the Queensland rainforest, the Whipbird with its cracking whip-like call, the laughing of the Kookaburras, the tiny colourful Fairy-wrens and the constant noise of the Cockatoos and Parrots. One interesting challenge always was trying to distinguish between all the different types of Honeyeaters.

In total we saw 170 species of which 67 were endemic to Australia, some of which are only found in one small area of the country. As well as all the birds, we saw many different types of marsupial of all shapes and sizes, from the tiny musky rat kangaroo to possums, quokkas, pademelons, wallabies and kangaroos, along with the occasional lizard and fortunately only 1 snake!

Carsington Bird Club

Monthly Bird Notes

Why not take a look at the detailed monthly note provided by your recorders – Clive Ashton and Dave Newcombe. Along with the many submitters of sitings, these guys collate all the sitings and publish them into monthly notes, which are then collated into ‘Annual’ notes, stored on the website. Everything you wanted to know about birds at Carsington Reservoir, but were afraid to ask!

There is a ‘Bird Notes‘ link above in the menus, or click this link.

Try having a look once in a while – you’d be surprised how much information they contain.