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May 2010 Bird Notes

MAY 2010 BIRD NOTES

May Highlights: Great Northern Diver, Red Kite, Osprey, Hobby, Sanderling, Turnstone, Mediterranean Gull, Black Tern, Cuckoo and Pied Flycatcher.

The long staying adult Great Northern Diver was last seen flying around in full summer plumage on 8^th. There are no broods of Grebe, Swan, Barnacle Geese, Moorhen or Coot yet but, hopefully, this is only due to the late Spring, and June will be catch-up time. There was only 1 further brood of Mallard to add to last month’s total of 4 broods, probably another indicator of delayed breeding for these water birds. Significant wildfowl counts were all from the WeBS survey on 16^th and included 16 Little Grebe, 40 Great Crested Grebe, 40 Mallard, 147 Tufted Duck and 57 Coot. Additionally, there was a Shelduck on 8^th, 10^th and 17^th and a female Scaup, present from April, was last seen on 7^th.

A Red Kite drifted over Sheepwash on 2^nd and an Osprey perched on a buoy for an hour consuming a fish before flying up Fishtail Creek on 26^th. The first Hobby was noted on 2^nd and a Peregrine flew over on 1^st. There has been little Buzzard activity recorded and there are no signs of breeding, which is not surprising following the well publicised local find of 6 dead buzzards, suspected of being poisoned.

At least 6 pairs of Oystercatchers have so far only produced 1 brood of 3, first noted on 5^th on Millfields Island. Last month’s Lapwing brood on Big Island showed 2 well grown young on 17^th and there were further broods of 4 on 16^th and 3 on 26^th, both on Horseshoe Island. A pair of Redshank with 2 young were on Big Island on 12^th. Passage waders included a Ringed Plover on 12^th and 20^th, 2 Sanderling on 12^th, a Dunlin on 1^st and following days, 3 Black-tailed Godwit on 5^th, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit on 21^st, 15 Whimbrel on 8^th, 2 Curlew on 10^th, a Greenshank flying through on 10^th, 3 Common Sandpiper on 7^th and a Turnstone from 7^th to 11^th.

A first summer Mediterranean Gull on HorseshoeIslandon 1^st obviously stayed over from 30^th May and an adult Little Gull was also on the island on 22^nd. The Black-headed Gull colony at the Wildlife Centre took over the tern raft again, forcing off a nesting Moorhen. These gulls seem to have squeezed what looks like 8 nests onto the raft and 2 young were noted on 29^th. A pair also have a nest on Horseshoe Island and another pair have bred on the raft at Paul Stanley Hide, showing 3 young on 31^st. Three Common Terns were noted from 1^st and a pair have settled on Flat Island again this year. The maximum number of Arctic Terns was 6 feeding off Stones Island on 7^th and a Black Tern was present on 27-28^th.

Three Stock Doves were feeding on spilled seed in Sheepwash car park on 13^th, a Cuckoo was noted near Middle Wood on 19^th, and a Barn Owl on 15^th and a Tawny Owl on 16^th were both around Sheepwash. The first Grey Wagtail since early January was recorded on 2^nd. A Redstart was singing near the Wildlife Centre on 1^st and there was a male Whinchat on the dam wall on 5^th. A Greenland race female Wheatear, a Sedge and a Reed Warbler were all seen on 1^stand 13 Garden Warblers plus 42 Blackcaps plus 29 Willow Warblers were counted on a circular walk on 17^th. A Spotted Flycatcher was noted from 23^rd, 2 singing Pied Flycatchers on 13^th, a pair of Raven with 3 young on 20^th, 4 Linnet on 2^nd and a Bullfinch was heard singing on the Club Dawn Chorus Walk on 8^th.

106 Species recorded compared with 108 in May 2009, 112 in 2008, 103 in 2007, 107 in 2006, 107 in 2005, 114 in 2004 and 110 in 2003.

Carsington Bird Club

Apr 2010 Bird Notes

APRIL 2010 BIRD NOTES (to 28^th April only)

April Highlights: Great Northern Diver, Whooper Swan, Osprey, Sanderling, Godwits, Little Gull,SandwichTern, Pied Flycatcher and Common Spring Migrants.

The adult Great Northern Diver stayed all month and was in mostly summer plumage by 29^th. A Whooper Swan was around the Wildlife Centre and Stones Island all Saturday 17^th, 2 Red-crested Pochard on 6^th and 8^th, a female Scaup stayed close in to the Wildlife Centre from 26^th and 4 Common Scoter were seen off Stones Island on 13^th. Counts included 12 Little Grebe on 18^th, 42 Great Crested Grebe on 18^th, 16 Cormorant on 2^nd, 3 Heron on 15^th, 3 Greylag Geese on 7^th and 24^th, 80 Canadas on 18^th, 38 Barnacles on 6^th, 5 Shelduck on 10^th, 7 Wigeon on 7^th and 8^th, 3 Gadwall on 17^th, 48 Mallard on 18^th, 3 Shoveler on 22^nd, 1 Pochard on 8^th, 189 Tufted Duck on 18^th, 13 Goldeneye on 13^th, 3 Goosander on 5^th, 19 Moorhen on 18^th and 106 Coot on 18^th. Four broods of Mallard were noted by 28^th.

Ospreys were seen again from Sheepwash, 1 at 1400hrs on 2^nd and another 1230-1305hrs on 19^th. An immature male Sparrow Hawk was perched close to Sheepwash Hide on 20^th, 14 Buzzards were in the air on 3^rd and 2 Peregrines were over Hall Wood on 26^th, with singles noted on other dates.

Wader passage included 1 Ringed Plover from 19^th to 21^st, 1 Sanderling on 28^th, 2 Black-tailed Godwit on 21^st and 5 on 26^th, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit on 6^th to 11^th, 2 Whimbrel on 21^st and 6 on 27^th, 4 Curlew on 18^th, 4 Common Sandpiper on 19^th and 28^th and 1 Turnstone flew through northwards on 7^th. Breeding Oystercatcher, Redshank and Lapwing were busy and a Lapwing showed 3 chicks on Big Island on 29^th.

An adult Little Gull on 18^th was followed a week later on 25^th by 2 adults and 4 first summer birds. Other gulls were a first summer Herring Gull on 14^th, an adult Yellow-legged on 23^rd, an immature Great Black-backed on 17^th and the breeding Black-headed Gulls, 60 present on 27^th, were busily arguing about space on the tern raft. Tern passage included a Sandwich Tern early on 7^th, 3 Common Terns early on 25^th with the flock of Little Gulls, 4 Common Terns on 28^th and single Arctic Terns on 15^th, 19^th 24^th and 27^th.

The first Swift was on 19^th but only small numbers have been seen since. Hirundine passage continued with 50 Sand Martin on 20^th and over 500 Swallow feeding close to the water on a drizzly morning on 19^th. The first House Martin was on 6^th and, by the end of the month, some birds were around the Visitor Centre breeding colony. A Tree Pipit flew over on 24^th and 40 Meadow Pipits were on the dam on 2^nd. Migrant wagtail species were in low numbers again this year, with the first Yellow Wagtail on Sheepwash Spit on 3^rd, 3 on the dam wall on 11^th and 4 on 19^th. White Wagtail numbers peaked at 9 on Stones Island in the evening of 7^th and Pied Wagtails totalled 37 there on 15^th. There are no records of resident Grey Wagtails since January 1^st. This species is susceptible to long spells of freezing winter weather when they cannot feed along the waters edge and, in case you have forgotten, we have just had an unusually severe winter, so please look out for this species at Carsington. Their former locations were Millfields, Tail Bay outlet stream, Fishtail Creek and Paul Stanley Hide. A Redstart was singing distantly upstream from WLC Creek from 24^th and a male Whinchat was in the Creek on 25^th. Single Wheatears were noted 3^rd and many other dates. Warbler species kept arriving, with 2 Sedge on 24^th, the earliest ever Reed at Carsington on 24^th, 2 Lesser Whitethroat on 18^th, 1 Whitethroat on 17^th and 1 Garden Warbler on 24^th. A count of warblers on 8^th included 13 Blackcap, 52 Chiffchaff and 8 Willow Warbler. A Pied Flycatcher was singing in Warrington Knob on 29^th, 100 Jackdaw were recorded on 3^rd, a female Brambling was in Hall Wood on 22^nd and a site rare Yellowhammer flew over Millfields on 18^th.

116 Species were recorded compared with 110 in April 2009, 118 in 2008, 103 in 2007, 118 in 2006, 117 in 2005, 116 in 2004, 120 in 2003 and 107 in 2002.

Carsington Bird Club

Mar 2010 Bird Notes

MARCH 2010 BIRD NOTES

March Highlights: Red Throated Diver, Great Northern Divers, Whooper Swans, Garganey, Osprey and early summer migrants return.

A Red Throated Diver was off StonesIslandfrom 1630hrs until dusk on 22^nd and the Great Northern Diver count was a juvenile from last month to 5^th plus an adult which remained all month. A Sunday treat for observers on 7^th was 24 Whooper Swans landing at 0930hrs and a single Pink-footed Goose was with Canadas from 8^th. The big surprise of the month was a very early Drake Garganey at the Wildlife Centre on 2^nd March, a day when several were found around England. The earliest record at Carsington previously was 16^th April but the extreme earliest Derbyshire record was on 1^st March 1978. Maximum counts this month total 25 Little Grebe on 14^th, 35 Great Crested Grebe on 14^th, 8 Greylag on 6^th, 46 Barnacle on 1^st and 14^th, 3 Shelduck on 17^th, 53 Wigeon on 5^th, 3 Gadwall on 14^th, 21 Teal on 8^th, 109 Mallard on 8^th, 4 Pintail on 5^th, 5 drake Shoveler on 21^st, 325 Tufted Duck on 14^th, a female Scaup on 2^nd, 28 Goldeneye on 21^st, 8 Goosander on 15^th, a Water Rail on 7^th, 18 Moorhen on 19^th and 247 Coot on 14^th.

Four Sparrowhawks were noted on 21^st and 8 Buzzards were in the air on 14^th, with 10 on 21^st. An Osprey was on site from 1550hrs on 26^th, one day earlier than previous records at Carsington. It was seen from Stones Island and the Wildlife Centre and later it caught a fish and went to dine and roost in Blackbrook Plantation. An immature Peregrine flew north over Sheepwash on 28^th.

At least 5 pairs of Oystercatcher were noted on 8^th and the first Little Ringed Plover record of the year was 1 on Stones Island with a Dunlin on 26^th. The first Dunlin of the year was 1 on 7^th then 2 at the Wildlife Centre on 10^th. Snipe totalled 8 on Horseshoe Island on 20^th and 6 Snipe were seen in flight at Warrington Knob on 7^th. A Woodcock was flushed near Paul Stanley Hide on 24^th. The largest Curlew numbers were 12 at Sheepwash on 9^th, 16 on 11^th and 11 were in a field near Lane Ends on 13^th. 6 Redshank were noted around the Wildlife Centre, Stones Island and Sheepwash on 8^th, 23^rd and 31^st.

An adult Mediterranean Gull was at the Wildlife Centre on 10^th and was subsequently seen in the gull roost on several evenings up to 24^th. Counts of the gull roost proved difficult due to the spread of the roost this month but 242 Common and 65 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were counted in an early roost on 1^st. There was a first winter plus a second winter Herring Gull on 20^th and an adult Yellow-legged on 10^th and 23^rd.

A Little Owl was seen in the field on the left between the main car park and Wildlife Centre on 2^nd, 7^th and 30^th. As expected, the first Sand Martins flew through, with 4 on 18^th and a flock of 12 the following morning. Swallows started slowly with 1 on 25^th then 1 on 28^th. Meadow Pipit records have been unusually low for this time of year with 1 on 19^th and several singles since. A Rock Pipit was on Sheepwash Spit for at least 2 hours on 19^th, 2 White Wagtails were on Horseshoe Island on 31^st and a female Stonechat was on Stones Island on 5^th. The first Wheatear was on the dam wall early on 19^th and 3 were at the Wildlife Centre on 22^nd. A wintering Blackcap was near the Wildlife Centre on 10^th and a pair there on 24^th. Chiffchaff were first noted on 19^th with 5 singing and 12 were singing between Millfields and Sheepwash on 31^st. Two Willow Tits were singing on 8^th and 2 Linnets flew over Sheepwash on 10^th.

102 Species recorded this March compared with103 in March 2009, 104 in 2008, 95 in 2007, 100 in 2006, 107 in 2005 and 98 in 2004.

Carsington Bird Club

Tittesworth – Spring 2010

Weather and season

It was one of the longest and coldest winters for many a year. Snow arrived on the 17^th December and was still present – above about 1200ft – at the end of March.

JANUARY: There was a little snow on New Year’s Day but 3 inchesfell on the 2^nd. Low temperatures, often sub-zero until mid-month, meant no thawing. A little more snow fell on the 13^th but a steady but slow thaw began on the following day. Frosts began again on the 29^th plus there was a fall of snow in the early hours on the 31^st. The national mean temperature for the month was about 3ºC below the 1971-2000 average. It was the coldest January over theUK since 1987 and equal eighth coldest in a series from 1914. Rainfall was well below normal. It was the eighth sunniest January in a series from 1929.

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