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).

Carsington Bird Club Events Severn Trent Water

Roger Remembered as New Hide Formally Opens..

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.

Carsington Bird Club

Bird Notes May 2023

May 2023 BIRD NOTES

HIGHLIGHTS: Great Northern Diver, Osprey, Bar-tailed Godwit, Wood Sandpiper, Turnstone, Cuckoo, Spotted Flycatcher and Pied Flycatcher.

Water bird maxima were from the WeBS count on 21^st unless dated otherwise. 1 Great Northern Diver reported every day until it was last seen on 12^th, 1 Little Grebe 21^st, 29^th and 30^th, 47 Great Crested Grebe, 17 Cormorant 3^rd, 2 Little Egret 16^th, 2 Grey Heron reported on 8 dates this month, 6 Mute Swan 1^st, 25^th, 29^th and 30^th, 38 Greylag Goose, 182 Canada Goose, 4 Barnacle Goose 26^th, 3 Shelduck 8^th, 1 Mandarin 10^th and 11^th, 1 Wigeon 1^st and 12^th, 17 Gadwall, 2 Teal 30^th, 51 Mallard, 2 Shoveler 24^th, 52 Tufted Duck 23^rd, 2 Goldeneye 1^st, 1 Goosander 26^th, 4 Moorhen 7^th, 23 Coot, 1 Kingfisher 20^th.

Raptor sightings included 2 Red Kite reported on 6 dates this month, 1 Sparrowhawk on 11 dates, 14 Buzzards 3^rd,1 Osprey 5^th and 13^th with a possible 2 on 12^th, 2 Kestrel reported on 7 dates, 1 Hobby 4^th, 13^th and 19^th, 1 Peregrine 3^rd, 12^th, 17^th and 31^st.

Sixteen species of waders through this month with 13 Oystercatcher 4^th, 1 Avocet 9^th and 28^th, 2 Ringed Plover 23^rd, 1 Grey Plover 4^th, 3 Lapwing 19^th, 25^th and 26^th, 1 Sanderling 12^th and 27^th, 2 Dunlin 4^th, 5^th and 8^th, 1 Snipe 1^st and 8^th, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit 11 dates this month, 5 Whimbrel 5^th, 2 Curlew 14^th, 4 Redshank 5^th, 6^th, 10^th and 30^th, 1 Greenshank 15^th, 2 Wood Sandpiper 5^th, 2 Common Sandpiper 5^th, 1 Turnstone 26^th and 28^th.

Maximum Gull numbers were 1 Little Gull 19^th, 250 Black-headed Gull 20^th and 21^st, 3 Common Gull 19^th, 74 Lesser Black-backed Gulls 30^th, 2 Great black-backed Gull 19^th.

18 Common Tern 31^st, 6 Arctic Tern 10^th, 3 Black Tern 31^st.

Along with the other species were 1 Cuckoo 4^th and 13^th, 1 Tawny Owl 20^th and 23^rd, 50 Swift 13^th, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker reported on 6 dates this month, 100 Sand Martin 2^nd and 13^th, 100 Swallow 13^th, 50 House Martin 13^th and 31^st, 1 Yellow Wagtail 6^th and 7^th, 2 Grey Wagtails 10^th, 11^th, 20^th, 23^rd and 26^th, 123 Wren 20^th (from a perimeter count), 104 Robin 20^th, 6 Redstart 20^th, 1 Cetti’s Warbler 29^th, 14 Sedge Warbler 20^th, 5 Reed Warbler 9^th, 2 Lesser Whitethroat 20^th, 1 Whitethroat 2^nd, 10^th, 17^th and 20^th, 22 Garden Warbler 20^th, 60 Blackcap 20^th, 72 Chiffchaff 20^th, 26 Willow Warbler 20^th, 2 Spotted Flycatcher 20^th, 2 Pied Flycatcher 7^th, 9^th and 13^th, 1 Marsh Tit 14^th, 5 Willow Tit 26^th, 150 Jackdaw 6^th, 7 Raven 6^th, 11^th and 23^rd, 2 Tree Sparrow 7^th and 11^th, 3 Greenfinch 20^th, 27 Lesser Redpoll 4^th, 15 Bullfinch 20^th, 4 Reed Bunting 20^th,

The total 115 species noted compares to 113 in 2022, 111 in 2021, 87 in 2020, 108 in 2019, 104 in 2018.