CHAIRMAN’S THOUGHTS

A belated Happy New Year to everybody.  I am sure all of you will know about (and have experienced) the record rainfall since our last newsletter and I suspect the same might be said for temperatures. The effects of this weather on our birdlife is not yet clear but one presumes there will losers, while those species that have gained an early spring breeding could be well under way by the time you read this.

Certainly birdsong has been evident for some weeks now. For a handful of birds, like Tawny Owl, Mistle Thrush and Dipper, nesting may have begun in February, but numbers of these three early breeders are falling rapidly according to the BTO Bird Trends report (13 Feb 2014). Data from the BTO Nest Record Scheme provides strong evidence of shifts towards earlier laying in a range of species, linked to climatic change. They have now identified 42 species that, on average, are laying between one and 31 days earlier than in the mid 1960s, while only six species exhibit significant trends towards later laying.

For some species, however, this shift towards earlier laying may be insufficient to match seasonal advances in the peaks of food availability. Lower level organisms, on which birds feed, are thought to respond quicker to climatic change than higher level ones like birds.  This could cause shortages of food, possibly leading to the aforementioned population declines. February also saw BTO nestbox week (7^th to 14^th), so if you haven’t already cleaned out old ones or put up new ones, it’s time to do so!

Soon after mentioning two seminal books in the last newsletter, I received the first of these in the post – the totally brilliant ‘Bird Atlas 2007-11’ from the BTO. It measures 34 x 24 x 4 cms and weighs in at 3 kgs – so many thanks to my postman! Chris Packham neatly sums up its significance: “Nowhere else on earth is as well known in terms of bird distribution and populations thanks to the astonishing effort of accomplished volunteers and the BTO". At £69.99 (that’s less than a penny for each of its 720 pages!) it is a remarkable bargain and the most wonderful source of information on British and Irish birds.

And if that was not enough, this month I received the second book, also well worth waiting for.  The Birds of Derbyshire’, edited by Roy Frost and Steve Shaw of Derbyshire Ornithological Society, is the match of the first book in terms of its professional appearance – and is purely about those birds on our patch. It is the culmination of over 17 years' work by a dedicated team of local experts, photographers and artists and represents the most important project ever carried out by DOS (and, I suspect, any county society) to date.  It contains 376 pages (and, for the record, is 30 x 22.5 x 3.5 cms, weighs 2 kg and costs £45), including 319 accounts of species that have been reliably recorded in the county – with distribution maps of almost all breeding species – and sections on the history of Derbyshire ornithology and DOS itself, plus detailed accounts of the natural areas of Derbyshire.

I sincerely congratulate everybody on its production and can thoroughly recommend it to anyone considering buying it.  If the weather doesn’t improve either book could be the ideal thing for ‘indoor ornithology’ – and details of how to purchase them can be found on the BTO and DOS websites, respectively.

Finally, can I remind you firstly that it’s time to renew your membership, so if you’ve not yet paid your 2014 ‘subs’, Dave and Sue Edmonds look forward to hearing from you, and secondly to watch out for our club trip in June.

FAR FROM QUIET WINTER IS QUIET TIME FOR BIRDS

Damaging winds and record rainfall has had its effect on wildlife and both December and January saw only 82 bird species recorded on site, the lowest for those corresponding months in around a decade.  There have been some highlights, nonetheless, including the return of one – and, for a short period, a second – Great Northern Diver.

The first arrived on 9 November and was still around in late February, but the second stayed just a month.  A period which has been very thin for raptors was more productive for gulls, with up to 3,000 Black-headed, 1,000 Common and 600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls among the roost.  Three Mediterranean Gulls were noted in the roost on 10 February, and a week later a Little Gull spent some time around Hopton End, with a Kittiwake making a brief appearance a few days later.

Coot numbers hovered just under the 1,000 mark in December and January but were down to 391 when the February WeBS count was undertaken.  The number of ducks was also down this month, following over 500 Pochard and almost that number of Tufteds being counted in January.  Scaup were seen regularly throughout the winter period, along with up to 18 Goldeneye and several Goosander.

Only two or three Little Grebes have been counted on any given day (despite the over-wintering Yellow-legged Gull not being seen since 19 January!), but Great-crested numbers are on the rise with up to 40 counted in February.  After a visit by 21 Whooper Swans flying over the reservoir on 12 January, the sight of 67 dropping onto the reservoir in late February was even more spectacular.

Wader sightings have included Green Sandpiper, Redshank, Oystercatcher and Woodcock, while Snipe have been seen in large numbers – up to 77 along Wildlife Centre Creek – but most pleasing of all has been the large flock of Lapwings circling the skies over Carsington, with as many as 945 individuals counted at one time.

Two Chiffchaffs, clearly deciding it was mild enough to stay put, were recorded at Lane End in December, and more typical winter visitors have included Fieldfare, Redwing, Siskin, Redpoll and Brambling, while other passerines regularly noted – particularly around the feeders – have been Goldfinch, Linnet, Willow Tit, Tree Sparrow and Reed Bunting. 

Meanwhile, for sheer profusion, it was hard to beat the 1,050 Woodpigeons that flew through in a 45-minute period on 4 December.

BIRD OF THE ISSUE: KITTIWAKE

The RSPB begins its description of this medium-sized gull as “strictly coastal”, which goes to illustrate why Kittiwakes are a relatively irregular sight at Carsington.  They are, though, long-distance fliers as they spend much of the winter at sea after breeding, so do spend a fair bit of time on the wing en route to or from nesting sites.

With a name that reflects their call, Kittiwakes can be identified by their relatively small size, yellow bill, dark eye. black legs and solid black wing tips, unlike other gulls. They look neat with grey wings and pure white belly.

They feed on shrimps, fish, and marine worms such as sand eels.  With an estimated UK breeding population of 380,000, Kittiwake numbers are actually declining – possibly due to the increasing scarcity of some food sources. 

They live in large noisy colonies, and will nest on virtually any ledge where they can build a nest (and, indeed, will be one of the birds on offer at Bempton Cliffs when the club visits in June!).  They often use old buildings but even have a liking for modern architecture: In Newcastle upon Tyne, the roads and pavements below the Tyne Bridge and the Sage Centre need to be regularly cleaned of Kittiwake ‘guano’.

BATTLE FOR SANCTUARY CONTINUES AFTER HIGH COURT RULING

It’s been a dramatic few months for The Sanctuary local nature reserve on Pride Park in the centre of Derby, but after seemingly destined to become a shadow of its former self – after the City Council gave the go-ahead to build a cycle track through the middle of it – a legal order lodged by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has for the time being stopped work on the development, pending a judicial review.

It is ironic that the LNR – containing valuable open mosaic grassland habitat used by ground-nesting and rare migrant birds such as sand martins, skylarks, snipe, stonechats, pipits, lapwings and various wildfowl (and even a Dartford Warbler has popped up there!) – was originally created by the Council that is now seeking to damage it by building on a large proportion of the reserve.

After an outcry by local wildlife enthusiasts on hearing of the Council’s plans, a remarkable campaign involving 16 local environmental groups – including Carsington Bird Club and spearheaded by DWT – was waged that ultimately led to the legal challenge.  Far more people objected than supported the plans, but their concerns were overlooked as the scheme was voted in; approved by the closest of votes by the Council’s planning committee in January.

However, concerned both for fate of The Sanctuary and the precedent the situation set more widely, DWT lodged an injunction to stop the development (work on clearing the site had begun with indecent haste the day after the council’s vote) and on 24 February a hearing in the High Court confirmed an earlier interim ruling that work should be suspended.  A full judicial review will now be held within the next three months.

Mrs Justice Lang, announcing her ruling, said she believed a serious issue is being tried in this case – with, she added, the risk of permanent environmental harm to an area of county-level significance.

LOCAL OWLS DESERVE HELPING HAND TO ARREST RECENT DECLINES

The return of summer sunshine last year after a run of cool, grey and sometimes damp summers led to a good spell for British wildlife, with hard-hit species like bees and butterflies able to bounce back.  As the year went on, it was easy to forget the awful March we endured, bringing some of the deepest snow drifts in living memory.

Returning migrant birds suffered and the delayed spring affected aphid-dependant birds such as blue tits.  Locally, owls were hit particularly hard by a March that was far colder than the preceding ‘winter’ months – and sadly dead tawny owls were noted around the site.

Little owls and barn owls were already struggling and the lack of reported sightings on site in 2013 is perhaps an indication of the effect the extreme weather had on these birds.  Just how the site’s tawny owls have fared in the last 12 months is more difficult to assess as their nocturnal habits mean they are often underreported. A few pairs were heard calling during autumn and winter, but we can assume that for our owls 2013 was a year of replacing losses rather than booming numbers.

Year on year habitat management reflects natural changes around the site as the plantation woodland has matured, resulting in less ground cover, but the extremes of weather we seem to experience more frequently combined with changes in the wider countryside are likely responsible for population fluctuations and declines.

And with this winter’s record rainfall and high winds taking a toll of several mature trees, the situation for Carsington’s owls has become potentially more difficult still – but, while we can’t change the weather, there are some things we can do to make life a bit easier for them.

In 2014 we’re hoping to erect several tawny owl boxes around the site and we’re working with the Carsington Bird Club to find the best places to position these within existing tawny territories. These will hopefully provide safe nest sites and sheltered roost sites for our owls in places where standing dead wood and mature trees are at a premium.

Through our partnership with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust we also ran a ‘Barmy about Barn Owls’ family day during the February half-term holidays.  The event was fully booked and gave young visitors the chance to learn more about these intriguing birds through owl crafts and by dissecting owl pellets.  They were even able to meet a live Barn Owl and learn more about their decline here and elsewhere.

With our ever-fluctuating water levels and changing weather we’re all familiar with how much of an effect the weather has on us and our wildlife, just as we educate our visitors about the things we can do to save water we’re also keen to teach people about our wildlife and the problems some of our species face.

Whilst winter is not yet over here’s hoping for a pleasant 2014 and hopefully one that’s a bit kinder to our wildlife, particularly those owls.

John Matkin, Severn Trent Water Ranger

WHAT’S ON

Carsington Bird Club’s 2013-14 indoor season concludes on Tuesday 18 March, when old favourite John Gardner returns to the Visitor Centre with an enigmatically-titled talk on ‘Batting for Yorkshire’. 

During the early summer, we are also planning a trip – to RSPB Bempton in Yorkshire – so don’t forget that one (details/booking form are on the next page).  Meanwhile, the club has also arranged all the remaining illustrated talks for 2014; listed below, they all start at 7.30pm in the Henmore Room of the Visitor Centre:

16 September   ‘Svalbard – high Arctic wildlife’ by Carol Taylor

21 October        ‘Trinidad and Tobago’ by Ian Newton

18 November     ‘The Gambia’ by Chris Ward

16 December     Club’s Xmas party – with talk on ‘Eastern Europe’ by Richard Pittam

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

                                                                                                Tel                          e-mail

Chairman/ Indoor mtgs     Peter Gibbon                       01629 534173     peter.gibbon@w3z.co.uk

Secretary                             Paul Hicking                   01773 827727     paulandsteph@hicking.plus.com

Treasurer                             John Follett                     01332 834778     john@jlf.demon.co.uk

Recorder                              Roger Carrington             01629 583816     rcarrington_matlock@yahoo.co.uk

Newsletter editor               Gary Atkins                        01335 370773     garysatkins@aol.com

Outdoor trips                       Peter Oldfield                   01629 540510     peter.oldfield2011@gmail.com

Membership                        Dave & Sue Edmonds       01335 342919     sue@axgb.com

Ex-officio                              Jon Bradley                    01773 852526     jonathan.bradley4@btinternet.com

… and the website address:  www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk

(website maintained by: Richard Pittam richard.pittam@ntlworld.com)

___________________________________   xxxx   ___________________________________

CLUB TRIP: BEMPTON CLIFFS – SUNDAY, 1 JUNE 2014

In late spring, this RSPB site on the Yorkshire coast is one of the most exciting, busy, noisy – and smelly – birding sites imaginable.  It is particularly noted for up to 200,000 cliff-dwelling birds that call those precipitous ledges home for a few months each year.  Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes, Fulmars, Gannets and Puffins are virtually guaranteed, along with a range of gulls and other sea-going species such as Cormorant.

Raptors are sometimes in evidence, with Peregrine using the cliffs as a useful larder, Red Kite sightings on the increase, and a Short-eared Owl regularly seen patrolling the flat farmland back from the cliffs, where a range of summer visitors are also to be found.  On the club’s last trip to Bempton five years ago, Whitethroat, Linnet, Sedge Warbler and Corn Bunting joined resident Tree Sparrows, Reed Buntings, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks among the ploughed fields, scrub and hedgerows.

As well as several cliff-top viewpoints, there is a visitor centre with feeding stations that attract the usual seed and nut eaters including various tits, sparrows and finches.  While most visitors are content with these viewing stations, the more energetic souls may fancy walking down to Flamborough Head … and don’t worry, we won’t forget you!

Transport will leave from Carsington Water Visitor Centre at 7.45am.

The cost is expected to be around £15-20 (under-16s £10).  Please send a £10 deposit per person, along with the booking form, to secure your place.

I/we would like to attend this trip.  Please reserve the following number of seats:

Adults …………………                       Children ………………

Name ………………………………   Address .…………………………………………………………………………….

Tel No ………………………………   e-mail ……………………………………………………………………………… I enclose a cheque (payable to Carsington Bird Club) / postal order for £ ……………

Please return the slip/deposits by 30 April to: 

Peter Oldfield, Owslow Farm, Carsington, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 4DD. 

If you have any further queries on this trip call Peter on 01629 540510 or e-mail him at peter.oldfield2011@gmail.com.

CHAIRMAN’S THOUGHTS

As I write this in mid-November, I’ve had to resort to my ice scraper for only the second time since last winter.  Yes, the adult Great Northern Diver is back with us and there are Redwing and Fieldfare around but in no great numbers, and I have just been watching a mixed flock of tits picking food from leaves still left on my apple tree, so winter is around the corner but has not seemed in any great hurry to arrive.

But the weathermen have warned it will be much colder next week, with chill winds sweeping down from the Arctic (by the time you read this, we’ll know whether they were right!) – so it looks like the birds will really be needing our help with feeding from now on so stock up.

The other gift that the clement weather provided was a prolonged exit of summer birds on migration like the long-staying Garganey at the reservoir.  Two Swallows were spotted at Knoll Beach in Dorset yesterday.  Together with stormy weather bringing sea birds inland, all this has added up to a rich variety of birds passing through Derbyshire this autumn, especially for those observers who had not only forecast the weather patterns’ effects but who were hardy enough to venture out in the wind and rain to see what was about.  It seems an age now since ‘Autumn Watch’ was on the television!

So what can we look forward to this winter in and around Carsington?  Well, with 22 Great Northern Divers seen recently from a cliff-viewing spot in County Mayo, Ireland, it would be reasonable for us to hope a few more divers might come our way.  A longer-shot might be White-billed Divers, two of which were seen in Shetland.

Reports posted from Scotland described sizeable flocks of Waxwing and, closer to home, five Whooper Swans were at Kedleston.  I have noticed a larger amount of beech ‘mast’ covering the woodland floor near me at Holloway, which was welcomed by some Brambling feeding on it.  Great Grey Shrike, recently spotted at Beeley, is no stranger to Carsington, so one might just turn up.  Meanwhile, good-sized Starling flocks have been flying around Carsington.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they all assembled for another huge roost like they did at Kirk Ireton one year recently?

Also on their way are two eagerly-awaited books: The BTO’s Atlas of Breeding and Wintering Birds has been promised for this autumn, and The Birds of Derbyshire, published by DOS, is also about to appear on the bookshelves.  If you haven’t ordered them, and still have a space on your Christmas present list, they can be obtained via those organisations’ websites.  Certainly I’m looking forward to some happy reading when perhaps the winter weather is too awful to go out or the days simply get too short.                                                                    

Peter Gibbon

RESERVOIR’S RARE OLD OCTOBER!

Once the calm and warm summer finally moved aside, strong easterly and northerly winds arrived to play havoc with a few birds’ navigation systems – resulting in one of the most exciting Octobers on record at Carsington Water.  Among more than a dozen site rarities that showed up that month were four species on the Derbyshire rarities list.

Only the sixth and seventh site records of Gannet were logged when young birds turned up briefly on the 12^th and 18^th.  The fourth appearance at Carsington of a Green-winged Teal was enjoyed by quite a few birders, since it stayed for nine days, and a visit from a Grey Phalarope – viewable from Sheepwash and Lane End hides on the 19^th – was only the sixth record for Carsington.  Meanwhile, two Great Skuas (aka Bonxies) wheeled in for 20 minutes on the 11^th, followed two days later by another that stayed around for two hours before flying off to the north-east.

As well as those county rarities, a Whooper Swan was seen on the 13^th and 19^th, a Brent Goose popped in on the 1^st, a Little Egret stuck around three days from the 6^th, a drake Common Scoter was viewed from Sheepwash on the 12^th, while the following day six Red-breasted Mergansers could be seen from the same vantage point.

Other unusual visitors to site included a Garganey that had arrived on 16 September and stayed six weeks, and during October two Rock Pipits, a male Stonechat and two Crossbills were also recorded.

For once, this frenetic period of activity perhaps rather overshadowed the return of our winter favourite – the Great Northern Diver, which dropped in on 9 November and looks set to stay a while once again.

Since the last newsletter we’ve seen summer birds depart, replaced by some winter arrivals.  The last Sand Martins were recorded on 19 September, two days before the final Wheatear on site, while it was more than a month later than a solitary Swallow flew through.  The latest ever Arctic Tern at Carsington, a juvenile, was seen on 20 October. 

While the last Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat and Willow Warbler were logged over five days in early September, as many as 17 Chiffchaffs were still around on 11 September.  Three Chiffchaffs were noted on 21 October, and nine days later a Blackcap was seen, so they seem likely to be overwintering birds.

Arrivals included Fieldfares and Redwings (63 and 465, respectively, were recorded on 20 October), and Siskin and Lesser Redpoll have been noted, as was a Brambling on 1 November.  Meanwhile, Starling have been increasing in numbers with as many as 400 seen in a single flock.

September’s wader passage was good, with 15 species noted, including Curlew Sandpiper, Little Ringed and Grey Plovers, both Godwits, Ruff and flocks of up to 300 Lapwings.  A Jack Snipe was spotted on 22 November.

Wildfowl numbers spiked as usual in the autumn with 1,184 being the highest count of Coot so far, along with up to 462 Teal, 448 Tufted Ducks, 324 Wigeon and 255 Pochard, and smaller numbers of Goosander, Pintail, Scaup and Shoveler.  A Red-crested Pochard was in residence for two weeks in September, and both Great-crested (after a good breeding season) and Little Grebes were around in reasonable numbers.

The gull roost incorporated as many as 4,000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and at various times has included two Kittiwakes, plus Little Gulls both in September and October.  Perhaps less welcome is the return of ‘Brutus’, our cannibalistic Yellow-legged Gull who ate a young Black-headed Gull in front of an audience.  We’re hoping those Little Grebes keep their heads down this year!

An Osprey passing through in early September topped the raptor chart, though two Hobbys heading south on 13 September and Peregrines logged both in September and November were also good sightings.  Sparrowhawks were a fairly regular sight, including on consecutive days in mid November.

BIRD OF THE ISSUE:  GREY PHALAROPE

Grey Phalaropes breed in the Arctic and spend much of their lives when not breeding well out to sea, feeding, on marine plankton – so when we see them they are most likely to have been blown off course by a storm.  In North America they are known as ‘Red’ Phalaropes because of their vibrant crimson-red breeding plumage.

Only around 200 are seen in the UK each year, usually between October and January, mostly around the coast, so to have had one at Carsington this autumn is something of a prize.  ‘Our’ bird was in non-breeding plumage – a quite distinctive grey and white.   They tend to be quite tame and approachable, which is a distinct advantage for the bird-watcher who may not get many chances to view Phalaropes.

On their breeding grounds, Phalaropes feed on insects and aquatic animals and, interestingly, in this species, like all Phalaropes, the breeding roles are reversed.   Females are larger and more brightly coloured, they pursue the males, compete for nesting territory and will aggressively defend their nests and mates – and, once the eggs are laid, they leave the incubation and raising of the young to the males.

BIRDING ON THE MOVE …

As we batten down the hatches for winter, it’s refreshing to look back at some of our members’ experiences on holiday.  Here are two accounts of the rich (and sometimes baffling) bird-life found in farther-flung locations…

BORNEO – A WILDLIFE HAVEN

Malaysia emerged top of the pile when my wife and I decided to go ‘somewhere a bit different’ for our 35^th wedding anniversary – and through our excellent travel company, Selective Asia, I was able to make sure the itinerary included Sabah, one of the two Malaysian provinces on the island of Borneo, noted for its wildlife, most particularly as one of the last refuges of the iconic Orang-Utan.

We also took in three locations on mainland Malaysia, including Kuala Lumpur, and each boosted my growing bird list, but there can be no doubt that our first destination, Borneo, was the main highlight.  Magical is an overused adjective, but the view from our balcony at Borneo Rainforest Lodge – overlooking a garden, meadow and river, with the jungle’s living tapestry as a backdrop – was, well, quite simply magical.

I’d pored over field guides and trip reports before setting off, in an attempt to research which birds I might see, but as well as species, there were families I’d never heard of, such as sibias, minlas, trogons and fulvettas, so I knew it wouldn’t be easy.  Furthermore, bird-watching somewhere so totally alien demands different techniques, since virtually all birds spotted were new to me! 

So, after my trusty bins, the most important tool was a notebook in which I scribbled each bird’s distinctive features before dashing back to my room at the end of each session to pore over the field guide and see if I could work out what I’d just seen! Guides in two locations were a great help, and without them I may not have managed the 118-strong total of my final list.

The most awesome bird of the trip was almost certainly the Rhinoceros Hornbill, which is four feet long and competes with the cicadas as the noisiest thing in the jungle.  I saw four hornbill species in all, including at Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge a pair of ‘Oriental Pieds’ that evidently roosted in the same tree every night.

Among several raptors, the White-bellied Sea Eagle was probably the most impressive, while for stunning colours the Black-naped Orioles that patrolled a city-centre park in Kuala Lumpur were hard to beat, though the electric blue Large Niltava ran them close, each Kingfisher on view was a riot of colour, and the Whiskered Treeswift’s markings were exquisite.

Bulbuls and Drongos were lively, the Black-thighed Falconet (a sparrow-sized raptor!) was delightful, and species with unlikely names like Fluffy-backed Tit Babbler , Silver-eared Mesia and Black-throated Wren Babbler have now made it onto my ‘life list’.  

A few acquaintances from previous Asian trips popped up again, including the Oriental Darter, Spotted Dove, Brahminy Kite and Large-billed Crow, and the ubiquitous Mynas were everywhere.  Even more familiar were the small handful of birds I also see in the UK – like Grey Wagtails, Common Sandpipers and Tree Sparrows, which seemed to have displaced their ‘House’ cousins as the most regularly seen ‘town’ bird.

But it wasn’t all about birds and Orangs: Borneo boasted other exciting primates – such as gibbons, macaques, langurs and the odd-looking proboscis monkey.  Their haunting calls – along with the immense din generated by cicadas at dusk – brought the jungle alive. 

Then there were reptiles and insects, including hand-sized butterflies sipping nectar.  We also saw flying squirrels and a slow loris during a night drive, and several monitor lizards, one of which lumbered across a golf course I’d decided to investigate.

And if I had to choose a single spellbinding moment it didn’t actually involve a bird.  It came when I stealthily mounted a canopy walk for a spot of quiet bird-watching; I’d gone only a few paces when, looking to my right, I spotted a mother and baby Orang-Utan relaxing in a tree top not 30 yards from me.  Doing as I’d been told by our guide, I switched off my camera’s flash and, in those valuable few seconds, the orange beasts had silently slipped out of sight.  No picture – but a magic memory!

 Gary Atkins

A CRANE-FEST IN HUNGARY

Our Webmaster Richard Pittam’s love of birding and photographing birds was rewarded during a trip to Hungary in September, which he’d organised through regional specialists, Saker Tours.

The quest for good photographs meant each of his five days in Hungary saw Richard ensconced in a hide – two days in Crane hides, two at a passerine drinking pool and another at a Pygmy Cormorant hide.  Though birds were his main target, other wildlife gave him some good opportunities, including Roe Deer and a number of Red Squirrels that were closer to black than red!

Common Cranes turned up each time they were expected, and Richard managed to get some fine shots of these impressive birds.  Other water birds that posed nicely for Richard’s unseen lens were Great White Egret, Water Rail, Little Crake (“a tick”, adds Richard), Wood Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank, with Bearded Tit, Marsh Harrier, Reed Warbler and Hobby also showing up in their natural habitat.

While a pair of Sparrowhawks were also willing models at the drinking pool, they were also a pest as they tended to scare away some of the smaller birds Richard hoped to capture on film.  Nevertheless, he saw Greater, Lesser and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers, and a pair of Hawfinches, one of which when startled flew right into the window of the hide.  With that sturdy beak, it was a surprise the glass didn’t break!

A lot of the good birds were seen during his day in the cormorant hide, when Pygmy Cormorant duly arrived, along with Coot, a number of ducks – and those reliable cranes once again.  His first day in the crane hide also produced some good non-water species, including Turtle Dove, Hooded Crow and Red-backed Shrike.

To read Richard’s own words on this trip – and to view some of Richard’s brilliant shots in Hungary go to http://www.richardpittam.com/wildaperture/blog/?p=2725

TREES AND TATTOOS ON TALKS AGENDA

Turkey, Morocco and the fate of our own British woodlands were the topics on the agenda during our talks over the past three months.

Noted photographer and regular Carsington guest speaker Paul Hobson talked eloquently and passionately about what is happening to the woodland on our own doorsteps.  As with most habitats there was bad as well as good news, and his photos spoke volumes on their own.  His main focus was birds, but he also higlighted mammals, insects – particularly moths and butterflies – and funghi, describing how important each was to the long-term future of woodland habitats.

Chris Ward took us to Morocco – which contains a variety of landscape that would surprise most of us, from snow-capped peaks to the arid fringes of the Sahara Desert.  His brilliant photographs would do nothing but encourage anyone contemplating a trip to north Africa, and Chris painstakingly described where to go and what to see in the best habitats.

Perhaps the most unusual talk came from Tristan Reid – aka The Inked Naturalist – who was on a two-pronged mission: firstly he showed us some of the brilliant birdlife found off the main tourist trails in Turkey … and secondly he told us about his extreme ventures in support of a local conservation organisation that is concerned about the damage to globally-important biodiversity sites that will result from the Turkish government selling off its waterways to private sector companies.

In an attempt to raise awareness of this issue – and funds – he has already had his arms and torso tattooed with 24 of his favourite ‘local’ birds, and next year he plans to begin a 4,000-kilometre walk from west to east across Turkey to celebrate the country’s wondrous wildlife.  Needless to say his fee went straight into the charity pot.

BUTTERFLIES – THE FINAL SCORE

Last issue we said what a fine year it was turning out to be for butterflies.  Well, the mild and warm conditions ensured that this continued throughout the late summer in much the same vein, and on the two formally-prescribed Carsington ‘transects’ alone more than 1,150 butterflies were recorded, representing an increase of around  250 per cent on last year’s grand total.

Around the Shiningford transect, the 758 butterflies seen was the second highest transect aggregate since Carsington records began in 1994, and more than tripled last year’s total.  Eighteen species were identified, including a site ‘first’ in the shape of the delightful Dark-Green Fritillary.

Sheepwash transect registered 399 butterflies, which though more modest was still an increase of 66 per cent over 2013.  Overall 26 species – roughly half those likely to be seen in the UK – have now been recorded at Carsington Water.   And if this year’s trend continues, it’s quite possible a couple more new species might be recorded in the next year or two.

WHAT'S ON

Our winter programme of illustrated talks is now under way, and we’ve had some real variety already (see report above).  Next it’s our Christmas party, with our AGM scheduled for January.  As the newsletter went out, we’d still to finalise speakers for our February and March meetings.  If you can get along to any of the forthcoming dates, remember we usually begin meetings at 7.30pm (but note AGM begins at 7pm) and it’s £2 for members and £2.50 for non-members.

17 December 2013 – Food and drink at the Bird Club’s Xmas party, including a look at Borneo’s wonderful wildlife by Gary Atkins – Henmore Room 7.30pm 

21 January 2014 – Annual General Meeting, followed by Ornithological Fraud  by Peter Gibbon –Henmore Room 7pm

The regular Severn Trent Water events – which will continue into 2014 – are listed below, and on 14 December there is also an RSPB optics demonstration day, when people contemplating buying binoculars and telescopes can try them out for size.  And remember, some events need booking, so it's always worth checking with the Visitor Centre on 01629 540696 before going along.

First Sunday – Birdwatching for beginners (enjoy a gentle two-hour walk led by experienced STW volunteer ranger David Bennett – Visitor Centre 10am-noon each month 

Tues/Sundays – Spotting wildlife (STW volunteers man the Wildlife Centre) – 10.30am-3.30pm

First Tuesday each month – ‘Nature tots’ – a series of learning events for youngsters run by the DWT/SWT Partnership (contact 01773 881188 for places) – 10-11.30am        

Last Saturday each month – Sheepwash Spinners (learn about traditional wool spinning with demonstrations, from fleece to gifts to garments) – Visitor Centre 11am-3pm.

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

                                                                         Tel                          e-mail

Chairman/ Indoor mtgs       Peter Gibbon                       01629 534173     peter.gibbon@w3z.co.uk

Secretary                             Paul Hicking                        01773 827727    paulandsteph@hicking.plus.com

Treasurer                             John Follett                          01332 834778       john@jlf.demon.co.uk

Recorder                              Roger Carrington                 01629 583816       rcarrington_matlock@yahoo.co.uk

Newsletter editor                 Gary Atkins                           01335 370773       garysatkins@aol.com

Outdoor trips                        Peter Oldfield                      01629 540510       peter.oldfield2011@gmail.com

Membership                        Dave & Sue Edmonds           01335 342919       sue@axgb.com

Ex-officio                             Jon Bradley                         01773 852526       jonathan.bradley4@btinternet.com

and the website address:   www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk

(website maintained by:  Richard Pittam )