Carsington Bird Club – Page 35 – Carsington Bird Club

Newsletter – No1 / February 2012

* * * * Membership renewals are due for 2012 * * * *

If you have already renewed your subscription for the current year, stop reading this message now … We have included a renewal slip along with the newsletter (or sent an e-mail reminder) for those who our records indicate are yet to confirm their 2012 membership.

Please complete and return these slips to enjoy the full benefits of CBC membership. Happy birding!

CHAIRMAN’S THOUGHTS

A good audience at last month’s AGM, plus some interesting post-presentation discussions, showed how strong we are after 20 years. The talk itself (see article on page 2) was both a history and celebration of the Bird Club, its worthy role in wildlife conservation and recording at Carsington Water, its links with other groups and a look-back at the varied catalogue of events enjoyed by its members over the years.

Membership may not be as healthy today as at its early peak, but is still substantial for an ornithological society based on a single site, and our financial funds have remained healthy throughout the two decades.

By consistently following a well-practiced philosophy of working in collaboration with other organisations for the good of the birdlife, we’ve helped to build a site full of good habitats for conservation. The end product of this effort is an amazing species list now numbering 222 and a breeding population of 2116 pairs counted between 2002 and 2007. This is made up of 80 species proven to have bred and another 15 thought to have done so.

How can we know so much and produce such an excellent report (brilliantly illustrated by skilled artists, notably Steph Thorpe/Hicking) year after year? Quite simply because of consistent research and reporting.

The five-year breeding bird survey, organised and executed at Carsington byRoger Carrington, was a brilliant piece of research worthy of any professional organisation. The next BTO national Bird Atlas will have our area fully covered thanks to a full set of wildfowl counts over two decades, begun by Ian Stanley 20 years ago. Our annual reports are regarded as authoritative reference documents, with a set now sitting proudly on the shelves of the BTO library.

Since 2004, bird sightings have been more regularly reported – and more instantly displayed – courtesy of the brilliant website designed and maintained by Richard Pittam, while members have quarterly news updates via Gary Atkins’ newsletter, which summarises sightings, reports on past events and lists future activities. This agenda has been thinning out in recent years, unfortunately, and there were no trips at all last year.

Our well-established and positive reputation has resulted in strong bonds with local organisations such as DOS, professional bodies like the BTO and private organisations, notably Severn Trent, while the expertise and knowledge of its members is sometimes drawn on by planners involved in new ventures and pressure groups like the Carsington opponents to the wind turbines.

All this goes to show that after 20 years we remain a vibrant and experienced natural history club … but we must keep changing and adapting, which leads us to a survey of opinions we are running to help us gauge members’ views and thoughts on various aspects of the club (see article at bottom of page 2). A questionnaire is included with the newsletter; please return it so we can register your feedback and use it to help mould the club’s development.

******* See you at the next meeting *******

The club’s next meeting will be at Hognaston Village Hall at 7.30pm on Tuesday, 20^th March. The speaker is Dave Goddard and the subject is dragonflies. So often we catch the briefest of glimpses of these majestic stately insects while birding, but never have the chance to identify them or find out more about them. Well, now you can – courtesy of Dave’s interesting talk and amazing illustrations.

Finally, on behalf of the membership, I’d like to recognise and thank the club officials whose hard work has helped guide the club so far. They, together with their years of service (in brackets), are as follows:

Chair – Peter Oldfield (7), John Butlin (2), Tony Jackson (2), Sandra Neep (3), Dorothy Evans (1), Peter Gibbon (5); Secretary – Kate Hazell (3), John Hazell (2), Sheila Jackson (3), Dorothy Evans (4), Peter Johnson (2), Paul Hicking (6); Treasurer – Maurice Plater (2), Jackie Bird (2), Tony Jackson (4), Sandra Neep (2), Pam Levers (4), Peter Gibbon (5); Recorder – Ian Stanley/Jonathan Bradley (1), Eddie Walker (11), Roger Carrington (8); Publicity – Brian Woods (1), Gary Atkins (9); Indoor Meetings – Keith White (2), Mel Bird (2), Catherine Brooking (3), Paul Hicking (2), Howard Evans (2), Dorothy Evans (1), Eddie Walker (4), Peter Gibbon (3); Trips organiser – Peter Oldfield (10); Social/website – Dorothy Evans (4), Webmaster – Richard Pittam (5); Membership – Maria Harwood/Pat Wain (6), Sue/Dave Edmonds (2); Projects Officer – Eddie Walker (1), Alan Betts (6), Paul Hicking (2); Committee – Richard Bacon,Alan Betts, Pam Price (3), John Butlin(3), Jonathan Bradley (2), Sue Wilde (3), Paul Stanley (2), Jim Rhind (2), Howard Evans (2), Peter Oldfield (2), Brian Woods (2), Steph Thorpe/Hicking (8), Charles Woodwiss (2), Gary Atkins, Pam Levers, Peter Johnson (2), George Reilly, Carol Wragg, Sandra Neep.

Peter Gibbon

TWO DECADES OF DEDICATION TO BIRDS – AND BIRD PEOPLE!

Chairman Peter Gibbon used the first meeting of 2012 to reflect upon the history of the Carsington Bird Club since its inception 20 years ago. He painstakingly researched how the reservoir came into being, the job it was designed to do, and the wildlife its combination of habitats brought into sharp focus.

Carsington Water was immediately a big draw for birdwatchers, not just locals but many from far afield. From such a clear body of interest the Carsington Bird Club was quickly born, and Peter showed some pages from early annual reports, recalling some of the key personalities of those days – some now gone or no longer with us, others still very much around, including first chairman Peter Oldfield, plus those that launched the club’s exemplary reputation for recording, Eddie Walker, Jon Bradley and Ian Stanley.

Many others have been involved in that vital activity since, notably Roger Carrington, our current recorder. Site species sightings have been summarised every month for two decades, and these comprehensive records are presented in the club’s flagship publication, the annual report. This valuable bank of information is used not just locally, by Severn Trent, but also by representative bodies such as Derbyshire Ornithological Society (DOS) and British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), and by planning authorities and government officials needing to understand the effects of their decisions on local wildlife. The club’s knowledge and expertise has also been used in local schools and for talks to other local organisations.

CBC members have either led or assisted with Bird Atlas surveys for BTO, breeding bird surveys, the nest-box scheme with Severn Trent Water, wildfowl, wader and gull counts for WeBS, surveys of individual species such as Tree Sparrow, and even collated mammal, butterfly and dragonfly records.

Indeed, collaboration has always been important, and club members worked with Severn Trent rangers and volunteers on a range of features like tern rafts, nest-boxes, a reed bed and a Sand Martin bank (another of which is being installed this year) to enrich the reservoir’s habitats and attract species. A campaign ran for lottery funding for a new bird hide, and CBC/DOS funds ensure regular bird feeding.

During the first five years, Eddie Walker reported, 189 species were recorded. In the following 15 years, a further 33 have boosted the site’s total to 222, which have included some rarities and surprises such as the Yellow-nosed Albatross, Osprey, Spoonbill, Great Skua, Manx Shearwater and Great Grey Shrike. Several years ago, the Great Northern Diver would have figured on this list, but this species seems to enjoy Carsington in winter, and has turned up each and every year since the mid ‘noughties’.

Carsington has become nationally important for some species: the 2,185 Coot seen in November 2008, for example, made the reservoir the 14^th most important site in the UK. In all, 95 species have bred. Habitat changes – and trends nationally – are reflected in Carsington’s breeding records: While the previously regular Stonechat has not bred since 1995, and Linnet and Yellowhammer are increasingly scarce, the Tree Sparrow population has grown from one pair in 1995 to 30 pairs today, Ravens have bred each year since 2004, and Buzzards, with no sightings at all in 1992, are now seen daily and are known to have bred occasionally since 2004.

All this worthy work – and the resulting statistics – would mean nothing without people, and the hard work and loyalty of club members. Seven indoor meetings have traditionally been held each year, together with local walks including the ‘Dawn Chorus’ event in May and day trips as far afield as RSPB Lakenheath and Gigrin Farm in Wales to see feeding Red Kites.

MEMBERS’ SURVEY WILL HELP TO GUIDE CLUB’S FUTURE AGENDA

Those attending the bird club Annual General Meeting last month learned that a few things are set to change as a number of the committee declared their intention to give up their current duties within the next year or two. While new blood is always advisable in order to keep an organisation fresh, for CBC several new committee members must be found in the near future to ensure the club can function at and beyond today’s level of capability and activity.

Arguably some fundamental change is already evident, with no club trips taking place for the last year and a half, and this year there is presently no plan for a programme of spring/summer walks because those who have traditional led the walks are not prepared to give up their time with the poor turn-outs they have witnessed over the past year or two.

The winter season, too, is under pressure as there are not enough members turning up at Hognaston Village Hall to break even when speakers, refreshments and the hall booking fee are all accounted for. An expected move of meeting venue to the Visitor Centre at Carsington Water should help for the 2012-13 season, but quality speakers will continue to require expenses.

In an effort to find out why participation in club events has declined – and discover what members want from the club in the future – a questionnaire is being distributed to survey opinions, ideas and options.

We gave these out to attendees of the AGM/January meeting, so have had some returns already, but if you have not yet replied, please do so.

For those with internet access, there is an easily accessible online version on the front page of the club’s website at www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk.

LOW WATER LEVELS KEEPS SOME BIRDS AWAY – BUT ATTRACTS OTHERS

The second highest annual total since formal recording began at Carsington Water 20 years ago was logged in 2011, with 169 – just four short of 2002’s record. As ever, this included some unusual and rare sightings, and 2012 began in similar fashion with Caspian Gull, Snow Bunting, White-fronted Goose and our now faithful Great Northern Diver all figuring during January.

The low water levels (which got close to 50 per cent late last year, but are now thankfully back up over 80%) had an up-and-down effect, with a greater diversity of waders, but numbers of some species were well down – notably Coot, usually in four-figure numbers but which have not topped 250 since mid-December. The gull roost was impressive in November, featuring 6,000 Black-headed and 5,500 Lesser Black-backs, but has shrunk dramatically, with hundreds rather than thousands using the reservoir to overnight. But again, gull variety has been good – with Yellow-legged, Herring, Greater Black-back, Mediterranean and a first-winter Little Gull all showing up, as well as the Caspian Gull and a Kittiwake surprising the spotters in January.

Flocks of 25-30 Dunlin have been regular over the winter months, while up to 600 Lapwing and 360 Golden Plover have graced the foreshore; the variety of waders has also included Grey Plover, Sanderling, Bar-tailed Godwit, Greenshank, Redshank, Oystercatcher and Snipe.

The WeBS counts have logged up to 322 Canada Geese, 80 Pink-footed Geese flew over in November, when both Whooper and Bewick swans were noted, while December included the first record of a White-fronted Goose since 1999. The conditions seemed to suit Teal, which hit an amazing maximum of 505 in January, but not Coot or Tufted Duck, both well below normal winter numbers, while Wigeon started poorly but – seeming to track water levels – had increased to 170 earlier this month.

Sparrowhawks and Peregrines were regularly seen, and created some dramatic moments for bird-watchers who witnessed close-up views of the moment of truth for their prey. Up to nine Buzzards were seen in the air at the same time, Tawny Owl calls were heard, but recorders went one better with Barn Owls that were seen quartering their hunting grounds in both January and February.

Meadow Pipit numbers have dropped since the rising water has covered most of the wide expanse of mud they seemed to enjoy, but a few are still around with the Pied Wagtails. Flocks of up to 100 Linnets have been seen on a few occasions, and 63 Tree Sparrows were counted at the ranger base feeding station in November, when 13 Crossbill were sighted at Sheepwash. A single Black Redstart on the dam wall was only the fifth site record of this species, while another attractive bird, the Snow Bunting, made only its third and fourth site appearances ever in November and January.

It seems Carsington Water may also provide game birds with a safe haven from the hunting fraternity, with a Grey Partridge surprising bird-watchers onStonesIslandin November, its Red-legged cousin turning up and Pheasants seen more regularly than usual. Next, we should all be keeping our eyes open for early spring arrivals.

RETURNING SAND MARTINS SET TO FIND A NEW HOME!

Sand Martins are among the earliest springtime arrivals to UKshores, and this year those arriving at Carsington Water will find – courtesy of the site’s band of volunteer rangers – the added attraction of a special sandbank designed as a nest site for these acrobatic and ceaselessly active hirundines.

The idea of an artificial Sand Martin bank with retaining wall came from a visit by volunteer ranger Neil Burns to Brockholes nature reserve, and a subsequent meeting of the rangers late last year sanctioned Neil to undertake further research. He approached people involved in similar projects and, drawing on their advice, came up with a design incorporating the best features of such a construction and then spoke to two builders merchants to obtain accurate costings.

Following the successful completion of the Osprey platform project, this latest facility to attract a specific bird species to the reservoir is being built with the help of funding from local residents in Ashbourne (thanks to the Waitrose charity scheme) and the Greenwatch Grant managed by Derbyshire Country Council.

“We had already agreed that savings we had from a donation would be used if necessary, but that still left a shortfall of £430, which was met after we applied for the Greenwatch Grant,” said Neil. “Meanwhile, Kath Cartlidge, wife of our treasurer, told us about the charity funds given to three local causes each month by the Waitrose supermarket in Ashbourne; there’s usually a long waiting list for these, but because the sandbank project had a specific timescale, it was chosen as one of the three January causes and, thanks to the generosity of local shoppers, our share of that was £494.”

The project is due to begin construction in early March, with completion by early April – just as the Sand Martins wheel in after their long journey from Africa, looking for suitable nest sites.

VOLUNTEERS SPRUCE UP SITE FOR WILDLIFE

As well as the Sand Martin bank project (see above), the Severn Trent Water volunteer rangers have been tasked with three main areas of activity to improve the environment for wildlife at Carsington Water.

Groups have been dead-hedging to restrict visitor movement and protect the shoreline opposite the Visitor Centre, around Stitch Plantation, and around a new education area onStonesIsland.

The volunteer rangers also improved their dry stone walling capabilities thanks to two days of intensive tuition from a qualified practitioner – and then used their newly-honed skills to undertake a sizeable amount of restoration of the dry stone walls along the site boundary at the top of Hall Wood.

The new year also brought the task of felling and clearing trees and scrub onWaterSportsIsland. This work was required for safety purposes – to improve the visibility of the water sports team in monitoring and observing what’s going on out on the water – and to enhance performance since trees on the island had provided too much shelter, which impacted particularly on the windsurfers.

But the prime concern of this work was habitat management as the islands at Carsington are unique, and Severn Trent has a responsibility to manage them as islands under the Stewardship Scheme with Natural England. Before the recent work,Water Sports Island was neither an effective woodland nor suitable for ground nesting water birds.

The long-term plan is to get the tree/scrub level as low as possible and manage the island for grasses, sedges and wild flowers. Birds benefit, too, for by removing elevated perches it will have a positive impact on reducing the chances of predators such as corvids to pick off the eggs and chicks of any birds that do successfully breed on the island.

WHAT’S ON

The bird club’s winter programme concludes in March with Dave Goddard’s talk on dragonflies – 20 March 2012 – 7pm – Hognaston village Hall.

For Severn Trent’s spring programme below, it’s often sensible to book a place with the visitor centre (on 01629 540696).

First Sunday of each month – Birdwatching for Beginners (enjoy a gentle two-hour walk – led by experienced STW volunteer David Bennett) – Meet Visitor Centre 10am.

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

18 March – Mother’s Day in the Wildlife Discovery Room – Visitor Centre (11am-4pm)

3 April – Bat Safari (join a ranger to learn more about these often misunderstood creatures (£2.50, under-16s to be accompanied) – Ask for details when booking.

17 April – Wagtail Wander (a gentle stroll with volunteer ranger David Bennett to identify summer migrants including yellow wagtails) – Meet Visitor Centre 6pm.

22 & 27 April – Vistas of Carsington Water (6-mile walk; U-16s with adults) – Visitor Centre (10.30-4.30pm).

6 May – Wildlife on Wheels (cycling safari to learn about water wildlife) – Visitor Centre (10.30-4.30pm.

19 May – Carsington Water 20^th anniversary celebrations (fun day with Around Visitor Centre stalls, games, activities and food for all the family).

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

Chairman & Treasurer	Peter Gibbon	01629 534173	peter.gibbon@w3z.co.uk
Secretary	Paul Hicking	01773 827727	paulandsteph@hicking.plus.com
Recorder	Roger Carrington	01629 583816	rcarrington_matlock@yahoo.co.uk
Publicity/Newsletter editor	Gary Atkins	01335 370773	garysatkins@aol.com
Outdoor trips organiser	Peter Oldfield	01629 540510	peter-oldfield2011@hotmail.co.uk
Ex-officio	Steph Hicking	01773 827727	paulandsteph@hicking.plus.com
Membership secretaries	Dave and Sue Edmonds	01335 342919	sue@axgb.com

CBC Website address: www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk (maintained by: Richard Pittam richard.pittam@ntlworld.com)

Carsington Bird Club

Halcyon Gambia

Halcyon is a small, family run, bird watching lodge based in the quiet village of Bijilo in The Gambia.
We cater for small groups (max 8 people) to give that personal touch and it also gives everyone a chance to see the birds properly with the help of our wonderful guide, Mustapha Manneh who is a character in himself! For more information on our lodge, see our itineraries and some of the amazing pictures us and our guests have taken please visit our website www.halcyongambia.com, check our our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002448178281 and also visit us on Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/HalcyonGambia

Below is a recent trip report by Richard Mays from his blog (http://onemanandhispond.blogspot.com) to show you the sort of things we get up to….enjoy.
January 24th to January 28th 2012

January 24th 2012
Flew out of a very wet Birmingham Airport and eventually had clear sky’s over the Western Sahara and thankfully the boredom of a six hour flight was lifted when we enjoyed panoramic views of the sandstone plains of Mauritania before arriving at Gambia’s Yundum Airport on time. Being my third visit to Gambia and most of the groups second with Halcyon Gambia once I was through passport control I grabbed a porter who I knew would jumped the queue and put my luggage though the security checks in double quick time so I was soon heading for the exit to be met by our guide for the week Mustapha. While I went outside to enjoy the heat it did not take long for Mus to round everyone up and once our luggage was loaded on to our mini bus we made our way to the Halcyon compound in Bijilo noting the usual first birds on any visit to Gambia, Speckled Pigeon, Black-headed Plover, Hooded Vultures and Cattle Egret while enjoying the glorious sunshine and getting use to Mus talking again about his beloved Barnsley in his mock Yorkshire accent, even though he has never been to the UK.

At the compound we were cheerily greeted by Bob and Jane our hosts and the rest of the compound staff and allocated our rooms. Once we had freshened up the last couple of hours of daylight was spent chilling out by the pool, watching the feeders, drinking beers and chatting as if we had never been away.

African Mourning Dove, African Palm Swift, Beautiful Sunbird, Black Kite,
Black-headed Plover, Cattle Egret, Common Bulbul, Grey-headed Sparrow, Hooded Vulture, Laughing Dove,Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling, Little Swift, Village Weaver,Pied Crow, Red-billed Fire-finch, Long-tailed Glossy Starling, Shrika,
Speckled Pigeon, Red-cheeked Cordon-Bleu, Squacco Heron, Village Indigobird, Vinaceous Dove, Western Grey Plantain-Eater.

January 25th 2012
Up early raring to go and after breakfast we boarded our minibus for the short journey to Koto Bridge which had hardly changed since our last visit except for a great hole in the bridge. Certainly no Health and Safety here – just a large stump jammed in to stop you splashing around 10 ft below. Loaded up with water we then went walk about revisiting Koto Creek, Casino Cycle Track, Lily Ponds and Koto Sewage Ponds before a welcome cold drink at the Gambian Birdwatching Association garden where they have a shelter to cool down. Once rested we returned to the minibus and moved on to Fajara Golf Course for a short walk before finally arriving at a beach bar at Cape Creek for Lunch. Birds were coming thick and fast so grateful for the peace and quiet the bar gave us – once the native dancing troop had stopped practicing – to my ears it was just a racket although I noticed a few of my group tapping along. Had to give the semi- naked bronzed wrinklies a wide berth while searching the beach then on to Brutfut for a stunning couple of hours. Mus had two party piece up his sleeve. The first was 2 roosting Verreaux’s Eagle-Owls high in a palm tree – a longed for life tick for me and the second was taking us to a spot where he indicated there was a roosting Long-tailed Nightjar with in 6ft of us but it sure took 7 of us a while to locate this gem among the leaf litter. We arrived back at the compound hot, tired and 151 species under the belt.

Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Brutfut. Colin Potter

Pygmy Kingfisher, Brutfut, Colin Potter

African Grey Hornbill, African Harrier-Hawk, African Jacana, African Pied-Hornbill, African Spoonbill, African Thrush, Bearded Barbet, Black Scimitar-bill, Black-billed Wood Dove, Blackcap Babbler, Black-crowned Night Heron, Black Egret Black-headed Gull, Black-headed Heron, Black-necked Weaver, Black-shouldered Kite, Black-tailed Godwit, Black-winged Stilt, Blue-bellied Roller, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Blue-cheeked Bee-Eater, Blue-headed Wagtail, Bronze Mannikin, Brown Babbler, Caspian Tern, Chiffchaff,Common Sandpiper, Crested Lark, Double-spurred Francolin, Eurasian Hoopoe, European Roller, Fork-tailed Drongo, Great White Egret, Green Sandpiper, Green Turaco, Green Wood Hoopoe, Green-backed Eremomela, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Grey Kestrel, Grey Plover, Grey Woodpecker, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Grey-headed Gull, Gull-billed Tern, House Sparrow, Intermediate Egret, Lavender Waxbill, Lesser Blue-eared Glossy Starling, Lesser Honeyguide, Little Bee-eater, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Little Ringed Plover, Little Weaver, Lizzard Buzzard, Long-tailed Cormorant,Long-tailed Nightjar, Malachite Kingfisher, Marsh Harrier, Mottled Spinetail, Namaqua Dove Northern Black Flycatcher, Northern Red Bishop, Olivacious Warbler, Orange-billed Waxbill, Osprey, Palm-nut Vulture, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Pygmy Kingfisher, Pink-backed Pelican,Pied Kingfisher, Plain-backed Pipit, Red-billed Hornbill, Red-billed Quelea, Red-chested Swallow, Redshank, Red-winged Warbler, Ringed Plover, Rosy Parakeet,Saced Ibis, Sand Martin, Senegal Coucal, Senegal Parrot, Senegal Thick-knee, Slender-billed Gull, Splendid Sunbird, Spur-winged Plover, Striped Kingfisher, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Variable Sunbird, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Violet Turaco, Wattled Plover, Western Reef Heron, Western Sub-Alpine Warbler, Whimbrel, White Wagtail, White-billed Buffalo Weaver,White-faced Whistling Duck, White-shouldered Black-Tit, Willow Warbler, Winding Cisticola Wire-tailed Swallow, Wood Sandpiper, Woodchat Shrike, Yellow Wagtail, Yellow-billed Shrike, Yellow-breasted Apalils, Yellow-crowned Gonolek, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Zitting Cisticola

January 26th 2012
A beautiful Black-shouldered Kite sitting on a roadside telegraph pole greeted us as we drove out of Bijilo along with Lizzard Buzzard and Grey Kestrel on our way to the riverine forest reserve at Abuko where we had a leisurely walk finding a number of good species with the highlight for most being the Western Bluebill, Grey-headed Bristle Bill and 2 Buff-spotted Woodpecker before leaving which gave us chance to enjoy the attention of the stall holders and a cold drink chatting to the locals before moving on to Lamin Rice Fields.

Painted Snipe by Graeme Dunlop

Here our visit produced the hoped for Painted Snipe with at least 2 showing well amongst the mangroves while the small agricultural plots held many species new for our trip list.
Over a long lunch at Lamin Lodge the food went flying as we scrambled to see a flyby Goliath Heron go past our lofty position watched by a sharp eyed Green-eyed Velvet Monkey who despite our gallant efforts finally made off with the sugar bowl. As the heat of the day subsided we searched the surrounding fields and tracks behind Lamin Lodge village finding a delightful Western Violet-backed Sunbird but missed by seconds the White-crowned Robin-Chat.
Back early at the compound giving us chance to pack for tomorrows up country trip then enjoyed the sight and sounds of the compounds garden and feeders while downing a few very welcome cold Beer’s

Buff-spotted Woodpecker Common Wattle-Eye European Bee-eater Fanti Saw-wing Giant Kingfisher Goliath Heron Grey Headed Bristle Bill Grey Plantain-eater m, Hammerkop, Kestrel Lanner Falcon Little Greenbul Moorhen Painted Snipe Pied-winged Swallow Purple Heron Red-bellied Paradise-Flycatcher Red-eyed Dove Reed Warbler Sandwich Tern Scarlet-breasted Sunbird Sedge Warbler Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat Western Bluebill Western Violet-backed Sunbird Yellow-fronted Canary Yellow-throated Leaflove

January 27th 2012
Needing an early start to catch the ferry to Barra over the Gambian River for our journey to Georgetown we dragged poor old Bob and Jane out of bed at some ungodly hour for breakfast and were mightily impressed that our mini-bus had transformed into a coach when our new driver Aladdin and his renovated 22 seat “Skylark” arrived. By Gambian standards this was luxury and boy did we benefit from having plenty of spare room for our gear and a window seat each.
Once we were parked up inside the dock awaiting the ferry’s arrival we stood on the quayside adding a few tern and gull species before boarding and heading for the top deck which gave us panoramic views of our crossing. The highlights were a couple of Skua species, Royal Tern and 100s of African Palm Swift flying low so you could actually appreciate what they looked like as normally they are so high overhead.
Once Aladdin had eased past the disembarking traffic and passengers we left Barra be hind and headed east though we hadn’t gone far when a call for a comfort stop produced over 60+ roosting Bruce’s Green Pigeon.

Bruce’s Green Pigeon by Colin Potter

Further on Mus spotted a helmet-shrike and as we charged off the coach we had excellent roadside views of 2 White Crested Helmet-shrike along with 2 African Golden Oriole and 2 African Green Pigeon. We continued our journey stopping at various wetlands which produced many new species for the trip and one or two lifers for the group. The best were Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark, Cut-throat, Southern Grey Shrike, Sudan Golden Sparrow and Yellow-billed Oxpecker at Kerewan, Pin-tailed Whydah at Batung Wetland and Kaur Wetland produced many species including Kentish Plover, Kittlitz’s Plover, Knob-billed Duck and Spur-winged Goose. In between theses locations we also had from the coach Exclamatory Paradise-Whydah, 2 Northern Anteater-Chat, Lanner Falcon and 3 Ruppell’s Vulture.
As the long journey continued we were soon jolted out of our fatigue and slumber by Mus announcing we are going to look for coursers and bustards. Having spread out and with Lamin on point duty and Mus using his knowledge of the area we managed to find 4 Temminck’s Courser, Black-bellied Bustard, 2 White-bellied Bustard and a Savile’s Bustard so it was a dusty sweaty, smiling gang that returned to the coach totally buggered but most experiencing 4 life ticks from one area – magic.

Chestnut-backed Sparrow-lark by Colin Potter

The rest of the journey was a mixture of fortunes such as failing to find any Egyptian Plovers and seeing 3 more White-bellied Bustard before arriving just before dusk at Georgetown. We needed to be on the south bank and could see our accommodation but we were the 11th vehicle awaiting the ferry which could only take four at a time so while we waited we looked for Pearl-spotted Owlet finding two. Eventually we crossed in the dark allowing stunning view of the clear sky’s including a few constellations I had not seen before. Once we arrived at the Baobalong Camp we freshened up then it was out again for a look for nightjars and owls finding one unidentified nightjar species and hearing a Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl.

African Golden Oriole ,African Green Pigeon, African Oriole, African Silverbill, Arctic Skua, Avocet, Black Rumped Waxbill, Black Tern, Black-bellied Bustard, Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Bush Petronia, Chestnut-backed Sparrow-lark, Collared Pratincole, Common Redstart, Common Tern, Cormorant, Curlew Sandpiper, Cut-throat, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Exclamatory Paradise-Whydah, Four-banded Sandgrouse, Grasshopper Buzzard, House Martin, Kentish Plover, Kittlitz’s Plover, Knob-billed Duck, Little Green Bee-Eater, Little Stint, Little Tern, Marsh Sandpiper, Med Gull Montagu’s Harrier, Northern Anteater-Chat, Northern Wheatear, Pygmy Sunbird, Pied Hornbill, Pin-tailed Whydah, Pomarine Skua, Purple Swamphen, Quail, Red-necked Falcon, Royal Tern, Ruff, Ruppell’s Vulture, Sand Partridge, Savile’s Bustard, Southern Grey Shrike, Spur-winged Goose, Sudan Golden Sparrow, Temminck’s Courser, Western Bonelli’s Warbler, White Crested Helmetshrike, White-backed Pelican, White-bellied Bustard, White-winged black Tern, Yellow-billed Oxpecker.

January 28h 2012
The intensity of dawn to dusk birding and long travel days can start to wear you down so it was very welcome just to walk 200 yards from our accommodation down to the rivers edge and board our motorized covered canoe for a trip along the north bank at first light.

We soon spread out but I was unfortunately not on the bank side when a shout of hippo had me racing to the other side but too late. Those on the ball were lucky enough to see its nostrils and ears and hear it snort before submerging –damn. New trip birds came thick and fast with plenty of activity in the river-side vegetation where we had at least 14 kingfishers of three species, 6 Swamp Flycatcher, 4 African fish Eagles and 2 Striated Heron amongst the many herons and egrets.

African Fish Eagle

The main highlights was the 10 Red-throated Bee-Eater a must see species when up river along with the 2 elusive African Fin-foot hiding amongst the mangrove roots, a close fly by Long-crested Eagle that flew over then perched allowing good views and the large amount of Turtle Dove’s we flushed as we chugged along at a leisurely pace. The icing on the cake was on our way back when I took an interest in a small clump of trees covered in vines and somehow managed to spot what I thought was an owl roosting. The canoe turned round and a closer look showed a Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl just sitting quietly half way up – magic.

African Fin-foot by Colin Potter

Once back on dry land we finished packing, loaded the coach and left Georgetown for Bansang Quarry further up country where we had more Red-throated Bee-Eater plus Cinnamon-breasted Bunting and European Golden Oriole added to our trip list before heading back wast to Tendaba. Though a lot better since being re-graded there’s no luxury like the north road tarmac and this road is very dusty and a boneshaker but somehow you get use to it and a number of stops produced more children than birds at some locations.

Aladdin our superb driver who never stopped smiling and one of the nicest guys you can ever meet and was always a favourite with the children – not surprising since he has 11 of his own.

Highlight from the coach was Rufous Crowned Roller at the junction for Georgetown when we slowed for a military check point and at the village of Fula Bantang a Donkey carcass attracted 2 Ruppell’s and 18 White-backed Vulture while overhead a Beaudouin’s Snake-Eagle circled though out our short stay. Nearby a Marabou Stork colony had at least 40 of these big ugly beasties.

Marabou Stork

Arrived at Tendaba where Dave and I had the local ladies in stitches as our room allocation meant we were expected to share a bed but that but was soon sorted out and we appreciated the running water to freshen up which was a lacking at Georgetown.
Once we had gathered ourselves we were out again to nearby Kiang West looking for Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill but we not quick enough when one was seen by Mus going back in to the forest undergrowth then we eventually made our way to an ideal spot for nightjars and waited for the sun to go down. After a short wait we managed at least 4 Standard-winged Nightjars but the there show was stolen by the 2 calling African Scops Owl with one appearing in adjacent tree.

African Fin-foot, African Fish-Eagle, African Scops Owl, Beaudouin’s Snake-Eagle, Broad-billed Roller, Brown Snake Eagle, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, European Golden Oriole, Fine-spotted Woodpecker, Greater Honeyguide, Grey Hornbill, Long-crested Eagle, Marabou Stork, Oriole Warbler, Purple Glossy Starling, Red-rumped Swallow, Red-throated Bee-eater, Ruddy Turnstone, Rufous-crowned Roller, Standard-winged Nightjar, Striated Heron, Swamp Flycatcher, Turtle Dove, White-backed Vulture,

Posted by Richard Mays at 23:05 0 comments

Jan 29th to 31st 2012

January 28th 2012

We had another relaxing canoe trip to start the day exploring the balons opposite Tendaba just as the sun was coming up. Presumably it was a large fish that breached the surface as we crossed and caused some brief excitement hoping it was a dolphin then on approaching the first balon a small bat was still out hunting among the mangrove roots. Again kingfishers were plentiful with over 30 seen and at this hour a lot of species were just thinking about leaving their roost sites so species such as Herons, Egrets and African Darters were seen in good numbers.

African Darter

Palm-nut Vulture

Abyssinian Roller by Colin Potter

As we continued creeping along we managed to find a number of passerines feeding in the undergrowth like African Blue Flycatcher, plenty of Mouse-brown Sunbirds, Senegal Batis, Northern Crombec and Yellow-crowned Bishop while a woodpecker species was eventually tracked down and found to be another lifer for me-Golden-tailed Woodpecker. In the clearer areas we had Woolly-necked Stork and Montagu’s Harrier while overhead we kept an eye out for the longed for Martial Eagle that had been present but it wasn’t to be but did find a Mosque Swallow. Some of the specialised birds of this habitat such as White-crowned Night Heron we dipped on but Goliath Heron and African Fin-foot did appear. The Fin-foot decided it would perform and showed for along time allowing plenty of photographs and videos to be taken.

On our return to Tendaba we grabbed a cool drink then went for a walk behind the village managing 8 White Crested Helmetshrike and 60 White-backed Pelican overhead but nothing added to the trip list then on our return we packed and started out for the long journey back to the Halcyon compound, Bijilo. To get back to the main road we followed a number of dirt tracks through Kiang West seeing White-fronted Blackchat but the Lesser Kestrel female put doubt in the minds of a few and never made the list.

As we headed east a comfort stop brought us our first Tree Pipit of the trip and we experienced Mus buying firewood and charcoal for his mum from the roadside as it was cheaper than in the capital. Arrived back tired and dusty but soon perked up with a hot shower and food and as the gang drifted away for beddy byes, Dennis and I had a Barn Owl flying over the compound and a White-faced Scops Owl was heard later on in the evening.

African Blue Flycatcher, African Darter, Barn Owl, European Swallow, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Mosque Swallow, Mouse-brown Sunbird, Northern Crombec, Senegal Batis, Swallow-tailed Bee-Eater, Tree Pipit, White fronted Blackchat, White-throated Bee-Eater, Woolly-necked Stork, Yellow-crowned Bishop.

January 30th 2012
Our last full day in the field started at Farasuto a local wood near Mus’es home village which the local community had turned in to reserve where there was a stunning roosting Greyish Eagle Owl which had taken up residence. Earlier we had spent some time under the canopy where we managed to see Oriole Warbler, Green Crombec and Grey Headed Bristle Bill from the 60 or so species recorded here.

Next stop was Faraba Banta where we added Copper Sunbird to the trip from a tree dripping with sunbirds before moving on to have our packed lunch at Tanji Beach. – Not the prettiest location due to the local fishing industry but there were plenty to see while sheltering from the heat of the day and we managed a few species not previously seen on the trip Bar-tailed Godwit, Caspian Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Sanderling and after a long wait I finally caught up with Kelp Gull. Plenty of other gull species seen here and 2 Ospreys.
Once rested we were back on the move this time to Turjering and managed Cardinal Woodpecker, Klaas’s Cuckoo, Northern Puffback, Vieillots Barbet, Common Swift and Whinchat amongst a wide range of species.

January 31st 2012

Speckled Pigeon

African Mourning Dove by Colin Potter

We were not due at Yumdum Airport till 3pm so chilled out by the pool enjoying the wares of a travelling stall holder we had invited round to buy gifts which saved us from the hassle of the markets

The final group pic then homeward bound to -2 deg C.

Carsington Bird Club

Tittesworth – Winter 2011

Welcome to the 35^th quarterly newsletter in the current series.

Weather

OCTOBER: The month began with a southerly air stream resulting in some exceptionally high temperatures for the time of year. Locally it was 20ºC on the 2^nd. The rest of the month was generally mild but the first frost of the winter period occurred overnight on the 17-18^th. The day temperature then dropped to 7ºC but picked up again on the 21^st. It was sunny most days until the end of the month. The mean temperature for England was 2ºC above the 1971-2000 average. Rainfall was heavy locally………………

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Carsington Bird Club

Birding in Valencia, Spain (update)

A Pre-Christmas Trip up onto the Steppe

It´s always a privilege to be asked to provide guest posts and it is with gratitude that I write this. I hope that it´s of interest.

An important role of mine as a birding guide is to constantly visit my favoured sites as many times as possible throughout the year. This is essential in order to maintain and develop knowledge of an area and it´s changing characteristics and bird life throughout the seasons. That way, we ensure that our clients are taken to the sites that are “at their best” whenever their visit may take place. That today´s trip meant that I avoided having to go Christmas shopping only seemed to reinforce its value!

Our destination was the vast upland Steppe of Castilla de la Mancha, some 90 minutes’ drive due west from our home base of La Drova. This is an area for which I have real affection. It´s a tough place to live and work, as the majority of this land is situated at over 900 metres above sea level. The summers are relatively short but fiercely hot whilst the winters can be savage, with nights of -20^oC not unheard of. The locals work mainly on the land, most of which is used for cereal farming although recently there´s been new developments of vine-yards. It´s a tough life up there and the farming villages seem untouched by the passage of time, but despite their remoteness, the locals are surprisingly welcoming and friendly.

It´s fair to say that you have to work for your birds and be prepared to move around in search of them. However, with effort, some local knowledge and a little luck, the area can provide some memorable days and great birding. It´s a place of surprises and each visit turns up something new, like a Red Kite or flocks of “on-passage” Dotterel.

To make the most of the day we left home at 7am on a dark and windy morning. We were however rewarded for our efforts by views of a fox that we caught in the headlights as we drove through a local wooded area. We stopped and watched as he turned and looked straight at us before running up the hill into the trees.

Having driven through a beautiful day-break we left the main Valencia – Albacete road and headed out across the steppe. The morning provided a good omen from the outset as we immediately spotted a group of 23 Great Bustards strutting across the fields just 200 metres from the road. Having parked the van, we left the warm cab to be greeted by a bitterly cold wind that made it feel close to freezing point…welcome to Castilla de la Mancha – it´s not always warm in Spain! Despite this we enjoyed superb views of these majestic birds for over 10 minutes before they took flight across the plains.

Our next stop was a favourite lagoon. This time prepared for the wind, we strategically parked the van so we could use it as a shelter as we set up the scopes! The usual busy flocks of Rock Sparrow were flitting around as were Goldfinch. A lone Fieldfare made a brief appearance, followed closely by a female Black Redstart.

Crested Larks and Lapwings were around in good numbers too. On the shore of the lagoon a Little Ringed Plover scurried around. Scoping across the water revealed Shoveler, Shelduck and Teal. As we stood there, proving that awful instant soup can taste heavenly when out in the freezing cold, a Buzzard passed over and landed in the edge of a nearby field. Then another highlight – a pair of Hen Harriers appeared over the hill and flew characteristically low over the fields, giving superb views. After a while we retreated to the van and headed on to our next lagoon where we watched Teal, Little Grebe, Pochard, and yet more Shelduck and Shoveler. A pair of Yellow Legged Gulls flew by before settling on the water. A flock of Spotless Starlings landed on one of the barns and Skylarks were also around in good numbers.

After a welcome coffee break in a village bar we set off across the steppe once more where we made various stops to scan around. We were indeed rewarded by the day´s second view of a flock of Great Bustard, probably the same birds as earlier but nonetheless great to see. Skylarks and Crested Larks were plentiful as were Kestrels. A Little Egret was feeding by the shore of a small pond and was soon joined by a Cattle Egret. A raptor passed over but was too far away to give a positive ID although Booted Eagle was the likelihood.

The third and final lagoon, beside which we sat in the hide gave great views of Kentish Plover, Ruff, Flamingo, Wood Sandpiper and an over-wintering Black Winged Stilt. Scoping across the water gave views of huge numbers of Shelduck, Shoveler and Teal. A Marsh Harrier passed by extremely close over the reeds.

Satisfied with a superb day out we headed back across the plains, making a few more brief stops during which we had super views of Stonechat, Green Woodpecker and Iberian Grey Shrike. As we all know, sometimes you have to brave the weather and put in a little effort, but when you do, the rewards are often fantastic! With some superb views and a species list of 37, today had been such a day.

I hope you´ve found this post to be of interest, and I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and plenty of great birding in 2012 – don´t forget to look me up if you fancy a trip over here to Valencia. Feliz Navidad!

David Warrington – Bird Watching Guide.