Carsington Bird Club – Page 49 – Carsington Bird Club

Oct 2010 Bird Notes

OCTOBER 2010 BIRD NOTES

October Highlights: Whooper Swan, Red Kite, Osprey, Firecrest and Great Grey Shrike.

Following September’s near record month, this month has matched the biggest October ever with some quality birds among the 109 species recorded, and November is looking good with a Bearded Tit on its first day. The formal Wildfowl Count on 17^th included: 47 Little Grebe, 49 Great Crested Grebe, 27 Mute Swans, 781 Wigeon, 38 Gadwall, 89 Teal, 103 Mallard, 91 Pochard, 741 Tufted Duck and 972 Coot. Seven Whooper Swans were near the dam at 0800hrs on 22^nd and 3 flew south on 28^th. Pink-footed Geese movements included 300 west at 1440hrs on 11^th, 45 on 13^th and 46 west at 1730hrs on 30^th. Other wildfowl maximum counts were 61 Great Crested Grebe on 28^th, 62 Cormorant on 6^th, 26 Barnacle Geese on 30^th, 5 Shelduck on 12^th, 5 Pintail on 28^th, 7 Shoveler on 19^th, 2 Red-crested Pochard on 21^st, 4 Common Scoter on 25^th, 4 Goldeneye on 25^th and 17 Goosander on 28^th.

Raptors included a Red Kite drifting below the dam at 1015hrs on 19^th, a male Goshawk in the wood in Tail Bay on 16^th, 2 Sparrow Hawk on 11^th and 19^th, 8 Buzzard on 4^th, a late Osprey on 2^nd, a Merlin on 5^th and 18^thand Peregrine on several dates. A hunting male Sparrow Hawk flew through the open door of the Wildlife Centre at 0930hrs on 27^th. He was quickly caught and released outside before he sustained any damage from his attempted exit through closed windows.

A good range of wader sightings included 2 Ringed Plover on Stones Island up to 6^th, 17 Golden Plover on Stones Island on 23^rd, 2 Grey Plover flying over calling on 3^rd, 182 Lapwing on 17^th, 1 Knot flying north on 10^th, 6 Dunlin on 5^th, 2 Snipe at the Wildlife Centre on 4^th, a Woodcock on 27^th, 1 Curlew on 22^nd, a Redshank from 27^th, a Common Sandpiper attacked by a Sparrow Hawk on 6^th and a Turnstone on Stones Island from 1705hrs on 14^th.

The Gull Roost held an adult Mediterranean Gull from 16^th, a second winter Little Gull on 12^th, 4000 Black-headed Gull and 3500 Lesser Black-backed Gull with one showing characteristics of ‘Fuscus’ on 28^th, a site record 20 Yellow-legged Gull and a Caspian Gull on 16^th and 3 Great Black-backed Gull on 20^th.

Autumn movement brought a few surprises this year and included 13 Skylark over on 27^th, 2 late Swallow on 18^th, big numbers of Meadow Pipit with 80 on 28^th, 3 Rock Pipit on 5^th and lesser numbers on other dates, a White Wagtail on 9^th, 1 Fieldfare on 19^th and 30 on 27^th, 50 Redwing on 10^th and 23^rd and 4 Chiffchaff on 6^th. A Firecrest was found on Stones Island at 1730hrs on 14^th and was calling until 1800hrs. At this time of year many firecrests move south, mostly down the east and south coasts. There have been two previous records of this species during 1996 (see annual report for details) and 1997. A week later and a Great Grey Shrike was observed from the Wildlife Centre at 1500hrs on 21^st. The bird was on top of the large ash tree to the right of Shiningford Farm for 5 minutes before flying into the wooded creek and lost to sight. This is the third record of the species at Carsington; the second stayed for 5 months and was last seen in April 2005. The first autumn Brambling was on Stones Island on 17^th, 20 Siskin were near the Sailing Club on 4^th, 8 Linnet and a Lesser Redpoll on 4^th and a Yellowhammer flew over on 16^th.

109 species recorded this October compared with 108 in 2009, 94 in 2008, 109 in 2007, 99 in 2006, 99 in 2005, 91 in 2004, 94 in 2003 and 103 in 2002.

Carsington Bird Club

Sep 2010 Bird Notes

SEPTEMBER 2010 BIRD NOTES

September Highlights: Osprey, Waders, Wryneck and Lapland Bunting.

August found only a mundane 94 species, but September has produced an exciting 116 Species. The wide shoreline and muddy water’s edge attracted a variety of waders, and migrant passerines have been showing well. Common wintering wildfowl numbers are increasing and maximum counts totalled: 35 Little Grebe and 47 Great Crested Grebe on 21^st, 67 Cormorant on 6^th, 8 Heron on 21^st, 28 Mute Swans on 21^st, 22 Greylag, 450 Canada Geese and 26 Barnacle on 15^th, 1 Ruddy Shelduck between 21^st to 30^th, 406 Wigeon and 45 Gadwall on 29^th, 81 Teal and 166 Mallard on 21^st, 7 Pintail on 22^nd, 3 Shoveler on 2^nd, 26 Pochard on 29^th, 879 Tufted Duck on 21^st, 4 Common Scoter on 29^th and 1009 Coot on 21^st. An Osprey was around, occasionally fishing, to the delight of many observers, from 12^th to16^th. A Hobby was noted on 14^th, 23^rd and 28^th and a Peregrine on 7^th and other dates.

Wader passage has been good with 2 Oystercatcher on 15^th, a maximum of 4 Ringed Plover on Stones Island on 27^th, 87 Lapwing counted on 23^rd, a juvenile Knot on Stones Island on 10^th, a juvenile Little Stint on 26^th, 2 Curlew Sandpiper and 22 Dunlin on 22^nd, 3 Juvenile Ruff 3-8^th, 1 Snipe at the Wildlife Centre on 13^th, 2 Black-tailed Godwit on 29^th, 10 Bar-tailed Godwit at the Wildlife Centre on 9^th and 2 on 27^th, 1 Curlew on 2^nd and 23^rd, an adult Spotted Redshank briefly on 28^th, 11 Redshank on 22^nd, 4 Greenshank on 7^th and maximum of 4 Common Sandpiper on 8^th. The gull roost held 2800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on 2^nd and 17 Yellow-legged Gulls on 20^th. An adult Kittiwake flew east over Millfields on 15^th and 3 Common Tern were noted on 3^rd.

A Barn Owl used Sheepwash Hide as a hunting post around 1800hrs for 35 minutes on 15^th, at one stage perching just 3 feet away from the observer behind glass. Two Kingfishers were at Sheepwash on 11^th. A Wryneck was found at Millfields at 1740hrs on 13^th, attracting many observers and photographers throughout the 14^th, but it had gone on 15^th. This is a new species for Carsington and there have been only about 40 records for Derbyshire since 1954. Amazingly, this was one of three county records this year. A Green Woodpecker was calling from the wood below Millfields in Tail Bay on 20^th, 4 Skylarks flew over southwards on 30^th, 2 Sand Martins were noted on 8^th, 102 Swallows on 20^th and 10 on 29^th, 2 House Martins on 24^th and a maximum of 50 Meadow Pipits on the Dam Wall at dawn on 14^th. A Rock Pipit was located on Stones Island at 1715hrs on 29^th. Minutes later 3 observers were looking at it, each observer struggling with the others’ descriptions of position and actions. Astonishingly, all 3 were looking at different birds, all 3 birds being Rock Pipits among Meadow Pipits. A Yellow Wagtail was noted on the dam on 14^th, 23^rd and 25^th and 122 Pied Wagtails were there at dawn on 1^st. A Redstart on 21^st, a Whinchat on Horseshoe Island on 7^th, a Stonechat at Paul Stanley Hide on 17^th and a Wheatear on 5^th and 16^th added to passerine totals. Warblers noted were a Sedge Warbler on 14^th, a Lesser Whitethroat on 20^th, a Whitethroat on 13^th, a Blackcap attempting singing on 20^th, 12 Chiffchaff on 20^th, a Willow Warbler singing on 23^rd, and 2 Spotted Flycatcher were in Wildlife Centre Creek on 20^th. During the past month many Lapland Buntings have been moving into and down Britain, mainly on the coast, and birders have been eagerly listening for them flying over. Success occurred on the dam at 0830hrs on 22^nd with a bird calling and then briefly perching on the ground before disappearing. Another was seen on 30^th flying aroundStonesIsland continuously calling before heading high northwards.

116 Species were recorded this September compared with 104 in 2009, 108 in 2008, 108 in 2007, 101 in 2006, 101 in 2005, 94 in 2004 and 104 in 2003.

Carsington Bird Club

Tittesworth – Autumn 2010

Welcome to the thirtieth consecutive edition of the quarterly Tittesworth Bird News newsletter.

Weather and season

JULY: July saw the largely settled, static weather patterns of spring and early summer replaced by a more changeable Atlantic type. This airstream was relatively warm but often cloudy thus the sky was duller than average. Rainfall was over twice the average for the time of year. The local daytime temperatures varied from mid teens to the low twenties ºC.

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Carsington Bird Club

Aug 2010 Bird Notes

AUGUST 2010 BIRD NOTES

August Highlights: A dull month with no highlights.

Bird watching at Carsington in August is usually quiet but it is also unpredictable. In 2001 just 86 species were noted. In 2002 a massive 122 species were recorded, the biggest ever month at Carsington. Weather wise, 2001 was an average summer. 2002 saw a lot of hot sun, some stormy rain, a lot of muddy shoreline, and, local birds all showed well, passing migrants called in and passage waders stayed several days. This year, with generally cool wet weather, the local scrub and woodland birds were tucked away in their chosen habitation, most moulting and many fattening in preparation for their flight southwards. There were no extremes of weather to bring in unusual seabirds and no fast moving fronts or sudden storms to bring down passing waders or terns so there was very little for birders to find. However, it is more important that the good breeding season has, hopefully, been followed by healthy maturing birds.

Fresh broods noted this month included the ninth brood of Great-crested Grebe on 3^rd, 3 broods of Tufted Duck taking the total to a site record 29, Moorhen up to 10 broods and Coot up to 13 broods. Wildfowl numbers included 25 adult Mute Swan plus 12 cygnets, 6 Shelduck on 24^th until flushed by a fox, 8 Wigeon on 29^th, 12 Gadwall on 16^th, 26 Teal on 29^th, 173 Mallard on 16^th, 2 Shoveler on 10^th, 1 Red-crested Pochard 13-20^th, 5 Pochard on 19^th, 446 Tufted Duck during WeBS count on 16^thand 649 Coot on 16^th.

A juvenile Sparrow Hawk flew into the Wildlife Centre window during the RSPB day on 10^th. A single Hobby was noted on 2^nd, 16^th and 20^th and there were 2 Peregrines on 1^st and 13^th, with singles seen on many other dates.

Wader passage has again been poor this year. Records include an Oystercatcher on 1^st and 17^th, 2 juvenile Little-ringed Plover 22-23^rd, 3 Ringed Plover on Stones Island at dusk on 24^th, 62 Lapwing on 26^th, 4 Dunlin on 6^th and 23^rd, 4 juvenile Ruff briefly at the Wildlife Centre on 17^th, a Curlew on several dates, 4 Redshank on 19^th, a Greenshank on 13^th and 4 Common Sandpiper on 1^st and 13^th.

The gull roost started this month with 1500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, an adult Yellow-legged Gull and a juvenile Herring Gull on 20^th. Two other adult Yellow-legged Gulls have been resident all month but they did not join the roost before dark on 20^th. One of these adults attacked an adult Moorhen near the Wildlife Centre raft; the moorhen eventually got behind the wire netting on the raft but then died. The only Terns this month were Commons with 3 on 1^st, 1 on 17^th and 2 adults plus 2 juveniles on 26^th.

Two Stock Doves flew over the Wildlife Centre Creek on 4^th. A single Kingfisher put on a show at Paul Stanley Hide most days, the record so far is 8 fish caught and consumed in 35 minutes, and 2 Kingfishers were present on 30^th and 31^st. Two Green Woodpeckers were in Millfields Car Park on 16^th, a Yellow wagtail was noted on 17^th and 24^th, 2 Redstart were in Wildlife Centre Creek from 16^th for a few days and the Goldfinch flock on Stones Island was estimated at 80 on 12^th.

94 Species were recorded this August compared with 102 in 2009, 99 in 2008, 109 in 2007, 97 in 2006, 105 in 2005, 113 in 2004 and 110 in 2003.