Carsington Bird Club – Page 49 – Carsington Bird Club

Nov 2010 Bird Notes

NOVEMBER 2010 BIRD NOTES

November Highlights: Great Northern Diver, Whooper Swan, Kittiwake, Black Redstart, Bearded Tit and Snow Bunting.

An average November for species numbers at 96, but species quality was superb with Bearded Tit and Snow Bunting being new species for the site, taking our definitive list total to 223 in the 19 year life of Carsington. The male Bearded Tit was found on 1^st in the small reedbed to the left of Sheepwash Hide. It was initially heard in disbelief, then a male was clearly seen and stayed long enough for several birders to see it before it flew high west. The Snow Bunting was found on Stones Island on 25^th and proved elusive and mobile but at least three birders saw it.

A Great Northern Diver was seen on 7^th, too distant to determine age. On 12^th, a juvenile GND, which could have been the same bird, was near the dam wall and stayed for the rest of the month. Ten Whooper Swans, including 3 juveniles, flew into Sheepwash on 7^th and were still present at dusk. On 25^th 2 Whooper Swans were noted off Stones Island, recorded again on 26^th and again briefly on 29^th before flying off west at dusk. Pink-footed Geese movements were 200 E at 0835hrs on 10^th, 55 E at 0900hrs on 10^th and 130 NW at 0930hrs on 18^th. Wildfowl maximum counts were from the WeBS count on 14^th except where stated: 38 Little Grebe on 18^th, 58 Great Crested Grebe, 33 Cormorant, 25 Mute Swans, 1 drake Mandarin on 1^st, 277 Wigeon, 32 Gadwall, 209 Teal, 263 Mallard, 2 Pintail, 10 Shoveler on 8^th, 3 Red-crested Pochard on 8^th, 62 Pochard, 578 Tufted Duck, 15 Goldeneye on 10^th, 8 Goosander on 15^th, 15 Moorhen and 1330 Coot.

Waders included counts of 293 Lapwing on 14^th and in flight flocks up to circa 400 on 23^rd. Dunlin, Snipe and Redshank were around all month with maximums of 8 Dunlin on 12^th, 8 Snipe on 24^th, 5 Redshank on 24^th and a late Common Sandpiper on 15^th.

The wildfowl numbers are significantly down on recent years, which is probably due to the unusually low water levels, losing a massive surface area of water and connecting most of the islands to the shoreline, rendering them an unsafe roost. Another factor could be the winter resident Yellow-legged Gull, which has increased its diet from the Little Grebes last winter to include Tufted Duck this winter. The gull flies low terrorising most birds on the water, even Coot scuttle along the water surface in large numbers as it approaches. It operates by repeatedly landing on the selected bird, trying to drown it. On 20^th it was seen to kill and eat a female tufted duck and the following day was seen feeding on a different tufted. An adult and a first winter Mediterranean Gull were in the roost on 2^nd. The gull roost also held 4000 Black-headed Gull on 7^th, 282 Common Gull on 22^nd, 3500 Lesser Black-backed Gull on 7^th, 30 Herring Gull on 21^st, 6 Yellow-legged Gull on 14^th, and a Kittiwake on 8^th. The Kittiwake was an adult wearing colour rings, most probably being the French ringed bird seen recently around the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire areas.

A first winter male Black Redstart was found on 18^th at Millfields end of the dam wall. It was last seen on 22^nd and is the third record for this site, the previous one being in November last year. Other records included 200 Woodpigeon flying south on 6^th, a Barn Owl on 13^th and 20^th, a Little Owl on 23^rd, a Kingfisher on 1^st and rest of the month, a Green Woodpecker landed on Sheepwash Hide window sill briefly on 9^th, 10 Skylarks flew over 6^th, 50 Meadow Pipits on 1^st, 25 Blackbirds on 22^nd, 75 Redwing on 29^th, 200 Starling on 2^nd, 18 Tree Sparrow on Sheepwash car park feeder on 28^th, 2 Brambling on 6^th, 40 Siskin on 1^st, 14 Lesser Redpoll on 22^nd, 15 Bullfinch on 29^th and a Yellowhammer on 7^th, 14^th and 23^rd.

96 species recorded compared with the best November ever of 104 in 2009, 94 in 2008, 98 in 2007, 97 in 2006, 97 in 2005, 95 in 2004 and 92 in 2003.

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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