Carsington Bird Club – Page 50 – 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.

Carsington Bird Club

Jul 2010 Bird Notes

JULY 2010 BIRD NOTES

Highlights: Wildfowl Broods and a Sanderling

By the end of July, numbers of broods totalled: Little Grebe 1 (2 last year), Great Crested Grebe 8 (0), Mallard 20 (20), Tufted Duck 26 (20), Moorhen 7 (12) and Coot 12 (7). Maximum counts, excluding young, were 18 Little Grebe on the official WeBS count carried out on 25^th, 36 Great Crested Grebe on 28^th, 4 Heron on 23^rd and 26^th, 25 Mute Swan on 13^th plus 4+5+3 cygnets, 273 Canada Geese on 13^th, no Barnacle Geese this month, 2 Shelduck on 20^th, 3 Gadwall on 6^th, 2 Teal on 6^th, 158 Mallard on 25^th, 1 female Red-crested Pochard 19^th-27^th, 4 Pochard on 30^th, 155 Tufted Duck on 25^th and 422 Coot on 25^th.

Raptors included 2 Buzzards on 14^th, a Hobby chasing hirundines over east bank on 20^th and 2 Peregrines on 20^th.

Wader numbers were 4 Oystercatchers on 6^th, 67 Lapwing on 28^th, a Sanderling at the Wildlife Centre in the evening of 26^th, 2 Dunlin on 22^nd and 30^th and singles most days from 12^th. Black-tailed Godwit were on passage with 5 on Stones Island on 5^th, 6 flew through early on 12^th, 1 was on Stones Island on 27^th and 3 flew through southwards on 28^th. A late Redshank chick showed on Flat Island with 1 adult on 13^th and was last recorded on Sheepwash Spit on 24^th. Common Sandpipers were also passing through with 2 on 4^th and at least 6 on 14^th.

Black-headed Gull young were well in evidence with flighted young seen on many shorelines, but surprise was in order when an adult pair marched 3 downy chicks from FlatIsland, along the front of Sheepwash and were on HorseshoeIslandless than 2 hours later. A pair on the raft by Paul Stanley Hide showed their second brood of at least 1 chick on 26^th. Some Lesser Black-backed Gulls were visiting site, with 12 on 27^th, but there is no noticeable gull roost yet. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was on site from 12^th and 2 from 21^st. One of the Yellow-legged Gulls was seen swallowing a Tufted Duck chick whole on 23^rd. The pair of Common Terns breeding on Flat Island moved their 2 flighted young onto Watersports pontoon on 7^th and they were last seen on 23^rd. Three Arctic Terns flew through southeast on 19^th.

Three Stock Doves were high over the water on 28^th and a Kingfisher returned from 25^th, hopefully after successfully breeding elsewhere. Corvids were showing well on 27^th with 18 Magpie, 150 Jackdaw, 9 Rook and 4 Raven, all noted during the day. The Wildlife feeder table held 19 Tree Sparrows on 26^th and 7 Linnet were on Stones Island on 6^th.

91 Species were recorded this month compared with 95 in July 2009, 97 in 2008, 94 in 2007, 94 in 2006, 97 in 2005 and 102 in 2004.