Carsington Bird Club – Page 52 – Carsington Bird Club

Mar 2010 Bird Notes

MARCH 2010 BIRD NOTES

March Highlights: Red Throated Diver, Great Northern Divers, Whooper Swans, Garganey, Osprey and early summer migrants return.

A Red Throated Diver was off StonesIslandfrom 1630hrs until dusk on 22^nd and the Great Northern Diver count was a juvenile from last month to 5^th plus an adult which remained all month. A Sunday treat for observers on 7^th was 24 Whooper Swans landing at 0930hrs and a single Pink-footed Goose was with Canadas from 8^th. The big surprise of the month was a very early Drake Garganey at the Wildlife Centre on 2^nd March, a day when several were found around England. The earliest record at Carsington previously was 16^th April but the extreme earliest Derbyshire record was on 1^st March 1978. Maximum counts this month total 25 Little Grebe on 14^th, 35 Great Crested Grebe on 14^th, 8 Greylag on 6^th, 46 Barnacle on 1^st and 14^th, 3 Shelduck on 17^th, 53 Wigeon on 5^th, 3 Gadwall on 14^th, 21 Teal on 8^th, 109 Mallard on 8^th, 4 Pintail on 5^th, 5 drake Shoveler on 21^st, 325 Tufted Duck on 14^th, a female Scaup on 2^nd, 28 Goldeneye on 21^st, 8 Goosander on 15^th, a Water Rail on 7^th, 18 Moorhen on 19^th and 247 Coot on 14^th.

Four Sparrowhawks were noted on 21^st and 8 Buzzards were in the air on 14^th, with 10 on 21^st. An Osprey was on site from 1550hrs on 26^th, one day earlier than previous records at Carsington. It was seen from Stones Island and the Wildlife Centre and later it caught a fish and went to dine and roost in Blackbrook Plantation. An immature Peregrine flew north over Sheepwash on 28^th.

At least 5 pairs of Oystercatcher were noted on 8^th and the first Little Ringed Plover record of the year was 1 on Stones Island with a Dunlin on 26^th. The first Dunlin of the year was 1 on 7^th then 2 at the Wildlife Centre on 10^th. Snipe totalled 8 on Horseshoe Island on 20^th and 6 Snipe were seen in flight at Warrington Knob on 7^th. A Woodcock was flushed near Paul Stanley Hide on 24^th. The largest Curlew numbers were 12 at Sheepwash on 9^th, 16 on 11^th and 11 were in a field near Lane Ends on 13^th. 6 Redshank were noted around the Wildlife Centre, Stones Island and Sheepwash on 8^th, 23^rd and 31^st.

An adult Mediterranean Gull was at the Wildlife Centre on 10^th and was subsequently seen in the gull roost on several evenings up to 24^th. Counts of the gull roost proved difficult due to the spread of the roost this month but 242 Common and 65 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were counted in an early roost on 1^st. There was a first winter plus a second winter Herring Gull on 20^th and an adult Yellow-legged on 10^th and 23^rd.

A Little Owl was seen in the field on the left between the main car park and Wildlife Centre on 2^nd, 7^th and 30^th. As expected, the first Sand Martins flew through, with 4 on 18^th and a flock of 12 the following morning. Swallows started slowly with 1 on 25^th then 1 on 28^th. Meadow Pipit records have been unusually low for this time of year with 1 on 19^th and several singles since. A Rock Pipit was on Sheepwash Spit for at least 2 hours on 19^th, 2 White Wagtails were on Horseshoe Island on 31^st and a female Stonechat was on Stones Island on 5^th. The first Wheatear was on the dam wall early on 19^th and 3 were at the Wildlife Centre on 22^nd. A wintering Blackcap was near the Wildlife Centre on 10^th and a pair there on 24^th. Chiffchaff were first noted on 19^th with 5 singing and 12 were singing between Millfields and Sheepwash on 31^st. Two Willow Tits were singing on 8^th and 2 Linnets flew over Sheepwash on 10^th.

102 Species recorded this March compared with103 in March 2009, 104 in 2008, 95 in 2007, 100 in 2006, 107 in 2005 and 98 in 2004.

Carsington Bird Club

Tittesworth – Spring 2010

Weather and season

It was one of the longest and coldest winters for many a year. Snow arrived on the 17^th December and was still present – above about 1200ft – at the end of March.

JANUARY: There was a little snow on New Year’s Day but 3 inchesfell on the 2^nd. Low temperatures, often sub-zero until mid-month, meant no thawing. A little more snow fell on the 13^th but a steady but slow thaw began on the following day. Frosts began again on the 29^th plus there was a fall of snow in the early hours on the 31^st. The national mean temperature for the month was about 3ºC below the 1971-2000 average. It was the coldest January over theUK since 1987 and equal eighth coldest in a series from 1914. Rainfall was well below normal. It was the eighth sunniest January in a series from 1929.

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Carsington Bird Club

Feb 2010 Bird Notes

FEBRUARY 2010 BIRD NOTES

February Highlights: Great Northern Divers, Red-necked Grebes and Jack Snipe.

A juvenile and an adult Great Northern Diver were present all month, quite often together at dawn and dusk. Early on 23^rd the adult was calling while the juvenile was close by diving. As the mist cleared at 1320hrs on 15^th a Red-necked Grebe was seen and photographed from Sheepwash and Lane End Hides and then lost to view. Searches were made by several birders and the bird was eventually relocated in Hopton Arm, in the rain and near to dusk. It was there that a second bird was noted. One bird remained in Hopton Arm, as far as the ice allowed, until 23^rd, while the second bird was elusive, wandering as far as Millfields. Counts for February included: 27 Little Grebe on 8^th, 41 Great Crested Grebe on 8^th, 45 Cormorant on 15^th, 6 Mute Swans on 23^rd, 46 Barnacle Geese on 1^st, 5 Shelduck on 25^th, 48 Wigeon on 28^th, 6 Gadwall on 22^nd, 59 Teal on 1^st, 141 Mallard on 23^rd, 2 Pintail on 18^th and 28^th, 5 Shoveler on 20^th, 2 Red-crested Pochard on 18^th, 2 Pochard on 28^th, 442 Tufted Duck on 23^rd, 19 Goldeneye on 23^rd, 5 Goosander on 13^th, 5 Moorhen on 23^rd and 401 Coot on 23^rd. These counts were low for winter but similar to or slightly less than those in February last year demonstrating that many of the wintering wildfowl had gone by the end of the month.

Two Sparrow Hawks were noted on 10^th, 6 Buzzard were in the air at the same time on 10^th and, on 1^st, a Buzzard was perched on the cairn on Flat Island while another searched the island for food. Peregrine were noted on several days with a female on 13^th, 1 over Hopton Arm on 16^th, an immature on 23^rd and 1 from Sheepwash on 28^th.

Oystercatchers have been returning and claiming their breeding island and, by 28^th, numbered 10 including a pair mating on Millfields Island and the male with a bar-code leg ring returning to Flat Island and Sheepwash area. A Jacksnipe flew in to Hopton Arm on 19^th for 2 hours and temporarily stole the red-necked grebe’s show, see photograph on our website. Snipe numbers have been low this winter with just 4 recorded on 13^th and 22^nd. A Woodcock was flushed from the path behind Sheepwash Hide on 23^rd. Curlew are now moving through, with the first heard on 24^th, 2 on 27^th and 5 on 28^th including 3 which landed to the right of Sheepwash Hide. Redshank were seen in singles at many locations but the maximum count was only 3 on 22^nd and 24^th.

The gull roost was larger than in mid-February last year, with at least 3000 Black-headed Gulls, 550 Common Gulls and 300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on 13^th. The daytime resident, little grebe eating adult Yellow-legged Gull has not been recorded since 6^th, and a heron was noted struggling to swallow a gull carcass on 16^th!

A roost of 60 Woodpigeon was noted at Sheepwash on 8^th and 16^th, a Kingfisher regularly between 14^th and 24^th, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers on 16^th, 2 Skylark flew over on 16^th, a singing wren on 28^th highlighted how few were seen this month, in excess of 50 Fieldfare at Sheepwash on 16^th, 4 Song Thrush singing on 28^th, 8 Long-tailed Tits squeezed onto Paul Stanley feeders on 23^rd, 4 Willow Tits on 24^th, 15 Magpie on 11^th, 50 Jackdaw over Sheepwash on 12^th, 6 Rooks on the dam wall fields on 23^rd, 2 Raven on 6^th and other dates, 4 Brambling in the Visitor Centre car park on 14^th, 13 Siskin at Sheepwash on 15^th and 10 Lesser Redpoll near the Wildlife Centre on 17^th.

87 Species this month compared with 86 in Feb 2009, 86 in 2008, 88 in 2007, 89 in 2006 and 90 in 2005.

Carsington Bird Club

Jan 2010 Bird Notes

JANUARY 2010 BIRD NOTES

January Highlights: Great Northern Diver, Little Egret, Scaup, Caspian Gull and Kittiwake.

One of last month’s Great Northern Divers, a juvenile, remained all month and December’s Little Egret was around the Wildlife Centre area until 24^th, with 2 present on Horseshoe Island from 1415hrs to 1500hrs on 18^th. 150 Pink-footed Geese flew low east over the water at 1130hrs on 8^th. Site counts this month were mainly the WeBS count on 17^th, unless dated otherwise, and included 46 Little Grebe, 45 Great Crested Grebe, 45 Cormorant on 24^th, 4 Heron on 27^th, 28 Mute Swans, 5 Greylag on 20^th, 45 feral Barnacle Geese on 20^th, 6 Shelduck on 24^th, 23 Wigeon (218 in Jan last year), 36 Gadwall, 49 Teal, 122 Mallard, 1 female Pintail on 11^th and other dates, 134 Pochard, 596 Tufted Duck, an elusive first winter female Scaup on 10^th and possibly all month, 12 Goldeneye, 11 Goosander on 31^st, 11 Moorhen and 1424 Coot (1844 in Jan last year). Some of these counts are significantly down compared with recent years, probably due to the abnormally cold weather. Certainly any geese and ducks seeking grazing would have been struggling with the depth of snow. Escapee ducks seen were 2 Speckled Teal on 27^th and a Chiloe Wigeon on 29^th, both South American species.

Raptor records were few, with 4 Common Buzzards in the air on 1^st, a Peregrine on the pylon observed from the Wildlife Centre on 17^th and 24^th, elsewhere on site on 18^th, 19^th and 20^th, and a pair of Peregrine mobbing a Buzzard on 28^th.

An Oystercatcher was seen on 11^th and 16^th, Snipe numbered 12 at the Wildlife Centre on 24^th, a Woodcock was near Lane End Hide on 4^th and 3 Redshank were on site on 1^st and subsequent dates.

The gull roost, visible from Lane End Hide, on 24^th included 4000 Black-headed Gulls, 600 Common Gulls and 500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Other gull records included 20 Herring Gulls on 18^th, an adult Caspian Gull in front of Sheepwash Hide from 1430hrs on 18^th, 17 Great Black-backed Gulls on Sheepwash Spit early on 1^st, an adult Kittiwake near Millfields at 1000hrs on 28^th, and the resident Yellow-legged Gull was seen eating a Little Grebe on 18^th and a dead fish on 25^th.

The freezing weather and thick snow lying on the ground prevented much activity by non-water birds. Two Barn Owls were out hunting near the Wildlife Centre on 14^th and another near Fishtail Creek later in the month. A Kingfisher was in Penn Carr on 16^th and at other locations later in the month and 2 Skylark flew east over Millfields on 18^th. The annual wintering Meadow Pipit flock, which can usually be located around the Dam Wall and Tail Bay area, has not been seen this January. Presumably this flock has gone south or to the coast where ground feeding is possible. Two Nuthatch were on Paul Stanley feeders on 1^st and other subsequent dates and Siskin flocks have been regularly noted, with the largest totalling 40 on 11^th and 27^th. Four Linnets were near the Wildlife Centre on 1^st and 68 Lesser Redpoll were noted at in the same area on 17^th.

86 Species this month comparing well with 86 in January 2009, 85 in 2008, 89 in 2007, 89 in 2006, 95 in 2005, 91 in 2004, 87 in 2003 and 75 in 2002.