No 3 / August 2024
Welcome to the third newsletter of the year, where we look at what’s been happening over the summer period … summer, that is, once it finally arrived. The weather was far from perfect during the first half of the year, but in recent weeks the sun’s been out and temperatures have improved.
Club activities are relatively quiet over the summer – recognising that the holiday season is in full swing (if you have managed to get away, I hope you had a great time – and enjoyed good weather – wherever you’ve been). As you can see below, however, we have a busier programme of events as summer slips into autumn.
The indoor season of talks begins next month, with Steve Lovell taking us into the intense heat and wildlife-rich Extramadura on 17 September, and we’re also planning a longer-range club trip – to the ever popular Frampton Marsh – in October, then a more local trip to the Wildlife Trust’s Willington reserve the following month.
Something that did happen over the summer was the formal opening of the new Sheepwash hide, which Severn Trent kindly allowed us to link to the club by way of a dedication to the memory of Roger Carrington … and we invited Roger’s widow, Lilian, and daughter Helen along to cut the ribbon on the new hide. Read on for a more detailed report on that.
As a club, we also joined a number of other organisations in supporting the annual Hen Harrier Action day, and that, too, is described in a little more detail later.
As ever, there’s a report on what’s been around at the reservoir, which invariably throws up some interest, with most of the recent highlights surrounding the feverish breeding activity that has seen juvenile birds popping up in all corners of the site. Read on – and I hope we’ll see you at a forthcoming indoor meeting or trip. Meanwhile, happy birding.
Gary Atkins
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Below are the dates of upcoming events. Remember – all indoor meetings are held on the third Tuesday of the month in the Visitor Centre’s Henmore Room, beginning at 7.30pm:
** TUESDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER ** – Talk: Extramadura. Steve Lovell explores this distinctive unspoiled region with its natural beauty and wealth of fabulous wildlife and spectacular birds.
** SUNDAY, 6 OCTOBER ** – Club trip to the ever-popular and productive Frampton Marsh; arrive at the visitor centre 10.30am. Contact Chris Lamb (see details at the end of the newsletter) if you wish to come along. It’ll be a convoy of cars, and a lift could be available for those not wishing to drive.
** TUESDAY, 15 OCTOBER ** – Talk: Reintroducing the Osprey. Simon Curtin describes this outstanding UK conservation success story, also describing its reproductive, feeding and migratory behaviour.
** SUNDAY, 17 NOVEMBER ** – Local Club trip to Willington, the DWT reserve that usually has plenty on display, often including a rarity or two. Again, contact Chris Lamb if you’re interested in going.
** TUESDAY, 19 NOVEMBER ** – Talk: Kruger National Park. David Tolliday will detail the range of mammals, birds, insects and people who live in South Africa’s largest wildlife sanctuary.
FIRST EVER SHOVELER BROOD AS THE BIRDS GET BUSY OVER SUMMER
Carsington’s birds have been busy breeding over the summer; those away from the water keeping a low profile, some species almost disappearing, while those on it have been a bit more evident. One of the highlights without doubt was the site’s first ever brood of Shovelers, with five young noted on 18 June.
At the end of July, wildfowl brood numbers were mostly quite impressive: Tufted (14), Mallard (24), Gadwall (10), Gt Crested Grebe (29) and Little Grebe (3). More than a dozen Coot broods were evident and several Moorhen broods represent a big improvement in this species that was only being counted in low single-digits a few years ago. Seven Oystercatcher pairs bred, Greylag and Canada Geese were both well into double-figure broods and a pair of Barnacle Geese had three young.
There was plentiful evidence of breeding by the passerine population – both summer visitors and residents. Successful species included Willow Tit, Spotted Flycatcher, Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Garden, Reed and Sedge Warblers and Redstart, and juvenile Tawny Owls, Nuthatch and Jays were all recorded. It’s not quite over yet, of course, so more young birds will appear at the reservoir in the coming days and weeks.
Another successful species was Black-headed Gull, with 100 juveniles counted at the end of June. That cohort was reduced by one, though, as a Peregrine was seen eating one on 30 July. Peregrines have been quite active, in fact, with another just three days earlier spotted mobbing a Honey Buzzard – a species not seen since 2011, yet producing two records in July.
A single Osprey on 8 July was the only recent record for this iconic migrant, while Hobbies were seen on three dates in June, a single date in July and two more in August; on at least one occasion Swallows were their target. Four Red Kites and eight Buzzards were flying high on 28 July. The site’s other resident raptors, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel, were logged more regularly.
A Black-necked Grebe was another highlight during July, and the more unusual ducks noted were a Scaup on 17 July, and Common Scoter, two of which were spotted on 20 June and three on 17 July. Boosted by breeding, Canada Geese numbers topped four figures, at 1,088, in late June.
Herons have not been around in great numbers, the maxima being two Little Egrets on 11 July and a single Great White Egret on 17 July, while no more than four Grey Herons have been seen on any one day. Waders, after a sparse showing in June, were more populous in July when 12 species were recorded, including two Knot on 11 July, two Whimbrel and seven Common Sandpipers on 22 July, a single Sanderling the following day and single Turnstone on the 25th.
It’s been relatively quiet on the gull front, with Kittiwake, Mediterranean and Caspian the most noteworthy. The Caspian Gull was reported on seven dates in July and maintained its presence on site into August. A roost of 1,500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on 19 July hinted at the larger numbers to come over the winter, while two Yellow-legged Gulls have also been seen quite regularly in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Common, Little, Black, Arctic and Sandwich Terns have passed through in relatively small numbers.
The influx of hirundines, beginning with Sand Martins in March which built to a maximum count of 300 in early May, continued with 100 Swallows and the same number of House Martins on 24 May. Pied Wagtail numbers blossomed over the summer, hitting 80 on 25 July, and other highlights around the dam wall were the occasional Whinchat and Wheatear, and more regularly seen Yellow Wagtails which were moving north in May, then south in late July and August. Pied and Spotted Flycatchers have graced the site this year, with the six ‘SpotFly’ recorded on 25 July including three adults and three juveniles.
As many as 10 Willow Tits have been counted – on 29 May – yet no Tree Sparrows (previously one of our most robust species) were reported during July. Warblers have had a decent year, despite as ever getting quieter and more difficult to see after breeding … so it was good to see a site scarce Grasshopper Warbler on 20 July.
ROGER REMEMBERED AS NEW SHEEPWASH HIDE OPENS
The formal opening of the new Sheepwash hide in July provided the perfect backdrop for both CBC and Severn Trent to honour Roger Carrington for his huge contribution to birding in general and recording in particular at the reservoir over many years.
Roger, who sadly passed away in 2022, was the club’s designated Recorder on site for more than a decade, and spent many happy hours at the previous Sheepwash hide, binoculars and ‘scope at the ready. While he never got to see the construction of its replacement, adding his name to a plaque on the door seemed entirely natural and appropriate when the new Sheepwash hide was opened in late July.
Roger’s widow, Lilian, and daughter Helen officiated at the ribbon-cutting, and were doubly pleased to see (and sit on) a bench seat that also bore an inscription dedicated to Roger.
The old hide had been built on stilts and while there was no imminent hint of danger, a safety study reflected concern at its longer-term integrity, so it was decided to condemn the old hide and design and build a new one. That took longer than anticipated, for a number of reasons, but Severn Trent worked steadfastly to clear these obstacles and the Sheepwash successor has already been given a thumbs-up by the birding fraternity that reckons it’s located in the best place for scanning the reservoir.
Roger served as a core member of the Carsington Bird Club committee, advising on all aspects of birding including breeding surveys, bird boxes and where to locate them and habitat improvements, also editing and producing many of the well-regarded CBC annual reports that have created a permanent record of birdlife across three decades at Carsington Water.
In addition, importantly, he forged a purposeful relationship with our hosts, Severn Trent, who often took his advice on the birdlife and habitats key species are happiest inhabiting.
Many people learned a great deal from Roger, whose calm nature and quiet demeanour encouraged them to ask questions (even the more obvious ones!) and take on board a little of his large fund of knowledge.
CLUB SUPPORTS ACTION DAY FOR HEN HARRIER
For the second time in five years, the Hen Harrier Action Day (HHAD) was staged at Carsington Water – and for the first time Carsington Bird Club joined the numerous wildlife organisations supporting the annual event, thanks in the main to Louise and John Sykes, who regularly attend events with a ‘pop up’ display table that serves to both advertise the club and raise money through a wide range of sales items.
The HHAD itself aims to educate the general public about the plight of this iconic species (and other raptors) that are persecuted due to the skewed perception that they are a nuisance and deplete the ‘stocks’ of game birds on sporting estates.
Chris Packham was in attendance, though on this occasion did not give a speech. Others that did included Jo Smith, CEO of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Olivia Blake, the MP for Sheffield Hallam, Dr Rose O’Neill of the Campaign for National Parks, author Mark Cocker and Mark Thomas of the RSPB Investigations Team. Representatives of Protect the Wild and Wild Justice also appealed for common sense in the public’s dealings with and perception of Hen Harriers. A gospel choir and folk singer Martin Simpson added music to the activity mix.
As well as this programme of high-profile speakers, who addressed the crowd during the afternoon, each supporting organisation also took the opportunity to promote its own goals and activities.
The hard-working Sykes put on an excellent display, as ever, and had a little help from neighbours and a few other club members in manning the stand. They raised over £150 on the day, which the club will plan to spend on helping wildlife projects around the site.
BTO LAUNCHES APPEAL TO BOOST BIODIVERSITY
The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is appealing to all nature lovers to help out with their current focused campaign to slow down the biodiversity crisis that most wildlife organisations agree is affecting local, regional and global eco-systems.
If ‘crisis’ sounds dramatic, then some of the statistics backing this claim are indeed frightening. The 2023 State of Nature report, which corralled data and expertise from more than 60 nature conservation and research organisations, including the BTO, revealed that nearly one in six species in the UK are threatened with extinction … joining the 151 species that already went out of existence since the 16th century.
Many factors are combining to create the crisis, many driven by human influence such as habitat destruction, pollution, radical changes in agricultural practices, the spread of invasive species and climate change. The impact on certain species in the UK has been devastating – and birds have certainly not escaped those effects.
Just one example is the Turtle Dove, which has reduced by 99 per cent between 1967 and 2020, and is now only seen at all in half of its previous habitats, while overall populations of 46 per cent of bird species declined in the five years to 2021. The UK ‘Red List’ addresses species considered to be of greatest conservation concern – and while that list contained 36 species in 1996 it now comprises 70 including familiar species such as House Martins, Greenfinches, Lapwings and Skylarks as well as Nightingales and Puffins.
Click the link below, or cut and paste it into your URL box, to learn more about the vital importance of biodiversity and how the BTO, its members and its scientists can help to arrest its decline, further assisted by the practical and financial support from the general public.
https://www.bto.org/understanding-birds/biodiversity-loss-and-uk-birds
| KNOW YOUR COMMITTEE – Here are the club officials and their contact details…….. | ||||
| Committee Post | Name | Telephone | Email Address | |
| Chairman and Publicity | Gary Atkins | 01335 370773 | garysatkins@aol.com | |
| Treasurer / Membership | John Follett | 01332 834778 | johnlfollett@virginmedia.com | |
| Recorder | Rob Chadwick | 07876 338912 | rob.chadwick322@gmail.com | |
| Events co-ordinator | Chris Lamb | 01629 820890 | cflamb@yahoo.co.uk | |
| Secretary | Louise Sykes | 01335 348544 | louise.sykes5065@gmail.com | |
| …..and the website address is: http://www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk | ||||
| Webmaster | Richard Pittam | n/a | Contact Richard via the website | |
