Following our AGM in March, there has been a changing of the guard on the committee – as we say farewell to Chris Lamb who, as our events coordinator, has for a decade planned and executed an enjoyable array of walks, trips far and near and talks delivered at our indoor meetings over the autumn and winter periods.  I’ve made that sound rather final, but we will still see Chris around from time to time on members’ trips and talks; meanwhile, many thanks to him for his committee duties.

Voted onto the committee at the AGM, with a brief to support the club’s events, is Cath Sinclair, who tells us a little about herself in a short article later in the newsletter.  Cath will get involved in the same range of activities and has already brought ideas for fresh opportunities for members to get to know each other a little better.  She observed that there are sizeable gaps in the calendar (particularly over the summer), with no events planned.  Cath hopes that we can fill some of these – initially with some relaxed evening outings comprising a short walk followed by a visit to a local pub, where members can share their experiences and knowledge of birding (though conversational topics can and will, of course, range wherever they go!). 

We plan to stage the first of these at the end of next month (see diary dates below).  We are approaching the summer hiatus, so feel free to come along armed with binoculars, memories, your latest sightings, year list, questions and a bit of a thirst!

Before that, on 10 May there is a chance to get up to speed with the bird song of migrants and resident species (without the help of the Merlin app!) when Simon Roddis leads the now established spring birdsong walk.

A piece of sadder news is the passing of one of our longer standing members, Bill Murray.  He lived in Mickleover and, along with his wife Gill, was one of the earliest birding enthusiasts to join CBC in the mid-nineties.  Gill died a few years ago, and Bill had not managed to get along to any events for a while but he was steadfast in both retaining his membership – and often gave us additional generous donations.

Gary Atkins

 

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY …

10 May – Spring Birdsong Walk at Carsington Water, led by Simon Roddis (meet 9am, Visitor Centre)

30 June – As mentioned above, Cath Sinclair is inviting members to a combined walk/pub chat. We plan to meet at 6pm at Sheepwash car park, then adjourn to the Miner’s Arms, Carsington (the talk will not be restricted to bird life!)

15 September – though some time off, this is an early reminder that our indoor season will resume on this date, with a talk – ‘Birdwatcher’s Photographic Diary’ – by Tony Slater

STORK AND SKUA HEAD THE EARLY YEAR RARITIES

We’ve been watching the steady drift north of heron-like species in recent years: the Little Egret would still have been a bird of wonder 25 years ago, the graceful Great White Egret has become a more regular visitor over the past several years, and since then we’ve seen Cattle Egrets, Spoonbills and Glossy Ibises all call into Carsington – and even Common Cranes seem to be moving up country.  Now, during April, another in the same bracket – a White Stork – made a brief appearance on site.

To be fair, this bird was almost certainly not a truly wild bird (there was a known ‘escape’ of several storks from a collection that had staff from there whizzing around the country attempting to recapture their charges!).  But Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has also announced a plan to reintroduce this impressive tall bird with a wing span of more than two metres at its Willington Gravel Pits reserve (just 12 miles south of Carsington as the stork flies), and it stands to reason that yet another formerly exclusive continental bird will straddle the English Channel as our climate changes.

This bird, along with an Arctic Skua – not seen at the reservoir since 2019 – were among the 126 species noted last month, which represented a record haul for the month of April at Carsington.

A Ring-necked Duck, only the third for the reservoir (though individuals have been seen regularly at other Derbyshire sites), was among the WeBS count on 19 April, which was nevertheless also memorable for the low number of other duck species: just 70 Mallard, 47 Tufted Duck, 33 Gadwall and 18 Coot; the grand total of 480 water birds compared with 824 last April.

Mandarin, Goosander, Shelduck and Shoveler have added variety, and a scarce Red-throated Diver dropped in briefly on 3 May.

Noisy Oystercatchers, chasing around the site in small groups, reached an impressive total of 20 in February.  Other waders seemed to be staying away during the early part of the year, but they made up for it in April when 16 wader species were recorded, including small numbers of Dunlin, Sanderling, Ruff, Greenshank and Common Sandpiper.  Bar- and Black-tailed Godwits joined Curlew and Whimbrel, along with a single Turnstone, and a scarce Jack Snipe was found on three dates early in the month.

More than matching the Oystercatchers for volume, good numbers of Black-headed Gulls have established breeding colonies, notably on Horseshoe Island.  Among scarcer gulls, there were eight Kittiwakes noted on 7 March, seven Little Gulls in late April and a Caspian Gull has been recorded over a dozen times during March and April.

It’s been rather more of a tern-fest during this period, though, with a magnificent 36 Black Terns around on 24 April, 26 Arctic Terns quartering the reservoir four days later, and smaller numbers of Common, Little and Sandwich Terns also boosting the species list.

Raptors have been relatively quiet, with only one Osprey through on 5 April, and the maximum daily count of four Red Kites being well beaten by the 21 Buzzards aloft on 2 April.  It’s been good to report that both Barn and Tawny Owls have been recorded each month during late winter and early spring.

Right about now is the exciting time for migrant lovers.  With Chiffchaffs over-wintering, the first true arrival from their winter territories as usual was Sand Martin on 10 March, followed later that month by Swallows and Blackcaps, both first noted on the 26^th.  During April, the migrants arrived thick and fast: chronologically, they were Willow Warbler (4^th), Redstart (8^th), House Martin and Sedge Warbler (10^th), Pied Flycatcher (16^th), Whitethroat (19^th), Garden and Reed Warblers and Swift (all on the 21^st), Lesser Whitethroat (24^th) and, into May, Spotted Flycatcher (2^nd).

Meanwhile, April bid farewell to the last Redwings and Fieldfares, and among resident species, a highlight was the first Grey Partridge on site for 15 years.  Skylark song, a true presage of spring, was heard every month from February, and Siskin and Redpoll have remained present in decent numbers.

On a perimeter walk on the final day of March, top bird was Robin with 177 counted, followed by Blue Tit (135), Wren (124),  Chiffchaff (112), Blackbird (82), Great Tit (65), Dunnock (50), Song Thrush (32), Goldfinch (29) and smaller though still healthy numbers of Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Bullfinch and Treecreeper.  Five days earlier, six Willow Tits were also found.

EVENTS ROUND-UP

Indoor Meetings — We finished our 2025/26 programme of indoor meetings in March with a talk by Katie Thorpe, the site manager of the Middleton Lakes RSPB Reserve, describing the conservation work led by the RSPB to bring the Bittern back to this reserve. Always a popular birding location for our members, it was very interesting to hear more about the behind the scenes work which goes on all year round to create such a marvellous wetland habitat for wildlife.

Moving outside… A very healthy turnout of 16 CBC members made the journey up the M1 on Sunday 7 March to the Old Moor RSPB Reserve for our first members’ trip of the year.  Leaving the visitor centre we broke up into smaller groups to explore the walking trails which lead to the several hides that overlook reedbeds, various sized pools and scrapes.

By the time of our visit the numbers of wintering ducks had started to decrease, but there were still reasonable counts of Shoveler, Wigeon and Teal on the various pools. A pair of Goosander and a female Goldeneye provided some variety, and three male Common Scoters were a very unexpected bonus for our list.  Due to the high water levels, waders were much harder to find. Lapwings were the most numerous, along with a handful of Avocets, Oystercatchers and Black-tailed Godwits and a single Redshank and Dunlin.

Moving on to the reedbed paths our target bird was the Bearded Tit, a species which is often elusive and best picked out by its pinging calls.  Some members of our party were lucky enough though to see a small number flitting across the tops of the reeds.  A Marsh Harrier quartering the reedbeds was much easier to follow and a pair of Peregrines were spotted perched on a distant electricity pylon.

By the end of the day a very fine total of 55 species had been recorded by the group, comprising: Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Shoveler, Gadwall, Wigeon, Mallard, Teal, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Common Scoter, Goldeneye, Goosander, Pheasant, Woodpigeon, Moorhen, Coot, Avocet, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Dunlin, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Peregrine, Kestrel, Magpie, Jay, Carrion Crow, Bearded Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chiffchaff, Cetti’s Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Siskin, Reed Bunting

… And moving on — After 10 years on the CBC committee as the Events Coordinator, it’s sadly time for me to step down. Nicole and I have moved house to a village near Leek in Staffordshire to be closer to our family. We will hopefully still be able to make some of the outdoor trips and indoor meetings, so it’s not a total goodbye as such!  I’m very pleased that Cath Sinclair who has joined the committee has kindly offered to take on some of the activities of planning both indoor and outdoor events for our members, and I will be helping Cath as much as possible as part of the handover process.

Chris Lamb

 

A NEW FACE ON THE CBC COMMITTEE – CATH SINCLAIR

For those who don’t know me, I thought I’d write a few words to introduce myself, so here goes: My name is Cath and I have volunteered to join the committee with responsibility for ‘Events Support’ so I will try to help the committee with organising the winter lectures and the day trips … So, if you have any ideas on either topic please get in touch!

I was very fortunate to be brought up in a family which was interested in nature and went walking regularly in the countryside close to where we lived in Bristol.  My Dad was a zoology lecturer specialising in animal parasites and researching lizard behaviour – and several childhood holidays were spent camping in Italy so Dad could catch lizards (he had a special permit to import them live to the UK).

I studied biology and geography at university and currently work occasionally as a walking group leader.  Having spent a few years living in Europe for my husband’s job, we’re now settled in a friendly village near Carsington Water.   I took up birding during Covid and consider myself to be at a level between beginner and intermediate.   At the end of March (when writing this) my year list stood at 93 … but I won’t be aiming for 200!

Apart from my Events brief, I’m also interested in facilitating some more opportunities for social interaction within the Club, for example a monthly evening walk/pub meet up (see the diary dates block on page one for our first one of these – on the 30^th June) and a WhatsApp group.   Please do get in touch if you’re interested or if you have any other ideas for expanding our social activities.

Most memorable bird sighting: first view of Avocets in the Exe Estuary, experienced with my Dad a couple of years ago

Favourite birding site: WWT Slimbridge

Favourite nature podcast: The Wandering Ecologist by Penny Green

Favourite bird related book: A Curlew in the Foreground by Philip Coxon

 

 

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	John Follett		01332 834778	johnlfollett@virginmedia.com
Membership secretary	Dave Horsley		07900 597230	daveat2602@hotmail.com
Recorder	Rob Chadwick		07876 338912	rob.chadwick322@gmail.com
Events support	Cath Sinclair
Secretary	Louise Sykes		01335 348544	louise.sykes5065@gmail.com
…..and the website address is:   https://www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk
Webmaster	Richard Pittam	n/a		Contact Richard via the website

 

 

**** ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS — IT’S ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION TIME! ****

Apologies for the strap-line above to all those members – now the large majority – that have already renewed their 2026 memberships, but it IS that time of year and these days I’m being whipped by our super-efficient membership secretary Dave Horsley to get the message out to those few that have yet to make up their minds … or simply to realise another year has whizzed by!

Yes, another year has indeed begun, and again it’s been a cool, dark and very damp start.  Birding opportunities, except for those ultra-dedicated types, have been few and far between as almost constant rain keeps most of us off the slithery paths and out from under the dripping trees.

We are planning a trip early next month, however, where the weather won’t be such a hindrance as Old Moor (see below) has plenty of hides, a large visitor centre and cafe and toilets.  Do come along on 7^th March if you want to get a few extra species onto your year-lists, particularly if yours – like mine – is a bit threadbare.

The indoor meetings have been staged as usual … no snow or ice cancellations this season thus far.  And jolly entertaining they have been; see Chris Lamb’s article later detailing these.

A few things at the reservoir have changed that you may not be aware of.  The watersports centre (always busy with waterborne, fishing and cycling activities) has closed and awaits interest from a new tenant.  Lane End hide was closed for refurbishment, but thankfully is now open again, and there are plans to remove the small Janet Ede hide that was often subject to flooding and was considered to be located too close and low down to the shoreline whenever the reservoir was full.

Having said that the drastically low water levels that existed for much of the second half of last year, have risen to 90 per cent plus in the early part of 2026, which may attract more and different birds onto site (though the disappearance of the exposed mud may disappoint a few!).  You will find details of sightings over the past three months in the usual reservoir report on page two.

There is news of efforts to improve knowledge about and, therefore, the future conservation of Swifts in the Derbyshire Dales.  Halfway through a Lottery-funded two-year project, the focus in 2026 will include an effort to recruit volunteers to undertake surveys at locations in Ashbourne and Matlock – and there are contact details should any of our members wish to be involved.

Gary Atkins

 

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY …

7 March – trip to Old Moor, the prolific RSPB reserve in South Yorkshire, near Barnsley (see mention in the article on page 3 for more background).  Meet at the reserve car park 10.30am.

17 March – talk by Katie Thorpe on ‘Bringing a boom to Middleton Lakes’ (do note that this talk will be preceded, at 7pm, by our AGM)

10 May – Spring Birdsong Walk at Carsington Water, led by Simon Roddis (meet 9am, Visitor Centre)

‘OUR DIVER’ GOES MISSING … BUT PLENTY MORE TO KEEP US INTERESTED

As we drifted into 2026, our regular recorders became increasingly worried that the Great Northern Diver that had faithfully returned for winter duties at the reservoir for a decade and a half had not shown up – and their concerns were borne out when it slipped well past its latest previous date.  A juvenile bird had arrived in December and remained for the first two days in January, but since we have been Diver-less.

But there were still plenty of great sights and surprises to come over the winter period – paramount being a Bittern, which is a first for the site.  It was seen as recently as 17 Ferbuary, and the precise circumstances (location, etc) are still being investigated, but an accompanying photograph was proof positive.

A Little Owl that had emerged earlier in the year – the first on site for seven years – was seen on three consecutive days in November, then on occasional days until 5 January.  Another October find, a Firecrest was seen again in November and January, two Twite (as species not seen at the reservoir for 22 years) were identified in November, and of all the species totally unexpected in December was a very tardy Swallow, vainly trying to catch up with its much earlier counterparts heading south.

December was also the month that our first-ever Ring-necked Parakeet was observed; the arrival of this noisy parrot, albeit brief, is not altogether surprising as it seems to be another species, having populated the home counties, is now moving north.  It tends to prefer urban environments but a few more are now being seen in the countryside of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

An impressive group of 16 Whooper Swans were seen on 17 November, which proved a good date for water birds as 150 Pink-footed Geese flew over, and two scarce Red-breasted Mergansers turned up.  Teal numbers topped out at 936, noted during the January WeBS count which also noted three-figure counts of Wigeon, Gadwall, Pochard and Mallard, and Canada and Greylag Geese.  Up to 34 Barnacle Geese (our usual peripatetic flock) have been seen, while two of the much scarcer White-fronted Geese were identified on 5 January … though this is scant return for the large number of White-fronts entering UK airspace, with quite a number being logged in Derbyshire.

Coot, normally in four figures during the winter, had inexplicably slipped to single digit counts with the water at lower levels but had slowly risen, along with the water, to 145 in January.  Goosander, Goldeneye, Pintail, Common Scoter and Red-crested Pochard have been among the scarcer duck species around the site.

Autumn and winter is also a time to keep eyes skyward for large flocks of birds migrating.  Woodpigeons are often moving in huge numbers, and 20,000 were counted in just a few hours on 17 November, 1,000-plus Starlings have been counted more than once, and corvids, particularly Jackdaws, have often been seen in sizeable flocks.  The arrival of winter thrushes included a count, in December, of 1,680 Redwings and the gull roost contained large numbers, too, with up to 5,000 Black-headed Gulls, 2,500 Common and 1,500 Lesser Black-backs.

A Kittiwake was evident on 16 November, and an increasingly regular Caspian Gull called in on several days that month and during December and January.  A single Mediterranean Gull was recorded on seven dates in November, when a Little Gull was also logged on the 17^th.

Wader species totals have not reached double-figures yet, but rather satisfyingly, Golden Plover have been on the recorded list in November, December and January, when a good flock of 20 were seen on the 16^th.  The first returning Oystercatcher was back by mid January.  Small numbers of Woodcock have also appeared every month over the winter, often at Hopton End, with three spotted as recently as 17 February.

As well as the Little Owl (which hasn’t been seen since 5 January), Tawny Owls have revealed themselves rather more often, and a Barn Owl was observed hunting to the left of Sheepwash hide and in the process of doing so flushing the nearby ducks.

For those needing Willow Tit for their 2026 year list, up to two are seen and heard regularly in the vicinity of the Wildlife Centre.  Stones Island is a good place to find healthy numbers of Linnets – up to 100 – and some of our less regular passerines that visit in the winter to join the residents have included Brambling, Crossbill, Redpoll and Siskin.

 

EVENTS PAST …

Looking back, regular visitors to our winter season of indoor meetings have been able to enjoy talks embracing a variety of topics.  November’s presentation was from Tony Davison, who treated us to some fantastic photographs of the amazing birds and animals he encountered during a recent trip to India – including, of course, the iconic Bengal Tiger.

Birds and islands was the theme for our final talk of 2025 in December, with David Parkin explaining how many islands around the world – due to their remoteness and prolonged isolation – have evolved some very distinct and unusual birds.

Kicking off the new year at our January meeting, the highly entertaining Nick Martin described his quest to find 200 British birds in a calendar year.   From climbing snowy mountains in search of Snow Buntings to taking a boat trip to see Puffins on our offshore islands, Nick travelled far and wide to successfully reach his target.  February’s talk was by Mike Vickers and featured the birds of Jordan, a fascinating country which is on a major migration route between three continents and has a remarkable diversity of natural landscapes.

 

… AND FUTURE

Looking ahead, our final indoor meeting of the 2025-26 programme is on Tuesday 17 March.  Katie Thorpe – site manager of the Middleton Lakes RSPB Reserve, a popular birding destination our members have enjoyed previously – will be telling us about the conservation work led by the RSPB to bring the distinctive booming call of the Bittern back to this wetland habitat.  Please note that this meeting starts at the slightly earlier time of 7.00pm, with our club AGM taking place immediately prior to Katie’s talk.

For our first trip of the year we will be heading to the Old Moor RSPB Reserve near Barnsley (postcode S73 0YF) on Saturday 7th March.   This is something of an old favourite as it invariably produces a good list of birds.  Facilities on site include a visitor centre, café and toilets and there are a number of hides and viewing screens.  There is also another good site very close nearby (and also with a hide) which, time permitting, is generally worth a short visit. 

We aim to meet in the car park at Old Moor at 10.30am.  Please let Chris Lamb know if you plan to attend by email at cflamb@yahoo.co.uk.  For more information visit the RSPB website here:

https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/dearne-valley-old-moor

 

Our ever-popular annual Springtime Birdsong Walk at Carsington Water will this year take place on Sunday 10 May.  The walk will once again be led by Simon Roddis, one of our very experienced bird recorders, who will help us to identify the birds we see – and, just as importantly, hear.  The walk will last about two hours starting from outside the Carsington Water Visitor Centre at 9am.

 

COULD YOU HELP DERBYSHIRE’S SWIFT POPULATION?

Decreasing Swift numbers in the UK has been a worry for some time, and Derbyshire Dales is no different to many other regions, but a dedicated group in our area decided to do something about it, bid for a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and in 2024 was awarded funds covering a two-year project.

Initially, to fill in gaps in knowledge about Swift distribution across the county, the project sought to provide data to support decision-making, to conserve and increase nest site availability and develop a conservation model that can be upscaled.

During 2025, project members carried out 170 Swift surveys at 11 locations across the Dales and found 358 Swift nests at 238 properties.  Those findings are shown here in the associated graphic (right).  Furthermore, the surveys identified those nest sites that are high risk – located in buildings in need of repair, for example – which helped the project to plan nest box installations in target areas, those being in Darley Dale, Bradwell, Tideswell, Youlgreave and Wirksworth.  If you live in one of these areas, you can register interest in a nest box by logging on to https://bit-ly/nestforswift

“In 2026, once the Swifts return in May, we will be carrying out a second survey season – to include three new locations, Ashbourne, Matlock and Hathersage, allowing us to extend our assessment of Swift populations to 14 locations,” informs the project’s Community Engagement Officer, Charly Crump.

“We are, therefore, now urgently looking for volunteer surveyors for those new towns.  We’d love to hear from residents of Ashbourne, Matlock and Hathersage who would like to volunteer; full training is given and you can sign up at https://bit-ly/swiftvolunteer … or e-mail our project co-ordinator Clare at cmead@derbyshireswiftconservation.org “

Ahead of those beautiful birds arrival back in the UK, the project is kicking the new season off with a free celebration event for all ages at The Whitworth in Darley Dale.  If you would like to come along, urges Charly, save your spot at https://bit-ly/homesforswifts

 

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	John Follett		01332 834778	johnlfollett@virginmedia.com
Membership secretary	Dave Horsley		07900 597230	daveat2602@hotmail.com
Recorder	Rob Chadwick		07876 338912	rob.chadwick322@gmail.com
Events co-ordinator	Chris Lamb		07836 368037	cflamb@yahoo.co.uk
Secretary	Louise Sykes		01335 348544	louise.sykes5065@gmail.com
…..and the website address is:   https://www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk
Webmaster	Richard Pittam	n/a		Contact Richard via the website

 

Welcome to the latest newsletter, which contains a right old mix of news and events.  On the debit side we have to report the sad passing of founder member and long-time club bird recorder, Eddie Walker at the age of 79.  Eddie’s funeral – at 11am at Belper Methodist Church – is on 1 December.  A short reflection on his life is included later on page 3.

Also on the debit side is the news that our events co-ordinator, Chris Lamb, having moved house is leaving the committee after our AGM early next year.  He has done a sterling job arranging talks, walks and trips over the past several years.  His departure leaves us very exposed in terms of the committee’s workload and, though many of you will have heard the message before, we really do need some new blood on the committee!

We may need to consider how to recalibrate duties, but the simplest solution would be if someone was prepared to join the committee as a direct replacement for Chris, or at least to pick up either the ‘outside’ or ‘inside’ element of the role.  He says he found the job enjoyable and rewarding, organising activities that a hard core of the membership also clearly enjoy – adding that he would be happy to give anyone interested a run-through of what the role involves. Please feel free to let any of the committee know if you’d like to play a more active role in the club, preferably before March when consolidating the club’s officials will be one of the items on the agenda of our Annual General Meeting.

Take a look at the box below that reflects some of Chris’s work – attracting speakers for the remaining programme of indoor meetings, which continues on the 18^th of this month.  Another event where CBC will be represented is the Ashbourne Leisure Centre Christmas Bazaar on 30 November (10am-4pm), which is raising funds for the Glitz and Glitter charity … and where our very own Louise and John Sykes will be manning a stall offering a wide range of books and puzzles for sale and lucky dip items.  Do pop along if you can.

Also on the credit side, our recorders continue to provide blanket coverage across most of the year and, despite having experienced several months of severely diminished water levels, their diligence means we have still been able to report an excellent range of sightings.  Indeed, more monthly records have been set (read on for the reservoir report on page 2).

 

JOIN US AT OUR UPCOMING INDOOR MEETINGS

Our 2025-26 programme of illustrated talks at the Visitor Centre is now well under way, and below is the list of remaining offerings for this season.  Remember, all of these will take place on the third Tuesday of the month, in the Henmore Room, and mostly begin at 7.30pm except for the March meeting when a 7pm start will accommodate our Annual General Meeting:

18 November:  India is Tony Davison’s focus with his talk: ‘Land of the Tiger’

30 November:  Chrismas Bazaar at the Ashbourne Leisure Centre, which will incorporate a busy stall promoting CBC run by our members, Louise and John Sykes

16 December:  After injury last year, David Parkin returns with ‘Birds and Islands’

20 January:  We travel ‘Around the UK in 200 Birds’ with Nick Martin

17 February:  Mike Vickers guests, showing us the ’Birds of Jordan’

17 March:  Katie Thorpe tells us about ‘Bringing a “boom” to Middleton Lakes’ 

MONTHLY RECORDS GALORE – DESPITE CONTINUED LOW WATER LEVELS

Monthly species records are becoming quite regular events now at the well-watched reservoir and two more were achieved since the last issue – as the 127 species seen in September topped the previous best by three and October’s 115 species was also impressive, beating the 111 recorded in 2022.

Manx Shearwater, Cattle Egret, Glossy Ibis and Garganey were among the scarcer sightings that boosted September’s total, while Gannet, Little Owl (the first for seven years) and a delightful Firecrest (not seen on site since 2010) were the more unusual sightings in October.  This in spite of the water levels remaining as low as many people can remember.

The lack of water did little to depress numbers during the September WeBS count, which included impressive duck and goose totals including a site record 970 Teal, 380 Mallards, 236 Tufted Ducks, 84 Pochard, 40 Shovelers and 16 Pintail, together with a few scarcer species like Red-crested Pochard,Common Scoter and that Garganey.

Contrarily, just a month later, most species numbers were down, the starkest example being Coot, which plummeted from a relatively normal 1,343 in September to just nine in the October WeBS count.  Wigeon numbers held up quite well, though, and the first Goldeneye of the winter arrived on 20 October.

Thirty-two Whooper Swans earlier in October provided an impressive spectacle, and 455 Pink-footed geese flew over on 23 October.  A single Great Egret was around on many days, and 23 Little Egrets were enjoying the sizeable expanse of mud at the end of September, though their best daily total in October reached only single figures.

Waders, too, were prolific in September when 18 species were recorded including Avocet, Curlew Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, a Wood Sandpiper that stayed four days at the start of September and Little Stint that lived up to its name with just two days on site later in the month.  October saw only 15 wader species, but those included five plover species, including Golden and Grey, and a single Oystercatcher stayed over longer than usual and was seen most days touring the reservoir.

Ospreys were in evidence six times during the autumn passage period, while a Hobby was still around on 16 September.  A Peregrine seems to have decided on a radical hunting method, using the north-west muddy foreshore as a ‘perch’ from which to find its prey.  A Marsh Harrier was picked out on 6 October and a huge squadron of Red Kites, numbering 14, was counted on 19 October.

Gull numbers have been impressive, as over 5,000 Lesser Black-backs were counted leaving the roost in both September and October, while the top counts for Black-headed reached 4,000 and 600 Common Gulls were recorded in October, when there was a smattering of Mediterranean, Caspian, Yellow-legged, Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls, and the final tern through was a Common Tern on 3 October.

Final dates for migrants included the end of August for Spotted Flycatcher and Sedge Warbler; Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat left for the last time over a three-day period in early September, Sand Martins and House Martins disappeared on 18 and 22 September, respectively, while Swallows stayed on until 15 October, with the final Blackcap noted two days later.  Meanwhile, Chiffchaffs were still being seen regularly and one or two may well be all-year residents, while a Cetti’s Warbler was noted on several days until the latter half of October.

There was a focus on smaller birds during a perimeter walk on 31 October, which found 104 Robins, 82 Wrens, 89 Blue, 48 Great and 40 Long-tailed Tits, 60 Blackbirds and, as is often the case, finch flocks were growing, including 169 Siskins, 97 Goldfinch, 56 Chaffinch, 17 Bullfinch, 13 Greenfinch and a single Brambling, while on other days 30 Linnets, 16 Redpoll and 12 Crossbills were noted. 

Winter thrushes have been arriving in decent numbers, with maximum counts of 900 Redwings and 170 Fieldfares … but for really impressive figures, you have to look to the autumn movement of Woodpigeons, with a massive 46,000 counted on 30 October!  Flocks of 1,000+ Starlings and Jackdaws were seen and a large group of Ravens numbering 36 was counted on 8 November.

 

… AND A SILVER LINING TO THE RESERVOIR’S LOW WATER LEVELS

Most people looking at the status of the reservoir during the second half of the year – with water levels between 40 and 50 per cent – have been disappointed that their binoculars are not powerful enough to pick out with precision what distant birdlife they are seeing.  Those with ‘scopes are in a much better position … and those same better-equipped birders, like Simon Roddis, have noticed a phenomenon that can only be good for the longer-term health of the reservoir.

“Though I’ve not mentioned it in my daily round-up of highlights,” reports Simon, “I have noticed that the Caspian, Yellow-legged and, more recently, some Lesser Black-backed Gulls have been regularly catching and eating crayfish – the invasive Signal Crayfish as far as I can tell.  They have clearly been helped by the low water level and seem to hunt by sight in the shallow water, sometimes very close to the shore but occasionally plunging into the water to a depth of perhaps 30 centimetres.

“Once caught, the crayfish is basically helpless and I don’t think I’ve seen a single one escape. The literature does mention crustaceans as forming part of the diet of all three species but I’ve never seen it in action before.”

Rather like the Red/Grey Squirrel story, which has seen an explosion in the population of the invasive Grey Squirrel – at the expense of its more delicate resident Red cousins – the transatlantic Signal Crayfish is believed to have had a deleterious effect on the domestic crayfish in our rivers, lakes and reservoirs.

So, the gulls’ gluttony at “low tide” is perhaps helping pause the growth of Carsington’s Signal Crayfish population – and, at the same time, supporting one of Severn Trent’s stated key strategic goals for the next few years: to minimise the arrival and effects of invasive species, whether mammals, birds, vegetation – or crustaceans.

 

BACK INDOORS AS WINTER APPROACHES

After enjoying a balmy summer on holiday or with family and friends, the bird club activities resumed in earnest in the autumn, with the first two indoor evening meetings of the new season – and  another just around the corner – plus a club outing to the RSPB’s Burton Mere reserve on the Wirral.

The first talk of the year, in September, returnee Gary Hobson was at the controls of the projector and took us on a tour of south western Turkey, showing us the birds and other wildlife he saw there in a mixture of coastal, mountain and farmland habitats.

In October, our annual joint meeting with DOS (Derbyshire Ornithological Society), Jon Potts, the Derbyshire North representative of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) was invited along to explain the organisation’s wide range of activities.  Some of the audience were BTO members and some of those are already involved in one or more of the two dozen projects the BTO runs to gather data and monitor trends across all aspects of birding at both the national and local level.

At Carsington, Simon Roddis, along with Jon Bradley, tackles the monthly WeBS (Wetland Bird Survey) counts, and at or nearby the reservoir other surveys such as Breeding Bird Surveys and Waterways Breeding Bird Surveys take place, while anyone can participate in the Garden BirdWatch.

November’s talk, scheduled for the 18th, is called ‘Land of the Tiger’ and reflects another wildlife expedition by intrepid photographer Tony Davison.  More about that will be featured in the next newsletter.

The club’s visit to Burton Mere was attended by the usual fairly small band of regulars.  The location was one we had been to before; as we knew the layout and routes, after a much-needed cup of coffee, we set off around the network of paths and hides.

It was probably not the best return we had at this often-prolific site on the shores of the River Dee, but fresh air, the company and a few additions to our respective year lists was a nice experience.  Water birds, particularly waders were in low numbers, though we did get a good flock of Black-tailed Godwits, surrounding a sole Snipe, Marsh Harrier and Sparrowhawk and overflying Pink-footed Geese, plus the wetland regular, Cetti’s Warbler.

The full cast-list of birds seen was: Greylag Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Canada Goose, Shoveler, Mallard, Teal, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit, Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Gt Spotted Woodpecker, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Cetti’s Warbler, Goldcrest, Nuthatch, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Robin, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Goldfinch

 

RIP: EDDIE WALKER

At the end of September, we heard the sad news that Eddie Walker – who was a founder member of Carsington Bird Club and Carsington Water’s first official bird recorder – had passed away at his home in Belper, surrounded by his nieces and sister Brenda.   His funeral has only recently been finalised, so for those wishing to pass on their final respects, a service is due to take place on 1 December at 11am at Belper Methodist Church.

Eddie, who was 79 and had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year, leaves behind a considerable legacy to the bird club and to the pastime of birding in general – in Derbyshire and beyond.  As one of the founder members of CBC shortly after the opening of the reservoir in 1992, his original membership number was believed to be 007, though he was no man of mystery!  Eddie made his mark as part of the initial committee as the designated  bird recorder, a position he held for very many years before handing over the reins to Roger Carrington after deciding to move to Spain. 

A sizeable number of “firsts” on site and the detailed records over those first dozen years or so of the reservoir’s existence were largely down to Eddie and his recording team of the day.  I can personally remember seeking his confirmation of a bird I saw in around 1995, soon after moving to the area and joining the club.  My own knowledge of water birds was (and arguably is) rather sketchy, so when I saw what was clearly a grebe – but not Little or Great Crested – feeding in one of the quiet bays between Millfields Island and Fishtail Creek, I called Eddie and he dashed to the site and confirmed the bird was what I thought it was – the reservoir’s first ever Slavonian Grebe.

Eddie lived in Spain for around 20 years, in the small town of Rafal, a little way inland from Costa Blanca’s coastline and close to mountains, so the birding was good.  He came back for extended breaks in the UK – usually to escape the extreme heat of the Spanish summer.  Plenty was seen of him during those trips back ‘home’ and he kept in touch with a number of people.  Usually he would contact Sandra Neep, Dorothy Evans (also now sadly no longer with us) and myself and suggest a place to go birding – and we were always grateful for his knowledge and advice, which invariably boosted the day’s bird list!

Carsington remained a cherished spot for him throughout those final 20 years, though he enjoyed going to other sites like Wyver Lane, Ogston, Willington, Old Moor and Blacktoft Sands on a regular basis.  It was just several months ago that he finally sold up in Spain and moved back to England.

Gary Atkins

 

IN THE NEWS …

Refilling Carsington Water:  In early November, various local media outlets in the Midlands carried the announcement that Severn Trent had successfully applied to the Environment Agency (EA) for a drought permit, enabling them to refill Carsington Water and Ogston reservoirs, as supply sources for areas in the East Midlands.

The permit terms allow changes to licence conditions directing when and how much water can be taken from the River Derwent to fill the reservoirs.  It is not clear yet precisely when the reservoirs will see an increase over the ultra-low 45-50 per cent levels that have been experienced in recent months as drought conditions took hold over the spring and summer.

The go-ahead to refill the reservoirs will require Severn Trent to continue its commitment to reduce leaks and conserve water and to have plans in place to mitigate any impact on the environment, and the water company would need to inform the EA before using the permit and to execute monitoring of environmental conditions.

Return of Bird Flu?  There seems to be some concern that incidences of Avian Flu could be on the rise again after a few recent reports of dead swans and geese.  How local and how great the extent is not clear, but it is worth knowing what to do when encountering a likely case; if you do please report it via this website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-dead-wild-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		07836 368037	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