CHAIRMAN’S THOUGHTS

 This week I have had a big clear out of old paperwork, among which were two green A4 sheets entitled ‘Common Birds in Derbyshire – No2 Little Grebe’, which were sent with reports from DOS. The article started with a chart showing this species’ maximum monthly counts (MMC) from January 2006 to December 2007, and went on to say it ‘…illustrates the dominance of Carsington Water as the principal water …’, and this site now holds the MMC records for ten months of the year, all since 2003.   

The reservoir was actually opened in 1992, when the MMC was only 11, the third lowest between 1960 and 2007.  A count of 105 there during December 2005 (and repeated in January 2006) exceeded the British threshold of 78, which represents 1% of the Little Grebe population in Britain.  This threshold figure was surpassed at Carsington Water in four months during 2007, including a new county record of 107 in December.  I had totally forgotten how important our reservoir has been not only just in county terms but also nationally – with a mention in the bi-annual Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) book.

This green paper also informed, however, that the highest counts for the summer months came from Cromford and Chesterfield Canals, since Little Grebes prefer breeding on linear waters.  So how does 2013 compare with these records?  Well, I have walked along the Cromford Canal this week and between the Wharf and High Peak Junction there were just two families with a single chick.  As for Carsington, only one family has been found and the most counted recently have been four adults, and sometimes you are struggling to see a single bird.

The monthly WeBS counts we perform have illustrated this decline for Carsington very clearly, whereas counts for the stretch of Cromford Canal show much less of a change.  The 2010/2011 WeBS report suggested the reason for a national decline in Little Grebes as cold winter conditions on traditional sites.  But for us the decline continued beyond 2011 – so I await the 2012/13 report, plus information from the new Atlas due out this autumn, to see why this is the case.

Yet on the plus side, we have seen increases during the same period in Great Crested Grebe and, more recently, for Reed Warbler.   We can also claim Redstarts have returned to Carsington to breed this summer, which only goes to show how the ecology is constantly changing and how our records are an important way of monitoring this change.

Peter Gibbon

OSPREYS DISPLAY THEIR FISHING SKILLS WHILE MARSH WARBLER IS SITE ‘FIRST’

A Marsh Warbler, a new species for Carsington Water, and only the sixth Derbyshire record, was found skulking in bushes behind the Visitor Centre toilet block on 10 June.  As it remained most of the day, local birders were able to take a rare opportunity for a close-up look at a true rarity, maybe even adding a ‘lifer’ tick to their personal records.

Other recent highlights included fishing Ospreys in June and July, 16 Common Scoters that turned up on 13 July while a irruption of Crossbills through the east coast saw both ‘Common’ and ‘Two-barred’ sub-species turn up at Carsington.

Breeding got off to a very slow start with the cold and wet weather of spring, but by June the now-regular warm and sunny conditions had arrived and proved much more conducive to raising young.  By the end of July seven Great-Crested Grebe broods were counted, along with two Moorhen, nine Coot, 18 Mallard and 24 Tufted Duck families.  Barnacle and Canada Geese and Mute Swans also added to the reservoir’s bird population.

Oystercatchers, Lapwings and Redshank eventually produced similar numbers of broods to normal, and Black-headed Gulls extended their breeding range onto Millfields Island with a site total of 38 young ‘Black-heads’ counted in late July.  Terns were relatively few and far between,but six Black and an Arctic passed through in late August.

While hirundines never did quite recover, with only one Swallow and one House Martin family noted, other small birds seemed to be breeding well.  Redstarts have traditionally proved scarce on site, but as many as five Redstart broods were logged this year, along with a number of Spotted Flycatcher and Reed and Sedge Warbler young.  Tit families included two Willow, two Blue and three Great Tits, with Nuthatch also seen feeding young in a box in Shiningford Creek in June.  Meanwhile, House and Tree Sparrow numbers seem to have ballooned around the Visitor and Wildlife Centres.

A walk round the reservoir in early June recorded good numbers of warblers and other passerines – including 59 Blackbirds, 49 Blackcaps, 47 Chiffchaffs, 45 Chaffinches, 38 Wrens, 35 Willow Warblers, 32 Robins, 24 Whitethroat, 23 Song Thrushes and 11 Garden Warblers.  Eighty Jackdaws were counted over Sheepwash in July, while a flock of 40 Goldfinch was spotted on Stones Island, also in July.

Little Egrets are no longer a rarity, but they are always a bit of a surprise – and two were seen 28-29 July, with another noted on 10 August.  Grey Herons upped their numbers from late July, with 11 counted in early August.  A Green Sandpiper spotted on 30 June was the first for Carsington since 2011, and several Whimbrel and Greenshank sightings during August may have signalled the start of the autumn wader movement.

Little Grebe numbers have been very low, but as many as 11 were logged in late August.  It is to be hoped that the sight of a recently-returned Yellow-legged Gull eating a dead pike indicates that this carnivorous species has changed its menu since last year!

Raptors have been few and far between, but a Hobby was seen hunting on 24/26 June and Peregrines became more regular visitors during late July and August.  Both Ospreys seen in the last quarter were keen to show off their hunting prowess: one seen on the Lane End post on 10 June had a fish, while the 28 July record impressed observers as he/she was seen in the act of catching its supper.

BIRD OF THE ISSUE:  MARSH WARBLER

Keen birders flocked to Carsington Water in early June to catch sight (quite probably their first ever) of the Marsh Warbler.  It is ‘red status’ rarity in the UK, with only 3-10 pairs reckoned to breed in Britain each year.

It is not surprising, then, that this sighting, in typically dense scrub behind the Visitor Centre, was greeted with such enthusiasm and surprise.  And yet Marsh Warblers are actually as close to the typical ‘LBJ’ as you can get – with uninspiring plumage, and looking rather like a Reed Warbler, though slightly lighter in colour below and with pale legs.

It is its voice for which the Marsh Warbler is particularly renowned: this Mike Yarwood (remember him!) of the bird world is an amazing mimic and throws any number of other birds’ phrases in among its own – and not only the songs and calls of other passerines but waders, pigeons and even the more exotic birds encountered in its winter quarters. Identification by voice, therefore, can be tricky.

Like many of its cousins, the Marsh Warbler is insectivorous and seeks is food among dense scrub and grassland.  It tends not to spend much time in reedbeds alongside its closest lookalike.

While the British population has diminished to virtually nil, in its breeding grounds in temperate Europe and western Asia, the Marsh Warbler is doing well, with an estimated global population of between 10 and 25 million.  Like many warblers, it overwinters in western Africa.

NEW DISPLAYS AT WILDLIFE CENTRE AIM TO EDUCATE AND INSPIRE

As most of you will realise, we are currently in the middle of our peak visitor season. The country lanes are bustling and local campsites are booked out. It’s good to see the popularity of Carsington Water continue to grow – but extra people means our fixtures and fittings can look a bit worse for wear come the end of the school holidays.

A good example of this is the Wildlife Centre. The building itself is nearly 20 years old and generally in pretty good shape though you may have noticed the interior is looking a bit shabby as exhibition units and displays show their age.  The exhibition inside the building no longer catches the eye of our visitors, particularly the young people they were most particularly designed to entertain and educate. 

So, it’s time for a change – and for the last few months we have been working on plans to remove the tired units and the clutter of signs and posters and replace them with a brand new exhibition at the rear of the building.

This new display will continue to teach our visitors about the fantastic wildlife Severn Trent Water reservoirs give access to but also the importance of our fast-disappearing wetland habitats across the UK.

Through a mix of information and games, visitors of all ages can learn all about how the water we use is a precious and shared resource, how wasting water can have a detrimental effect on our wildlife, and how we all need to get better at managing water resources, particularly in the face of the increasingly extreme weather conditions experienced in the UK.

Rising and falling water levels at Carsington make the reservoir an incredible teaching aid and the Wildlife Centre with its proximity to the water and staff of volunteers is a great place to communicate these messages to the public and really get them thinking about the consequences of their water use.

The new layout will open up the Wildlife Centre, making it feel much more spacious and, by decluttering, we hope visitors will appreciate the beauty of the building itself.  The new exhibition will also feature a central table topped by a large map of Carsington Water.  This will direct visitors to developing habitats like the reed beds, to our ongoing conservation projects such as the Osprey nesting platforms, to our overlooked wildlife spectacles like the gull roost and to the best places to spot the flagship species of the reservoir, such as Water Voles, Great Northern Divers and Bluebells.

Work should begin on the Wildlife Centre once the summer holidays are behind us and, when the new exhibition is installed, we will move ahead with plans to clear up interpretation panels/noticeboards and renovate the pond behind the Centre.

So, don’t be alarmed if you see changes taking place in the Wildlife Centre over the coming weeks.  It’s all in a good cause.  I hope our thousands of visitors will learn all about our water and our wildlife.  And, as you’re looking out for migrating waders and returning winter wildfowl this autumn, I hope you will also take time to have a look at the changes and enjoy what we’ve done with the place.

John Matkin, Severn Trent Water Ranger

TRUE SUMMER BRINGS A BUTTERFLY BONANZA

It’s been quite a year for butterflies – not just at Carsington Water, where they are monitored courtesy of regular surveys, or ‘transects’, but just about everywhere.  After such a sparse start, when the wet, cool spring seemed to point to a repeat of the previous two very poor years, it’s difficult to understand quite how so many butterflies hatched out when the warmer weather arrived. 

But hatch out they did – and in record numbers in many places.  In the main we have to thank a rare ‘real’ summer that this year brought not just higher temperatures but, just as importantly, a sustained and consistent spell of sunshine, which meant good growing conditions for the food stocks on which the butterflies rely.

As summer has worn on, it would seem other insects have also seen a resurgence in their numbers: my own casual observations suggest there have been a reasonable number of dragonflies around and, most encouragingly of all, bumble bees seem to be everywhere, which is great news for all-important pollination.

The two Carsington butterfly transects are ‘Sheepwash’ and ‘Shiningtord’; they represent an almost continuous circuit from the edge of the main car park to Lane End Hide.  Each is sub-divided into ten sections and is walked each week by one of a group of volunteer monitors between April and September – a total of 26 surveys per route, or 52 transects in total.  In 2011, the grand total was only 688 butterflies and last year it was worse still with just 461 (an average of less than ten per transect walked).

But what a difference a warmer and relatively dry summer makes.  This year, individual transects are yielding well over 150 butterflies.  My personal best of 161 around the Shiningford transect on 14 August comprised nine species in total including 61 Peacocks alone.  Elsewhere in the county, I’ve done ‘WCBS’ surveys where I’ve reported 750+ in a single two-hour walk, during which in parts the butterflies were simply just too numerous to count accurately. 

It’s amazing how quickly species can turn their fortunes around.  The 2013 Carsington total will, without doubt, run into thousands, and the number of species may also prove to be expanding.  All this goes to show just how important evolving ecological and climatic conditions are to our wildlife.

Gary Atkins

BIRDWATCHING FOR BEGINNERS

There may not be many readers of this newsletter who’d regard themselves as beginners, but if you’ve got friends or relations who are interested in getting started – or simply in having a pleasant short stroll around a segment of the reservoir and being shown what’s around – then it’s worth remembering that experienced Severn Trent Volunteer Ranger David Bennett leads a monthly walk for the less experienced birder.

In truth, some of the ‘beginners’ have been coming for years, and simply enjoy the company of fellow birders and the chance to see something unusual.  The walk is invariably on the first Sunday of the month, starts at 10am and takes in Stones Island, a feeding station at the Ranger Base, the wildlife centre and all points in between.  It usually finishes around noon.

It has been running for several years and, in that time, has only been cancelled by the weather on a couple of occasions, so if you get your (or your friends’/relatives’) name down at the Visitor Centre reception in good time, it’s a virtually guaranteed morning out.

David, who mixes a generous helping of humour in with his considerable knowledge, is often close to his maximum sized group of 25.  On those occasions he’s glad of some support from one or two other experienced birders (usually including a CBC representative).

WHAT'S ON

After our phenomenal late summer weather, we now have to watch the nights draw in as autumn approaches.   We might, therefore, appreciate, the a bit of comfort indoors as the Bird Club’s autumn/winter illustrated talks and meetings resume in the Visitor Centre’s Henmore Room.  Our programme to Christmas is below.  Usual start time is 7.30pm, and there is a small charge (£2 members / £2.50 non-members).  We look forward to seeing you there.

All at the Visitor Centre – Henmore Room commencing at 7.30pm

17 September  Woodland Wildlife by Paul Hobson                                         

15 October      Birds of Morocco: from Marrakesh to Massa by Chris Ward (joint meeting with DOS)          

19 November   Bird Conservation in Turkey by Tristan Reid (aka ‘The Inked Naturalist’)

17 December   Ornithological Fraud by Peter Gibbon – followed by the Bird Club Xmas party

Severn Trent Water and the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust also stage a number of regular and one-off events, some of which require booking – so it's always worth checking with the Visitor Centre on 01629 540696 before going along.  Included among this programme over the coming months are:

First Sunday each month – Birdwatching for beginners (enjoy a gentle two-hour walk  led by experienced STW volunteer ranger David Bennett – Visitor Centre 10am-noon            

Tues/Sundays   Spotting wildlife (STW volunteers man the Wildlife Centre) – 10.30am-3.30pm

Last Saturday each month –   Sheepwash Spinners (learn about traditional wool spinning with demonstrations, from fleece to gifts to garments) –  Visitor Centre 11am-3pm

8/15 Sept’ber  Landscape and Wildlife Digital Photography courses (learn to master your camera – £35 per course)                Wildlife Discovery Room – 10.30am-4pm

29 September  Discovering Rocks and Soil (£2.50 per person) – Sheepwash CP 1.30-3.30pm

5/6 October     Derbyshire Beekeepers Assoc’n annual show & honey sale – Visitor Centre 10am-4pm

12 October      Introduction to Fungi (charge applies) – Visitor Centre 10am-noon

19 October      RSPB Optics Demonstration Day – RSPB shop 10.30am-4pm

26 October –  4 November –   Halloween Half-term Quiz (keep the family entertained and pick up a quiz sheet from reception or wildlife centre) – Visitor Centre 10am-4pm

31 October      Halloween Spiders! (hunt for and learn about these misunderstood creatures) – Wildlife Discovery Room –                                                        10.30-noon & 1.30-3.30pm

KNOW YOUR COMMITTEE  –  Here are the club officials and their contact details ……

                                                                                                Tel                          e-mail

Chairman/ Indoor mtgs   Peter Gibbon              01629 534173     peter.gibbon@w3z.co.uk

Secretary                      Paul Hicking              01773 827727     paulandsteph@hicking.plus.com

Treasurer                      John Follett                01332 834778       john@jlf.demon.co.uk

Recorder                       Roger Carrington        01629 583816       rcarrington_matlock@yahoo.co.uk

Newsletter editor           Gary Atkins                01335 370773       garysatkins@aol.com

Outdoor trips                 Peter Oldfield             01629 540510       peter.oldfield2011@gmail.com

Membership                  Dave/Sue Edmonds 01335 342919          sue@axgb.com

Ex-officio                       Jon Bradley                01773 852526       jonathan.bradley4@btinternet.com

and the website address:   www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk

(website maintained by:  Richard Pittam )

FOR THOSE WHO'VE NOT REMEMBERED, IT'S TIME TO PAY YOUR 2013 CBC SUBS!

FANCY A DAY OUT AT FABULOUS FRAMPTON?

CHAIRMAN’S THOUGHTS

On Tuesday, 7 August I joined the 80,000-strong crowd packed into the Olympic stadium at Stratford to watch an unforgettable evening of athletics.  Having personally enjoyed the long jumpers, sprinters, hurdlers, throwers, high jumpers and middle-distance runners, and being otherwise inspired by nine days in London watching various events at the 30^th Olympiad, I later reflected on the inspiration our own ‘Olympic Champions’ generate here at Carsington Water.

We most certainly do have some record breakers, even if we perhaps don’t know it, or simply take them for granted.  Our most obvious world record holder – and in a league of its own (rather like Mr Bolt!) – is the fastest creature on earth, the Peregrine falcon.  This stunning bird has been proven to reach speeds of 124mph, and possibly as much as 168mph, when stooping to catch prey.   Some sources may cIaim even greater velocities, but what is for sure is that the Peregrine is the gold medal winner for sheer speed.

There could, however, be some debate about the identity of the next champion – for long-distance. Firstly, I must rule out any Albatross records because not enough officials were present to see it, so that leaves the Arctic Tern, which is quite simply the holder of the world’s longest migration – flying over 20,000 miles a year between the Arctic and Antarctic. The average Arctic Tern does enough mileage to travel to the moon and back in its lifetime!

If we’re looking for more accurate measurements for our record purposes, a more regular visitor (and one-time breeder) at Carsington is the Common Tern, one of which was ringed in June 1996 in Finland and was recaptured alive 16,250 miles away at Rotamah Island, Australia in January 1997.  It had travelled at a rate of 125 miles per day, or over 800 miles a week.  This compares with Britain’s 5,000/10,000 metres double Olympic champion Mo Farah, who claims to run around 120 miles a week in training.

If these are the fastest and long-distance champions, what about the ‘highest’.  We do have regular winter visits from Whooper Swans, a 30-strong group of which in 1967 were spotted at an altitude of just over 27,000 feet by an airline pilot, later confirmed by air traffic control.  They were evidently over the Western Isles and en route from Iceland to Loch Foyle on the Northern Ireland/Eire border. The best I saw in London was our bronze medal high jumper Robbie Grabarz, who cleared 2.29 metres!

Finally to the diving silver medallist, the Great Northern Diver, which we now look forward to visiting us each winter as one or more has done for the past several years.  Their ability to dive in search of food to a staggering depth of 200 feet (60 metres) – twice as deep as Carsington water itself – is bettered only by Emperor Penguins. The minimum depth for a pool for Olympic diving events is five metres and you never saw Tom Daley or any of his fellow competitors reach the bottom after completing dives from the 10-metre platform.

So the next time you see any of these incredible champions, I would hope you’d give a smile of appreciation for their spectacular abilities – though remember, a burst of applause would not go down well in the hides!  Long may they continue to ‘perform’ for us at Carsington!

BIRDS OVERCOME DIFFICULT BREEDING CONDITIONS

Breeding success may not have been quite such a damp squib as first feared after the wet and cool summer we have endured.  Ground and water feeding birds have done reasonably well while insect feeders have produced smaller broods and aerial insect feeders finally settled down to breed rather later than usual.

But 14 Great Crested Grebe broods was actually a site record, and the 12 Coot and 11 Tufted Duck broods were up on last year, while Mallard, Little Grebe and Moorhen were broadly the same.  Among the regular waders, there were three broods each noted for Oystercatcher, Redshank and Lapwing.

By late June/July, variety was increasing as the wader passage approached.  Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Curlew, Greenshank, Snipe and Common Sandpiper have all been seen in recent weeks, along with Turnstone and a couple of Little Egrets.

Meanwhile, WeBS maximum counts in the past three months have included 347 Canada Geese in June, 133 Mallard, 26 Mute Swans and 32 Great-crested Grebes in July and 263 Coot and 143 Tufted Ducks in August.  The gull roost is ramping up, too, with 2,400 Lesser Black-backs counted on 20 August.  Among other gulls, Yellow-legs are around – including the return of an ultra-predatory specimen (perhaps the same one as in previous years) that was seen to kill and eat a Little Grebe in front of the Wildlife Centre on 23 August.

In a vintage year for Ospreys, there were a further nine sightings of these impressive birds during June, July and August, some in possession of fish. 

Overall, raptors figured well over the summer with three records of Peregrines and their smaller cousin the Hobby seen on four occasions, including one when its fast, low flightpath scattered a huge party of roosting Starlings.  A Red Kite was logged in June, and a male Sparrowhawk was viewed at very close quarters INSIDE the Wildlife Centre – the third time in two years this raptor’s pursuit of prey (possibly Tree Sparrows) has taken it indoors!

Six singing Reed Warblers demonstrated the effort to expand the areas of reedbed around the reservoir has not been in vain.  Breeding success was proven for this species and for numerous others, including Swallow and House Martin, Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Nuthatch, Bullfinch, House and Tree Sparrow, four Tit species and Jay, Magpie and Carrion Crow. 

The unusual sight of a juvenile Cuckoo was noted in July, along with the relatively early southerly passage of Yellow Wagtail and Meadow Pipits.

BIRD OF THE ISSUE: YELLOW-LEGGED GULL

Boo, hiss!  Yes, the villain of the piece in this issue (see above) is a Yellow-legged Gull that seems to count Little Grebes among its favourite food!  This may seem harsh to us, but the bird is probably only doing what comes naturally to it as a very large scavenger that, as an opportunist omnivore, will eat just about anything.

Until around the 1990s, ‘Yellow Legs’ were regarded as a sub-species of the Herring Gull, but Larus Michahelles is now accepted as a species in its own right.  And there are distinct differences from its same-sized cousin: it has a much greyer back, closer to a Lesser Black-back, more black in the wing tips, a red ring around the eye, a more distinct red spot on its yellow bill and, of course, those yellow legs – the most obvious difference from the Herring Gull’s equally noticeable pink ones.

They live predominantly in the Mediterranean, but a gradual spread north – plus British birdwatcher’s ability to spot the differences – means they are identified with increasing regularity in the southern half of the UK.  Over 1,000 Yellow Legs are thought to winter in Britain, though some quantities may be seen throughout the year.  They are, of course, regulars at Carsington Water.

Their habits and habitats are very similar to the Herring Gull.  They often come inland during the winter and join larger groups of Lesser Black-backs that roost on lakes and reservoirs, then move into fields or seek out rubbish tips to scavenge what they can during the day.

OUTDOOR CLASSROOM WILL PROMOTE WILDLIFE LEARNING

Work on an ‘outdoor classroom’ was begun late last year at a location on Stones Island.  The goal was to turn this plot of land into a learning area for use by groups of all ages, and the preparations were very much a team effort between Severn Trent Water rangers and volunteers and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust (DWT) Skills for Wildlife trainees.  Design ideas were also forthcoming from the local Carsington School.

We started by creating a woodchip sharing circle with logs for sitting on.  There is also a willow dome that was made as part of a willow weaving activity day run by DWT. One of the biggest challenges was creating a dipping platform to allow children to learn about what is found in the water: this proved tricky because of changes in the water levels and the unexpectedly high water levels experienced this year.

There are stoned paths to allow easier access for disabled visitors to move around the area so they can be involved with all of the activities that are happening on the site.  A bridge has been installed so that groups can use both sides of the pond, while allowing some areas to be left natural so that it can help to encourage a wide range of wildlife to live here.  There will also be a large grass area to enable other activities to take place so it is possible to have three separate groups there at any one time!

There are hidden dens in the woodlands, an otter holt, a bug house with lots of different habitats within it, and some grassland flowers growing along the sides of the paths and round the pond to attract lots of butterflies and bees.

The DWT Skills for Wildlife groups will be carrying out general maintenance as and when necessary, with the STW rangers and volunteers lending a hand when required.

While it’s not open to the general public, schools and any other groups that book with us will be to use it with an STW or DWT representative in attendance.  I’m hoping that this area will be enjoyed by all those that use it, and we are hoping to have an official opening of the area with Carsington School sometime in September when they start their new school term.

Lisa Booker, Severn Trent Ranger, Carsington Water

OBITUARY: ROY SMITH

Roy was a founder member of Carsington Bird Club and, although always resisting any efforts to join the committee, he fully supported the club and regularly attended indoor meeting and coach trips.  He became a Carsington volunteer ranger where, along with his son Robert, he worked on various wildlife management tasks around the reservoir.  The early attempt to build a Sand Martin bank comes particularly to mind as we had to work in appalling weather, contending with rain, sleet and strong winds.

Roy first joined Philip Shooter’s WEA Ornithological class at Alfreton where, along with other class members, he conducted bird surveys in various parts of Derbyshire.  Roy later became joint manager at Rose End Meadows, a Derbyshire Wildlife Trust reserve close to where he lived in Cromford.  As well as helping with working parties, he regularly recorded the birds he saw, providing the DWT with his sightings.

Indeed, Roy was an avid participant in bird surveys.  Among those he undertook were the British Trust for Ornithology atlas project, a breeding bird survey at an upland pasture site in the Peak District, a river bird survey along the River Derwent from Ambergate to Matlock, organised by Derbyshire Ornithological Society (for whom he also contributed records for an Avifauna project), and the RSPB’s annual garden bird survey.

During his lifetime, Roy was a member of the majority of wildlife organisations within the county, and a life member of Ogston Bird Club.  Ever a kind and friendly person who looked to help others whenever he could, he also undertook voluntary work within the local community, transporting elderly people to doctors or hospital.

Apart from birdwatching, Roy’s other interests were steam railways, attending vintage car rallies, air shows and photography – with some his pictures featuring in DWT calendars.  He also liked to tinker with computers, and would readily help anyone with PC problems.  Only a few weeks before his untimely death he visited Peak Rail to see and photograph the Oliver Cromwell steam engine that was arriving in Derbyshire after many years.

Roy will most certainly be sadly missed by many people within the birding and local community.  Our sympathy goes to his widow, Mary, and son Robert.

Eddie Walker

Postscript:  Another former CBC member, Howard Evans – who also served in various capacities on the club’s committee – died earlier this year.

WHAT’S ON

For many years Hognaston Village Hall was home to the club’s indoor meetings programme over the winter, but for 2012-13 season the venue will be the Henmore Room at the Carsington Water Visitor Centre.  The first few meetings are listed below.  Also, as mentioned earlier, don’t forget that the first club trip for quite a while, to Frampton Marsh, is just a few weeks away – on Sunday, 30 September.

Also among the list below are the Severn Trent Water events for the later part of this year.  Remember, demand for some of these activities is high and places may need to be booked via the Visitor Centre (01629 540696).

First Sunday of each month –  Birdwatching for Beginners (enjoy a gentle two-hour walk led  by experienced  STW volunteer David Bennett) – Meet Visitor Centre 10am

Most Tuesdays and Sundays –  Spotting wildlife: STW volunteer rangers are on hand to help  identify wildlife on and around the reservoir – Wildlife Centre 10.30-3.30pm

Last Saturday of each month – Sheepwash spinners (learn about traditional wool spinning,  with demonstrations, from fleece to gifts and garments) – Visitor Centre 11am-3pm  

8 September – Join a Ranger for the Water Cycle Tour around the reservoir – Details from Visitor Centre

18 September –  Indoor talk on ‘Birds of the Canary Isles’ by Peter Gibbon – Henmore Room 7.30pm

6-7 October – Derbyshire Beekeepers Association annual show and honey sale

16 October – Indoor talk on ‘The Wetland Bird Survey’ by BTO WeBS Research,  Ecologist, Neil Calbrade – Henmore Room 7.30pm

21 October – National Apple Day – bring windfall fruit and enjoy this apple occasion, including a hog roast and apple sauce (free but booking essential)

31 October – Go Wild with Bats (£5 per child includes bat box to take home) – Visitor Centre 10.30-12.30

20 November – Indoor talk on ‘Namibia’ by Paul Bingham – Henmore Room 7.30pm

25 November – Find out how to feed our feathered friends this winter – Visitor Centre 11am-4pm