CBC Newsletters – Page 15 – Carsington Bird Club

May 2011 Newsletter

No.2 – May 2011

CHAIRMAN’S THOUGHTS

With another Osprey recorded on the website, joining a recently-arrived Black-throated Diver, you could be excused for thinking we were in Scotland . And with the latter joining ‘our’ Great Northern Diver on the reservoir, my view that Carsington is the premier inland site in England for divers would seem to be reinforced.

We have just completed three successful and enjoyable club walks that are now being run in conjunction with Severn Trent and, as such, are open to non-members. During the last one of these – at Coombes Valley, near Leek – we had very close views of a Greater Spotted Woodpecker feeding young at the nest hole, good views of a male Pied Flycatcher and, just as we were leaving, a Lesser Whitethroat popped up beside our cars.

Earlier that same day, Roger Carrington had picked up the 2010 club annual report from the printers and was soon busy posting it out; you should by now have received your copy. If so, you can see that once again it’s a very high standard publication. I hope you enjoy reading it and appreciate the efforts of a number of people that went into its production – particularly Roger. Another thing we can appreciate is the work undertaken by Severn Trent and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to improve the Sheepwash area for birds. This is already paying dividends with good views of waders in particular. All this has led to an exciting summer for bird club members.

This summer will also see an important national ornithological milestone with the conclusion of the British Trust for Ornithology’s (BTO) ‘Bird Atlas 2007-2011’. This has involved volunteers visiting 2x2km ‘tetrads’ twice in winter and twice during the breeding season for a minimum of two hours. The first of the summer visits had to be completed by the end of May.

There have been an astonishing 170,406 tetrad visits undertaken so far, augmented by ‘roving records’ logged by individuals in a particular area – and there have been 3,500,684 of these. Finally there were also 4,012,441 ‘BirdTrack’ records (a study of migration reports) from 16,561 online users. The BTO can also use records from its other schemes like the WeBS survey John Bradley and I conduct for Carsington Water. Overall, a staggering 190.5 million birds recorded of 588 species (including escapees and races) have been recorded; you can see all these statistics and more on the BTO website by clicking onto Volunteer Surveys and then Atlas.

I hope this has whetted your appetite to know more as we will be welcoming Graham Appleton (BTO Director of Communications) to give a talk on ‘Four Years of Atlas Work’ at our club meeting on 18 October that we are staging jointly with the Derbyshire Ornithological Society (DOS) at Hognaston Village Hall. Mark that date in your diary – and the month before, that of our trip to Lincolnshire and a cruise on the Wash (fill in the form at the end of this newsletter to book your place!).

Peter Gibbon

DIVERS AND RAPTORS – A SITE FOR SORE EYES!

Carsington Water is building a solid reputation for rarities, particularly for divers and raptors, which seem determined to visit the reservoir time and time again. Great Northern Divers have over-wintered for the last several years, and as many as four have been here at one time in 2010-11 with the last only moving off to its breeding grounds in the past couple of weeks, while a Black-throated Diver arrived just weeks ago and promises to remain over the summer (as its flight plumage is not quite in place!).

With newly-erected Osprey platforms ( see “Project Osprey” later on ), it’s not unreasonable to hope for Ospreys – and, sure enough, there have been several sightings during April and May. Exciting stuff – as is the fact that Red Kites, which are extending their range across the UK, have been seen five times over the reservoir from mid-March to mid-May, with a further sighting just a mile or two down the road.

Osprey - Roger Carrington

The arrival of migrants is always an exciting time, and Chiffchaff as usual was first to its mark on 12 March, followed by Sand Martin (26/3), Redstart (28/3), Swallow a day later and Blackcap and Willow Warbler also making March debuts. Swifts waited a whole month, but in the meantime, Wheatear (2/4), Lesser Whitethroat (17/4) and Whitethroat, Sedge and Garden Warbler (19/4) had been sighted, and Reed Warblers had, encouragingly, been noted at three separate sites. A Waxwing seemed slightly out of place when spotted at 6am at Sheepwash on 1 May.

Encouragingly, as many as 28 Tree Sparrows have been noted on a single day – and on Stones Island, a multi-nest-box has witnessed as many as 10 ‘units’ being fed.

Amazingly, a Sacred Ibis was spotted in late April, but we believe it to be an escapee, which sightings of both Mandarin and Red-Crested Pochard might also be. Other ducks, though, are wild enough – with Goldeneye, Goosander, Red-breasted Merganser, Shelduck, Common Scoter and Pintail all logged during early spring.

In among the feral Barnacle geese, a proven wild bird has made itself known, courtesy of a ring that shows it’s been around a while and is often logged on the Solway Firth . Twenty-two Whooper Swans gracefully passed through as part of a national movement in early March.

The gull roost has diminished, but as many as 900 Black-heads were noted on 28 March, with 200 Common Gulls just a couple of weeks earlier. Mediterranean Gulls have shown among this lessening group, while terns have been on the increase: Commons as early as 1 April, and as many as five Black Terns on 20 April. The only bad tern news was a Common Tern hastened into eternity by a hungry Peregrine – in front of a few shocked witnesses in Sheepwash Hide on 24 May!

NO WAGTAILS BUT WARBLERS TURN UP ON TIME

For the second successive year, the club’s Wagtail Walk in April – advertised to a potentially wider audience via Severn Trent’s events list – finished without seeing any Yellow Wagtails, and only the odd Pied turned out on cue.

The Dawn Chorus walk the following month was a little more successful with 12 people – including five non-CBC members – turning up at the 4.30am start time, led by Roger Carrington , John Bradley and Peter Gibbon and witnessing a collective total of 42 species. The visiting warblers were on good form, and there were excellent views of Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Chiffchaff, as well as Blackbird and Song Thrush belting out their songs from the tops of trees or bushes.

An Osprey had been seen on the two previous days, but did not stay around a further 24 hours to provide a major highlight, though views of the Gt Northern Diver compensated to a large extent.

Later that month, Pied Flycatchers and the view from just ten yards of a Greater Spotted Woodpecker feeding young were the chief star moments of the club’s only walk away from Carsington Water – at the RSPB’s delightful Coombes Valley reserve, where a wide range of woodland species were seen or heard.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE A WITNESS TO WILDLIFE CRIME?

This is not something we come across every day, but for everyone who loves wildlife it’s reassuring to know that there is an authority we can reach out to if we come across criminal activity against wildlife.

As part of the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime, Derbyshire Police has a network of Wildlife Crime Officers from Glossop to Swadlincote, and Ashbourne-based PC Ian Cooper came along to a committee meeting to explain why the team is required and when and how people should contact them.

He gave some examples of such crimes – poaching, poisoning, taking protected plants, killing wild birds or taking their eggs, smuggling or illegal trading in protected species – and related some harrowing local stories of suffering to birds and other wildlife.

If you see something suspicious,” stressed PC Cooper, “please contact us so we can consider it. If possible contact us at the time of the incident, make a note of any details – the exact location, registration numbers and descriptions of vehicles and people involved. All this can be very helpful.” Add the Derbyshire Police non-emergency number to your phone contacts for just such an eventuality: it is 0345 123 3333.

PROJECT OSPREY

Last September, when I heard of the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s plan to erect Osprey posts along the Trent Valley – linking up with neighbouring Trusts in Staffordshire and Notts – it seemed to me a project the Carsington volunteer rangers would enjoy undertaking. The majority of ‘VRs’ are not birders but their response to my initial canvassing was a resounding “yes”… and this despite three unsuccessful attempts in recent years to create a Sand Martin bank, and an earlier Osprey nest site (bread trays on too-short posts!). This time, we would make sure our attempt to lure an Osprey utilised larger and more professionally built nesting/perching posts.

Site Manager Ben Young – thankfully also a keen birder – was behind the project 100 per cent and agreed to locate the two sets of posts at Penn Carr and Lane End, even generously providing some Severn Trent funding and a little help from full-time Rangers. The majority of the work was, nevertheless, undertaken by the volunteers and, as those involved will tell you, it was a very enjoyable and satisfying project for all those who were able to help.

All wood and ‘furniture’ for the nests was donated by the Derby branch of Howarth’s Timber (whose branch manager is a keen birder – and my next door neighbour!). Brian Woods and Jim Craw collected the wood within four days of agreeing “the deal”, and utilised three snow-bound weeks over Christmas to finish the platforms and perches. The poles proved more problematic, but my obliging next door neighbour found a supplier with sensible prices. Delivery, though, would have to wait until he bought in an economic load and, with Christmas and the snow causing delays; we didn’t get our poles until 21 January … after which it was non-stop!

In under three weeks, we negotiated the installation of the posts on consecutive days, finished the platforms (together with sticks and white paint to look like guano!) and attached the platforms to the posts, completing the job on 9 February. The following week we also built a dead hedge at Millfields to discourage the public from going down to the water’s edge.

As most volunteers tend to come in just once a week, the timescale achieved was very impressive. Meanwhile, I was also tasked with getting publicity for the project, and it was rewarding to achieve 35 column-inches and five photographs within the pages of the Derby Telegraph, Matlock Mercury and Ashbourne News Telegraph. Including Images magazine, which also ran the story, 100,000 copies were bought: using a Press Association readership formula that meant over 250,000 people could have read about the project. Furthermore, Radio Derby’s Andy Potter visited Carsington and recorded a conversation with me, transmitting it the same day.

A plaque has been placed in Lane End Hide to acknowledge those who supported us – also including Alex Millward of Millward’s who machined the poles, and Derbyshire Ornithological Society who gave us a retrospective £150 grant – and I am maintaining a comprehensive record of the Carsington sightings, with as much detail of times, activities, arrivals and departures that club members and the public can provide. To help with this, there is also a form at the Visitor Centre reception desk that people can complete to log Osprey sightings.

David Bennett, STW Volunteer Ranger

FLORIDA – A WARM GETAWAY AND PLENTY OF BIRDS

Florida in February was certainly a pleasant break from the damp and cold we left behind in the UK – and a great birding experience, too. It wasn’t my first time there, but there were still some ‘ticks’ – namely Limpkin and Painted Bunting – as well as the great weather.

After touching down in Miami , we travelled west to Naples and spent the first part of the holiday there, visiting the JN Ding Darling NWR on Sanibel and the Corkscrew Swamp Audubon reserve. The Ospreys here were fantastic – and everywhere. Because of the time of the year, most were building/refurbishing nests or catching fish for their young, either activity presenting great opportunities to photograph these beautiful birds.

Sanibel Island is superb and if ever you get the chance to visit, do so. The whole island is a bird sanctuary, which makes it a birder’s and photographer’s paradise. This means it can get busy, of course, but it’s worth it.

Pileated Woodpecker

The JN “Ding” Darling NWR is very interesting in that it’s mainly a mangrove ecosystem. As the tide changes there can be hundreds of wading birds, including smaller Dunlin, Willet and Dowitcher, but also larger birds such as Snowy and Great White Egrets, along with Roseate Spoonbills. There are always predators there – Ospreys, Peregrines, Red-shouldered Hawks and the occasional Bald Eagle.

A day or two later we visited Corkscrew Swamp sanctuary, run by the USA Audubon Society , with its 2¼-mile raised boardwalk which takes visitors through four distinct environments: pine upland, wet prairie, cypress forest and marsh. There are birds everywhere and we didn’t let the drizzle dampen our enthusiasm.

From the visitor centre we were able to view [at last] the Painted Buntings, which were showing well on the feeders. With a bit of patience I was able to get a shot of a male and female, away from the feeders in a more natural environment. Despite the weather we were able to see many of the woodland birds and some woodpeckers such as the Red-bellied variety.

The second week was spent in the Everglades , with our base at Florida City/Homestead. A must-visit place is the Anhinga Trail , just inside the Everglades National Park – a haven for bird photographers. The Anhinga itself is a strange, but beautiful-looking bird, sometimes called the Snakebird – a bit like a cormorant, but swims with its head and neck above the water – hence the snake reference.

Of all the things to see here, a very busy Pileated Woodpecker (Woody Woodpecker himself!) was the biggest surprise. There were dozens more species than I’ve mentioned – and 100’s of pictures of many of them.

If you want to see these (together with some descriptions of how I ‘shot’ them) please visit my Blog at:

http://www.richardpittam.com/wildaperture/blog/?p=1101 .

Richard Pittam

A BIT OF LIGHT READING

If you come across a book called ‘While Flocks Last’ by Charlie Elder, give it a go. For amateur birders, Charlie’s description of how he went about trying to see all of Britain ‘s Red-List birds – those that are reducing in numbers at an alarming rate – in just one year was a charming and amusing read despite its ominous theme. He relates to us whether the reader is a keen birdwatcher or not, because he himself is only just getting back into birding after the pressures of life kept his nose firmly to the grindstone over the previous two decades.

While his simple descriptions of why things happen in the birding world, often seeking expert advice en route (I certainly learned a lot, even basics!), the lengths he went to in his quest were at times mind-boggling. He must have had a very understanding family, and employer, considering the amount of time he was away hunting yet another elusive quarry. He used all his holiday allocation travelling to the remotest corners of Britain – from northern Scotland to The Scillies – but was also prone to dashing off all of a-twitch at a moment’s notice.

It’s written in a very light tone, and numerous times I found myself laughing out loud at his exploits. The serious underlying message bubbles away throughout and is underscored at the end when, after successfully logging his 40 th and final Red-Lister, he points out that he would have to find over 50 if he tried again the following year!

I’ve just looked it up on Amazon.com – and not only can you get a hardback copy for one penny (oh, plus £2.80 P&P), but it earned 12 out of 12 five-star ratings from those who’ve read it. It gets a solid five stars from me, too.

Gary Atkins

WHAT’S ON ?

After a busy spring programme, the CBC’s events schedule slows down rather with only one more walk planned: this will be on 21 June, meeting at Millfields at 9am and then transferring down to Hopton End for a walk of around four miles back to the Millfields car park. Recognising bird activity and holidays combine to make the latter part of the summer very quiet, we are not planning to have walks in July or August.

Walks become talks with our regular series of indoor meetings at Hognaston Village Hall, starting 20 September.

We also have a super trip planned for Saturday, 24 September, when lucky travellers will be able to combine one of the RSPB’s star sites – Frampton Marsh – and a four-hour cruise on The Wash. See the cut-off booking slip on the next page for more details, and the opportunity to ensure your name is down for this unusual excursion.

Other events taking place at Carsington over the coming months are as follows ( remember that for some of the Seven Trent events, advance booking on 01629 540696 is advisable:

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

4-12 June RSPB Make your Nature Count week (survey forms from RSPB shop / Wildlife Centre)

11 June Reservoir Ramble (join a ranger on a 3-mile walk along the Dam Visitor Centre 10.30am (2 hrs) and down to Henmore Brooke to learn more about the reservoir)

15 June Optics demonstrations (guidance on binoculars/telescopes) RSPB shop ( 10am-4pm )

2 July Reservoir Ramble (see earlier entry for details)

15-16 July Optics demonstrations (see earlier entry for details)

12,19,26 August Wild Fridays (fun-packed day for families with young children in Visitor Centre ( 11am-4pm )

+ 2 September Wildlife Discovery Room with STW and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust

3 September Bat Safari (£2.50 – book; bring stout footwear and warm clothing) Millfields car park ( 8.45pm )

CBC Newsletters

Feb 2011 Newsletter

No.1 – February 2011

CHAIRMAN’S THOUGHTS

I would like to wish all members a Happy New Year even though it was almost two months ago! I won’t mention the improving weather because that is tempting fate, but I hope everybody is well into their new bird watching year: maybe Waxwing has been ticked or, at least, Smew and Great Northern Diver from trips to the reservoir.

The 2010 annual report is well on the way to being finished as we enter our 20 th year as a club. We remain a strong group with a valuable role to play in Carsington Water’s future – especially in light of the demise of the local partnership between Severn Trent and the RSPB.

To maintain and build our strength and vitality, however, we need to consolidate membership numbers, so if you have not already renewed please do so as soon as possible. There is a renewal form included with this newsletter that you can fill in and post back to our membership secretaries. Also, why not encourage other people – friends and relations – to join up and join in our programme of indoor meetings and regular walks. We need more support at the meetings to be able to afford the top photographers and experts that guarantee a memorable night; so if anyone has any thoughts about speakers or topics, I’d love to hear from you. The walks – not all now in the evenings, and not even all at Carsington – are a simple way for you see and learn more about birds.

Our trips have been a bit thin on the ground, but we have a fantastic one organised for later this year – ending in a boat trip on the Wash ( see cut-off slip for details and a chance to get your booking in early)!

You really don’t need to do much to be practically involved. First of all, every record is important, so add your observations to the logs kept in the hides – or on the sightings board on the website. Some of you may not even be aware of this site ( www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk ): if not, log on and see what an excellent job our webmaster Richard Pittam has made of it. There’s a mass of useful information and pointers there for you to browse. It regularly figures around the 270 mark in the 1,000-strong list of most used bird-watching websites.

I hope you also took part in the world’s biggest collective bird watching experience – the RSPB’s big garden birdwatch. This summer sees the conclusion of an even bigger recording endeavour: the Bird Atlas is run by the BTO, SOC and Bird Watch Ireland ; starting in 2007, it will prove the most comprehensive survey – over a longer period than ever before – of bird life anywhere in the world. Every part of the British Isles has been split up into 10 km squares, within which are 2x2km tetrads that undergo two-hour visits twice in winter and twice in summer.

A massive number of volunteers have been involved and summer 2011 is the last period to be done, after which the Atlas of British wintering and breeding birds will be assembled. Provisional results already show losses and gains in our birdlife – yet some gaps remain and the organisers are happy to receive ‘roving records’ from anyone who notes birds during their regular outings. In particular, they are keen to get evidence of breeding, such as parents carrying food to nest and sightings of fledglings. If you have such records – from 2007 to the present day – then submit them, or let me know the details and I can do it for you. The more birding you do, the better, so have a great 2011!

Peter Gibbon

SNOW BUNTING – THEN JUST THE SNOW!

The Carsington Water bird species total reached 222 when a Snow Bunting dropped in on 25 November. This seemed appropriate as just a week or two later a very large amount of snow dropped onto the area – two feet at its deepest – and plummeting temperatures as low as -17C saw the reservoir gradually ice over until all but five per cent was frozen. December was an understandably quiet month, with the lowest number of species logged since 2005. In January the volumes away from the water were down as some birds drifted south in search of milder conditions and easier-to-find food.

Nevertheless, our now regular group of visiting Great Northern Divers have dropped in: the first arrived in early November, a fellow juvenile arrived the following month, then a third joined the party on 29 January. Meanwhile, the site’s first Slavonian Grebe since 2005 spent 11 days at Carsington in December, affording excellent views for excited observers.

The reservoir saw a little of this winter’s influx of Waxwings when, after several fly-overs, a group of five was finally spotted with landing gear down stripping a hedge of its berries on 21 January. Siskin have showed well this winter, with flocks as large as 50 noted, Kingfishers were seen on three occasions during December and January, as many as eight Willow Tits were recorded in a single day, and two Mealy Redpolls were spotted in January, only the second record for Carsington.

Away from the water, maximum daily counts included 180 Jackdaws and four Ravens, 75 Redwings, 23 Fieldfares, 16 Blackbirds and six Song Thrushes. While five Skylarks in the air in mid-February signalled that spring is maybe not too far around the corner, raptor traffic has been very light. Peregrines were noted on several occasions – including one mobbed by a pair of Ravens on 15 December – but Sparrowhawk, Buzzard and Kestrel made only occasional appearances. A Little Owl was seen in January, and a Barn Owl gave excellent views quartering the ground near Sheepwash hide as dusk approached on 11 February.

Another long-staying water bird this winter is a female Smew which first arrived a week before Christmas, seemed to have gone but then, a week or so later, was spotted again and has remained ever since.

Duck species have been around in good numbers, with counts registering 70 Gadwall, 41 Goldeneye, 210 Mallard and 110 Teal, and smaller numbers of Shoveler, Mandarin, Pochard, Pintail and Goosander. On 21 December, the highest counts were recorded for Tufted Duck (728) and Wigeon (325) as well as Coot (1,783), and two days later the largest ever count – of 95 – was noted for Great Crested Grebe.

Meanwhile Little Grebe numbers have been relatively low – partly due to the predatory activities of a certain Yellow-legged Gull. The gull roost has been up to around 3,000 birds, the majority being Black-heads with a maximum count of 2,500, and up to 350 Commons and 200 Lesser Black-backs. A possible third winter Caspian Gull was noted on 11 February.

Other recent rarities have included dark-bellied Brent Geese on 8 February and, two days later, two Egyptian Geese. Pink-footed Geese have also been seen, 240 overflying in December, when six Whooper Swans also flew over without touching down.

Waders have been thin on the ground, with only Redshank and Lapwing seen regularly, but encouragingly flocks of up to 350 Lapwings have been counted. Knot was recorded twice in December, and Dunlin and Snipe were seen, while Curlew were, unusually, seen several times during December and January, their presence perhaps signalling a search for food and a safe roost during the ice and snow.

BIRD OF THE ISSUE: SMEW

Carsington Water has been graced with a single Smew for much of the deepest winter period. The visitor this year is a female ‘redhead’ which has a chestnut crown extending below the eye, which has the potential to confuse with Ruddy Duck or winter plumage Slavonian Grebe. The male is a spectacular black and white bird that has a ‘cracked ice’ appearance at rest, but with more black in evidence when flying.

Smew – as its Latin name Mergus Albellus suggests – is most closely related to the Mergansers and its delicate bill does have the same serrated ‘sawbill’ that helps it catch fish when diving. It also eats larvae and other insects.

They are scarce winter visitors to the UK , generally seen between December and March on fish-rich inland freshwater lakes and reservoirs, often singly. Only around 400 are thought to visit in a typical winter, many more favouring Netherlands winters, with reasonable numbers also found in Eastern France and Switzerland .

They nest in northern Europe and Asia , usually finding holes in trees such as discarded woodpecker nests, and laying between six and nine cream coloured eggs in May.

See link to RSPB website – click here

OSPREYS OFFERED A NEW HOME

From one beautiful black and white bird to another – the Osprey. An exciting development at Carsington Water sees Severn Trent Water trying to attract this iconic raptor by building nesting platforms at two locations around the reservoir’s perimeter. This in turn is the first step in a broader project by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to erect Osprey platforms around the region and particularly in the Trent Valley .

Encouraged by the success of the Osprey breeding programme at Rutland Water – and the increasingly regular site of this stately bird passing through the Trent Valley on its way to other breeding grounds – Severn Trent’s volunteer rangers have used generous sponsorship and volunteer funds for the project that aims to coax Ospreys to stop off at Carsington Water.

One platform has been erected in front of the brick tower between Sheepwash and Lane End, with the second stationed at Penn Carr on the opposite side of the reservoir. Both are in the water near the shore, and each incorporates two poles, one supporting a nest platform, the other with a perch. They have been prepared well in advance of the birds’ return from their winter home in South Africa – and with brown trout on the menu, Carsington will hopefully prove irresistible to Ospreys looking for new breeding grounds as numbers increase at Rutland Water.

Ospreys have been spotted catching and eating fish there in 2009 and 2010 – and last year’s nine sightings gave Carsington the highest Osprey count in Derbyshire. Notices will be placed in hides to encourage visitors to report any sightings of this magnificent bird.

David Bennett, STW Volunteer Ranger

COLD WEATHER HITS EVENTS PROGRAMME

Our recent programme began with wildlife photographer Paul Hobson’s talk on farming in November, and would have continued with the Christmas party but for having to cancel it due to the freezing conditions that threatened to continue. We were able to inform most likely attendees – via website, emails and phone calls – but chairman Peter Gibbon took the ultimate ‘hit’ by turning up to inform anyone else who had not caught the news.

Peter returned to the limelight in January when, immediately after chairing the AGM, he moved behind a projector to show off the brilliant birdlife found on the island of Lesvos – the third largest Greek island which lies just a few miles off the coast of Turkey . Its population of 90,000 is swelled for much of the year by holidaymakers, including a fair number of birders who go for the huge variety, particularly (but not exclusively) during periods of migration. His slide show whetted members’ appetites both for sunshine and some wonderful and rare birds.

Earlier this month, another local top photographer, John Gardner, was our guest and gave us a look at some of his images and an insight into how he captured them. Our indoor season ends in March, and then the big outdoors beckons (see ‘What’s On’ below).

LOW WATER LEVELS EXPLAINED

The question I have been asked most of all over the last six months is why is the water level so low?

Well, there are a number of reasons, some more complex than others. Firstly, we have had a very dry year and, as a storage reservoir, Carsington Water comes into its own when other reservoirs are struggling to maintain water supplies. In these circumstances, STW sends water down 11 kilometres of pipes from Carsington into the River Derwent for abstraction or directly into Ogston treatment works.

In an average year, Carsington Water will capture 10 per cent of its catchment from the various streams and brooks that enter the reservoir, but to fill it, water has to be pumped back up the pipes from the Derwent, which in turn has to be full enough for the Environment Agency to allow us to abstract this water.

In what’s been a very dry winter, Carsington Water has naturally filled up only one per cent, which isn’t much considering all the snow that fell. The dry ground soaks up what little rain we have had, and the trend seems to be towards quick heavy downfalls rather than prolonged showers: this washes all the ‘nasties’ from the roads, farms and industry into the water, making it almost untreatable; this simply adds further pressure to the water treatment and supply process. Heavy rain also brings an increased risk of flooding, while being much harder to catch as it drains through the catchment very quickly; and ice and frost of the ultra-cold period this winter caused ground movement, which burst water mains and increased leakage.

A growing population means we are using more and more water – but there are simple measures we can all take to save water and help protect the environment. Here are a few ideas for you to consider:

• Turn off taps when you brush your teeth, only use your washing machine for full loads, and only fill/boil your kettle with the quantity of water needed for your drink

• Water your garden from a water butt, from your sink bowl – or even capture the water when you wait for your tap to run hot, try not to waste good drinking water

• Water plants once and heavily, not little and often

• Dripping taps are wasteful – and annoying: fix it and save several litres a day

• After washing out paint brushes, do not poor the paint, stains, and oils down the drain as they could pollute your local water source since drains are not always connected to the sewage system

• For more ideas, visit the Severn Trent Water website ( www.stwater.co.uk ), where you will be able to find out everything from receiving a free water-saving kit to reporting leaks in the road (or call 0800 783 4444)

Ben Young , STW site manager, Carsington Water

CBC Newsletters

Nov 2010 Newsletter

No.4 – November 2010

CHAIRMAN’S THOUGHTS

As Autumn Watch winds up and Britain is apparently being invaded by Waxwings, the first Great Northern Diver of the winter has arrived back at Carsington. That reminds me this is the last communiqué of 2010 and urges me to reflect on the past year – one of extreme weather (which currently sees the reservoir at as low a level as one can remember for some time) but also one of some success for birds and for our club.

It was a good breeding season for most birds, and late on, two new birds – Wryneck and Bearded Tit – were added to Carsington’s growing definitive list. Our presence at the September ‘Derbyshire Day’, run by BBC Radio Derby and attended by a range of wildlife organisations, gave a strong reassurance of the crucial importance and vitality of Carsington Bird Club as the body providing nearly all the recording and much of the conservation work for the birds of the area. Take a look at our website to see how much we as a club take part in and achieve – all of which should make next year’s report a pleasure to compile.

On the other hand, we still struggle in terms of members’ engagement. We just hosted a truly excellent speaker – Paul Hobson, one of Britain ‘s top wildlife photographers – at our November meeting, yet had only 20 in the audience. Among them was one non-member who took the trouble to log an observation on the web pages asking how we could possibly run such high-quality meetings with such a small audience and such a modest entrance fee?

Well, the fact is for another year we have, but the truth is we were lucky: two talks were undertaken by friends of mine, who wanted no fee, two merely asked for small donations to their society or reserve, and only one charged ‘the going rate’ plus expenses. But the longer-term future of this core club activity, running from September to March, will depend on a higher attendance at the indoor meetings. Only then will we be sure to fund both the hire of the hall and the best speakers. I must also thank the Derbyshire Ornithological Society for paying the hall-hire fee at the October meeting. So with subjects like the islands of St Kilda and Lesvos on the agenda, and speakers like the fantastic bird photographer John Gardner to look forward to, we expect the 2011 programme to contain plenty of pleasure and entertainment. Come along and see!

I spoke in October on ‘The Birds of Carsington Water’ to an audience of 40 Staffordshire Wildlife Trust members, most of whom I’m glad to say had visited Carsington at least once. The talk was held at the ‘Rambler’s Retreat’ cafe/restaurant – a lovely place in an idyllic setting, with great food if the fridge containing various tempting puddings was anything to go by! The wooded river valley runs down to Alton (of ‘Towers’ fame) and in the restaurant gardens Pied Flycatchers nest in boxes, and evidently are easy to photograph. So, if you’re looking to combine a beautiful walk with good food and drink, this could be the place for you.

And finally, talking of food and drink – don’t forget our Christmas party on 21December, when a buffet will be available and the theme of the evening will be “Twitchers”, the entertainment including a rare view of this extreme end of the bird-watching community!

Peter Gibbon

FORMER CLUB TREASURER, PAM LEVERS, PASSES AWAY

Pam Levers, a long-time member of Carsington Bird Club, who worked a number of years on the committee as club treasurer, passed away in hospital on 4 November. She was 66.

Pam learned earlier this year that she had cancer and had recently also suffered a stroke. She was cheerful in the face of these illnesses, however, and was still attending club events as recently as late September when she joined family members at the first meeting of the club’s indoor season. Pam will be sadly missed by her many friends in CBC and other wildlife organisations of which she was a member including the Ogston Bird Club, the Mid-Derbyshire Badger Group and the Chesterfield branch of the RSPB.

Her funeral took place on 15 November at St John’s Church , Walton Back Lane , Chesterfield , and our thoughts go out to those Pam leaves behind – husband Richard, also a long-time CBC member, son Tim and daughter Christina, and two grandchildren.

LOW WATER – HIGH NUMBERS!

Despite the very low water level over autumn – or perhaps because of it – the number of bird species seen at Carsington has been near record levels. InSeptember, 116 species were seen, while the following month it was 109 – equaling the best October total since records began in 1992.

Two new species were also added to the reservoir’s definitive list during this rich period. A Wryneck, only the 40 th county record in more than half a century, turned up on 13 September and stayed for two days when it was seemingly happy to be a media star (the CBC Gallery has some lovely images of it, including one taking a drink of water off a leaf).

The second ‘first’ was a Bearded Tit (see ‘Bird of the Issue’ below) that stayed around just long enough on 1 November to allow several birders to dash to the scene for an unexpected Derbyshire ‘tick’.

Other highlights since the last newsletter included two unusual buntings – a Snow Bunting found on Stones Island on 25 November (at the time of going to press it’s not certain whether this could be another Carsington debut) and Lapland Buntings seen on 22 and 30 September. A Black Redstart has been in residence since 18 November and a Great Northern Diver turned up in early November, disappeared for a week but was then seen several times. This is the fourth consecutive winter we have had these handsome birds visiting Carsington.

The volume of some species has been quite high, too. In the gull roost, there have been up to 4,000 Black-headeds and 3,500 Lesser Black-backs, and as many as 282 Common Gulls. Mediterranean, Little and Herring Gulls were also recorded, along with a consistent compliment of Yellow-legs – including one particularly voracious bird that is often witnessed taking waterfowl for its meals.

The WeBS count in November logged 1,330 Coot, 578 Tufted Duck and more than 200 each of Wigeon, Teal, Mallard and Lapwing. Four Common Scoters were spotted at the end of September, and in recent weeks Goldeneye have returned, along with Pintail, Shoveler, Pochard and Shelduck.

The wader passage was impressive with Ruff, Knot, Dunlin, Little Stint, Turnstone, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank and its ‘Spotted’ cousin, Greenshank, Common and Curlew Sandpiper, Ringed and Golden Plover and Black- and Bar-tailed Godwits all featuring along the wider-than-usual mud fringes. Meanwhile, overhead 130 Pink-footed Geese flew by on 18 November.

An encouragingly wide range of raptors have been recorded during the autumn: Ospreys visited in both September and October, a Red Kite called in on 19 October, three days after a Goshawk was spotted in the wood in Tail Bay . Merlins were viewed twice in October, Hobbys three times in September, and Peregrines and Sparrowhawks were seen regularly. A Barn Owl perched within three feet of a lucky observer in the Sheepwash hide after quartering rough terrain nearby.

Late-staying summer visitors included up to four Chiffchaffs seen and heard on 6 October and, much more surprisingly, two Swallows on 18 October.

Among passerines, the highlights included Bramblings on Stones Island and around Sheepwash feeders, a Firecrest – only the third record of this tiny bird for Carsington – on 14 October, and a Great Grey Shrike that stayed a matter of hours, unlike the last visitor of this species that stayed five months in 2005. Kingfishers were another regular sighting, while the winter visitors have included flocks of up to 50 Redwings and smaller groups of Fieldfares. No waxwings, however … We can but hope!

BIRD OF THE ISSUE: BEARDED TIT

A Bearded Tit sighted (Panurus biarmicus) in the small reedbed to the left of Sheepwash hide on 1 November was a first for Carsington Water. These attractive and elusive birds are rarely seen in Derbyshire with the 500-plus breeding pairs in the UK being mainly found in the reedbeds of eastern and southern England, though a few are also found in Lancashire.

Elsewhere in Europe larger numbers – up to half a million – are known to breed.

They have a long tail and are generally tawny in appearance, though the male has a blue-grey head and striking black ‘moustaches’ rather than ‘beards’.

In summer they eat spiders, insects and are particularly partial to aphids, while in the winter they rely on seeds – and they have a digestive system that actively changes to suit the seasonal diet.

They are sociable, but not always easy to see among the reeds – and often the first clue to their presence is their “ping” calls. If they are spotted, it will often be their undulating flight just above the reeds.

They are principally a resident bird, and vulnerable to cold winters, and certainly their population has declined in recent years, placing them on the Amber List.

They may move away from breeding areas in the winter – which was good for us, as they became the 221st species at Carsington.

ON ALERT FOR THE ‘KILLER SHRIMP’

Severn Trent Water staff at Carsington are keeping a closer focus than ever on the water in the reservoir for evidence of Dikerogammarus Villosus – an invasive species of shrimp, fast becoming known as the ‘killer shrimp’, that had never been found in Britain until two keen-eyed anglers spotted it at Grafham Water in Cambridgeshire in September.

It is not known how it arrived, though one possibility is the most natural way of all – via birds. In this case it could theoretically turn up anywhere that water birds thrive, and affect the habitat there as its voracious nature means that it predates native shrimp species and other water-borne species such as water boatmen, damselflies, insect larvae – even small fish – that both wildlife that birds eat and birds themselves feed upon.

In short, it could quickly alter ecosystems, which is why STW’s manager at Carsington, Ben Young, and his staff are keeping such a close monitor. So, if you happen to see a freshwater shrimp that’s much bigger than you’ve seen before (the ‘killer’ species is 30mm long), has large mandibles or appears striped, report it to Ben or one of the Ranger team.

Dikerogammarus Villosus could equally have arrived via watersports hulls, angling or fish stocking (though Carsington is not stocked from the same source as Grafham). Anglers in particular have been warned to be on the look-out, and are being asked to keep kit and boats clean, drain bilge water from boats, disinfect kit and make sure no water or bait is transferred between bodies of water.

The unwelcome visitor naturally inhabits the Black and Caspian Seas , but has in the last ten years spread across most of Europe . At Grafham Water, the Environment Agency worked with local managing authority Anglian Water to put precautionary measures in place, and to check out other local lakes and the River Great Ouse.

TALKS FOCUS ON HADDON ESTATE, WILDLIFE ART AND FARMING

The indoor programme of events at Hognaston village hall began in September with an illustrated talk by Warren Slaney of the Haddon Estate, who ended a 150-year tradition of fish farming in favour of an award-winning scheme to create self-perpetuating wild fish stocks, which touched many other elements of the natural environment at Haddon.

Chairman Peter Gibbon stepped into the breach himself in October to give a passionate talk on the life of wildlife artist Charles Tunnicliffe. Then it was the turn of Paul Hobson, one of the UK ‘s top wildlife photographers. Paul showed a wide selection of his own work around the theme of farming, how it has shaped Britain ‘s natural development and the wildlife therein, and the radical changes this industry has undergone since World War II.

GET YOUR NAMES DOWN FOR THE WAGTAIL AND DAWN CHORUS WALKS

Before detailing the next few months’ events, we need to alert CBC members to two events a little further out that this year may require advance booking.

Severn Trent Water are including two of our annual walks as part of its 2011 events at Carsington Water, so, should there be a heavy response, we are keen to ensure our own members get first bite at securing their places on the Wagtail Walk (6pm on Tuesday, 19 April) and the Dawn Chorus Walk (4.30am on Saturday, 7 May). For both the meeting point will be outside the Visitor Centre.

If you are particularly keen to ensure being on these walks, register your interest with the Visitor Centre reception (01629 540696).

CBC Newsletters

Aug 2010 Newsletter

No.3 – August 2010

CHAIRMAN’S THOUGHTS

It is mid-August and I have just completed the monthly wildfowl count, which reflected the changing seasons. The first two Wigeon have appeared heralding the approach of winter, yet at the same time I saw two tiny Great Crested Grebe young hiding on the back of one of their parents. Many of you may, like me, be about to go on holiday; on our return, autumn will be upon us and we will see more changes on the reservoir. At this exciting time for birders, we should be looking to submit records every week.

It is also the last winter to participate in tetrad counts for the British Trust for Ornithology’s Bird Atlas that started in 2007, finishes next year and will be the most phenomenal census of birds (or any other wildlife group) ever undertaken in the world. Interim conclusions have already shown some dramatic changes in bird species populations. The impressive number of amateur birders taking part is evidence of how important bird-watching has become in the daily life of the UK . Add to this the huge numbers of people submitting records for the Big Garden Birdwatch and we must be the world’s number one birding nation.

I like to think that CBC is a small but significant part of this nationwide activity. Already records are being checked to confirm that this breeding season has been an excellent one for many species; current observations, for example, suggest record numbers of Tufted Duck broods. This is important information that will be recorded and published. Following the timely publishing of our 2009 annual report early in the year, we have already discussed content and production of next year’s report with a goal to issue it as early as possible. So, even if you don’t take part in any national record scheme, now is the time to be involved with our own modest club effort.

“Visit, watch and record” should be our motto. Certainly we appreciate all records – no matter how unimportant you may think they are – which are logged in the books in the hides or on the CBC website. Share what you see and help us build up an even fuller picture of Carsington and its birds: this will then be shared with the Derbyshire Ornithological Society, who in turn will pass appropriate records on nationally. Some birds returning to Carsington this winter may be the earliest on record – here, in Derbyshire or even in Britain. Equally, you might see the very last Swallow seen in Derbyshire this year, so why not pass them on yourselves to the BTO, as what are called ‘roving records’, for the Atlas. Then you can say you’ve taken part as an active member of the largest group of birdwatchers in the world!

Peter Gibbon

BUSY BREEDING BRINGS PLENTY OF SUCCESSES – BUT A FEW FAILURES

As adult birds begin to take a breather after bringing their new broods into the world, we can reflect on a largely successful breeding season at Carsington Water.

During June family parties of Nuthatch, Willow Tit and Tree Sparrow were recorded, while a pair of Great Tits ignored a bird box labelled with their species name, choosing instead an unmarked one! No less than 24 House Martin nests were in the vicinity of the Visitor Centre. Both Sedge and Reed Warblers were heard singing, as was a Pied Flycatcher in June, but his efforts remained unrequited and there was no sign of him later in the month.

Of eight pairs of Oystercatchers, four seem to have raised young, and a Redshank chick was noted as late as 13 July. While only one brood of Little Grebe was noted by the end of July, there was more success for its Great-Crested cousin (8 broods), and Tufted Duck (29), Mallard (20) and Coot (12) did well, while three broods of Mute Swan contained 12 cygnets.

Common Terns were kept off the rafts by Black-headed Gulls, but a pair did nest on Flat Island before moving – with two flighted young – onto the Watersports pontoon. Barnacle Geese were less successful: breeding on Horseshoe and Sailing Club islands failed, and the birds seem now to have left the site altogether.

An unusual sight greeted recorder Roger Carrington one July day when he witnessed an adult pair of Black-headed Gulls marching three downy chicks all the way from Flat Island , in front of Sheepwash, down to Horseshoe Island – an enforced exercise regime, perhaps!

Wildfowl numbers are beginning to rise as autumn approaches: Up to 500 Canada Geese have been counted, while 422 Coot were recorded in late July, and a combined total of 300 Mallard and Tufted Duck were noted on the same day. Much fewer numbers of Shelduck, Gadwall, Teal and Pochard have been spotted among these crowds, along with a single Red-Crested Pochard.

The gull roost is also developing, with an influx of Lesser Black-backs (1,500 by 20 August) joining the Black-headed Gulls. Meanwhile, a Yellow-legged Gull (and maybe the same one recorded performing similar dastardly deeds last year) was seen displaying carnivorous tendencies when swallowing a Tufted Duck chick.

The optimum time for waders is yet to come, but there were four Ruff on site on 17 August, several Black-tailed Godwits flew through on passage during July, and on 22 June a Spotted Redshank dropped in (at a time they were being seen at several locations) – the first recorded at Carsington for five years.

It’s been a relatively quiet time for raptors, though a Hobby was seen chasing hirundines on 17June and, three days later, two Peregrines and a Hobby were recorded. Two Little Owls were seen on 25 June, when two groups of young Tawny Owls were also recorded.

Three Stock Doves were spotted flying high over the reservoir on 28 July, and the day before could have been christened ‘corvid day’ since 150 Jackdaws, 18 Magpies, 9 Rooks and 4 Ravens were logged. All in all, though, the June and July records were relatively sparse – with the fewest species totals since the early ‘noughties’.

BIRD OF THE ISSUE: HOBBY

Just occasionally, the heart will beat a little faster as a dark spot flashes across in front of you and, raising the binoculars, you realise you’re looking at an elegant Hobby (Falco subbuteo) doing what it does best – performing high-speed aerobatics to catch its prey, which can be anything from insects such as large beetles and dragonflies, which they eat on the wing, to birds that also eat insects and are very nimble themselves, like Martins, Swallows and Swifts … and even bats at dusk.

They are a summer visitor to our shores, arriving late April/early May and are beginning to increase both in terms of numbers and range, having once been confined to the south of a line running roughly from the mouths of the Humber and Severn rivers. They often nest in old crows nests – and their rising population (reckoned now to be around 2,200 pairs) is thought to be partly down to a northerly movement of dragonflies and partly to more crows, so more nest sites. They leave the UK in September/October.

The Hobby is a small, dark falcon of around 30-36 centimetres that itself looks like a large swift, with long narrow wings spanning up to 90 centimetres and a relatively short tail to aid their aerobatic capability. They can accelerate in flight to speeds believed to be around 100mph. Like many of its closer falcon cousins, it has white chin and cheeks with a prominent moustachial stripe. Adult plumage is slate grey above, with dark stripes below and red under-tail coverts. They unsurprisingly prefer warm locations that attract large quantities of flying insects (or the birds and bats that hunt flying insects) such as heaths, wetlands, gravel pits and farmland with a scattering of hedgerows and woodland. They are seen with increasing regularity at Carsington Water.

CBC WEBSITE REVIEW: GETTING TECHNICAL BRINGS REWARDS!

Last year our website simply recorded visits or hits to various pages. This year we are utilising the power of the internet – courtesy of registering free with Google Analytics, which collects information anonymously without identifying individual visitors – to monitor traffic and visitor trends. This allows us to focus our effort on those areas of the website most people like to visit and try and work out why certain other pages are never or rarely visited.

From January-July 2010, the number of hits to the CBC website was around 32,000 which translated into 15,900 unique visits. For a club as small as ours, this is very good, equating to 184 hits/day or 90 unique visits/day – slightly more than in the same period last year.

Interestingly, on average visitors looked at two pages each visit. The ‘bounce rate’ (percentage of visitors who left the website on the same page they arrived at) was 45%. This is higher than the average website, mainly because many birdwatchers visit the website for one thing only – the Sightings page. It would difficult to lower this rate without making it difficult for visitors to reach the Sightings page, which would be counter-productive.

The average time spent on a CBC website visit, was one minute. This doesn’t sound much but, think of how quickly you browse websites at home, and a minute is a long time. This figure is also affected by the number of birders who just simply scan the latest sightings, then exit. Encouragingly, 26% of hits were from new visitors – and they averaged over two minutes on the site before leaving. Hopefully they will have got the information they required during this time and will be back for more!

Visitors landed on the website from 51 countries during this period. Most were from the UK , followed by the Netherlands , United States and Canada . I must admit, I’ve seen lots of Dutch birders in the UK this year! More unusually, we had visitors from Brazil , Papua New Guinea , Taiwan and China .

Apart from trying to provide pages that visitors want, it is also important that the website is clear and readable. Knowing the types of browsers used and the different screen resolutions, means that almost no-one should have difficulties accessing information on the site. While screen resolutions are really high these days, there are still those who have older gear, with smaller screens – we have to cater for them all. It’s also important to ensure that the website functions with all the types of browser used, not just Internet Explorer (83% of users). There was in fact 1% who visited the website from their Blackberry!

CBC website visitors arrive from various sources – 55% direct, suggesting they’d previously book-marked the Home or Sightings pages as favourites. Interestingly, 13% of visitors came via Derbyshire Ornithological Society website link – not surprisingly, since they also have an online sightings page for Derbyshire birds. I wonder how many DOS site visitors originated from the CBC site.

Finally, let’s have a look at examples of what the visitors came to see during this 6-month period:

• 14,000 hits for the “Latest Sightings” page

• 11,200 hits for the “Home” page

• 2,000 hits for Roger Carrington’s excellent “Monthly Bird Notes” page

• 1,000 hits for the “Where is Carsington Water?” page

Such techno-garb may not appeal to everyone, but it is starting to reveal lots of useful information, allowing us to maintain the website, keep it fresh and up-to-date and cater for all visitors’ demands and preferences. Thank to all of you who continue to visit www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk .

Richard Pittam – Webmaster

NEW TIMES, PLACES REFRESH CLUB WALKS PROGRAMME

Our series of indoor meetings gets under way next month (see “What’s On” below) following an enjoyable outdoor programme of walks that was a little more varied than usual in terms of both timings and location.

The first walk, our traditional ‘wagtail walk’ around Stones Island on 20 April, started at 6pm to make the most of the natural light. We always hope to see passage Yellow and White Wagtails in among the usual Pieds, but this year were out of luck, though the group was treated to a large number of Swallows, Sand and House Martins flying low hawking for insects. There was also a distant view of the Great Northern Diver, which stayed around for several weeks further until developing summer plumage and later, from the Wildlife Centre, Dunlin, Curlew and Common Sandpiper were spotted as dusk settled over the reservoir.

Anyone looking out of the window at the downpour in the early hours of the day of the annual Dawn Chorus walk could be excused for deciding against it – and that was just about everybody! Only two hardy souls – together with three leaders – turned up at 4.30am on 8 May, but they were rewarded by numerous phlegmatic bird species whose enthusiasm was barely dampened by the rain. Breakfast for the humans was, though, cancelled!

There was a rather better turnout when we moved away from Carsington for the evening walk at Coombes Valley , an RSPB reserve near Leek. Again beginning at 6pm , 12 members turned up on 18 May, when woodland species were the main target. Patience was rewarded with good views of a pair of Pied Flycatchers on their final feeding foray of the day, and a fleeting glimpse of one Redstart. Other birds among the 31 species noted that evening included Gt Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Coal Tit and Goldcrest – while a Blackcap and Garden Warbler obligingly sang from neighbouring trees, displaying the difference in their readily confusable songs!

The next test of members’ adventurous spirit and flexibility was a morning walk from Millfields car park taking in the dam wall and a footpath below the dam wall, as well as a segment of the reservoir bank. Twelve members gave a thumbs-up to the 9am start, and were rewarded by the sight and sound of 38 species – among them singing Sedge Warbler, two Spotted Flycatchers and a flight of four Grey Herons.

On 20 July, we reverted to a 7pm start for a walk beginning at Sheepwash and taking in a short section of the new perimeter path as well as Paul Stanley/Sheepwash hides. Just six members braved the damp but humid conditions. In this often quiet month, though, they were able to enjoy Chiffchaff, Blackbird and Song Thrush all singing in the woods, plus views from the hides of Tufted Duck and Gt Crested Grebe families, Teal and Pochard among the more numerous Mallards/Tufteds – and a single Yellow-legged Gull polishing off a dead fish.

NEW PARTNERSHIP TO TEACH YOUNGSTERS ABOUT NATURAL WORLD AT CARSINGTON

A three year project in the form of an education partnership between Severn Trent Water and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust (DWT) has been established with the aim of delivering classroom and outdoor education to up to 5,000 pupils each year.

Severn Trent Water has offered the use and upkeep of the education room, and agreed to provide safe areas for outdoor learning such as pond dipping pools, streams and river surveys and a range of learning resources, while DWT has agreed to fund the education officer and use the resources to offer a leading education centre for use by schools and colleges.

Site manager Ben Young expects the partnership to inspire and educate groups of all ages about the natural world – and our place in it: “I would like to welcome Kathy Clarke who has become the new partnership education officer, based at Carsington Water. The partnership’s prime aim is to run an environmental education programme that will complement our existing activities at the reservoir and DWT’s wider work – focusing on water conservation and the environment and wildife here at Carsington Water and in Derbyshire as a whole.”

Kathy will be taking advantage of Carsington Water as a safe as well as stunning location with a wide variety of habitats for children to experience wildlife. She will run various events in the wildlife discovery room in the visitor centre courtyard as well as delivering the education programme to schools, colleges and groups around the region.

Main reception at the Visitor Centre will post more details about the partnerships activity programme – both inside and outside the classroom.