CBC Newsletters – Page 16 – Carsington Bird Club

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.

CBC Newsletters

May 2010 Newsletter

No.2 – May/June 2010

CHAIRMAN’S THOUGHTS

One of our normal highlights in May, the Dawn Chorus walk, was a wet and windy affair this year. Despite the weather, the birds sang well for those that did turn up – though the only two members who did were outnumbered by the three pre-arranged walk leaders, Roger Carrington, John Bradley and myself.

One of the hardy souls who braved the unseasonable weather was John Matkin, on whose property four Buzzards were found dead after eating poisoned bait (see item later in this newsletter). His sadness and anger were obvious and the tale he told was particularly poignant to anyone who loves birds. Let’s hope that events such as he witnessed do not happen again.

During the dawn walk we did see the remaining Great Northern Diver, albeit it at some distance. How wonderfully elegant a bird can be with just white, black and grey feathers. Equally stunning with such plumage colours is one of our latest summer migrants, the Pied Flycatcher, which we can all hope will stay and breed this year at Carsington.

That is the excitement of this time of year. It is also a time to examine what effect the hard winter had on the numbers of birds left to breed. We have heard from some national surveys like the Great Garden Birdwatch that there could be some decline with certain species. That is why we continue to do breeding surveys for Hall and Middle Woods and that the trends we will see from the Bird Atlas will be so valuable. Already, however, it looks like a bumper year for Oystercatcher with young already seen.

We must thank Severn Trent Water for opening up the final part to a track that now goes all the way round the reservoir without having to cross the road. The safety factor was paramount, of course, but now it’s also easier to observe wildlife along that stretch of the water; with Big Island and its diverse breeding population (including Oystercatcher) so close, binoculars may become superfluous.

STW has asked us to monitor the effects on bird life close to this path and we have volunteered to do so, though at this point, and over the winter when it was being built, there seems to have been little or no impact.

I am sure all these trends will be part and parcel of the 2010 annual report, which brings me to our latest report, which you should all now have received. I’d like to thank everybody who took part in creating and distributing (several months earlier than last year) the 2009 issue, which I hope you agree was as comprehensive and informative as ever.

Peter Gibbon

RAPTOR HEAVEN … RAPTOR HELL!

Those enchanted by birds of prey encountered highs and lows during the period March-May. While there were plenty of raptors around, there was also the discovery of six dead Buzzards, believed poisoned, within a short distance of Carsington Water (see following report).

On a more positive note, however, the stately Osprey was seen twice at the reservoir – and on each occasion, in March and May, was viewed either catching or eating fish. The first incoming Hobby was seen 2 May, the same day that a Red Kite was spotted, Peregrines were seen each month, and up to four Sparrowhawks were seen on the same day. Buzzards, too, had their high points with up to 14 seen aloft on the same day; though there is no evidence yet of breeding Buzzards.

A Raven nest seems to have yielded three young, however, and on the water’s edge waders have been busy, with five Mallard broods, three broods of Lapwing noted, and a pair of Redshank with two young. Twelve Oystercatchers have paired up, but only one brood of three has so far been recorded. More disappointingly – though we all hope it’s because of the late arrival of spring – there were no grebe, Coot, Moorhen or Barnacle Goose broods by the end of May.

Spring and early summer visitors kicked off with four Sand Martins noted on 18 March, but by the following day Chiffchaff, Wheatear and Rock Pipit had been noted. Before the end of March, up to 500 Swallows had arrived, and in the first week of April Yellow and White Wagtails dropped in.

It was later in the month before some of the others made their debuts, with Swifts on the 19 th , and the 24 th being a particularly busy day as Redstart, Tree Pipit, Sedge and Reed Warblers Warblers were recorded (the latter the earliest on record at Carsington). A Pied Flycatcher was heard singing on 29 April, but it was almost three weeks before its ‘Spotted’ cousin turned up. One sure signal of spring, the call of the Cuckoo, was heard on 19 May.

The long-staying adult Great Northern Diver, having developed its full summer plumage, finally ended its winter holiday on 8 May. A juvenile was also at the reservoir until 5 March, while a Red-throated Diver called in briefly on the 22 nd of that month.

Up to 350 Tufted Duck have been on the water, and among the more unusual ducks, Common Scoter and Scaup have figured, and a very early Garganey was noted on 2 March, five days before a few lucky observers recorded 24 Whooper Swans that dropped onto the middle of the reservoir.

Passage waders included up to 15 Whimbrel, Bar- and Black-tailed Godwits, Sanderling, Dunlin, Little Ringed and Ringed Plovers and Turnstone. Terns were also on the move with Sandwich and Common moving through in April, and Arctic and Black recorded in May. Up to four Common Terns have been seen, and one pair seems to have settled on Flat Island – since, as usual, the Black-headed Gulls have commandeered the raft in front of the wildlife centre, with potential parents jostling on no fewer than eight nests.

Other gull highlights include Mediterranean recorded twice during March, and as many as six Little Gulls in a day in April. A maximum of 242 Common Gulls were counted among the ever-thinning gull roost.

BIRD OF THE MONTH: SWIFT

It’s not a particularly big or colourful bird, but it still manages to inspire awe and many birders count it as their favourite bird: the Swift is something of a miracle. In the UK we see chiefly the Common Swift, but around the world there is a sizeable family that includes larger species such as the Alpine Swift, often seen elsewhere in Europe, or, farther afield, needletails and a number of smaller swiftlets and tree swifts.

They appear similar to swallows and martins as they, too, feed off the plentiful summer stock of airborne insects, but in fact the swifts’ most closely related genus is the hummingbird.

The reason it is so admired is that it is such a master of the air – some would say THE master. Once born it is continually in flight, even sleeping and mating on the wing, and will only leave the air briefly to raise their young. They fly 200,000km per year – around five times around the world. They never perch on wires like swallows or Martins.

The UK gets around 85,000 breeding pairs of Common Swifts: they arrive from their African wintering grounds around late April/early May and stay until August, taking advantage of the mass of airborne insects on which they exclusively feed. They often fly very high in search of prey, particularly on fine days, but they are more noticeable when heard screaming their high-pitched calls as they career madly around rooftops and houses – yet the flight itself is silent, even if they seem to fly quite close to you. Actually sooty brown, they look like black scimitars sweeping through the air.

If you ever find a swift on the ground, it will die unless it gets help as its short stiff wings and short legs will not enable it to take off unaided. If it seems otherwise fit and well it can be released from an upstairs window, after first moving your hand up and down to get the feel of air under its wings. If all’s well, instinct will take over and it will take to the air … and quite simply remain there until it returns to breed the following year.

LET’S HELP ERADICATE WANTON POISONING OF WILDLIFE!

One of the club’s newer members, John Matkin, was shocked to discover the farm at which he lives, near Kirk Ireton, was used to lay poisoned bait that caused the death of four Buzzards. Derbyshire Police were brought in to investigate after a total of six Buzzards – these four plus two others on a farm at nearby Idridgehay – were found near the carcasses of a Pheasant and a Hare, which were poisoned bait. The Police are working their enquiries with the help of the RSPB and Natural England.

John says: “I live on the farm upon which the dead birds were found, so I felt it was important to make all lovers of wildlife, particularly Carsington Bird Club members, aware of the incident which took place at Callow Moor Farm – directly above Fishtail Creek – in a field very close to the reservoir boundary.”

John says he has seen Buzzards over the farm since the incident and, with 44,000 breeding pairs, the Buzzard is one of the great recent wildlife success stories. Buzzards are, nevertheless, a protected species. Poisoning needs to be stamped out and anyone caught harming or killing them could face a £5,000 fine or up to six months in prison.

John adds: “If any CBC members do spot any dead birds of prey or corvids or pheasants in the area I would urge them firstly not to handle them and secondly to contact either Derbyshire Police or the RSPB.”

CREATING THE RIGHT SORT OF BANK FOR ‘RATTY’

Most bird lovers have an inherent general interest in the natural world, and creatures like Water Voles are part of this broader panorama. These charming rodents have become something of a success story at Carsington Water, and now, to further boost their numbers, three new ponds have been created at the north end of the reservoir, with funding assistance from Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.

Conservation practice shows that there are some key principles behind a good habitat for Water Voles. Carsington Water ticks some of those boxes, and where it doesn’t we can create the other required features.

Water voles need sites where there is water all year round, where there are stepped, well vegetated banks to provide refuge areas when water levels rise, and where the water is of a sufficient depth immediately in front of the bank to allow them to escape quickly and enter burrows unseen.

Bank faces need to be stable comprising soils that are friable and loam-rich, as Water Voles won’t use sites where the substrate is too stony or difficult to dig into.

It is hoped the new ponds will also benefit water shrews, and that the margins will attract birds such as Water Rail. There are now three stages of pond succession: the reed bed ponds are now seven years old; the pond on the other side of the track is four years old; and now we have the three new ponds. Each pond area is at a different stage of development, meaning each is suitable for a range of different species, which boosts our potential gains in Biodiversity.

A new stone island has also been created at the north end. Its primary aim is to take out the wave action on the reed bed, allowing it to extend further out in to the reservoir. It is also hoped over time that the island will be used for breeding waders such as Lapwing, Redshank, Oystercatcher and, if we are lucky, Little Ringed Plovers.

Ben Young , Carsington Water Site Manager, STW

THE MAGIC OF LESVOS IN THE SPRING

The brochure read: ‘For Spring birdwatching in beautiful surroundings, Lesvos is hard to beat …’ and it was right! Despite volcanic ash and Greek strike scares we made it there and back on schedule – on Thomson flights that seemed 75 per cent full of birdwatchers and the rest walkers. I saw over 150 species with 12 new ones for me – or 14 if you believe in splitting species up into western and eastern races.

Lesvos is the third biggest Greek island, just five miles off the Turkish coast. We stayed in a hotel frequented by birders: it has a log at reception to fill in what has been seen where, which is fed daily into a website by Steve Dudley, author of the most comprehensive guide to the island.

Having never been to the Scilly Isles in autumn or whisked off to a ‘mega-twitch’, the experience of seeing so many birdwatchers all together in one place was new to me. We were almost tripping over each other!

Near the hotel, we found great areas of wet marsh and salt pans (before they dry up) where we were sometimes almost within touching distance of Glossy Ibis and Whiskered Tern. Here, too I saw my first new bird with stunning Ruddy Shelduck standing side by side with its ‘common’ cousin. Flocks of White-winged Black Terns and some Gull-billed Terns were seen, along with all herons. Squacco was most common and Great White Egret outnumbered Little; meanwhile, there were large numbers of Flamingo and good numbers of Black Storks yet only one White Stork. Among the many waders, there were big numbers of Avocet, while a few Pratincoles were watched by Red-footed Falcons on telegraph wires. In a small lake nearby both Baillon’s and Little Crake obliged onlookers by posing together in the open on a partly submerged tree trunk. Identification heaven for our two leaders, Bernie and Neil!

We watched Kruper’s Nuthatch feeding young in a tree trunk and at one stage male and female posed together for the many photographers, though a male Masked Shrike tried to steal the limelight by sitting on top of a nearby tree. Buntings were everywhere: Most common was the stunning Black-headed, joined by the nostalgic Corn, smart-looking Cretzschmar’s and Cirl and the totally unspectacular but rare and localised Cinereous. The latter was found around the beautiful Ypsilou monastery where we saw three wheatears – the Northern upstaged by the spectacular display of Isabelline and then the stunning Black-eared Wheatear that could possibly be the most ubiquitous bird on the island.

But then I’m forgetting the skulking Olivaceous Warbler that also seems to be everywhere though it’s more often heard than seen, as are the many Nightingales. Apparently one of the hardest birds to see is the Olive Tree Warbler, and after waiting some time at one site (and berating two selfish birders who’d crossed a fence to see them), we got good views of one and felt very pleased to see such a drab bird. It would be a ‘little brown job’ if it wasn’t such a big warbler! More often seen, and more startling, were Orphean and Subalpine Warblers, yet even these were eclipsed by Ruppell’s Warbler, which is just about as dashing as a warbler can get, particularly in such a beautiful setting overlooking the stunning Aegean sea.

In the hills allowed we watched Rock Sparrow, Blue Rock Thrush and Crag Martin and, passing on to the coast, added Rock Nuthatch and Lesser Kestrel. Nearby, among olive groves and fig trees we were thrilled to see flycatchers, black and blue headed wagtails, Golden Oriole, Cuckoo and Icterine Warbler. A dung heap was the stage chosen by a Spur-winged Plover, which we watched excitedly until one of the leaders said turn round and, in a bush, was one of my main targets – a very smart Lesser Grey Shrike.

With Long-legged Buzzards, Short-toed Eagles and Eleonora’s Falcon fairly common, it’s easy to see how wonderful Lesvos is – yet special memories tend to come from those unexpected moments like the time we stopped to view an ancient and fragile bridge and I found a nesting Sombre Tit while somebody else in our party found a nesting Middle Spotted Woodpecker. In the same groves were Turtle Dove and Hoopoe. Even our experienced leaders showed their excitement at viewing a Purple Heron twisting its neck to keep its beady eyes on a Marsh Harrier flying above it. And while viewing a reasonably common Little Bittern a snipe was spotted. Big deal? Well, yes – this was a Great Snipe … All part of the ‘Magic of Lesvos’!

Peter Gibbon

PLENTY OF BIRDS – BUT FEW PEOPLE AT DAWN CHORUS

After the final talk of the winter season – Neil Glenn’s ‘Valley Parade: Wildlife of the Lower Rio Grande ‘ – and a disappointing ‘wagtail walk’ on 20 April, which produced only Pied and no Yellow or Blue-headed Wagtails this year, we arrived at one of the club’s better-attended events of the year, the Dawn Chorus Walk.

Well, usually well-attended! This year the weather was atrocious, and most people must have taken one look out of their bedroom windows at 4am and, after a quick look at the rain and windswept landscape, decided to give it a miss. In the event, two members turned up and were led around the usual route from the Wildlife Centre by no fewer than three expert birders – club recorder Roger Carrington, John Bradley, and chairman Peter Gibbon. Most of the usual birds were either seen or heard, so the conditions did not keep them away!

Next on the agenda – and another new departure – was a short trip to the Coombes Valley reserve, near Leek, which is run by the RSPB. This is a specialist woodland site, nestling low between the lush folds of Staffordshire countryside. The dozen members who came along on a beautiful evening in mid May were rewarded with good views of Pied Flycatcher – including a pair on their final feeding foray of the day, when the male offered a juicy fly as a gift before leaving his mate to adjourn to other duties in the nest box.

Redstarts were elusive, but one did pop obligingly onto the top of a hawthorn bush, and Roger Carrington took advantage of the proximity of a Blackcap and Garden Warbler, to point out the subtle differences in their song. Among summer visitors, there were also plenty of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs, and a couple of Whitethroats, plus typical woodland species including Goldcrest, Coal and Long-tailed Tits, Nuthatch, Song Thrush and Greater Spotted Woodpecker.

Few raptors were seen, just one Buzzard getting onto the list, but the distant ‘kronk’ of a Raven was heard and, looking up, several of the group saw a soaring black bird with a tell-tale wedge-shaped tail.

The next walk is from Millfields on 15 June – and it’s yet another attempt to make our 2010 events programme a little different, as it’s a morning walk starting at 9am . We appreciate it may be difficult for some, but do try to get there as it’s traditionally our ‘warbler walk’ where many of the reservoir’s summer visitors are spotted or heard.

CBC Newsletters

Feb 2010 Newsletter

No.1 / February 2010

CHAIRMAN’S THOUGHTS

As I write this it is snowing once more – hopefully winter’s last throw despite being only February. If it’s been testing our resolve, then it’s been a bigger challenge still for the birds. Evidence will probably come from the recently-completed Big Garden Birdwatch, but certainly my ‘tiny’ garden in Holloway has attracted a bigger variety and greater number of birds this winter than any other in recent times – and you just know they’re hungry when eight blackbirds eye up the single garden table with bread on it and await their turn! Jackdaws always come for scraps but even a Rook and Treecreeper turned up this year!

While it’s nice to see birds close by, the weather made it difficult to get around to other places, including Carsington, and both John Bradley and I were snowbound on the day we had set aside for the December WeBS count. When we finally carried out the January count the Wigeon seemed already to have gone and small numbers now remain. Roll on Spring!

Among my books, I was recently leafing through the Atlas of Wintering Birds of 1986, and the Atlas of Breeding Birds for 1976 and 1993, and reflected on the fact that even the ‘latest’ issue was being prepared before Carsington Water existed. Roger Carrington and I have been participating in survey work for a new issue of the Atlas, and have already sent in figures for this area. On publication, I expect it to show what a massive difference Carsington Water has made to the birdlife of mid-Derbyshire. Looking at maps in the 1976 issue, it is extraordinary to see only two Raven breeding sites in the High Peak and Staffordshire borders; compare that with today. And in 1986 there were no wintering Gadwall sites barring two in the north and two in the far south of the county. Now we get dozens of these handsome ducks in the winter months. It’s important to do as much survey work as possible for the latest issue – and the comparisons will be worthy of an article when the new Atlas emerges.

We are now well into our 2010 indoor meetings programme, and earlier this month were treated to a fascinating look at wildlife through the eyes of Eddie Hallam ( see later report for a little more on this ). We have just one left before the spring/summer outdoor season gets under way, so can I urge you to attend next month’s talk which will be presented by Neil Glenn – a Notts birder, writer of bird guides like The Best Birdwatching Sites in Norfolkand a leader of tours to all quarters of the globe. The wildlife of one of these farther-flung spots – the Lower Rio Grande in the US – will be Neil’s subject on 16 March ( 7.30pm ). I look forward to seeing you there. And finally, can I remind you that 2010 subscriptions are now due – and a renewal form should also be in the envelope.

DIVERS PASS THE WORD ON – AND RED-NECKED GREBES GIVE CARSINGTON A TRY!

The freezing weather conditions has prevented much activity from non-water birds, though Barn Owls were seen hunting near the Wildlife Centre and Fishtail Creek, and other highlights have included Crossbill, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll. And before the really bad weather arrived, a Water Pipit – the first winter record and only the fifth ever for Carsington – was viewed on Stones Island on 19 December.

Our seemingly annual pilgrimage by Great Northern Divers has continued this winter, with at least two individuals – often an adult and juvenile – seen regularly since the first arrived on 1 December. This ever-welcome sight was augmented this month with the arrival of two Red-necked Grebes, last seen in 2006.

A Little Egret was a late Christmas present for a number of birders, arriving the day after Boxing Day and staying around until 24 January. The following month, a Jack Snipe was seen near the reed bed in Hopton Arm. Two Bewick’s Swans graced the reservoir on 2 December, a day after an Egyptian Goose popped up near both Sheepwash and the Wildlife Centre, and 150 Pink-footed Geese flew east at a low altitude on 8 January.

Coot numbers recorded during a WeBS count in January were well down on the same period last year – 1,424 as against 1,844 in 2009. Other wildfowl maximum counts included 596 Tufted Duck, 232 Pochard, 116 Wigeon, 36 Gadwall, 49 Teal, 20 Goosander, 12 Goldeneye and, respectively, 79 and 50 Little and Great-Crested Grebes. Pintail and Shelduck also featured, while a first-winter female Scaup was sighted in December and January.

Anyone spotting ducks with unusually coloured bills might like to know they are marked this way in France and Spain , generally with numbers added, for identification purposes. During December, a female Teal was seen with a pale green nasal saddle, proving it had been marked in Normandy , while a pair of Tufted Ducks sporting bright turquoise bills were also noted.

The gull roost has seen peaks of 4,000 Lesser Black-backed, 600 Common and 500 Black-headed in January, with relative rarities including an adult Mediterranean Gull and Ring-billed Gull in December and adult Caspian Gulls in both December and January, when a Kittiwake was also recorded. Meanwhile, an apparently ‘resident’ flesh-eating Yellow-legged Gull has been witnessed eating Little Grebe and dead fish.

Raptor records have been rather thin on the ground, but Peregrines were seen in both December and January, when one was witnessed mobbing a Buzzard. As many as six Buzzards have been seen in one day in February, when two Ravens were also logged.

WHAT’S THAT BIRD? … JACK SNIPE (see image above)

A Jack Snipe was one of the more unusual sightings at the reservoir in recent months – and arguably a lucky one since these small waders are highly secretive in the winter. Hopton Arm reed bed, where it was spotted in February, is a typical habitat, though, along with other wetland sites such as lagoons, river edges and muddy ditches, where its slim bill probes for insects, earthworms and plant material.

Lymnocryptes minimus is the world’s smallest snipe, and actually in a genus of its own, though very similar in many ways to other snipes in the Gallinago family. Jack Snipe has a shorter bill than the Common Snipe, and lacks the central crown stripe of its larger cousin, instead having two pale lateral crown stripes that a separated from the supercilium by an area of dark plumage. Its upper body is mottled brown, pale underneath, and yellow back stripes are clearly visible in flight; its wings are narrow and pointed.

Another difference from its close cousins that may help in identification is that Jack Snipes will keep still until an intruder is only a metre away, then fly low only a short distance when flushed before dropping back into cover, while Common Snipe will fly some distance in a high, zig-zagging flight path.

Jack Snipes are migratory, preferring the tundra/taiga of northern Europe to breed (laying 3-4 eggs in a well-hidden ground nest), but wintering in locations such as the UK and Atlantic coastal Europe and travelling as far as Africa and India . While silent in winter, they are easier to see and hear in the breeding season, with the male performing an aerial courtship display, incorporating a sound like a galloping horse! When feeding, a Jack Snipe has a distinctive bobbing motion, rather like it’s attached to a spring!

Groups of snipes have an odd array of collective nouns – including a walk, leash, whisper and volley!

NEW PLANS FOR OUTDOOR EVENTS

In the ‘What’s on’ section later in this newsletter, you will notice some subtle differences in our spring and early summer outdoors programme. These reflect the experience of the last couple of years, with diminishing numbers of people attending events and signing up for trips, and the demographic shift of the overall membership.

We plan to begin some evening walks a bit earlier, introduce one morning walk (as well as the annual Dawn Chorus walk), stage one walk away from Carsington, and eliminate the August walk altogether, since it’s a poor time for birds and, as it’s also prime holiday time, few people have historically turned up.

It’s a similar picture with club trips. Traditionally, we have undertaken around two each year – usually all-day affairs to far-flung locations involving the hire of large coaches. For the last couple of years filling seats (even enough to break even) has been an increasing struggle, to the point where a trip last year had to be cancelled altogether. This was disappointing – particularly for the ‘hard core’ of around 15 people that did still want to go, but couldn’t because of the economics and inflexibility of booking a large coach.

Though no trips have yet been arranged for 2010, those that are may well prove to be half-day trips, or involve more flexible transport, such as our own cars, mini-buses or community buses (possibly self-driven), to locations nearer at hand … anything that allows us to keep trips on the diary however many – or few – people want to go.

Please give us feedback ( call the committee, or comment via the ‘forum’ on the website ) if you have any thoughts on these planned changes.

EDDIE HALLAM – A WILDLIFE STAR IN EVERY SENSE

The amazingly varied life of Eddie Hallam was the entertaining focus of the club’s February indoor meeting at Hognaston Village Hall. This remarkable man held his audience in thrall as he used virtually no ‘props’ (in fact he almost forgot to show the few slides he’d brought along to help illustrate some of his many activities) to describe the central core that wildlife had played in his long, busy and clearly very fulfilling life.

He has been to university twice, gaining degrees in biology and wildlife conservation, he has been assistant curator at Chester Zoo, managed a wildlife collection at Riber Castle, which boasted an exemplary breeding record for various animals – notably his favourite, the Lynx – led numerous wildlife expeditions to all corners of the globe, and is now a wildlife artist who produces stunning and much sought-after studies in bronze. Not only that he owns his own nature reserve near Lea and Cromford Canal , which (partly by keeping human visitors to a minimum) has one of the highest concentrations of grass snakes and dragonfly species in the county.

Earlier, two of the club’s committee stepped into the breach to give fascinating illustrated talks to those hardy members who braved the freezing weather conditions to turn out for December and January’s indoor meetings. Secretary Paul Hicking’s subject was biodiversity, and he explained how elements of nature had interacted over centuries and millennia to produce the world we know today – and the delicate balance required to maintain that world and the mind-boggling animal, vegetable and mineral diversity of the planet. Chairman Peter Gibbon then called on pictures and experiences from a recent trip to some of the most northerly territories of Europe for a look at the wildlife inside the Arctic Circle .

WEBSITE SHOWS VALUE IN FACE OF EVER-ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY

Seems like each year flies by faster than ever: Technology never pauses for breath and the way birdwatchers get their information changes, too. We have pagers, email and text alerts, online alerts, mobile-to-mobile calls, iphone apps, Blackberrys … you name it, birders have them! However, there is still some good old-fashioned word of mouth news. Against all that pressure, the Carsington Bird Club website still held its own.

Over 2009 we had almost 63,000 hits on the website. Apart from the UK, visitors came from the US, France, China, Ireland, Spain, India, Malta, South Africa, Australia, Russia, Canada, Malaysia, Italy, Slovenia, Romania, Singapore, Czech Republic, Poland, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Greece, Taiwan, Colombia, Kuwait, Iran, Turkey, Israel and New Zealand.

‘Latest Sightings’ continues to attract the highest level of traffic (25,000 hits) – thanks go to those who submit sightings online. It’s really easy, so why not try it out during 2010. Another success story is Roger Carrington ‘s ‘Bird Notes’, which saw an increase of 75 per cent (nearly 3,000 hits) in 2009. They are published monthly on the web page for viewing or download, and are available all the way back to 2004.

During 2009 we sought to save on postage with an experiment to see how many members would be prepared to receive their quarterly newsletters as a download from the website. Though the newsletter had been reproduced online for over two years, the new initiative resulted in visits to the ‘Newsletter’ rise above 3,000, an increase of 75% on 2008. Thanks to all those members who opted to take the electronic newsletter!

Our online ‘Definitive Bird’ List has been available from the website for some years, but extra features have added to make it more interesting and informative – sorting data to show which birds were at Carsington for the same month the previous year and links revealing more information about individual bird species. It is a valuable resource for teachers wanting to have some information for a school visit, and its popularity was reflected in 2,500 hits in 2009.

Two “static” pages – “What is Carsington Water” and “Where is Carsington Water” – saw a 200% increase in visits. Hopefully all these virtual visitors became real visitors – and maybe led to one or two new members!

The site still tries to provide diverse articles and items to browse: Bird of the Month, UK and World bird news, ads for CBC events, quizzes, items for sale/wanted and links to other websites and holiday destinations. The forum (which is moderated) was quiet in 2009, but hopefully some visitors will find it useful in sharing information or engaging others in debate or conversation. Picture galleries were changed to make it easier for photographers to upload their own images and to review and rate others. There are a few regulars using this facility – so why not upload some of your own images for 2010 [ follow the instructions from the gallery link ].

Site development will continue this year, aiming to keep the content fresh for all visitors – but the important thing to remember is that it is your website and you determine how it grows. So please, if you have anything you wish to submit to the website, we welcome all suggestions. Here’s to an exciting 2010!

Richard Pittam – Webmaster, Carsington Bird Club

NEW BRIDLEWAY LINK CREATES SAFER ROUTE FOR CARSINGTON VISITORS

For more than two years Severn Trent Water has been developing a proposal to create a new link along the Carsington Water bridleway. Currently when visitors come to the two road crossings over the B5035 at the north end of the reservoir, they could either cross the road and walk through Carsington and Hopton villages or walk alongside the busy B5035. After several near misses were reported along this stretch, and accidents occurred further on up the road, the team at Carsington Water began to plan how it could offer a safe alternative.

Middlemarch Environmental Consultancy was commissioned to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to see what effects on wildlife would result from the creation of a new link to the path along the reservoir side of the B5035.

After a wide-ranging consultation – including detailed surveying with all interested parties such as the Carsington Bird Club, Natural England, RSPB, Derbyshire Dales District Council, Carsington/Hopton Parish Council and the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust – a way forward was found and it was put to planning in July and finally passed in November 2009.

The proposed new pathway is currently under construction using traditional methods and natural materials such as recycled rocks, crushed aggregates and topsoil taken from the site. All these materials will be sourced locally to blend in naturally with the surrounding area and existing paths. The rocks will be used on the steepest slopes of the north shore to stabilise the embankment retaining the new path in a similar way to the rocks used on the reservoir’s dam wall. The new track will be screened at several key points as outlined in the EIA report.

Construction began at the beginning of 2010, and major works should be completed by mid March. It is hoped to be open for the summer 2010 season. The new link will offer excellent views of the stunning water and wildlife, and offer a safe and enjoyable alternative to the existing roadside route. The path through the villages will remain an option for visitors preferring that route.

I would like to personally thank members of the Carsington Bird Club committee for their valuable input and support throughout this project. The committee has been instrumental in monitoring the wildlife during work and helping to ensure little to no disturbance takes place to the wildlife at Carsington Water.

Ben Young – Site Manager, Severn Trent Water