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

CBC Newsletters

Nov 2009 Newsletter

No 4 / November 2009

CHAIRMAN’S THOUGHTS


I would like to start by reporting a successful response to our plea in the last newsletter for support for our club’s
committee activities. We have now acquired a new joint membership partnership – Dave and Sue Edmonds – to take over
from the existing triumvirate of Maria Harwood, and Pat and Brian Wain. Firstly may I congratulate Maria, Pat and Brian
for the impeccable service they have given to the club over a number of years; their organisation invariably worked like
clockwork, and helped me enormously in my role as treasurer. By way of thanks, I intend to pass on a token of our
gratitude at our next committee meeting.

On taking over their new duties, Dave and Sue have told me how easy the transition has been due to the previous good
practice and high standards. I now look forward to working closely with Dave and Sue, and must thank them for
volunteering to help.

Less positively, Peter Oldfield’s efforts to drum up enough interest in the planned coach trip to Slimbridge in mid-
November fell on stony ground, and we had to cancel the event. Can we apologise to those regular travellers who had
booked up again for this trip, but the economics simply did not make sense. In fact, the last two trips were also on a knifeedge
in terms of numbers, but Peter managed to salvage those visits by making last-minute rearrangements with bus
companies. This time there were simply too few applying to go.

Peter is now quite rightly questioning the feasibility of running full-day trips and we are having to consider their future. If
anybody has any views on this subject, please feel free to forward them on to me. One member has already suggested
shorter trips closer to home; meanwhile, our well-established programme of summer walks may also benefit from a little
variety in terms of locations and timings.

The number of members joining our indoor meetings at Hognaston Village Hall has also been dwindling in the last year or
two. The 30 that attended the November meeting was our best for a while – which might sound surprising. Certainly the
figure of 21 people at our October evening was especially disappointing as it was our joint meeting with Derbyshire
Ornithological Society. Those that did turn up enjoyed an expert talk on the history of bird-ringing, which is marking its
100th anniversary this year.

After the talk, Bryan Barnacle (Chair of DOS) and I compared notes on the problems in attracting more people to our
respective and collective evenings. I think I convinced him that our joint venture was worth continuing – and I have
already booked the speaker for next October (the Secretary of the Charles Tunnicliffe Society formed in 2005 to celebrate
the life of one of the great bird and natural world artists). I have also managed to fill all other speaker slots for 2010, so we
have a full programme for members to enjoy; please make an effort to get along to one or two during the coming year.
WILDFOWL AND GULL NUMBERS RISE AS AUTUMN TAKES A GRIP

Since the last newsletter, the summer birds have departed, and the autumn migration has, as usual, produced the
unusual. Rounding off 2009 breeding, the disappointing year for grebes was offset to some extent by two late Great-
Crested broods in August, and two even later Little Grebe broods in September.
The latest records for our summer visitors included a Wheatear on 2 October, a House Martin two days later, and both
Blackcap and Chiffchaff recorded as late as 7 October.

Meanwhile, wildfowl numbers rose steadily as autumn’s influence strengthened with maximum counts of 1,008 Tufted
Duck and 170 Mallard in September, and 1,770 Coot, 590 Wigeon, 148 Pochard, 123 Teal and 39 Gadwall in October,
when 12 Red-crested Pochard, 10 Goldeneye, 5 Common Scoter and 5 Pintail were also noted. A picture taken of a firstwinter
Garganey – a good sighting in itself – was later found also to contain a Green-winged Teal. This was only the third
record for Carsington, and the first since 2006.

Arctic and Black Terns flew through as part of the autumn movement, while a Gannet was recorded on two consecutive
days, so probably roosted with the gulls. Roost numbers have also been climbing, with up to 3,600
Lesser Black-backs recorded in September, and a number of rarities spotted within the throng – among them
Mediterranean, Greater Black-back, Yellow-Leg and Herring Gulls, plus Kittiwake.

Also on show was a Ring-billed Gull, which is believed to be visiting for its ninth consecutive year. Other regular winter
travellers returning to Carsington are the increasingly regular Great Northern Divers, three of which noted in November
were believed to be separate individuals.

The wader passage has been poor, but did include up to 160 Lapwings, plus much smaller numbers of Dunlin, Curlew,
Whimbrel, Oystercatcher, Snipe, Green and Common Sandpiper, and Grey and Golden Plover. Two Little Egrets and
three Whooper Swans made very brief visits, but a Black Redstart stayed long enough to delight a few local birdwatchers
in November – the first sighting of this species for 13 years.

It’s been heaven, too, for raptor lovers with no fewer than eight species noted since early August. Ospreys migrating
south to warmer winter climes passed through Carsington on four occasions in August, three in September and another in
October. Marsh Harriers were seen on two separate occasions, while a Red Kite was mobbed by another of our local
raptor regulars, a Buzzard. Several sightings of Hobbys were recorded in August and early September, while their bulkier
cousins – Peregrines – were noted regularly every month, as were Sparrowhawks and Kestrels.

Another delightful species has been putting on an excellent show all around the reservoir: up to four Kingfishers are
believed to be responsible for the rash of sightings, with fine views from the hides. On one occasion, a lucky onlooker
witnessed six fish caught in a single session from a rock island close to the Paul Stanley Hide.
STAY IN BRITAIN – AND LET THE SKUAS AND DIVERS COME TO US!

On my recent trip to the Arctic our group was rewarded with sightings of three varieties of Skua – Great, Arctic and Long-
Tailed. But there’s just no satisfying some people: a Yorkshire man with very long bird lists for both the UK and Europe
was desperate to see three particular birds, one of which was another Stercorarid – the Pomarine Skua. It became a bit of
a joke within the group when neither his efforts nor our guides’ knowledge came to anything, though our Finnish guide
admitted it would have been a ‘long shot’, anyway.

I thought nothing more about this failure until I was sitting on a beach at Dornoch on the Black Isle in northern Scotland in
August with my wife and dog (obviously not a dedicated birding holiday) when two Pomarine Skuas (one dark phase and
one light phase) drifted by, bathed in sunlight and flying so close to the beach that identification – notably by the ‘spoons’
on their tales – was simple. I suppose I should have felt just a bit sorry for our Yorkshire friend!

In the Arctic I also saw three types of diver including 21 white-billed/yellow-billed ones, all in top breeding plumage, which
surprised even our Finnish guide. We spent some time beside a huge lake looking for the fourth diver species that had
been reported but eluded our party. Ironically, this was the Great Northern Diver, so frequent at Carsington Water in
recent years – and, lo and behold, a specimen of which turned up yet again this autumn, still in summer plumage. To
have seen all four divers in their finest attire isn’t bad going for one summer!

I hope you don’t get the impression I’m always travelling … but I was also lucky enough in 2009 to manage a week in
Tuscany though expected nothing exceptional by way of bird life, knowing that food, wine and culture would make up for
that. Yet each morning just after dawn at the place we were staying, I heard the sound of Bee-eaters as between 250 and
300 swarmed above our heads moving up the valley before coming back to roost later on. What could be better to see as
you watched sunrise over Siena!

Peter Gibbon
RINGING ENDORSEMENT FOR NEW SEASON OF INDOOR TALKS

One of the early talks in our 2009-10 indoor season was an excellent and lively review of the history of bird ringing, which
is marking its 100th anniversary this year, by the British Trust for Ornithology’s ringing officer Mark Grantham in October.
Mark was keen to stress the benefits that ringing has brought to ornithology over the last century by way of scientific
knowledge and analysis – boosting our understanding of birds’ habits and habitats, migration patterns and life spans.
Among numerous illustrations, he showed one picture of a Fulmar ringed and recorded several times in its life, proving it to
be around 50 years old and a parent several times over.

A month earlier, regular presenter Paul Bingham talked about the stunning wildlife of the Galapagos Islands – a highlight
for a number of members who themselves had visited this unique location off South America’s west coast, with its high
proportion of endemic species found nowhere else in the world.

Then, in November, it was Ian Dainsley’s turn to show some of his excellent studies of nature to be found much closer to
home – in and around his home village of Bonsall. Ian told us that he’d spent many years as a keen amateur, but
eventually gave up his ‘day job’ some years ago to concentrate on professional photography … clearly to very good effect.
CARSINGTON – IDEAL VENUE FOR A ‘DATE WITH NATURE’

During 2009, the Aren’t Birds Brilliant! initiative morphed into a ‘Date with nature’, though the name change does not affect
the basic principle of creating events to introduce these natural feathered wonders to the general public. As we approach
the end of the year, the incoming winter wildfowl are providing the injection of interest and colour to help keep people
excited about what they can see right in front of them at Carsington Water. It is good that our hosts Severn Trent Water,
supported by the enthusiasm of both the RSPB and Carsington Bird Club, are able to create and maintain such an ideal
birding venue.

As winter draws in, large numbers of Wigeon, Gadwall and other ducks have flown in to provide good views close to the
Wildlife Centre. Many of our Date with nature visitors are familiar with bird-watching, but not all are ready for the
astounding diversity of species on and around the reservoir.

On a wider stage, the RSPB supports and promotes any number of campaigns, key messages and national events – the
Big Garden Bird Watch and Feed the Birds Day being two of the biggest. Working in partnership with Severn Trent also
means integrating their messages, too, and all this hype can sometimes deflect us from the essential ingredients that are
right there in front of us all. After all, if it wasn’t for thousands of migrating ducks visiting the reservoir at this time of year –
or the bird populations changing with each season – there wouldn’t be anything to get hyped up about.

The RSPB’s long-running and popular Bird of Prey campaign is set to finish at the end of the year and in its place will be
‘Letter to the Future’. This will probably be familiar to those RSPB members among you, but it’s worth underlining its
simple message – enjoy nature and protect it. How this can be applied to specific species or habitats is an additional layer.
What’s fundamental is that there is so much to be gained from enjoying familiar wildlife – what we often see in front of us.
Perhaps this is often overlooked, but nowhere is it more obviously the case than the reservoir, where it is accessible to
every user.

Chris Johnstone, RSPB/STW Date with nature Project Officer
VOLUNTEERS TAKE A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH

Following hard on the heels of last spring’s successful Soil & Earthworm Survey run in partnership with the Natural History
Museum and Nottingham University, Severn Trent Water Volunteer Rangers were keen to continue their scientific studies
by taking part in the Air Survey being conducted under the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) initiative of the Natural History
Museum. The STW group is being joined by volunteers from the Carsington Bird Club, all of whom will take part after
receiving training.

The aim of this latest survey is to discover more about the way the natural environment is affected by air pollution and its
impact on local areas as well as helping to build up a national picture of the distribution and abundance of lichens and
fungi that can be affected by pollution.

These species will be used as environmental indicators of air quality. The Carsington volunteers will survey trees around
the reservoir for lichen species that are tolerant and intolerant to nitrogen in the air and also count the fungal ‘tar spots’
found on sycamore leaves. Dr Amy Rogers, OPAL community scientist came to give several volunteers a training
workshop on 20 October enthusing all to go and hug/survey trees for results, so the survey will commence shortly!
For more info on the study, go to www.OPALexplorenature.org on your internet and click on Surveys. Anyone interested
in getting involved can get advice from STW Ranger Rose Day, or contact CBC committee officials.

Meanwhile, a milestone arrived at the ‘Bird-watching for Beginners’ walk on 6 September, which was the 50th occasion of
this increasingly popular monthly event. Led by Volunteer Ranger David Bennett, 25 ‘customers’ enjoyed not just the
three-hour walk – to Sheepwash, visiting all 4 hides in between – but also a free draw to mark the milestone. Prizes were
generously donated by Carsington Clothing, Water Rail; RSPB Shop; Severn Trent Water, and the RSPB/Severn Trent
Water Date with nature team. Anyone not winning one of the main prizes received one of the popular RSPB pin badges.
David Bennett was presented with a commemorative shield by Head Ranger Dan Taberner.
WHAT’S ON

The Bird Club is now into its winter programme (when all events take place at Hognaston Village Hall, beginning at
7.30pm). This series of talks continues until March, after which we switch to outdoor events. Below is a full list of
upcoming CBC events:

15 December Christmas party, including talk by club secretary Paul Hicking Hognaston Village Hall
on biodiversity
19 January 2010 Annual General Meeting, followed by talk by club chairman Hognaston Village Hall
Peter Gibbon: ‘Arctic Wonderland’
25 January Committee meeting Visitor Centre (8pm)
16 February Talk by Eddie Hallam: ‘My life with nature’ Hognaston Village Hall
16 March Talk by Neil Glenn: ‘Valley Parade – the Wildlife of the Lower Hognaston Village Hall
Rio Grande’
With the Christmas/New Year holiday, Severn Trent Water can expect a busy time as visitors try to reduce their
waistlines after the seasonal excesses … What better place for some exercise! Watch, too, for the start of the Compose
Carsington’ photographic competition, due to get under way in March (shots from 1 July 2009 are eligible). Here’s a full
list of organised events – and be aware that booking is often essential (c/o 01629 540696):
Mon-Sat to Three-course Christmas lunches are available at the Mainsail Visitor Centre
24 December Restaurant (call New Leaf Catering, 01629 540363, for details)
First Sunday Bird-watching for Beginners (min age 13+, bring boots, binoculars Visitor Centre (10am-noon)
each month notebook and suitable clothing … booking advisable)
Each Tuesday RSPB/STW ‘Date with nature’ (access for all, free … learn about Wildlife Centre
and weekend wildlife at Carsington Water; use scopes/binoculars provided) (10.30am-3.30pm)
5-6 December Christmas at Carsington (festive activities for all the family) Visitor Centre
23-24 January RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch weekend (join the world’s biggest Wildlife and Visitor Centres
bird survey, quiz plus crafts for children … donations welcome) (10.30am-3.30pm)

 

CBC Newsletters

May 2009 Newsletter

No 2 / May 2009

CHAIRMAN’S THOUGHTS

As I write this in early May, a Great Northern Diver was still popping up around the reservoir. It will already have seen
many summer migrants arrive and by now will probably have made its own exit. This period of comings and goings – when
changeable weather can send some unusual migrants our way – is possibly the most exciting period for birdwatching at
Carsington. Sightings come thick and fast, but don’t assume that everyone else makes the effort to record them, so you
don’t need to … please keep recording what you see!

It is also the time when members tend to go on holiday most regularly and with the credit crunch, maybe we’re beginning
to see a trend towards more holidays taken in the UK and less abroad. Passenger numbers at the three major London
airports are down, and the recession does seems to be taking effect. Personally, I’ve experienced the disappointment of
trying to book a birdwatching trip to the Arctic with two companies that ultimately had to conclude they simply didn’t have
enough clients to run them economically.

These are probably two of the best known and most important carriers, one stating the trip was their ‘Blue Riband’ holiday
that had previously run consistently for 17 years. So perhaps the scene is set for more birdwatching ‘within these shores’
– yet nowhere in the world can offer more opportunities, and more guides to help you find the birds. There is a plethora of
books detailing ‘Where to watch …’ and ‘Best Birdwatching Sites’, local ornithological logs (our own excellent annual report
included) and information leaflets from reserves covering widely differing birding habitats.

Add to this the latest ‘what’s about?’ information on the internet (or even pagers) and nowhere on the planet can it be
easier to find birds than here on our own doorsteps. This, of course, also means more visitors to Derbyshire in general
and Carsington in particular so we in turn can help those strangers to our area. All we need is good weather (and I believe
this summer’s long-range forecast is favourable) to make the most of birding in the UK …. so much so, in fact, that I’ve
convinced myself and my family to pull out of a holiday to the Algarve and book a week in Scotland and another in Devon!
Two different ends of our fantastic country – and, with luck, two good lists!

Peter Gibbon
SUMMER ARRIVALS SWARM INTO CARSINGTON

It’s that exciting time of year when early spring weather may blow in just about anything as birds begin their migration
journeys, and when the date-stamp comes out to log the earliest arrivals of those birds choosing this area as their summer
retreat and, hopefully, breeding ground.

First across this imaginary finish line were Sand Martins on 12 March, the same day the first Chiffchaff was heard (though
up to five were singing just three days later). A Wheatear arrived on the 22nd, followed by the first Swallow a day later, and
a Blackcap on the 30th.

A Swift lived up to its name by turning up 8 April, a week earlier than the species had ever been logged before at
Carsington Water, and beating House Martins to the site by three days. Other April arrivals included Common and Lesser
Whitethroats, both recorded on the 19th, a Pied Flycatcher that was heard singing in Hall Wood on the 20th, and a Garden
Warbler noted the following day.

Both Rock and Water Pipits were recorded in March on the dam wall, a favourite with White Wagtails, though they also
took a liking to Stones Island. A maximum of only eight Yellow Wagtails were seen this year. One of the latest migrants
logged was a Cuckoo, noted on 18 May.

By contrast, two Hobbys had turned up earlier than usual on their migration, on April 15, but a Honey Buzzard was
perhaps the star raptor turn that month, making only a fleeting visit before being escorted away by two Common Buzzards.
Common by name and nature, up to 13 Buzzards were seen in the air at the same time a month earlier, when a pair of
Peregrines was also spotted over Hall Wood. Meanwhile, Red Kites – an increasingly regular sight at Carsington – were
seen four times during May.

April’s wader passage was poor, but a total of six Avocets made up for the lack of variety – though Black-tailed Godwits
were seen in both March and April, their Bar-tailed cousin cropped up in April, and a Woodcock was flushed near Paul
Stanley Hide in March, when the largest Curlew flock seen numbered 44.

By May, easterly winds brought in Turnstone, Sanderling and Ringed Plover, but this month also saw the final departure of
the long-staying Great Northern Divers – by this time in their summer plumage. Two months earlier, they had been joined
by a single Red-throated cousin (divers must be giving Carsington a good travel report!) which gave little chance of views
as it stayed just 50 minutes.

May highlights also included the arrival of Spotted Flycatchers and a Mandarin seen regularly at Penn Carr. After a good
tern passage, with Common, Arctic, Black and Sandwich varieties all logged, a determined Common Tern remained on
the Watersports pontoon having had to watch Black-headed Gulls take over the tern raft. Nevertheless, it again looked
unlikely Carsington would be able to claim any tern chicks.

By mid-May breeding was under way elsewhere, however, with five broods of Mallard, two of Moorhen, one, maybe two
Oystercatcher broods and one successful Redshank nest all being monitored, along with active nest boxes containing
apparently successful Great and Willow Tits.
BIRD IN FOCUS: RED KITE

Milvus Milvus – or Red Kite – was seen several times at Carsington in May, which is a reflection of an astounding
conservation success story that brought this beautiful bird of prey back from the brink of extinction in Britain. In the Middle
Ages it was one of the commonest birds in towns and villages, and protected by Royal Decree for its value as a
scavenger, the refuse collector of its day. Ironically, it is today once again protected by law and, thankfully, seems to be
thriving with what’s reckoned to be over 1,000 breeding pairs in the UK.

Wales remains this graceful species’ main stronghold, but there are growing populations in England – notably in the
Chilterns, Yorkshire and Oxfordshire – and in Scotland, mainly in Dumfries and Galloway. Non-breeding kites, though,
could be seen just about anywhere – including reservoirs in Derbyshire!

It’s been a long road back following a Europe-wide wave of persecution, especially in the late 19th century, as landowners
wrongly viewed kites as game-hunting vermin: this saw its extinction in England and Scotland, with just a few pairs
remaining in the ancient oakwoods of mid-Wales. Active protection to redress the decline began in 1903 but progress was
painfully slow for various reasons.

Apart from persecution (usually poisoning) by gamekeepers, as kites became rarer they became a target for egg collectors
and taxidermists. Also, the specific area inhabited by the sparse remaining population had relatively poor food availability
– particularly during and after the myxomatosis outbreak that devastated the rabbit population – which in turn resulted in
limited breeding success.

Furthermore, genetics were playing a part as it was later proven (by DNA analysis!) that the entire Welsh population was
descended from a single female! Consequently, the population did not exceed 20 pairs until the 1960s, but as they spread
to new territories at lower altitudes it became clear more productive habitats were behind their accelerated success – and
re-introduction programmes began in England and Scotland.

Anyone who has seen this majestic bird in flight will agree that the programme has enriched our natural environment …
those that have not should head for Wales, or the M40 that runs through the Chilterns, or Yorkshire’s Harewood estate, or
the Galloway Kite Trail in Scotland. It would be well worth it!
DANNY ANSWERS ARCTIC CALL … BUT BIRDS KINDLY STAY PUT AT CARSINGTON!

Prizewinning photographer Danny Green should have given the last indoor talk in March but at the last minute had to step
in for a business partner as guide for a trip to the Arctic. Apologies to those who turned up especially to see him, but it
could not be helped. Instead, CBC Chairman Peter Gibbon stepped into the breach with a talk on a trip to Shetland/Fair
Isle. Some of the audience had been there and one couple had a son living on the most northerly Shetland isle, so there
was plenty of interest in the striking scenery and huge birding interest of this remote corner of Britain. When the indoor
meetings begin again in September, the subject will take us even further, to the most famous wildlife islands of all, the
Galapagos.

So to the big outdoors nearer to home – and those attending the first summer walk on 21 April had fresh, dry conditions
and found there was more insect life than birds on display on and around Stones Island – though two of the long-staying
Great Northern Divers were seen clearly along with a single Shelduck. Yellow Wagtails are often a feature of this walk,
but only Pied showed themselves this time, while summer migrants included House and Sand Martins and Swallows in
good numbers. Little Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Redshank and Curlew were also on view, and a Snipe and Common
Tern were seen by some.

The Dawn Chorus walk, braved by 16 club members prepared to rise in the middle of the night to make a 4.30am start,
brought the usual early spring arrivals – including Chiffchaff, Garden and Willow Warblers, Blackcap and Whitethroat –
plus an excellent view of an early-morning fox trying his luck on the shore just opposite the Wildlife Centre. Whimbrel and
Dunlin were among the waders spotted over breakfast in the centre.
May’s walk, from Millfields, is commonly called the ‘warbler walk’ and it lived up to its name though again it was another
species that was the real star when a Tawny Owl was spotted being mobbed by four smaller birds – a Blackbird, Wren,
Long-tail Tit and Willow Tit.
FINAL MONTH TO SUBMIT THOSE PRIZE-WINNING PHOTOS!

May heralded the start of ‘Compose Carsington’ – a nature photography competition to highlight the beauty of the reservoir
and its wildlife. As we enter June any competitors have only a few weeks left to submit their entries.
The competition is open to amateurs as well as professionals so don’t waste any time getting out and about to find those
winning shots. Knowledge of the area will definitely be a huge advantage to entrants who know where to find the most
popular spots for wildlife.

There are a number of exciting prizes being awarded in several categories, and judging will take place soon after the
competition closes on 30 June. Our star judge, Ben Osborne, will be casting his eye over the entrants to help pick the
best of the best. His spellbinding shot that won the 2007 Wildlife Photographer of the Year award was a rich mixture of
movement and abstract composition so bear this in mind for the water category.

Project assistant Michaela Hancock and I are also planning some photographic tuition workshops to complement the
competition. Keep an eye out for these in order to pick up some tips for any late entries to the competition. I’d one again
like to thank the Carsington Bird Club for their generous donations to the prize-list and wish any entrants the best of luck.
All the details are on www.rspb.org.uk/composecarsington.

Chris Johnstone – Aren’t Birds Brilliant! Project Officer
VOLUNTEERING PROVIDES TWO-WAY BENEFITS

Severn Trent Water’s band of volunteers do, we hope, get fulfilment from the activities they are able to undertake for us at
Carsington, and certainly it’s a two-way street for us as the volunteer rangers play an invaluable role in helping to maintain
and develop all of our public access sites. In 2008, 649 duties (totalling 3,205 hours) were performed by STW volunteers
at our sister Derbyshire reservoirs – Carsington Water and Ogston.

In July 2008 we began recording and compiling data to assess the financial savings that volunteer rangers help Severn
Trent Water to achieve, and in the succeeding six months the volunteer rangers’ time amounted to an equivalent value of
£10,941. That’s almost £ 2,000 per month, or £60 every day – valuable in every sense.

Rangers carry out a number of important tasks at our sites including conservation work and site maintenance/
improvements to assisting at special events and open days. Conservation takes in the widest range of activity – from
woodland and island work, and grassland management to collecting seeds and building objects as varied as bird feeders,
hedgehog boxes and dry-stone-walls. Volunteers are involved in vital maintenance tasks such as erosion control,
vegetation control and dead hedging, and maintaining the miles of track around the site.

As well as helping out with open days, and serving as well-informed guides on wildlife walks (not forgetting the twiceweekly
duties alongside the RSPB project officers managing the Aren’t Birds Brilliant! initiative), volunteers even found time to raise some charity cash themselves – by staging a car wash in aid of Children in Need. Yes, variety truly is the spice of life for the Carsington volunteer ranger.

Rose Day, STW Ranger
WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS

The club has had a number of new members over the last several months. We hope they are enjoying the outdoor
activities at such an excellent ‘home’ venue, will join some of the club’s forthcoming coach trips and will enjoy the fabulous
insight into the natural world we get from local speakers during our winter indoor season.

Those new members for 2008/09 include: Kay Billings, Quarndon; S Daffin and S Mason, Chesterfield; Roger Jaques of
Somercotes; David and Sue Edmonds, Ashbourne; Don Newing, Belper; Bill Samson, Matlock; Ed Whiting of Cheddleton
in Staffs; Peter Wright, Darley Dale and S Wright of Mansfield … Welcome one and all!

CBC Newsletters

Feb 2009 Newsletter

No1 / February 2009

 CHAIRMAN’S THOUGHTS

Maybe a bit late – but a happy new year to everybody.  I hope 2009 is your best year ever for birds and I’m sure many of you are already well under way with lists of birds seen inDerbyshire,UKor worldwide.  If so, can I remind you of the value in sharing your knowledge by publicly recording what you’ve seen, no matter how ‘routine’ you might think it is.  The RSPB’s national Big Garden Bird Watch, for example, with 900,000 entries in 2008, is a valuable repository of records.  Many other organisations, like Derbyshire Ornithological Society and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, need raw data – as does Carsington Bird Club itself.  There are log books in the hides and, if you forget to use those, there’s nothing easier than doing so when you get home, on the club’s wonderful website, run so ably by Richard Pittam.  Expanding our records is a very worthwhile new year’s resolution – give it a go!

Our AGM in January reported an impressive list of achievements for such a small club – including two trips, speakers for six indoor meetings and five outdoor walks led by committee members, together with regular bird feeding, consistent recording, plus our annual report and four newsletters.  Our stock of bird boxes increases and our relationship with Severn Trent remains strong and mutually beneficial.

Not so positive is our own credit crunch, with a steady decline in members and a smaller-than-ideal committee.  My hope for 2009 is extra resources – more members and funds and a few extra committee volunteers!  Please renew your subscription as early as possible (a renewal slip was enclosed with the last newsletter, but there are still many yet to renew) and try to encourage friends and relations to join up.

My next writing task will be the 2008 Chairman’s review for our annual report – a useful and impressive document, I’m sure you’d agree, which is widely recognised for its valuable content and polished appearance.

As it won’t be out for a while yet, I’d like to pre-empt my review by mentioning those who put so much into our club.  Roger Carrington’s recording expertise is well known, but his survey work, bird feeding activity and his important liaison work with ST are also crucial.  Paul and Steph Hicking not only keep our meetings in order but liaise with other organisations on our behalf; they led what is becoming an annual nightjar hunt for members around Clumber Park, and Paul has also instituted an impressive bird box scheme.  Gary Atkins efficiently edits and distributes our quarterly newsletters, and looks for opportunities to promote CBC.  This quartet also provides the arrangements whereby people can enjoy the rich experience of the Dawn Chorus walk each May.

Peter Oldfield, despite a hip operation, organised two trips (it would have been three but for lack of demand). All of the club’s trips offer the chance of seeing birds in a variety of habitats (see application form for the next trip – to Bempton Cliffs in June).  Richard Pittam ensures the website gets better each year, while membership is efficiently administered by Maria Harwood, and Pat and Brian Wain.  Thanks to all of you.

Peter Gibbon

 

DIVERS MAKE IT A LONG STAY – AND WATERFOWL, GULL NUMBERS SWELL

Winter visitors have included up to four Great Northern Divers, a record number for the site, while Scaup and Common Scoter have also been regular between November and February.  A Great White Egret was noted in December, and its cousin the Grey Heron surprised onlookers the following month by swallowing a rat whole!

There have been sizeable flocks of water birds, waders and gulls keeping the counters busy.  Up to 545 Lapwings in January was gratifyingly higher than in the same month last year, while maximum counts of ducks include 844 Tufted, 406 Wigeon, 308 Pochard, 152 Mallard and more than 50 Teal and Gadwall, with Pintail, Shelduck, Red-breasted Merganser and good numbers of Goosander and Goldeneye also on show.  Over 60 Cormorants and Great-crested Grebe were recorded in November, and a month later Little Grebes totalled 105.  Coots, meanwhile, were numerous once again, reaching a maximum of 2,175 on 16 November.

Cold weather and the use of hawks at a nearby refuse tip drove down the numbers of large gulls, but there was still an impressive roost on 13 January, when 3,000 Black-headed, 600 Common and 500 Lesser Black-backs were seen along with 30 Herring, three Greater Black-backed and two Yellow-legs.  Caspian, Ring-billed,Mediterraneanand Glaucous Gulls have also been noted over the winter so far.

Raptors were less prolific, but Buzzards and Peregrines are regular, with November highlights including a Merlin and a Red Kite noted in late January.  An impromptu path is being beaten to the door of a pair of Tawny Owls but as this threatens a traditional breeding sight, please try to resist the temptation and stick to the main path! Up to 80 Redwings and 50 Fieldfares were recorded, with Siskin, Long-tail Tits and Lesser Redpoll seen in smaller flocks.  Kingfishers delight observers most days, while four Blackcaps and a single Chiffchaff over-wintered.

 

VISITING DARWIN’S TREASURE TROVE IS JUST MAGICAL

Last October, my wife Lilian and I enjoyed the trip of a lifetime to mainland Ecuadorand the Galapagos Islands. Putting the experience into words isn’t easy, but the current media focus on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin – and the recent receipt of a 45-page report from the trip leader, with comprehensive lists and photographs – have encouraged me to attempt a brief summary.

Galapagos wildlife is truly magical and its total indifference to humans allows leisurely observation at amazingly close quarters.  Be reassured, though, strict rules exist to ensure the animals are not disturbed. Visitors can only arrive by boats on specified routes and timescales, on specific islands, accompanied by an official guide, walking restricted paths for an allotted period of time, and there are vast areas where no access is allowed.

I stress these restrictions since media coverage suggests tourism is damaging the island environment – and while the local population increase to service tourism is having an impact, the funds earned are improving human lives and financing scientific research.  That said, the animals dictate the pace and, with a sea lion giving birth on the path in front of you, a detour is the only option!  Sea lions and penguins seem to enjoy swimming around these very clumsy humans, shoals of very colourful fish seem to laugh at our ineptitude, and flat-footed Boobies manage to perch on narrow branches while flipper-wearing people find it difficult even to stand up.

The “tameness” of the birdlife was exhilarating and we had magnificent views of over 70 species, missing just two of the rarerDarwinfinches. Frigate Birds were ever-present over, and on, our 16-berth boat, and petrel species were a constant identification challenge in varied weather conditions. Dolphins led the way, bow-riding on several occasions, and pilot whales also escorted us. Apparently both species enjoy our high-pitched sounds of excitement as we hang over the bow to improve our view of their gymnastics.

Having been fascinated by iguanas as a schoolboy, I was thrilled to see them in such close proximity and the giant tortoises lived up to their name. Turtles could clearly be heard breathing among the atmospheric mangrove swamps, where sharks and rays were also seen but the birds were always the focus of attention.

Where Galapagos lived up to, and exceeded, our expectations, our 11 days in mainlandEcuadorwas an experience we simply had not anticipated.  Over 300 bird species presented themselves in glorious, fabulous and, at times, unreal colour: Unimaginable, even with the time spent on research before the trip.

At 12,000 feet above sea level – so, walking very slowly – we saw two Andean Condors and two rare Black-faced Ibis.  Between there and the Amazon basin we saw 50 hummingbird species, one with a bill longer than its body, another with a tail twice its body length.  Among many surreal moments, one dawn walk took us to the only street-lamp in the area to witness the influx of birds feeding on an accumulation of moths and insects while local buses and trucks gathered to take people to work. The ‘Cock-of-the Rock’ lek was spectacular but almost eclipsed by a forest trek with our guide calling out the normally shy and elusive Antpittas (Yellow-breasted, Giant and Moustached) by pet-names and many endearments – with the added help of some worms!

In the Amazon, we stayed at the Napo Wildlife Centre, owned and run with understandable pride by the local population.  Access requires a five-hour journey by motorised, then paddled canoes, but the location is idyllic – so remote yet so comfortable, with wildlife never far away.  “Gunshots” heard in the night proved to be territorial tail-slapping on the water by a giant fish, while the loss of the fresh water supply one day was caused by a Cayman chewing through the supply pipe.

A scary but satisfying morning on a small platform above the rainforest canopy yielded a procession of colourful parrots, vultures, hawks, numerous small songsters and rather noisier Howler Monkeys.  A silent canoe trip at dusk revealed Caymans, Fishing-bats, Night-monkeys, large flying insects and moths.  Two huge snakes dangling from a tree resulted in rapid reverse paddling, and an increasing frog chorus and illumination by glow-worms lent further magic to the experience.  Sadly, we missed out on Giant Otters and saw only the tracks of Tapirs.

Be warned, airports are boring places, insects bite, sun burns and wildlife identification is tricky with no European counterpart – but for a truly exciting experience and 400 bird species in three weeks, this would be hard to beat!

Roger & Lilian Carrington

 

ATTENTION ALL HOT SHOTS!

The diversity of Carsington Water in spring and summer time is the focus of a photographic competition being organised by the RSPB and Severn Trent with support from several sponsors, including the Bird Club, offering three memberships and a Collins field guide as prizes.  Entries must be created and submitted between 1 May and 30 June, and in one or more of five categories – Birds and Wildlife, Flora, Landscapes, Water and under-16s.

An overall winner will be drawn from the category winners.  There is a fee of £2 per entrant, and the panel of judges will sit to select their winners on 17 July.  For queries or more information, contact the RSPB’s ABB representative at Carsington, Chris Johnstone (chris.johnstone@rspb.org.uk).

NEST BOX SCHEME EXTENDED TO CARSINGTON CHURCHYARD

For the past 12 years CBC and Severn Trent have recorded and added to the nest box scheme around the reservoir, during which time we have been able to record some important species such as Redstart, Nuthatch and our signature bird, Tree Sparrow.  Happily, we have now been able to expand our recording area by taking up Carsington village’s offer of setting up a new nest box scheme (which is dedicated to the memory of one of our members, Betty Walker) within the churchyard.

On8 February 2009 the first seven new boxes were placed within the grounds at the rear of the church – an exciting area as its sits against the mature woodland on the hillside; it will be interesting to see which species takes advantage of the new boxes.

Paul Hicking

WORK UNDER WAY TO MAKE A BETTER HABITAT FOR ‘RATTY’

Water voles are one of Carsington Water’s wildlife highlights.  This delightful creature – which lovers of literature as well as wildlife know, courtesy of ‘Ratty’ from Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows – is relatively rare these days, but can be found living along the banks of Carsington Water and at ponds and streams around the site, where tall grasses or emergent vegetation, such as sedges and rushes, provide cover and much needed sources of food and nesting material.

With increased tree growth along watercourse banks, however, the quality of water vole habitat has declined.  Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s (DWT) water vole project, which is funded by the SITA Trust, has highlighted the importance of Carsington Water for the species and DWT staff has been working with Severn Trent Water ranger and volunteer ranger teams to enhance water vole habitat at the site. In February, a number of trees along the Henmore Brook and around the settlement ponds were coppiced to let in more light, which in turn will encourage the growth of vegetation along banks.

Fencing on adjacent farmland along the brook is in a poor state of repair and the Trust’s project will also fund replacement fencing which will protect water vole habitat from grazing livestock. Some additional new ponds are also planned to create further water vole habitat.

Water vole populations along the Henmore Brook and at Carsington Water are some of the last remaining populations in the Dove catchment.  Protecting these populations is essential for water vole recovery in this
catchment.  If you do see a water vole at Carsington Water please inform one of the rangers.  Records can also be sent to the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust via their website www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk.

Helen Perkins, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust

DID YOU KNOW?

A possible future option for members with computers is to receive the newsletter by e-mail, which would reduce the club’s postage bill and may be a preferable way of storing it.  Can you inform editor Gary Atkins (see contact box below) if you would prefer to receive it ‘electronically’ or if have any thoughts on the proposal.

The wildlife centre has a new high-resolution camera/CCTV to make wildlife sightings that little bit easier and clearer for visitors to Carsington Water.  This camera – with its ‘punk’ hairdo of long spikes to keep larger birds from roosting on it – can be operated by joystick from the centre.  High-resolution colour cameras fitted to bird boxes feed live nesting-time images to visitors to the visitor centre restaurant.

The well-regarded CBC website was ever more popular in 2008, with 64,710 ‘hits’ – 13,635 (or 22 per cent) more than 2007.  Virtually every area was visited more often, the biggest gain being the definitive bird list up 176 per cent.  Over a third of the hits were for the online sightings board, and a box of chocolates went to Margaret and Ray Perry for the most sightings (49) posted (apart from the collective efforts of RSPB/ABB volunteers).

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