Welcome to the club’s spring newsletter.  Normally, it would be date-stamped ‘May’ but a busy few weeks has meant this has morphed into the ‘May/June’ issue.  One pressing thing of late has been the 2021 annual report, which is often printed and with you by late April, but a few changes in production resulted in a delay or two this year.  Apologies, but never fear, it should be with you within a couple of weeks … and next year I would expect things to run more smoothly.

The busy period since the last newsletter has involved the last couple of indoor meetings – one also  incorporating our AGM – a club trip and our annual ‘warbler walk’, which was held on the same day as Severn Trent’s celebration event to mark 30 years of Carsington Water, at which we had a display.  You can read about those activities in the article by Chris Lamb beginning on page two.

At the AGM, we were able to confirm a further improvement in the club’s administration, as Louise Sykes joined the committee as our new Secretary.  As well as filling this important post, Louise brings a proven pedigree in running fund-raising events, plus a natural vitality which has already borne fruit with a number of ideas for raising our profile.  This, hopefully, will result in swelling our membership numbers.  Suffice to say it’s likely we’ll be more active as a club – and more obvious to the general public – than in recent years.

Another piece of good news is the planning for the new Sheepwash hide, which is now beginning to move ahead in earnest.  When built and back in action, it will be a real boon to the club and other local birders who have undoubtedly missed what was always acknowledged as the most ideally positioned hide.  A later article, provided by STW’s Site Supervisor for Carsington Water John Matkin, explains some of the project milestones.

A few of those same birders and committee members are also supporting bird feeding at the reservoir, having recently taken over that responsibility at the Paul Stanley Hide.  Severn Trent have kindly given us control of a source of funding that helps buy bird food, so we are trying hard to keep those feeders filled.  A pesky squirrel or two have thwarted us by finding their way into the food store, but we are contriving increasingly successful ways of foiling these clever rodents!

We are now looking at a relatively quiet couple of months – so enjoy those (hopefully) balmy summer months of sunshine and holidays – but by the autumn we will be moving back into action with our indoor meetings, more of which in the August newsletter, but for now – for your diaries – the  first of these will be on 20 September, delivered by renowned local photographer, Paul Hobson.

Finally, one sad piece of news: Philip Shooter, who was a founder member of the club, recently passed away aged 85 (see obituary on page 4).

BYE-BYE DIVER AND GREBES, HELLO MIGRANTS

We have just been through one of the exciting periods of the birding year – when our winter visitors depart for breeding grounds elsewhere, and other migrants travel long distances to reach British shores, and some of those head for Carsington Water to join the residents in raising new families.

Those departing included our now-annual visiting Great Northern Diver, which having arrived in early January once again remained at the reservoir until May, last seen on the 6^th.  This year, the site was also graced by two Red-necked Grebes, which seemed to take a leaf out of the diver’s book, the first one leaving on 4 May, the second eight days later.  Meanwhile, the final Fieldfare was spotted on 9 April, with the last Redwing sighting two days later.

By then, a number of the summer migrants had already arrived: Sand Martins turned up on 13 March, the first Blackcap was recorded nine days later and, slightly more mysteriously, some Chiffchaffs arrived in March but others had probably overwintered – whichever, on the 29^th a phenomenal 148 were present.  In early April, Swallows and a handful of House Martins were with us, along with Willow Warblers (first logged on the 9^th), the joint earliest ever Sedge Warbler (12^th), Redstart a day later and Reed Warbler (18^th).

A real bonus came in the shape of a scarce Grasshopper Warbler, which was heard ‘reeling’ on 20 April, then between then and the end of the month came Lesser Whitethroat (23^rd), Garden Warbler (26^th), Pied Flycatcher (28^th) and Swift (29^th).  Most migrants are here by the end of April, but one exception is invariably Spotted Flycatcher; the first individual was found in Middle Wood on the 15^th, but three days later there were two on Stones Island.

Two Avocets early in March were among wader highlights, along with 51 Curlew on 7 March, while Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers were both seen in early spring.  Up to 15 Common Snipe and a single Jack Snipe were seen in March, while it was good to see four Ruff on 23 April.  May was a little better still, with five Whimbrel, four Turnstone and a Green Sandpiper on the 3^rd, three Sanderling and six Dunlin a week later, and up to four Common Sandpipers also showing well.

Flocks of 14 and 30 Whooper Swans flew over in March and April, respectively, while up to eight Shelducks and 2-3 Mandarins have been recorded each month.  A female Scaup was identified on 11-12 March and a Common Scoter was recorded 27 April.  Great Crested Grebe numbers continue to impress as over 80 have been counted each month.  Little Egrets were seen on consecutive days in late March, while two were evident on each of two dates in April and a Great White Egret popped in on 10 April.

The resident waterfowl have begun raising young as Greylag and Canada Geese have so far produced 13 and 10 broods, respectively, and there have been 12 Mallard, 10 Coot and a single Moorhen brood, while Mute Swans are also sitting on eggs.

Ospreys were recorded six times during the period March-May, while up to 4 Red Kites cruised majestically over the reservoir and surrounding woodland with sightings continuing to increase in frequency.  Buzzard and Kestrel are seen most days, and Sparrowhawk and Peregrine several times a month, but other scarcer spring raptor sightings included a Merlin on 29 March and Hobby on 18 May.

After 7,000 Black-headed Gulls were seen in early March, numbers fell away, dropping to 1,000 by April but a number of those that remained soon began to find nest sites for the usual breeding frenzy.  Single Kittiwakes were around on two dates in April, when the tern passage also began as two Sandwich Terns were recorded on the 12^th, two Black Terns two days later, then a single Common and five Arctic on the 29^th and 20 more Arctic Terns just three days later.

Sand Martin and Swallow numbers increased, peaking at 300 and 200, respectively, in early May, while 80 House Martins were counted on 12 May.  Passage Yellow Wagtails were thin on the ground, with a maximum of two in April and May, but other species that are sticking around are plentiful; a perimeter walk on 29 April found, among others, 104 Blackbirds, 37 Song Thrushes and 12 Mistle Thrushes, many of them singing, plus 90 Chiffchaffs, 85 Blackcaps and 22 Willow Warblers.

EVENTS PROGRAMME NOW BACK IN FULL SWING

The last few months have been encouraging in that we’ve been able to complete successfully our full 2021-22 indoor meetings season – and then, moving outdoors, resume activities that Covid had prevented us from doing for much of 2020 and 2021.

For logistical and Covid-safety reasons, we have been staging our indoor meetings in the spacious New Leaf restaurant and for our penultimate meeting, Max Maughan, leader of the RSPB Derby local group, took us on an exciting journey to Patagonia in the southern reaches of South America. Superbly illustrated by pictures (and videos) taken by his wife Christine, we experienced the wonderful diversity of scenery and wildlife in this remote corner of the world, including some incredible close-up footage of generally elusive pumas.

For our final meeting, in March, we welcomed Gary Hobson to talk to us for the first time. Gary described the birds and wildlife of Washington state in the USA, a location he had visited many times as his job in aerospace often takes him to the Seattle-based Boeing company. Having a self-confessed passion for anything which can fly, Gary’s talk included not just birds, but many butterflies and quite a few aeroplanes too!

Moving outside, our first event was a club trip to Fairburn Ings in Yorkshire on 1 May.  Our small group of mostly regular attendees enjoyed this very good nature reserve that offered a mixture of habitats.  Summer visitors were appearing in good numbers, many in full voice during our visit.  Chiffchaffs were seemingly everywhere and several Willow Warblers were seen and heard. We had good views of both male and female Blackcaps plus a single Garden Warbler.

Later in the day a Reed Warbler was heard singing from the reedbeds, as well as a Whitethroat’s scratchy song at the top of a tree. Hirundines were well represented with Sand Martins and Swallows hawking for insects over the river – and that most iconic of summer visitors, the Cuckoo, was heard calling and briefly seen flying across the treetops.  One sharp-eyed member (Jane!) spotted a Spoonbill in flight, while the lakes held good numbers of the common wildfowl species, with smaller counts of Shelduck and Shoveler adding to the variety. A pair of Avocets and a single Oystercatcher were the only waders on view. 

A few Common Terns were seen flying over the water and we spent some time studying three birds with blood-red bills, with no black tips – diagnostic of Arctic Terns – sitting on one of the specially constructed rafts. We checked out our finding with an RSPB volunteer who had joined us in the hide, who said, “Do you mean those decoy terns?”. With some degree of embarrassment (and amusement!) we continued our walk around the reserve, glad that we hadn’t got as far as reporting the sighting at the visitor centre!  It seems none of us had spotted that they hadn’t moved an inch!

The Nearby St. Aidan’s RSPB Reserve had been an option, but with time short most of the group decided to stay at Fairburn Ings, where we were treated to the sound of a booming Bittern and the sight of a quartering Marsh Harrier.  One member, John Follett, did decide to make the short trip to St. Aidan’s and was rewarded with a Black-necked Grebe and a Little Owl.

Later in May, we welcomed back our annual ‘Warbler Walk’, which Covid had prevented in both 2020 and 2021.  This walk around Stones Island and the vicinity of the Wildlife Centre was led by Simon Roddis, whose knowledge and experience (and eyes and ears!) were able to help us pinpoint and identify the birds we came across, especially many of the site’s summer visitors. 

With the trees almost fully in leaf, many of the birds we encountered were heard rather than seen, so Simon’s expert knowledge of the different songs and calls was invaluable. First heard was a Reed Warbler, which surprisingly was singing from the depths of bushes close to the Visitor Centre courtyard.  Continuing around Stones Island, Chiffchaffs were easier to pick out from the repetitive song which gives them their name, and the descending cadence of Willow Warblers was picked up. A pair of Blackcaps and a Garden Warbler were also identified (and we tried to differentiate between their often confusing song!), along with the first Sedge Warbler of the day, which showed itself briefly on the top of bushes overlooking Sailing Club bay.

The walk was not just about warblers of course, and along with many of the common resident species, a Willow Tit was heard calling, there were good views of a singing Reed Bunting, a few Swifts circling above us were a welcome sign of summer and Sand Martins were noted flying low over the water. Waders were represented by a Little Ringed Plover on the shingle shore of Stones Island, and a pair of Oystercatchers and a single Lapwing flew over. A distant Red Kite on the far side of the reservoir was the sole raptor on show.

Moving round to the Wildlife Centre we had close up views of various ducks and geese, along with several pairs of Great Crested Grebe and a Little Grebe.  Among the busy colony of Black-headed Gulls on Horseshoe Island, a single Redshank and two Little Ringed Plovers were found.  Moving further down Wildlife Centre Creek, Simon was able to pick out a Redstart singing in the distance, and we watched Great Tits and Blue Tits bringing food back to their nest-boxes.

Our walk coincided with Severn Trent’s 30^th Anniversary of Carsington Water celebrations, so the paths became increasingly busy with more and more walkers and cyclists, but we had an enjoyable couple of hours stroll, and were, as ever, indebted to Simon for helping us to reach a 40-plus species count. 

Some members stayed on during the day to help man a CBC stand at the anniversary event.  As a group that has existed almost as long as the reservoir, we were delighted to join the celebration, though we were rather outdone by a display of raptors and owls just opposite our position!

Chris Lamb

NEW SHEEPWASH HIDE PLAN TAKES SHAPE

Severn Trent’s Site Supervisor at Carsington, John Matkin, contacted us recently as he is now in a position to update us on the project to replace Sheepwash hide, which has been closed for a while.  Things are beginning to move, he informs, with the following sequential plan now underway:

1. Removal of the existing hide at Sheepwash: this will likely have to be done via the fields while the ground is dry enough to enable this. This is earmarked to be called in for completion during June.
2. Improvements to the paths to both Paul Stanley and the Sheepwash hides.  The aim is to make the Paul Stanley hide accessible for wheelchairs and for our smaller site vehicle to allow us to carry out maintenance work on the hide more easily. This will involve the removal of some trees that are currently in the path, as well as a few of the ash trees which have been killed off by ash die back disease; regular birders may have noticed yellow marks on some of these trees.  In total we’re removing 16 trees and this will be done later in the summer to avoid the nesting season. We’d like to make the path to the Sheepwash hide accessible for wheelchairs and for vehicles (to aid with the construction of the new hide).  As well as resurfacing, this will involve making the path a little wider.  In this case, we don’t believe we’ll need to remove any trees (though ash dieback management may involve taking out some later in the year). The good news is that the enormous ash by the path to the Sheepwash hide seems to be fairing well and, as we’re keen not to cause any extra stress to this impressive tree, we are looking to reroute the path a little further around to avoid damage to its root system where possible.
3. For the new hide, we are engaging with hide builders to find a new design to replace the Sheepwash hide (we may come to CBC for some advice once we have some designs).  As with all our new projects we’re very keen that the new Sheepwash hide be as accessible as possible.  And as part of this drive we may well lose the gates on the paths to allow birders who use a wheelchair to access them easily.  We hope to get this done in the late summer/early autumn to take advantage of drier ground and avoid too much disturbance.

John adds:  “We’ve just received the quotes for the work so we’ll let you know in good time when we’ll need to close up a path.  This probably won’t be for at least two months in order to allow any birds breeding nearby to fledge safely.

OBITUARY: PHILIP SHOOTER

Philip Shooter, who will be known to a number of our members, has sadly passed away at the age of 85.  As well as being a founder member of Carsington Bird Club, he was also instrumental in the formation of Derbyshire Ornithological Society (DOS) and Ogston Bird Club, serving on the committees of both.  We extend our condolences to Philip’s family.

Philip produced “Where to watch Birds in Derbyshire” which proved very useful to visitors and people new to birdwatching. He conducted a Dipper survey of Derbyshire, visiting all suitable rivers, counting and recording all the birds present; it was subsequently published in British Birds, something he was very proud of.

He held Birdwatching courses for the Workers Education Association at Alfreton, Matlock and Sutton in Ashfield, conducting surveys and producing booklets on the birds of Shining Cliff Wood, Cromford Canal, Wyver Lane, Hardwick Park, Matlock Forest and several other sites.

He also oversaw birding weekend courses at Losehill Hall in the Peak District, showing visiting birdwatchers Derbyshire specialties like Dipper, Ring Ouzel, Pied Flycatcher, Wood Warbler and other species associated with the upland moorland.  Philip was a generous person who would readily give help and advice to anyone with whom he made contact – a very sad loss to the birding fraternity.

Eddie Walker

The club has demonstrated a good level of resilience in the face of Covid, both in terms of retention of membership levels (thanks, everyone!) and in maintaining our activities – including the resumption of indoor meetings and trips as soon as we were able, as well as a strong, pretty much daily presence by the dedicated recording team.

The following pages contain news of the plentiful birds that have been turning up at the reservoir, together with what the club itself has been up to.

The new year is also when we need to remind you that it’s time to renew your memberships, and to give a little taster for the activities that remaining a member give you.  Things may not be truly back to normal, but most restrictions are now put aside (for good, hopefully!), and we aim to make the most of it with trips, walks and more talks this year.

We’ve never before held successive annual general meetings within six months of each other, but we intend to do so in March (ahead of our final indoor meeting) as we had to postpone our 2020 AGM to coincide with September’s talk – our first opportunity for a face-to-face meeting with members.  Please come along in March if you can and let us know in advance if you have any points to raise.

We are still on the look-out for help on the committee, notably still short of a secretary to keep us in line at meetings and follow-up actions, but we are in a rather better position than 12 months ago – as reported in the last newsletter – with Rob Chadwick joining the committee as Recorder.  Since his appointment, we’ve seen an ordered return to regular data collection and the posting of monthly Bird Notes on the website once again (my ‘reservoir report’ that follows summarises Rob’s last three months’ of highlights). 

He will also help ensure the fine detail of species information in the annual report, which should be issued in the spring.  My thanks also go to the recording team that is feeding the information to Rob and to Chris Lamb and John Follett for the key roles they play in the running of the club.

Gary Atkins

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR … IF YOU’VE NOT ALREADY, PLEASE PAY YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS

John Follett, our treasurer and membership secretary is waiting to hear from those who are yet to renew their annual memberships.   The annual membership fee remains unchanged, as it has now for very many years, at £7.50 for an individual and £10 for a family.  John is happy either to receive a cheque (sent to him at 8 Buckminster Close, Oakwood, Derby DE21 2EA) or via a bank transfer (contact him on 01332 834778 or by e-mail at johnlfollett@virginmedia.com and he will provide you with the bank details).

COMING UP SOON ……

15 February (7.30pm) – indoor meeting featuring a talk by Max Maughan on Patagonia

15 March (7pm) – an earlier start our final indoor meeting, to accommodate our 2022 AGM, followed by a talk by Gary Hobson on Washington State birding

1 May – club trip to RSPB Fairburn Ings, Yorkshire; meet 10am (see item on page 3 for full details)

22 May – Warbler walk at Carsington, 9am start (see item on page 3 for full details)

ULTRA-LATE ARRIVING DIVER HEADS UP IMPRESSIVE WINTER CAST LIST

We were getting a bit worried – where’s our diver!!?  A Great Northern Diver had visited in November but it only stayed a day.  The rest of that month and then December came and went, and we wondered if perhaps, for the first time in 17 years, we would not have our star winter visitor.  So, it was with a collective sigh of relief that another bird dropped in on 6 January – and stayed.

It has now lost its flight feathers, so it’s stuck here for as long as it takes the new ones to grow.  It seems happy enough to be here, however, as do two Red-necked Grebes that have been around since December – providing a good addition for birders’ 2021 and 2022 lists – and are regularly seen, often in the area just off Lane End Hide.

It’s a bumper time for grebes, with a site-record 108 Great-cresteds noted during the January WeBS count and plenty of Little Grebes around, too.  Another site record that day was the 159 Gadwall – a duck that would have been considered a notable visitor a decade or so ago but now boasting similar numbers to Mallard.  Meanwhile a duck that was a notable visitor was a red-head Smew, the first at Carsington for 10 years.

The last quarter has been a good period for Swans, with Whooper groups noted each month and 13 Bewick’s Swans recorded in mid-January, the first of this smart species since 2013.  A pale-bellied Brent Goose on 8 November was the first for three years and spearheaded good goose numbers, particularly in January, peaking at 500 Canadas, 350 Greylags, 140 Pink-footed and 49 Barnacles.

Coot counts have totalled between 1200 and 1400 throughout the period, while some of our wintering ducks have also impressed, notably the 554 Teal accumulated during the January WeBS count and almost 300 Wigeon a couple of months earlier.  Smaller numbers of Goldeneye, Goosander and Shelduck have also ensured variety, though Pochard numbers are noticeably smaller than usual.

If wildfowl counts have been impressive, they pale somewhat when compared to gulls as the maximum counts of Black-headed Gulls emerging from the roost have been 10,000 in each month, while up to 5,000 Lesser Black-backs and 2,000 Common Gulls have been recorded.  Much smaller numbers of Herring, Great Black-backed and Yellow-legged Gulls created a bit more excitement but not as much as the single Kittiwake seen in early January and Caspian Gull recorded several times during November and December.

And while highlighting sizeable counts, mentioned should be made of the large Lapwing flocks that are always a thrilling sight; several hundred were often counted, but the peak total of over 1,000 in January.  Up to two Little Egrets were noted each month, while a Great Egret turned up on 10 January.  The occasional Jack Snipe was identified, but never in the profusion of its Common cousin, 42 of which were found one January day.  Woodocks began arriving back on 13 December and were often reported early morning, and by January up to nine were reckoned to be in six locations.

January 12^th was the earliest-than-usual return of the first Oystercatcher, with four present by the end of the month, while Ruff, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit and Curlew were other wader highlights, along with the almost-daily sightings of Redshank.

Raptors had a relatively quiet time, although the advance of the Red Kite in the Peak District continues to grow; the 12 seen on a day in November is approaching the numbers of Buzzards regularly seen.  Peregrines, Sparrowhawks and Kestrels are the other raptor regulars, though the single Merlins noted in November and early February and single Marsh Harriers recorded twice in November were more noteworthy.  While owl records have also been ‘thin’, up to three Tawny Owls have been noted on a few days in each month.

Back to the subject of large flocks, the arrival of winter thrushes from the continent included 4,525 Redwings on 4 November and 6,153 Fieldfares through the following day.  Meanwhile the late autumn movement of Woodpigeons numbered 2,800 on 3 November, 2,770 Starlings flew west two days later and over 1,000 Jackdaws were counted on a few dates, peaking at 1,400 on 4^th and 5^th December.

Among other winter visitors, Brambling have been recorded on several dates, a single Hawfinch flew over in early November, flocks of up to 150 Siskins and Lesser Redpoll in more modest numbers are regularly sighted.  Skylarks have been located on a few dates, and on a couple of dates in November a Rock Pipit joined the more regularly recorded Pied and Grey Wagtails.

All this activity and the plentiful records reflected the excellence and consistency of recording that is underway at Carsington; nearly every day is covered.  And this in turn reflects the record total of 100 species recorded in January and the excellent totals of 97 in November – that month’s highest tally since 2006 – and 101 in November, only once bettered and twice equalled in that month.

RESTAURANT TALKS PROVIDE SAFE HAVEN FOR GLOBAL BIRDWATCHING

We have continued to hold our indoor meetings in the Visitor Centre’s Mainsail Restaurant and this arrangement seems to have worked out well, with attendees having much more space to spread out in a larger room and airier environment.  The club now has its own portable projection screen, which John Follett has very kindly purchased and donated to the club, and this has been successfully used at our recent meetings.

In November Ian Newton visited us again, this time to talk about the Greek Island of Lesvos, one of his favourite birding locations which he has visited on a number of occasions.  It was interesting to hear the changes he had noticed over the years, such as increased pressures of tourism and more intensive farming practices, which had affected the numbers and variety of birds he had seen.

For our December meeting our own members Louise and John Sykes took us to Panama and showed us some of the spectacular and colourful birdlife and other forms of wildlife they had experienced there.  No trip to Panama would be complete without seeing the famous canal of course, and their talk included great shots of this massive feat of engineering.

We kicked off 2022 with Nigel Slater describing the Isles of Scilly at our January meeting, with a look at the history and geography of the archipelago, as well as the different habitats and birds which live there or pass through on migration.  The islands are well known for the rarities which turn up, attracting large numbers of birders, and Nigel told us about many he had seen … and some he had missed out on!

Our indoor meetings programme continues on 15^th February with Max Maughan, the leader of the RSPB Derby local group, talking about Patagonia and showing pictures taken by his wife Christine.  At our final meeting of the 2021-22 season on 15^th March we welcome Gary Hobson to describe the birds and wildlife of Washington state in the USA, a place he has visited many times with this work.

When the talks finish the exercise begins – so check out the item below for our upcoming outdoor plans.

Chris Lamb

MOVING ON OUT – WITH A YORKSHIRE TRIP AND WARBLER WALK

Get your diaries out!  We make our first members trip of the year on Sunday 1st May to the Fairburn Ings RSPB Reserve near Leeds.  This site has been transformed from an industrial site into an excellent location for resident and breeding wetland birds and many other species. The reserve has a visitor centre with refreshment and toilet facilities.  There may also be time to visit the nearby St Aidan’s RSPB Reserve, only 4 miles from Fairburn Ings, which is another former industrial site, offering a variety of habitats.

We plan to meet at the Fairburn Ings visitor centre at 10am.  As usual, members should make their own way there and we would encourage car sharing where possible (depending of course on any Covid guidance in force at the time).  If you are planning to make the trip, please can you inform Chris Lamb on 01629 820890 or by email at cflamb@yahoo.co.uk. 

The address is RSPB Fairburn Ings, Newton Lane, Castleford, WF10 2BH.  Further information is on the RSPB website here: https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/fairburn-ings/

Then, just three weeks later, on Sunday 22nd May, you can join us for our ever-popular annual ‘Warbler Walk’ at Carsington Water.  This outing will be led by one of our very experienced bird recorders, who will help us to help identify the birds we encounter by their songs and calls. Our summer visitors will have returned to site by this date and should be present in good numbers; we can expect to find not just warblers, of course, but many other resident or breeding bird species as well. 

We will meet outside the Carsington Water Visitor Centre at 9am.  The walk will probably last a couple of hours or so and there is no need to book.

BEYOND CARSINGTON – THREATENED ‘RED LIST’ GROWS

More UK birds have moved onto the dreaded ‘Red List’ – or Birds of Conservation Concern (BoCC) register – since the previous study was concluded, and those under threat now total 29 per cent of the UK’s regularly occurring species.

Eleven more species have moved on to the Red List, taking it to 70 of those 245 species, with 103 species hovering in the Amber zone, leaving just 72 on the Green List, meaning they are of no current concern.

While the situation is not necessarily going to be reflected specifically within Derbyshire, species moving from Amber to Red include a number that are Carsington regulars, notably Swift, House Martin, Goldeneye and Dunlin.  In the last 23 years Swifts have declined 58 per cent, while House Martins are 57 per cent down on numbers counted 50 years ago.

Other newly-appointed ‘Red’ species are Purple Sandpiper, Montague’s Harrier (with just two breeding pairs reported in 2019), Bewick’s Swan, Smew and Leach’s storm-petrel … and most worrying of all, slipping from Green straight into Red is the Greenfinch, though their tough time is largely as a result of a deadly parasite (keep those garden feeders clean!).

Amber or those species now classed as ‘vulnerable’ that had previously been Green comprise some very familiar birds at Carsington and across the county – Rook, Wren, Woodpigeon, Sparrowhawk, Moorhen, Sedge Warbler, Northern Wheatear, Cmmon Whitethroat and Red-breasted Merganser.

Previously published reasons behind the drop in numbers of some species pinpoint declining farmland, woodland and upland habitats and the dangers encountered on many migration routes such as illegal hunting and poisonous lead ammunition.  Add to that the effects of climate change and a bird’s life today is a perilous one.

It’s not all bad news, however, with some species showing signs of improvement.  Leaving the ‘Red’ zone into Amber are Black Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, Song Thrush, Grey Wagtail and Redstart, while three species – Kingfisher, Mute Swan and Red Grouse – moved from Amber to Green, which is particularly encouraging.  Some of these improvements may be circumstantial, others such as the growth in White-tailed Eagle numbers (and Red Kite) are down to specific conservation measures.

These trends need to be monitored and, where appropriate, conservation efforts put in place, which is why recording at relative ‘hot spots’ such as Carsington Water are essential, and the bird club can play its small part in forming the big picture of bird conservation across the UK and beyond.

Welcome to the autumn issue of the club newsletter, which contains a detailed look at the latest sightings at the reservoir plus, pleasingly, an opportunity to say a little about some club activities now that ‘real’ events with real people are now permissible.

At the September indoor meeting we were also able finally to stage our postponed AGM that would ordinarily have taken place in February but which we had been unhappy to conduct until the easing of Covid restrictions allowed us to meet face-to-face. 

Here, we were able to report on the club’s robust ‘togetherness’ and the maintenance of membership during what has been a difficult period not just for birding, of course, but society in general.  We were also pleased to use this occasion to announce that Rob Chadwick had accepted the role of club Recorder.  He was voted in on the night, along with other existing posts, including that of Chairman, which has not been filled since Peter Gibbon’s sad passing in 2016.  I (slightly reluctantly) agreed to add this role, while handing over the commissioning of talks for our indoor meetings to Chris Lamb, who had already been organising events, notably trips and walks, for a number of years.

I’d like to add my commiserations to the family and friends of Rod Key, who passed away due to a Covid-related illness a few weeks ago.  Though not a member of our club, he was a – or perhaps the – leading light of recording in the county, operating as Derbyshire Ornithological Society joint County Recorder for more than 40 years, as well as taking on the chairmanship of the county’s Rarities Committee. 

As such, he had an abiding interest in Carsington, and those recorders and individuals who submitted records from the reservoir over its entire lifetime.  Rod’s death is a further blow for DOS, who also lost their treasurer Malcolm Hopton late last year.

Back to the future, below are the dates of our next three indoor meetings, which are invariably on the third Tuesday of the month and are currently taking place at the Visitor Centre’s large and roomy restaurant.  They will transport us to some amazing birding territories – Lesvos, Panama and the Scilly Isles – so I do hope you can make one or more of them.

Gary Atkins

JOIN US AT OUR INDOOR MEETINGS …

16 November:  Ian Newton talks to us about a favourite birding spot, Lesvos

21 December:  Our very own Louise and John Sykes take us to Panama

18 January:  Nigel Slater describes his birding highlights in the Scilly Isles

GANNET AND CATTLE EGRET FILL ABSENCE OF SEVERAL YEARS

Late summer and early autumn have provided plenty of exciting moments, not least the ‘full deck’ of white herons, as the more regular sight of Little Egrets was topped off by a Cattle Egret (the first on site since 2014), which was mobile around the site for 24 hours on 4-5 September, Great Egrets seen on one date in September and two in October and a juvenile Spoonbill that settled on Horseshoe Island on 9 October and was still around Sheepwash the following morning.

Another species not seen on site for several years was Gannet, but a juvenile bird showed up for just around five minutes on 5 November.  In that very brief stay it was seen to dive twice and throw into a panic a party of nearby Tufted Duck, who had never seen the like!

A very obliging Snow Bunting stayed for around a week in mid October, treating birders, particularly those with a camera, to fairly close views.  It seemed to enjoy the large stones on the top of the dam wall – the closest Carsington has to the craggy mountaintops preferred by this attractive species.  Indeed, the dam wall has proved popular with another mountain bird, the Wheatear, while up to 215 Pied Wagtails and a handful of Yellow Wagtails also enjoyed this general area.  Another passerine highlight was the appearance of three Rock Pipits over Stones Island on 26 September.

The last of our summer visitors have finally left for winter quarters, with Swallows one of the last to depart on 2 October, though Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were seen on later dates, which could indicate an intention to overwinter.  Other migrants registering their latest dates in September included Swift (5^th), Sedge Warbler (9^th), Redstart (10^th), Spotted Flycatcher and Whitethroat on the 11^th, Willow Warbler (16^th), then Lesser Whitethroat (18^th) and the final House Martins on the 22^nd.

Meanwhile, the winter visitors began to appear, some in very large numbers.  On 5 November, the same very good birding day when the Gannet was seen, there were ‘vismig’ counts of 6,153 Fieldfares and 2,218 Redwings, along with 2,769 Starlings and 1,938 Woodpigeons (though the autumn movement of this species maxed out at 11,070 three days earlier).  Most of these were moving in a southerly direction, as were four Hawfinches, also seen on the 5^th.

As would be expected, waterfowl numbers began to rise as the autumn set in, with a (perhaps undesirable) site record 1,915 Canada Geese seen on 26 September, though numbers dropped the following month.  A very healthy peak of 800 Greylags and 56 Barnacles completed the goose flotilla, though 220 Pink-footed Geese added an aerial force, overflying on 11 October.

Wigeon, Teal, Mallard and Tufted Duck numbers all exceeded 200 in September, when other highlights were the presence of Common Scoter from 17-21 September, then four Scaup at the end of October, by which time Pochard numbers had risen to 99.  By early November, a few Goldeneye had also dropped in.

September was a good month for waders, with 13 species noted, including an Avocet on the 3^rd, Grey Plover on the 8^th and Ruff on the 17^th, along with Little Ringed and Ringed Plover, the latter also cropping up on two dates in October, when two Jack Snipes were viewed at Hopton end.

For those turning up early enough, the departing gull roost can be quite spectacular, and 9,000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were counted on 11 October, with 8,000 Black-headed Gulls nine days later.  Much smaller numbers of Great Black-backed, Yellow-legged and Common Gulls were also recorded, while Caspian Gulls were identified among the masses on one date in September and two in October.  Six Black Terns flew through in early September, while a few of their Arctic and Common cousins were also on the move later in the month.

It’s been a decent spell for raptors, too, with Osprey noted on six dates during this period, and what is believed to be a site record six Red Kites aloft over the east side of the reservoir on 24 October.  A Marsh Harrier was seen in early November; another had been seen earlier – on 6 September, when it was among the highlights of an all-day watch (by Simon Roddis, Roger Carrington, Brian Boothby, Neil Moulden and Alan Stewardson) that also included one of the Osprey sightings among the grand total of 84 species recorded from dawn to dusk that day.

Apart from the regular Buzzard, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk records, three Hobby sightings were listed in early-mid September, and a female Merlin was spotted on 29 September.

BACK IN ACTION – MEMBERS ENJOY MEETINGS AND TRIP

After a prolonged period of restrictions, it has been encouraging to get some strands of our events programme back into action, with indoor meetings starting up again in September and, following a springtime visit to Middleton Lakes, a second club trip – this time to another old favourite, Frampton Marsh – completed in early October.

We had to postpone our Annual General Meeting from the usual February slot due to Covid and, in order to take the opportunity of getting together in person, we chose the occasion of our first indoor meeting, on 21 September (a few notes on the AGM are included in the earlier introduction), to stage it.

The decision was made to hold indoor meetings in the Mainsail Restaurant because of its higher ceiling and generally roomier space, allowing more people to assemble with sensible spacing.  We were not sure how well it would work, but the first two meetings have certainly put those concerns to bed.

The ever-reliable and entertaining Paul Bingham was first off the blocks in September, talking about the wildlife he and his wife encountered in Sri Lanka.  What a fabulous location!  Then, in October it was time for our joint meeting with DOS, for which we welcomed (after an earlier postponement) Nick Martin who delivered a fascinating look at the Forest of Dean, not just its wildlife but also an intimate look behind the scenes of this often overlooked location.

It is now our fervent hope that we can complete our seven-date 2021-22 indoor meetings programme, which continues on 16 November with another postponed talk – by Ian Newton on the Greek isle of Lesvos.

For trips, separate cars are still the order of the day, and a group of nine members made the journey east, to the Lincolnshire coast on 3 October, for the club’s occasional pilgrimage to RSPB Frampton Marsh.  On the long approach to the reserve, a couple of our group were treated to a Tawny Owl perched on a gate post, and a single Marsh Harrier was seen from the car park by some.  During the day other raptors delighting the group included a few Kestrels, while a hunting Peregrine was an exciting addition to our list late in the day.

As anticipated, wintering duck and geese numbers were starting to build, with large counts of Wigeon and Teal, along with smaller numbers of Shelduck, Shoveler and Gadwall.  Dark-bellied Brent Geese, recently arrived from their breeding grounds in the Arctic regions of northern Scandinavia and Siberia, numbered well into the hundreds, and a variety of waders were recorded, including sizeable flocks of Lapwing, 20-30 Black-tailed Godwits, a handful of Dunlin and Redshank and a couple of Ruff and several Snipe that emerged in front of the visitor centre late afternoon.

A group of 6 Spotted Redshank was a good find and this elegant wader provided us with a useful comparison of its shape and size with a nearby (Common) Redshank.  Later on in the afternoon a pair of Avocets obligingly appeared in front of the visitor centre.

The weather was pretty kind to us, being mostly sunny though quite blustery, and we enjoyed a good day with a total of 40 species accumulated by the overall group.  As well as those already mentioned, other species seen were:  Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Mallard, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Heron, Little Egret, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Starling, Skylark, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Linnet.