BACK IN ACTION!

There’s a bit more to smile about since the last newsletter in May, firstly with the reopening of Carsington Water to visitors in early June (albeit with restrictions), and along with that the resumption of bird recording by our faithful band of observers – though we do also remain indebted to John Matkin and his team of Severn Trent rangers who kept a note (reported in the last newsletter) of what they were seeing during their guardianship of the reservoir during the early stages the Covid clamp-down, between March and May.

A number of the site’s facilities are also now up and running; including the restaurant and snack outlets for those planning to make a day of it cycling, walking or, indeed, birding around the reservoir.  The Wildlife Centre has reopened, complete with knowledgeable volunteers on certain days, although anyone wanting to visit there must wear a face mask and follow a one-way system for the time being.  A few of the activities are also resuming, including the Birdwatching for Beginners walks (just as much fun for non-beginners!), which are led by STW volunteers but I usually pop along to help out.  The first of these should be on 6 September.

Best of all, we are proposing a resumption of some of our own regular club activities, including the autumn/winter indoor meetings programme … though, importantly, we have negotiated a change of venue as the Henmore Room was deemed much too small and constricted to accommodate the typically-sized audience in comfort bearing in mind current Covid regulations.

Instead, we have negotiated with New Leaf Catering to use the site’s restaurant; this relatively huge space – with its high ceiling and airy environment – will offer an area that meets and beats the current Covid regulations (even with just one person or a couple at each of the well-spaced tables or fixed-point booths).  We are not planning to serve drinks and biscuits, so we suggest attendees bring their own refreshments; bring along face masks, too, if you wish.  The first meeting is on 15 September (see ‘dates’ panel below for details).

We also plan to hold an autumn club trip to old favourite Old Moor, the RSPB’s South Yorkshire reserve that invariably yields a good array of birds, and the odd surprise, particularly during migration.  Toilets and some hides at this reserve will be open, so we should enjoy a productive day – that day being 20 September.  Come along if you can; and please let Chris Lamb know if you intend to do so.

Gary Atkins

 

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Below are the dates of upcoming events; all indoor meetings begin at 7.30pm:

** TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 ** – Talk: We have Ian Newton travelling north from his home patch to tell us about the wildlife highlights of Lesvos, the Greek island that is a true birding haven.

** SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 ** – Outing: After a 12-month absence, club trips resume with a short journey to the RSPB reserve at Old Moor, generally an excellent site with a good range of birds and the occasional surprise.  Meet 10am and bring own refreshments.  If you intend to come along, please inform Chris Lamb (phone 01629 820890 or by e-mail at cflamb@yahoo.co.uk).

** TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20 ** – Talk: Our annual joint meeting with DOS will feature a fascinating talk by on the creation and maintenance of a private wildlife sanctuary, along with some of the delightful creatures he has attracted there.

** TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17 ** – Talk: Nigel Slater returns to describe his visits to the Scilly Isles and show us some of fabulous wildlife he has encountered during island-hopping sorties.

RECORD-BREAKING MONTHS FOR SIGHTINGS AS SITE REOPENS

When Carsington’s car parks reopened to the general public in early June, the wildlife might have been expected to keep a low profile having roamed the site pretty much unseen and unhindered for over two months, but not so. 

As the hoards of cyclists and walkers quickly resumed their massed perambulations of the reservoir (on good weather days, at least), so did the regular recording by CBC’s dedicated band of observers, and what they experienced were two record-breaking months in June and July, and a healthy start to August.

Both of the new records topped the 100 mark and, while there were no more Spoonbills (one of numerous species recorded by Severn Trent staff during the lockdown), a Great White Egret was seen in July and there were plenty of Little Egret records, showing the continuing drift northwards of these attractive white herons.  Meanwhile, Grey Herons logged another landmark when a pair raised young for the first time at the Carsington site (see separate article on next page).

Two summer plumage Black-necked Grebes were rather a surprise on 7 July, joining briefly a healthy flotilla of up to 55 Great-crested and 22 Little Grebes.  By August, the slow build towards the usual autumn influx of wildfowl was underway, with 107 Teal, 218 Tufted Ducks, 183 Mallard and 557 Coot counted, and much smaller numbers of Shoveler, Pochard and Wigeon.  Eleven Common Scoter viewed on two dates in July was another duck highlight.

On the water’s edge, waders were well represented during mid and late summer with single Avocets seen on 10 and 19 June, Whimbrel noted on five dates across July and August and Common Sandpiper seen in various quantities each month.  Black-tailed Godwits showed up on several dates in June and July, when Sanderlings were also recorded, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers popped in fairly regularly, while a Greenshank called in on 12 June, two Turnstones on 30 July and a single Green Sandpiper was logged in both July and August.

It’s been a relatively quiet time for gulls, the main highlight being a trickle of single Mediterranean Gulls through and two on 16 July, two Yellow-legs on several dates, and a Caspian type 3^rd year specimen in August.  The maximum number of Lesser Black-backs was 375 during this period, with similar numbers of Black-headed Gulls around – including a sizeable proportion of young birds of which 300 had been counted on Millfields Island in June.

Other breeding was mixed as 12 Mallard, 11 Great-crested Grebe and 10 Canada Goose broods represented the most successful breeding species until mid-August, though eight Greylag Goose and Coot, five Little Grebe, four Moorhen, Gadwall and Tufted Duck and single Barnacle Goose families were also being raised.

There had been signs of Oystercatcher, Redshank, Lapwing and Little Ringed Plover broods, too, but in the final event these species seemed to have failed.  The cause was thought most likely to be predation by corvids or gulls.

Red Kites seem to be an increasingly regular sight in the vicinity of Carsington, with several records over the summer, while Ospreys called in on two dates in June and another in July.  A Hobby was around on 20 June, two more were seen on 2 August, and one individual was speeding through on the 17^th.  Other raptor sightings centred mostly on the more common Kestrel, Buzzard and Sparrowhawk, though Peregrines also showed up on several dates, including two young birds on one day when they chased Lapwings (catching but then losing one which wisely dropped into a bush!) then each other.

Away from the water, passerine species have been busy breeding, too, and as many as 10 Spotted Flycatchers were counted in late July, and up to 40+ Chiffchaffs, 17 Blackcaps and single figure numbers of Willow, Garden, Sedge and Reed Warblers have been recorded daily, along with nine Redstarts, including young, that are often viewed in fields fringing Wildlife Centre creek.  Earlier, the haunting reeling call of a site-scarce Grasshopper Warbler was heard on 21 June.

Another scarce visitor to the site is Green Woodpecker, but one of these attractive birds was encountered on dates in June and August.  Tree Pipit was noted on three dates in July and another in August, as many as 60 Pied Wagtails have been seen at one time, along with five Grey Wagtails on several dates and three Yellow Wagtails were around on 14 July.

Hirundines have been evident in some profusion over the summer, as up to 100 House Martins were skimming the water in early June, more than 200 Sand Martins were counted a month later, and 200 Swallows were observed on 4 August.  A healthy number of 105 Swifts were also recorded moving through on 26 July.

Twenty-two Ravens seen on 10 July was a highly impressive sight, and the occasional visits of Crossbills – often heard rather than seen – continued with a maximum of four logged on 14 July.

 

HERONS BREED FOR THE FIRST TIME

A particular 2020 Carsington “first”, now firmly proven, had begun with some random observations before and during the Covid alert that restricted access to the site for over two months.  As time went on, however, the evidence grew that Grey Herons were nesting and raising a brood for the first time on site. 

While not on the immediately accessible circuit around the reservoir, the secretive herons chose to build their nest in a tree on Severn Trent land only about 50 metres or so from the main path though largely obscured from general view.  The first hint that something was afoot came in early February when a heron was seen carrying a stick, and the observer (one of the club’s regular recorders) wondered if this could indicate nest building.

On closer inspection of the area ten days later, herons were observed on the nest and, the following day, one was viewed laying flat on the nest.  Did this indicate the parent was incubating eggs?  A week later a single heron was once again seen sitting, then three weeks later, during the second week of March, the club’s observer returned and – though good views were limited – he believed there to be young in the nest.

The site then closed and travel was not permissible, but by early April Severn Trent staff (having been tipped off about the earlier sightings), who remained working on site throughout the initial lockdown, visited the location and confirmed that there were three young herons in the nest.  Twelve days later, they returned and found that the youngsters had fledged. 

So, even Covid could not prevent nature continuing to do its thing – nor allow the story to be told by meticulous observation, interpretation and communication through the joint efforts of CBC and STW personnel.

 

 

KNOW YOUR COMMITTEE – Here are the club officials and their contact details……..
Committee Post	Name	Telephone		Email Address
Secretary	Peter Fletcher	01332 383682		petefletcher1@hotmail.com
Treasurer / Membership	John Follett	01332 834778		johnlfollett@virginmedia.com
Recorder	Clive Ashton	01629 823316		cliveashton@btinternet.com
Publications / Indoor Meetings	Gary Atkins	01335 370773		garysatkins@aol.com
Events co-ordinator	Chris Lamb	01629 820890		cflamb@yahoo.co.uk
Ex-officio	Roger Carrington	01629 583816		rcarrington_matlock@yahoo.co.uk
…..and the website address   –   http://www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk
Webmaster	Richard Pittam		n/a	Contact Richard via the website

Hello, fellow members – and a warm welcome to the final newsletter of 2019 after a very damp autumn that’s hardly been great for those of us wanting to get out and watch birds on a regular basis.  Let’s hope the winter brings drier, brighter and crisper conditions.

In the articles that follow you can read the regular ‘reservoir report’ which outlines the more exciting sightings around Carsington Water, including a Manx Shearwater, Long-tailed Skua, Arctic Skuas, a long-staying Slavonian Grebe and the now-traditional arrival of a Great Northern Diver (albeit a juvenile, so maybe we’ll have two overwintering this time).

We also review the highlights of our recent events programme – the initial illustrated talks that have, as usual, been excellent – and our most recent club trip, to Burton Mere in Cheshire.  And, as we move towards Christmas, with its upturn in festive activities, we’ve included in ‘What’s On’ not just the main CBC dates, but also a few of those events being staged by Severn Trent Water, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and New Leaf Catering that may tempt you out over the winter.

It’s encouraging to report that our membership is still holding fairly steady and we have, in fact, had a number of new members in recent months, so can I please welcome June Hatton, Dave Horsley, Leslie Beeston and Mr & Mrs Donald Shadbolt to the CBC fold.  Enjoy!

Gary Atkins

SCARCE SEABIRDS VISIT, A SLAVONIAN DELIGHTS AND A DIFFERENT DIVER RETURNS

The chief species highlights of this autumn have centred on long-haul seabirds, possibly the most surprising being the first ever Carsington record of a Long-tailed Skua, though the Manx Shearwater found on the morning of 21 October – only the fifth record for the site – came a close second.  This particular individual was lucky to escape the attentions of a predatory Peregrine later in the day.

The skua was spotted on 7 October in very poor conditions and was, at first, considered to be an Arctic (two of which had been seen the previous month) but closer examination of photographs showed it to be a Long-tailed Skua – reward for the perseverance of hardy observers who go out in all weather states.

Just three days earlier a most obliging Slavonian Grebe had arrived and remained for more than three weeks, affording plenty of very close views to visiting birders.  Then we had the traditional early arrival of the Great Northern Diver on 2 November – though this one was a juvenile; it has been mobile around the reservoir and is still around at the time of going to press.

The 73 Mute Swans seen in August was a site record, as was the 47 Ravens – all but one in a huge single flock –  counted on 5 October.   Seventy-six Cormorants during August was one of the bigger counts of this species.   Meanwhile, 40 Whooper Swans joined the shearwater on 21 October.

Winter ducks have been arriving in good numbers and variety, including Goosander, Goldeneye and, in September, a scarce visit by a female Red-breasted Merganser.  Pochard seem to be having a good year, with 299 counted on 15 November.  Coot numbers have risen to 750, and 65 Teal and 50 Wigeon were recorded on 22 October.

Among the autumn movement, which included 150 Pink-footed Geese flying east on 6 November, was a huge passage of 1,400 Meadow Pipits through at the end of September.  There were also plenty of terns speeding through, including Sandwich, Black, Arctic and Common varieties. 

… perhaps a few weeks early, but …

¯¯A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR READERS! ¯¯

On site, the gull roost is building, too, as 4,500 Lesser Black-backs flew off on the morning of 10 September, and 5,000 Black-headed gulls were noted exactly a month later.  There have been counts of more than 100 Common Gulls, and other autumn gull records were Mediterranean, Caspian, Yellow-legged and Great Black-backed.

The site is regularly visited by Little Egrets, but Great Egret numbers are also on the rise with this elegant bird noted on both 23 September and 24 October.  With the reservoir so full and muddy edges more limited, wader numbers have been very thin, but a Grey Phalarope on 4 October was only the ninth Carsington record.  Golden Plover, Black-tailed Godwit and Greenshank were recorded, though, along with several Common Sandpipers and up to 30 Snipe.

Ospreys were plentiful (though most just passed through), with records on 10 dates in August and five in September.  Three Red Kites were over Millfields on 3 August, and that month was a good one for Hobby sightings, while a Merlin added to the raptor tally on 7 September.  As is becoming the norm, Peregrine records were frequent, and the maximum count of another regular – Buzzard – was 10 at any one time.

As ever autumn saw the departure of visitors, notably warblers and hirundines.  The last House Martins were 13 on  2 October, two Swallows were recorded on the 15^th of that month, and the only two warblers to stay beyond September were Blackcap, which departed on the 15^th, and Chiffchaff, the last of which was seen on the 21 October (just five weeks after 60 were counted around the site!).  These two warblers often over-winter, however, so more might yet be seen or heard in the coming months.

The first Corn Bunting to visit Carsington since 1995 was seen on 10 August, Whinchat and Stonechat were other passerine highlights as were Tree Pipits which, unusually, were around Wildlife Centre fields for several days in August/September, and the latest ever individual was noted on 18 September.

MEMBERS ENJOY BURTON MERE … AND TRAVEL THE WORLD BY PROXY

An intrepid group of seven CBC members braved a very gloomy weather forecast and headed off north- west in a small convoy of cars in late September for the club’s latest outing, to the Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB Reserve on the Wirral. 

On arrival there was an unseemly dash for the hot drinks machine, but soon we were settling down in the comfort of the modern and roomy Visitor Centre, which is beautifully positioned overlooking the reserve pools and, further out, much of the Dee estuary marshland.  The nearby pools contained a generous numbers of ducks, including Shoveler, Teal, Mallard and Tufted Duck, while waders were also present in moderate numbers, mostly Black-tailed Godwit and Lapwing, but the sharper-eyed observers were soon picking up a handful of Ruff and Dunlin that were probing the mud edges. 

Someone then spotted a Kingfisher, initially perched in the reeds and difficult to see, but the flash of bright colours was more obvious as it launched itself low over the water.  Still from the Visitor Centre, a Sparrowhawk rather obligingly perched on top of a bush for several minutes right in front of us, enabling some half-decent photographs (see website report).

Walking along the trail to the first of two hides, a number of common woodland birds were seen or heard, including Chiffchaff (still in full voice even in late September), Wren, Robin, Nuthatch, Great-spotted Woodpecker and Goldcrest.  At least one Cetti’s Warbler announced its presence in the reeds, but true to form remained hidden from view!  Reaching Inner Marsh Farm Hide at the far end of the reserve, the promised rain did fall, but this didn’t prevent us from enjoying more ducks and waders out over the water. 

We quickly added Shelduck and Gadwall to the growing list, along with 3-4 Snipe, including one which seemed to be swimming as it waded across deep water!  A Water Rail was briefly seen scuttling across a gap between two reed beds but, despite determined observation, didn’t show itself again, but any disappointment evaporated as a Hobby flashed past, mobbed by a pair of Lapwings.  Two Spoonbills which had been noted earlier by the reserve staff reappeared, giving us good views, and that other increasingly common sighting – a Great White Egret – was spotted in a distant field. 

Moving back to the Visitor Centre towards the end of the day, and warmed by another well-earned hot drink, we boosted our raptor species count to five as we enjoyed good views of a Marsh Harrier, Peregrine and Kestrel!  In total, 55 species were recorded collectively by our group on an enjoyable day (and we didn’t get too wet, despite the dire weather forecast, voting Burton Mere a great success).  

The full list of sightings were:  Teal, Moorhen, Coot, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Lapwing, Mute Swan, Grey Heron, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Shoveler, Mallard, Ruff, Dunlin, Kingfisher, Carrion Crow, Sparrowhawk, Pheasant, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Gt Black-backed Gull, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Little Grebe, Nuthatch, Chaffinch, Starling, Goldfinch, Wren, Chiffchaff, Gt Spotted Woodpecker, Robin, Goldcrest, Sand Martin, Shelduck, Cetti’s Warbler, Gadwall, Water Rail, Hobby, Spoonbill, Snipe, Dunnock, Swallow, Gt White Egret, Redshank, Jackdaw, Jay, Magpie, Long-tailed Tit, Black-headed Gull, Marsh Harrier, Peregrine and Kestrel.

Closer to home (though in spirit much farther away), the first two talks of our indoor season at Carsington Visitor Centre took us to places most of us have never been! Tony Davison’s September return thrilled us with brilliant photos showing his trip to north-east Russia, with all the amazing wildlife he witnessed there – and culminating in a rare view of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, one of the scarcest waders on the planet.

The speaker originally booked for our joint meeting with DOS in October was unable to make it due to injury, so we managed to get Steve Williams, lead of Chesterfield’s RSPB group, along at short notice – and were very glad we did.  This award-winning photographer took us first of all to various locations in northern Britain.  His photos weren’t simply technically good, but they showed the character and behaviour of subjects.  The title of his talk had added “beyond”, which turned out to be Mexico, and some amazing underwater shots of whale sharks and other marine life interacting with human swimmers.

Chris Lamb

 

WHAT’S ON

With winter just around the corner, we are now well into our indoor season of wildlife talks.  Details of the full remaining programme of speakers and topics are listed below; note that the February date will begin half-an-hour earlier than usual (at 7pm), the talk preceded by the club’s annual general meeting.

19 November                Talk: Derbyshire wildlife crime by PC Karl Webster – Henmore Rm, Visitor Centre (7.30pm)

17 December                Talk by Michael Leach: Owls of the World (as above)

21 January                    Talk by Dave Hollis: Birds of Prey  (as above)

18 February                 Talk by Chris Lamb/Gary Atkins: Birds of New  Zealand (as above, but preceded by club AGM at 7pm)

17 March                      Talk by Chris Ward: Our Changing Wildlife  (as above; begins 7.30pm)

As usual, there are also a range of regular and one-off activities organised by Severn Trent Water or Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and, at this time of year, numerous eating / entertainment events provided by New Leaf Catering.  Charges and/or booking are sometimes required for these events, so it’s often worth checking with the host organisation for more details (via STW on 0330 678 0701, DWT on 01773 881188 or New Leaf on 01629 540363):

First Sunday of month     Birdwatching for Beginners  – Meet Visitor Centre (10am-12 noon)

First weekend of month   Optics demonstrations RSPB shop, Visitor Centre (10am-4pm)

Every Tuesday/Thursday/ Join the knowledgeable volunteers in the          Wildlife Centre (10am-3pm)

Sunday Wildlife Centre to learn about the site’s wildlife

Last Saturday monthly     Sheepwash Spinners (wool-craft)                      Information at Visitor Centre

4/10/17 December        Christmas three-course Lunch and Carol Concert (£24.95)  – Book via New Leaf

14 December                Family Forest School (two 90-minute sessions – for youngsters aged 4+ and 7+; charges apply) – Contact DWT for timings/details

16 December                Nature Tots (charge applies but free parking)      10.30am-12.15pm; contact DWT

19 December                Christmas three-course lunch with Jazz (£24.95)    Book via New Leaf

18 January                    Family Forest School (see above for details)

20 January                    Nature Tots (details as above)                            

3/17 February                Nature Tots (details as above)

8 February                     Family Forest School (see above for details)

KNOW YOUR COMMITTEE – Here are the club officials and their contact details……..
Committee Post	Name	Telephone		Email Address
Secretary	Roger Carrington	01629 583816		rcarrington_matlock@yahoo.co.uk
Treasurer / Membership	John Follett	01332 834778		johnlfollett@virginmedia.com
Recorder	Clive Ashton	01629 823316		cliveashton@btinternet.com
Publications / Indoor Meetings	Gary Atkins	01335 370773		garysatkins@aol.com
Events co-ordinator	Chris Lamb	01629 820890		cflamb@yahoo.co.uk
Ex-officio	Jon Bradley	01773 852526		jonathan.bradley4@btinternet.com
…..and the website address   –   http://www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk
Webmaster	Richard Pittam		n/a	Contact Richard via the website