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)

£*£*£    PLEASE NOTE THAT SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE NOW DUE    £*£*£

A surprisingly large number of members are yet to renew their subscriptions for 2019, so this is a final reminder that John Follett will be delighted to deal with your renewal: please send your remittance (£7.50 for single, £10 family, £1 junior) to John at 8 Buckminster Close, Oakwood, Derby DE21 2EA.

AGM HIGHLIGHTS A GOOD YEAR – BUT SOME CONTINUING CHALLENGES

While committee officials at the club’s Annual General Meeting in February were able to reflect on an active year in 2018 – with a range of talks, walks and trips to look back on, a review of finances that showed a healthy balance and a membership that had increased for the first time in several years – there were still a few areas of concern on the horizon, chiefly around the flimsy make-up of our committee following the departure of two long-serving members.

Secretary Paul Hicking decided late last year not to stand again in 2019, and co-recorder Dave Newcombe also resigned his position.  Thanks go to them for their years of service, but their departure leaves us with just six people on the committee.  Not all of these can generally make committee meetings – and with a quorum of four required at meetings to plan activities, administer tasks and make decisions on behalf of members, we are now at the bare minimum capability for running the club.

Roger Carrington has kindly volunteered to step into the Secretary’s shoes, Clive Ashton soldiers on as now sole Recorder, Chris Lamb continues to co-ordinate our outside events, Jon Bradley supports the recording side notably with the monthly WeBS count (undertaken with non-committee member Simon Roddis) and both John Follett and Gary Atkins currently perform two committee roles.  We do desperately need one or two more people to join the committee – not just to share out the tasks more evenly, but also to breathe some new life and fresh thinking into how the club functions. 

If anyone is willing to give it a go – even if simply on an exploratory basis initially – just contact one of the committee (whose contact details are at the end of the newsletter).

A more detailed review of CBC in 2018 is given in the club’s Annual Report, which is in the final stages of production and should be posted to you later this month.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Two dates are fast approaching that you may want to put in your diary.  Firstly, on Sunday, 28 April, the club’s next outing is being staged to Rutland Water Nature Reserve with its wide diversity of birdlife.  As has become the norm in recent years, the plan is to make our own way and meet there around 10am.  If you need transport, however, Chris Lamb (01629 820890) can arrange a lift, so give him a call.

Those making their own way should head for the Anglian Water Birdwatching Centre, Egleton, Oakham LE15 8BT.  The centre is clearly signposted from the A6003, around 1 mile south of Oakham.  Group permits (for groups of 10 or more, which we hope to achieve) are available at £4 per person; if not adults are charged £6, concessions £5. 

The other date to scribble in your diary or on the calendar is Sunday, 12 May, when a Warbler Walk is being arranged to bring everyone up to speed on the sights and sounds of our summer visitors.   One of our leading experts, Simon Roddis will be on hand to help identify the birds.  Meet outside the Carsington Visitor Centre at 9am.

FEBRUARY’S ‘FALSE SPRING’ SPARKS EARLIER THAN USUAL ARRIVALS

April is always an exciting time as we see the departure of our winter species – though not, as yet, the Great Northern Diver, still developing his summer plumage – and the gradual arrival of our spring/summer visitors.

One species that arrived a full eight days earlier than ever before at Carsington (possibly urged on by the warm weather experienced during February’s false spring!) was a Sand Martin on 3 March.  Another species, Little Ringed Plover, also broke its own record when a single bird arriving on 14 March was the earliest ever on site.

Three Waxwings flew over on 17 January, and the same number of Snow Buntings made one observer’s Valentine’s Day that little bit more special when they flew over the Visitor Centre – the first site record for this species in seven years.  Two weeks later an enthusiastic Chiffchaff found its voice to became the earliest singing example at Carsington, though just a month later more than 100 Chiffchaffs were located (mostly by song) during a walk around the full perimeter of the reservoir.

Next migrant to arrive was a Blackcap, noted on 24 March, and a few Swallows had turned up by 30 March, with the complement of Sand Martins growing to 80 just two days later. 

Raptors had a quiet start to the year, with the most common trio – Kestrel, Buzzard and Sparrowhawk – seen most days and Peregrines getting closer in the regularity stakes, but by late March and early April some more unusual species were turning up.  A Red Kite was spotted on 25 March, four days later an Osprey was observed carrying a fish appropriately enough into Fishtail Creek, and just three days after that an adult male Marsh Harrier was recorded.

Five to six Tawny Owls were regularly heard calling at Hopton end in the early morning, and a Barn Owl was spotted at dusk near the dam wall on 9 February.

On the water, good numbers of grebes have been recorded, with up to 32 Little and 58 Great-crested, 17 Whooper Swans dropped in on 17 January and Little Egrets were noted on five dates.  Over it, 70 Pink-footed Geese were through on 1 February, while the previous month saw a dark-bellied Brent Goose. 

Winter species’ numbers diminished as 403 Teal in January had reduced to just 17 by March, though there were still small numbers of Wigeon, Goldeneye, Goosander and Pochard around.  Other ducks worthy of note in March were a single Shelduck and seven Mandarin.

Water Rails have been seen regularly in Brown Ale Bay and occasionally at Hopton end, which is also a favoured haunt for Woodcock, which have been seen every month, while a Jack Snipe was also in the vicinity in January, when elsewhere 44 Snipe were counted.

The first returning Oystercatcher arrived on 28 January with numbers of this tenacious wader growing to 15 by late March.  Four to five Ruff have remained over the winter and are recorded regularly, while other wader highlights include a single Golden Plover on two dates in January and, in larger flocks, 490 Lapwing in January and 42 Curlew in March.

The most numerous birds, not for the first time, were Black-headed Gulls which reached totals of 10,000 in the roost during January, when 900 Common and around 420 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also counted.  The gull enthusiasts were more excited by a Kittiwake that turned up after a blow on 16 March and an increasingly site-scarce Mediterranean Gull on 25 March.  Up to 45 Herring Gulls have also been observed, along with six Great Black-backed and three Yellow-legged Gulls.

Last month’s circular walk mentioned earlier, as well as finding over 100 Chiffchaffs, also produced 116 Blue Tits, 91 Robins, 87 Wrens, 75 Great Tits, 57 Blackbirds and double-figure counts of Song Thrush, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Magpie and Willow, Coal and Long-tailed Tits.

TEAM EFFORT HELPS NEST BOX PROJECT SPEED INTO ACTION

Back in 2016/17 it was realised that Tree Sparrows were not as numerous around their favourite feeding stations as they had been.  A survey was set up, spearheaded by Alan Stewardson, that noted numbers and confirmed the fears of reducing flocks, concluding that the cause was likely to be a mixture of habitat, the availability of food and the facility for breeding. 

Suitable feeders were installed to provide a more consistent food source for Tree Sparrows (the more general feeding hoppers were being raided and emptied rapidly by other species), while it was also decided that a significant number of nest boxes also needed to be either replaced or supplemented. 

This winter, thanks largely to the enthusiastic efforts of Severn Trent rangers, an intensive project was launched to install 50 new boxes around the site in both existing and new locations (such as Millfields and Sheepwash, to which Tree Sparrows in recent times have begun to migrate), with a supporting system established to record activity at these and existing boxes via a clear numbering system.

CBC provided black and white numbered discs to fix to the boxes, and along with STW also supplied some metal protection plates to see off the threat of predators such as Woodpeckers that try to widen the holes in order to raid the nests.  28mm plates allowed birds up to the size of Tree Sparrows to use them, while 32mm plates were fixed to others, creating boxes suitable for birds up to House Sparrow size.

The CBC committee some time ago decided to dedicate the name of Peter Gibbon to the Tree Sparrow project and the new boxes at Sheepwash and Millfields car parks are carrying specially-numbered “PG” discs in honour of the club’s hard-working former Chairman.

Teamwork will again come into play in maintaining the nest boxes, with the Severn Trent ranger team organising an annual cleaning programme, supported by CBC to help identify the species that have occupied specific boxes through the nest material used.   The results of this exercise will then be collated and, together with other information sources such as hide diaries, sightings and rangers’ site data, a breeding bird report will be compiled that will be included in the club’s annual report.

A TASTE OF AMERICAN, AFRICAN AND MOUNTAIN WILDLIFE

Our 2018-19 season of indoor meetings concluded last month with a brilliant presentation by Paul Bingham (taking time off from organising DOS talks to deliver one to us) on the wildlife encountered during his other life-long interest, mountain climbing and hill-walking.  As well as a range of exciting photographs, Paul (aka ‘Mountain Man’ for this talk) also explained how the two pastimes often merged perfectly into seamless and memorable experiences.

Earlier, in January – in the midst of our monochrome winter – we were treated to a generous splash of colour courtesy of Glyn Sellors’ talk on American warblers encountered during a trip to Ohio.  He projected numerous images onto the screen of multi-coloured small birds (there were very few ‘LBJs’) that bloom in America in the spring and summer.

In February, we were transported by Max and Christine Maughan to the hot plains of Botswana for a close-up view of the wildlife found in Chobe National Park, the Okavango Delta and the northern Kalahari Desert.  Birds featured prominently, but such is this couple’s broad interest in nature the talk included a wide range of mammals and reptiles and even butterflies, all recorded with pinpoint precision by Christine’s lovely photographs.

We now look forward to getting out into the fresh air – with our club outing to Rutland Water later this month then, next month, a warbler walk to hone our identification skills!  More details for both these events are on page 1.

WHAT’S ON

We have now completed our series of indoor talks for another season, and are off into the outdoors with two events planned in the next couple of months.  As advertised earlier, and highlighted below, we have a club outing plus a walk on the agenda.  We hope to stage a further trip later in the year, but more of that nearer the time.  Meanwhile, below are the details of the forthcoming events:

28 April             Trip to Rutland Water: own transport but contact Chris  Meet around 10am at the Anglian

Lamb if you need a lift (see details below) – Water Birdwatching Centre LE15 8BT

12 May – Warbler Walk at Carsington Water – Meet 9am outside Visitor Centre

Below are events being staged at Carsington Water over the spring and early summer by Severn Trent Water or Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.  Some incur a charge or require booking, so check with the host organisation for more details (via STW on 0330 678 0701 or DWT on 01773 881188):

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)

First Monday of month    Nature tots (3-5 years … booking essential)          Contact DWT to book

Every Tuesday/Sunday   Wildlife Centre volunteers on parade                  Wildlife Centre (10am-3pm)

Third Saturday monthly   Family Forest School (charges apply)                  Contact DWT to book

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

13-28 April – Easter Egg Trail (£2 pack incl prize) – Trail sheets from VC reception

26 May – Air Ambulance Dog Show – In front of Visitor Centre

27 May – Plant Fair – From 10am in front of Visitor Centre