£*£*£    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

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

 

Can I first of all apologise for the non-appearance of the November newsletter (unavoidable because I was on a lengthy holiday ‘Down Under’ – see holiday report later in this issue!).  I had hoped to put out a short edition in December, but I didn’t get back to the UK until the 10^th and then the long journey plus Christmas caught up with me!  I do aim to issue four editions this year, though, on a quarterly basis, but rather than wait for the usual first issue timing, February, we have enough to catch up on right now so January it is.

Indeed, this earlier-than-usual first issue is useful in reminding members that it’s time to renew memberships.  John Follett, our treasurer and membership secretary will be delighted to hear from you.  The fees remain (as they have for a decade or more) at £7.50 for a single, £10 for family and £1 for junior membership.  Please send cheques – together with your address and membership number if you know it – to  John at 8 Buckminster Close, Oakwood, Derby DE21 2EA.

I should also inform you that our Annual General Meeting, which usually coincides with our January indoor meeting, has been postponed until February when it will precede the indoor meeting.

At the AGM, as well as reporting on a relatively busy year and one that has actually seen membership edge up slightly for the first time in several years, we will be seeking election/re-election of committee members – and one piece of bad news is that we are losing our secretary Paul Hicking.  Paul has decided to stand down after a number of years’ sterling service. 

This will leave us thinner than ever on the ground going forward … so, in time-honoured fashion, I need to ask the membership at large if there is anyone out there who would like to join the committee.  It doesn’t have to be a specific role, and you can begin on a ‘see-if-I-like-it’ basis, but we do need to keep numbers up in order to have a ‘quorum’ for actions and decision-making at committee meetings.  If you want to give it a try, please contact me or any of the existing committee (see our details at the end of the newsletter).

Meanwhile, looking forward, we still have three indoor meetings to go in the current season (see ‘What’s On’) and initial plans are afoot for another club trip, though the precise location is yet to be decided.  Watch this space.

Gary Atkins

LARGE FLOCKS OVER CARSINGTON … AND SINGLE DIVER RETURNS, AGAIN!

Detailed statistics for 2018 are presently being compiled, but the157 species recorded across the year is a little below average, the lowest since 2014 though only 16 less than the highest ever. One invariable event, however, was the arrival of ‘our’ Great Northern Diver, which booked in for its annual winter holiday in early December.

Two Red-throated Divers dropped in two months earlier but did not stay very long, while visits by Great White Egrets in both September and October were also highlights. 

It’s been a busy time for gulls, too, with up to 10,000 Black-headed counted on separate days in November and December and, also in the roost, up to 3,800 Lesser Black-backs and 1,800 Common Gulls.  Of more interest to the gull enthusiasts, however, were Caspian and Glaucous Gulls, a Kittiwake, and a couple of hybrids (a Caspian type in September and a Lesser Black-backed/Ring-billed cross in November) that really tested their expertise.

There have also been large flocks of our winter thrushes, as 1,210 Redwings were counted in December and 930 Fieldfares a month earlier.  But even these impressive totals were eclipsed by the large daily movements of Woodpigeons, which maxed at 6,450 in mid November and the 3,600 Starlings logged on 28 October, when huge murmurations were noted nationwide.

An estimated 1,100 Jackdaws roosted below the dam wall at dusk on 2 October, and another large flock included 710 Meadow Pipits on 26 September.  Three days earlier 266 House Martins flew through, en route to a warmer place for winter, while the last migrating species were a Blackcap on 3 October and, two weeks later, a

Chiffchaff … though further evidence of overwintering warblers came with two Chiffchaff sightings in Brown Ale Bay in late December.

Other winter visitors have included Hawfinch, viewed a few times between 23 and 27 November, but this was not a signal for a repetition of last year’s influx as none have been noted since.  Four Waxwings – the first sightings of this attractive species at the reservoir for six years – flew over on 29 December.  Maybe more will follow.

Small parties of Ruff, Redshank and Dunlin seem to have settled in for the winter, no doubt enjoying the wide expanses of exposed mud, while Golden Plover were recorded each month from October to December, with an impressive 72 counted circling the site on 10 November.

A Grey Phalarope, one of a number blown inland by westerly gales, turned up at Carsington on 21 September and stayed for three days.  Up to 500 Lapwings and 47 Snipe were maximum counts during the last four months of the year, and a site record eight Woodcock were roosting at Hopton End at dawn on 24 November.

Coot numbers have hovered around the 1,000 mark throughout the autumn and early winter, while there have also been good numbers of Teal (up to 460), Pochard, Mallard and Gadwall, and among the winter duck arrivals have been regularly-seen Goldeneye, Wigeon and Goosander, plus a sprinkling of Scaup, Common Scoter, Mandarin, Shelduck and Red-crested Pochard.

It’s been a quiet time for raptors with just September records of a Red Kite, two Hobbys and an Osprey on several days earlier in the month, plus more regular sightings of Peregrine, breaking the steady pattern of more common raptors – Sparrowhawk, Buzzard and Kestrel.

The welcome sound of a Little Owl calling at Hopton End on 17 October was the first Carsington record for five years of this seemingly scarcer Strigiform, while records of the more common Tawny Owl were boosted by up to six individuals calling, also at Hopton End, on two dates in September.

BIRD OF THE ISSUE: GREAT EGRET

Ardea Alba is being seen with increasing regularity at Carsington and other inland lakes and reservoirs, though it is more likely to be seen at or near coastal locations.  The RSPB website states around 35 individuals spend the winter in Britain, though that number is almost certainly on the increase.  Indeed, this species is heading north rapidly – rather like its smaller cousin, the Little Egret, which until a couple of decades ago was considered a rarity but is now widely recorded, including most months at Carsington.

The spread north should not be that surprising as one or other of the four sub-species of Great Egret (aka Great White Egret, Large Egret and Great White Heron) is found on most continents of the world, and is a bird you’re just as likely to see in south-east Asia, the Americas or Africa as well as Europe.

They look rather like other family members such as the Little Egret, but are significantly larger – about the size of a Grey Heron – have a different ‘stance’ when feeding (on fish, frogs and insects, primarily) and have black feet (rather than the Little Egret’s yellow feet) and juveniles and non-breeding adults have a yellow rather than dark bill.

FRAMPTON MARSH IS A HIT – WHILE BRILLIANT TALKS TAKE US FARTHER AFIELD

The choice of Frampton Marsh for the club’s latest trip at the end of September got a resounding thumbs-up from the dozen members who made their way to the RSPB’s Lincolnshire site that never seems to fail to deliver.

More than 60 species were recorded collectively by our group, the stars of the show possibly being a Cattle Egret and a good range of waders including Little Stint, Avocet, Golden Plover, Snipe, Ruff, Little Egret, Spotted Redshank and Greenshank, together with a huge raft of 2,500 Black-tailed Godwits.

Other highlights included a pair of Stonechats, a Whooper Swan, Egyptian geese and a solitary Brent Goose out on the marsh, while a Merlin on a distant fence post was an excellent spot by one of the group with a scope.

Another trip is planned soon – probably in early spring – but a precise date and location are yet to be decided … so watch this space.

Meanwhile, our 2018-19 season of indoor talks is now in full swing after the first four offerings.  Award-winner photographer Paul Hobson got us off to a salt-laden start with a tour around coastal and island locations, and this was followed in October by our joint meeting with DOS, at which Chris Galvin took us around the globe with his talk Around the World in 80 birds … though we suspect there were rather more than that number of images!

Chris Lamb reprised his first-ever trip to Australia, showing pictures of birds and other wildlife, and describing how challenging it was going to a country and attempting to identify such diverse and vibrant bird species and other wildlife.

Then, at our pre-Christmas meeting, Andrew Parkinson demonstrated his love affair with nature rather closer to home with his talk entitled ‘British Wildlife through the Seasons’ which, as with all of our speakers, contained some brilliant photographs – mostly taken at locations just a few miles from his home.

HOLIDAY REPORT: FIVE WEEKS IN NEW ZEALAND/AUSTRALIA

I greatly appreciated a sneak preview of Chris Lamb’s talk on Australian wildlife (mentioned above), because it demonstrated some of the bird species I was most likely to see in Australia, which was one of my destinations – along with New Zealand, with stopovers in Singapore and Bangkok – when my wife and I set off on 1 November on a five-and-a half-week adventure to mark our 40^th wedding anniversary.

Even the highlights are too numerous to list here (I’ll include a longer article, together with some pictures, on the CBC website) but certainly the wildlife everywhere was truly memorable, as was the breathtaking scenery in New Zealand and some amazing cityscapes en route – most particularly the exciting architecture and event venues and forensically clean streets of Singapore.  After 12 flights, 19 accommodations and nearly 3,000 miles added to the clocks of three different hire cars in just 39 days, here’s a word of advice: when you get past 60, feed in some extra relaxation time!

We used thorough and efficient Trailfinders to organise the details of the ambitious itinerary, which included wildlife havens such as Stewart Island, off the southern tip of New Zealand, and Kangaroo Island and Phillip Island which sit at either end of the Great Ocean Road between Adelaide and Melbourne. 

Stewart Island is entirely geared towards wildlife, particularly preserving some of New Zealand’s rarer and more fragile bird species.  The only settlement on an island nearly five times the size of the Isle of Wight is Oban, which has a permanent population of just 320 – so the island’s population density of one person per five square kilometres speaks for itself. 

With only a couple of dozen miles of tarmac roads, most of it is remote bush, and is gently managed for the benefit of the local wildlife – and is perfect for someone like me who could just wander freely and be guaranteed to see something different every time I ventured more than a few yards from our B&B.  Ulva Island, which could be reached by water taxi, was a discrete, quiet location where most of the scarcer species such as Weka, Saddleback, Brown Creeper and Kaka (and Yellowheads, which I dipped on) were readily found, while a pre-booked trip a little farther afield netted the promised Brown Kiwi.

Kangaroo Island, 100 miles south of Adelaide in South Australia is also bigger than I first imagined.  Initially I was a little depressed to see only dead kangaroos at the side of the road and, after seeing more road kill in the form of a dead koala, we decided to visit a wildlife park in the centre of the island, which was enjoyable and enabled us to get close to some of the country’s landmark species.  Ironically, after that, we saw plenty more in the wild – wallabies, kangaroos, koalas, emus and even an echidna shuffling down the side of the road.

Another highlight was being close to penguins when they came ashore at dusk on Phillip Island.  Unbeknown to us, we were allocated two of just 10 VIP tickets for the daily ‘Penguin Parade’.

We discovered that this meant we didn’t join the massed crowds on a viewing platform above the main beach, but got right down and dirty onto the sand of a private beach above which large numbers of the Little Penguins nested (along with thousands of Short-tailed Shearwaters which whistled around our ears while we watched the rafts of penguins waddle up the sand).  It was a true privilege to be so close to the little birds as they filed past us just yards away.

Unsurprisingly, with over 900 species, Australia’s birdlife was rewarding pretty much wherever we went, even in large conurbations including Sydney (where we spent an unscheduled day due to a cancelled flight) and Melbourne where I sought out the green areas – and where, unlike New Zealand which we’d visited previously, four out of each five species I managed to identify were ‘lifers’. 

There were a few species I’d never seen before in New Zealand, too, plus a handful of lifers in Singapore and Bangkok, two cities that could not be more different … though both could boast a number of spectacular birds.

Overall, I logged 185 species (83 in New Zealand, 104 in Australia and 20+ in each of the Asian cities, but allowing for duplication), of which more than 90 I was able to add to my lifetime list.

Gary Atkins

WHAT’S ON

After a brilliant autumn/early winter programme of talks, we can still look forward to some further exciting illustrated presentations in the coming months, whisking us off to North America, Botswana and into the rarefied atmosphere of hills and mountains.  See below for details, and remember, talks begin at the Visitor Centre’s Henmore Room at 7.30pm, and the February meeting will be preceded (at 7pm) by our AGM:

15 January        Talk by Glyn Sellors: ‘American warblers in Ohio’  – Henmore Rm, Visitor Centre (7.30pm)

19 February       AGM, followed by talk from Max & Christine Maughan on ‘Brilliant Botswana’ – Henmore Room, Visitor Centre (7pm)                     

19 March          Talk by Paul Bingham: Mountain Man’s perspective on birds’ – Henmore Rm, Visitor Centre (7.30pm)

Below are events being staged at Carsington Water over the autumn and early winter 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 01629 540696 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

16-24 February  Love Bug Trail (collect packs from reception)       Visitor Centre (10am-3pm)

KNOW YOUR COMMITTEE – Here are the club officials and their contact details……..
Committee Post	Name	Telephone	Email Address
Secretary	Paul Hicking	01773 827727	paulandsteph@hicking.plus.com
Treasurer / Membership	John Follett	01332 834778	johnlfollett@virginmedia.com
Recorders	Clive Ashton / Dave Newcombe	01629 823316 n/a	cliveashton@btinternet.com danewcombe@hotmail.co.uk
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 Roger Carrington	01773 852526 01629 583816	jonathan.bradley4@btinternet.com rcarrington_matlock@yahoo.co.uk
…..and the website address   –   http://www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk
Webmaster	Richard Pittam	n/a	Contact Richard via the website

First of all, apologies in advance for this ‘slimline’ newsletter, which reflects how quiet it goes over the late summer both in terms of club events and, perhaps to a lesser extent, the birdlife at the reservoir (as the following reservoir report reflects).  We are about to get things moving again, however (see ‘Diary Dates’ below), with the resumption of indoor meetings and another club trip at the end of this month.

We have a complete season of interesting talks and fabulous photos in place for 2018-19, kicking off with local photographer Paul Hobson.  Meanwhile, the club outing is a little farther afield this time, to the ever-popular Frampton Marsh which generally guarantees a few surprises and a nice long list of sightings.

Regarding club ‘admin’, we now have our general policy on data privacy posted on the front page of the website; this aims to protect members’ privacy, but if you have any queries or concerns over this document, please contact any of the committee for clarification.

We are also still in need of an auditor for the club’s accounts after being served notice by David Bennett, who audited our books for some years.  It would be really good if we could find someone within our own ranks to undertake this important task, which while not time-consuming requires professional expertise.

Gary Atkins

 

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

There are two key dates for members to note later this month (all of our events for the rest of the year are listed in the ‘What’s On’ section on the next page) —

** TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 ** – Award-winning wildlife photographer Paul Hobson is returning to talk to us on the topic of ‘Coast and Islands’.  It’s bound to be an exciting journey …

** SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 ** – For our next club trip we head off to RSPB’s prime reserve at Frampton Marsh (postcode PE20 1AY), which invariably throws up some special species and a healthy list.  Meet there at 10.30am. If you intend to come along – particularly if you need a lift – do let Chris Lamb know either by phone on 01629 820890 or by e-mail at cflamb@yahoo.co.uk

 

WATER BIRD BROODS DIP – BUT OSPREYS AND EGRET CAUSE A FLUTTER

Up to seven Little Egrets have recently been parading around the perimeter of the reservoir, but it was this species’ bigger cousin – a Great White Egret – which caused particular excitement earlier this month.  It was first spotted on 1 September but was then seen by many over the next couple of days before moving on.

Ospreys will always be a talking point, even on their return routes to wintering grounds, and there were five sightings in a seven-day period, the last of which on 3 September was seen carrying a fish over nearby Kirk Ireton.  Other raptors over the summer included four Red Kite records, a juvenile Marsh Harrier on 4 August, and nimble Hobbys which were spotted twice in June, then three times in August.  A Barn Owl thrilled one observer on 7 August at Millfields, where a Tawny Owl was disturbed a couple of weeks later.

Breeding has been mixed, with smaller birds doing well but waterfowl and waders generally producing less broods than usual, with the exception of Great Crested Grebes (8 broods) and Canada Geese.  Two pairs of Reed Warblers bred in Brownale Bay, showing how this species is expanding its range on site, two pairs of Sedge Warblers bred on Stones Island and fledged Redstart young were noted in Shiningford Creek.

As would be expected, autumn numbers of waterfowl are on the increase with 563 Coot, 456 Tufted Ducks and 282 Mallard counted during the August WeBS count, 951 Canada Geese noted on 24 August and 409 Teal on 4 September, with double-figure totals of Goosander, Wigeon, Pochard and Shoveler on some days.

Meanwhile up to seven of the scarcer Common Scoter have been recorded in each of the last three months, and a Ruddy Shelduck was an interesting diversion from 22 to 29 August, though considered a likely escapee.

The gull roost has also begun to swell, as 1,600 Lesser Black-backs were counted at the end of August, along with 280 Black-headeds.  More unusual gulls in recent months have included a Kittiwake, two Caspian Gulls, up to four Yellow-legs and an adult Mediterranean Gull that was noted on 25 July.

Sixteen wader species helped boost the July total to a site record for that month of 107, and the following month’s 113 – the fourth best August total – was also boosted by wader sightings including some scarce species such as Avocet, Ruff, Wood and Green Sandpipers, Turnstone, Knot, Sanderling, Whimbrel and Black-tailed Godwit.

Autumn movements are also now evident, with some species moving in, some through and others out, en route for their winter quarters.  Earlier this month, 20 Meadow Pipits joined the ever-active Wagtail brigade, which included seven Yellows and as many as 65 Pied and half-a-dozen Grey Wagtails in late August.  Hirundines are gathering, too, with 200-strong flocks of Swallows on 26 August and House Martins on 3 September.  There have been fewer Sand Martins recorded, but 137 Swifts were counted on 30 June, with the last of this sleek species noted flying through on 23 August.

A site-scarce Green Woodpecker was seen at Millfields on 9 August, Crossbills were recorded over Millfields and Blackwall plantation in each of the last three months, while flocks of 100+ Goldfinches were seen, often on Stones Island.

There are still quite a few of our summer visitors around, too, with 29 Chiffchaffs and 15 Blackcaps counted as recently as 3 September.

 

“PG LEGACY” NEST BOXES TO BE INSTALLED FOR TREE SPARROWS

A sizeable batch of nest boxes for Tree Sparrows, serving as a legacy to the memory of former Chairman Peter Gibbon, has been completed and delivered.  The boxes will soon be installed around the site, following the imminent completion of the current breeding season.

This effort to help consolidate the traditionally robust Tree Sparrow presence follows a survey between Stones Island and Sheepwash to determine numbers, which last year showed a worrying reduction to a maximum of 28 at any one time as against pre-breeding flocks of 40 and 50 at the Wildlife Centre alone in the previous two years.

Some of the new batch of nest boxes will replace existing ones that have fallen into disrepair, others will be located to reflect the subtle changes in location in which the Tree Sparrow population has been monitored.  Most of the numbered boxes will carry a “PG” prefix in recognition of Peter’s huge contribution to CBC during his lengthy tenure as Chairman.

 

WHAT’S ON

After a quiet summer, our programme of indoor talks is just about to get underway, with its usual wide range of subjects and brilliant photographs, and a club trip is also arranged for the end of September.   Details:

18 September   Talk by Paul Hobson: ‘Coast and Islands’ – Henmore Rm, Visitor Centre (7.30pm)

30 September   Trip to Frampton Marsh RSPB reserve, Lincolnshire  – Meet 10.30am at reserve – (see earlier notice for details)

16 October       Talk (joint with DOS) by Chris Galvin: ‘Around the World  in 80 birds’ –  Henmore Rm, Visitor Centre (7.30pm)

20 November    Talk by our very own Chris Lamb on Oz wildlife – Henmore Rm, Visitor Centre (7.30pm)

18 December    Talk by Andrew Parkinson: British Wildlife thru’ the seasons Henmore Rm, Visitor Centre (7.30pm)

 

Below are events being staged at Carsington Water over the autumn and early winter by Severn Trent Water, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust or New Leaf Catering.

Some incur a charge or require booking, so check with the host organisation for more details (via STW on 01629 540696, 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/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

17 October                   Jazz afternoon tea (£18.95pp) – Restaurant (book via New Leaf)

12 December                ‘A Capella’ Christmas Lunch (£24.95) – Restaurant (as above)

14 December                Lunch and festive jazz afternoon (£24.95) – Restaurant (as above)