CBC Newsletters – Page 9 – Carsington Bird Club

CBC Newsletter No 3 / August 2017

NEST BOX PROJECT TO SPOTLIGHT PETER GIBBON’S LEGACY

Ever since hard-working former Chairman Peter Gibbon passed away late last year, the committee has been exploring ways of ensuring his name and legacy live on in the club’s annals – and a suitable long-term project dropped into their lap when it emerged that the usually prolific Tree Sparrow population at Carsington had mysteriously suffered a drop in numbers and needed some support.

As a result, a large consignment of Tree Sparrow nest boxes is being acquired to help consolidate Tree Sparrow numbers once again – and these numbered nest boxes will each carry the prefix “PG”.

Roger Carrington described why these gregarious birds suddenly seemed to need help on site: “We had noticed the lack of Tree Sparrows at their favourite feeding stations during February this year, and had also mentioned it in the 2016 annual report. We immediately set up a survey to determine Tree Sparrow numbers between Stones Island and Sheepwash car park, including all feeding stations, breeding locations and calling birds. We carried it out every two weeks, counting a maximum number of 28 pre-breeding whereas in the past two years there were pre-breeding flock counts of 40 and 50 at the Wildlife Centre alone.

“We discussed factors that could affect survival, notably habitat, food and breeding, but also considered the status of nest boxes. The 16-box unit on Stones Island had rotted with most units unusable but already birds were in it in late March, while other boxes were lost through age and tree management, yet we were already into breeding season. Severn Trent rangers immediately refurbished some boxes around Ranger Base.”

Feeding was considered, too, since the feeders at the Wildlife Centre can be emptied within a day by ducks and Jackdaws. So the Volunteer Rangers at the Wildlife Centre provided feeders suitable for Tree Sparrows and these have proved popular in providing a constant food source.

“Early post breeding observations have shown a potentially excellent breeding season with many more juveniles than adults around,” added Roger. “With counts of 50 and 58 at the Wildlife Centre, it seems the population may be well on its way back to normal – but we need to look after that population and this is where the extra breeding boxes will help in not only replacing those lost gradually in recent years but also in meeting the needs of an expected increase in breeding pairs in 2018 over relatively few in 2017.”

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

The next two months will see both the resumption of our indoor talks and another club trip – so please make a note in your diaries.

Full ‘What’s On’ details to the end of the year are given later in the newsletter, but here are two key dates for the calendar:

** SEPTEMBER 19 ** – Ken Smith, an excellent local photographer, will make his debut talk to the club, showing us some wonderful images from his travels near and far …

** OCTOBER 8 ** – We embark on our next club trip, this time to the RSPB Old Moor reserve (and, possibly, other Dearne Valley highlights) in South Yorkshire which is an excellent wetland site and usually bags a healthy number of species … Again, full details appear later in the newsletter

BREEDING SUCCESSES AND SURPRISES OUTNUMBER DISAPPOINTMENTS

This year seems to have turned out to be a largely good year for breeding at the reservoir, despite lengthy spells of low water levels. There have been some surprises with both grebe species, three species of goose, four of duck and five of wader all producing young together with Mute Swan, Moorhen and Coot broods.

It had looked like Mute Swan breeding had failed, but then a single cygnet from one brood was noted and a pair with five cygnets was escorted by Severn Trent rangers from the road by Hopton Pond to the reservoir, and by late August all the young were well grown. Faring less well were Great Crested Grebes that raised just two separate broods from several nests, and Barnacle Geese that managed three broods but most of the young disappeared, probably through predation on Millfields Island where, additionally, just 14 Black-headed Gull young were logged despite an earlier count of 240 nests on the island.

Greylags were more successful, with four broods, while Canada Geese produced a conservative estimate of seven. Meanwhile, last year’s breeding ‘site debut’ by Gadwall was repeated with two broods and, more surprisingly still, a pair of Red-crested Pochard chose Carsington to register the county’s first proven breeding for this species, though only one of the original six-strong brood survived to fully grown status.

The more regular breeders were Mallard, with 19 broods, Tufted Duck (7+), Coot (5) and Moorhen (3). Wader breeding is always rather harder to monitor as tall vegetation conceals the young, but Redshank managed three broods, while Oystercatcher, Lapwing and Little Ringed Plover each had at least two broods. It was the first ‘LRP’ breeding success since 2011, but a bigger albeit welcome surprise came from a pair of Common Sandpiper that produced the first brood for 25 years – with three young on Flat Island.

Tree Sparrow concerns (as mentioned in the previous article) were eased as counts as high as 60 were made, including young, and either fledglings or feeding activity signalled that most warbler species seemed to have bred, including a family of Sedge Warblers on Sailing Club Island, while a very healthy count of 13 Reed Warblers contained young birds.

Although early interest in the Sand Martin bank came to nought, young Swallows were seen being fed around the draw-off tower, and both Grey and Pied Wagtails produced young. Fledged Spotted Flycatchers were recorded in June, a family of Redstart were regularly seen in the fields behind the Wildlife Centre and proven breeding successes were also noted for resident species including Bullfinch, Nuthatch, Treecreeper and various tits. Meanwhile, a juvenile Tawny Owl was spotted on 24 June, and six Raven seen in July could well have been a family group.

The healthy number of birds was reflected in other species, like Goldfinch, 200 of which provided an overload of charm on and around Stones Island in July and August, 40+ Linnets were seen in the same vicinity and 55 Pied Wagtails were counted between Stones and the Wildlife Centre. On consecutive days in late July, 100 Swallows were counted, followed by 60 House Martins, then over 30 Swifts.

Quality as well as quantity was confirmed in July, too, when 105 species equalled the site record for that month.

Raptors were showing well, with single Osprey sightings in both June and August, and Red Kites seen on 5 July and 7 August. A young female Peregrine was an almost daily ‘tick’, with two adults joining it on 17 August, there were seven sightings of Hobby in June and July, and as many as 20 Buzzards were counted aloft over Hopton end at 11am on 27 August.

A Sandwich Tern on 10 August was unusual, while up to four Common Terns were seen on a number of occasions. Two Great Black-backed Gulls were seen regularly, as were adult and first summer Yellow-legs, with adult and juvenile Mediterranean Gulls also recorded on separate dates in July, and 135 Lesser Black-backs flew south in late July.

Water bird numbers are rising now, with 700 Coot included in August’s WeBS count, when 407 ‘Tufties’ were around, and 650 Canada Geese were counted a week or so later. Teal numbers have been rising almost daily, and 110 were noted on 30 August. Another duck of note was Common Scoter, which was seen on several dates in the middle of the year, while two Egyptian Geese dropped in early August.

Little Egrets have become increasingly regular, with up to eight seen on any one day. Scarcer waders have included Knot, Sanderling, Whimbrel and Black-tailed Godwit, 11 of which were seen on 27 July, while another sported a ring that gave a fascinating insight into this species’ long-term travel history (see separate short article below). As many as 14 Common Sandpipers have been seen on any one day, and of 18 Little Ringed Plovers recorded one day in early July, 13 were juveniles.

WELL-TRAVELLED ‘PENSIONER’ GODWIT TURNS UP AT CARSINGTON

On 28 July, one of our eagle-eyed posse of regular recorders noticed that a lone Black-tailed Godwit probing the mud on the edge of the reservoir was sporting a ring on its leg.

Knowing that this can often tell an interesting story about bird movements, Clive Ashton forwarded the details of the ring on to Professor Jennifer Gill of the University of East Anglia’s School of Biological Sciences and within three hours she had replied with a brief “CV” about a well-travelled bird of the Islandica race that is no less than 22 years old!

The individual movements and breeding season behaviour of the Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits have been studied for 20 years by researchers like Professor Gill at the Universities of East Anglia, Iceland and Aveiro (Portugal). Ringing has helped paint a fuller picture of this behaviour.

Their records show that this particular individual was first ringed in the Wash estuary in August 1996 and since then has been reported in dozens of different locations, ranging chiefly from places close to ‘home’ in the eastern counties of England such as Cambridgeshire, Essex and Norfolk, but also occasionally farther afield – in Lancashire and Hampshire and, unsurprisingly, a couple of times in southern Iceland!

Godwits are known to travel huge distances during migration, and this particular bird may well have touched down in many more exotic places during its two decades and more on the wing … but it clearly loves old Blighty, and we should be honoured with so much of northern Europe to go at, it chose this year to honour us at Carsington with its presence.

OLD MOOR, HERE WE COME!

Our next CBC members’ trip will be on Sunday 8 October to the RSPB’s Old Moor reserve in the Dearne Valley, South Yorkshire, located between Barnsley and Doncaster.

In fact there is not just one but four RSPB reserves within close proximity to each other in the Dearne Valley: Old Moor is the biggest, and focal point, with a cafe, shops and toilets, the others being Bolton Ings, Gypsy Marsh and Wombwell Ings.

Also nearby is a small independently run reserve with a hide at Broomhill Flash, so we may be able to visit more than one location – an extra chance to see lots of birds and have a rewarding day out.

As with other recent trips, we will make our own way there, though if anyone is interesting in car sharing or getting a lift with someone, please contact Chris Lamb on 07836 368037 or email cflamb@yahoo.co.uk. We will aim to meet at the Old Moor Reserve reception at 9.30am. Entrance to the reserve is free for RSPB members, for non-members it’s £5.00 for adults and £3.50 for concessions.

The postcode for Satnav users is S73 0YF. Anyone turning up after 9.30 and wanting to catch up, can call either Chris Lamb or Gary Atkins (07988 751314) to discover our whereabouts on the reserve.

To get a heads-up on what’s around or for more general information about Old Moor and the other nearby sites, visit the RSPB Dearne Valley – Old Moor webpage: http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/find-a-reserve/reserves-a-z/reserves-by-name/d/dearne-oldmoor/about.aspx

WHAT’S ON

Our programme of indoor talks is just about to get under way, and between now and Christmas we’ll be travelling the globe – from Alaska to Shetland with a warmer interlude in Spain in between! The dates and details are below. We also have a club trip planned in October, selecting a venue – Old Moor in South Yorkshire (see above) – that should be productive as the migration gathers pace.

19 September Talk by Ken Smith: Birding near and far – Henmore Rm, Visitor Centre (7.30pm)

8 October Trip to Old Moor RSPB reserve, Yorkshire – Make own way, meet 9.30am

17 October Talk (joint with DOS) by Tony Davison: ‘Alaska’ – Henmore Rm, Visitor Centre (7.30pm)

21 November Talk by John Gardner: ‘Iberian Birds’ – Henmore Rm, Visitor Centre (7.30pm)

19 December Talk by Dave Hollis: ‘Shetland Wildlife’ – Henmore Rm, Visitor Centre (7.30pm)

There will be a number of other regular and individual events being staged at Carsington Water over the autumn and early winter, run by either Severn Trent Water or Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. Below are those activities and events to the year end. Note that some incur a charge or require booking, so it’s always worth checking for further details (via Severn Trent 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)

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

11 September Nature Tots – Wayward Dragons – Contact DWT to book

2 October Nature Tots – Colour Tots – (as above)

7-8 October Derbyshire Beekeepers Association annual honey show and sale- Linda Darlinson 07733 224023 for info

25 October Halloween: Going batty about bats – Contact DWT to book

6 November Nature Tots – Stickman Adventure – Contact DWT to book

4 December Nature Tots – Rockin’ Robins – (as above)

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
Ex-officio	Jon Bradley Roger Carrington Chris Lamb	01773 852526 01629 583816 01629 820890		jonathan.bradley4@btinternet.com rcarrington_matlock@yahoo.co.uk cflamb@yahoo.co.uk
…..and the website address – http://www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk
Webmaster	Richard Pittam		n/a	Contact Richard via the website

Newsletter – No. 2 – May 2017

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF CARSINGTON WATER

Severn Trent Water staged a celebration event over the weekend of 20-21 May to mark the 25^th anniversary of the formal opening of Carsington Water by HM The Queen. The reservoir had a difficult beginning, taking longer to build than anticipated and encountering technical problems during its construction, but in the succeeding quarter of a century it has established itself as not just an essential link in the chain of water provision for the East Midlands but also as an environmental and wildlife gem for visitors.

Carsington Bird Club was born on the back of the new site in 1992 and has undertaken faithful bird recording for the entire intervening period, each year producing an annual report to spotlight species and update statistical records (hope everyone now has their 2016 report!).

The reservoir, with its 8-mile perimeter has now matured as a site for wildlife (as well as tens of thousands of human visitors cycling, running or walking around the well-defined network of paths). It boasts a wide range of habitats from scrub and woodland to open meadows and reedbed – and with a foreshore that varies in size and character according to water levels, which are in turn driven by the demands of the consumers and vagaries of the weather.

Such diversity has proved attractive to a wide range of bird species and as of the end of last year, 231 species (plus two sub-species) had been recorded at the reservoir, underlining its position as one of the prime birding locations in Derbyshire.

One unlikely species that doesn’t show up on that list, but is highly-likely to have passed through is a Yellow-nosed Albatross (it was logged – and tracked across the UK – but unfortunately did not meet the stringent burden of proof required for ‘mega’ rarities). But there have been plenty of other species that have had the jaws of even seasoned birders dropping in amazement … Long may it remain so.

CARSINGTON BIRDS SET NEW SPECIES RECORDS FOR MARCH AND APRIL

The past three months have combined to make possibly the most productive quarterly spell in the history of bird recording at Carsington. The 110 species seen in March and the 124 in April both exceeded the previous records for those months since records began at the reservoir, and the 113 seen in May was only three less than the best-ever in 2012 and the third best May total. Needless to say, each month produced plentiful highlights.

It was a good period for raptors: Osprey sightings were regular, the first coming on 20 March, followed by four more in April and two in May, while each month saw Red Kite ‘ticked’ with two seen together on 17 April. In early May, a Hobby flew over the Wildlife Centre and three days later a ‘cream-crown’ Marsh Harrier was logged, but perhaps the most raptor-ous day was 25 March, when no fewer than 23 Buzzards were counted along with four Sparrowhawks and one of the Red Kites.

Migration movements and breeding activity always demand careful attention at this time of the year, and the tern passage saw Common, Arctic, Little, Black and Sandwich Terns all moving through, while the first migrants that looked like they might stick around were Sand Martins seen on 11 March – equalling the earliest record for this neat hirundine – and, a day earlier, the first Chiffchaff (though they clearly arrived en masse soon after, since 17 days later, 93 were counted!).

Wheatears began to show up in mid-March and Swallows had arrived by the end of the month, as had Blackcaps and Willow Warblers. Redstart and Yellow Wagtail were noted early in the second week of April, and later in the month, Reed Warbler, Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat all showed up. Among those later arrivals, a site scarce Wood Warbler sang briefly in Hall Wood on 6 May, when 387 Swift also flew through north, and six days later a pair of Spotted Flycatchers were noted.

One warbler moving out was the Cetti’s, which had hung around for many winter weeks on Stones Island but was last heard on 15 March and another long-staying bird, a Ruff, also decided it was time to go just a day later. The Great Northern Diver stayed longer but, by now in resplendent adult plumage, finally decided that 2 May was the day to fly home,

Waders were mainly on the way in, however, and on 23 March the first Little Ringed Plovers arrived. Other wader highlights included 51 Curlew, seven Avocets and two Woodcock, all in the first half of March, Black- and Bar-tailed Godwits were noted in April and in mid May a winter-plumage Knot and a 16-strong group of Turnstone delighted observers.

Another nice wader group comprised seven Sanderling seen on 23 May, one of which had a ring fitted that told the story of some of this tiny bird’s movements. It was originally captured and ringed in the Banc d’Arguin National Park in Mauritania in December 2012 and was last observed last August in Dublin Bay.

Whooper Swans called in late March and early April and a Black Swan (presumably on a day out from a collection) was a surprise on 3 May. As many as 18 Common Scoter were among the scarcer ducks, along with occasional visits by small numbers of Shelduck, Mandarin and Pintail, with a pair of Red-crested Pochard also appearing regularly after mid April.

Ducks led the way on the breeding front, too, with five broods of Mallard showing by early April (a number that had grown to 13 by late May). Sand Martins showed more interest in the nest bank than they had in previous years, but there was no firm evidence of occupation, House Martins were seen taking mud from the shoreline to the Visitor Centre eaves, and Swifts were also observed investigating the eaves.

By May, Greylag as well as Canada goslings were being paraded by their proud parents, a single Barnacle Goose brood was seen and there were several Coot nests noted, though on the debit side, three breeding pairs of Mute Swans had all failed by mid-May.

Great-crested Grebes began nest building, and Lapwing and Redshank broods were seen towards the Hopton end. A pair of Oystercatchers, meanwhile, sat on a nest at Millfields, was stoically ignoring the cacophony of noise on Millfields Island where a huge count of Black-headed Gull nests (240) had appeared for the second year running.

Away from the water Blue and Coal Tits were feeding young on 9 May, Chiffchaffs were seen carrying food on Stones Island, and a week later a juvenile Tree Sparrow was seen being fed. Mistle Thrush, Dunnock and Great Tit fledglings were all recorded.

Circular walks on 26 April and 22 May were highly productive, counting up to 125 Wrens, 91 Blackbirds, 65 Chiffchaff, 52 Blackcaps, 46 Willow Warblers, 22 Song Thrushes, 20 Dunnocks and 14 Garden Warblers. A ‘ton’ of Robins had also been counted in late March.

SPRING EVENTS: CLUB TRIP ATTRACTS FEW MEMBERS … BUT PLENTY OF BIRDS!

A five-strong group turned up to our latest club outing – to the RSPB’s excellent reserve at Middleton Lakes in Warwickshire – but the sparse numbers of people was more than compensated by the obliging birds as 60 species showed themselves on what was a mainly sunny (and occasionally warm) day.

We thought we had been transported back in time when we turned up in the main car park and saw families parading around in mediaeval garb, soon to discover the Sealed Knot was using nearby Middleton Hall as a stage for a Civil War re-enactment.

Things returned to the present day as we drove the short extra distance to the RSPB car park, which was also attracting a healthy number of people. This reserve has undergone a considerable facelift in the past few years and now boasts a range of habitats from reed-beds to woodland and meadows to a broad area of wetland pools and scrapes. There is an excellent ‘no-mud’ pathway all the way around, screens have been erected at several points and on the far side of the reserve, overlooking the wetland area is a large, comfortable hide.

As we wandered around, a very early surprise was a Cuckoo (my first of the year), disturbed from a tree near the path but then visible shortly after, singing in a more distant tree.

Other highlights were a small group of Avocets, including a brood of four chicks, two Mediterranean Gulls which were difficult to see as they’d located themselves right at the centre of a colony of Black-headed Gulls, and other waders including Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers and the almost inevitable Little Egret.

We also saw nine warbler species (dipping on Grasshopper Warbler) though oddly, while there were plenty of Swifts and Swallows zipping overhead, we didn’t see a single martin.

The full list was as follows: Swallow, Grey Heron, Coot, House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Garden Warbler, Mallard, Woodpigeon, Robin, Cuckoo, Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Gadwall, Black-headed Gull, Swift, Cetti’s Warbler, Whitethroat, Tufted Duck, Canada Goose, Common Tern, Pochard, Blackbird, Lapwing, Reed Warbler, Gt Crested Grebe, Buzzard, Cormorant, Moorhen, Wren, Sedge Warbler, Mute Swan, Carrion Crow, Avocet, Little Egret, Shelduck, Little Ringed Plover, Pheasant, Stock Dove, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Shoveler, Mediterranean Gull, Jackdaw, Lesser Black-back Gull, Oystercatcher, Magpie, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Song Thrush, Egyptian Goose, Ringed Plover, Redshank, Teal, Willow Warbler, Chaffinch, Lesser Whitethroat, Pied Wagtail, Rook and Starling.

Before this walk, there was the annual Wagtail Walk in April co-led by CBC recorders and organised by Severn Trent volunteer ranger David Bennett, who also leads the long-standing ‘birdwatching for beginners’ walks on the first Sunday of each month.

Yellow Wagtails are always the main target for those attending the wagtail walk around Stones Island – and they thankfully did make an appearance, but among an overall list of well over 30 species there was a selection of visiting warblers, an array of waders including Common Sandpiper, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers, Dunlin, Redshank and Oystercatcher, plus the Great Northern Diver just a week before it finally decided to fly off to do whatever ‘GNDs’ do in the summer!

And before the milder weather kicked in, allowing us to enjoy both of these outdoor events, our final indoor meeting of the 2016-17 season programme took place in March when our webmaster Richard Pittam showed off some of his excellent photographs. In a talk entitled “What a year this would be!” Richard selected an eclectic mix of his favourite shots taken over several years in a range of fascinating locations, and delivered little stories and insights that lay behind many of the pictures.

Gary Atkins

WHAT’S ON

Following the end of the 2016-17 indoor meetings programme, our recent club trip and April’s wagtail walk, the CBC events programme goes into limbo over the summer until the next season begins in September with Ken Smith’s talk that was postponed from January.

Meanwhile, the regular events at Carsington continue courtesy of either Severn Trent or Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, together with the occasional special event. Below are those events scheduled over the summer months. Some attract a charge or are subject to booking, so it’s always worth checking for further details (to do so, call Severn Trent on 01629 540696 or Derbyshire Wildlife Trust 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)

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

Selected Wednesdays – ‘Wild Wednesday’ fun on 26 July and 2/9/ – Contact DWT for information – 16/23 August (children must be accompanied)

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

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

11 June – Ellen MacArthur sponsored walk (to take part contact, Camilla Shelley on 01983 297750)- Starts 9.30am

23 June – Team Charity Bell Boat Race of 8-10 (funds for air ambulance/local group) – (£40 entry for teams For information call CarsingtonSports & Leisure (01629 540478).

3 July – Nature Tots – Butterfly Flutterby (charges apply) – Visitor Centre (10.30am-12noon)

8-16 July – Matlock Art Society exhibition – Henmore Room, Visitor Centre

16 July – Four churches family fete – Visitor Centre

2 September – Go Batty! End Wild Summer with bat walk – Meet Visitor Centre (8-10pm)

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
Ex-officio	Jon Bradley Roger Carrington Chris Lamb	01773 852526 01629 583816 01629 820890		jonathan.bradley4@btinternet.com rcarrington_matlock@yahoo.co.uk cflamb@yahoo.co.uk
…..and the website address – http://www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk
Webmaster	Richard Pittam		n/a	Contact Richard via the website

Carsington Bird Club CBC Newsletters Events

No 1 / February 2017

ANNUAL SUBS NOW DUE!!

Could those of you yet to renew your membership for 2017, please send a cheque for the requisite amount (£10 for family/joint, £7.50 single, £1 for junior) as soon as possible to John Follett at 8 Buckminster Close, Oakwood, Derby DE21 2EA. Thank you – and happy birding!

THOUGHTS ON OUR CHAIRMAN

We have traditionally included here a ‘Chairman’s Thoughts’ column, which has for the past nine years been written by Peter Gibbon. But Peter’s sad death in late December after a short illness means we now have a big hole to fill – not just in the newsletter but also in our club, which relied so heavily on his thoughtful leadership and hard work spanning nearly a decade, and the local wildlife world that Peter was devoted to for so many years.

Furthermore, the warm tributes at Peter’s funeral on 17 January in his home village of Holloway clearly demonstrated that his passing leaves a huge void in his family and network of friends – and we pass on the club’s collective condolences to wife Jacqueline, son Jamie, stepson Jake and step-daughter Lucy.

Peter was born in Manchester and remained a fervent ‘United’ fan but had spent the latter half of his life in Derbyshire. Here, he made an impression wherever he went – not least as a teacher at Anthony Gell School in Wirksworth. He actively fought against inequality and supported many worthy causes. He packed a lot into a life that lasted just 69 years.

The ‘Thoughts’ he expressed in the newsletter were, it’s fair to say, rather random, but that’s because he pondered deeply on things he’d read, heard about or seen on the TV. He liked to air his thoughts and conclusions with those he thought would be interested. So, for us, he wrote about nature, wildlife and conservation issues … or shared some of the amazing birding experiences and exciting holidays he had. It was often very much like a rather one-side chat with a pal!

This month, our thoughts should be about Peter and the multi-faceted role he played in the club. He had been Chairman for nine years, and his quiet, thoughtful and pragmatic leadership meant we maintain to this day a good solid base, with birding at our core, despite steadily falling membership.

Over the years Peter ‘inherited’ other roles, usually when we lost a committee member and could not fill the gap. Almost unnoticed, he would pick up the reins and do a fine job. For a while he took on the Treasurer’s role, until John Follett joined the committee, and then, following the sad death of Dave Edmonds, he took on the membership secretary’s duties. And all that while he’d also been organising several seasons of indoor meetings, often taking the stage himself when a speaker was unable to turn up at short notice – or, on occasion, just to save the club a fee!

Imagine then, the loss to the club of such a hard-working individual. Not just in terms of the hours spent on CBC duties, but also in the important link – through well-earned mutual respect – that he created with our hosts, Severn Trent, with the county’s birding authority DOS and as the local area WeBS organiser (as well as actually conducting the monthly WeBS surveys in tandem with Jon Bradley).

It’s a lot to lose and while we can’t replace Peter’s unique qualities, we will need help from the membership at large if we’re to find ways of operating the club at anything close to level of activity, efficiency and empathy that we managed under Peter’s leadership. Do, please, let us know if you’re able to help.

KEY COMMITTEE POSTS STILL VACANT FOLLOWING AGM

The Club’s annual general meeting was put back a month when the speaker at our January meeting had to postpone his planned talk until later in the year. When the AGM did take place a month later, those members attending learned that there are still key officer roles in the club to be filled – notably that of Chairman.

Those people who had been on the committee in 2016 were re-elected with the obvious exception of Peter Gibbon, and also that of Peter Oldfield who last year resigned as trips organiser. Gary Atkins said that he’d agreed to undertake the organisation of indoor meetings for the time being, and John Follett had agreed on a temporary basis to pick up the membership secretary’s tasks in addition to his role as treasurer. It would be preferable if permanent replacements could be found for indoor meetings and for membership administration, to lend focus to each role, and it will be important to find a new Chairman in the near future.

One member did volunteer to join the committee: Thanks go to Chris Lamb, who agreed to attend forthcoming meetings to see which tasks need particular attention before committing to a particular role. Once again, let us know if you, too, think you can help on the committee in some capacity.

CETTI’S WARBLER MAKES SITE DEBUT – AND DIVER’S RETURN IS BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!

Towards the end of November, a Cetti’s Warbler turned up on Stones Island, becoming the third new species for the reservoir during 2016 and taking the site’s definitive list since records began to 231. Though this ‘LBJ’ habitually hunkers down, mainly out of sight, it was spotted on occasion and heard more regularly during its long stay over the winter.

Another long-staying winter regular, the Great Northern Diver, gave cause for concern as it failed for the first time in years to turn up in November. An adult bird finally did arrive on 20 December, providing an early Christmas present for local birders, along with the sight of 280 Golden Plover among a flock of nearly 1,000 Lapwings.

A Ruff has been here all winter, too, and Hopton end seems to have become a popular refuge for some of the scarcer birds seen at Carsington. The developing reed bed seemed to have an almost irresistible hold on a Reed Warbler that stayed a month later than any previous record for this species, finally leaving on 20 October, and in succeeding months, Water Rail, Jack Snipe and Woodcock have been seen or heard in the area, along with up to 15 Grey Wagtails recently roosting among the reeds.

Huge flocks of several species were a notable feature of late autumn and winter: top of the flocks were 870 Starlings, several hundred Jackdaws and Fieldfares and many thousands of Woodpigeons, but the No1 daily count goes to our Scandinavian visitor, the Redwing, with 9,270 counted late last November.

Six species of goose were noted in December, when 250 Pink-feet and the regular Greylag, Canada and Barnacle Geese were joined by two White-fronteds (the second occurrence in three months) and a single dark-bellied Brent Goose, three of which turned up the following month, too.

Thirty-eight Whooper Swans swooped in on 20 January, while the previous month saw three-figure totals of Teal, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Pochard and Wigeon, plus good numbers of Little Grebe (16) and Moorhen (11) – birds that had suffered considerable declines in the past year or two. Little Grebes, in fact, had increased to 19 during February, when a very healthy 45 Great-crested Grebes were also counted.

Among the waders dropping in, most unusual was a Knot on 22 January while earlier that month a very large group of 95 Snipe were seen from the Wildlife Centre. One Oystercatcher returned in January, but by 9 February three pairs were on site and by the 20^th nine birds had assembled, so hopefully breeding is about to begin again for this species.

Gulls have not been witnessed in particularly large numbers recently, but 4,000 Black-headed were in the roost on 25 November and, three days later, 900 Lesser Black-backs were counted. In early January, an excellent total of 1,400 Common Gulls were recorded, and for the fourth time in 2016 a Kittiwake dropped in.

As well as Redwings and Fieldfares, other winter visitors have included Brambling and good numbers of Siskin and Lesser Redpoll, while in December Crossbill made a sixth appearance of 2016. By February, Skylarks were witnessed flying over several times, and birds were beginning to find their voices.

On 21 February, a count of smaller birds away from the water found 51 Blue Tits, 19 Great Tits, 13 Long-tailed Tits, 10 Coal Tits and four Willow Tits (up to nine were recorded on a different day), three of which were singing, 18 Bullfinches, eight singing Chaffinches and five Reed Buntings. The same walk, from Hopton end to Stones Island also discovered 88 Robins (62 singing), 27 Dunnocks (20 in song), 35 Wren (28 singing), 18 Song Thrush (all but three singing), 28 Blackbirds (mysteriously and in stark contrast, only one of which was singing) and seven Goldcrest (three singing).

“FUN DAY” TO CELEBRATE CARSINGTON WATER’S 25^TH ANNIVERSARY

It is very nearly a quarter of a century since Her Majesty The Queen opened Carsington Water, and a Fun Day is currently being arranged to help celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the reservoir that is not only a crucial part of the Severn Trent Water system but also an iconic honey pot for visitors from far and wide who enjoy exercise, wildlife and the big outdoors.

On Saturday, May 20, there will be a wide range of games, stalls and attractions on offer to visitors, chiefly adjacent to Visitor Centre, but locations like the Wildlife Centre are also likely to prove popular venues, too. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for brilliant weather on the day.

WONDERS AWAIT ACROSS THE ATLANTIC

Unfortunately, our January indoor meeting had to be postponed (Ken Smith, our planned speaker, will however be returning in the autumn!), but either side of that we were treated to two presentations packed with brilliant photographs, both of which involved a quick trip across the Atlantic.

In December, Tony Davison spoke about ‘winter birding in New Jersey’ and the amazing diversity of birdlife that exists in the 130 miles of heavily ‘lagooned’ coastline along this stretch of America’s eastern seaboard. Though also a prime holiday location for US citizens, the birds don’t seem to mind sharing!

Then, in February, Paul Bingham kindly stepped into the breach at short notice to speak immediately after our postponed AGM about the birdlife of Costa Rica. If New Jersey’s birdlife was exciting, then the wildlife of this small country (about the size of Wales) 3,500 kilometres south is quite simply breathtaking.

Costa Rica is well known for its exotic birds but the sheer volume of species is mind-boggling. Paul said he saw more birds there in two weeks (nearly 400 species!) than he had in 30 years birding in the UK. He slotted in some shots of other wildlife, including two- and three-toed sloths, a reptile or two and some wonderful butterflies (another astounding fact is that Costa Rica has more butterfly species than the whole of Africa). Paul’s mouth-watering talk left most of us in the audience wondering how we could pull together the funds to visit this stupendous country as soon as possible!

An eagerly-anticipated talk by Richard Pittam on 21 March will be the final event of our current indoor schedule, and planning is already underway on an interesting 2017-18 programme of talks.

WHAT’S ON

The final talk in our winter indoor meetings programme in March will see our very own webmaster Richard Pittam delighting us with an enigmatically titled presentation together with a selection of his excellent photos, and the following month the annual ‘wagtail walk’, in collaboration with Severn Trent, will go in search of the main prize, migrating Yellow Wagtails. Details as follows:

21 March Talk by Richard Pittam: ‘What a Year this would be!’ – Henmore Rm, Visitor Centre (7.30pm)

25 April Wagtail walk – Visitor Centre (6pm)

A broader range of events – some regular and either arranged by Severn Trent Water or Derbyshire Wildlife Trust – are also on offer. Below are the offerings from now into spring. Some are chargeable and some are subject to booking, so it’s always worth checking for further details (call Severn Trent on 01629 540696, or Derbyshire Wildlife Trust 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)

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

6 March – Nature Tots – Owl Babies (charges apply) – Contact DWT to book

3 April – Nature Tots – Spring Flowers (charges apply) – Visitor Centre (10.30am-12noon)

9 April – Walk and cycle ride in aid of Teenage Cancer – For information call 01773 596073 /(organised by Vaillant Group UK) 07767 377968

23 April ‘Collie chaos’ (details to be confirmed) – TBC

20 May – Carsington Water 25^th anniversary fun day Visitor Centre (10am-4pm)

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
Ex-officio	Jon Bradley Roger Carrington Chris Lamb	01773 852526 01629 583816 01629 820890		jonathan.bradley4@btinternet.com rcarrington_matlock@yahoo.co.uk cflamb@yahoo.co.uk
…..and the website address – http://www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk
Webmaster	Richard Pittam		n/a	Contact Richard via the website

Carsington Bird Club CBC Newsletters Events

No 4 / November 2016

CHAIRMAN’S THOUGHTS

As I watched the first episode of Planet Earth II, I once again realised how wonderful modern technology has improved our experience when watching the world’s wildlife. Nine million of us tuned in and that was more than viewed the ‘X Factor’! During the 50 minutes before the final section (showing how perilous it was to film the Chinstrap Penguins) there was 20 minutes devoted to avian life. Admittedly the point was made that only birds can reach some of the islands shown but that’s still a good chunk of a programme featuring birds.

The poor three-toed pygmy sloth sequence, the awesome Komodo dragons fighting and the absolutely enchanting Lemurs of Madagascar were all brilliant, and the baby iquanas pursued by lightening fast snakes was incredible. A further scene, on an island taken over by crabs that in turn have now found a new enemy in the form of an ant, was then really upstaged by the soaring and nesting Buller’s Albatross, which breeds on the same Snare’s Island as Shearwaters and Snare’s Penguin. What a place this island off the south coast of New Zealand must be if you are there in summer.

The programme then transported us to the Seychelles – somewhere I’ve always wanted to go to see birdlife and my wife would like to go to sunbathe and relax! My favourite bird, the Fairy Tern, lives there and was the immediate focus of the camera people. I think they are as pretty as any bird can be, and am always left wondering why so many white, or even black and white, birds are so striking. It showed the precarious nest site and, after one egg was partially eaten by another bird, it then showed a chick, suggesting the same bird laid again and was successful the second time. I once went to Buxton to hear Bill Oddie speak and he, too, mentioned that this was his favourite bird.

Unfortunately Noddys on the island didn’t fare so well with sticky seeds on the ground getting round young birds’ feathers, sometimes causing death. The finale featured a remote active volcanic island in Antarctica, where Chinstrap Penguins, in the largest such colony in the world, choose to live because the warm land means it can nest earlier. But as the programme showed, getting on and off the island to fish for food is a hazardous gamble. Fantastic photography from a brave camera crew is what we expect from this programme and I am sure birds will play a prominent part in future episodes. If you missed it, catch up on BBC iPlayer as soon as you can.

Finally, I am sorry to say this will be my very last newsletter offering. After nine years as Chairman as well as other committee roles, I have to give up all posts forthwith due to ill health. I thank everybody in the club for your help and assistance throughout those years and especially members of the committee, who have worked so hard to keep this club going in the last 25 years. I will sincerely miss you all and the progress we have made.

Peter Gibbon

HELP! – MEMBERS’ ASSISTANCE REQUIRED

As we, and the wider wildlife-loving community, wish Peter Gibbon all the very best in battling his ill health in the coming weeks and months, his sad news brings along with it something of a crisis for Carsington Bird Club.

Peter has been the mainstay of the club for several years. Not only has he held the Chairman’s post for nine years, he’s also been undertaking the Membership Secretary and Indoor Meetings Organiser’s duties for some years after the holders of these posts left and appeals to the membership to fill these roles fell on deaf ears.

And as if this wasn’t bad enough, Secretary Paul Hicking is also soon to leave us, as he and wife Steph expect to move out of the area. The net result of all this is that we now have four important committee roles unfilled – and even the danger of no quorum at future committee meetings if we can’t increase the number of participants.

While Treasurer John Follett and Publicity Officer Gary Atkins have agreed – for the time being – to manage the membership and indoor meeting activities, respectively, we should not expect individuals to handle two or three separate roles permanently. So, for the long-term we need members to come forward to fill some of these roles – although in the short-term any offers of help or provisional attendance at committee meetings will help. Please contact us (details on the website www.carsingtonbirdclub.co.uk) if you think YOU can help.

THREE ‘FIRSTS’ TOP THE CHARTS DURING CARSINGTON’S BUSY AUTUMN

It’s been a busy autumn at the reservoir with huge movements of more common birds often darkening the skies in late October/early November, and three Carsington ‘firsts’ turning up. These were a White-winged Black Tern (also only the seventh county record) among a 50-strong flock, also including Arctic, Common and Black terns, that flew through on 12 September; a Richard’s Pipit that was spotted among a group of Meadow Pipits; and a Cetti’s Warbler that took a liking to Stones Island and was heard calling and singing regularly after its ‘debut on 19 November.

Other highlights included a Yellow-browed Warbler – a species not seen at Carsington until last year; this specific bird was likely to be one of a large number that spread inland following an influx on the east coast. A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Blackwall Plantation was the first on site for five years, and a Reed Warbler last seen at Hopton End on 20 October was the latest on site by a clear month and was only a couple of days short of the county record.

Among other summer species departing, one of the latest was Swallow, last recorded on 16 October. Meanwhile, the usual influx of winter birds has included up to 420 Redwing and 610 Fieldfare noted earlier this month, but prize for the largest flock goes to the humble Woodpigeon, 6,710 of which flew over on 2 November, when 515 Starlings were also counted in a mini murmuration.

A site record 33 Brambling flew through in late October, when a flock of 100 Siskin were also noted at Sheepwash, and a pair of Stonechat first appeared in Wildlife Centre creek and were also seen regularly during November. A site-scarce Whinchat, meanwhile, was spotted on thistles on 15 September.

Wildfowl numbers have predictably been on the rise in recent weeks. November’s WeBS count on the 13^th included 837 Coot, 180+ Tufted Duck and Pochard, 140 Mallard, 121 Wigeon, 104 Teal and smaller numbers of Gadwall and Goldeneye. Two Common Scoters were also logged that day and were still around on the 19^th. Little Grebes continued their comeback (after the welcome disappearance of ‘Brutus’, the carnivorous Yellow-legged Gull!) and 21 were counted this month, while one of its Black-necked cousins was seen in October.

Maximum counts of geese include 420 Pink-feet on 20 October, 391 Canadas the previous month, an unusually high 154 Greylags on 17 October, and the 25 or so Barnacles that seem to regard Carsington as their home. Two White-fronted Geese were also spotted in early October.

Nearly 300 Lapwing were among the November WeBS count, but the following day their number had risen to 480. Jack Snipe was noted in both October and November, and Common Snipe, Dunlin and Redshank were regularly seen. Other waders logged occasionally in smaller numbers included Turnstone, Greenshank, Green and Common Sandpipers, Grey and Ringed Plovers, Ruff and, on 9 November, a single Knot.

It’s been a quiet time for raptors, although the steady flow of Ospreys this year continued with a single bird through on 5 September. Two Merlin sightings were logged, in September and October, while a single sighting of two Hobbys was made on 17 September. Buzzard records were regular, and Peregrines were noted on several dates. Particularly pleasing was the sound of up to 10 Tawny Owls calling at various points around the reservoir at dawn on 30 October.

CHILLY PHOTOS WARM OUR HEARTS AT AUTUMN INDOOR MEETINGS

Regular attendees of the club’s indoor meetings have in the last three months been transported to Iceland, the islands and more remote mainland sites of Scotland and, reminding us that good birding is always available closer to home, the Dearne Valley in South Yorkshire.

We were delighted to welcome back an old favourite, Paul Hobson, for our very first meeting of the year in September. As ever, excellent photos of birds, other fauna and flora and fascinating landscapes were assured as Paul demonstrated the distinct delights of Scotland – from Mull to Shetland, and the Uists to Speyside.

If some of Paul’s shots showed chilly conditions in the far north of the UK, the same applied to most of those displayed by another returning speaker, Ian Newton, whose talk in November focused on Iceland.

Even though he travelled at a relatively hospitable time of year, the inherent cold of this country – which sits just below the Arctic Circle – was apparent in the bleak but beautiful landscape that was sometimes the main feature and sometimes the backdrop to astounding wildlife in his photographs. While for us, the colourful Red-necked Phalarope, Harlequin Duck and Red-throated Diver were a particular delight; it was amazing to see how beautiful Redshank and Whimbrel are in fine close-up detail.

Sandwiched between these two photo-fests, was the annual joint meeting with DOS in October – which drew a record number of attendees (38 – but don’t tell our hosts!), and when Matthew Capper was our guest speaker. Matthew, who used to be the RSPB’s representative at Carsington during the early days of ‘Aren’t Birds Brilliant’, now manages the Old Moor reserve plus the development of other burgeoning wildlife sites along the Dearne Valley in South Yorkshire.

In an eloquent, detailed and well-illustrated talk, Matthew outlined how the site became a reserve, what improvements are being done today, and gave us a few hints of some exciting potential future developments that would reflect the Society’s desire to develop more extensive areas for wildlife along the valley.

CARSINGTON’S COUSIN – OGSTON RESERVOIR – WELL WORTH A VISIT

As many of you will know Severn Trent Water operates not just Carsington Water but a number of other reservoirs across our region, some vast estates like the Upper Derwent Valley in the north of the county and Lake Vyrnwy in Wales, and others much smaller local reservoirs such as Thornton Reservoir in Leicestershire or Shustoke in Warwickshire.

The management of the smaller sites often falls to the teams of rangers based at larger sites. Carsington is no exception, and we also look after Ogston Reservoir in the Amber Valley, on the other side of Matlock.

Ogston’s connection with Carsington runs much deeper than just the management of its habitats and facilities. It is also linked by an aqueduct and via Ogston Reservoir the water from Carsington is treated and then distributed. This is why Ogston’s water levels can often appear to go up as our own go down.

Ogston is also a renowned birding spot within the county with an impressive number and variety of species recorded here. The site draws in passage migrants, gulls flock to roost here in the winter, there’s a heronry and in recent summers Ospreys have lingered here – occasionally popping over to Carsington to catch fish but avoiding going anywhere near our nesting platforms!

Ogston Reservoir is considerably smaller than Carsington and has an active bird club, a popular sailing club and is fished by the Derbyshire County Angling Club. This means it’s a busy place and just as at Carsington balancing the rights and requests of the sites’ user groups with the sites’ role in the water network groups takes patience, compromise and generosity from all involved.

The impressive bird counts and the variety of bird species at Ogston have seen the site designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means we work closely with Natural England who help guide the management practices we employ at the site and monitor the work we do. With a mosaic of woodlands and grasslands not dissimilar to Carsington we’ll be replicating much of the much we do here at Ogston.

For visitors to Carsington who haven’t ventured to many of our other sites, a trip to Ogston is highly recommended. There are three car parks around the reservoir and the water can be viewed from various points. There are hides for the use of Ogston Bird Club members but also a public hide at the main car park.

For those more familiar with Ogston look out for the Carsington team as they’re on site and hopefully enjoy the benefits of some of the work we’re carrying out.

USER LIAISON GROUP LEARNS OF LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Our hosts at Carsington Water, Severn Trent, do an amazing job of balancing their primary role with supporting the goals of various local organisations that utilise the many benefits of the reservoir – and they periodically update these groups (which include the sailing club, fishermen and local community as well as CBC) on latest developments.

At a recent meeting of this Carsington Water User Liaison Group, good news for the birding community was that a former volunteer ranger had bequeathed a legacy, which is to be used to provide an additional hide or viewing platform on Stones Island, affording one of the best open views across the reservoir.

Conservation activity during the coming winter will focus on clearing excess willow around the other hides, completing work in the woodlands and a variety of maintenance tasks associated with the High-Level Stewardship scheme. And various methods were being investigated to reduce the disruption to wildlife caused by such things as dogs let off the lead, unauthorised swimming (often very early or late by triathletes in training!) and the growing popularity of drones.

We were also informed that visitor numbers were up 11 per cent this year, and the Visitor Centre’s retail units were now all let following the arrival of the Air Ambulance. And, thankfully, despite the constant pressure on employment levels, the ranger team has been maintained at six – though the staff will now have additional duties at Ogston and Linacre reservoirs.

Severn Trent also reminded everyone that 2017 marks the 25^th anniversary of the reservoir – and associated celebrations would aim to involve schools. STW invited the user groups to participate in a special event provisionally planned around the weekend of 20-21 May.

WHAT’S ON

CBC’s winter programme of talks continues at the Visitor Centre’s Henmore Room either side of Christmas, though we still have to secure speakers for our February and March meetings.

There have been very healthy numbers attending recent meetings, so it will be good if that trend continues – and remember our January talk will be preceded by our Annual General Meeting, which is particularly important this year as a recasting of the club’s officers will prove essential following the enforced retirements of long-serving committee members, Peter Gibbon and Paul Hicking (as described on the front page of this newsletter) – plus Peter Oldfield’s recent decision to stand down as outdoor trips organiser.

Please get along if you can: the AGM begins at 7pm – half-an-hour earlier than our regular meetings – and will be followed by a talk by Ken Smith.

20 December ‘Winter Birding in New Jersey’ by Tony Davison

17 January AGM followed by a talk on ‘wildlife near and far’ from Ken Smith

21 February TBA

21 March TBA

Severn Trent Water, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, RSPB and New Leaf Catering also organise a range of activities. To check if events need booking, call either 01629 540696 (STW), 01773 881188 (DWT) or 01629 540363 (New Leaf). The programme for the next three months is as follows:

Every dayAnima – Antics Trail (trail pack £1) Visitor Centre (10am-5pm)

First Sunday of month – Birdwatching for Beginners with STW ranger Meet Visitor Centre (10am-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 of month – ‘Family Forest School’ (three sessions daily) – Millfields car park (contact DWT)

2 December – Make your own herbal Christmas present – 10.30am-1pm (contact DWT) (Charge applies)

5 December – Nature Tots: Winter Wander (charge applies) – 10.30am-noon or pm (contact DWT)

16 December – Jazz Evening (tickets available to book) – From 7pm (contact New Leaf)

9 January 2017 – Nature Tots: Snow Tots (charge applies) – 10.30am-noon or pm (contact DWT)

6 February – Nature Tots: Muddy Puddle Tots (charge applies) – 10.30am-noon or pm (contact DWT)