Events – Carsington Bird Club

News Items

********** Membership News **********

From 1st January 2025, membership joining fees have changed – see link here.

CBC Meeting Schedule for 2025/26 commences in September

Indoor meetings are held in the Carsington Water Visitor Centre – starting at 19.30h.

TBA

If you need a lift – or for any more information – contact Chris Lamb [ cflamb@yahoo.co.uk ], who will be able to offer help.

Other Activities

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

Please Note:

Almost invariably held on the first Sunday of the month (meet in the courtyard at 10am – but please book with reception if you intend to come).

Outdoor Activities

For Severn Trent’s spring programme, it’s often sensible to book a place with the visitor centre (on 01629 540696).

Carsington Bird Club Educational Events Member Reports News

Recent Activities Reports

Springtime Songbird Walk – Sunday 11th May 2025

In stark contrast to the wet weather which curtailed last year’s walk, the group of 13 CBC members who joined us on Sunday 11th May for our annual Springtime Songbird walk at Carsington Water were treated to a very sunny morning. We are once again extremely grateful to Simon Roddis, one of our expert bird recorders, who led the walk.

Ironically the warm weather and clear skies kept most of the hirundines at higher altitudes, but a few Swallows were spotted soon after our arrival, along with a couple of Swifts flying away into the distance. Setting off along the causeway to Stones Island, the first singing warbler we came across was a Garden Warbler, which is often hard to see, but we did eventually get a good view of it. Sedge Warblers on the other hand are usually more visible and quite a few were noted singing on the top of bushes. The descending cadence of a Willow Warbler was soon heard, and Chiffchaffs and a pair of Blackcaps were also spotted.

Probably the star bird of the morning was not a songbird at all though. An Osprey was spotted flying over the northern end of the reservoir, initially chased by a pair of Oystercatchers before a number of Black-headed Gulls took up the pursuit. We enjoyed a good look at this very handsome bird of prey as it circled back over the water before disappearing from view.

Moving round to the Wildlife Centre, we spent a short time looking at the various ducks and geese, while taking in the cacophony of noise and activity of the Black-headed Gulls nesting on Horseshoe Island. Finishing off at Wildlife Centre Creek, Simon’s sharp ears picked out the song of a distant Redstart, but it remained elusive and could not be seen. By the end of the morning 33 species had been collectively recorded by the group.

Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Common Pochard, Pheasant, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Osprey, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Swift, Swallow, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Wren, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting.

Chris Lamb

Drakelow DWT Reserve – Sunday 18th May 2025

The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust reserve at Drakelow was the destination for our latest walk on Sunday 18th May. Most of the 10 CBC members who came along had not been there before, so it was a good experience to visit a fairly local reserve for the first time. As we met in the car park a distant Cuckoo was calling, a sound we heard again, but never near enough to try and see it.

Drakelow is well known for its breeding Cormorant colonies and from the hide nearest the car park we counted at least 65-70 on nests in the trees around the lake. Ducks and geese were far less plentiful though, and a pair of Oystercatchers were the only waders on show. Two juvenile Grey Herons were patrolling the water’s edge, later joined by an adult, and both a Great White and a Little Egret and were spotted during the morning.

Walking around the reserve we picked out the songs of many of our summer visiting warblers, with Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff the most numerous. We enjoyed especially good views of a Garden Warbler, singing from an exposed tree branch, and a Whitethroat sat obligingly for some time on top of a nearby bush. Reed Warblers were singing from within the reedbeds, and the scolding sound of a Cetti’s Warbler was heard two or three times, but as is often the case for this species was not seen.

In total 29 species were recorded. It was perhaps mildly disappointing that there weren’t a few more on the list, particularly raptors and hirundines, and also no waders apart from Oystercatchers. You can only see what’s on offer though, and all birds are a delight at the end of the day.

Canada Goose, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Coot, Oystercatcher, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Woodpigeon, Stock Dove, Cuckoo, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Wren, Long-tailed Tit, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Dunnock, Robin, Chaffinch, Reed Bunting.

Chris Lamb

Carsington Bird Club CBC Newsletters Events Member Reports

Frampton Marsh RSPB Reserve – Sunday 6th October 2024

A very fine turnout of 12 CBC members made the journey to the Frampton Marsh RSPB Reserve on the Lincolnshire coast on Sunday 6^th October. This is one of our favourite destinations, which we have visited a few times before, and it always offers a good selection of wetland birds and the chance of the occasional rarity.

Meeting up in the Visitor Centre with its panoramic views over the reserve, we spent some time checking through the ducks and waders on show. The unmistakeable sight of a pair of Spoonbills on one of the islands was a nearly highlight of the day. Always an exciting bird to see, Spoonbills are becoming more commonly found of course and have now successfully bred in a number of locations around the UK.

With the arrival of Autumn the numbers of ducks and geese were starting to build up. Wigeon and Teal were by far the most numerous, with smaller counts of Shoveler and Shelduck noted. Later on a small group of Pintail added to the variety and Brent Geese were feeding on the tidal marshes. A lone Whooper Swan, believed to be an injured bird which has remained at the reserve throughout the year, was also spotted.

Apart from the many Lapwings and a flock of Golden Plover seen early on in the day, relatively small numbers of other waders were present. A handful of Redshank, Ruff, Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwit were noted, along with a single Bar-tailed Godwit.

Some keen eyes in the group picked out a pair of Snipe in the edge of the reeds, with one then obligingly moving out into the open. About 20 Avocets were also counted on the various pools.

Moving on to birds of prey, a Marsh Harrier was often observed during the day quartering the reedbeds, along with at least one Kestrel hovering over the fields. A distant Peregrine sitting on a fence post in the fields behind the Visitor Centre was seen by a few of us, and a Red Kite was also spotted flying above the road leading into the reserve.

Smaller birds were in fairly short supply though, with the exception of flocks of Goldfinches and a few Linnets. A single Stonechat and a Wheatear were good finds to add to our list and a Cetti’s Warbler was heard near the car park.

With the weather turning out to be much dryer and brighter than forecast, it was a very enjoyable day. Bird-wise it did seem to be quieter than on our previous visits, though agood collective total of 47 species was still recorded, bothon the reserve itself and from the approach road.

Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Brent Goose, Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Shelduck, Shoveler, Mallard, Gadwall, Pintail, Wigeon, Teal, Little Grebe, Moorhen, Pheasant, Avocet, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Snipe, Redshank, Ruff, Dunlin, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Spoonbill, Red Kite,Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Peregrine, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, Cetti’s Warbler, Stonechat, Wheatear, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Goldfinch, Linnet

Carsington Bird Club CBC Newsletters Events Severn Trent Water

Roger Remembered as New Hide Formally Opens..

As part of a formal opening of the new Sheepwash hide at Severn Trent’s Carsington Water, Roger Carrington was honoured for his huge contribution to birding on site and to consistent recording of birdlife at the large reservoir. Roger, who passed away in 2022, was Carsington Bird Club’s Recorder for more than a decade.

A very old picture of Roger with what now, would be called an ‘ancient’ scope…

He spent many happy hours at the previous hide, binoculars and ‘scope at the ready, and on 23 July a ribbon-cutting for its replacement was undertaken by Roger’s widow, Lilian, accompanied by daughter Helen. They were able not only to read the plaque on the door of the hide, describing Roger’s key role, but also enjoy the nearby bench that has been dedicated to Roger’s memory.

When it became clear the old hide had had its day, plans were put in place to design and build a new hide. Though Roger never saw these plans come to fruition, he would have been very happy with the successor – reckoned by birders to be located in the optimum position for scanning much of the reservoir.

Roger served as a core member of the Carsington Bird Club committee, advising on all aspects of birding including breeding surveys, bird boxes and where to locate them, habitat improvements – often working hand-in-glove with the Severn Trent – and editing and producing many of the detailed annual reports that serve as a permanent bird-related history across three decades at what is one of Derbyshire’s top wildlife and public engagement sites.

Many people learned a great deal from Roger, whose calm personality and quiet demeanour encouraged them to ask questions (even obvious ones!) and take on board a little of his large fund of knowledge.