Events – Page 2 – Carsington Bird Club

Idle Valley NWT & Lound GP – Members Trip – May 2023

Idle Valley NWT Reserve & Lound Gravel Pits – Sunday 28^th May 2023

A little closer to home than some recent trips, the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust nature reserve at Idle Valley was the destination for our most recent members outing on Sunday 28th May. This is a venue we had not visited before as a group, but with a network of lakes, wetland, grassland and scrub it promised to deliver a wide variety of birds.

Meeting up in the Visitor Centre with its panoramic views overlooking one of the lakes, we were able to pick out a pair of Red-crested Pochards among the numerous Tufted Ducks, Mallards, Gadwall and Coots. Lesser Black-backed Gulls seemed to be the dominant gull species on offer, with a smaller number of Black-headed Gulls also present.

As we set off on a circular walk around the lake, the trees and bushes along the path were alive with birdsong. A male Greenfinch perched on top of a bush proved a popular sighting, and afforded very good views for those of us with cameras. Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Blackcaps, Garden Warblers and Reed Warblers were all heard and in many cases seen, and even that most elusive of birds, a Cetti’s Warbler, appeared briefly flitting between bushes. Walking along the banks of the River Idle, we kept a keen eye-out for a Kingfisher, and one was eventually seen by a few members of the group as it darted between trees by the river.

After lunch we drove up to the nearby Lound Gravel Pits, a large area of lakes and scrapes to the north of the Idle Valley reserve. Most of the water bodies held more of the same wildfowl species we had seen earlier, but Common Pochard, Wigeon, Shelduck and Shoveler were added to our list of ducks. Perhaps the most unusual, but impressive, sight was a count of over 100 Mute Swans on one of the lakes. Waders were in rather short supply though, with just a few Lapwings, Oystercatchers and a single Redshank noted.

Possibly one of the highlights of the day was not two-legged but four-legged, as a very handsome fox came out into full view for several minutes at the edge of one of the lakes, no doubt on the hunt for any eggs or chicks it could find.

An enjoyable day resulted in an impressive total of 60 species recorded by the group:

Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Egyptian Goose, Shelduck, Shoveler, Gadwall, Mallard, Wigeon, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Woodpigeon, Cuckoo, Swift, Moorhen, Coot, Pheasant, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Tern, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Buzzard, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Skylark, Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Starling, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch

Chris Lamb

Carsington Bird Club Events Member Reports

Springtime Songbird Walk – Sunday 30th April 2023

A wonderful turnout of 27 people came along to our Springtime Songbird Walk at Carsington Water on Sunday 30^th April. Formerly known as the ‘Warbler Walk’, this is our traditional spring walk around part of the site to look for, and listen to, the many birds singing at this time of year. We were once again led by Simon Roddis, one of our expert bird recorders, who helped us to identify the birds we encountered by both sight and sound.

As we set off towards Stones Island we noticed the line-up of birds on top of the Visitor Centre roof – a Pied Wagtail, Linnet and House Sparrow, soon to be followed by a female Wheatear.

Setting the tone for what was to follow, the first singing warbler we came across was a Sedge Warbler, which was obligingly perched on top of a bush delivering its song. This was to become a very regular occurrence as we moved around Stones Island, so much so that one of the group suggested it should be renamed Sedge Warbler Island!

Other warblers and songbirds were proving a little harder to see, though with patience we did pick out Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Garden Warblers. A single Reed Warbler was heard singing, but we were unable to locate it. Perhaps a little surprisingly, it wasn’t until later in the morning that we heard and saw our first Blackcap.

The site holds a wide variety of bird species, not just songbirds of course, and looking across the reservoir from Stones Island, several Great Crested Grebes very resplendent in their breeding finery were noted, along with Swallows and Sand Martins hawking for insects over the water. A pair of Oystercatchers and Redshanks were seen on Watersports Island, and we had fleeting views of our winter-staying Great Northern Diver as it flew down towards Millfields. By the time you read this, it will probably have departed and set off on its long journey north to its breeding grounds.

Moving round to the Wildlife Centre, a male Redstart was observed flitting around bushes in the fields to the left of the path. Some nearby Barnacle Geese grazing under the bushes helpfully provided a marker for everyone to locate this fine-looking bird. From the viewing screens by the Wildlife Centre, a single Snipe on Horseshoe Island was spotted, though as is typically the case it proved quite difficult to see unless it moved!

Finishing off at Wildlife Centre Creek, Simon’s sharp ears picked out the calls of a Goldcrest and a Willow Tit to round off a very enjoyable morning. A grand total of 40 species were seen or heard by the group:

Canada Goose, Barnacle Goose, Greylag Goose, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Great Northern Diver, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Willow Tit (heard), Sand Martin, Swallow, Long-tailed Tit, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler (heard), Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Goldcrest (heard), Wren, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Robin, Redstart, Wheatear, Dunnock, Pied Wagtail, House Sparrow, Linnet, Goldfinch

Chris Lamb

Carsington Bird Club Educational Events Member Reports

Members trip to Gibraltar Point, Sunday 12th March 2023

A regular band of CBC members were very pleased to escape the Derbyshire snow and head to the Lincolnshire coast on Sunday 12th March to visit the Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve.

After meeting up for a cup of coffee in the Visitor Centre café, we headed out towards the shore on a path which took us along the edge of the salt marshes. The song of Skylarks could be heard above us as we walked, though the strong winds were clearly making most of the smaller birds hunker down for shelter. A few Meadow Pipits, a Reed Bunting and a flock of Linnets were seen briefly before they dived down for cover.

Large numbers of Brent Goose were feeding on the grassy areas on the salt marsh, along with a couple of Redshanks and a Curlew probing for food in the mud. In the distance we could also pick out a pair of Roe Deer.

As we reached the beach, the strength of the wind became more apparent and certainly made it hard to keep binoculars and telescopes steady as we looked for possible sea birds. A number of Oystercatchers were feeding on the shoreline, along with a large flock of Sanderling constantly running along the water’s edge like little clockwork toys. The only sea ducks spotted were a group of some 10-15 Common Scoter flying low over the water.

In the afternoon we decided to move to the more sheltered areas of the reserve, where a number of hides looking out over freshwater marshes offered the chance to see more waders and wildfowl. Our wader tally increased with Black-tailed Godwits, Lapwings and Avocets, as well as more Curlews and Redshanks. Wintering Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler were still present in good numbers, along with a handful of Shelduck.

Woodland birds were in fairly short supply during the day due to the terrain of the reserve, though a Great Spotted Woodpecker, which was first heard calling then seen as it flew between the trees, was a notable find.

The sightings board at the reserve indicated the possibility of 5 Water Pipits at the Fenland Lagoon, so we set off in that direction and were rewarded with clear views of 3 of them, showing well as they moved about on the mudbanks. The Water Pipit is a fairly scarce winter visitor to the UK, mainly in eastern and southern England, so it provided an excellent highpoint to end the day on before we set off back home.

A collective total of 45 species were recorded by the group:

Greylag Goose, Brent Goose, Canada Goose, Shelduck, Shoveler, Mallard, Gadwall, Wigeon, Teal, Tufted Duck, Common Scoter, Moorhen, Coot, Avocet, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Sanderling, Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Cormorant, Little Egret, Pheasant, Wood Pigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Rook, Skylark, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Robin, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Water Pipit, Linnet, Reed Bunting.

Chris Lamb

Carsington Bird Club Educational Events Member Reports Miscellaneous News

BTO BREEDING BIRD SURVEY

The BTO’s Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) monitors the population changes of over 100 species across the UK through the efforts of volunteers who survey their randomly selected 1km square each spring. It is a great way to make your birdwatching count. The only requirement is that you are able to confidently identify the species you are likely to encounter in a given square by sight and sound.

The survey involves a recce visit to assess the habitat, and two early-morning spring visits to count all the birds that you see or hear while walking two 1km lines (transects) across the square, plus nest counts for any colonial species. You can optionally record any mammals that you come across, and visit the square later in the season to look for butterflies. Data can be entered to BBS-Online or paper copies can be returned for input by the BTO.

For BBS purposes, Derbyshire is divided into two regions, North and South. There are currently between 20 and 25 squares available in each region, covering a wide range of habitats. There is also one Waterways BBS stretch available, on the Barlow Brook south of Dronfield. You can find much more information online at https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/breeding-bird-survey.

To see what squares are available in your area, click on ‘Taking part’, look for either Derbyshire (North) or Derbyshire (South) and you will see in which 10km squares there are squares available. You can register your interest online or contact me at simonroddis@yahoo.co.uk, and we’ll try to identify a square which will work for you.

The maps below show the available squares in each part of the county as at 16 December 2022.

Derbyshire North

Derbyshire South

An article by Simon Roddis.