Carsington Bird Club Events News

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 News

March Bird Sightings

March 2023 BIRD NOTES

HIGHLIGHTS: Black-necked Grebe, record Skylark numbers, Sand Martin, Swallow, Stonechat, Wheatear, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler.

 Water bird maxima were from the WeBS count on 12th unless dated otherwise. 1 Great Northern Diver reported most days till the end of the month, 4 Little Grebe 3rd and 8th, 40 Great Crested Grebe 8th, 8 Black-necked Grebe 8th 6 in summer plumage and 2 in winter plumage a record number for Derbyshire, 15 Cormorant 4th, 2 Little Egret 20th, 21st and 22nd, 5 Grey Heron 7th, 20th and 22nd, 3 Mute Swan 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd, 20 Greylag Goose 7th, 200 Canada Goose 7th, 20 Barnacle Goose 8th, 3 Shelduck 6th, 3 Mandarin 12th and 13th, 100 Wigeon 12th, 56 Gadwall, 210 Teal, 145 Mallard, 6 Pintail 13th and 22nd, 2 Shoveler 7th, 26 Tufted Duck, 1 Common Scoter 16th (immature male), 12 Goldeneye, 2 Goosander 12th and 20th, 6 Moorhen, 126 Coot, 1 Kingfisher 12th and 13th.

Raptor sightings included 4 Red Kite 21st and 22nd, 3 Sparrowhawk 12th, 18 Buzzards 17th, 2 Kestrel 4th and 16th, 2 Peregrine 5th and 13th.

Ten species of waders through this month with 12 Oystercatcher 11th and 12th, 1 Little Ringed Plover 21st, 28th and 31st, 1 Golden Plover 17th, 78 Lapwing 6th, 4 Dunlin 21st, 1 Jack Snipe 15th, 11 Snipe 12th, 2 Woodcock 5th, 43 Curlew 8th, 6 Redshank 29th.

Maximum Gull numbers were 2 Mediterranean Gull 22nd, Black-headed Gull present all month but not in significant numbers, Common Gull also present this month, 130 Lesser Black-backed Gulls 5th, 17 Herring Gull 4th, 1 Caspian Gull 4th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th, 2 Great black-backed Gull 8th, 11th, 22nd, 29th and 30th, 1 Kittiwake 13th seen off Stones Island for around 15 minutes before departing.

Along with the other species were 966 Wood Pigeon 17th, 1 Barn Owl 12th, 16th and 21st seen in the Sheepwash/Tail Bay area early in the morning, 2 Tawny Owl 18th, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 130 Skylark 12th, 40 Sand Martin 30th, 40 Swallow 30th, 65 Meadow Pipit 17th, 4 Grey Wagtails 17th, 1 Stonechat 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 18th, 3 Wheatear 21st, 22nd and 23rd, 44 Fieldfare 16th, 100 Redwing 3rd and 6th, 13 Chiffchaff 20th, 1 Willow Warbler 31st, 1 Marsh Tit reported on 7 dates this month, 6 Willow Tit 2nd, 8th and 16th, 6 Raven 19th and 21st, 200 Starling 3rd, 5 Tree Sparrow 8th, 4 Greenfinch 3rd and 17th, 10 Siskin 8th, 50 Linnet 7th,11 Lesser Redpoll 23rd, 10 Bullfinch 15th, 8 Reed Bunting 2nd.

The total 102 species noted compares to 106 in 2022, 102 in 2021, 95 in 2020, 100 in 2019, 102 in 2018.

Carsington Bird Club CBC Monthly Bird Notes News

Bird Notes – February 2023

February 2023 BIRD NOTES

HIGHLIGHTS: Great Northern Diver, Whooper Swan, Water Rail, Jack Snipe and Marsh Tit.

Water bird maxima were from the WeBS count on 12th unless dated otherwise. 1 Great Northern Diver reported most days till the end of the month, 8 Little Grebe, 24 Great Crested Grebe 27th, 19 Cormorant 2nd, 1 Little Egret 5th, 9th and 24th, 4 Grey Heron 9th, 2 Mute Swan 3rd, 15th and 27th, 14 Whooper Swan 27th only on site for the single date first group of 4 adults and 6 juveniles left at 08:08 and the remaining 4 left at 08:25, 151 Pink-footed Goose 27th, 35 Greylag Goose 1st, 260 Canada Goose 27th, 35 Barnacle Goose 24th, 4 Shelduck 6th, 1 Mandarin 20th, 161 Wigeon 27th, 84 Gadwall 12th, 733 Teal 6th, 277 Mallard 6th, 1 Pintail 6th, 10th and 12th, 2 Shoveler 7th and 20th, 1 Pochard reported on 7 dates this month, 25 Tufted Duck 16th, 1 Common Scoter (drake) 12th, 10 Goldeneye 12th and 27th, 4 Goosander 5th, 1 Water Rail 22nd and 26th, 10 Moorhen 22nd, 135 Coot 27th.

Raptor sightings included 4 Red Kite 1st, 4 Sparrowhawk 3rd, 10 Buzzards 26th, 2 Kestrel 20th, 1 Peregrine reported on 11 dates.

Eight species of waders through this month with 12 Oystercatcher 14th, 16th and 27th, 150 Lapwing 1st and 9th, 1 Dunlin 10th and 22nd, 1 Jack Snipe 6th, 14th, 20th, 22nd, 23rd and 26th, 10 Snipe 16th, 3 Woodcock 2nd, 15 Curlew 26th, 4 Redshank 12th.

Maximum Gull numbers were Black-headed Gull present all month but not in significant numbers, Common Gull also present this month, 500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls 5th, 20 Herring Gull 10th, 2 Yellow-legged Gull 9th, 1 Caspian Gull 6th, 3 Great black-backed Gull 2nd.

Perimeter counts were conducted on 7th and 28th along with the other species were 1 Tawny Owl heard calling 3rd and 12th, 2 Red-legged Partridge 1st and 5th, 6 Great Spotted Woodpecker 7th with 4 drumming, 8 Skylark 15th, 40 Meadow Pipit 7th, 4 Grey Wagtails 7th, 9th and 21st, 54 Wren 28th, 156 Robin 28th, 93 Blackbird also 28th, 70 Redwing 28th, 33 Long-tailed Tit 28th, 1 Marsh Tit reported on 9 dates this month, 8 Willow Tit 7th, 15 Coal Tit 7th, 175 Blue Tit 28th, 86 Great Tit 7th, 14 Treecreeper 28th, 40 Magpie 28th, 1000 Jackdaw 10th, 18 Raven 22nd, 8 Tree Sparrow 16th, 38 Chaffinch 7th, 8 Greenfinch 28th, 75 Siskin 6th, 80 Linnet 2nd and 3rd, 6 Lesser Redpoll 2nd and 21st, 24 Bullfinch 7th, 9 Reed Bunting 22nd.

The total 93 species noted compares to 92 in 2022, 90 in 2021, 93 in 2020, 92 in 2019, 87 in 2018.

This is the joint second highest total for February only beaten by 96 way back in 2004.

 

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