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