Sep 2010 Bird Notes

SEPTEMBER 2010 BIRD NOTES

 September Highlights: Osprey, Waders, Wryneck and Lapland Bunting.

August found only a mundane 94 species, but September has produced an exciting 116 Species. The wide shoreline and muddy water’s edge attracted a variety of waders, and migrant passerines have been showing well. Common wintering wildfowl numbers are increasing and maximum counts totalled: 35 Little Grebe and 47 Great Crested Grebe on 21^st, 67 Cormorant on 6^th, 8 Heron on 21^st, 28 Mute Swans on 21^st, 22 Greylag, 450 Canada Geese and 26 Barnacle on 15^th, 1 Ruddy Shelduck between 21^st to 30^th, 406 Wigeon and 45 Gadwall on 29^th, 81 Teal and 166 Mallard on 21^st, 7 Pintail on 22^nd, 3 Shoveler on 2^nd, 26 Pochard on 29^th, 879 Tufted Duck on 21^st, 4 Common Scoter on 29^th and 1009 Coot on 21^st. An Osprey was around, occasionally fishing, to the delight of many observers, from 12^th to16^th. A Hobby was noted on 14^th, 23^rd and 28^th and a Peregrine on 7^th and other dates.

Wader passage has been good with 2 Oystercatcher on 15^th, a maximum of 4 Ringed Plover on Stones Island on 27^th, 87 Lapwing counted on 23^rd, a juvenile Knot on Stones Island on 10^th, a juvenile Little Stint on 26^th, 2 Curlew Sandpiper and 22 Dunlin on 22^nd, 3 Juvenile Ruff 3-8^th, 1 Snipe at the Wildlife Centre on 13^th, 2 Black-tailed Godwit on 29^th, 10 Bar-tailed Godwit at the Wildlife Centre on 9^th and 2 on 27^th, 1 Curlew on 2^nd and 23^rd, an adult Spotted Redshank briefly on 28^th, 11 Redshank on 22^nd, 4 Greenshank on 7^th and maximum of 4 Common Sandpiper on 8^th. The gull roost held 2800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on 2^nd and 17 Yellow-legged Gulls on 20^th. An adult Kittiwake flew east over Millfields on 15^th and 3 Common Tern were noted on 3^rd.

A Barn Owl used Sheepwash Hide as a hunting post around 1800hrs for 35 minutes on 15^th, at one stage perching just 3 feet away from the observer behind glass. Two Kingfishers were at Sheepwash on 11^th. A Wryneck was found at Millfields at 1740hrs on 13^th, attracting many observers and photographers throughout the 14^th, but it had gone on 15^th. This is a new species for Carsington and there have been only about 40 records for Derbyshire since 1954. Amazingly, this was one of three county records this year. A Green Woodpecker was calling from the wood below Millfields in Tail Bay on 20^th, 4 Skylarks flew over southwards on 30^th, 2 Sand Martins were noted on 8^th, 102 Swallows on 20^th and 10 on 29^th, 2 House Martins on 24^th and a maximum of 50 Meadow Pipits on the Dam Wall at dawn on 14^th. A Rock Pipit was located on Stones Island at 1715hrs on 29^th. Minutes later 3 observers were looking at it, each observer struggling with the others’ descriptions of position and actions. Astonishingly, all 3 were looking at different birds, all 3 birds being Rock Pipits among Meadow Pipits. A Yellow Wagtail was noted on the dam on 14^th, 23^rd and 25^th and 122 Pied Wagtails were there at dawn on 1^st. A Redstart on 21^st, a Whinchat on Horseshoe Island on 7^th, a Stonechat at Paul Stanley Hide on 17^th and a Wheatear on 5^th and 16^th added to passerine totals. Warblers noted were a Sedge Warbler on 14^th, a Lesser Whitethroat on 20^th, a Whitethroat on 13^th, a Blackcap attempting singing on 20^th, 12 Chiffchaff on 20^th, a Willow Warbler singing on 23^rd, and 2 Spotted Flycatcher were in Wildlife Centre Creek on 20^th. During the past month many Lapland Buntings have been moving into and down Britain, mainly on the coast, and birders have been eagerly listening for them flying over. Success occurred on the dam at 0830hrs on 22^nd with a bird calling and then briefly perching on the ground before disappearing. Another was seen on 30^th flying aroundStonesIsland continuously calling before heading high northwards.

116 Species were recorded this September compared with 104 in 2009, 108 in 2008, 108 in 2007, 101 in 2006, 101 in 2005, 94 in 2004 and 104 in 2003.