It\u2019s been a summer of unremitting heat and sunshine \u2013 which, in short bursts, would often get smiles on people\u2019s faces, but when the temperatures soar into the 30Cs on a regular basis, rain is absent for weeks on end and the vegetation turns an unhealthy colour, being outdoors is not quite the pleasure it usually is.<\/p>\n
Summer is generally a quiet time for the club, as families go on holiday and children (or grandchildren!) break up for several weeks holiday.\u00a0 A slight change this year \u2013 courtesy of our new events organiser, Cath Sinclair \u2013 is the introduction of what we\u2019re calling \u2018Birding Buddies.\u00a0 These are evening events on the first Tuesday of each month involving a short birding walk somewhere followed by a pub visit to socialise with fellow members.\u00a0 The social element allows people to get to know each other better, and ensures more continuity of contact across the whole year, for those who want it.<\/p>\n
And so far, it\u2019s gone down well.\u00a0 Twenty people attended the first of these events at the end of June, visiting Sheepwash and birding from the hides, then moving on to the nearby Miner\u2019s Arms for refreshment, discussion and chats!\u00a0 Ironically, that evening saw one of the few spells of worthwhile rain \u2013 great for the gardens but not so good for our vision of sitting in the pub garden in the sunshine!<\/p>\n
The second \u201cBB\u201d event took place earlier this month, starting around the Visitor Centre and Wildlife Centre, then reassembling at the Knockerdown pub just up the road.\u00a0\u00a0 We plan to travel down to the Cromford Canal for the next one, which will be on Tuesday, 1st<\/sup> September.<\/p>\n Our other regular events \u2013 the indoor meetings and talks in the Visitor Centre\u2019s Henmore Room over the winter period \u2013 are also now imminent.\u00a0 The first will be on 15th<\/sup> September and will see Tony Slater present his Birdwatchers\u2019s Photographic Diary.<\/p>\n We\u2019re also planning a longer-range club trip in October \u2013 to Rutland Water (precise timings and meeting point to be decided) so hopefully a number of members will be able to make that.<\/p>\n The indoor meetings are invariably on the third Tuesday of the month and continue throughout the chillier period until March.\u00a0 Keep your eyes on diary of events in each newsletter which will detail the latest \u2018what\u2019s on\u2019 activities.<\/p>\n One more thing: Please note that the Wildlife Centre is closed until further notice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n DATES FOR YOUR DIARY<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Below are the dates of upcoming events.\u00a0 Remember \u2013 all indoor meetings are held in the Visitor Centre\u2019s Henmore Room, beginning at 7.30pm:<\/em><\/p>\n ** TUESDAY, 1 SEPTEMBER **<\/strong> \u2013 Our next \u2018Birding Buddies\u2019 walk will be at Cromford Canal, followed by\u00a0 a visit to The Boat Inn in the village [the location of the next \u2018BB\u2019 on 6th<\/sup> October is to be decided<\/em>]<\/p>\n ** TUESDAY, 15 SEPTEMBER **<\/strong> \u2013 Talk: Tony Slater skips us through his Birdwatchers Photographic Diary<\/p>\n ** SUNDAY, 18 OCTOBER **<\/strong> — Trip: Rutland Water<\/p>\n ** TUESDAY, 20 OCTOBER **<\/strong> \u2013 Talk: Dennis Bohm\u2019s description of the springtime migration across the the Adriatic Flyway will be the centrepiece of this evening\u2019s annual joint meeting with Derbyshire Ornithological Society<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n POLE VAULT!<\/strong><\/p>\n Just how far do individual birds travel?\u00a0 The system of bird ringing gives us information that partially provides the answer \u2013 and Carsington can sometimes play a role in the story.<\/p>\n Take the juvenile Black-headed Gull that was ringed in Poland in May 2024, then seems to have taken a liking to the English Midlands, 1,400km away, with ring recoveries at Ogston (Sept\u201924), Tittesworth (Jan \u201925) and Derby\u2019s Kedleston Park in February 2026 \u2013 just nine days before Simon Roddis spotted it at Carsington, 643 days after its original ringing.<\/p>\n So, where to next?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n WADER BONUS AS WATER LEVELS PLUMMET AGAIN<\/strong><\/p>\n This time last year, the reservoir report focused on plummeting water levels, and once again \u2013 as demands elsewhere kick in \u2013 Carsington\u2019s levels have ebbed away significantly, leaving a lot of open muddy areas that are particularly attractive to waders.<\/p>\n Over previous few weeks, an impressive selection of waders have looked down and liked the look of Carsington\u2019s tempting offering of wide expanses of mud.<\/p>\n Two Cattle Egrets were a highlight in August, while a few weeks earlier 15 Little Egrets in late July reflected the changing conditions, and there were a few pleasant surprises as Avocet, Turnstone and Greenshank showed up.\u00a0 August 6th<\/sup> saw a good wader \u2018drop\u2019 with 8 Common Sandpipers, 2 Green Sandpipers and a scarce and elegant Wood Sandpiper has now been around for a couple of weeks.\u00a0 Sanderling and Ruff were among the later additions to the 16 wader species logged during the first half of August.<\/p>\n Canada Goose numbers peaked in June at 1,182, and up to three Egyptian Geese were also being regularly seen.\u00a0 A waterfowl highlight was the emergence of three (far from ugly!) cygnets among a Mute Swan Flotilla of 21.\u00a0 Autumn\u2019s swelling water fowl numbers include Teal, up to 264 during August\u2019s WeBS count, when 726 Coot and 354 Mallard were also counted<\/p>\n Black-headed Gulls have clearly had a successful breeding year, and gull numbers in the roost are also being boosed by other species, notably Lesser Black-backs.\u00a0 An adult Caspian Gull was regularly recorded in July and August, and Yellow-legged and Mediterranean Gulls are occasionally viewed.\u00a0 Terns have been around, too, most being Common until a Sandwich Tern popped in on 1st<\/sup> August, then 6 Arctic Terns were noted on the 6th<\/sup> and 18th<\/sup> August.<\/p>\n Ospreys breezed through on the 20th<\/sup> and 31st<\/sup> May, but it\u2019s been a relatively quiet period for raptors. \u00a0The daily maximum of Red Kites is just three, a single Marsh Harrier was around on 26\/27 July, Hobbies were noted on a number of occasions hunting over the water in June and July, and Peregrines continue to find Carsington a profitable venue for a quick snack.\u00a0 A single Tawny Owl was identified on two dates in July.<\/p>\n Hirundines arrived in a rush in early May, when up to 600 Swallows, 200 Sand Martins and 50 House Martins were counted on individual days.\u00a0 A few weeks later, the maximum complement of 226 Swifts was recorded.\u00a0 All of this presaged the usual wave of summer migrants \u2013 from the Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps of March to the latter arrivals such as Spotted Flycatcher in early May.<\/p>\n Though not the easiest to pick up, Redstart and Lesser Whitethroat were regularly found in the fields beyond the Wildlife Centre, Whitethroat inhabited WLC creek and Garden Warbler joined the larger group of Sedge Warblers on Stones Island.\u00a0 More surprisingly was the Cetti\u2019s Warbler heard calling on the 14th<\/sup> at Hopton End.<\/p>\n There were plentiful indications of breeding success among the smaller bird species, including a family party of Spotted Flycatchers and 6 Grey Wagtails alongside 50 Pied Wagtails on 7th<\/sup> August.\u00a0 Two species that are not captured that regularly at the reservoir \u2013 Green Woodpecker and Kingfisher \u2013 were recorded on a number of occasions in the early days of August.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2018BIRDING BUDDIES\u2019 MAKE IT A REGULAR MONTHLY GET-TOGETHER<\/strong><\/p>\n For the second successive month, the Birding Buddies event attracted a healthy number of members, who turned up at the Visitor Centre at 6pm, then walked steadily around Stones Island, pausing at several points to try to identify some slightly unusual birds.\u00a0 We had a tit species near the playground, which was initially thought to be a Coal Tit, but photographic evidence seemed to prove it was a Willow Tit.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Then, among a mixed group of young and adult birds on Watersports Island, someone picked out a dappled bird (likely juv) with a relatively erect posture that the non-expert crew almost managed to convince ourselves was a Turnstone … but sadly after further consideration, we concluded it was much more likely to be one of the young Black-headed Gulls!).\u00a0 \u00a0It did, though, turn out to be a good session for waders and Redshank, Lapwing and both Green and Common Sandpipers joined the sightings list – along with Little Egret, of which a good number were seen.<\/p>\n The full list we managed to scrabble together was as follows:\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Magpie,\u00a0Long Tailed Tit, Canada Goose, Coot,\u00a0Carrion Crow,\u00a0Lapwing,\u00a0Little Egret,\u00a0Cormorant,\u00a0Green Sandpiper,\u00a0 Redshank,\u00a0Woodpigeon,\u00a0Goldfinch, Blackcap,\u00a0Mute Swan,\u00a0Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Gt Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Common Sandpiper, Moorhen, House Sparrow, Sparrowhawk<\/em><\/p>\n Then, of course, it was the second order of the day — off to the pub to discuss …. well, whatever people wanted to discuss, but it was a lively session with some bonding.\u00a0 Interestingly in this prolonged hot, humid and dry period of weather, it actually began to rain a little before 9 (as it had done during the previous event), barely freshening up the Knockerdown’s garden.<\/p>\n The next Birding Buddies will be on 1 September (to Cromford Canal, followed by a pub in the village).\u00a0 We are contemplating what to do for 6 October, when it will likely be too dark to begin at 6pm\u00a0 By then, of course, we will be well into our indoor season of talks, but we hope to find ways of continuing to meet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n