Clive A
Well-known member
Lol , probably no one dared question it.
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Derbyshire County Birding (13 Viewers)
- Thread starter mooskibaby
- Start date
Lol , probably no one dared question it.
DaveN
Derwent Valley Birder
Amazing day down Wyver today. I was in two minds about whether to go down due to there being thick fog and me having man flu.
I got down there around 08.40 and because of the fog I could barely see the far side of the pool. The usual stuff was around including 30 Wigeon, 4 Shoveler, 2 Gadwall, 5 Tufties, female Pochard, Herons, Cormorants, Teal etc.
At c09.30 the first goodie arrived in the shape of 2 Sand Martins which were the first of the year. Shortly after the first Chiff Chaff of the year was heard singing near the river.
I took a walk down the lane which was fairly uneventful apart from 2 Buzzards and a Kestrel. By the time I got back to the hide the fog had lifted slightly and after a short while a Curlew flew over. Over the course of the day another 3 would fly through. A Redshank then flew in and done several circuits of the main pool before flying towards the upper pool although It wasn't seen again.
At around 12.30 over 100 BH Gulls flew in and started circling the main pool. Then in almost disbelief I heard an Avocet call. I scanned through the Gulls and saw not 1 but 5 Avocets flying around. I almost went into panic mode wondering what to do. After a nervy minute or two they landed on the pool and after a brief look I started ringing everyone I could think of.
Luckily there was no need for panic mode as they stayed for the remainder of the day so up to 20 birders managed to get to see them. These are a new species for Wyver Lane and equals the highest flock ever recorded in Derbyshire. The other two records were 5 at Carsington on April 2nd 2009, and 5 at Eggington Sewage Farm in September 1956. A truly memorable moment.
Anything else sort of pales into significance but other birds seen today was 2 Common Gulls, several large flocks of LBB Gulls going over inc several GBB Gulls, Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Lesser Redpoll, GS Woodpecker, Green Woodepcker, c75 Fieldfare, c100 Starling, 8 Goldfinch, several Reed Buntings and c300 Jackdaws. Near dusk there were a total of 6 maybe 7 Sand Martins.
I got down there around 08.40 and because of the fog I could barely see the far side of the pool. The usual stuff was around including 30 Wigeon, 4 Shoveler, 2 Gadwall, 5 Tufties, female Pochard, Herons, Cormorants, Teal etc.
At c09.30 the first goodie arrived in the shape of 2 Sand Martins which were the first of the year. Shortly after the first Chiff Chaff of the year was heard singing near the river.
I took a walk down the lane which was fairly uneventful apart from 2 Buzzards and a Kestrel. By the time I got back to the hide the fog had lifted slightly and after a short while a Curlew flew over. Over the course of the day another 3 would fly through. A Redshank then flew in and done several circuits of the main pool before flying towards the upper pool although It wasn't seen again.
At around 12.30 over 100 BH Gulls flew in and started circling the main pool. Then in almost disbelief I heard an Avocet call. I scanned through the Gulls and saw not 1 but 5 Avocets flying around. I almost went into panic mode wondering what to do. After a nervy minute or two they landed on the pool and after a brief look I started ringing everyone I could think of.
Luckily there was no need for panic mode as they stayed for the remainder of the day so up to 20 birders managed to get to see them. These are a new species for Wyver Lane and equals the highest flock ever recorded in Derbyshire. The other two records were 5 at Carsington on April 2nd 2009, and 5 at Eggington Sewage Farm in September 1956. A truly memorable moment.
Anything else sort of pales into significance but other birds seen today was 2 Common Gulls, several large flocks of LBB Gulls going over inc several GBB Gulls, Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Lesser Redpoll, GS Woodpecker, Green Woodepcker, c75 Fieldfare, c100 Starling, 8 Goldfinch, several Reed Buntings and c300 Jackdaws. Near dusk there were a total of 6 maybe 7 Sand Martins.
Neil-T
Moorlands Macro: Close up and personal....with bug
Well done Dave, not only a good find on your local patch and for Derbyshire, but quite a few birders got to see these birds because of your efforts. This is what birding is all about. Keep up the good work Dave. I am an avid reader of this thread. Neil.
Gomphus
Well-known member
I must say thanks to Dave for the call, and say well done on the Avocets. A great find and reward for his dedication to birding down Wyver Lane!
I wasn't around till late but managed to get down in the evening.... heres a record shot taken in the dusk and mist!
ATB
Steph'
I wasn't around till late but managed to get down in the evening.... heres a record shot taken in the dusk and mist!
ATB
Steph'
Attachments
DaveN
Derwent Valley Birder
Had an email today about the colour ringed Barnacle Goose at Carsington. It was ringed on 8/2/99 at Caerlaverock as a male first year bird hatched in summer 1998. It was last seen on the reserve on 27/1/10 and is seen on the Solway in most winters. It has not been reported from Svalbard.
DaveN
Derwent Valley Birder
Cheers Neil. Makes it all worth while when you find a good bird on your local patch. Also makes up for the all the hours of seeing nowt
.
Daniel Martin
Well-known member
Visited another Goshawk territory on saturday am and had two pairs up for a while in the sun, 12 Buzzards, 8+ Ravens and one Red Kite. Interesting to note not one Sprawk or Kestrel all morning.
6 Buzzards circling and calling over home this morning when the sun came out - what a wonderful noise they make when all around is quiet!
Ogston has a House Martin today amongst the Sand Martins. I called on Friday on the way home and thought I had an early Wheatear but was beaten by one day as one was on Beeley thursday! LRP there too and some male Goldeneye close in off West Bank.
6 Buzzards circling and calling over home this morning when the sun came out - what a wonderful noise they make when all around is quiet!
Ogston has a House Martin today amongst the Sand Martins. I called on Friday on the way home and thought I had an early Wheatear but was beaten by one day as one was on Beeley thursday! LRP there too and some male Goldeneye close in off West Bank.
Daniel Martin
Well-known member
Had a text this morning saying Red Kite on East Moor.
Daniel Martin
Well-known member
Another good forecast was just too much to give up, so having hastily rearranged a couple of meetings I tried a local spot that had been good for Lesser Peckers in the past. With the well publiscized Allestree birds not performing (albeit a lone DOS report at last) and mixed news from a Cromford site it was worth a punt.
Having parked and walked ten minutes i could suddenley hear loud and rapid drumming coming from the right area. A quick scan with the bind and I spotted a guy tucked in behind a dry stone wall - I actually thought he had beaten us to it and was "taping" the birds out they were that loud............but no, he was just a walker and enquired what it was making all the din!
We hid behind cover and scoped 3 large trees (one a Chestnut) that had plenty of dead wood in them as the noise was coming from there. After a few mins I picked up a male near the top of the tree and he performed quite happily for some time before moving out of site.
We moved on to scan for raptors in the thermals (plenty Buzzards, 2 Sprawks, several Raven) and on our return he was still in the same area, so had been for at least 2 hours. Also had a Tortoiseshell here on Dandelions.
Nearby we had a male Goshawk getting agitated with two Buzzards over suitable territory.
Finally a Brimstone through the garden.
Having parked and walked ten minutes i could suddenley hear loud and rapid drumming coming from the right area. A quick scan with the bind and I spotted a guy tucked in behind a dry stone wall - I actually thought he had beaten us to it and was "taping" the birds out they were that loud............but no, he was just a walker and enquired what it was making all the din!
We hid behind cover and scoped 3 large trees (one a Chestnut) that had plenty of dead wood in them as the noise was coming from there. After a few mins I picked up a male near the top of the tree and he performed quite happily for some time before moving out of site.
We moved on to scan for raptors in the thermals (plenty Buzzards, 2 Sprawks, several Raven) and on our return he was still in the same area, so had been for at least 2 hours. Also had a Tortoiseshell here on Dandelions.
Nearby we had a male Goshawk getting agitated with two Buzzards over suitable territory.
Finally a Brimstone through the garden.
Daniel Martin
Well-known member
Hiya Daniel, could you let me knoe where the Lesser Spotted is please.
B
PM sent
Daniel Martin
Well-known member
Sorry sorting now..............I need more room!!
DaveN
Derwent Valley Birder
A long overdue site tick at Wyver Lane this morning. We were standing on the mound when a male Wheatear flew in and dropped down in front of the mound. Also there of note was a Raven over and 4 Gadwall.
We then went down to Willington where we had a Little Egret, LRP, 16+ Sand Martin, 6+ Shelduck, 9 Goldeneye, c20 Shoveler and 3 Redshank.
We counted about 10 Pochard on the Canal Scrape and then noticed an Aythya hybrid. After a bit of discussion we were 99% that it was a Pochard/Ferruginous hybrid.
We then went down to Willington where we had a Little Egret, LRP, 16+ Sand Martin, 6+ Shelduck, 9 Goldeneye, c20 Shoveler and 3 Redshank.
We counted about 10 Pochard on the Canal Scrape and then noticed an Aythya hybrid. After a bit of discussion we were 99% that it was a Pochard/Ferruginous hybrid.
Attachments
DaveN
Derwent Valley Birder
Thanks Michael. It's about time I got a Wheatear down there. March is proving to be a good month for Wyver. It just goes to show what you can get when you put in the hours.
DarkPeakBirder2
Well-known member
Went out looking for Wheatear today - no luck but found a Ring Ouzel !
This was on the moors above Moorfield, Glossop saw plenty of red Grouse, Curlew calling but really rather quiet not even many Meadow Pipits.
This was on the moors above Moorfield, Glossop saw plenty of red Grouse, Curlew calling but really rather quiet not even many Meadow Pipits.
Gomphus
Well-known member
Had a quick trip up to Carsington for a stroll this evening and got good views of a Little Egret in the Brown ale Bay/Hopton End areas, It flew across the res to below Hall Wood and we lost it then.
Interesting to see the work we surveyed for a couple of years ago finally going on on the spit area. Be interesting to see the effects.
Oh yes and had a Harris Hawk soar over the house heading north at altitude yesterday afternoon.... threw me for a while, not used to seeing 'em so high, I've usually seen them perched on fences or hunting low over Chaparral and desert LOL
ATB
Steph'
Interesting to see the work we surveyed for a couple of years ago finally going on on the spit area. Be interesting to see the effects.
Oh yes and had a Harris Hawk soar over the house heading north at altitude yesterday afternoon.... threw me for a while, not used to seeing 'em so high, I've usually seen them perched on fences or hunting low over Chaparral and desert LOL
ATB
Steph'
DaveN
Derwent Valley Birder
Still 3 Great Northern Divers at Carsington today....one an adult and the other 2 juveniles. A single Sand Martin flew past Stones Island in the morning and a little later there were 23 Meadow Pipits on the Dam Wall.
Gull numbers are slowly dwindling with todays roost consisting of c900 BH Gulls, 63 LBB Gulls, 1 imm GBB Gull and a single figure count of Common Gulls.
Earlier in the day we headed up to the moors and didn't get a lot at first apart from plenty of Meadow Pipits. On the way towards Leash we had a flock of 118 Golden Plover in a field near East Moor. Another field a bit further on held good numbers of Yellowhammers, Linnets and Skylarks.
At Leash the GG Shrike was eventually found but quite distant. As we were leaving it flew much nearer and then proceeded to sit at the top of a small tree and sing away.
We got back to Beeley Triangle where we had 2 male Wheatear and a pair of Stonechat.
Gull numbers are slowly dwindling with todays roost consisting of c900 BH Gulls, 63 LBB Gulls, 1 imm GBB Gull and a single figure count of Common Gulls.
Earlier in the day we headed up to the moors and didn't get a lot at first apart from plenty of Meadow Pipits. On the way towards Leash we had a flock of 118 Golden Plover in a field near East Moor. Another field a bit further on held good numbers of Yellowhammers, Linnets and Skylarks.
At Leash the GG Shrike was eventually found but quite distant. As we were leaving it flew much nearer and then proceeded to sit at the top of a small tree and sing away.
We got back to Beeley Triangle where we had 2 male Wheatear and a pair of Stonechat.
