Derbyshire County Birding (2 Viewers)

Had 5 Buzzards high over the house this morning (family party?) that attracted the attention of a male Peregrine - drifted down towards the Mill after a brief exchange with one bird.
Shortly after 4 Ravens appeared again heading out over Wyver - just remarkable how these birds appear to be doing so well. Its not so long since tehy were all real "effort" birds in our County...........Peregrine at Alport Castle and hardly anywhere else, "twitched" my firts County Buzzard at Ogston and Raven simply unheard of!

Weather looks interesting and fortunately off to Norfolk tomorrow for the weekend (plenty of stuff turning up today - Greenish, RB Shrike, Wrynecks....classic drift birds) but I bet there is something good locally this weekend. Maybe a repeat of last years Wrynecks?

Had a goosander fly over the house this evening, chiffchaff singing and a 2nd bird payed the garden a visit, only to be chased away by the blue and great tits every time it got close to them. Also had a cracking male Blackcap eating the berries. I also have a Bank Vole visiting the garden too, he keeps coming and clearing up the dropped seed.

5 Turnstone at Carsi yesterday afternoon. They flew past Sheepwash and wasn't seen again. Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper in Brown Ale Bay and 2 Greenshank at Sheepwash. A mobile Dunlin unless different birds were involved.

A sign of Winter approaching with the sight and sound of 6 Wigeon. Red Crested Pochard at the Wildlife Centre. 11 Grey Heron all together at Sheepwash. Adult Yellow-legged Gull and a Yellow Wagtail.

I'm sure Carsi is going to turn up a few goodies over the next couple of months. July and August have been good so surely September and October even more so. Surely a Pec Sand is on the cards, surprised there hasn't been one there yet. With the big expanse of shoreline I reckon we could get a good Pipit but my prediction is a Shorelark on Stones Island.

Nice to hear that the Buff Breasted Sand over in Norfolk was found by Nick Brown from DWT, nice one, Nick.

Just been talking to Clive on the phone. There's an incredible 17 Knot at Carsi though very flighty. That's a site record I believe. Also 3 Turnstone on Stones Island earlier.

DaveN said:

Just been talking to Clive on the phone. There's an incredible 17 Knot at Carsi though very flighty. That's a site record I believe. Also 3 Turnstone on Stones Island earlier.

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Indeed Dave, a good afternoon. Started at Sheepwash where there were 5 Shoveler, 23 Gadwall, 1 Pochard and 7 Wigeon.

Went onto Stones, in the rain, and had 3 LRP,3 Turnstone, 2 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin.

The wildlife centre held a Snipe and the Red crested Pochard.
Back to Brown ale bay, where a Greenshank, 3 Common Sandpipers, 3+LRP and 1 Ringed Plover were present. (Roger also had 2 Greenshank at Millfields)

Into Sheepwash again, where Roger picked a group of waders, which turned out to be the 17 Knot. We watched 7 fly high to the north east, then the other 10 made another atempt to land, but eventually flew towards Stones.

Later a Yellow Wagtail on Stones and 2 Yellow legged Gulls from Stones.

Carsington latest:

Still 3 Greenshank, Green Sand and 3 Common Sand in Brown Ale Bay today.
Hobby over Sheepwash also.

Clive A said:

Carsington latest:

Still 3 Greenshank, Green Sand and 3 Common Sand in Brown Ale Bay today.
Hobby over Sheepwash also.

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And an interesting report of a Wood Warbler in Fishtail Creek. That would be a mega for Carsi.

8 Shovelers at Willington today as well as the usual lapwing, cormorants, little egrets, common tern etc, there were at least 20 Tufted ducks and a few nice great crested grebes with juveniles and 3 greenshank

Hobby and Cuckoo seen at Willington today

With 20 species of wader at Carsington in August, Septembers count got underway today:
1. Little ringed Plover
2. Ringed Plover
3. Green Sandpiper
4. Common Sandpiper
5. Lapwing
6. Curlew
7. Ruff
8. Greenshank

I don't think we will better 20, but it will be interesting to see what this month brings.

Dipped the Ruff Clive where was that yesterday? As we were saying we still need Curlew Sand and hopefully an oddity so that may boost the numbers again yet!

ATB

Steph'

Hi there!

I notice on SBSG there has been 3 little owls reported recently at Stubley Hollow. This is very near me and I know the areas, I just wondered if anyone on here reported these and could direct me to them - this is the closest I've been to a little owl site and would love to tick them off as a lifer - finally!

Can anyone help?

Just received a text that there's 2 Curlew Sands at Hopton End, Carsington.

Gomphus said:

Dipped the Ruff Clive where was that yesterday? As we were saying we still need Curlew Sand and hopefully an oddity so that may boost the numbers again yet!

ATB

Steph'

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No need to answer that one now Steph!
For others that were not there tonight, there were 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 2 Greenshank and the Ruff at hopton end. Earlier a Bar tailed Godwit landed by the sailing club.

Entertaining times at Hardwick lately. The ruin is covered in house martins, sand martins, swallows ready for the off, and they're attracting in raptors. Hobby and Sparrowhawk both took prey yesterday, and a Kestrel had a near miss.
The long-horns on the estate are pulling in passage yellow wags too.

Had a couple of very settled Greenshank up at Pleasley Pit for a week now, about time something joined them.

An early start yesterday to try and catch up with the Curlew Sands at Carsi. Arrived at Hopton End to find the place void of Waders so thought they might be in Brown Ale Bay....no luck there either.

Walked back towards Hopton and there they were right in front of us, they were very obliging feeding only around 20 yards from us. Also there were 4 Greenshank. 8 Little Ringed Plover were on Sheepwash Spit together with a Common Sandpiper and a Green Sandpiper and a Ruff near the Sailing Club.

A good selection of Wildfowl today, 19 Wigeon, almost 150 Teal, 2 Pintail, 2 Pochards and 2 Red Crested Pochards. There was a couple of Yellow Wagtails and 4 Meadow Pipits on Stones Island.

A shot of the Curlew Sands.

Wyver Lane Bird Notes August 2011

August highlights include Little Egret, Green Sandpiper,
Common Tern and Raven.

Maximum counts for the month include 3 Cormorants on 2nd, 6th
and 11th, 4 Grey Herons on 1st, 2 Mute Swans on 15th, a Little
Egret on 14th, 53 Greylag Geese on 9th, 71 Canada Geese on 2nd,
2 Mandarin on 2nd and 6th, Teal numbers started with 7 on 1st and
had risen to 28 by 25th, 26 Mallard on 25th, a Shoveler on 2nd, 6th
and 25th, a Goosander on 1st and 11th, 9 Moorhen on 25th, and 5
Coot on 1st.

Raptors include Sparrowhawk on 2nd, 9th, 11th and 17th, 2 Buzzards
on 11th and 17th, Kestrel on 9th and 17th and a Hobby on 6th.

Lapwing numbers increased to 147 on 6th, the only other Wader
was a Green Sandpiper on 9th.

There were 31 Black-headed Gulls on 2nd, a Common Tern on 14th,
3 Stock Doves on 2nd, 6 Swifts on 11th and the last record was of one
on 17th, Kingfisher on 2nd and 29th, c50 Swallows on 9th, 300+
House Martin on 11th, 2 Pied Wagtails on 29th, 3 Whitethroat on 11th,
a Lesser Whitethroat on 9th, a Willow Warbler on 2nd, 9th and 11th,
9 Chiff Chaffs on 9th, 18 Magpie on 11th, 2 Ravens on 14th, c40
Goldfinch on 29th and a Reed Bunting on 17th.

Good afternoon at willington with 2 Spotted Redshanks, 3 greenshanks, B T Godwit, Green Sand 3 Hobby, Lesser Whitethroat Yellow Wags and a day flying bat over the Canal Pit (Daubentons????).

Good to see Dipper and Rex there as well

Good record of a Honey Buzzard flying through Carsi tonight.

Carsington Water's August Bird Notes. Thanks to Roger C for these.

August Highlights: 4 Little Egret, Marsh Harrier, Osprey, 20 Species of Wader, Mediterranean
Gull, Sandwich Tern, Wood Warbler and Marsh Tit.

What a difference a year makes: Aug 2010 Highlights ‘A dull month with no highlights’ and only 94
species compared with 119 species this Aug, which is just 3 species below the best ever month at
Carsington. Waterbird maximums included 19 Little Grebe on 15th, 51 Great Crested Grebe on 5th, 34
Cormorants on 31st, a site record number 4 Little Egret on 14th, 12 Heron on 15th, 23 adult Mute Swan
plus 6 cygnets on 10th, a Pink-footed Goose on 2nd and 14th (escapee?), 8 Greylag on 22nd, a year
maximum 403 Canada Geese on 20th, 5 Shelduck on 17th, 11 Wigeon on 31st, 38 Gadwall on 21st, 114
Teal on 29th, 319 Mallard on 15th, 5 Shoveler on 18th and 26th, 1 Red-crested Pochard 12th-31st, 4
Pochard on 2nd and 277 Tufted Duck plus 664 Coot during the WeBS count on 16th.

A site rare female or immature Marsh Harrier flew over Stones Island heading northeast at 1745hrs on
31st. Sparrowhawk were noted carrying prey on 1st and 2nd and 6 Common Buzzard were in the air on
30th. An Osprey was around 0950-1030hrs on 19th, attracting mobbing from 2 Buzzard and an immature
Peregrine and later from 3 Herons, all with necks fully outstretched. Another Osprey cruised straight
through heading south at 1215hrs on 30th. A Hobby was seen carrying prey on 12th and there were many
records of Peregrine, with 3 together on 4th and 8th.

Wader passage has been superb, low water levels have helped and, apart from Stones Island and
Sheepwash being the favourite locations, Brown Ale Bay and Millfields have held waders on the muddy
shore. Maximum counts included: 15 Oystercatcher on 28th, 10 Little-ringed Plover on 12th, 16 Ringed
Plover on 13th, 1 Golden Plover flying over on 8th and 24th, 20 Lapwing on 1st, 17 Knot in flight on 26th
including 1 bird retaining some red summer plumage, 2 Sanderling on 9th, a Little Stint on 12th-13th and
20th, 4 Dunlin on 12th-17th, 3 Ruff briefly on 23rd, 3 Snipe on 15th, a Black-tailed Godwit on 1st and 8th, 3
Whimbrel flew over on 15th, 2 Curlew flew over on 14th, a Spotted Redshank on 18th, 3 Redshank on 9th
and 31st, 3 Greenshank on 26-31st, a Green Sandpiper 14th-31st, 11 Common Sandpiper on 8th and 5
Turnstone on 24th.

Last month’s juvenile Mediterranean Gull was again on site this month on 15th and 16th and 2 Common
Gull were noted on 14th. The gull roost started with 4600 Lesser Black-backed Gulls being counted
flying in on 26th, most during the last minutes of any daylight. The winter resident Yellow-legged Gull
was present all month and was seen eating fish on 14th, 3 birds were noted on 31st. Two Sandwich Terns
were a welcome sight on 13th, with 3 Common Tern on 1st and 3rd and an Arctic Tern on 27th.
There were 2 Stock Doves on 12th, 7 Collared Dove on 8th, a Little Owl near a nest box on 16th, 2 Swift
on 13th, a Kingfisher on 3rd, a Green Woodpecker and a Skylark on 15th and 3 Meadow Pipit on 31st.
Yellow Wagtail were moving through from 12th, and 19 on 22nd is certainly an autumn passage site
record. The maximum Pied Wagtail count was 91, 5 Redstart on 8th, 2 Wheatear on 8th, a Wood Warbler
and 2 Spotted Flycatcher in Fishtail Creek on 28th, a Marsh Tit calling behind Sheepwash Hide on 1st,