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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Derbyshire County Birding (2 Viewers)

John Eaton said:
Anna,

TBH I hadn't been down for a couple of weeks before the floods came so don't know if they had hatched. Don't think they will try again now.
Went along the canal to the 'new' workings yesterday morning and there were no gulls or terns up there, though I did see 4 Common Sands.
Went up on the footbridge over the railway and had fun watching a Whitethroat feeding in the middle of the railway lines for 10 minutes. Guess the stones had warmed up in the early sun and attracted the bugs. Also had 4 Oystercatchers on the fields at the back of the reserve from the bridge.

John
Click to expand...

John

I saw a whitethroat yesterday at Osmaston around the area of Carsington. I also saw a buzzard there to, and an oystercatcher, a jay, a treecreeper, a nuthatch and some willow tits. I got the walk from my birding magazine. It's not a long walk. If you would like the map i can scan it for you. You would really enjoy it. It goes through a variety of habitats, around lakes through woodland, and through grass land. There are also known to be spotted flycatchers there as well but sadly i didn't see one.
Let me know;)

Anna
 
Thanks Anna,

If you mean the walk around Osmaston Park then it's quite well known and I go up there a few times a year. Used to lead RSPB walks around there. Nice pub in the village.

John
 
Well heres some gripping news, it appears the Yellow-nosed Albertross visited us!

Heres the story behind the Carsington sighting.

The bird at Carsington was seen at 1510hrs on the 2nd July. The story is that two birdwatchers were in the Millfields carpark and saw a huge bird described as a massive Greater Black back but not, with a massive black bill, gleaming white head and dark/black wings. It was flying with long stiff wings and sitting on the water. Not having a clue what they were looking at they went in search of help when they lost it from view. They were unable to relocate the bird later. Another observer describes having a brief extreme range view of something that resembled a massive fulmar in jizz, through double glazing! These observers know their common stuff I believe, and when Gannet was later suggested immediately said nothing like it! They knew they were watching something really odd.
They left and would have put the bird down as a complete mystery as it wasn't in their books, but they then saw a photo of the Somerset bird and they recognised the species as the bird they had seen the day before! At the time they were totally unaware of the Somerset sighting and were also oblivious of subsiquent events in Lincs!
They put the bird in the logbook the day after, when our recorder saw it in disbelief, however on getting to speak to the observers and suggesting the obvious other stuff we now tend to think they really did see it! Especially when you add in the rest of the story!
This info only reached me in the last couple of days and I was asked not to say anything till we knew more, but its leaked!

The timing would put the bird in the right place as I believe it turned up in Lincs at about 7pm on the 2nd!

This is extremely galling to those of us who spend hours at Carsington... sounds like a mega gets away! One wonders how long the bird was really present, could it have arrived on the previous day and roosted before leaving, we will never know!

I do believe this record at the moment, and given the circumstances I think it should be noted somewhere given the timing! The unfortunate thing is that the notes may not be good enough to convince a committee as they only realised the magnitude of what they had seen afterwards...

Cheers
 
Gomphus said:
Well heres some gripping news, it appears the Yellow-nosed Albertross visited us!

Heres the story behind the Carsington sighting.

The bird at Carsington was seen at 1510hrs on the 2nd July. The story is that two birdwatchers were in the Millfields carpark and saw a huge bird described as a massive Greater Black back but not, with a massive black bill, gleaming white head and dark/black wings. It was flying with long stiff wings and sitting on the water. Not having a clue what they were looking at they went in search of help when they lost it from view. They were unable to relocate the bird later. Another observer describes having a brief extreme range view of something that resembled a massive fulmar in jizz, through double glazing! These observers know their common stuff I believe, and when Gannet was later suggested immediately said nothing like it! They knew they were watching something really odd.
They left and would have put the bird down as a complete mystery as it wasn't in their books, but they then saw a photo of the Somerset bird and they recognised the species as the bird they had seen the day before! At the time they were totally unaware of the Somerset sighting and were also oblivious of subsiquent events in Lincs!
They put the bird in the logbook the day after, when our recorder saw it in disbelief, however on getting to speak to the observers and suggesting the obvious other stuff we now tend to think they really did see it! Especially when you add in the rest of the story!
This info only reached me in the last couple of days and I was asked not to say anything till we knew more, but its leaked!

The timing would put the bird in the right place as I believe it turned up in Lincs at about 7pm on the 2nd!

This is extremely galling to those of us who spend hours at Carsington... sounds like a mega gets away! One wonders how long the bird was really present, could it have arrived on the previous day and roosted before leaving, we will never know!

I do believe this record at the moment, and given the circumstances I think it should be noted somewhere given the timing! The unfortunate thing is that the notes may not be good enough to convince a committee as they only realised the magnitude of what they had seen afterwards...

Cheers
Click to expand...

Thats great Gomphus. Did you see it?
Where does the bird come from?
 
Today, i was looking in my garden, and i looked over to the new house being built across from me, and i saw about 4 house sparrows hovering around and two of them were climbing up the wall, yet they could fly. I have never seen this sort of behaviour before, is it usual for house sparrows to climb up walls?
 
Hi Anna

If by climbing, you mean clinging to the walls, occasionally fluttering their wings (as if hovering), then yes this is pretty common behaviour for House Sparrows. They are actually foraging for spiders and small insects. Blue & Great Tits also do this regularly.

Mike
 
Yea, sorry i did mean clinging to the walls.
Interesting, i have never seen them do it before. I know blue tits are known as the little acrobats of the bird world arn't they. I reguarly see them in my garden hanging up side down feeding on insects on the trees in my garden.
 
Anyone been anywhere nice?

Hi all,

Just looked at the thread, and i haven't posted a good message in a while have i ?:-O

I haven't done much birding recently, i have been doing a lot of other things, i have just finished my GCSEs and i seem to be doing an awful lot. I think if the weather gets better over the rest of this week i may go to Old Moor in Yorkshire with my dad and have a few days birding, also the weather hasn't helped either, yet the rain can bring in some good birds, if there is high winds of course, i think i need to check out the reserves.
Has anyone seen anything interesting on there travels around Derbyshire recently?

o:)
 
mooskibaby said:
Thats great Gomphus. Did you see it?
Where does the bird come from?
Click to expand...

Anna,

No I didn't see it:C ...only two birders did! Its a first for the UK and comes from the south Atlantic and has a limited breeding range.

The bird seems to have been the same one as was picked up in Somerset and taken into care, then released on the next day, the 30th June. It then seems to have moved overland though Carsington on the 2nd before arriving on a fishing pond in Lincs at Messingham that night when it roosted overnight and spent the next day there before leaving again after posing for some really gripping photos!:-O The two birdwatchers at Carsington are probably the only Birders to have seen it in its entire visit to the UK! The CBC recorder is awaiting notes on it at the moment!

If accepted this would make Derbyshire the only inland county with two albatrosses on its bird list I think!! And one of the furthest counties from the sea too!:eek!:

Not done any birding outside my garden for the last two weeks due to being ill! But the Goldcrest have successfully raised young in the garden!!

Hope the GCSE's went OK Anna, I remember when I went through that "fun" (O levels and CSE's in my day!) and then on to A levels, but I think that would qualify as ancient history now!

Cheers
 
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Willington GP is now accessible though parts of the trackway are still flooded and water levels are still very high (you'll definately need wellies).

The Black Headed Gulls nests were all wiped out as were the Common Terns, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, LRP and other ground nesting birds. The Warblers have probably faired less badly.

Present last night:

4 Common Sandpiper, 6 Common Tern, 10+ Oystercatcher, 10+ Cormorant, 20+ Reed Warbler, 20+ Swallow, 10+ Swift, 6 House Martin, 20+ Sand Martin, 1 Kestral, 1 Buzzard,

Plus:

Sedge Warbler, Chiff-chaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Coot, Moorhen, Gadwall, Teal, Heron, Large family groups of Long Tailed Tit and Greenfinch plus all of the other usual suspects.

I didn't see the two Hobbies that have been present there for the last few days.
 
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Did Carsington last night from Sheepwash, on the first really nice evening for ages. Pretty quiet as expected, though Little Owls and Spotted Flies were nice.

btw Anna, no need for the scan I have the OS maps for that area, but thanks.

John
 
Well I think it'll probably be even further underwater today John, they're getting the sandbags out in Burton upon Trent and the Swans are getting ready to move into B&Q's car park. I sincerely hope that the water doesn't contaminate the beer.

Had a nice night last night - Repton Shrubs - Three adult Tawny Owls and Two Juveniles - Two young Blackcap - three juvenile Green Woodpeckers - lots of other feathered miscreants - three Roe Deer - a Badger and a Woodmouse.
 
Not posted on here for a while, i'm surprised seen as i set up this thread.

Been checking out my 2 local reserves (Ogston and Carsington) and apperentely there was a Black Tern and a Green Woodpecker seen at Ogston reservoir. While at Carsington there has been a Red Crested Pochard.
Has anyone been to either of these reserves recently and have you seen any of the 3 birds mentioned above?
 
Hello Anna

Just noticed your Derbyshire thread, I'm another one from Staffs! I try to combine visiting Willington when driving to or from Burton, my home town, usually when Burton Albion are at home. Willington has to be my favourite Derbyshire site, a lot of good work has been done to improve the habitat. I bet it's had a tough time with flooding recently, I haven't visited for a couple of months.

Does anyone know what is happening with Drakelow Wildfowl Reserve these days? I hear that it is now owned by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, but are there plans to improve access? Unfortunately I don't have a permit anymore, and I don't think new permits are issued.

Cheers

Richard
 
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Hi Richard,

With the water levels at Willington it will be at least another week before it's accessible I reckon.
Drakelow will come under DWT around end of summer I hear. On the DOS forum they say that you can get in on old Drakelow permits until the DWT take over. But just read that the gates are now locked and you need the number to the lock to get in - not sure who you contact to get this (DWT?).
Someone mentioned to me a couple of months back that they will change access anyway after demolishing the power station. Ages since I went down.
John
 

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