Derbyshire County Birding (1 Viewer)

[michael23]

Thanks Clive, have sent an email to him as well, as it is a different one to the one i sent to yesterday. Where was yours from?

 

[DaveN]

Thanks Clive, have sent an email to him as well, as it is a different one to the one i sent to yesterday. Where was yours from?

It was from Carsington. It's been around there for quite a while.

 

[Daniel Martin]

Intriguing report today from two photographers at the Erewash Meadows reserve who reported a "huge bird in the air with Buzzards".............they would not class themselves as birders perhaps but do photograph all the wildlife on the reserve and are competent with the common stuff. They are very familiar with Herons etc.

So, who knows!!

 

[DaveN]

Intriguing report today from two photographers at the Erewash Meadows reserve who reported a "huge bird in the air with Buzzards".............they would not class themselves as birders perhaps but do photograph all the wildlife on the reserve and are competent with the common stuff. They are very familiar with Herons etc.

So, who knows!!

So I presume there's a photograph somewhere then?

 

[DaveN]

There was a Harris's Hawk at Pride Park Sanctuary today so possibly that.

 

[ChrisLuv]

So I presume there's a photograph somewhere then?

I assume I know who this is, I have an email address for one of them so I'll see if I can track a photo down.

 

[Daniel Martin]

Seemingly no photos (!) at this stage, but Des is after them tomorrow.
And def not Harris Hawk simply due to size - supposedly dwarfed the Common Buzzards.

 

[DaveN]

Seemingly no photos (!) at this stage, but Des is after them tomorrow.
And def not Harris Hawk simply due to size - supposedly dwarfed the Common Buzzards.

Being non birders then size can be hard to ascertain although if the bird dwarfed the Buzzards then maybe not a Harris's Hawk. Though female Harris's can be much larger than the males. Let's hope some good photos turn up.

 

[Daniel Martin]

Being non birders then size can be hard to ascertain although if the bird dwarfed the Buzzards then maybe not a Harris's Hawk. Though female Harris's can be much larger than the males. Let's hope some good photos turn up.

Yeah, I know what you mean Dave but the Sibley books I have give Harris Hawk at 105cm - 120 cm (tops) wingspan and for Common Buzzard Collins give 110 - 130cm as does HBi.
I think we are looking (and hoping!) for something much bigger.......I know that juv WTSE has been put to them.
See what tomorrow brings.

 

[Peak Birder]

That does sound early, according to the RSPB site winter flocks start to break up in February.

Thanks for the reply
The Lapwings turning up seems strange. They bred for the first time in a long time in the Foolow area last year and don't normally appear in winter. Two pairs have appeared since Christmas in the fields the lapwings bred last year. Maybe a coincidence but I will keep and an eye on it.

 

[Peak Birder]

30 pink footed geese over Curbar Gap this afternoon.

 

[Clive A]

It was from Carsington. It's been around there for quite a while.

Think he meant where was it from originaly....Saint Philbert De Grand Lieu, near Nantes in France.

 

[spuggyhawk]

Yeah, I know what you mean Dave but the Sibley books I have give Harris Hawk at 105cm - 120 cm (tops) wingspan and for Common Buzzard Collins give 110 - 130cm as does HBi.
I think we are looking (and hoping!) for something much bigger.......I know that juv WTSE has been put to them.
See what tomorrow brings.

I was a falconer for 20+ years, retiring from it early last year.
I bred harris's, captive bred harris's vary by quite an amount in size and weight... ive seen huge females and tiny males.
There are quite a lot of escaped/lost harris's throuhout the UK and even breeding in places, so its posible it was a harris.

Then there are escaped RT's (red tailed hawks) the females are much larger than female harris's... so thats a posibilty. However i know of very few feral redtails.
even the inexperienced should have seen a fair amount of white on the vent and tail area.. if ofcourse it was soaring very high this would/could be difficult.

Jon

 

[ChrisLuv]

Intriguing report today from two photographers at the Erewash Meadows reserve who reported a "huge bird in the air with Buzzards".............they would not class themselves as birders perhaps but do photograph all the wildlife on the reserve and are competent with the common stuff. They are very familiar with Herons etc.

So, who knows!!

Just to add to this then I've heard from one of the observers, he says its been seen three separate times since New Years day by three separate individuals/groups. No sign of any photos or a better description.

Interestingly on the 5th Dec a competent birder mentioned there'd been a bird resembling red tailed hawk:

"I was level with it so couldn't see the tail or get a very good view of underparts and wing pattern (other than it was strongly contrasting). The only thing that concerned me was the bulk, like I say, more reminiscent of Red-tailed Hawk."

A similar bird was seen at Bennerley the same day.

Might be just a coincidence. Edit: the 5th Dec bird was put down as a tentative CB as no better alternative was available - it seemed the most common option, especially given there are a couple of tricky pale buzzards that frequent the area.

Cheers,
Chris

 

[michael23]

Re, Nasal Banded Tufted Duck

I have had a reply from the person who "banded" the tufted duck. These were the details sent to me, my sighting was the 1st one since.

Ring: EA675623
Nasal saddle color: BLEUE
Code: AVS
AGE: 2A
SEX: F
Weight: 760 g
Date of Capture: 23/01/2009
Location: SAINT-PHILBERT-DE-GRAND-LIEU
FRANCE

 

[Daniel Martin]

Just to add to this then I've heard from one of the observers, he says its been seen three separate times since New Years day by three separate individuals/groups. No sign of any photos or a better description.

Interestingly on the 5th Dec a competent birder mentioned there'd been a bird resembling red tailed hawk:

"I was level with it so couldn't see the tail or get a very good view of underparts and wing pattern (other than it was strongly contrasting). The only thing that concerned me was the bulk, like I say, more reminiscent of Red-tailed Hawk."

A similar bird was seen at Bennerley the same day.

Might be just a coincidence. Edit: the 5th Dec bird was put down as a tentative CB as no better alternative was available - it seemed the most common option, especially given there are a couple of tricky pale buzzards that frequent the area.

Cheers,
Chris

Hi Chris

Been birding the County with Des today - he has seen the owner of the fishery who has also seen the bird as has someone who is supposedly a "birder" - a call has been put in to him for a description.

There is definately some confusion over what is being reported - the original sighting was for a "huge bird being mobbed by 2 Common Buzzards" - this is why all talk of similar sized raptors (even ones that have the slight possibility of being larger than CB) have been dismissed. We are talking a significant size difference to the extreme of twice CB in size. I believe if non birders saw RT Hawk or H Hawk they would record them as simply CB's.......we would not expect non birders to describe subtle differences in size or plumage of soaring birds of any of the mentioned species.

This does not mean that a birder may have recorded a similar bird to CB down there, but this is another story in that case.

After a few local sites for regular winter birds we descended upon Willington again and I was surprised at just what a crowd was still gathering. The SE Owl was on show immediately at 3pm and sat in the same spot until it was dark. Female Sprawk and a pair of Kestrels were very evident and a Barn Owl put in a brief appearance.

Bitterns showed well twice - one flew past to roost elsewhere and a late bird flew past later and landed in a Hawthorn hedge, making hard work of settling down. Willow Tit and Water Rail called from behind us.

The only no show was the Long Eared Owl this time, which gives a good excuse to visit again for the year list! With Tawny and Little Owl back home it could have been the full set.

 

[Mannix]

Went to see a mate at HMP Sudbury yesterday. Standing in the room waiting to go in and the bushes and trees next to us had a Goldcrest, a male Bullfinch, Long Tailed Tits and a Treecreeper (very close). Maybe they ought to give the inmates some bins and a field guide.

 

[DaveN]

Went to see a mate at HMP Sudbury yesterday. Standing in the room waiting to go in and the bushes and trees next to us had a Goldcrest, a male Bullfinch, Long Tailed Tits and a Treecreeper (very close). Maybe they ought to give the inmates some bins and a field guide.

Bloody hell. You mean there's still some inmates in there?

 

[arniemonkey]

no. dont they have it too easy as it is..........

 

[Clive A]

Up at carsington this afternoon:
Drake Pintail,Female Goosander, Redshank, 2 GN Divers one of which had a good fly around,2 Ravens, 2 Buzzards. Gull roost mainly distant, on the ice infront of Lane End probably around 1000 birds included, YLG and a couple of GBBG.