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Derbyshire County Birding (1 Viewer)

ChinaBirds

Nick Sismey
Also 7 Lesser Redpolls at Carsington yesterday feeding on grass seeds on ground near bushes 100 yards after yacht club slip way

Cheers
Nick
 

ChrisLuv

Improving Birder
The hide at Mapperley Wood at Shipley Park has been productive recently, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was reported mid December (no sign since as far as I know) and also Woodcock on the far side. The feeders have been recently improved to aid photography, with GSW and Jays proving particularly photogenic. Siskin and Redpoll are also good bets in that area of Shipley Park.

In the past I've been disappointed when I've visited (niot least because the locks a right swine to get open) so good to see some decent birds being reported.

Also, hope no-one minds if I add a quick link to a fun quiz from local photographer Paul Shaw on the EVW site. No prizes I'm afraid but it'd be a shame for his effort to be wasted (only two attempts so far). Its not too taxing:

http://www.erewashvalleywildlife.org.uk/2011/01/04/new-year-wildlife-quiz/

He's also done a series on of articles on improving your wildlife photography on the site too (accessible through the top menu bar). A similar article featured in the Wild Derbyshire magazine recently and his talk on the subject for DWT will be rearranged shortly after being called off due to snow in December.
 

ChinaBirds

Nick Sismey
Barn Owl, Short Eared Owl and Long Eared Owl all in the same field at Willington yesterday with a Bittern coming into roost in bushes at the end of the field. Birding at its best

Cheers
Nick
 

Gomphus

Well-known member
Hi all,

Just had message about a Rough legged Buzzard from Windy Corner at Derwent Valley Res's. Been a while since I saw one there so might risk a trip....

Still got 5+ Brambling in garden today including a fine male starting to abrade into summer plumage. Also had 40 odd grey geese over garden this pm.... not Pinkies, they were a bit too big, but had no bins so need to refresh flight calls.......

Blurry shot of Brambling attached!

ATB

Steph'
 

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ROOMEY

Well-known member
Hi all; 3wGlaucous in tonight but only 2 YLGs; Smew still around and 4 wader species today; with Green Sand a couple of days ago; not bad for Jan.
 

Daniel Martin

Well-known member
Hi all,

Just had message about a Rough legged Buzzard from Windy Corner at Derwent Valley Res's. Been a while since I saw one there so might risk a trip....

Still got 5+ Brambling in garden today including a fine male starting to abrade into summer plumage. Also had 40 odd grey geese over garden this pm.... not Pinkies, they were a bit too big, but had no bins so need to refresh flight calls.......

Blurry shot of Brambling attached!

ATB

Steph'

That RLB has been seen by a few Stef so be nice if it lingers - whenever Derbyshire gets one its always up there!! That juv I saw in Lincs was in a poxy field next to a cement works - now why cant we have one like that!!?

That Male Brambling looks spookily like the bird tahts been in our garden for weeks......only 4 regularly visiting at the moment though. They are def in the woods opposite on beech mast and then disperse from there.

Also, more Barn Owl news - had a bird at the side of the road in Lower Kilburn on saturday evening. Glad to see they have survived the cold snap and with some balmy temperatures forecast this week they should be fine now.
 

Gomphus

Well-known member
Humm, not had chance to bird at all so far this year.... even still not seen the Smew at Carsi!

Re the Brambling Dan I do wonder if its the same bird then, as it only turned up a couple of days ago to join our wintering group.

As I originally suspected the fly through geese where indeed Whitefronts.... I thought they were as I could make out the blackish areas on the bellies but as I had no bins I wanted to check the calls as they definitely sounded like I remembered Whitefront but with the number I wanted to be sure!

ATB

Steph'
 

DaveN

Derwent Valley Birder
First trip to Carsi for a few weeks and my first bit of birding of the year. Nice to catch up with the female Smew (site tick) which was close in near the draw off tower. One of the GN Divers was off the Dam and the other behind Stones Island.

A good count of 41 Goldeneye with 32 along the Dam in two groups of 22 and 10, also 9 around Sheepwash/P. Stanley. Drake Pintail, 2 Redshank, Yellow-legged Gull, 6 Fieldfare, 2 Lesser Redpoll and c40 Siskin.

Some ice still remains and in Millfields Bay early morning there were around 15 GBB Gulls sitting on the ice. The Gull roost was probably less than 1000 birds with most being quite distant but I could just make out a few Herring Gulls. It's still iced over in front of the Wildlife Centre and part of Brown Ale Bay too but the majority of the Res is now ice free and with the temperature gradually rising I imagine all will be gone soon.

Surprisingly I didn't see a single Little Grebe today. Maybe they all went when the Res was all but iced over before xmas although I guess the Yellow-legged Gulls diet isn't helping. It's been seen eating another one.
 
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Daniel Martin

Well-known member
First trip to Carsi for a few weeks and my first bit of birding of the year. Nice to catch up with the female Smew (site tick) which was close in near the draw off tower. One of the GN Divers was off the Dam and the other behind Stones Island.

A good count of 41 Goldeneye with 32 along the Dam in two groups of 22 and 10, also 9 around Sheepwash/P. Stanley. Drake Pintail, 2 Redshank, Yellow-legged Gull, 6 Fieldfare, 2 Lesser Redpoll and c40 Siskin.

Some ice still remains and in Millfields Bay early morning there were around 15 GBB Gulls sitting on the ice. The Gull roost was probably less than 1000 birds with most being quite distant but I could just make out a few Herring Gulls. It's still iced over in front of the Wildlife Centre and part of Brown Ale Bay too but the majority of the Res is now ice free and with the temperature gradually rising I imagine all will be gone soon.

Surprisingly I didn't see a single Little Grebe today. Maybe they all went when the Res was all but iced over before xmas although I guess the Yellow-legged Gulls diet isn't helping. It's been seen eating another one.

Hi Dave - talk of poss 3 GND at Carsi now? can you confirm?
 

Daniel Martin

Well-known member
Where abouts was that Daniel? Will be on the look out for it!

Hi Michael, yes driving from Derby just as you get in to LK, the church on the right (on the hill) - it was in the field in front of that. Very close to the road - we spun round and parked so my boys could see it; didnt seem at all bothered. We all commented that it looked quite a dark specimen (not Dark Breasted you understand) so will be interested if anyone else picks it up.
 

Daniel Martin

Well-known member
Ok mate - just wondered. We are to expect balmy temperatures by the end of the week (apparently) so the ice may well be gone soon, amd may be with it some of these more hardy birds.
Birding has been good (esp in the garden!) but I for one will welcome spring with open arms! I am just hoping that mid Feb onwards sees a return to un seasonably warm spring like conditions and the talk of the first Wheatear or Sand Martin.......
Its happened before with an early start - but then maybe Winter will return and pee on my Strawberries...........who knows.
 

michael23

Well-known member
Hi Michael, yes driving from Derby just as you get in to LK, the church on the right (on the hill) - it was in the field in front of that. Very close to the road - we spun round and parked so my boys could see it; didnt seem at all bothered. We all commented that it looked quite a dark specimen (not Dark Breasted you understand) so will be interested if anyone else picks it up.

Thanks for letting me know Daniel, that church would be Horsley Village Church. Will be looking out for it, will see if I can have a walk around at some point. Will try for a picture!
 

Clive A

Well-known member
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

Only just noticed this Michael, so interestingly your Tuftie did come from the same place in France as the Carsington bird.
 

DaveN

Derwent Valley Birder
Nice to get back down Wyver after nearly a months absence. The upper pool is still frozen over but the majority of the main pool is now free of ice. And with the weather set to get warmer I imagine all the ice will be gone by the weekend.

On the main pool was a Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Cormorant, 23 Teal, 2 Pochard, 11 Tufted Duck, 3 Goosander and 197 Bh Gulls. 26 Greylag Geese were feeding in the fields down the lane. A raptor was seen distantly and thought to be a Peregrine, then around 30 minutes later a Peregrine with prey appeared over the woods and was briefly mobbed by a Kestrel before heading off. A single Buzzard was also seen several times.

A couple of Reed Buntings were around the feeding station and a couple of Stock Doves were seen on the wires.
 

DaveN

Derwent Valley Birder
December Bird Notes for Wyver Lane

December produced fewer records than normal due to the severe weather
that was affecting much of the country. For much of the month both pools
were frozen and at times even access down the lane itself was near impossible
due to snow. The one stand out highlight of the month was also a first for
Wyver Lane. On the afternoon of the 15th, 17 Waxwings landed briefly in the
large ash tree north east of the main pool.

Maximum counts for the month include 4 Cormorants on 30th. Grey Heron on
14th and 15th, 2 Mute Swans on 17th, 5 Greylag Geese on 2nd, 26 Canada
Geese on 2nd, 16 Teal on 14th, 8 Mallard on 14th, 3 Shoveler on 17th, 4
Pochard (on river) on 2nd and 4 Tufted Duck (on river) on 2nd. On the 9th, 9
Goosander were seen flying down river and the following day 15 were on the
river.

No records of Kestrel all month but a Sparrowhawk was seen on 11th and 17th
and 2 were in the air together on 14th. Only a handful of single Buzzard sightings
were noted.

56 Lapwings were recorded on 2nd and a single Snipe on the same date.
c 300 Black-Headed Gulls on 15th, 5 Common Gulls on 14th, 9 Stock Doves
on 14th, 2 Collared Doves on 11th, a Little Owl on 15th, 8 Blackbird on 14th,
26 Fieldfare on 15th, c20 Redwing on 11th, Goldcrest on 14th, 3 Long-Tailed
Tits on 15th, Treecreeper on 14th and 5 Siskin on 15th.
 

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