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Derbyshire County Birding (1 Viewer)

DaveN

Derwent Valley Birder
One of the Bitterns showed quite well on the right of the main mid afternoon yesterday. The Shelduck was on the main pool. The first Curlew of the year flew through. There was also 6 Gadwall, 28Teal, c70 Greylags, 4 Cormorants, 3 Oystercatchers and 9 Goosanders roosted. A canoe on the river flushed 10 Mandarin and 40+ Wigeon.
 

DaveN

Derwent Valley Birder
Hello all - first time poster, although I've been visiting for quite some time. Apologies f this is the wrong location but I have a query about a bird I spotted in Glossop town centre yesterday

The time was around 2pm when we noticed flocks of pigeons and jackdaws going mad, leading us to think there was a raptor of some kind hanging around. Eventually we spotted it but I'm struggling to identify it. We only saw it from below - the wing profile was very broad and square, i.e. not pointed at the ends and the leading edge was straight rather than angled. The underside was light coloured, the wings being white with a dark bar at each end inside of the tips. The tail was straight, rather than curved or v-shaped as for a kite.

We've seen Red kites in that area before, but the tail leads me to believe it's not a kite. I've checked various sources online and have a couple of ideas of what it might be, but just wanted to check on here - will hold my ideas so I don't prejudice anyone else's thoughts

thanks


Edit - should mention we get loads of buzzards round here so I'm pretty confident it wasn't a buzzard. Flight pattern was gliding and circling rather than flap-flap-glide

Was you thinking of some type of Harrier? Although impossible to rule out, my money would be on Common Buzzard. I know you say you are pretty confident it wasn't one but they are so variable and can be very dark to very pale.
 

Daniel Martin

Well-known member
Was you thinking of some type of Harrier? Although impossible to rule out, my money would be on Common Buzzard. I know you say you are pretty confident it wasn't one but they are so variable and can be very dark to very pale.

Got to say Im with Dave on this one - if I had just read the description I would say its a Buzzard, and even if you see plenty they come in so many guises they can confuse issues.
I had one last week that was barreling towards me with wings tucked in doing a passable impression of female Peregrine. One local bird in moult lost 2 central tail feathers at the same time and was recorded as Red Kite twice. There is a "tame" bird near the horse paddock on my lane that is incredibly pale and two people who live nearby have brought me pics of it as they are familiar with Buzzard but just cant place this one. Its a Buzzard, a pale one, but a Buzzard nonetheless.

As you are familiar with size then you would really be comparing Harrier, Kite and Goshawk too perhaps? But Glossop town centre tells me all are incredibly unlikely.
 

DaveN

Derwent Valley Birder
Wyver Lane Bird Notes
February 2013

Highlights include: 2 Bitterns still, Pink-footed Geese and Waxwings.

The 2 Bitterns continued to delight many admirers throughout the month
with 1 being especially showy in a channel of water to the right of the main pool. It could often be seen from the lane wandering about in the open feeding on small fish. Both birds were still present up to 28th.

A Little Grebe was on the river on 21st, 6 Cormorants on 8th and 11th, 2 Grey Herons on 5th and 8th, 2 Mute Swans on 21st, 90 Greylag Geese on 5th, 110 Canada Geese on 5th, 120 Pink-footed Geese over on 9th, 14 Mandarin over at dusk on 2nd and 19th, 47 Wigeon on 19th and 22nd which is the best count since March 2010, 6 Gadwall all month, 40 Teal on 3rd, 58 Mallards on 3rd, 2 Shoveler up to 16th, 3 Pochards from 21st, 16 Tufted Ducks on 19th, a drake Goldeneye for 5 days from 1st, and 28 Goosander roosted on 3rd. A Water Rail heard on many dates, 18 Moorhen on 28th and 22 Coots
on 20th.

Raptors this month include 2 Sparrowhawks on 1st, 7th and 21st, 3 Buzzards on many dates, 2 Kestrels on 4th and 21st and 2 Peregrines on 5th.

The pair of Oystercatchers that successfully raised 3 young last year are back and have claimed the island, 31 Lapwings on 19th and 12 Snipe on 1st.

550 Black-headed Gulls were on the main pool on 15th, 5 Common Gulls on 19th, 8 Herring Gulls flew North on 11th, 6 Stock Doves on 3rd and 11th, 2 Little Owls on 18th, a Tawny Owl on several dates, a Kingfisher on 17th was the first record since last July, a Green Woodpecker most days, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers on 1st, 2 Skylarks over on 1st and 13 over North on 7th, a Grey Wagtail on 1st and 5th, Waxwings have been on show this month with 30+ on 3rd, 12 on 12th and 13th, 24 on 15th, 15 on 24th and 13 on 25th, a Meadow Pipit on 11th, c100 Fieldfares on 5th, 16 Redwings on 21st, 4 Mistle Thrushes on 21st, a Chiff Chaff on 1st and 4th, 14 Magpies on 1st, c100 Jackdaws on 4th, 2 Ravens on 1st, 4 on 21st and a single bird on 25th, 2 Jays on 12th, 20 Goldfinch on 11th, c20 Siskins on 4th, 2 Bullfinch on 8th, 4 Reed Buntings on 12th and a male in song on 19th.
 

DaveN

Derwent Valley Birder
Down Wyver today and one of the Bitterns was seen in flight across the main pool at 12.56hrs. 51 Wigeon which is the first 50+ count for 3 years. 4 Cormorants, 2 Grey Herons, Shelduck, 6 Gadwall, 27 Teal, 4 Pochard, 2 Oycs and a Curlew.

4 species of Gull today which is very unusual for Wyver. 120 BHG's, 2 Common, 2 Lessers and 2 Herrings (1st w & 2nd w). Very rarely do we get Herrings on the deck at Wyver so it made a nice change. They were only there for about 15 minutes though.
 
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captaincarot

Well-known member
Was you thinking of some type of Harrier? Although impossible to rule out, my money would be on Common Buzzard. I know you say you are pretty confident it wasn't one but they are so variable and can be very dark to very pale.


it's not unfeasable that it could be a roughleg, in that area. there was one not far away this time last year
 

DaveN

Derwent Valley Birder
One of the Bitterns was twice seen in flight across the main pool mid morning today. Wigeon have now increased to 53. Wintering wildfowl at most places seem to be dwindling now but for some reason they are on the increase at Wyver. The female Shelduck that has been around since last weekend has now found a mate.
 

DaveN

Derwent Valley Birder
18 Hawfinches at Cromford yesterday downstream of the bridge.
Also yesterday one, possibly two Little Gulls at Ogston before leaving. Also an adult Kittiwake present for most of the afternoon was joined by a second bird in the roost. And a Kittiwake at Carsington this morning before flying north.
 

Daniel Martin

Well-known member
Richard Taylor has 81 Whooper Swans at Mapperley Res now in the snow if anyone local.
Don't expect them to linger.
Daves had some over Belper this morning too that he will post about so looks like plenty on the move.
 

Daniel Martin

Well-known member
Whoopers at Mapperley today

Pics copy right Richard Taylor.
Is this the largest County herd?

Glyn got there in time so no doubt some shots of individual beaks to follow!
 

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DaveN

Derwent Valley Birder
Richard Taylor has 81 Whooper Swans at Mapperley Res now in the snow if anyone local.
Don't expect them to linger.
Daves had some over Belper this morning too that he will post about so looks like plenty on the move.

Yes it was a great start to the day. I was actually very lucky. I rarely go to Belper River Gardens but did this morning to do the WeBS. I was supposed to do it yesterday but Sundays are often difficult, especially with it being Mother's Day.

Anyway, I had just done the counts which takes all of about 10 minutes there and was walking by the toilets and back towards the mill when I heard Whoopers overhead. I looked up and saw quite a good number but my view was slightly obscured by some trees but I reckoned about 20. I legged it to more of an opening to give myself a clearer view and realised there were 2 lots totaling at least 46 birds. They were flying roughly towards Carsington so I contacted Clive and Roger who I knew were either there or on the way to keep their eyes peeled but no joy there.

It was easily my largest flock of Whoopers anywhere beating 15 I had up Carsington with Clive several years ago. Incidentally the same day Clive found a Leach's Storm Petrel up there.

Talking of storms, there were several blizzard like storms today down Wyver. It was grim I tell thee. At one point the weather app on my phone said -3 but feels like -16 and I could believe it.

The one stand out sighting down there was a massive 78 Common Gulls on the main pool. We do well to get into double figures of Common Gulls so 78 is huge. There had obviously been Common Gull movement as Oggie had 321 through. The pair of Shelduck were still on the main pool, as was 5 Gadwall, 4 Pochard, Grey Heron, 17 Wigeon, 4 Pochard and 3 Oystercatchers. The other thing of note was 2 Ravens over. No sign of either Bittern today.
 

DaveN

Derwent Valley Birder
I've just checked previous records of Common Gull at Wyver. There has only been one previous count of over 50 and that was 57 on Dec 18th 2002. So 78 is easily a site record.

I meant to say in my previous post that although the 46 Whoopers were a great sight It was slightly galling that I was at the river gardens and not actually at Wyver. I still need Whoopers for Wyver and if I was there I might just have had them, albeit distantly. When I heard off Dan about the 81 at Shipley I stayed on at Wyver in hope of seeing some go over beens as there was an obvious movement of them....but alas it wasn't to be.
 

Daniel Martin

Well-known member
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alanheeleyphotography/

Thanks to Richard Taylor for alerting me to the link above - great Bittern pics of the long staying Williamthorpe bird on Alans flicker and also a rather stunning EO in N Derbyshire! Not dissimilar to the one in my avatar...........

With a couple of birds at large not far away there is a new effort in trying to prove captive origin or more locally bred.
 

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