Derbyshire County Birding (3 Viewers)

[DaveN]

Had a couple of hours up at Carsi last night, highlights were 2 Little Egrets at Sheepwash, Dunlin over Stones Island and an unseasonal drake eclipse Goosander.

I went up with Chris last night. That was after the very kind RAC man fixed his car. The 2 Little Egrets were still there. Also 6 Grey Herons, 22 Cormorants inc a colour ringed bird. 4 Oycs, Common Sand and 2 Yellow-legged Gulls.

 

[DaveN]

Derbyshire: Unconfirmed Report of a Black Stork circling over Ilkeston then flew off North.

 

[DaveN]

A Dunlin down Wyver todayis the first record since March 2011. It flew around the main pool before flying towards the upper pool. On the main pool was 9 Teal, female Gadwall with 10 young, plus another female, juv Mandarin and 34 Mallards. A sign of Autumn coming is a flock of 13 Mistle Thrushes. 120+ Lapwings and an Oystercatcher the other things of note. The Dunlin takes the year list to 109.

 

[Clive A]

A funny incident at Carsington this morning, when an immature Peregrine was having a go at "Brutus" the Yellow legged gull, cheered on by Roger!

 

[Clive A]

Carsington this morning:
5 Common Sandpiper, 6+ Grey Heron, 3 Buzzard, 3 Teal, Yellow legged Gull a Kestrel took a vole and ate it in the dead tree at Sheepwash hide.

A few photos attached.

 

[Gomphus]

Carsington this morning:
5 Common Sandpiper, 6+ Grey Heron, 3 Buzzard, 3 Teal, Yellow legged Gull a Kestrel took a vole and ate it in the dead tree at Sheepwash hide.

A few photos attached.

Nice pic's Clive:t:

As a wander away from the birds its been nice at the end of last week to see loads of Butterflies and Bumblebees in the garden, my lavender has been heaving with Small Whites! Also Red Admiral, Peacock, Gatekeeper, Comma, Speckled Wood. I assume also its not just my garden that at dusk is heaving with Silver Y moths? They seem to have arrived in force.

Steph'

 

[Gomphus]

One other thing I forgot to mention over the weekend was my first garden record of the Tree Bee Bombus hypnorum (had to get confirmation as I had mislaid my BBee ID guide and needed to make sure I was not muddling 'em up:-O I know they have been in the area for a while but never had them here before. For those who don't know this smallish Bumblebee was first recorded in the UK in 2001 and has expanded vastly reaching Northumberland in 2009 I believe!

ATB

Steph'

 

[michael23]

Nice Bee there Steph, looks familiar, but not totally sure if I have seen one in my garden or not. Getting a moths around, orange underwing, swallowtail and another I need to get identified. Butterflies have been really low in numbers. the only one of note being a ringlet through.

 

[DaveN]

A male Whinchat down Wyver this evening in front of the viewing mound. After an absence of 5 years there's now been 3 records this year involving 4 birds. 2 in May, 1 in July and today's. Lapwings have increased to 153. 13 Gadwall on the main pool consisting of 3 females and 10 young which are a month old today. A Snipe this morning is the first record of the Autumn. And a Kingfisher today is only the 5th record this year.

 

[Daniel Martin]

Thanks for the text Dave, currently birding Tenerife so can't get!
They dye their Chaffinches a funny colour here :-(

 

[Papa 10]

They dye their Chaffinches a funny colour here :-(

And feed them steroids

 

[Clive A]

And feed them steroids

Haha!

 

[Gomphus]

Been thinking, anyone take odds on Two-barred Crossbill in Derbys this Autumn/winter. They seem to be arriving inland now too. Now I cannot remember if I've seen one in Derbys, my memories getting bad!

Dave, do you know is that Whinchat still down the lane today? Not seen one this year in Derbys to my shame!

ATB

Steph'

 

[Clive A]

Up at Carsi with Dave today, not a bad day, waders were Whimbrel, Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Snipe, Redshank, 2 Oystercatchers, 6 Common Sandpipers plus Lapwings.
8+ Grey Herons, YL Gull, 3 Gadwall, 4 Little Grebes, 2 Common Terns, Several Linnet, Kingfisher and Sedge Warbler the best of the rest.
Lots of Dragonflies about including Brown, Southern and Migrant Hawkers, Common Darters. Also lots of Peacock and Small White butterflies.
Pics of Migrant Hawker, a female I think, Common Sandpiper, a cooling off Heron and Linnet.

 

[Clive A]

Pics of Migrant Hawker, a female I think, Common Sandpiper, a cooling off Heron and Linnet.

Not necessarily in that order!

 

[Gomphus]

I'm sure Dave will be along to update the Wyver thread and this one but they have had a good day down there today! We called in late on and as we drove up we spotted a white thing with the Lapwing flock.... we were very happy to see a Little Egret standing in the pool corner.... and a little alarmed to see it fly off just as I sent the text! Happy though as it came back and showed well later!!! Couple of pic's taken in the bad light below!

Water Rail, Hobby and Mandarin were the others of our personal highlights.... but Dave's had more good stuff earlier!

ATB

Steph'

Steph'

 

[DaveN]

Yes it was quite a good day for Wyver standards. As well as the birds that Steph mentions we also had the Whinchat, 2 Spot Flies, Redstart, a very good count of 4 Juv Little Grebes which is the best count since March 2001. A Shoveler, 18 Teal, 12 Gadwall, 151 Lapwings, Kingfisher and a Raven. We decided to have another look at the Whinchat from the mound when a tit flock started working through the trees. We looked up to see a good number of LTT's, 6 Blue Tits, Willow W and a Chiffchaff. And then amazingly a stonking Wood Warbler. Such a striking bird I don't know how people mis id them. The tit flock worked its way past the mound but we didn't see the Wood Warbler again. We disappeared up Carsi but it was quite poor. So we ended up back at Wyver where a Little Egret topped the day off nicely.

 

[Clive A]

I had been fancying Wyver for a Little Egret. I had also been fancying Carsi for a Greenshank, and Roger has had one this morning, plus a Whimbrel through.

I was sat at Breamfield over looking Wirksworth yesterday afternoon, a small patch of thistles (10m x 1m) held 40+ Peacock,5+ Small Tortoiseshell, lots of Small White, Green veined white and several Meadow browns.

 

[DaveN]

The Whinchat was still down Wyver today in front of the mound. It was being a bit more elusive though. Just past the mound on the lane was 2 adult Spotted Flycatchers feeding 2 young. The other highlight was a Greenshank which flew in at 13.00hrs. I didn't see it after 16.15hrs so I presumed it had gone but somebody had it tonight at 19.30hrs.

 

[Clive A]

Up at Carsi yesterday afternoon, only visited sheepwash but there was a Little Egret, probably the Wyver bird relocating.
A couple of common Sands, YL Gull, Kingfisher, 4 Pochard,3 Gadwall also.
Eddy had 3 Dunlin a couple of Curlew and 5 Commic Terns, Roger had a Blackwit at the Wildlife centre, so a few waders starting to crop up now.