DaveN
Derwent Valley Birder
Carsington Water's Bird Notes for August 2014.
August Highlights: Little Egret, Osprey, Curlew Sandpiper, Great Skua, Black Tern, Whinchat, Tree Pipit and Yellowhammer.
Despite this August being the coldest for over 20 years, 108 species is more than satisfactory. Very few new water bird broods to report this month. One more each of Mallard and Tufted Duck take their totals to 23 and 14 respectively. Water bird maximum counts were: 11 Little Grebes on 27th, 53 Great Crested Grebes on 27th, 36 Cormorants on several dates, up to 4 Little Egrets up to 18th, with smaller numbers thereafter, 10 Grey Herons on 8th, 36 Mute Swans on 28th, 6 Greylag Geese on 27th, 719 Canada Geese on 29th, a juvenile Shelduck on and off from 6th, 6 Wigeon on 30th, 10 Gadwall on 27th, 97 Teal on 29th, 230 Mallards on 27th, 1 Shoveler on 4th, 7 Red-crested Pochard on 19th-20th, 7 Pochard on 30th, 453 Tufted Duck on 27th, a drake Common Scoter on 1st, 2 Goosander on 13th and 988 Coot on 27th.
Raptors include: A Red Kite on 3rd and 9th, up to 2 Sparrowhawks, and a female trapped in the Wildlife Centre and released unharmed on 26th, 5 Buzzards on several dates, an Osprey flying NW early afternoon on 19th, up to 2 Kestrels throughout the month, five sightings of Hobby on 9th, 10th, 28th, 29th and 30th and regular sightings of Peregrine from 5th.
There were 13 species of Wader recorded including an Oystercatcher on 23rd, 6 Ringed Plover on 18th, 120 Lapwings on 20th, a Sanderling on 3rd, 3 juvenile Curlew Sandpipers on the evening of 27th, 8 Dunlin on 26th, 3 juvenile Ruff on 28th, 1 Snipe on 3rd, 5th, 28th and 31st, a Curlew on 17th and 27th, 4 Redshank on 24th, a Greenshank on 24th and 27th, 2 Green Sandpipers on 6th, and a single on 28th and 5 Common Sandpipers on 8th.
In wet and windy conditions on 26th 2 Great Skuas were found circling the res at 08.46hrs. They were watched for a further 7 minutes before they left south. Gulls this month include: Few records of Black-headed Gull as most had left site by early August, 2 Common Gulls on 27th, c980 Lesser Black-backed Gulls pre roost on 19th and 4 Yellow-legged Gulls on 3rd. 55 Common Terns through on 26th is a site record beating 45 in 2000, a Black Tern early morning on 26th is the first record this year.
6 Stock Doves on 23rd-24th is an encouraging number, 8 Collared Doves at Wildlife Centre on 18th, the last Swift was 1 on 27th, Kingfishers were a regular sight at many locations, a Skylark heard over the dam wall on 24th, 20 Sand Martins on 22nd, 40 Swallows on 25th, c60 House Martins on 13th. Tree Pipits heading south include singles on 21st, 27th and 31st. 20+ Meadow Pipits SW on 31st. Yellow Wagtails were also moving south with regular records from 5th including 3 on 25th and 30th. 8 Grey Wagtails on 4th is another site record, 76 Pied Wagtails on 20th. There were 4 Redstarts on 3rd, 9th and 13th, a Whinchat on the dam wall on 21st is the first record since 2011, 3 Wheatear on 9th, 3 Reed Warblers on 22nd, a Lesser Whitethroat from 6th, 3 Whitethroat on 1st, a Garden Warbler on 24th, 5 Blackcap on 30th, 12 Chiffchaff on 29th, 3 Willow Warbler on 6th, 5 Spotted Flycatcher on 18th, 8 Willow Tit on 14th, 4 Raven on 11th, 18th and 23rd, c50 House Sparrow on Stones Island on 22nd, c80 Tree Sparrow at Wildlife Centre on 10th, 70+ Goldfinch on 13th, 22 Linnet on 4th, 5 Bullfinch on 24th and a Yellowhammer on Horseshoe Island on 3rd is a rare sight these days.
108 species this month compared with 106 in 2013, 94 in 2012, 119 in 2011 and 95 in 2010.
August Highlights: Little Egret, Osprey, Curlew Sandpiper, Great Skua, Black Tern, Whinchat, Tree Pipit and Yellowhammer.
Despite this August being the coldest for over 20 years, 108 species is more than satisfactory. Very few new water bird broods to report this month. One more each of Mallard and Tufted Duck take their totals to 23 and 14 respectively. Water bird maximum counts were: 11 Little Grebes on 27th, 53 Great Crested Grebes on 27th, 36 Cormorants on several dates, up to 4 Little Egrets up to 18th, with smaller numbers thereafter, 10 Grey Herons on 8th, 36 Mute Swans on 28th, 6 Greylag Geese on 27th, 719 Canada Geese on 29th, a juvenile Shelduck on and off from 6th, 6 Wigeon on 30th, 10 Gadwall on 27th, 97 Teal on 29th, 230 Mallards on 27th, 1 Shoveler on 4th, 7 Red-crested Pochard on 19th-20th, 7 Pochard on 30th, 453 Tufted Duck on 27th, a drake Common Scoter on 1st, 2 Goosander on 13th and 988 Coot on 27th.
Raptors include: A Red Kite on 3rd and 9th, up to 2 Sparrowhawks, and a female trapped in the Wildlife Centre and released unharmed on 26th, 5 Buzzards on several dates, an Osprey flying NW early afternoon on 19th, up to 2 Kestrels throughout the month, five sightings of Hobby on 9th, 10th, 28th, 29th and 30th and regular sightings of Peregrine from 5th.
There were 13 species of Wader recorded including an Oystercatcher on 23rd, 6 Ringed Plover on 18th, 120 Lapwings on 20th, a Sanderling on 3rd, 3 juvenile Curlew Sandpipers on the evening of 27th, 8 Dunlin on 26th, 3 juvenile Ruff on 28th, 1 Snipe on 3rd, 5th, 28th and 31st, a Curlew on 17th and 27th, 4 Redshank on 24th, a Greenshank on 24th and 27th, 2 Green Sandpipers on 6th, and a single on 28th and 5 Common Sandpipers on 8th.
In wet and windy conditions on 26th 2 Great Skuas were found circling the res at 08.46hrs. They were watched for a further 7 minutes before they left south. Gulls this month include: Few records of Black-headed Gull as most had left site by early August, 2 Common Gulls on 27th, c980 Lesser Black-backed Gulls pre roost on 19th and 4 Yellow-legged Gulls on 3rd. 55 Common Terns through on 26th is a site record beating 45 in 2000, a Black Tern early morning on 26th is the first record this year.
6 Stock Doves on 23rd-24th is an encouraging number, 8 Collared Doves at Wildlife Centre on 18th, the last Swift was 1 on 27th, Kingfishers were a regular sight at many locations, a Skylark heard over the dam wall on 24th, 20 Sand Martins on 22nd, 40 Swallows on 25th, c60 House Martins on 13th. Tree Pipits heading south include singles on 21st, 27th and 31st. 20+ Meadow Pipits SW on 31st. Yellow Wagtails were also moving south with regular records from 5th including 3 on 25th and 30th. 8 Grey Wagtails on 4th is another site record, 76 Pied Wagtails on 20th. There were 4 Redstarts on 3rd, 9th and 13th, a Whinchat on the dam wall on 21st is the first record since 2011, 3 Wheatear on 9th, 3 Reed Warblers on 22nd, a Lesser Whitethroat from 6th, 3 Whitethroat on 1st, a Garden Warbler on 24th, 5 Blackcap on 30th, 12 Chiffchaff on 29th, 3 Willow Warbler on 6th, 5 Spotted Flycatcher on 18th, 8 Willow Tit on 14th, 4 Raven on 11th, 18th and 23rd, c50 House Sparrow on Stones Island on 22nd, c80 Tree Sparrow at Wildlife Centre on 10th, 70+ Goldfinch on 13th, 22 Linnet on 4th, 5 Bullfinch on 24th and a Yellowhammer on Horseshoe Island on 3rd is a rare sight these days.
108 species this month compared with 106 in 2013, 94 in 2012, 119 in 2011 and 95 in 2010.
