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Derbyshire County Birding (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter mooskibaby
- Start date
DaveN
Derwent Valley Birder
Down Wyver for around 5 hours in total today. Didn't take long to pick up a couple of Water Rails and a dozen Snipe. When the rain set in, more and more Snipe came out onto the mud and I counted at least 27. At 09.05 a large Skein of c300 Pink feet were flying NW.
Around the main pool was 94 Teal, 6 Shoveler, 4 Wigeon, 53 Canada Geese, 2juv Mute Swans, 3 Grey Herons and 3 Cormorants.
Took a walk down the lane and all was pretty quiet apart from a few Blackbirds and some Blue and Great Tits. A couple of Linnets and a Skylark flew over calling. Walking back up the lane and a small flock of birds were flitting around the piles of mud that's been excavated by the digger. I got my scope on them and they were all Meadow Pipits....8 of them.
Got back in the hide and 6 Redwings were heading south. On the pool were 162 BH Gulls and 2 Lessers, 2 juv Mute Swans, a Pied Wag and a Grey Wag. A male Sparrowhawk flew through chasing a small Passerine but failed to catch its quarry. I looked up towards where I had the 8 Meadow Pipits and there were at least 20 birds flying around. I managed to scope them briefly and they all looked like Meadow Pipits.
Around the main pool was 94 Teal, 6 Shoveler, 4 Wigeon, 53 Canada Geese, 2juv Mute Swans, 3 Grey Herons and 3 Cormorants.
Took a walk down the lane and all was pretty quiet apart from a few Blackbirds and some Blue and Great Tits. A couple of Linnets and a Skylark flew over calling. Walking back up the lane and a small flock of birds were flitting around the piles of mud that's been excavated by the digger. I got my scope on them and they were all Meadow Pipits....8 of them.
Got back in the hide and 6 Redwings were heading south. On the pool were 162 BH Gulls and 2 Lessers, 2 juv Mute Swans, a Pied Wag and a Grey Wag. A male Sparrowhawk flew through chasing a small Passerine but failed to catch its quarry. I looked up towards where I had the 8 Meadow Pipits and there were at least 20 birds flying around. I managed to scope them briefly and they all looked like Meadow Pipits.
Gomphus
Well-known member
Caught up with the Cattle Egret yesterday at Carr Vale, I hear no sign this AM tho':-C
Seems a very, very long time since I saw CE in Derbys..... got to be mid 90's if not earlier!
Added a little very shaky video to the diary section of my website! Pity it was so windy!!!
Going to have to take a few more trips down Wyver if that Jack is still there.... getting to know the Common Snipe very well!
ATB
Steph'
Seems a very, very long time since I saw CE in Derbys..... got to be mid 90's if not earlier!
Added a little very shaky video to the diary section of my website! Pity it was so windy!!!
Going to have to take a few more trips down Wyver if that Jack is still there.... getting to know the Common Snipe very well!
ATB
Steph'
DaveN
Derwent Valley Birder
Wasn't planning on going down Wyver today but decided to go down for a few hours. A bit more water around the main pool but still enough mud for some Waders. No Jack Snipe but 15+ Common Snipe and 2 Water Rails, also 62 Lapwings. Wildfowl of note was 6 Shoveler, 5 Wigeon and 60 Teal.
All the machinery that was working around the top pool has now gone so I guess the work is now completed. All that needs to be done is some hedge laying which I believe is being done this week. The lane was quite active today with lots of Blackbirds, Dunnocks, Robins, Tits, Wrens and a couple of Reed Buntings. The viewing mound is still just a huge pile of mud and clay so I presume there's still a bit more work to do on that. I did have a look from the top of it but I found that if you stand in one spot too long then you start sinking. I almost had to call out mountain rescue but managed to pull myself out.
A Meadow Pipit was feeding on the old tip and a Skylark flew over. Also a couple of Grey Wags were feeding in a shallow pool that has formed after the recent rain. Lots of small birds were flitting about and many stayed unidentified, although I did identify a flock of 15+ Siskins flying over.
Back to the hide and I managed to catch up with a male Stonechat posing well in front of the hide long enough to get a few photos. Singles of Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel and 58 Canada Geese the other birds noted.
What I did notice was a dead BH Gull on the pool and another BH Gull with a broken wing with a little blood on it. Can't be certain but I did wonder if someone's been down there taking pot shots at the birds. Anyway, I've attached a photo of the Gull and a couple of the Stonechat.
All the machinery that was working around the top pool has now gone so I guess the work is now completed. All that needs to be done is some hedge laying which I believe is being done this week. The lane was quite active today with lots of Blackbirds, Dunnocks, Robins, Tits, Wrens and a couple of Reed Buntings. The viewing mound is still just a huge pile of mud and clay so I presume there's still a bit more work to do on that. I did have a look from the top of it but I found that if you stand in one spot too long then you start sinking. I almost had to call out mountain rescue but managed to pull myself out.
A Meadow Pipit was feeding on the old tip and a Skylark flew over. Also a couple of Grey Wags were feeding in a shallow pool that has formed after the recent rain. Lots of small birds were flitting about and many stayed unidentified, although I did identify a flock of 15+ Siskins flying over.
Back to the hide and I managed to catch up with a male Stonechat posing well in front of the hide long enough to get a few photos. Singles of Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel and 58 Canada Geese the other birds noted.
What I did notice was a dead BH Gull on the pool and another BH Gull with a broken wing with a little blood on it. Can't be certain but I did wonder if someone's been down there taking pot shots at the birds. Anyway, I've attached a photo of the Gull and a couple of the Stonechat.
Attachments
Gomphus
Well-known member
A brief visit this PM down Wyver Lane produced the usual fare.... Teal numbers seemed a bit down on my previous totals with 64 birds present along with 4 Wigeon, 5 Shoveler (3 males 2 females), 47 Lapwings, 25 plus BHG and 22 Snipe.... still no Jack tho'! A single Water Rail showed very well in the corner of the pool, enabling a bit of shaky video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5A5teP17kE
A pity was that I saw it very well about 3 times, and then just as a couple who really wanted to see it arrived it vanished. Sadly they didn't wait around long enough and strolled off up the lane...then predictably just after they got out of sight it showed again, and thats when I got the video!!. This site has got to be one of the most reliable places to see Water Rail in Derbys at the moment, but you do need to be patient!!
3 Cormorants flew through and 2 Grey Herons showed well, one catching a quite large fish..... Also of note were a single Raven heading towards Crich Lane and a nice Grey Wagtail. Jays were very vocal today!
I was hoping to catch up with the Stonechat...but I reckon that was a bit disturbed by conservation work on going, with a few workers laying a hedge near the new scrapes and having a good fire going!
ATB
Steph'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5A5teP17kE
A pity was that I saw it very well about 3 times, and then just as a couple who really wanted to see it arrived it vanished. Sadly they didn't wait around long enough and strolled off up the lane...then predictably just after they got out of sight it showed again, and thats when I got the video!!. This site has got to be one of the most reliable places to see Water Rail in Derbys at the moment, but you do need to be patient!!
3 Cormorants flew through and 2 Grey Herons showed well, one catching a quite large fish..... Also of note were a single Raven heading towards Crich Lane and a nice Grey Wagtail. Jays were very vocal today!
I was hoping to catch up with the Stonechat...but I reckon that was a bit disturbed by conservation work on going, with a few workers laying a hedge near the new scrapes and having a good fire going!
ATB
Steph'
Clive A
Well-known member
Yes, water level is low at carsington.
RyanEustace
Ecology Student
I dont know if any of you have been down to the avenue washlands in chesterfield , being a warden there i thought i might as well publicise it and get some intrest there.Run by derbyshire wildlife trust ample parking and a nice walk round.
Gomphus
Well-known member
Hi all,
Great trip up to Carsington this PM.... a female/imm Garganey was just to the right of Sheepwash Hide and the female Common Scoter was off there too! The usual YLGull was present on the spit, then later in the roost along with another adult and a 1st winter.. (which I forgot when I rang Birdnet earlier!!). There was a few Herrings too but the roost seems smallish?
One other bird I saw was a weird YLGull type but very dark mantled (still paler than LBB tho') and with quite extensive fine head streaking.... an oddbod indeed!
Cheers
Steph'
Great trip up to Carsington this PM.... a female/imm Garganey was just to the right of Sheepwash Hide and the female Common Scoter was off there too! The usual YLGull was present on the spit, then later in the roost along with another adult and a 1st winter.. (which I forgot when I rang Birdnet earlier!!). There was a few Herrings too but the roost seems smallish?
One other bird I saw was a weird YLGull type but very dark mantled (still paler than LBB tho') and with quite extensive fine head streaking.... an oddbod indeed!
Cheers
Steph'
Gomphus
Well-known member
Ryan, can you give us directions etc, sounds interesting. A site I've heard of but never been too.....
Cheers
Steph'
Clive A
Well-known member
Hi Steph, any chance that this is the Garganey you saw a month or so ago?
I have been thinking that this bird could well have been still on site, hiding away somewhere, unseen by birders.
Gomphus
Well-known member
The same thought crossed my mind Clive.... I'll look up the notes and photos of that last bird and see if its anything like the same........ I reckon given the amount of Teal etc on site we could have overlooked it.
Cheers
Steph'
Clive A
Well-known member
Lets hope this one hangs around a little longer then, and gives a few others chance to see it.
Pete Mella
Getting there...
Has anyone had any SEOs recently? Leash Fen and Beeley Moor seemed to be dripping with them this time last year...
Daniel Martin
Well-known member
Regular at Bennerley Marsh currently.
Ryan, I've never been there. Is the entrance on Mill Lane? if so it would be a very local patch for me:t: What can you expect to see at this time of year?
