Derbyshire County Birding (1 Viewer)

[Daniel Martin]

The Black Heads have two young today at Wyver with 2 pairs still incubating.
Popped down tonight with Richard and also had 2 C Terns all evening, the Oycs with 1 young, 10 Tufties inc 8 drakes, 2 drake and a female Mandarin, 3 pair Gadwall, 2 Sedge W, 2 Whitethroat, a few hirundines about with 3 Swifts, Green Pecker, several LBB over and just as we were leaving a pair of Shelduck dropped in at dusk. I wonder where they are from?

 

[DaveN]

An Osprey at Carsington yesterday lunchtime. It appeared at Sheepwash had a fly around for 20 mins and then flew NW. A Turnstone on Millfields Island early morning. A fine summer plumage Sanderling on Stones Island in the evening. Never seen them in that plumage before. Seen plenty of moulting birds in spring but never full summer like this one.

A pair of Mandarin in Brown Ale Bay. A drake Gadwall at WLC. 2 Greylag Geese, Dunlin, 4 LRP, Lapwings with 3 chicks, Oycs with 3 chicks and Redshank with 4 chicks. 2 Common Sands. A walk counting warblers inc 13 Willows, 31 Blackcaps, 18 Chiffchaffs, 11 Whitethroats, 11 Garden Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat and 2 Reed Warblers.

I didn't see them myself but Sand Martins were again seen entering the Sand Martin bank at the WLC. RC had a Spotted Flycatcher in Tail Bay early morning.

 

[Daniel Martin]

Thanks to a tip off from Sam yesterday spent some time trying to find the location of this but so far nobody seems to know, from north to south!
The date given was the day before but it could also be upload date as Flickr sometimes does this. Still it's a reminder that its the right time of year. Alsop Moor and Beeley are the most regular spots in recent years.

 

[DaveN]

Drake Garganey at Carsington this morning from the Wildlife Centre. Also a Turnstone present.

 

[Clive A]

Drake Garganey at Carsington this morning from the Wildlife Centre. Also a Turnstone present.

Not strictly from the wildlife centre, it was asleep on the east side of Horseshoe island.Sand Martins still at new bank.

 

[DaveN]

A Red Kite down Wyver this afternoon before drifting off south. 5 Gadwall and 7 Tufteds on the main pool. 2 female Mallards both with 7 young. Pair of Moorhens with 3 young are probably the pair that had 5.

The Oycs still with their chick. BH Gulls on the raft still with their 2 chicks. A few Swallows and House Martins and singles of both Sand Martin and Swift. 3 Chiffchaffs, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Sedge and a Whitethroat.

 

[John Eaton]

It's a sod when most of the regulars are away and a good bird turns up on the patch. Pair of BN Grebes today at WGP. Very bad images attached as just had small camera and birds were on the far side of the pit. Alan Shaw has some nice video though. Be very surprised if they stay tomorrow.

 

[flossiepip]

Been very lucky to see some fantastic birds at WGP on our short holiday back from NZ? Great to see the BNG and the kindness shown by birders to me there has been wonderful.

 

[Clive A]

4 Little Terns at Carsington briefly this morning, before flying north east. A Cuckoo flew across the water onto the east side of the reservoir, also 1 Sanderling present.

 

[John Eaton]

Wader breeding at WGP is encouraging. The Oycs hatched 4 chicks early last week and yesterday a pair of Redshank gave the impression of having hatched young - then this afternoon one chick was seen at the waters edge. There is definitely more than one but the vegetation is too high to see them. Best news was this afternoon, as when the LRP were changing shifts on the nest a chick popped out for a very short period - there were at least 3 eggs so hopefully more to come. This is the first confirmed breeding of the species at WGP for at least 5 years.

 

[DaveN]

A damp, dreary, dismal, dull, dank and depressing morning down Wyver this morning. Even more depressing when I realised that the pair of Oycs had lost their chick. It would have been over 2 weeks old now, so quite big and I suspect it might be weather related as opposed to predation. Afterall, it has been wet and miserable for a good few days now and must be hard on those young exposed to the elements when they aren't that waterproof.

Anyway, on a lighter note there was 5 Gadwall and a drake Tuftie on the main pool. Hopefully some Gadwall young will be appearing soon. There are 5 BH Gull chicks on the raft. 2 from one pair that are 16 days old and quite large and 3 smaller ones from from the other couple of pairs.


At least 50 House Martins were feeding over the main pool with a few Swallows and Swifts. Despite the weather there was still a few Warblers in song. Sedge (3), Whitethroat (2), Blackcap and Chiffchaff.

One highlight was a female Pheasant with 10 tiny chicks. She looked as miserable as me but was doing a good job in keeping them dry.

 

[DaveN]

A Reed Warbler singing near the hide this morning is the first of the year. I don't know what it is with Wyver but I often get one in early June and often in the hedgerow near the hide as opposed to around the pool.

2 Shelduck, 6 Gadwall and 8 Tufteds on the main pool. A female Mallard with 8 fresh chicks. 2 Grey Herons and the 2 ad Oystercatchers still.

2 Redstarts up near the woods. I could see a male at distance from the mound and another was calling nearby. I got the impression that there were young being fed. Still 5 BH Gull chicks on the raft inc 2 well grown.

A good flock of 23 Long-tailed Tits working their way up and down the lane. I presume several family groups.

A few bits from Carsington yesterday. An Osprey at Sheepwash late morning. It caught a fish near Lane End and flew towards Fishtail Creek. 4 Grey Herons, 4 Greylag Geese, pair of Barnacle Geese with 4 young (was 7), 3 Gadwall, drake Teal, 8 Oystercatchers inc a pair with 2 fresh chicks, and a pair of Lapwings with 3 fresh chicks. 2 LRP, 3 Redshank, several Great Tit families, Sedge Warbler, and Reed Warbler.

 

[DaveN]

3 drake Common Scoters at Carsington yesterday. They were present mid water all day. Also 2 Grey Herons, 4 Greylags, pr of Barnacles still with 4 young, 3 Gadwall, 4 Curlew through high NE, Ringed Plover, 5 Oystercatchers, 2 LRP, 3 Redshank, 11 BH Gull chicks on the raft at WLC, c30 Swifts, and a male Redstart in WLC Creek.

 

[DaveN]

No sign of the Reed Warbler down Wyver today so it was as I suspected a one day bird. There was 9 Gadwall, 9 Tufted Ducks and a female Mallard with 8 small chicks on the main pool.

The 2 oldest BH Gull chicks have left the raft and had several brief flights around the pool. Not bad for just 23 days old. 11 immature Lessers dropped in but they were given absolute hell from the BHG's and quickly left.

The female Peregrine from the mill flew over the main pool towards the mill with pigeon prey.

The resident pr of Oycs were joined by a 2nd pair. Male and female Redstart near Wyver Woods. I'm certain there were juvs around although I didn't see any.

At least 4 juv Robins on the lane. Other young birds inc Reed Bunting, Great Tit, Treecreeper and Chiffchaff.

 

[John Eaton]

Update on breeding at WGP. The Oycs have 3 chicks remaining of the 4 that hatched and are now around a month old. Nice watching them swim between islands this am. The LRP hatched just the one chick and amazingly (as it's on dead goose island) it is doing really well and 2 weeks old now. One Redshank couple have chicks around P5 (with the adults using the posts as look out), but no signs yet of other Redshank success. A number of Lapwing chicks about with the odd ones being seen on dead goose. Black headed gull chicks now being seen on the spit with possibly some Terns hatched as adults taking in some fish. Getting numbers of anything is difficult due to height of vegetation. Also this am was a pair of Grey Heron with 3 juveniles, Mute Swans with 3 cygnets and GC Grebes with 3 humbugs.

 

[michael23]

Had a cracking Red Kite this afternoon about 15:00 drifting fairly low over woodside, near Horsley Woodhouse.

 

[Daniel Martin]

Looks as though the Belper Peregrines fledged today.
Only one on nesting site at 8.00 tonight. I had seen 3 there Tuesday evening.
Adult female and one young in the Scots pine and one young feeding on mill still high up after the Male returned with a Collared Dove.

 

[Daniel Martin]

Corncrake reported from Crich yesterday.

 

[Daniel Martin]

Successful Peregrines

The Mill birds have successfully fledged 3 young meaning they are consolidating their territory as a very successful site. 4 young fledged last year.
This one made it as far as the roof opposite.....

 

[Daniel Martin]

And another, taken using scope and iPhone