DaveN
Derwent Valley Birder
I've been meaning to start a thread on Wyver Lane Nature Reserve for quite a while now. The reserve is situated in Belper (Derbyshire) just to the North of the town. I've been going down there on a regular basis now for over 8 years so have a fair bit of knowledge of what the place is all about.
Lying on the West side of the River Derwent, the reserve is one of the Derbyshire Wildlife Trusts (DWT) most important wetland reserves,
consisting of two pools, one main one and a smaller pool, water meadows and reed beds. A good selection of birds have been recorded there over the years.
Although the lane itself is out of the recording area birds recorded here include Wood Warbler, Firecrest, Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Crossbill and Hawfinch. The latter two coming from Coppice Woods at the very end of Wyver Lane...an area with good potential.
Other more significant sightings over the years include all 5 species of Grebe, Bittern, Great White Egret, Smew, Pectoral Sandpiper, Ring-Billed Gull and Common Crane. Over 170 species have been recorded.
Breeding water birds include Little Grebe, Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Moorhen, Coot and Lapwing (has bred in the past). Many other smaller birds do breed include Reed Bunting, Sedge Warbler, Stock Dove and many more common species.
Here's a full checklist of birds recorded. Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Red-Necked Grebe, *Slavonian Grebe*, Black-Necked Grebe, Cormorant, Bittern, Great White Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Bewick's Swan, Whooper Swan, Bean Goose, Pink Footed Goose, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Shelduck, Ruddy Shelduck, Mandarin, Wigeon, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Garganey, Shoveler, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Scaup, Common Scoter, Goldeneye, Smew, Goosander, Ruddy Duck, Sparrowhawk, Rough Legged Buzzard, Common Buzzard, *Marsh Harrier*, Osprey, Kestrel, Hobby, Peregrine, Red Kite, Red Legged Partridge, Grey Partridge, Pheasant, Water Rail (has bred), Moorhen, Coot, Common Crane, Oystercatcher, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Little Stint, Pectoral Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ruff, Jack Snipe, Snipe, Woodcock, Black Tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Redshank, Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Turnstone, Mediterranean Gull, Little Gull, Black Headed Gull, Ring Billed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull, Iceland Gull, Glaucous Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Kittiwake, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black Tern, Woodpigeon, Stock Dove, Collared Dove, Turtle Dove, Ring Necked Parakeet, Cuckoo, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Tawny Owl, Swift, Kingfisher, Wryneck, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Dipper, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Redstart, Whinchat, Stonechat, Wheatear, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Wood Warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Long Tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Raven, Starling, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Brambling, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Linnet, Twite, Lesser Redpoll, Crossbill, Bullfinch, Hawfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting.
A couple of escapes have recently been recorded including Cape Shelduck and Black Swan.
*denotes unconfirmed.
I get down there several times a week so will update this as and when I can.
Lying on the West side of the River Derwent, the reserve is one of the Derbyshire Wildlife Trusts (DWT) most important wetland reserves,
consisting of two pools, one main one and a smaller pool, water meadows and reed beds. A good selection of birds have been recorded there over the years.
Although the lane itself is out of the recording area birds recorded here include Wood Warbler, Firecrest, Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Crossbill and Hawfinch. The latter two coming from Coppice Woods at the very end of Wyver Lane...an area with good potential.
Other more significant sightings over the years include all 5 species of Grebe, Bittern, Great White Egret, Smew, Pectoral Sandpiper, Ring-Billed Gull and Common Crane. Over 170 species have been recorded.
Breeding water birds include Little Grebe, Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Moorhen, Coot and Lapwing (has bred in the past). Many other smaller birds do breed include Reed Bunting, Sedge Warbler, Stock Dove and many more common species.
Here's a full checklist of birds recorded. Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Red-Necked Grebe, *Slavonian Grebe*, Black-Necked Grebe, Cormorant, Bittern, Great White Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Bewick's Swan, Whooper Swan, Bean Goose, Pink Footed Goose, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Shelduck, Ruddy Shelduck, Mandarin, Wigeon, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Garganey, Shoveler, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Scaup, Common Scoter, Goldeneye, Smew, Goosander, Ruddy Duck, Sparrowhawk, Rough Legged Buzzard, Common Buzzard, *Marsh Harrier*, Osprey, Kestrel, Hobby, Peregrine, Red Kite, Red Legged Partridge, Grey Partridge, Pheasant, Water Rail (has bred), Moorhen, Coot, Common Crane, Oystercatcher, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Little Stint, Pectoral Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ruff, Jack Snipe, Snipe, Woodcock, Black Tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Redshank, Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Turnstone, Mediterranean Gull, Little Gull, Black Headed Gull, Ring Billed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull, Iceland Gull, Glaucous Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Kittiwake, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black Tern, Woodpigeon, Stock Dove, Collared Dove, Turtle Dove, Ring Necked Parakeet, Cuckoo, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Tawny Owl, Swift, Kingfisher, Wryneck, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Dipper, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Redstart, Whinchat, Stonechat, Wheatear, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Wood Warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Long Tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Raven, Starling, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Brambling, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Linnet, Twite, Lesser Redpoll, Crossbill, Bullfinch, Hawfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting.
A couple of escapes have recently been recorded including Cape Shelduck and Black Swan.
*denotes unconfirmed.
I get down there several times a week so will update this as and when I can.
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Apparently the DWT have been given a grant to build a viewing mound to make it easier to view the top pool. I had a Wood Sand on there last year but at the moment you can only see part of the pool from the hide or the lane itself. I think a lot of birds get missed on there because of the restricted viewing.
