The Derbyshire Ornithological Society

Carsington Water News

Breeding Report

No broods of Little Grebe yet, but two broods of Great Crested Grebe with 1 young at Hopton End on 8th and 1 young at Wildlife Centre on 14th. The pair of Mute Swans at Millfields Car Park produced 1 cygnet on 2nd and another pair showed 4 cygnets on Sheepwash Spit on 20th. A total of 604 Canada Geese, including young, were counted on 19th and all the Barnacle Geese families went on a trip across the water to Millfields on 15th. This group consisted 5 pairs with 6, 5, 3, 2 and 2 young. The pair of Cackling Geese reported breeding on Watersports Island last month were seen defending their nest against Crows on 5th but were noted away from the nest on 11th and may well have failed breeding. Mallard broods this year totalled 15 by 29th, Coot have 8 broods, Moorhen have no broods reported but a Tufted Duck with 8 chicks in front of Paul Stanley Hide on 26th is the first of more expected this year. For comparison, by this stage last year wildfowl breeding included 2 broods of Swan, 5 broods of Barnacle Geese, 18 of Mallard, 5 of Moorhen, 6 of Coot and 1 of Tufted Duck. A Red-legged Partridge has been seen at Sheepwash, occasionally a pair, noted carrying vegetation, mainly early morning, by the Rangers opening up the car park, hopefully this will result in a breeding success. Two Red-crested Pochards were at the Wildlife Centre from 8th to 11th and 3 were there on 25th.

Wader breeding has been difficult to assess due to the tall vegetation growth on most islands and some breeding may have been missed. Of the 7 pairs of Oystercatchers, only 2 pairs are known to have produced young on Millfields and Sailing Club Islands. The Sailing Club Island pair had moved their 2 young onto Watersports Island by 16th. Lapwing young noted include 3 fresh young on Horseshoe Island on 4th, which is the 2nd brood noted. One young Redshank has been reported and a pair of Little Ringed Plovers were still displaying. This time last year there were 4 broods of Oystercatcher, 4 of Lapwing and 3 of Redshank. Other waders recorded include a Ringed Plover at Paul Stanley Hide on 30th, a male Black-tailed Godwit (race Icelandica) at Wildlife Centre on 20th and a different bird on 29th/30th. A Whimbrel was seen on 2nd, and a Curlew on 6th was one of many records of single Curlew which may be one of a pair seen and possibly breeding in fields towards Ashbourne.

The pair of Common Gulls reported breeding last month had sadly failed by 15th. The 7 pairs of Black-headed Gulls continued to raise young and a pair with 3 young vacated their raft whereupon the pair of frustrated Common Terns immediately moved in and had a chick by 30th.

A Barn Owl was noted carrying prey in the evening at Sheepwash on 30th and an adult Tawny Owl was perched near the memorial at Millfields end of the dam wall at lunchtime on 19th. A Kingfisher was at the Wildlife Centre on 22nd and 25th and was also seen in Tail Bay on 23rd. A pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers brought 2 juveniles to Paul Stanley feeders on 16th and a pair of Swallow were feeding young in the stone shelter near Millfields on 15th. Twenty House Martin nests were counted on the Visitor Centre, Watersports and Sailing Club buildings on 1st. A pair of Grey Wagtails were noted at Sheepwash on 2nd, at Hopton Arm and Shiningford Creek on 23rd, and a juvenile was near Paul Stanley Hide on 26th. Sedge Warbler were singing in Hopton Reedbed on 11th, Hopton Pond on 15th, Stones Island on 15th and Tail Bay on 23rd and 27th. A Reed Warbler was singing in Hopton Reedbed until 15th at least, but not on 29th, and another was singing from Hopton Pond all month. A Willow Tit family was in Millfields Car Park on 19th, a Treecreeper pair with 3 young were near Shiningford Creek on 2nd and 4 Linnets were in fields by Fishtail Creek on 23rd.

90 Species recorded compared with 93 in June 2007, 89 in 2006, 94 in 2005, 96 in 2004 and 84 in 2003.

Roger Carrington

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