The Derbyshire Ornithological Society

Carsington Water News

One Great Northern Diver was present all month, proving very mobile and even seen in flight. Several Shelduck have visited with 1 on 5-6th from Paul Stanley Hide, 2 from Sheepwash on 10th and 1 there on 12th and 28th. Generally the winter wildfowl have gone north so a flock of 52 Teal on 5th from Paul Stanley hide was probably on passage. A drake Common Scoter was found on 15th and stayed a surprising 3 days.

No unexpected raptor records this month. A Peregrine was sighted on 3rd, 6th and 16th. The first Red-legged Partridge for 2 years occurred on 18th with 2 in the field between Sheepwash and Paul Stanley Hides. The first Moorhen brood was noted on 27th with 2 adults feeding 4 young just left from the Wildlife Centre.

On to waders and 7 pairs of Oystercatchers established their breeding territories simply by one pair per island. The pair with a multi leg-ringed male finally settled in front of Paul Stanley Hide. The first Little Ringed Plover appeared on 7th and 5 were counted on 8th. One pair was clearly nesting on 27th, sadly they had lost the nest by the 29th, but they will try again. Six Black-tailed Godwits put on a show at the Aren't Birds Brilliant day on 17th and a Bar-tailed Godwit was around the Wildlife Centre and Stones Island on 28-29th [see photos on our website]. Whimbrel passage has been in small numbers only with 1 on 15th, 1 on 20th and 2 on 26-27th. Redshank numbers have been difficult to determine as they establish breeding pairs and locations, the highest count was 9 on 8th. Single Common Sandpipers have been noted most of the month and there were 2 at Paul Stanley Hide on 11th and 4 on the dam wall on 22nd. The small stone mound, built by the Ranger Service on the side of Sailing Club Island as a high water level wader attraction and refuge, showed its worth when it seemingly came alive on 19th, there were 5 Turnstones crawling on it.

Immature gulls seem to be staying on site longer, which is bad news for our breeding birds, as they scavenge anything that may be edible. The gull roost, at Sheepwash end only, on 30th consisted of mainly immature birds with 300 Great Black-backed Gulls and well over 1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls plus another raft of gulls distant towards Millfields. Tern passage, so far, has included 1 Arctic Tern on 18th and 30th, 1 Common Tern on 23rd and 30th and a good spring record of 2 Sandwich Terns on 23-24th.

The first Swift record was 1 on 21st, then 5 on 22nd and 33 on 25th. Sand Martin and Swallow have been passing through since last month but House Martin was late with the first record on the Club Walk on 17th of 1, another 1 on 18th and 20 on 23rd. The colourful spectacle of wagtails on Stones Island on an April evening failed this year with the first Yellow Wagtail on 13th, rising to a maximum of 2 on 16th. The first White Wagtail was on the dam wall on 14th, followed by singles on 28th and 29th and none on Stones Island. A Redstart was singing in the Wildlife Centre Creek on 15th, the only Wheatear record was 1 on the dam wall on 21st and the last Redwing sighting was 3 on 3rd near Lane End.

With Chiffchaff in last month, the arrival of other warblers was out of usual sequence in some cases. Arrivals included 1 singing Blackcap on 3rd and 16 on 25th, 1 late singing Willow Warbler on 9th and 27 on 25th, an early Lesser Whitethroat singing on 15th and 3 on 25th, a Sedge Warbler on 22nd and 2 on 25th, a Garden Warbler on 23rd and 4 on 25th and finally 2 Whitethroats singing on 24th.

Only 104 Species recorded this April compared with 118 in 2006, 117 in 2005, 116 in 2004 and 107 in 2003.

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