The Derbyshire Ornithological Society

Carsington Water News

April Highlights: Some littles, Little Egret, Little Gull, Little Tern, some bigger, Avocets, Osprey, Great Northern Diver, and many spring migrants.

The Great Northern Diver stayed another month and is gaining summer plumage. A Little Egret was on show from Paul Stanley Hide on 28th, last recorded here in April 2006. A Pinkfooted Goose stayed with the local geese all month, a female Mandarin was in Tail Bay on 29th, a female Scaup at the Wildlife Centre from 13th to 30th, 2 drake Common Scoters from 3rd to 13th, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers on 20th and 21st and a Water Rail in Tail Bay on 2nd. Counts included 23 Little Grebe on 6th, 28 Great Crested Grebe on 6th, 14 Cormorants on 20th, 2 Shelduck on 4th and 13th-16th, 4 Wigeon on 17th, 4 Gadwall on 18th, 40 Mallard on 6th, 2 Shoveler on 3rd, 8th and 14th, 298 Tufted Duck on 6th, 11 Goldeneye on 2nd and 163 Coot on 6th. Three fresh broods of Mallard were noted on 17th and another brood on 21st.

An Osprey was viewed from the Wildlife Centre for 10 minutes on 9th, and both immature and adult Peregrines were noted on several dates.

Waders included another record of 2 Avocets at the Wildlife Centre on 29th, see the photos on our website. Seven pairs of Oystercatcher have been busily establishing nest sites, Little Ringed Plover arrived with 1on 8th and 2 on 19th, a Ringed Plover was seen on 4th and 19th, 1 Sanderling on 27th, 23 Dunlin on 27th, 7 Snipe on 7th, 1 Black-tailed Godwit on 16th, 1 Whimbrel on 17th and 4 on 25th, 15 Curlew at dusk on 15th, 14 Redshank on 20th, a Greenshank on 8th and 22nd, 1 Green Sandpiper from 17-22nd at the Wildlife Centre and 1 Common Sandpiper on 5th and 6 on 27th.

Gulls included a Kittiwake on 7th and 6 Little Gulls on 5th, 3 on 23rd, an immature on 24th and an adult on 27th. Terns started with a total of 18 Arctic Terns on 20th and another 18 on 24th, 4 Common Terns on 27th and 2 Little Terns also on 27th.

The first Swifts arrived with 5 on 26th and 30 on 29th, a Tree Pipit flew over on 19th, a Yellow Wagtail arrived on 11th and 30 were on Stones Island on 17th, 3 White Wagtails on 7th, a female Stonechat on 17th, 3 Wheatear on 8th and over 100 Redwing were noted on 7th. Warblers arrived with a Grasshopper Warbler on 14th and 26th, 1 Sedge Warbler on 24th, 1 Reed Warbler on 26th, 1 Lesser Whitethroat on 23rd and 4 on 25th, 1 Whitethroat on 24th and 4 on 29th, and 2 Garden Warbler on 25th and 6 on 29th. Counts of warbler species arriving last month include 8 Blackcap on 29th, 20 Chiffchaff on 9th and 23 Willow Warbler on 20th. Two pairs of Willow Tit were noted excavating nest holes, Treecreepers totalled 6 in Hall plus Middle Wood on 13th and 2 Brambling were on Stones Island on 6th.

118 Species were recorded compared with 103 in April 2007, 118 in 2006, 117 in 2005, 116 in 2004, 120 in 2003 and 107 in 2002.

Roger Carrington

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