The Derbyshire Ornithological Society

Carsington Water News

July Highlights: Yellow-nosed Albatross!

Casual birdwatchers Cyril and Shirley Wood visit Carsington several times a week to enjoy the birds. Little did they realise the significance of a sighting they had from Millfields car park on 2nd July between 1500-1510hrs. Evidently all the Coot moved to the side, and even Canada Geese moved away from what seemed to be a large Great Black-backed Gull type bird with a big black bill which landed on the water only 80 metres away from the observers [40metres out from the shoreline]. The bird had black wings/back, a white head, a large black bill and a dark eye. The bird twice did short flights on long narrow wings and landed, keeping close inshore and occasionally behind trees to the observers. The bird then flew on low past Millfields Island and was lost to sight northeast over the water. C&S then spent some time looking for the bird but no sign. Reference to their ID book did not help identify what they had seen and the incident would have been forgotten, except that they opened their newspaper the following morning to see a picture of exactly what they both agreed they had seen the previous day, especially the black bill shape. The photograph was of a Yellow-nosed Albatross taken into care and subsequently released on the Somerset coast two days earlier. They returned to Carsington to report their sighting to surprised recipients, who found it difficult to believe an Albatross would fly this far inland but, realising C&S had certainly seen something interesting, asked them for a description. A week later, photographs appeared of the YNA on a fishing pond in north Lincolnshire. It apparently arrived there about 7pm on 2nd, within easy time from Carsington. Hence C&S's sighting took on an increased significance, but it is a first for Britain and the description has a long way to run for acceptance.

Other sightings include: 7 Greylag Geese on 3rd, a Ruddy Shelduck in flight over the Wildlife Centre on 5th, 7 Shoveler on 8th, a pair of Red-crested Pochard on 20-22nd, 6 Pochard on 20th, a Hobby over the dam wall on 2nd, Peregrine on 2nd, 6th, 17th, 23rd and 30th, 3 Little Ringed Plover on 6th and a Dunlin on 15th. There were 4 Black-tailed Godwit at the Wildlife Centre on 2nd, 9 flew over there on 10th and another 3 on 16th. The first Greenshank of the year was at the Wildlife Centre on 16th, 5 Common Sandpipers on Dam Wall on 10th, 12 Collared Doves around the Wildlife Centre feeders on 30th, a Kingfisher on 18th and 30th, a male Redstart on 6th, 2 Reed Warblers singing in Hopton Arm reedbed on 12th and 4 linnets on 14th.

Late breeding records include: Little Grebe only 2 broods so far this year, Great Crested Grebe only 2 broods, Mallard total 21 broods, Tufted Duck total 9 broods, 8 of which appeared this month, Moorhen 7 and Coot 12 broods this year. By the 30th, all the breeding and juvenile Redshank and Oystercatchers had left site. Sadly the pair of Common Terns lost their single chick early in the month, while there are now 3 pairs of Black-headed Gulls, each with 2 young, some of which took their first short flights on 24th. Spotted Flycatchers were noted carrying food in Hall Wood on 19th and feeding recently fledged young next to Sheepwash Hide on 30th.

95 Species recorded this very wet July compared with 94 in 2006, 97 in 2005, 102 in 2004 and 95 in 2003.

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