The Derbyshire Ornithological Society

Carsington Water News

May Highlights: Spoonbill, Great Northern Diver, Garganey, Red Kite, Hobby, Grey Plover, Turnstone, Black Tern, Turtle Dove, Cuckoo and Pied Flycatcher.

The bird of the month must be the Spoonbill. A first for Carsington. It was found at 1030hrs on 29th on Horseshoe Island and had gone, high northeast, by 1100 hours. The Great Northern Diver was last recorded on 2nd, it had been here since last November and was attaining summer plumage. No broods of Grebe, Swan or Moorhen have yet been recorded but there are 4 broods of Barnacle Geese around Stones Island area, 1 brood of Coot and 12 broods of Mallard on site. Coincidently, by this time last year there were also 4 broods of Barnacle and 12 of Mallard. The long staying Pink-footed Goose was last noted on 9th. A Shelduck was on Sheepwash Spit on 25th and a drake Garganey gave excellent views from the Wildlife Centre on 11th. Other wildfowl included a Shoveler on 10th, 3 Pochard on 18th, 105 Tufted Duck on 18th, 64 Coot on 18th and a Goosander on 10th. A pair of presumed escapee Cackling Geese are breeding on Watersports Island.

Red Kite have been reported at several Derbyshire sites this month and at Carsington on 1st and 26th. The return of the migratory Hobby was noted by just 1 record of a bird flying south over the Dam Wall on 13th and a Peregrine was noted from the Wildlife Centre on 5th. Two pairs of Oystercatchers have young, 2 on Millfields Island on 8th and 2 on Sailing Club Island on 25th. Pairs on Big Island and Flat Island may have failed. Little Ringed Plovers have been around with a maximum of 3 at Paul Stanley Hide on 17th, but no signs of breeding. So far there is just 1 Lapwing brood of 3 chicks on Horseshoe Island on 18th and no Redshank young have yet been reported, which is the same as last year. Other waders on passage included 2 Ringed Plovers on Sheepwash Spit on 8th, a superb summer plumage male Grey Plover in front of the Wildlife Centre on 16th and 17th, a Sanderling at Sheepwash on 8th and another on 18th, 2 Dunlin on 2nd, a Whimbrel on 1st and 26th, 2 Curlew on 10th, a Greenshank at the Wildlife Centre on 16th, a Green Sandpiper at the Wildlife Centre on 11th and 2 Turnstones there on 14th.

Little Gulls were again well recorded this month with single first summer birds on 8th, 9th and 21st. The Black-headed Gull colony at the Wildlife Centre has 7 nests, 4 with young by 27th. A pair of Common Gulls, possibly attracted by the BHG colony, was seen to be displaying/pair bonding on 16th. On 17th they started a nest on a raft but a Coot stole the material. The pair was noted mating on 27th and on other dates and it looks as though they have a nest which is out of general view. Could this be a first breeding of Common Gull at Carsington? And even for Derbyshire? A pair of Common Terns was around the rafts at the Wildlife Centre from 18th, finally finding nest space on 21st. This nest was lost by 30th, a brood of 3 young Black-headed Gulls were on the same raft. Tern passage included 5 Common on 16th, 1 Arctic Tern on 9th and 2 Black Terns on 5th and 1 on 8th.

A Turtle Dove on the Wildlife Centre Feeders on 20th must have been a surprise. It stayed all day, showing only occasionally and is the first record since May 1996. A Cuckoo was seen flying north on 4th, this species was last seen in May 2004. A Yellow Wagtail was at the Wildlife Centre on 13th, 1 White Wagtail on 6th, 1 Wheatear on 17th, a Reed Warbler at Hopton Pond on 29th, 2 Spotted Flycatchers in Hall Wood from 11th, a pair of Brambling on 5th, a pair of Linnets on Stones Island on 11th and another pair in Fishtail on 19th. A singing Pied Flycatcher was found northeast of Millfields Spit on 3rd to 10th and another in Hall Wood from 9th to 12th. A count on a walk round the site by 2 observers on 7th totalled 40 Chiffchaff, 41 Willow Warblers, 15 Garden Warblers, 28 Blackcaps, 7 Whitethroats, 41 Blackbirds, 57 Robins, 51 Wrens, 31 Blue Tits, 23 Great tits, 42 Chaffinch, 14 Goldfinch and a Skylark singing over Upperfields Farm.

113 Species recorded compared with 103 in May 2007, 107 in 2006, 107 in 2005, 114 in 2004 and 110 in 2003.

Roger Carrington

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