Bird News for July 2007

These reports are unchecked. Please note that for obvious reasons we do not publish sightings of rare breeders such as Little Ringed Plover (unless obvious migrants) during the breeding season

31 July 2007
  • King's Newton (SK3926) - Hobby, Yellow Wagtail
  • Wilne Lane Sawley (SK4531) - Ruff in the flooded field
30 July 2007
  • Willington GP (SK2827) - Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Yellow Wagtail
29 July 2007
  • King's Newton (SK3926) - Hobby, Curlew
  • Steetley (SK5478) - Buzzard, 4 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Little Grebe
  • Littleover (SK3233) - Great Spotted Woodpecker
27 July 2007
  • Drakelow WR (SK2220) - eclipse Wigeon, Kestrel, Peregrine, 2 Hobbies mobbing a Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard with a very washed-out pale head, 377 BH Gulls SW, 60 LBB Gull SW, Common Tern SW, 3 juv Green Woodpecker, 279 Swift SW, 118 House Martin SW, 210 Sand Martin SW, 5 Garden Warbler, 3 Lesser Whitethroat and a Willow Tit
25 July 2007
  • Drakelow WR (SK2220) - 2 Little Egret, 3 Mandarin, Buzzard, Hobby, Kestrel, 167 Swift SW, 3 Garden Warbler, Whitethroat carrying food and a Goldcrest
24 July 2007
  • Carsington Water (SK2450) - 2 Little Owl, Redstart, Buzzard, 12 Goldfinch, Common Tern
  • Baslow (SK2472) - Hobby, 4 Little Owl, Kestrel
22 July 2007
  • Drakelow WR (SK2220) - River flooding into Reserve again, some parts inaccessible. Shelduck, 3 Shoveler, 8 Gadwall, Pochard, 2 Mandarin, Hobby, Kestrel, Peregrine, Reed Warbler song from ten areas, family party of Sedge Warbler, family party of Lesser Whitethroat, juv Garden Warbler and two Willow Tit
  • Steetley (SK5478) - Buzzard, Green Woodpecker
21 July 2007
  • Pleasley Colliery (SK4964) - 2 Dunlin, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 8 adult Tufted Duck + the brood of young, 8 Lapwing, 3 Meadow Pipits, 3 Yellowhammer, 1 Reed Bunting & a pair of Little Grebe with 2 small young. (32 species seen in 2 hours)
  • Avenue Coking Plant (SK3967) - 1 Green Woodpecker
20 July 2007
  • Grassmoor (SK4067) - c70 Swift over village in evening
19 July 2007
  • Avenue Coking Plant (SK3967) - 2 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler (singing briefly), 1 Willow Tit & 9 Long-Tailed Tits. Eight Butterfly species seen of which Gatekeeper was easily the most numerous
17 July 2007
  • Willington GP (SK2827) - 1 Sanderling, 2 Hobby, 11+ Common Tern, 2 Common Sandpiper and 2 Ringed Plover. Also 1 distant Buzzard
16 July 2007
  • Willington GP (SK2827) - 2 Little Egret, 1 Black tailed Godwit, 2 Ringed Plover, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Redshank, 1 Snipe, 4 Oystercatcher and 1 Common Sandpiper
15 July 2007
  • Drakelow WR (SK2220) - Little Egret and a brood of Tufted Duck
  • Carr Vale NR - 7 Black-tailed Godwits over, Little Ringed Plover, Redshank, 4 Oystercatchers
12 July 2007
  • Locko Park (SK4038) 2 Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Little Owls, Hobby, 4 Buzzards
10 July 2007
  • Willington GP (SK2827) 2 Green Sandpipers
8 July 2007
  • Drakelow WR (SK2220) - 146 Mallard; 3 Teal; 1 Shoveler; 11 Gadwall; Buzzard; 2 Oystercatcher; 3 juv Green Woodpecker; c14 Reed Warbler; 2 Sedge Warbler; 16 Whitethroat (inc. three family parties); Lesser Whitethroat; 2 Garden Warbler; 11 Blackcap; 6 Chiffchaff; 2 Willow Warbler and 8 Reed Bunting
7 July 2007
  • Swarkestone Bridge (SK3627) 80 Greylag Geese
6 July 2007
  • Melbourne Pool (SK3824) 12 Common Terns
5 July 2007
  • Drakelow WR (SK2220) - Little Egret, juv Peregrine, Tufted Duck female with 5 young, 11 Gadwall, 2 Shoveler, 2 Wigeon
  • Pleasley Colliery NR (SK4964) - 8 adult Tufted Duck + a brood of 8 small young, 2 Green Woodpecker, 3 Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler, 6 Meadow Pipit, 4 Linnet, 2 Yellowhammer & 2 Reed Bunting (35 species seen in 2hrs). Also 8 Butterfly species seen including Painted Lady, Comma & Ringlet
  • Carsington Water (SK2451) - A Ruddy Shelduck flew over the Wildlife Centre towards Sheepwash
  • Willington GP (SK2827) - A Grasshopper Warbler still reeling
4 July 2007
  • Westhouses Engine Shed (SK4257) 9 Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Willow Tit, 1 Kestrel, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Skylark, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Bullfinch, 21 Swift, 6 House Martin, 2 Swallows, 1 Song Thrush & 2 Willow Warblers (singing briefly)
3 July 2007
  • Willington GP (SK2827) - 2 Black Tailed Godwits flying over, reeling Grasshopper Warbler
  • Carr Vale NR (SK4569) - A Greenshank and a Black Tailed Godwit
  • Wyver Lane (SK3449) - Little Egret briefly at 10:00 before heading SW
  • RR Site Sinfin (SK3632) - Female Kestrel with two fledged young on their usual test bed detuner breeding site
2 July 2007
  • Carsington Water (SK2450) - Hobby over dam wall at 19-20

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Previous months
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
All of 2007 so far
May 2007 highlights

As usual, May produced a very wide range of species but to have Great Northern Diver and Golden Oriole in the same month is surely an extreme. Carr Vale enjoyed a really hot streak with the oriole, Ring-necked Duck and Wood Sandpiper (illustrated) amongst a long list of satisfying species.

Another Cetti’s Warbler was much forecast, a Common Crane was a real rarity but coincided with a national influx and an Arctic Skua record is far rarer than one might at first think.

Several Garganey would have pleased those who saw them, a good mix of waders included three Wood Sandpipers, sea duck and some scarcer terns were the result of some strange weather patterns and there was a number of Red Kites and three Osprey amongst the raptors.

Other “quickies” included a one day Slavonian Grebe and a Firecrest that came close to getting onto the DOSWOOD list. All in all, an excellent birding month.

Bryan Barnacle