November 2008 Bird News

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 Please note that for obvious reasons we do not publish sightings of rare breeders such as Little Ringed Plover during the breeding season (unless obvious migrants)

For more reports please see Rod Key's Page

30 November 2008
  • Cromford Meadows (SK3056) A Hawfinch near the Rugby Club at 13:00
  • Staunton Harold Reservoir (SK3723) 4 Mandarin, 2 Kingfisher, 4 Siskin, Treecreeper, Bullfinch
  • Long Eaton GP (SK5031) 29 Great Crested Grebe, 162 Wigeon, 5 Teal, 16 Shoveler, 127 Pochard, 29 Tufted Duck, redhead Smew, 118 Coot, Snipe, 3 Common Gull
  • Drakelow NR (SK2220) Little Egret leaving roost, 62 Shoveler, 13 Goosander, Water Rail, Woodcock
  • Swadlincote (SK2919) Male Blackcap in observer's garden
28 November 2008
  • Moorway Lane Pond (SK3232) Water Rail, Wigeon, 2 Common Gull, Little Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, Redwing, Sparrowhawk, 5 Tufted Duck
27 November 2008
  • Heatherton (SK3133) Female Blackcap in observer's garden
26 November 2008
  • Westhouses Engine Shed (SK4257) 2 Stonechats (site opencasting imminent)
  • Staunton Harold Reservoir (SK3723) Mandarin, 8 Pochard
  • Swarkestone Lake (SK3627) 2 Little Egret
  • Belper (SK3648) Red Kite over observer's garden
  • Heatherton (SK3133) Green Woodpecker
  • Moorway Lane Pond (SK3232) Snipe, 6 Common Gull
25 November 2008
  • St Chad's Water (SK4431) 3 Great Crested Grebe, 6 Tufted Duck, 3 Goosander, 8 Common Gull, 40 Black-headed Gull, 2 Fieldfare, 12 Redwing, 12 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Yellowhammer, 60 Linnet
24 November 2008
  • Moorway Lane Pond (SK3232) Water Rail, Common Gull, Little Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, 90 Black Headed Gull
23 November 2008
  • Barrow GP (SK3527) 2 Little Egret, Knot, 3 Kingfisher
  • Errewash Meadows (SK4449) Woodcock
  • Cotmanhay (SK4643) 3 Waxwing at Granby Park/Ebernezer Street
22 November 2008
  • Dethick (SK3358) Barn Owl, Little Owl, Woodcock, 4 Yellowhammer
  • Drakelow NR (SK2220) 173 Mapies came into the roost, 2 Little Egret
21 November 2008
  • Leash Fen (SK2974) Short-eared Owl tussling with a Sparrowhawk
  • Dale Abbey (SK4338) 2 Grey Partridge, Little Owl, 2 Green Woodpecker
19 November 2008
  • Drakelow NR (SK2220) Another record count of Magpies, 153 came into the roost in 50 mins from 15:30-16:20
18 November 2008
  • Carvers Rocks (SK3222) 2 Woodcock, 4 Siskin
  • Drakelow NR (SK2220) A new site record of 135 Magpies coming in to roost and a Little Egret also coming in to roost in the same area of dense willows as the Magpies and not, surprisingly, with the Cormorants
  • Wyver Lane (SK3449) 350 Pink-footed Goose west
  • Penguin Wood (SK2615) Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk, 31 Meadow Pipit, 17 Skylark, 10 Tree Sparrow, 200 Goldfinch, 2 Linnet, 12 Yellowhammer, 9 Reed Bunting.
  • Royle Farm (SK2518) Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 1st w male Stonechat, 2 Meadow Pipit, 2 Reed Bunting, 4 Yellowhammer.
  • Morris Croft Pond (SK2518) Water Rail and in nearby fields 48 Red-legged Partridge
16 November 2008
  • Willington GP (SK2827) 30 Wigeon, 15 Gadwall, 10 Teal, 10 Shoveler, 45 Pochard, Goldeneye, 100 Lapwing, 50 Black Headed Gull, Grey Wagtail, 100 Fieldfare, 40 Redwing, 2 Willow Tit, Yellowhammer, 22 Goldfinch, 6 Bullfinch
  • Barrow GP (SK3528) 150 Wigeon, 4 Teal, 44 Tufted Duck, 34 Red-legged Partridge, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Grey Wagtail
  • Carsington Water (SK2451) Waxwing
  • Holmbrook Valley Park (SK) 5 Goldcrest, 2 Treecreeper, Nuthatch, 6 Long Tailed Tit, Great SPotted Woodpecker, Dunnock
  • Drakelow NR (SK2220) 3 Little Egret briefly on main pool after leaving roost and moved out to SW, 65 Shoveler, 4 Goldeneye, 1 Goosander, 1 Water Rail, 2 Woodcock, 131 LBB Gull, 2 GBB Gull, 8 Herring Gull, 2 Common Gull all on station flash pool, 1 Willow Tit, 2 Nuthatch, 5 Golden Plover SW
15 November 2008
  • Drakelow NR (SK2220) 2 Little Egret, Mandarin, 3 Pintail, Chiffchaff
  • Dethick (SK3358) Short-eared Owl, 2 Stonechat, 4 Skylark, 2 Raven
  • Ormonde Fields Golf Course (SK4349) A Waxwing west at 10:00
13 November 2008
  • Locko Park (SK4038) 6 Mandarin, 3 Brambling, 3 Grey Wagtail
12 November 2008
  • Mackworth Park (SK3236) 2 Bullfinch, Song Thrush, Treecreeper, Goldcrest, 10 Fieldfare, 6 Redwing
  • Somercoates (SK4253) 55 Pink-footed Goose east at 09:30
  • Moorway Lane Pond (SK3232) 4 Common Gull
  • Dove Valley Lake (SK2031) Goldeneye, 47 Greylag Goose, 23 Lapwing, 5 Wigeon, Pochard, 4 Tufted Duck, 4 Little Grebe, 11 Lesser Black Backed Gull
  • Shardlow (SK4131) 7 Buzzards all on the ground worming
11 November 2008
  • Heatherton Brook (SK3132) Grey Wagtail, Sparrowhawk
  • Avenue Washlands NR (SK3966) 150 Fieldfare, 100 Redwing, Green Woodpecker, 8 Bullfinch, 2 Willow Tit
  • Barrow-on-Trent (SK3428) Black Swan, 23 Mute Swan
  • Alvaston Lake (SK3933) 10 Mute Swan, 10 Shoveler, 14 Pochard, 25 Tufted Duck, Goosander, 2 Great Crested Grebe
10 November 2008
  • Moorway Lane Pond (SK3232) 2 Goldeneye (very unusual at this site)
9 November 2008
  • Avenue Washlands (SK2937) 200 Redwing
  • Kirk Langley (SK2937) 2 male Blackcaps in observer's garden
8 November 2008
  • Doe Hill Lake (SK4259) 2 Pink-Footed Geese with 319 Canada Geese
  • Cotmanhay (SK4643) 4 Whooper Swan south, 26 Wigeon south
  • American Adventure (SK4444) Stonechat, 34 Pochard, 2 Great Black Backed Gull
  • Hilton GP (SK2531) Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Buzzard, Great Spotted WOodpecker, 4+ Siskin, Treecreeper
7 November 2008
  • Westhouses Engine Shed (SK4257) 2 Stonechat, 1 Willow Tit, 1 Goldcrest, 4 Meadow Pipits, 1 Snipe, 7 Redwing, 1 Fieldfare & 27 Goldfinch
  • Blackwell Colliery (SK4357) 2 Green Woodpecker, 1 GS Woodpecker, 6 Mute Swans, 30 Redwing, 1 Jay, 15 LT Tits, c40 Rooks & c140 Jackdaws
  • Littleover (SK3132) Brambling in observer's garden
  • Bakewell (SK2168) Brambling in observer's garden
  • Moorway Lane Pond (SK3232) Little Owl, Buzzard, 2 Mute Swan, Common Gull
6 November 2008
  • Locko Park (SK4038) 3 Cormorant, 2 Grey Heron, 2 Goldcrest, 6 Redwing, 5 Great Crested Grebe, 70 Black Headed Gull
4 November 2008
  • Foremark Reservoir (SK3324) Red-crested Pochard
  • Carsington Water (SK2451) 19 Gadwall, 7 Common Scoter, Great Northern Diver still present, 2 Snipe, Redshank, ad Yellow-legged Gull, Kingfisher, 3 Siskin, Lesser Redpoll
3 November 2008
  • Locko Park (SK4038) 30 Fieldfare
  • Drakelow NR (SK2220) Goldeneye, 100 Shoveler
  • Swarkestone Lake (SK3627) Little Egret seen from Swarkestone Bridge (be careful!)
  • Carsington Water (SK2451) 8 Common Scoter, Great Northern Diver still present, Turnstone
2 November 2008
  • Thulston (SK4131) Now 100 Golden Plover, 150 Lapwing, 300 Starling, 40 Linnet
  • Kingsway Hospital (SK3235) Little Owl
  • Willington GP (SK2827) 7 Whooper Swan, 4 Goldeneye, Green Sandpiper, 6 Red-legged Partridge, Peregine
1 November 2008
  • Thulston (SK4131) 200 Golden Plover, 30 Lapwing, 300 Starling, 20 Linnet
  • Shardlow (SK4131) 3 Buzzard
  • Chellaston (SK3930) 7 Fieldfare

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Previous months
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
All of 2007
October 2008 highlights

October is always a busy birding month, with summer visitors departing, wintering species arriving and the chance of a few rarer birds being blown in during the process. Arguably the bird of the month was Ogston’s Grey Phalarope although the Long-tailed Duck which showed itself to at least four of our regular contributors probably pleased them just a much. With Great Northern Diver, Gannet, Shag and Common Scoter also on the month list, we again experienced a somewhat oceanic flavour for such an inland county.

The gull season got under way even earlier than usual with a couple of “white-winged” species but most of us are likely to vote the “Short-eared Owl Show” on the Eastern Moors as a very memorable and classy birding experience. Since those watching the daily performance were often treated to a bonus of either Great Grey Shrike, male Hen Harrier, migrating Pink-footed Geese or incoming winter thrushes, then there was certainly a little magic about it all.

ddities included a sighting of four of the introduced Black Grouse, a Knot as a road casualty and some wandering Cape Shelduck escapes. There is certainly lots to look for in Derbyshire!

Bryan Barnacle