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June/July, the summer doldrums, often quiet but just occasionally the period produces the goods and it did this year with the all too brief appearance of the counties second Lesser Grey Shrike at Risley, which would surely have been a popular bird had it stayed longer than half a day.
A flyover Common Crane at Belper was a single observer record as was a flyover Bee-eater in Clowne in early June. A pair of Ruddy Shelduck (a potential armchair tick if the review goes the right way) took up residence at Carsington, three Scaup at Long Eaton was an unusual mid-summer record and there was the usual mid-summer records of Common Scoter including a site record flock of 34 (on the water) at Ogston. A booming Bittern that visited Carr Vale and then Poolsbrook Marsh in early June was thought to be a wandering unpaired male but the appearance of a juvenile Bittern back at Carr Vale in mid-July was a lot more intriguing.
Ten Great White Egrets were widely spread with just Carsington attracting two although Willington GP had one on 12 dates and there was a record count of 47 Little Egrets at Drakelow. A White Stork at Smisby shared it's chosen field with five Red Kites, the latter an increasingly common species with records from c70 locations during the period. Marsh Harriers appeared at four locations whilst there was a healthy showing of 15 Ospreys.
A smattering of waders included a late spring Ruff at Middleton Moor whilst a late June record of four Bar-tailed Godwits at Willington GP was unusual and an early Wood Sandpiper was found at Carr Vale, all backed up with the more expected Black-tailed Godwits and Greenshank. 11 Mediterranean Gulls included two pairs nesting in the north-west, a few each of Yellow-legged Gull and Caspian Gull were found and Carr Vale hosted its first (brief) Roseate Tern
Mark Beevers