26th January....a memorable day of indulgence and nostalgia!!

I guess when you have a productive walk like mine to Willington last week, you sort of hope that other weeks will be as good, especially in January when there are many birds to add to the year list still to be found.

I had read about the rifle pit at Long Eaton, but I did not know how exactly to find it, until I got some much-appreciated help from the Derbyshire expert, Rod Key.   His directions (2 choices!) were spot on and on Tuesday January 22nd I found the 2 pits without any problem.  The reported 2 Green Sandpipers were alive and active, and soon spotted chasing each other along the waters edge in the larger pit.

Could not say the same for the Black Necked Grebe. Yes, I had the right place; no, I could not find it.  3 or 4 Little Grebes to add to the confusion, but no sign of a Black Neck. So, my morning walk was just the one. Oh well, they all count.

Sorry to hear that full-time ranger at Carsington Water, Dave Drury is moving on. But it is promotion. He is going to Tittesworth, a Severn Trent reservoir near Leek, covering 12 months maternity leave. I have always found Dave a happy and helpful person, and the secondment will look good on his CV!!

Mary gets daily e-mails from Canada from an old friend she knew in Surrey. I suspect he is on a Facebook or similar and many of his-mails just get deleted. Many of the photographs are of wayside signs, and this one I thought worthy of repeating.

Outside a chapel “Adam blamed Eve; Eve blamed the Snake, and the snake did not have a leg to stand on.”

Friday.       I have had a sequence of e-mails from Christine who is happily birding in Scotland with Heatherlea.

Kicked off well with a Barn Owl, and later a lovely flock of c20 Snow Buntings. Capercaillie and Ptarmigan have been the bogey birds so far, but there is plenty of time. John seems to be having more “hits” with his camera, such as seals, dolphins and he also had a Barn Owl. He has however found that it has been so cold, that his camera would not download.   And I complain about the cold!

Very sad picture in the Derby Telegraph on Thursday, and repeated on national Television on Friday, of a pair of Great crested Grebes taken at Ogston. The birds are facing each other, but one, presumably the male, is presenting a piece of clear white plastic to the female. As the report said, “Yes, the Blue Planet got it right, but plastic is equally an issue much closer to home.”

Saturday 26^th January 2019

I hope you will allow me a little self-indulgence, as this day was a milestone year for me, and it was to be a memorable day.

As a clue, two of the 21 birthday cards gave a strong hint. One listed notable events that happened in 1939, and I also found that 134 years to the day, General Gordon was killed at Khartoum... and not a lot of people know that!!

The second card depicted 2 Roman centurions speaking to each other.  First centurion - “Lo and I am LXXX to day”. Second Centurion “Well, you don’t looketh a day over XL.”

All six of my family plus our grandson Leo enjoyed an excellent meal at Morley Hayes hotel and golf club (near Ilkeston) in The Dovecot Restaurant, greatly enhanced by Mary and I being transported there in a stretch limo, complete with on-board champagne.

On the gift front, “didn’t I do well?”  A day course at Crich tram museum in April including actually driving a tram; a very nostalgic Moonpig type photo album containing 23 surreptitiously obtained memorable landmark photographs of my life from Zero to last year in Cyprus. (Pass the tissues.), and a number of generous meal vouchers to continue the birthday celebrations.  

So many kind people made the day truly memorable.

This morning (Sunday), with a bit of a not surprising hang-over, I went for some fresh air to Carsington, and had a further gift of 3 additions to my birding year list.

Following the guidance that I so often give to others, I checked all the Canada Geese in a large group, and there in the middle one Barnacle Goose. Then seeing Amanda going into twitching mode in the Wildlife Centre, and following her eye line, I spotted the regular pair of Ruff as they landed on the water’s edge.

Finally, almost falling asleep leaning against the window overlooking the feeding station, my patience was rewarded with a resident Willow Tit.     + 3 = 76!!!

Which means if I am to get 24 for my January 100, the next 4 days must be spectacular….. and nigh on impossible, with all I have on this week. Chris and I are going to Slimbridge on the 31^st, which might add a dozen or so, but I suspect I will have to wait until the 5^th February for the 100 mark when I do the Avocet cruise from Exmouth.

I’ll leave you some of the more amusing bird quiz questions that were in one of my birthday cards.

1.     

         Which birds spend all their lives on their knees?                Birds of Prey

2.    What do you call a sick eagle?                                            An Illegal

3      Which birds fly through the jungle singing opera?             The Parrots of Penzance.

       And finally..

4.     Why did the chicken cross the playground?                       To get to the other slide.

The others were not printable!

Happy Birding

Willington - Well Worth Watching !!

What did we finish last week on? 64 for the year to date so I’m pleased to say that in the last week I have added a further 8 taking me on to 72, and without having to travel too far from home.

Tuesday January 15^th, Chris and I met at Erewash Meadows, on the outskirts of Ilkeston, and enjoyed a circular walk from the car park, under the great wrought iron Bennerley Viaduct up to the Erewash canal. The viaduct built in 1876 carried the Great Northern Railway and is classified as a Grade 11* listed structure. Its principal residents are Feral Pigeons and Jackdaws!

My big surprise and highlight were just as I was parking and looking towards Ilkeston, to see a plume of grey/white smoke progressively stretching north across my eye line along the Nottingham/Sheffield railway line. A large powerful black steam train was heading north, probably at about 50 miles an hour pulling just one utility coach. Fortunately, with bins to hand the power and the speed of the track rods were very clear and thrilling to see.  

I subsequently established that it was an LMS engine (London Midland and Scottish, and not Lehane Mackenzie and Shand, a company I used to work for in Matlock!!!), with the engine No 45212. For Railway aficionados, it was known as a “Black 5” and I can concur – it was black.

The internet disclosed that it was on “light engine movement” from Toton to Keighley & Worth Valley Railway and would depart Toton at approx. 8.51am. BLIMEY…spot on!!  I saw it at 9.02.

Sorry to digress (at length!!) but it was all very reminiscent of the days when I had my collection of Ian Allen I-Spy books, and collected train numbers at Bristol Temple Meads, and Clapham Junction.

And the supplementary information I found on the web, was never available 66 years ago.

Oh yes, birding.  We had a pleasant walk, nothing spectacular but I did add Great Spotted Woodpecker and Collared Dove to the year list, before we drove to Loscoe Dam for a look-see. 

Again nothing, so our next venue was Kings Mill reservoir near Mansfield. After leisurely jacket potatoes (good price…£5.20 including a cup of Tetley’s) we walked right round a lake very full of birds including all the winter visiting ducks.

                                                         

Friday January 18^th.  Because it was quite some time since I last visited, I decided to check out

Willington Gravel Pits.   Good decision albeit that the temperature dictated multiple clothes layers.

A pair of Oystercatchers was the first tick, and from the next viewing ramp, my patience was rewarded by a Water Rail swimming right to left from one patch of reeds to another. En route, it ducked its head, and proceeded with a silvery fish held in its beak.

The DWT hide, apart from giving a good view of a well-stocked feeding station enabled me to add 4 Shelducks to my list.

Finally, from the viewing screen I picked up a Kingfisher flying as they do, dead straight at a consistent level above the water. Sort of bee-line principal. The light was very poor, so the iridescence was not evident… but the jizz was! 

Very pleased with that 2/3 hours walk….roll on the spring when the warblers arrive. The path is a great place for them.

Sunday January 20^th,     I set off for Cromford to try again for the Hawfinch, but the drizzle and the light were too poor, so I popped into Carsington to see how my ex-colleagues were doing.  Noting that there was quite a lot of snow lying around, it was still a good decision to visit the Wildlife Centre!   Whilst it was not unexpected to see a Redshank, It WAS totally unexpected for 17 Whooper Swans to be off the end of Horseshoe Island.

Well., that is what I call a good birding week. Nothing particular booked for this week… may need a bit of research first (including the weather forecast!!)

Happy Birding

Letter from Charante

I don’t doubt that your first reaction will be, why has the Birdman posted a mid-week missive? Good question!

The reason is that I have received a birding report from a friend residing across La Manche which I consider worthy of publication on it's own. Not only is it well written, but it is an interesting account of the bird watching observations by someone relatively new to bird watching. 

Hopefully there will be more to follow, and maybe we will get to know more about Barney (with a photo?) in due course.  

From Napoleon Birdapart…….

“Under grey French dawn skies and shivering in two degrees of frost, a family of Great Tits gather in, and around their real estate, in readiness for the conflict to come. Barney the Owl has returned from his evening hunt and settled high above in the bows of a leafless winter Oak as if to referee proceedings.

But for now, there is a temporary lull in activities as a dark brown shape and the distinctive scream, of an eager Buzzard, searches adjacent fields for a small rabbit - alive in a field or road killed in an adjacent lane. It disappears, as the Blue Tits in their Gilet Jaunes uniform of striking yellow feather jackets with their scolding song-trilled voice, stand guard.   

Quick wingbeats and low exploratory swoops signal the arrival of the Greenfinches; dull but showing just a hint of the apple green summer plumage to come. Staccato trills pierce the air inviting more of their feeding flock to regain territory lost by their three-day absence in hunting for future nesting sites. The Tits hold firm and find allies among the now number threatened Tree Sparrows who also feed and drink occasionally from this favoured Maison de l’Oiseau.

"Maison de l'oiseau"

Barney looks on, and a farmhouse cat who should know better senses his presence, certainly seeing his rounded heart shaped white head and deep black eyes, leaps a low wooden fence, disappearing into relative safety. Barney shuffles his wings and settles once more to watch the action.

The Tits are holding out; the Sparrows are causing confusion amongst the finches breaking into their ranks. A Robin appears, diving down to the ground for his usual morning feed, but has no intention of staying for more than a second. Still the Finches pester the occupants, especially as some of the Sparrows have decided enough is enough.

They say a crowd invites a crowd, and the flurry of wings and the chorus of birdsong is attracting visitors. A small flock of Woodlark circle high above but have no intention of joining the fray, heading off east into a very pale and cold rising January sun. It's all over! The Tits have won; or have they? The Finches have definitely flown, the Tits aren't hanging around either!

The reason comes within a Westerly wind carrying a long drawn out high pitched squeal, followed immediately by the tell-tale signs of bowed wings and the rust red body of a Red Kite. Now how did they sense that?

Napoleon Birdapart.”

The Attenborough Firecrest - a great Lifer for some.

It was great last week to get back to some serious birding and I was very pleased with the opening salvo!

Tuesday 8^th January, Chris and I had a pleasant visit to Broomhill Flash and Old Moor.  There had been some great reports of good birds at Old Moor on the 6^th, but in the morning I only added Snipe and Goldfinch. 

However, after lunch we had a good view of a Marsh Harrier drifting over the reed beds, flushing up the smaller birds and clearly looking for a meal.   Amanda came out with us after lunch hoping to find Redpoll, but to no avail. 

We thought our count of 43 was good until, Amanda told us her site list for the day, so far, was 52. We must have been looking in the wrong direction! She has ticked Bearded Tit, but they were elusive, and we did but try.

Mid-afternoon Chris and I decided to have a look at the Old Moor satellite site, Adwick. It’s about 3 miles away, and at least compared with a previous visit, there is now some signage, so this time we (ultimately) found our way to the viewpoint.   We were helped by a dog walker, who helped us. Nice chap, he had a very friendly Heinz dog, and he told us that he fostered dogs. He said that most dog fosterers prefer small dogs, but he liked the bigger dogs, so he was regularly in demand!

We will know the location another time, probably later in the year when it does not get dark by 3.30pm!!

Thursday 10^th January, Mary and I braved a very cold morning, for a walk round Elvaston Castle grounds. We did the nature reserve circuit and were rewarded with a flock of Long Tailed Tits, but more exciting was a colourful Jay.

Friday was nostalgia day with a trip to the Odeon cinema in Derby. Like my son, we are serious devotees of Laurel and Hardy, so Mary and I went to see the film “Stan and Ollie” on the first day of general release.

In very comfortable reclining seats with raised foot rests, with swing-in tables (for the tissue box), it was all conducive to 40 winks. But not this time. Excellent film – well worth going.

Saturday, we went to an Antique fair at Uttoxeter, and this is the latest addition to the Microtibialist collection!   Brass, 3 inches, and very modern. Not what you would call an antique.

Sunday 13^th January  When I retired from Carsington, I did say I would do one final away-1/2 day trip to Attenborough, and on the Sunday morning, 11 of us met for a damp 3-hour walk.

The hi-light was retracing our steps to the railway crossing to see a Firecrest buzzing about in the hedge. It took a while for us all to see this lovely little beauty, but the reward was a lifer for most of us. It was my 3^rd life-sighting, 2018 at Broomhill Flash in March, and November 2007 at Old Moor. The bird has been in the hedge area since 2^nd January, so a lot of birders have had a good tick start to 2019.

Otherwise, the high water revealed many Goldeneye, no waders (no mud), Egyptian Geese, but the outstanding view as we returned to the car park, from the iron bridge was a count of 38 Goosanders!!

Next week, Tuesday will be a day covering 3 or 4 sites, and Wednesday a day for Gull identification,. 

And that will mean following an expert!!    I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Happy Birding.

2019 and we are off with a vengeance

Everything is getting a tidy up at the moment, and there are a few things I need to tell you.

Shortly after Xmas I had a give and take discussion with the nurse at my local GPs. She gave me a dose of Methyl cobalamin in one arm, and I gave her some rhesus positive out of the other. I told her she could reduce the Methy-thingy if she wanted to, as I was getting some from my regular intake from Marmite on toast!!  Ed: Rhesus?  They’re Monkeys, aren’t they? (Copyright, Tony Hancock “The Blood Donor” – 23^rd June 1961)

As we are passed 31^st December, I have checked the candidates for the 2018 200 Club.   Just 2 winners this year. Christine breached the 200 with a Turtle Dove, finishing on 202. Amanda took pole position with 207 with her 200^th being a specious I have not heard of….a Created Tit. (So much for spell check!!)    There trophies will be organised shortly. (Ed: Crested Tit)

As the 200-club award was my initiative (and cost!) I’m afraid 2018 will be the last year.

Bit of good news and bad news just after Xmas, which I forgot to mention.

On our train journey back from London to Tamworth, the bad news was that we were delayed near Nuneaton. The very efficient and informative lady guard kept us up to date and said that (more) bad news was that a train in front had hit a member of the public, and the police and ambulance were involved. The good news was that the member of the public was alive, and we would continue as soon as possible.   

The further good news was that when we had been delayed 15 minutes+, she announced that we would be able to claim compensation!! She did not tell us that being 32 minutes late, our compo increased from 12.5% to 25% of the journey cost.   It was just a surprise to hear an employee telling us we could claim. (Unlike the attitude for those delayed by the Gatwick Drone.)

Whilst I have been wrapping things up in the last 3 months vis-à-vis my retirement as a VR, it was good to hear from a farmer not far from Carsington, that he would appreciate my help and guidance on Osprey Posts, as he plans to put a nest on his farm. For something like that, I’m glad to temporarily come out of retirement!!

Carsington water level Is really building up now and on 31^st December it was 74% full… that could pull the Great Northern Diver in a bit closer!!!!!

Answers to the post-Christmas puzzles: -

The numeric answer -  A MERRY XMAS TURKEY was 2, 97445, 6928 and the total 104,375.

8 strokes in golf?   A snowman, because that is what 8 looks like!!

I know I showed you my Osprey picture, but it has been more appropriately framed and looks like this on the dining room wall. Ed: AKA The Bird Room.

Last of the tidy-up, my nomadic friend Roy, e-mailed on New Year’s Eve at 23.28 to say he has his first bird for 2019, a Barn Owl!!  His message is from France giving him a 60-minute advantage, well used!! 

Right - here we go - BIRDING 2019!!!!!

It’s good to be back using my birding notebook!!  Tuesday January 1st   Mary and I enjoyed a casual stroll round Allestree Park and ticked off 21 species for our trouble! Mary spotted AND NAMED a Tree Creeper quite early on, and almost immediately after a Goldcrest. A nice start to the year.

Wednesday January 2, Christine and I set off at 8.00am for our first full birding day of 2019.  Markeaton Park was quiet with hardly anyone around and like yesterday we had a Tree Creeper within 5 minutes. A single Little Egret and 4/5 Goosanders were the other pick of the site, before we drove to Radbourne Lane.

A field adjacent to a farm was now no longer productive for Thrushes, but from a nearby lay-by we added Redwing and Fieldfare. Twixt here and Cromford 2 Buzzards in a dead tree with a superb specimen sitting boldly and facing us, and 8 pheasants, safely feeding in a field in Duffield, well away from the shooting club active in the grounds of Kedleston Hall.

Surprisingly not a birder to be seen at Cromford looking for a Hawfinch, maybe why we did not see one either!   But patience was rewarded along the Derwent when Chris spotted a Dipper alighting on the rocks. Pairs were frequent sightings to-day, and this one was joined by a second bird leading to a great deal of wing flapping for a couple of minutes. Encouraging!!

After some warming soup at Cromford Mill (Broccoli?? Not favourite) we moved to the Sheepwash hide at Carsington and added 17 for the rest of the day. The first good bird was the distant view of the Great Northern Diver, helped by the water being like a mill pond. This was followed by my finding what was to be the BOD, a Peregrine Falcon, on the rocks straight in front of the hide.

54 species for the first full day… excellent.

I’ll leave it there for this week. Amanda is head poncho to-morrow, along with Keith and Gary so I hope the weather, the customers and the birds are kind to her. Did she but know the lady’s toilets at Carsington now have bird walk posters on the inside of the doors of the cubicles… and DON’T ask me how I know…which is probably why she has 22+ bookings.

 Yes.......... we know the time is wrong!!

Good luck Amanda.

Happy Birding