No 37. The End of the Bird Club is nigh !!! 31st December 2024

It will probably not come as a surprise to you to know what I have today announced that I do not intend continuing to run the Allestree Library Birding club after 31st December 2024.   We haver therefore held our last bird watching walk.

Despite some publicity, and much help from Images magazine, we have only attracted one extra birder since day one in 2022 and the time and effort does not warrant continuing.

We have had some enjoyable and memorable walks, and our species count was 95, sadly just short of the ton.    Most walks had something special,  and I can recall Cuckoo,   Red Kite,   Nightjar,   Woodcock,  Marsh Tit and Sparrowhawk to name a few.

I will put anything of interest on this site, for the benefit of any birders who want to follow it.    With some changes in the library operation in the near future in 2025, a different person at the helm may want to start up the club again, maybe at a better time.

I wish you much enjoyment in continuous bird watching, and I hope that your knowledge has expanded from the walks that we have enjoyed in the last 3 years.

Happy Birding

David Bennett 

No 36. Fabulous Marsh Harrier at Willington

 The Allestree Bird Club (ABC) enjoyed it's penultimate walk for 2024, with a morning walk at Willington Gravel Pits. Sadly there were only 2 members present, but they were rewarded with some cracking birds out of the 26 species ticked off.

BOD was without doubt the Marsh Harrier that John was the first to spot as it headed towards us as we stood on the first viewing platform, a life addition to the club records.  

A Great White Egret was a good tick, and from the hide we added a pair of Shovellers, a pair of Egyptian Geese and uncountable snipe all gathered in a bush on what used to be called dead bird island.  There were just too many to count in the large shrub, a fellow birder saying that at one point he had a count of 12 in the group. 

This was the first time I had been to Willington since the opening of the trail that now enables a full circuit of the main Pit, and more.  It is a 4.5 mile circuit, and as we only had 2 1/2 hours at the reserve there was insufficient time to walk right round. The extended path now embraces several more pools plus a walk along the canal edge. Good thought for a future trip, but should include an earlier start and later finish. 

We have one more walk in 2024, Friday 6th December at Carsington Water. We plan to meet there at 10.00am for 2 1/2 hours and I would like to end with a coffee and chat about plans for 2025.   Car sharing is of course possible.

Sadly we only have 5 members plus the leader and a great new years resolution would be for each member to introduce another(different) member!!! Please think on.

David