Andy Potter 26th February 2017. R I P

Oh I really did not want to be writing this, but I hope you’ll understand that in my small way, this is my tribute to a Gentleman who died of cancer on Sunday, and I know this tribute is shared by my colleagues at Carsington Water.  This is about the BBC Radio Derby presenter Andy Potter, who announced to his audience on his radio show at the end of January 2017 that he had incurable cancer.

I was diagnosed with stomach cancer last May, and I was a lucky one - the brilliant team at the Royal Hospital Derby got to me soon enough and removed my cancerous cells, and nine months later I am here to write this tribute.   

So, I do have some understanding of the trauma of Cancer, but Andy was only 55 and that makes it so unfair.

I met and was interviewed by Andy 4 times, all in connection with the Osprey project at Carsington Water. Andy often visited Carsington incognito, with his family, and charged me with letting him know when there was an Osprey that he could come and interview. I am so sad that I did fulfil his wish.

He first came when we erecting the nest posts in 2012, and he told me that this photo taken during his visit, was on the wall in the Derby studio.

He came again in 2013 for a progress report, and due to the inclement weather, John Matkin and I were interviewed underneath scaffolding at the main centre.

The next time we met was in the Studio, probably to talk about the additional Osprey nest that we were erecting, and I can just see him sitting as the sound console in that distinctive pose of his, hands behind his head.

                                                                    

I said “I’m sorry I’m going on a bit” to which he replied, “I’m thoroughly enjoying listening to you talking…I’ll tell you when to stop!”  

The last time we met, at Carsington in 2016 was to talk about Ospreys and the Beginners Bird walks, which had been running for 10 years, and which had just booked in the 1,000^th person keen to learn about birding. I drove him to the tip of Stones Island in our work buggy, and we chatted about our plans, and the new hide that the Volunteers were installing. 

He then chatted to Pat Spencer, a regular bird watching volunteer at the Wildlife Centre. Pat told him what the public enjoyed, and some of the excitement that we engendered with children when they looked through quality telescopes and binoculars.

Andy was so easy to chat to, and he had the skill of relaxing interviewees very quickly.. (well he certainly did with me) and he listened without interrupting or imposing his opinion.

I used to love Terry Wogan. I had a cousin, Roger Bennett who did a regular morning chat-show programme on BBC Radio Bristol. Now we have lost 3 presenters that the public loved. Three of a kind - they will hit it off together!!

R I P

Oh!, that male Yellowhammer.....Fab - u - lus!

Now how the Castlemaine 4X did I make that mistake in my last post? I can think of no reason for typing July as the days I was out birding, apart from to see if Slim Bridge spotted it. (He did!).   

Anyway, you will be pleased to know that I have some new glasses, and being varifocals, there is now every chance that I when I proof read my blog, I will see any errors. (Well that’s my excuse). Take a bit of getting used to, don’t they? I’m constantly having to look down my nose to get the short sight items in focus. Still, I’m sure it will improve. At least now I can read all the Saturday football results on the TV.

Monday 20^th February and I decided to spend the morning at Idle Valley, specifically hoping to see White Fronted Goose. Despite cruising up and down Chainbridge Lane and walking the length of Hawthorn Lane, I dipped, and nor did I see the alleged Black Necked Grebe.

However, thanks to a tip from a fellow birder, and some compensation from scanning hundreds of Greylags, I did pick up Whooper Swan on Tiln North. So, that saved a possible lengthy trip to Martinmere.

So Tuesday 21^st February, I opted for a visit to one of my favourite sites, Old Moor, just North of Rotherham. It’s a good 55 mile run and door to door in 60 minutes, meant I was walking into a busy Broomhill Flash hide at 10.00am. This first location was hopefully for a Red Legged Partridge, but I dipped again, and I was told by the locals there had been no recent sightings.

But Old Moor was brill!! Within 5 minutes of getting to the Tree Sparrow Farm, there was a gorgeous male Yellowhammer on the feeders, followed by his mate.

When I got to the family hide, Amanda was on duty wearing her RSPB volunteer hat, and saved me the trouble by pointing out the Mediterranean Gull.

In due course I went to Wath Ings hide, the furthest hide along the track, and having counted x number of Snipe in the mud, I spotted a nice group of 3 Linnets enabling me to move my total to date for 2017 to 133. All very encouraging although as happens with birders, there are still easy-to-see 2017 birds, which I haven’t!

Currently I am still looking for, Redpoll, Grey Wagtail, Siskin and Jay, but I’m hoping that I may get the first 3 at High Peak Junction on the Cromford canal next week. The water treatment plant there is good for Wagtails, and I have found the Greys there, and there is always the chance of a Dipper on the Derwent at the same location.  

And I have plans to go to another favourite, Attenborough GP, as Bittern is still on my o/s list, and Muscovy Duck does crop up there as well.

Sunday February 26^th I had an hour at Carsington, and arrived at the Wildlife Centre just as a flock of c16 Curlew landed on the far tip of Horseshoe Island. Unfortunately, with the low water level, giving a steep water’s edge, and the camera not working, they became invisible, a shame for visitors who would have been able to get good views from above, but didn’t even know they were there.

I dropped in to Allestree Park lake (not literally) on the way to Carsington, just timing it right to see a pair of Great Crested Grebes move apart, dive, and re-emerge swimming towards each other, and rearing up on their legs in their famous courtship dance. It did not last long, but long enough to know what was happening!

Many people have told me how they wish they could see that display, and I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time.

Keep Birding

PS Unless the next 7 days are eventful, my legs will be the topic next week ??!!

The Movie... " A Kestrel with Attitude"

Now I don’t want you to think I’m getting conceited now I’m on 129, but I am finding it difficult to find any reports on web pages that make me think I should be on my bike birding. I am missing some compared with this time last year, but I had a short Heatherlea trip in January 2016, so birds like Red Grouse, Black Grouse, Golden Eagle and Bearded Tit are birds that will not be seen in 2017, unless I go North of the border again.

I do have some birds that I am still hoping to see soon, including Redpoll, Siskin, Yellow Hammer, Whooper Swan, White Front Goose, Jay and Red Legged Partridge.

Friday 10^th July, I had a walk round Allestree Park hoping for Siskin and/or Redpoll, but had to settle for a nice male Bullfinch. However I did have a “must visit specsavers” incident.

On the main lake, I could see some small “ducks” but with exotic colourings. I could see 6 birds, 4 with a light yellow head and an eye stripe and a blue flash near the rump, and the other 2 with a pink heads and light green masks, each about the size of a teal.

I wrote copious notes in my pocket book, and asked a chap who turned out to be the Bailee, what he thought they were. “They are for the fisherman, they distract crows coming down to the water… they are plastic!!!!!!!!”

(I just stopped short of ringing in my “sightings” to Birdguide web site. Pheeeeew! Not the first time someone has made that mistake, including an RSPB leader many years ago who told me a grey plastic bag at Shipley Country park was a Grey Heron.)

Oh, this is a good one that came my way. Check this link for a Kestrel with attitude. Classic!

www.dailymail.co.uk/.../Kestrel-caught-camera-using-motorway-CCTV-mast-perch.html

(I’ve just checked it out, and a Raven has usurped the Kestrels viewpoint. Google some of the key words if the above link does not go straight to it, and if you want the latest situation!!)

I came across this bit of info along the way, and it was also in the DOS monthly bulletin/newsletter. “Inside Out” a BBC TV programme, will feature in a February edition, the impact that the new HS2 line will have in particular on Carr Vale Nature Reserve. For those who have not been there, the reserve is between the M1 and Bolsover castle in Derbyshire. It is well watched by local birders, and has had a considerable number exceptional birds over the years.   I believe the HS2 issue relates to the huge amount of earth moving that will be required for this new rail route.

Here we are on Thursday 16^th July and not only have I not taken my bins out for a walk, but I have been nursing a very sore and inflamed wrist, which Mary has diagnosed as Gout. We did the internet investigation, which did seem to suggest that all her watching of Casualty, Dr Kildare, Emergency Ward 10 etc etc had taught Nurse Bennett some useful knowledge. I said I don’t drink Port, but that didn’t seem to calm the situation.

Now it’s the 17^th, and the 18^th and I’m still confined to barracks.

Anyway, Sunday 19^th February, was a nice dry sunny day for my second Bird watching for Beginners walk at Markeaton Park. 4 people turned up, duly paid their £4 pp to the Friends of Markeaton Park, and we set off for the 90 minute walk.

Only just through the Rose Garden, and we bumped into a large group, one carrying a ladder?? The leader told me they were checking bat boxes, and said that they had at least 8 boxes that they knew had bats, so they were looking to see what species they had. I decided to take a slightly different route around the group, and almost immediately we all saw a Tree Creeper fly across and start moving up a tree. The white chest and curved beak was very clear, and votes were already flooding in for bird of the walk.

Constantly reminding people to bird watch upwards, we then spotted 3 Greylag Geese, followed by a meandering Buzzard. The feeding station was quiet with the usual suspects, but on the lake, 4 Goosanders were spotted.

We walked further down the water’s edge for a better view, and having been buzzed by Long Tailed Tits, we picked up a Grey Heron on one island, then a Little Egret on the other.

Needless to say, Egret and Treecreeper were voted the joint best of the walk!

Not a very newsy week, and having a BCC excision on Thursday, things can only get worse, as I won’t be able to drive for a while!! I’ll see what I can find before Dr Bleiker gets going with the scalpel!

Keep Birding

...and now the female perspective!!

Himself seems to be taking so long to get some things sorted, that I’ve decided to take over the reins this week.

The first piece of news at last, is that the mementos to Christine and Amanda, recipients of the first 200 club awards, have both now been made. David put out the challenge in 2016, and by October, the ladies seeing that 200 species in the year was achievable and encouraged by their respective halves coincidentally both logged 201 species. 

The trophies were made by Original Monkey, a fascinating little business in Markeaton Park (Derby) craft village. They make some quite unique gifts. Google the name for their web site.

These are the “awards” they received, on appropriately shaped plaques.....

David did the 200, in 2010, and wants to do it again in 2017. He set off with that intention in 2016, but as most of you will know an enforced period of being confined to barracks meant that he only hit 181. He is happy to present similar awards for 2017, to people he knows.

What else? Oh yes, I gather the BWB walk last Sunday went well, even if having 28 people seemed a bit OTT. David was pleased to see the Great Northern Diver even if I gather there was some initial doubt as to whether it was a duck or a grebe (I don’t know the difference!). He told me that a pair of Goosanders was unusual, but you know what he’s like with stats. His archives recorded one on the BWB walk in January 2014. So?

I have been informed that “Merganser, Goosander and Smew”, is not a firm of Bakewell Solicitors, but are the 3 Sawbills seen this year.

What is special about the Gruff? He keeps seeing it – can it fly, or is it like a Slavonian Grebe or a Ruddy Duck he knows, neither of which can? He said it was camouflaged by the mud. Sensible bird. (Oh sorry – Ruff.)

Monday 3^rd July, he’s booked the Wash cruise from Boston. 12.15 start so he will not leave Derby too early, but I think as it will be sort of 4pm finish, he may stop over and have a day at Frampton, or Gibraltar Point, or somewhere like that.  The trip briefly touches the Wash, but is mainly river, and David usually comes home with a list of c50. Good trip, he tells me, so contact him if you want to know more, or go with him. 

Unlike the Shearwater Cruise from Bridlington (which he will also be going on) which only runs in September, the Boston Belle trips run from May to Oct. www.southhollandcentre.co.uk

I don’t expect many of you know of Jim Craw, a Carsington Volunteer who joined in 2006 and who tops up the Carsington bird feeders every week, plus checking the hides regularly, and a dozen and one other jobs. David was very sad to hear that he is retiring after 10 years due to poor health. Jim is a Glaswegian, giving David some interpretation issues!

Monday 6^th February.  Now why won’t he come out and admit he’s is a bit of a twitcher?   Here we are, Monday 13.45 and he gets a report of Waxwings in Derby. Woomf…gone, and not even a kiss. By my books, that’s a twitcher, although he says he only twitches in Derbyshire. The difference being?

Still, he came back smiling, having seen 25 Waxwings which increased to 40 when two flocks merged. 5 minutes after he arrived they’d gone “which justified my going when I did!!!”

Tuesday 7^th February, and a day at Rutland Water accompanied by John and Chris. They listed c53 birds, with 3 new ones for his list, of which one was a Lifer. David spotted a long white neck and an orange dagger beak, poking up over the reeds, that’s a Great White Egret on the list. 

After lunch, Lagoon 2 yielded up a good number of Red Crested Pochards . David recalled the first time he saw them close at Slimbridge (is that the same Slim Bridge who keeps adding comments on the blog????), and noticed that when they dive the crest/crown compacts, so that their heads do not become water-logged (i.e. like a busby). When they surface, the crown spreads back out. Fascinating, but can someone please tell me whether it’s a Pochard - och as in (h)ock(ey), och as in k(osh)a, or och as in (sc)otch?

Oh and the lifer, which someone told them about, but Chris found it, was a Glaucous Gull on Lagoon No 4.

Right, that’s me done…. He can resume his diatribes from next week.

TTFN                          Mary.

Devon - Glorious Devon

(Google the above title for interest.)

I suppose when you live in what is all but the middle of England, it is not surprising that the coast and the sea is a big draw. And that’s how it is with us… we are past the bucket and spade phase, the stretch wool swimming costumes, and never ending sticks of rock, but we still long to visit the coast with the beaches and estuaries, headlands with strong winds, great views, and the smell of salt and the ozone….oh and some cracking coastal birds which rarely get into Derbyshire.

So that is why we decided to encompass my birthday and have a week in Devon, staying once again at our favourite Imperial Hotel at Exmouth. A good room with a sea view, looking across the Exe estuary, with Dawlish Warren in the distance.

Tuesday 24^th January, and we wake up to a pea souper..well very misty anyway. So, after a lazy morning we drove to the recreation ground at Topsham, where a Yellow Browed Warbler had been reported. Thanks to a local who emerged from his house as we were parking, we found the exact spot and spotted the YBW actively feeding. The poor light did not make it easy, but we could make out the eye line and a thick wing bar.  …a Lifer for day 1!

Wednesday 25th January, and 12.45 was the sailing time for the 3 hour Stuart Line bird watching cruise, up the Exe estuary. I strongly recommend it to anyone who finds themselves in South Devon. For £12.50, the trip is very good value, and the leaders (Ian Waite this time) work well with Stuart Lines, ensuring that nothing is missed, and the boat will heave to if that helps to get a better eyeball on something special.

We had 130 people on the boat, and surprisingly, 7 of them were staying at my hotel.

Very soon we were ticking off Shag and Merganser, and as we passed Starcross the regular Slavonian Grebe was seen, this time with a friend. This Grebe appears to be OK, but it can’t fly so it’s an easy bird to tick. In fact we saw a third Slavonian later on.   Bar tailed Godwits and Black Tailed Godwits were near the river outlet at Powderham (as was a Spotted Redshank and Greenshank), a chance for Ian to dwell on the difference in plumage.

Brent Geese were frequent sightings, with Greylag, Canadian and one Barnacle. Plovers were plentiful, with Grey, Golden, Little Ringed and Green, and Dunlin and Knot added to the wader list. But the highlight, especially for the non-birders on the boat, was to see the good number of Avocets, right up near the Exe marshes. Really nice to see.

Ian’s highlight was identifying Mergansers, and saying that they don’t have Goosanders on the Exe. Whereupon a pair of Goosanders landed on a nearby sand bank!  

My highlight was on the journey back when David Smallshire picked out a Bonaparte Gull. With a jizz a bit like a Tern, the bird was quite identifiable, and we tracked it for 3 or 4 minutes. Yippee.!! Lifer No 2.

Thursday 26th January.  A birthday treat was the coastal train journey from Exmouth. Besides the Exe to Exeter, then along the famous Dawlish Wall, up the Teign and finally to Paignton. My brother Simon and his wife Sarah pick us up in his classic Jaguar and we drive to Berry Head, just South of Brixham. 

My excuse was to try and see a reported Surf Scoter with the Common and Velvet varieties, but the wind was blowing such an absolute hooley, that a quick glance over the cliff edge was enough to see… nothing. So I quenched my thirst with diving Gannets and some Guillemots, and thus added 2 to my year list!

Friday 27^th January, and I followed up a report of a first year male Scaup at Mud Bank lane Exmouth (on the edge of the Exe), successfully!!

Little birds of note on Saturday and wet Sunday, but a visit to Seaton gave Mary her birding buzz! 

(Ed; At Seaton Marsh, had to point out the 3-times seen hovering Kingfisher to the Birdman, but watching a cock pheasant making clandestine approaches towards two hens was entertaining!!)

Tuesday 31^st January the last chance to up the January total, so Chris and I head to Holme Pierrepoint near Nottingham, for a reported Smew. 

Started off with a Green Woodpecker at the Skylarks nature reserve, and with nothing apart from Goldeneye at the rowing course, we drive to a well-known spot to observe The A52 pit. Despite parking on the verge, and getting soaked from spray from large lorries, I pick up a White Nun near the far reed bed, alongside a female Redhead. 

Always love Smew, and this one completes my set of all 3 Sawbills.  It also brings my January total to a very satisfying124 - especially when my previous best January was 114.

I suppose considering I have been to Norfolk, Devon and Slimbridge it is not too surprising, but 62% of the year’s target sounds good!

 (Ed: Now you’ve got January out of your system, can we get back to less verbiage, DARLING?)