Witches Oak - Where Witches were hung....Allegedly!

I don’t know if any of you get to read the comments that get added to my blog by some dedicated followers (7 followers at the last count!), but each time a comment is posted I get a message to tell me. Getting a comment last Sunday within 5 minutes of posting my report for the previous week was a fast response, until I read the comment, and realised why.

Unfortunately, it was one of those reports that all birders don’t like, ones that say, “if only you had been there”, or “just 5 minutes ago”, and this comment was a Markeaton BWB participant Casey telling me what I had missed, by having to cancel the Markeaton walk due to heavy snow.

Casey had watched my car tail light vanishing/skating into the distance at 10.30, and with her Uncle decided that as they were at the park, they would have a walk anyway. And what did they find?????  For a start a nice Jay, which is still on my 2018 unseen list, and then to crown it all, near the craft village shops, a Firecrest. What a superb find, and brilliant spotting. A photo would have been excellent, but we never have the camera at the ready at times like this, and Crests are fast movers!

I would have suffered the snow and the cold had I known, albeit the driving back into the heart of Allestree WAS hairy. My one and only Firecrest sighting (well 2 birds actually!) was at Old Moor on 16^th November 2007, and interestingly (I think!!) it was the bird that was my 200^th species in the only year before 2017 when I have DONE the 200.

Ed; As Your grandson Leo is doing the 92, you’d better explain to him that your 200 is not an age thing.

Tuesday 23rd January   After the sad count of only One for last week, I was back in my stride to-day with 3 for the list, including a Lifer.

Holme Pierrepoint is a large water sports complex SE of Nottingham, with an Olympic length rowing course, canoe slaloms etc, and news of a Spotted Sandpiper was enough to get me over there to see what would be a lifer. When I found the right water area, there were a good number of birders with scopes all pointing at the area where the bird was feeding. As I concentrated I was nudged by a birder saying, “What are you doing here Dave?” I avoided answering sun-bathing, and found I was next to Mike Daykin, a very experienced birder from Allestree, who used to be a Carsington Water volunteer.

We both had very good views of the Sandpiper and could appreciate the confusion with a Common Sandpiper. The Spotted has yellow legs, and in the Summer, does have spots on the chest. That was Lifetime addition number 336.

I added a Grey Wagtail along the rowing course, and with a bit of help, the Long-Tailed Duck by the 250 metre marker.

By the way, in my post of 24 December, I mentioned the clever names that the WWT have given to their Bewick Swans, and that Croupier returned to Slimbridge without Dealer. Good News!! 2^nd January and 42 days later Dealer (the Pen) arrived, no doubt to be greeted with “and where have you been for the last 6 weeks?” Well they have been an item for 19 years, so I guess she wanted a bit of a change.

TRIVIA No 4. Following on from the last paragraph, Male and female swans, the name Cob for a male, comes from the old German term “Knopf” meaning knob. And Pen derives from the English word “Penne” describing the way the female holds her wings back, in a penned manner. (i.e. Penned in).

By the time you read this, the BGBW will have finished, and I hope you did your bit to count the birds in your garden for one hour over the weekend, and report details to the RSPB.

Saturday 27^th January, I joined the DOS morning walk at Witches Oak near Castle Donnington. This is a private quarry site, so entry is only possible under controlled conditions, and requiring pre-booking.  

Regrettably only 3 of us enjoyed the words of wisdom of Rod Key for the DOS, and Vic Bevan, a volunteer with the DWT. Despite the recent heavy rain and flooding Vic led us on an extensive route (8,358 steps!) that did need wellies, but not waders.

Vic told us that the largest of the only 3 very old oak tress on the 108 Hectare site, was understood to be where Witches were hung in days of yor, which is why the local school in a competition called the site Witches Oak. Now, not a lot of people know that!!

His guidance gave us clear views of a couple of superb male Smew aka as White Nuns.  Many of the birds on the ponds seemed very frisky, but the plus side was having a good view of the wings and undercarriage of the Smew as it flew over.
Goldeneye, on one lake were in good numbers, and there was a great deal of the head back displaying technique going on.

By the way I am waiting to hear whether there are any more Carsington BWB birders who want the day trip in May. Let me know ASAP so I can plan.


Finally, next Sunday (Feb 4) is the usual Carsington BWB walk at 10.00am – 120 minutes of pleasure!! (Carsington had 5 Ruff on Horseshoe Island this morning)

Some you win and some you lose!!

Tuesday 16^th January   Our Triumvirate appearing to now being a Quartet, the decision was taken that we would have a look at a reserve certainly I had not seen, Kilvington Lakes.  East of Nottingham on the A52 and just North of Bottesford, we duly met up for a walk round the water, and through the adjacent woods. 

As It was a case of battling against the winds, tripods were not much use, but we did get views of a good number of water birds, including Goosander, Shelduck and Goldeneye. Somewhere to revisit I think when it is less squally.

We decided to move on to Owthorpe to see the longish staying Great Grey Shrike. So did a number of other birders, but no one was reporting success, albeit it had been seen very early in the day. We had to make do with a good covey of Grey Partridges, and then decided to go to Holme Pierrepoint to spot an again long-staying, Long Tailed Dick. Word was that it was near the finishing line on the rowing course at Holme Pierrepoint.

Was it?  Not that we could see at 3.30ish, and again it was considered too cold to walk the course to see if it had moved to the starting line!   We moved to the coffee shop instead and got reinsulated with hot drinks from the machine.

If nothing else, cobwebs were well and truly blown away!

And that’s it for this week.. well birding anyway. Memorable for the wrong reasons. I di get well wrapped up with 6 layers and a scarf and went to Markeaton Park for the Bird Watching for beginners walk, but at c10.15, the snow was very heavy and the decision was taken to cancel the walk. 

Visibility was very poor and apart from on the lake, I did not anticipate finding many birds out in the open.

Pamela loyally came for the walk as usual, once again generously loaded with bird seed and peanuts for our feathered friends.  As the walk was not going ahead, she decided to walk over and put the food on the feeding table in the area near the Ha Ha which would be a great top up for the bird table.   

She had also brought a bird food cake made up of seed, fat and meal worms, and Mel agreed to hang it up in the walled garden in the best spot for the birds. An area near the wall and the trees will be a good position and being behind the wall (and sometimes locked gates) will not be susceptible to a take-away park visitor.

A few weeks ago, I rambled on about my views on the correct pronunciation of Whooper and Hoopoe, and duly wrote to Bird Watching Magazine for arbitration. The February issue included my letter, and the Editors views.

To recap, I said Whooper with the W sounded.. literally Woo-purr. The editor (using the carefully on the fence words “We tend to say..”) opined the view that the W is silent as in Whooping cough.  Ergo, would he argue that if I fell over I would say “hoops” as opposed to “whoops”?

As for Hoopoe, Bird Watching pronounce it Hoopoo, as the sound is like the Hoo poo poo song after which the Hoopoe is named.

………………………………………Unless of course you know better

Birding Trivia No 3.   If you ever get intimate enough to read somebody’s tattoos, tattoos of Swallows, especially on the older generation, is an indication that the bearer had probably been a sailor.

From the days of difficult sailing, a swallow evidenced that the bearer was an experienced and valuable sailor. It was said that one swallow indicated the sailor had travelled more than 5k nautical miles, two indicated more than 10k. 

Another legend holds that as a Swallow returns to the same location to mate and nest, the swallow will guarantee the sailor safe passage home. Which is why sailors had a Swallow tattooed before setting out on a journey, and another on safe return. Again, legends say that if a sailor drowns, the Swallow will carry their souls to heaven.

………….. and not a lot of people know that!!!

Blimey only 1 added to my 2018 year list - bad, bad news.  Let’s hope next week will get me out and about… 31^st January and the 100 target looms closer!!!

Happy Birding

Tongue in cheek week!! Black Swan and Ring Necked Parakeet!

Tuesday January 9^th and Chris and I decide we will have a look at RSPB Old Moor. In previous years, we would have met at Rufford Park, north of Nottingham principally to reliably find and tick off the Hawfinch. (Ed: at the risk of being provocative should it be pronounced Awfinch, as in Otel?)

NO.. you don’t go to ospitals do you?

Sorry about that. Anyway, as I had enjoyed cracking views of a Hawfinch at Allestree park on Jan 1, and Rufford was a bit off my route, Chris agreed that in case the Dearne valley birds had moved on, she would drop in at Rufford en route and the 3 Hawfinches she did see, made that decision worthwhile.

When I arrived at the car park at 9.50am on the Garganey Trust Broomhill Flash reserve, it was quite clear why there were bins, scopes and videos, all pointing skywards - one lone Hawfinch contentedly eating away at some seeds! So, when Chris arrived 5 minutes later, it was double bubble!

I am still at a loss why one birder had his mini-video camera tripoded (is that a word?) to record the Hawfinch, for 15 minutes. I don’t think it did anything memorable!

Just the usual suspects at Broomhill, although Pink Feet had been reported but we dipped there.

As we arrived at Old Moor car park, it was good to chat to Mathew Capper, the I/C of this excellent RSPB reserve, and who I knew some years ago when he worked at Carsington. 

He talked about the changes at Old Moor, and we left him with a number ringing in my ears, his 200+ count for 2017…..279. For an RSPB boss, that will look good on his CV – shows he knows a bit about birds.

It was yet another cold day at Old Moor, and I had failed to appreciate that there would be a lot of ice. So, the wader scrape, wasn’t, and the Sparrow farm only really took of when volunteers topped up the feeders.

We added a Reed Bunting before lunch, and later in the reed bed area the Peregrine Falcon and a Green Sandpiper went on the list. Some birders saw the Peregrine chasing the Sandpiper. A single Little Egret increased our count, as did a nice flock of Linnets.

The only downside is that the RSPB are trying to do some improvements in the caf (which I have always rated highly) but this time the choice was limited, so it was just a bacon sarnie. Maybe next time.

Friday 12^th January, and I had a couple of hours to spare so I took a stroll round Allestree Park. I knew that Ring Necked Parakeets had been reported near the Evergreen Club, and after a bit of searching, found a pair prospecting in a hole in an old tree.

I don’t normally just list, but the 26 species seen in the park were most enjoyable for just 90 minutes, and included:- Nuthatch, Mandarin Duck nice male; pair of teal; 7 + 3 Goosanders; A host of Siskins intermixed with Goldfinches etc and a couple of Tree Creepers.

Sunday 14^th January  Yet again, I invited any BWB aficionados to join me for a morning walk at Attenborough (a sort of annual ½ away day!), and 6 people duly arrived at 9.30 for a 3-hour walk.

We did much the usual walk, and had good views of Goldeneye, a total of 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Goldcrest, and a small skein of Pink Footed Geese. Learners often puzzle over the fact that 10 geese on the deck is a gaggle, and 10 in the sky is a skein. Just another complication to get to grips with in the birding world!

We had 42 species in the total, a bit down on the 45 in 2017, but water level was quite high leaving not much in the way of islets for waders etc. A Water Rail near the centre was clearly lost in the reeds somewhere.

I did get a bonus, because I went back to Attenborough in the afternoon to sell some of my sugar tong collection, and spotted this handsome Black Swan getting food near the drawbridge to the visitor centre. OK, he was a bit away from New Zealand, but believe me he was wild. (Blacks Swans usually are!)

  

Birding Trivia No 2. There is an elite public school in St Petersburg where students wear uniforms the same colour as a Siskin, and there is also a statue of a Siskin in the city. In the same way public school students in the UK have sobriquets (like Etonians, Harrovians) boys at this school are called Siskins.

Well., with 74 to date on the 14^th Jan is OK progress. It doesn't compare with 2017, but I had done a Hi-tide spectacular by 14 Jan 2017, which made a big difference.

Next walks?  Next Sunday the 21st, Markeaton 10.30am.  1+1/2 hours if you are interested.

I'm going to check out this rung Mute Swan Y619.. always interesting to know if a rung bird  has any history...I'll let you know.

Happy Birding 

1st January 2018 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> We're off!

As I said previously I did give the future of my blog some very careful thought, and the dearth of news on my blog in the last 2 months of the year did make me wonder. But I just want to continue enjoying writing about birds and enjoying sharing my experiences with whomsoever is interested.
I have written 68,000 words in the first 2 years, and now that I have mastered how to move photos between my camera, i-pad, i-phone and computer, I plan to include more photos in future..I hope!

One of my favourite songs from a musical is “There’s no business like show business”, so (oops!!) the show must go on. In other words, this is post number 100, so here we go, up and running for 2018. And your free subscription has been renewed accordingly!!!

Bird Watching for Beginners – Carsington.  Rounding up 2017, that was the end of the 12th year of the Birdwatching for Beginners walk. We had more bookings than in any previous year, and doubling the numbers from the early years, we now get an average of 20 people on each walk.

In 2017, we added 5 new bird species to our walk life list. The attendees very generously donated a total of £284 in the year towards Volunteer funds, to help maintain Osprey nests and improve facilities for birders. (If you were on the BWB walk to-day and wondered why the Janet Ede hide was shut, it was due to the door handle needing repair. It will be sorted PDQ!).

200 Club. In 2017 there were 2 claimants, Amanda and Chris – both achieving their first ever total of 200+. In 2018, there are 4 claimants. Amanda and Chris (again!) each with better counts than in 2017, and Lorna and myself joining the club.

The full result:-
Amanda                                       A superb 221. Considering her total in the previous year was 201, Amanda has added some cracking birds, and a mega on Ronaldsay on a Heatherlea birding holiday not only helped, but led to Amanda and her husband Noel being in 2 photos in the Heatherlea birding holiday brochure. A Whimbrel was her No 200.

Christine                                     Once Chris had beaten her 201 in 2017, with a 203, she did not want to push the benchmark too high! The locally infamous Bee Eaters helped her reach the 200 barrier.

Lorna                                          First time achievement of a 200 count with a lifetime best of 209, she was helped by number 200 being a Whinchat.

Myself                                        With the only previous 200 being a 206 in 2010, all I wanted was to beat it. No 200 was a Yellow Legged Gull, at Carsington. Not the most notable bird but they all count, and it helped reach my new record of 207.

Sunday 1st January 2018 and it’s up and running, 8.30 am at Markeaton Park – and that despite not getting home until 2.45 am on New Year’s Day…that’s dedication, or something!

Not many people about, and part from a huge number of Redwings, and a nice pair of Bullfinches having a seed breakfast, it was just 25 of the usual suspects.

Next stop was Allestree Park and the golf clubhouse, where Hawfinch had been reported. Tick!! And a confiding Tree Creeper landed on a tree trunk 4ft away.

Next it was the sewage works at High Peak Junction, then the Derwent at Cromford. No Dipper, but a few usual suspects along the way. Too busy in the 2 cafes, so next stop is Carsington, and with a coffee and a hot pastie, I take up residence in the wildlife centre.

16 more on the list, including a brief view of the Great Northern Diver. With sightings along the way, New Years day finished with a respectable 51.

Wednesday 3rd January and it was my first visit of the year to Attenborough. With Chris and John, and Gill and another Chris, we started with a fly-past of a Water Rail at the Kingfisher hide, and logged a very satisfactory morning count of 42, of which 13 added to my 51 put me on 64 to date.

" I'm looking for a Duck Box..... my MP bought one on expenses!"

Sunday 7th January and the BWB at Carsington may have encountered 0.5 degrees on my thermometer, but the consensus, with the chill factor, was more like minus 3.0 degrees. IT WAS BITTER. Holding bins and scopes were real challenges, but we did pick up the Great Northern Diver and nice male Goldeneyes.   But for its persistent hovering over the 25 people on the walk, the Kestrel was BOD

Just to remind you that next Sunday (14th January) I will be at Attenborough gravel pits for a 3 hour walk. Anyone wishing to join me, should be in the visitor centre car park and ready to go at 9.30am.We will finish by 12.30. No booking – just be there.

 Oh and 21st January it will be my 10.30 BWB walk at Markeaton Park.

I'll try and make it a regular item, but this is trivia No 1 for 2018.

Kettering Borough Council is seeking planning approval to hold weddings in Kettering crematorium. If they do get approval, imagine some of the scenarios that could arise! (Add them as a comment below, if you wish)

Happy Birding