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It was a good month for county rarities with perhaps the most appreciated bird being a very approachable juvenile Purple Sandpiper at Totley Moor. Although it could be elusive at other times, it approached within feet of observers between the 13th and 15th. Another bird that showed well for the few that managed to connect with it was a juvenile Great Northern Diver on the River Derwent on the 2nd and 5th whilst another juvenile was a brief visitor to Carsington Water. A female Red breasted Merganser stayed ten days (and into December) at Ogston Reservoir and at the same site a juvenile Black-necked Grebe was photographed. Long stayers included the four Shags at Foremark, that dwindled down to two by the 21st whilst a Glossy Ibis at Swarkestone from the 1st was still present on the 10th. A Hoopoe was photographed in a Newhall garden on the 19th, but the only rare passerines reported were Lapland Bunting, with at least one over Highoredish on the 9th with a report of a Shore Lark at Carsington Water on the 29th. Scarce passerines were around in decent numbers, particularly Waxwings with reports from 19 sites and a maximum count of 43 at Matlock on the 27th. An elusive Great Grey Shrike was found on Leash Fen/Ramsley Moor on 26th-27th, still present into December, and a male Black Redstart was photographed on a Little Eaton garage roof on the 19th.
It was a good month for Whooper Swans, with at least eight double-figure counts peaking at 42 over Carr Vale DWT NR (single figures at eight more places), and for Pink-footed Geese, with Carr Vale DWT NR in particular scoring heavily with birds recorded on 14 dates including 1,750 on the 5th and three flocks even landed to feed. Indeed Pink-footed Geese were logged at 67 sites. The Carsington Water Barnacle Goose flock (35) reappeared but other waterfowl were scarce with six Red crested Pochard at Carsington Water, two Common Scoter at night over Hadfield and a female at Carsington Water whilst a female Smew was reported from Foremark Reservoir (more information would be nice for this record please). A Bittern in flight at Ogston Reservoir was the first since 1993 and one was also seen during the first half of the month at Drakelow DWT NR. Up to 17 Cattle Egrets roamed the Trent Valley, although they favoured Egginton during the day and roosted at Willington GP overnight whilst Little Egrets were recorded in double-figures from five sites, peaking at 68 at Willington GP, which could be a county record. Not to be outdone, Great White Egrets were all over the place with records from 28 sites including a rare record from the north-west of the county, whilst Willington GP had 16 on the 6th.
Not much to report on the raptor front with up to four Red Kites from 25 locations and a Marsh Harrier at Middleton Moor. Likewise waders were in short supply with perhaps the most unusual record being a Grey Plover over Chaddesden. Best of the rest was up to four Green Sandpipers at five Trent Valley sites and up to nine (at Foxlow Ponds) Jack Snipe at seven sites. Carr Vale DWT NR hosted two Mediterranean Gulls, the second one also pitching up at Ogston Reservoir, where a second winter also appeared on the 28th, but apart from them it was a case of the usual places hosting small numbers of Yellow-legged and Caspian Gulls. Last month it was Egrets that set new county records; this month it was the turn of Ring necked Parakeets that reached 73 at Alvaston on the 14th. A late Swallow at Milton on the 15th was eclipsed by the latest this century at Carr Vale DWT NR on the 21st whilst another late summer visitor was a Wheatear at Padfield SW on the 5th. The only Rock Pipit of the month was seen at Carsington Water on the 3rd, the highest count of Brambling was 40 at Mam Tor, just three Hawfinches were reported from Cromford and Hardwick Hall and up to 50 Crossbills were in the Darwin Forest area.
The viz miggers were well rewarded for spending a lot of time sky watching with Highoredish and Reservoir Carr Vale DWT NR recording record numbers of Woodpigeon for the sites and indeed there were 18 counts of over 1,000, 11 of which were of 5,000 or more from a number of other places. A site record 6,160 Fieldfare were counted flying SW at Carr Vale on the 5th with 4,330 the following day whilst finch movement over Highoredish
Mark Beevers