This is a news service only and the reports are unchecked. All records submitted via the "Submit record" page will be sent to the Bulletin Bird Notes Compiler and entered onto the DOS database even if they do not appear here. Please note that for obvious reasons we do not publish sightings of rare breeders such as Little Ringed Plover during the breeding season (unless obvious migrants)
For more reports please see The Recorder's Page
The News Archive is available here
Click here for details on how to submit records
Top of Page
January was a quiet month for county rarities! Apart from the over-wintering Great Northern Diver at Carsington Water and a mobile (and often elusive) Cattle Egret between Linacre Reservoir and the A619 west of Chesterfield, which could reasonably be relied on, there was little to get excited about. Other brief Cattle Egrets were seen at Swarkestone Bridge, Sims Wood (via BirdTrack) with a possible seen at Wilmorton Recreation Ground whilst the Linacre bird made a brief visit to Holmebrook Valley Park. There was an intriguing report of two Great Northern Divers at Mapperley Reservoir, which needs more detail please. A single record via eBird of a Black-necked Grebe at Willington also needs firming up, as does a Firecrest reported via BTO BirdTrack. Six Snow Buntings were found near Snake Pass. All in all, in terms of the rarities, there are a number for which more detail is requested please.
It was a good month for Whooper Swans with flocks of up to 36 recorded from 23 locations, although there was some duplication, and a single herd of Bewick's Swan was found at Swarkestone Bridge. Likewise, it was an excellent month for Pink -footed Geese as they relocated from the east to the west with four-figure counts reported from Carsington, where 1,410 was the observer's highest site count and Risley where 1,300 flew NW the same day. Up to 750 Pink-footed were recorded from c.100 more widely spaced sites, but scarce wildfowl were just that with seven Red-crested Pochards noted from four sites, a Common Scoter at Ogston and Middleton Moor (same bird?) and Red-breasted Mergansers at Long-Eaton GP, and more unexpectedly from Chaddesden cemetery, the latter via BTO BirdTrack, so further information would be appreciated. Herons were well represented with Willington GP producing a Bittern on three dates along with up to 39 Little Egrets and five Great White Egrets. Up to 19 Little Egrets were recorded from 35 more sites (with a rare record from the north-west at Mousley Bottom) whilst up to three Great White Egrets were logged at 16 places.
There was an impressive count of 21 Red Kites from central Derbyshire with up to 8 logged at 37 more sites. Two regular Marsh Harriers at Willington GP no doubt accounted for at least some of other records from six sites, which included a first for Sinfin Moor Wetlands and others at four Trent Valley sites, whilst Hen Harriers were recorded at six moorland sites. Oystercatchers and Curlews started to return to the county in numbers but apart from four Dunlin, a couple of Green Sandpipers and up to three Redshanks at four sites, waders were particularly thin on the ground, although up to five Jack Snipe were at seven sites with up to seven Woodcock at 14 places. Four Mediterranean Gulls were widely spread with Yellow -legged and Caspian Gulls appearing at three sites each, but a single observer Iceland Gull reported via eBird needs more information please as this species is becoming increasingly rare in the county (with very few reported nationally this winter).
The best of the rest included Short-eared Owls at two lowland sites, a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker from an undisclosed site, two lowland Merlins, Peregrines at 28 locations and Ring-necked Parakeets continue to increase with up to 61 at Alvaston Park and 13 in Renishaw Park. Up to five Cetti's Warblers were at 11 sites, Carr Vale held up to 10 Chiffchaffs with up to three at 11 places and up to three Blackcaps were at 31 sites, but the situation in the suburbs of Derby and Swanwick clouds the true picture. Up to five Stonechats were present at 30 places, 300 Bramblings were seen at Longshaw, up to eight Hawfinches were seen most days at Cromford (mainly around Willersley Castle) and up to 20 Crossbills were to be found, mainly in the Matlock Forest / Beeley area.
Mark Beevers