Deceased Kingfisher

(Assistant editor) Mike Weedon writes: I found this male Kingfisher dead at the top of the stairway up to our offices this morning. I am not sure how it died, but there were no obvious wounds and the neck was very floppy. I suspect that it may have flown up from the carp pond and hit one of the shiny windows. These photos were taken by Darren Harbar of Practical Photography magazine.

Derbyshire UKBS for May 2010

Owing to a technical glitch in our July 2010 issue, Rod Key's Derbyshire report for UK Bird Sightings went AWOL (in fact it morphed into a duplicate of the Herefordshire report...). Here, then, for those of you who missed it (pretty much everyone), is the Derbyshire report for the birds seen in May 2010. Apologies all round.

Derbyshire

Highlights: A Great Reed Warbler, a county first, was at Straw’s Bridge Pond, Ilkeston (from 12th). A Red-rumped Swallow was at Ogston Reservoir (29th-30th). Nine Cetti’s Warblers were in the Trent Valley. A Spoonbill was at Willington Canal Pit (29th). A Montagu’s Harrier was on the North Derbyshire Moors (to 19th). Seven Dotterel were at Abney Moor (11th) with two (16th-18th). Two more flew over Big Moor (19th). Five Cranes were at Ogston Reservoir (3rd). A possible Black Kite was at Higher Tor, Hathersage Moor (17th).

Aston-on-Trent gravel pits: A Marsh Harrier flew west (1st). There were three Sanderling (29th), with a few Dunlin and Ringed Plovers.

Carr Vale: Eight Marsh Harriers flew through. The Bar-tailed Godwit remained (to 4th). A Whimbrel was seen (5th and 10th) with a Little Egret and Greenshank (19th). A Wood Warbler (3rd) was a rare record here.

Carsington Water: The Great Northern Diver remained (to 8th), as did the Scaup (to 1st). An Osprey sat on a buoy eating a fish (26th). There were two Sanderling (12th) with one (26th), a Turnstone (8th-10th), eight Whimbrels (5th) with 15 (8th), a Greenshank (10th) and three Black-tailed Godwits (5th). A Mediterranean Gull was seen (1st), with a Black Tern (28th). Arctic Terns peaked at four (8th).

Foremark Reservoir: There were seven Common Scoters (31st). A Black Redstart was seen (8th). A Wood Warbler was at Carvers Rocks (31st).

Middleton Moor: There were three Sanderling, four Dunlin and 19 Ringed Plovers (29th) with one Sanderling (30th). Seventeen Greenland Wheatears were seen (3rd).


Ogston Reservoir: There were Red Kites (1st and 23rd), Ospreys (8th and 15th) and a Marsh Harrier (19th). Sixteen Whimbrels were seen (7th) with one (10th), a Sanderling (22nd) and Turnstone (15th). A Sandwich Tern arrived (19th), with a Little Tern (26th) and 52 Arctic Terns (7th).

Willington gravel pits: Garganeys were seen (9th-12th and 22nd-31st), with four Wigeon and a Teal noted. Three Marsh Harriers were logged. There was a Grey Plover (10th), three Sanderling (6th), with one (22nd), up to 13 Black-tailed Godwits, a Greenshank (6th) and a Wood Sandpiper (19th-21st). A Mediterranean Gull (1st), Little Gull (31st), Sandwich Tern (2nd), Black Tern (22nd) and up to 17 Arctic Terns were seen.

Other sites: Red Kites were at seven sites including three over the A38 near Ripley (23rd). Marsh Harriers were at Ambaston gravel pits (3rd), Barbrook Pools (23rd) and Erewash Meadows (27th). An Osprey flew over Clowne (7th). Two Quails were at Etwall sewage farm (26th). Six Greenshanks were at Barbrook Pools (8th). Wood Sandpipers were at Ambaston gravel pits (3rd) and Pleasley Colliery (21st-22nd). Four Sandwich Terns were at Barrow gravel pits (3rd) with a Black Tern at Straw’s Bridge Pond, Ilkeston (15th). Two Hawfinches were at Cromford Canal (2nd). Long Eaton gravel pits logged two Shelducks, two Egyptian Geese and an Arctic Tern (5th).
Rod Key (r_key@sky.com)