Late Autumn Wildlife Wanders – Two very different destinations but both rich in seasonal wildlife!
Our events are aimed to make the most of the wildlife on offer as Autumn gives way to Winter – just take a look and get in touch to book your space.
Hares, Owls and Bats at Locko Park – Saturday 12 November 2022
Join me for an easy evening walk on my local patch just outside Derby as we look for some fantastic mammal and bird species.
Following on from out last successful evening foray onto my local patch we’ll be heading out again to share this wonderful site with you.
Our October evening walk here gave us great views of hunting Barn Owl, up to three different Little Owls, Brown Hares, Fallow Deer and a brilliant variety of migrant and wintering birds such as Fieldfare, Redwing and Siskin. In the mild conditions we also encountered four species of Bat after dark with Common and Soprano Pipistrelle, Noctule and Daubentons Bat active and hunting.
Promises to be another evening to remember!
Need to know
Price: £10 per person
Max group size: 6
Start: 3pm, Duration: 2.5 – 3 hours, Walking/Terrain: Easy
Carsington Water – Sunday 20th November & Wednesday 23rd November
Carsington is arguably at its best from late Summer to Spring when the sheer number of wildfowl present mean there is always plenty to see, with wintering flocks regularly joined by scarcer species such as Great Northern Diver, Red Necked Grebe and Whooper Swan.
We’ll start our walk at Millfield’s Car Park, whose well stocked bird feeders often attract such nationally scarce species as Willow Tit and Tree Sparrow as well as lots of commoner species, before heading out along the dam wall. The deep water here is great for diving species such as Grebes, Tufted Duck and, in Winter, birds like Goldeneye and Pochard. The dam itself can act like a magnet for passerines with Meadow Pipit and Grey and Pied Wagtails regular and joined by passage species such as Pipits, Wheatear and even a Snow Bunting! The rocky shores near the sailing club can hold good numbers of Lapwing and occasionally other waders. Reaching the area of the visitor centre (the busiest area for human activity) the shallow waters, mud-edged islands and wooded creeks are one of the best areas for passage and wintering and waders which can include Oystercatcher, Redshank, Snipe, Lapwing, Black Tailed Godwit, Ruff and Dunlin with birds like the tiny, cryptic Jack Snipe and Woodcock regularly wintering here. The area is also great for wildfowl including Carsington’s very own flock of feral Barnacle Geese and wintering Pintails. All this activity can attract predators with raptors including Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel and Peregrine, whilst migrating Osprey can occasionally be found in Spring and Autumn. We’ll spend plenty of time here before heading back to Millfield’s looking to pick up any notable species we may have missed.
Need to know
Price: £15 per person
Max group size: 6
Start: TBC – but likely early morning to avoid the crowds, Duration: 3-4 hours, Walking/Terrain: Easy, fully accessible and suitable for wheelchair users