Join us in the New Year for three walks in three fantastic locations designed to get your 2023 birding year up and running!
Hawfinch and Dipper at Cromford Meadows and Canal – Sunday 8th January 2023
An easy walk at this fantastic location with a good chance for Dipper & Hawfinch!
We’ll start our walk on the banks of the River Derwent near Cromford bridge searching the treeline above Willesley Castle and the Lea Road for that elusive, enigmatic wintering speciality – the Hawfinch (at least four birds have been noted so far this winter).
Dipper at Cromford Bridge. December 2022
Whilst we look we will hopefully be entertained by the local Dippers – an early nesting species, the Dipper stays on territory year round and January is a busy month that sees adult birds defending their territory as well as singing from prominent rocks and perches close to the water.
We’ll continue our search in the churchyard with its Yew trees and follow the river upstream looking for woodland birds such as Jay, Treecreeper, Woodpeckers, Siskin and maybe even Brambling or two before returning to the Wharf and a short stroll along canal looking out for Grey Wagtail, Little Grebe and maybe, if the weather isn’t too cold, a sighting of one of the canals famous Water Voles!
Need to know
Price: £15 per person
Max group size: 6
Start: tbc, Duration: 2.5 – 3 hours, Walking/Terrain: Easy
Divers, Waders and Wildfowl at Carsington Water – Sunday 22nd January 2023
Carsington is arguably at its best from late Autumn 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 (the regular bird has now returned for the Winter), 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 maybe something rarer like a Snow Bunting! The rocky shores near the sailing club can hold good numbers of Lapwing and occasionally other waders such as Golden Plover.
Golden Plover at Carsington Water. Autumn 2022
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 waders which can include Redshank, Snipe, Lapwing, 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 Red Kite are becoming more frequent. 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
Raptors, Wildfowl and Farmland Birds at Locko Park – Sunday 29th January 2023
Join me for an easy walk on my local patch just outside Derby as we look for some fantastic mammal and bird species.
We’ll start by checking out the nearby arable farmland which holds a population of the increasingly rare Grey Partridge as well as other farmland specialities such as Yellowhammer, Linnet, Kestrel and Skylark. Large numbers of Woodpigeon and Stock Dove can often draw in a hunting Peregrine too.
Male Stonechat at Locko Park. November 2022
Entering the country park proper we can expect Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Great Spotted and Green Woodpecker, Jay, Mistle Thrush, Redwing and Fieldfare with Siskin in the Alders near the lake. Buzzards are regular and often can be counted in double figures while Sparrowhawk’s hunt the finch flocks near the lake. The variety of wildfowl on the lake is at its best at this time of year with the now resident Mandarins joined by Goosander, Teal, Tufted Duck and Pochard with a good chance of Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail. Passing the lake we’ll reach another area of mixed farmland with another chance of Partridge as well as wintering Stonechat and the possibility of encountering the resident Barn Owl…
Need to know
Price: £15 per person
Max group size: 6
Start: tbc, Duration: 2.5 – 3 hours, Walking/Terrain: Easy
