Wyver Lane Nature Reserve (DWT) (3 Viewers)

[DaveN]

Wyver Lane update for 19/05/09

I'll start with the obvious highlight. A Red Kite drifted west over the main pool at 12.20 giving me enough time just to get a rough record shot. Only the second record for Wyver with the first in March last year.

Around the main reserve was 4 broods of Mallards 8/6/6 and 3 very fresh young on the main pool. The Mute Swans and Oytsercatchers seemed to have given up nesting with neither pairs recorded in recent days.
Only wildfowl apart from Mallards were a female Goosander and a pair of Tufted Ducks.

24 Long Tailed Tits were working there way up and down the lane in search for food. A Green Woodpecker gave brief but good views at the end of the lane. At least 8 singing male Reed Buntings plus at least 3 singing Sedge Warblers.

Lots of Swifts, Swallows and Housemartins and a single Sandmartin filled the air with figures impossible to count.

Attached is the very ropey record shot of the Red Kite.

 

[Gomphus]

Wyver Lane update for 19/05/09

I'll start with the obvious highlight. A Red Kite drifted west over the main pool at 12.20 giving me enough time just to get a rough record shot. Only the second record for Wyver with the first in March last year.



Attached is the very ropey record shot of the Red Kite.

Oh excellent find Dave, wish I'd been looking out of the house it could have gone over my side of Belper first! Wonder when they will be resident round here, they are definitely getting more common!

Steph'

 

[Clive A]

Nice to get a Red Kite, as Steph says they are getting more common,even I had my Derbyshire first at Carsington on Saturday.Not a bad shot by the way mate.
Oh and Jeanette, thank Dave not me, I am only a rare visitor

 

[DaveN]

Oh excellent find Dave, wish I'd been looking out of the house it could have gone over my side of Belper first! Wonder when they will be resident round here, they are definitely getting more common!

Steph'

Cheers Steph, If I'd known you was at home I would have sent you a text. There certainly is a fair few sightings in the local area of late so It could well be just a matter a time.

Nice to get a Red Kite, as Steph says they are getting more common,even I had my Derbyshire first at Carsington on Saturday.Not a bad shot by the way mate.
Oh and Jeanette, thank Dave not me, I am only a rare visitor

Cheers Clive, glad you got your first Derbyshire Red Kite on Saturday.

 

[Gomphus]

Cheers Steph, If I'd known you was at home I would have sent you a text. There certainly is a fair few sightings in the local area of late so It could well be just a matter a time.

Cheers Dave... I got one this last winter over the garden so not too worried!

Cheers Clive, glad you got your first Derbyshire Red Kite on Saturday.

Still trying for a Carsi one though:-C

Noticed today the local birds have got quite a few young off, couple of Blackbird broods in garden along with a 30 strong Starling flock including a few youngsters.... but not as many as last year. Still no House Sparrow young around our road though.
But found a few smashed eggs (Blackbird mostly) around, with almost to hatching young in them, knocked out of the nests by the last few days heavy rain and high winds.... wonder how many others have suffered.....

Interestingly (well at least to me!)a pair of Goldfinches have taken to stripping the foliage off my Cineraria maritima plants and using it for their nests. A few years ago a Starling almost destroyed a lavender plant doing the same thing... (both gray plants, a link perhaps? or maybe the Starling just liked the scent!).
ATB

Steph'

 

[DaveN]

Wyver Lane Bird Notes for May 2009

Highlights this month include Red Kite and Reed Warbler.

Wildfowl counts for May include 2 Gadwall on 5th, 7th
and 8th, 3 male Goosander on 7th and 4 females and
a male on 11th, 8 Tufted Ducks on 5th, 8 Mallard
young on 5th and 4 broods of Mallard by the 19th
including 3/6/6 and 8. The first Coot young was 2
on the 26th.

A Red Kite flew west over the main pool on 19th and
coincided with several other sightings in the county
of these magnificant birds. This is only the second
record of Red Kite for Wyver Lane. A Hobby on the
12th, a male Sparrowhawk on 4th and a pair the
following day.

Waders of note include a possible Green Sandpiper
on 5th, the bird was seen briefly on the top pool
and couldn't be positively identified. 3 Oystercatchers
on several dates with one on 24th, a single Curlew
on 8th.

The first Swifts arrived on 3rd with 5 birds and
12 on 5th, c 50 Swallows, c 20 Housemartins and
8 Sandmartins all on 5th.

6 Grey Herons on 11th and newly fledged bird also
seen on 11th, 51 Canada Geese on 19th.
A Reed Warbler was reported on 24 and 26th, 4 Sedge
Warblers, 3 Whitethroats, 2 Chiff Chaffs and a Blackcap
all on 5th. 2 Garden Warbler on 19th. A Raven on 26th,
Kingfisher on 28th, 24 Long Tailed Tits on 19th, 8 Pied
Wagtails were around the main pool on the evening of
the 5th, a pair of Grey Wagtails were seen feeding
one young on 16th.

 

[DaveN]

Wyver Update for 08/06/2009

Around the main pool today was a Reed Warbler singing well, to the right of the hide. Still plenty of Sedge Warblers and Reed Buntings singing. Other Warblers include 2 to 3 Blackcaps, Chiff Chaff and Willow Warbler.13 Lapwings and 4 Grey Herons including 2 juveniles around the island. Nature in its raw form today as an adult Grey Heron picked up a fair sized juv Malllard from the waters edge and flew off into the meadow with its lunch and made light work of it.

Raptors of note was at least 3 Buzzards and a male Sparrowhawk.
Not a lot happening from the hide so I decided to have a walk down the lane. Lots of juv birds now emerging including a family of Blue Tits, Coal Tits feeding at least 3 young, at least 6 Whitethroats with adults feeding young and juv Dunnock.

By the hide was a female Pheasant with two very vulnerable youngsters. Did get a few photos but It wasn't easy due to the long grass.

Attached is a photo of two juvenile Grey Herons and a juv Pheasant.

 

[Clive A]

Had an hour down Wyver this morning, of interest were;
9 Grey Herons (6 on the top pool and 3 further up the lane).
5 singing male Reed Buntings plus some females.
Reed Warbler still singing, though briefly.
Green Woodpecker,yaffling in the fields.
Grey wagtail on the lane and also a Pied Wagtail carrying food.
2 families of Long tailed Tit and 1 of Coal Tit.
1 Buzzard ,1 Kestrel, several Whitethroat and Blackcaps.

 

[DaveN]

Pretty quiet down Wyver Lane today. Of note was 2 Buzzards, 13 Lapwings, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warblers, 3 Garden Warblers, 3 Whitethroats, Green Woodpecker, 2 Stock Doves and 4 Grey Herons.

 

[Clive A]

Pretty quiet down Wyver this afternoon, though I only had 45 minutes.
30+ Mallards,a few Coots and Moorhens including 1 well grown Moorhen juv,plenty of Reed Buntings as usual,Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat,Chiffchaff, Green Woodpecker yaffling and a few Hirundines and Swifts.
I was hoping for a few Dragonflies but only a few Damsels were about.
Butterflies of note were Small Tortoiseshell and Meadow Brown.

 

[Daniel Martin]

Quick visit yesterday evening showed it as still quiet - 4 juv Herons feeding in the south end of the main pool were concentrating hard and I was amazed to see two very large Carp circling them and occasionally breaking the surface. They must have been confident that they were not about to be eaten?!
Still many Swallows "pond dipping", Whitethroat and Great Tits feeding young, and many Reed Bunts (must be an important site locally for this bird?).
A few well grown Mallard young around, along with Moorhen and Coot but little else.

 

[DaveN]

There're certainly a few large Carp down there and one or two unidentified fish also. Reed Buntings are indeed breeding in good numbers down there. I'm not sure of the actual figures though. Just got back from Wyver where I had a Red-Legged Partridge down the lane sitting on a wall. Also a singing Skylark and 2 Linnets.

On the advice of the DWT I've put a sign on the hide door regarding around 20 wasps frantically building a nest above the notice board. I was also advised not to enter the hide until it has been removed.

 

[DaveN]

A single Hobby over the main pool today. Also 3 Shoveler and a female Teal on main pool. Water level dropping nicely so hopefully by autumn migration we could get a few Waders dropping in. Something we've not really had for a few years due to wet summers. A female Blue-tailed Damselfly landed on the hide ledge long enough for me to get this photo.

 

[Clive A]

Nice to see a few Shoveler again Dave, not seen one for a while.Lets hope that water keeps dropping and we get some waders down there in a month or two.

 

[DaveN]

Can't believe we're talking about autumn migration when we are currently experiencing a mini heatwave. Forgot to add that I had a male Broad-Bodied Chaser and a Brown Hawker.

 

[Daniel Martin]

A few dragons on the wing will encourage Hobby to linger maybe..........

 

[DaveN]

Wyver Lane Bird Notes June 2009

Highlights include Red Legged Partridge, Reed Warbler, Shelduck

At least 9 Grey Herons present on the 9th and 15th which included 5 juveniles.
This bird has bred nearby for the first time.
A single Gadwall recorded on 15th. 2 Shelduck on the 2nd and 3rd.
A female Goosander on the 1st. A report of 2 Wigeon
on the 8th would be an early record for this normally wintering bird.
Although one or two records have been recorded in the county of late.
3 Shoveler on the 30th, 2 Teal on 29th and 43 Mallards also on 29th.
30 Canada Geese on 2nd.

Lapwings have started to return already with up to 30 on 27th. Black Headed
Gulls were noted on several dates with 5 on 8th.
Raptors this month include a Hobby on 15th and 30th, 4 Buzzards on 15th
and 3 on 2nd and 8th. A male Sparrowhawk on 8th, a Kestrel on 2nd.

A Red-Legged Partridge was seen on 22nd and is the first record for many
years. A Reed Warbler was heard singing on 8th and 15th.
5 Whitethroats on 8th including adults feeding 3 young. 2 Blackcaps also
on 8th. 3 Garden Warblers on 15th.

Other sightings include 3 Stock Doves on 2nd, 2 Linnets on 22nd. A
Skylark on 22nd, a Green Woodpecker on 11th and 30th, 5 male Reed
Buntings singing on 11th.

A family of Coal Tits was noted on 8th and two families of Long-Tailed
Tits on 11th.

 

[Daniel Martin]

I had a meeting with a farmer Belper Lane End this morning, and he has 3 pairs of Curlews with young in his fields, two of which I saw this morning.
Then did Wyver for ten mins inbetween showers.......water high again, and little around, but did see parents of G Tits, Reed Bunts and Whitethroat feeding young. The Whitethroats had 3 very recently fledged young in the Hawthorn next to the layby all begging for food; but nice to see breeding success.

 

[DaveN]

I've been down there myself most of the morning, will post short report soon.

 

[DaveN]

Went down for a few hours today despite the weather. 4 Grey Herons around the main pool including 2 juveniles. c70 Lapwings around the top pool. Also heard a Redshank but didn't see it. 3 Kestrels across the river which I think two were youngsters. 2 Linnets and a Stock Dove. Whitethroats, Sedge Warblers and Reed Buntings all feeding young. Only Wildfowl of note was 2 Teal and 3 Tufted Ducks.
Photos attached include juvenile Grey Heron, 2 BH Gulls and a stand off between a Reed Bunting and a Sedge Warbler.