Todwick Environment: Wild Birds
SK58 Birders – November 2014
by Brian Chambers
The SK58 Birders held their meeting on 26 November 2014 at Anston Parish Hall. The talk was presented by Ron Marshall and entitled “A Wildlife Year”. As usual everybody is welcome to attend especially non-members. We do NOT have an indoor meeting in December, so the next one is on the last Wednesday of January – this is also the SK58 AGM.
I have been asked to give a few pointers on Winter bird feeding. Gardens are an important habitat as they occupy a good chunk of the country’s land. Bird-friendly gardens could include Holly, Crab Apple, Cotoneaster – all are good berry / fruit trees, these could attract Mistle Thrush, Fieldfare & Redwing. Lawns hold worms etc. that attract Song Thrush and Blackbird, and hedges should harbour some insects for Dunnock, Robin and Wren. To complement the garden some bird food is obviously a great help, especially if the weather turns foul.
Birdseed mixes are a staple, sunflower seed, maize and millet are usually included which are good feed for finches such as Chaffinch, House and Tree Sparrow and Goldfinch. Also this could attract less common species such as Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer. The attractive Yellowhammer is included on the RED ALERT list of species which has declined alarmingly over recent years. These mixes, sold in 20 kg bags, also contain wheat & barley grains to bulk out that are really only suitable for Woodpigeons, Collared Doves and Pheasants.
Peanuts are another favourite, placed in hanging baskets will attract the Tits – Blue, Great, Coal and even Long-tailed also a possible is Great Spotted Woodpecker. If scattered on the ground they could attract Jays who will then bury them – a future larder.
Sunflower seeds can also be placed in baskets, they can be bought as hearts so preventing the mess of discarded husks. These will attract Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch to the feeders.
Nyjer seed is another seed with a high oil content, these are small seeds and require special feeders with smaller holes. Goldfinch love these and if lucky could attract Siskin, this is a small yellowish finch that moves into our area in the winter, flocks are often reported at Kiveton Woodlands and around Langold Lake where they feed on Alder seeds.
Bird cake / fat balls are another favourite, if you make your own just use suet / lard melted onto food such as seeds, nuts, cheese, oatmeal, DO NOT use cooking fat though – it’s too soft and runny and could smear the bird’s feathers.
Finally, don’t forget some water and try to keep the bird table as clean as possible. A wash down with boiling water will clean away droppings and help prevent transmission of infection.
SK58 Birders – October 2014
by Brian Chambers
The next meeting of SK58 Birders is on Wednesday, 29 October 2014 at Anston Parish Hall, 7.30 pm start. Our own Geoff Facer will give a talk and slideshow entitled “Tanzania – Life with The Lions”.
Then on 26 November 2014, when Ron Marshall will present “A Wildlife Year”.
The field trip at the end of September 2014 was to Spurn Point, the spit of land on the north side of the Humber Estuary. Fairly strong easterly winds during the week had blown in a good selection of unusual European birds which in turn had attracted large numbers of birders. Unfortunately, by the weekend the winds had dropped, the birds having continued on their migration so leaving much less of interest. However a Masked Shrike remained, a very rare bird for the UK, it should have been travelling from the eastern Mediterranean to Africa. Most of these unexpected birds are juveniles, as this one was. However, there were a few Wheatear, Redstart, Whinchat and plenty of Waders on the Estuary to observe.
The regular monthly stroll around Langold Lake, second Monday of the month 10.00 am start, produced a few good birds – Green Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Great-crested Grebe and Gadwall plus all the usual wildfowl on the Lake. Wildfowl numbers should now be increasing at our water sites as birds arrive from the continent to escape the harsher weather conditions.
Locally, the Axle Lane fields support small flocks of Golden Plover, good numbers of Skylark and flocks of finches such as Linnet, Goldfinch and House Sparrow. I mentioned Kingfisher at Langold Lake, birds have also been seen at the Hewitt Arms fishponds, Shireoaks, the old sand quarry at Fox Covert and of course along the Chesterfield Canal, Tommy Flockton’s Marsh and Kiveton Woodlands. Kingfisher appear to have had a good breeding year.
There are good numbers of Jay around Lindrick Golf Course, Anston Stones Wood and the woodland adjacent to the Chesterfield Canal. These are all good sites to see this colourful bird. Their behaviour just now is to collect acorns and bury them as a food store for the winter months.
Finally, one bird that is sometimes seen locally is the Raven, bigger than a Crow with a very loud croaky call. This species appears to be slowly spreading into our region.
SK58 Birders – September 2014
by Brian Chambers
The Indoor Meetings start again this month at 7.30 pm on Wednesday, 24 September 2014 at Anston Parish Hall, after the summer break. There will be the usual review of local birding news then Mike Vickers will present his talk and slide show entitled “The Gambia”. Non-members are most welcome to attend; if you are interested in birds or wildlife in general why not see what the group has to offer?
Locally, the Golden Plover are present on the Axle Lane fields, sometimes not easy to spot amongst the stubble. Flocks of 20-30 birds have been recorded. When ploughing is underway large flocks of Gulls appear to feed on the earthworms, some of these birds will have arrived from Europe. Most are either Black-headed (now losing their black or rather brown head coloration) or Lesser Black-backs but there may be a few Herring or Common Gulls present.
As the leaves start to fall this is a good time to see a few birds feeding in the Hedgerows and in Hawthorne and Elderberry bushes. This month there have been good numbers of Chiffchaff in this sort of habitat, e.g. along the Canal and on the restored pit sites of Dinnington and Kiveton. Although fairly plain little Warblers, they are of interest in that many are now staying in the UK over winter, probably another sign of global warming. Similarly the Blackcap but in smaller numbers.
The same sort of habitat will also provide good feeding grounds for all the Tit species. Amongst the Tit flocks look out for the tiny Goldcrest, the UK’s smallest bird, unmistakeable with its gold head crest and prominent eye. Occasionally, very occasionally like once in 5 years, the Goldcrest may in fact be a Firecrest, this similar species has a white stripe above the eye. This bird would be a real find, probably bringing out the local twitchers.
SK58 Birders – August 2014
by Brian Chambers
The next Indoor Meeting of the group will be on Wednesday, 24 September 2014 at Anston Parish Hall, 7.30 pm start. There will be a talk and slideshow by Mike Vickers entitled “The Gambia”.
Locally the Axle Lane fields have had some interesting and uncommon species visiting. These are the fields between Todwick and South Anston, accessed either by the path alongside the Manor House and the Wall or by the bridleway by Kiveton Hall Farm.
The fields to the south of the Wall have been cropped, they are now either reseeded with corn or being ploughed. The habitat has attracted a few returning Golden Plover, numbers in low single figures at present, also a few Grey Partridge but not as many as in previous years so far.
The rarest of our late summer migrants was a male Dotterel, the bird was feeding on the ploughed stubble just east of the cross path. It only stayed the one day before continuing its southward migration towards its North African wintering grounds. Dotterel are unusual in that the male does most of the incubation of the eggs, thus is less colourful than the female for reasons of camouflage. Both sexes have a prominent white supercilium, band above the eye, a chestnut brown belly with a white chest band. In the UK these birds breed on Scotland’s mountains, however our bird may have come from Scandinavia. The bird is a little smaller than the more familiar Golden Plover.
A Marsh Harrier was also recorded over the site, quartering over the cornfields. This species was on the edge of UK extinction but careful management has improved the situation. Locally they are present at Potteric Carr, a Yorkshire Wildlife site near Doncaster, alongside the M18. Harriers have a slow flight, the wings held in an upright V form, slowly quartering the ground, often cornfields, in search of young bird or mammal prey.
The other uncommon visitor was a Merlin, this is a small bird of prey, much smaller than the familiar hovering Kestrel. These are hill and moorland species which migrate to lower ground in the Autumn, often seen chasing Swallow or House Martin prey.
The Autumn migration is just starting, so keep an eye out for over-flying Osprey, also on Axle Lane such species as Wheatear, Whinchat and the colourful Stonechat.
SK58 Birders – July 2014
by Brian Chambers
The group sort of enters a summer hibernation with no members’ meetings over the holiday period, the next Indoor Meeting will be at Anston Parish Hall on 24 September 2014.
Locally the ever-maturing Kiveton Woodlands, the former pit site, supports a good number of birds. The lake is well used by the fishermen but Mallard Duck, Coot (all black apart from a white bill / forehead), Moorhen (the water fowl with the yellow / red bill) and Mute Swan are usually present. Grey Heron are often on the site but shooed away from the fishing pond itself.
The hedgerows support good counts of Yellowhammer, flocks of 20+ are quite common. Reed Bunting abound all over the site particularly in the vegetation close to the streams and damp areas. Linnet are another colourful species which feed on the abundant seeds, the male birds are very handsome just now with a striking red breast, often perched on top of a gorse shrub.
Plenty of other species have been recorded here this past month. Especially interesting are Kingfisher (dazzling blue back and orange chest), Sedge and Reed Warblers (croaking songsters from the reed beds). Great Spotted Woodpecker and Green Woodpecker can often be sighted on a walk around the site. The site is developing into a great Nature Reserve.
The Chesterfield Canal is another prime location on our doorstep. As the summer moves on young birds abound and will form into mixed species flocks, safety in numbers! If you see a few Blue Tits together then hang around they may be joined by the larger Great Tit, possibly Coal, Marsh or Willow Tit and also the diminutive Goldcrest and the Treecreeper – creeping mouse-like up the tree trunk. Higher up in the tree canopy is the territory of the Nuthatch, the bird that loves to forage upside down on the branches.
Finally a plea – our group would like to increase its membership, there must be lots of people locally with an interest in birds / general nature.
We offer interesting monthly meetings with knowledgeable speakers / slideshows, local guided walks, identification help and good company. Membership costs £12 per year for adults, £15 for families, children free. Come to our next meeting and give us a try, no obligation just join if you think it will suit or if you are looking for another interesting hobby.
SK58 Birders – June 2014
by Brian Chambers
The June meeting of SK58 Birders features a talk by Ron Marshall on “Wildlife of Manitoba”.
This is the last meeting for two months – July and August are holiday periods, the next indoor meeting will be on 24 September 2014 with a talk on “The Gambia”.
Locally, young Tawny Owls have been seen in Bluebell Wood. This is a regular nesting site for this species, I’m sure the adults will hunt in the Church grounds where plenty of rodents should be present.
Barn Owl is another species present locally, one of our members has been erecting special boxes in the area specifically designed to attract them. This effort has been very successful, the best place to catch sight of these charismatic birds at the moment is over Dinnington Community Woodlands. Park by the entrance to the Bluebell Wood Hospice and watch over the grassland areas, birds have been seen most evenings lately.
Long-eared Owl is a less known species but is not uncommon in our area. They should be feeding young about now so may be seen at dusk. Also, young birds call quite loudly, described as a loud, heartbreaking plaintive call. Dinnington Marsh by the Old Mineral Line is a good site for this species.
Neither Cuckoo nor Turtle Dove have been recorded recently, both species appear to be on the decline nationally. There has been just a single record of Spotted Flycatcher – in the gardens down Lindrick Dale. Last year saw an increase in records for this species but sadly it has not continued in our recording area so far.
However, there have been some good birds about locally. Kingfisher are still present on the Chesterfield Canal, Yellow Wagtail have bred again on the Axle Lane fields, Grey Heron are regularly recorded locally, Bullfinch are present in good numbers by the Chesterfield Canal and our gardens support good numbers of Tits, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch with occasional visits by Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush and Jay. House Martins still nest on Todwick houses and there are still good numbers of Swift and Swallow overhead.
Please keep putting out feed in your gardens, drinking water is important as the summer hopefully warms up.
SK58 Birders – May 2014
by Brian Chambers
The next indoor meeting at Anston Parish Hall features a talk by Bob Croxton on “Birds of Southern Spain”. Bob is a regular guest speaker at SK58 Birders’ evenings, his presentations are always full of interest.
Our next meeting is on 25 June 2014 and we welcome Ron Marshall who will enlighten us on “Wildlife in Manitoba”. As always we are pleased to see new members.
The Bird Hide at Dinnington Community Woodlands is open every Saturday morning from 08.00 until 11.00. An SK58 member is always present to provide advice, identification help and general information on the birds and on group activities. The site is best approached from the Hospice Entrance by Cramfitt Bridge, parking is usually OK on the side of the road / pavement.
Lapwing are nesting on this site, probably about 10 pairs, at least 10 young have been recorded but their numbers soon decline as the crows, kestrels and other predators take their toll. However, some do survive all the hazards and ever larger young birds can be watched.
This site supports two of our rarer warblers. That is Sedge and Reed Warblers. They both have long croaking songs, the Sedge a little more varied. They are both present in the reed-beds by the Cramfitt entrance, they are not easy to see but they sing most of the time.
A Common Tern has been sighted back over the fishing ponds on Axle Lane. In previous years a pair of birds has visited this site so it is good to see them return. They are summer visitors, spending the winter months in Africa, it is always amazing that they find their way back to Todwick from so far away.
There are plenty of Reed Buntings nesting in the rape, I counted 9 male birds one day. The male is easily identified with its black head and bib. There are good numbers of Yellow Wagtail on Axle Lane, best seen when perched on the stone wall. A Whinchat has also been recorded at the site, the male has an orangey breast and a prominent eye stripe. This species will not stay, it is happier on a moorland habitat.
I am not aware if Cuckoo has been heard or seen, some years they are in the area around the old Todwick sewage works. Another rare bird nowadays is the Turtle Dove, last year a pair were present near Toplocks on the Chesterfield Canal.
SK58 Birders – April 2014
by Brian Chambers
This month’s Newsletter arrives in time to publicise the April SK58 Birders meeting on Wednesday, 30 April 2014 when Mick Turton will talk about European Birds. The May meeting will be on 28 May 2014 when Bob Croxton will give a presentation on the “Birds of Southern Spain”. As ever the meeting welcomes all-comers, there is a charge for non-members of £2 which basically just covers the hire cost of Anston Parish Hall. Tea / coffee and biscuits are available.
The Spring Migration is now well advanced. Chiffchaff have been singing for over a month now, the song is a continuous repetition of their name, the song is more like a call and unmistakeable. Willow Warbler, arriving a little later, is very similar in appearance but the song is a much more musical gentle warble, at one time these birds were looked upon as the same species. Both these species will be in Todwick’s Bluebell Wood and are common wherever trees, shrubs and cover are present.
Blackcap is a fine singer, a good strong warbling sound. They are grey birds but the male supports a black crown, the female a brown cap. They tend to keep concealed but if the song is heard a patient wait should produce a sighting.
The Common Whitethroat are just arriving and have a strong scratchy song, they are often conspicuously perched on top of shrubs singing away and displaying their white throat patches.
The old Dinnington Colliery site has 4/5 singing Grasshopper Warblers at present, more than in previous years – the vegetation here is becoming well established and obviously suiting this species. The song is called reeling, sounding like a fisherman’s reel being unwound. This is a good species for our area, somewhat of a rarity but not totally uncommon.
Swallows are back in numbers, House Martins less so but have been seen over Langold Lake. Sand Martins, smaller than swallows and brown, are back nesting in the sandstone rock face at Brown Bayley’s pond at Fox Covert.
Two colourful migrants to look for on the Axle Lane fields towards South Anston are Wheatear and Yellow Wagtail. Wheatear are on passage towards hillier habitat but often pause here to feed and perch on the old stone wall. Yellow Wagtail, the male a striking bright yellow, breed here. In the past they have favoured the rape seed fields, this year there is more corn planted than rape so numbers could be reduced.
So, there is plenty to look out for. Keep an eye upwards as well – Curlew, Red Kite, and Osprey are all possible and there is always the chance of Cuckoo calling but a much rarer event in recent years.
SK58 Birders – March 2014
by Brian Chambers
The 26 March 2014 indoor meeting features a talk by Alan Parker, a Todwick Resident and Wildlife Photographer, entitled “Nuclear Nature”. As always everybody is welcome to attend, the meeting is at Anston Parish Hall, 7.30 pm start. To cover the cost of hall hire there is a charge of £1 for members and £2 for non-members.
How are your garden birds? Are there as many as usual? The exceptionally wet and windy January has been quite a challenge.
In our garden, which is on the edge of the village next to agricultural land, the usual species have been feeding on the plentiful seeds, nuts, fat balls and kitchen scraps.
Yellowhammers have regularly appeared in quite large flocks, best count c15, especially when there has been a bit of frost on the ground. The male has much more yellow on the head, the female’s head is streaked with yellow – not as colourful. They feed on the lawn, eating seeds.
Chaffinch also form quite large flocks at times, the best count has been of about 30 birds. They also prefer to ground feed but will have a look at what’s on offer on the bird table.
Greenfinch numbers are lower than they were a few years ago, this is a national trend. The birds are affected by a parasitic trichomonosis infection that occurs in the bird’s mouth. Greenfinch suffer the most but it also occurs in Chaffinch and pigeons. However, we still often have about 10 birds present, they particularly like the sunflower hearts in the garden feeder.
Goldfinch are the other common finch, their numbers are on the increase in our garden, there were 15-20 birds present in the last week of January. They also scrap over the sunflower feeder and will take the smaller niger seeds from another feeder.
House Sparrow are fairly rare in our garden, often only 3-4 birds or none at all. The smaller Tree Sparrow used to be more plentiful, at one time flocks of over 50 but now just the occasional one or two.
Other regular visitors are Robin, Wren, Blackbird, Dunnock, Woodpigeon (unfortunately), Collared Dove, Magpie, Blue & Great Tits, and a Sparrowhawk regularly leaves a pile of feathers behind after a meal of Pigeon. This past month a Buzzard has taken up residence in the adjacent field.
So there are plenty of birds around the village, if you place food for them on a regular basis then they will find it and also keep coming back for more.
SK58 Birders – January 2014
by Brian Chambers
This Newsletter may just arrive in time to mention the January monthly meeting at Anston Parish Hall on the 29th, the Speaker will be Malcolm Walpole – his subject the Birds of Botswana. The next meeting will then be held on 26 February 2014 and features a talk by Glyn Hudson “British Nature through the Camera”.
The Winter months are an excellent time to track down Woodpeckers. The leaves have been shed leaving the tree trunks / branches bare so the birds are much easier to spot. This is of course true for the other woodland birds such as the Tits, Treecreepers, Goldcrests, Siskin and Redpoll.
Great Spotted Woodpeckers, the commonest species, are best first located by sound, their call is a very characteristic “kick - kick” repeated at short intervals. If you recognize this then actually locating the bird is usually quite easy. The flight of the bird is also very distinctive, a direct flight with deep undulations. This species is essentially a woodland bird but it will visit gardens especially to feed on peanuts, many in Todwick have reported them in their gardens. The bird has a black back with a large white shoulder patch, a dagger like beak, red under the tail and the male a red patch at the back of its head. Local occupied sites include Bluebell Wood at Todwick, Kiveton Community Woodlands, especially around the old sewage works area, and of course the woodland alongside the Chesterfield Canal – probably the best spot.
Green Woodpecker is a larger bird, essentially green but with a yellow rump. This bird is again best first located by its characteristic laughing call. It feeds mainly on ants so spending much time on the ground. It also has the undulating flight. Both these species use their strong feet to cling upright to tree trunks / branches so producing a very characteristic pose.
The rarest Woodpecker is the Lesser Spotted, a small bird with a white barred back. They were present along the Chesterfield Canal but not recently, their decline is unfortunately national.
Treecreeper and Goldcrest often associate with Tit flocks. The Treecreeper can be recognized as it climbs up tree trunks, a mouse like bird with a long down-curved bill. The Goldcrest is our smallest bird, very active, if it stays still for a moment then the yellow / orange head crest should be clearly visible. The Chesterfield Canal and Anston Stones Wood are good sites.
Siskin are Winter visitors to our area, they are small fiches with yellow wing bars and black crowns and bibs. The best site to locate them is the Chesterfield Canal where large flocks feed on Alder seeds, often 30 – 40 birds which will feed high up in the trees totally unfazed by any human presence. The flock will fly off in close formation often to return into the original trees.
Redpoll often associate with Siskin but can be in their own flocks of 20+ birds. They are small brown finches with a red forehead and in summer a red breast. Both Siskin and Redpoll are great acrobats hanging upside-down to tackle the Alder seeds. Kiveton Community Woodland has been a reliable site for this species recently, especially as the Alder and Birch trees become more established.
Continue to 2013 reports.