Carsington Water 10/02/2008

We arrived at the Visitor Centre Car Park at about 20 past 11 and decided to have a walk all the way along the dam to see if we could see the Great Northern Diver that was still there but as usual we couldn't find it but we did see a nice drake Goldeneye and loads Great Crested and Little Grebes. We then had lunch and went to the Wildlife Centre.

At the Wildlife Centre we saw a Pink-Footed Goose in with the Canada Geese and it was the first time I had seen 1 at Carsington Water and the first Oystercatchers of the year where on Horseshoe Island. I looked for the Little Owl that sits on the posts near the Wildlife Centre and found it in the lower branches of a tree preening itself. I decided to scan the far end of the reservoir where the Great Northern Diver usually hangs out and to my suprise I saw it, although it was very distant it was definitly it.

Pink-Footed Goose

After School Waxwing

When I was on the computer at school on Friday I went onto Birdguides website and found out that a Waxwing had been found on Ferrers Way in the Allestree area of Derby. Instead of doing my school work I went on to multi-map to find out where exactly Ferrers Way is and memorise the route my house to there.

As soon as the bell went I ran home all 1 mile of it and persuaded my dad to take there. I grabbed my binoculars and telescope and still in my school we left for Ferrers Way. We first went to the place it had been seen in the morning but there was nothing there. My dad then went to the nearby shopping centre and said I could go and look at the place it had been seen in the afternoon which was near the Shopping Centre.

After about 10 minutes the Waxwing flew and landed in a tree about 25 meters away from where I was standng and was feeding on the berries. It was bigger than I thought it would be and its yellow wing bars really stood out. It was still feeding in the same tree when I had to go home.

American Adventure. Mediterranean Duck

On Sunday news broke of a drake Ferruginous Duck on Shipley Lake in the old American Adventure Theme Park. It had been there for eight previous days.

We left home early and arrived just after 10:30. It was a long wall easily a mile around the perimiter fence of the the old theme park that they had just started to buldoze. It was asleep under a bush near the bank of an island with a few silver birchs on it. It was sleeping next to some Pochards and Tufted Ducks and a Shoveler drifted by at one point.

The fudge duck as it is commonly reffered to did wake up for about a minute and even had a little swim but soon went back to its origonal sleeping place. A flock of Siskin were calling in a nearby wood but I was unable to see them because of the sun.