Eldernell, Eyebrook Reservoir & Draycote Water :: 18 January 2025

Kev had chosen to return to Cornwall after previously missing the booted eagle, but I had commitments on Saturday night and Sunday, making a late return on Saturday impossible. Instead, I decided to bird on my own and make a full day of it, visiting several sites to add a few species to my year list. As usual, I planned to start at the furthest location and gradually work my way home, ensuring a shorter final leg at the end of the day. My itinerary included Eldernell for owls -specifically tawny and long-eared - Eyebrook Reservoir for smew - and Draycote Water for the ferruginous duck.

After a quick breakfast stop, I arrived at Eldernell to find the cold accompanied by a lingering mist, far from ideal conditions for photography. I hoped the owls would cooperate and stay within close range. Unfortunately, I seemed to have missed the barn owl, as there was no sign of one on the wing, and I couldn’t spot any short- or long-eared owls in their usual roosting hedge. Rather than making another pass, I headed straight for the tree where a tawny owl often "suns" itself, offering excellent views as it roosts before its evening hunt.

scanned the water as flocks of whooper swans lifted off and flew overhead, making up for my recent miss at Slimbridge. They passed in groups of three to twelve, heading east. A flock of pink-footed geese also moved through before a raven appeared, landing in the distance to join another on the footpath along the raised bank. Among the ducks and wildfowl, nothing particularly noteworthy stood out.

I decided to walk back and check the hedge again for any owls. Along the way, I encountered a group of young lads accompanied by a couple of adults. They hadn’t seen any short- or long-eared owls, and I confirmed that I hadn’t either. They opted to head toward the tawny owl, while I continued working my way toward the car park and back, ultimately coming up empty-handed. Out on the marsh, a pair of common cranes flew through, though they remained at a distance.

I headed back once more, carefully scanning the hedge, taking my time to search through the branches and foliage. Before long, the lads returned and joined the effort - one of them had a thermal scope, so I decided to stay close as he picked out a few small tit species in the hedge. We formed the advanced guard, with the rest of the group following behind.

After about ten minutes, the young lad suddenly stopped, raised his binoculars, then his scope, and gestured to his friend. I paused and joined them just in time to hear him say that this was the first significant find he’d made with his scope. He pointed out where to look, and sure enough, there it was ... a long-eared owl. I had begun to wonder if I might need to make a detour to Deeping Lakes, but with this find, I could stick to my original plan.

Out in front of the car park, I spotted my first marsh harrier of the year, gliding over the pools and occasionally stalling, though it never made a move on any unsuspecting prey. Raptors were scarce, with only a lone kestrel perched in a tree. As I left the lads behind, I caught sight of half a dozen cranes touching down on the distant far bank, too far for photos and only really visible through the scope.

As I approached the car park, I came across a pair of stonechats, though only the female lingered long enough for a photo. They always seem to show well in this area. With other sites still to visit, I needed to keep moving, so I jumped into the car and set off for Eyebrook Reservoir.

arrival, I parked opposite the viewing area and scanned the water. Realistically, any smew were likely in the next bay, out of sight from this spot. As usual, a handful of red-legged partridges roamed the area, with one perched on a fallen tree, seemingly standing guard. As another approached, there was a noticeable hint of aggression from the bird holding the vantage point.

After spotting groups of pintails among the wigeon and teal, I moved back out and walked along the roadside to a gap in the hedge, which offered a clear view of the bay. Before long, I spotted a drake smew diving near the point, gradually working its way closer. Within minutes, another drake and a redhead suddenly appeared alongside it. I had no idea where they had been hiding, as I hadn't seen them among the other ducks; it's not as if a drake smew is particularly inconspicuous! Moments later, the entire group was spooked by an unseen threat and took to the air, with the smew following suit, heading left and disappearing down the reservoir. Some of the teal and wigeon circled back and settled again, but the smew remained out of sight.

I walked further down the road and eventually saw the three smew at distance before they disappeared again. There were now numbers of goldeneye and they were also a year tick, a few of the males displaying - the mating display is a fascinating and elaborate courtship ritual performed by drake goldeneyes to attract females, typically in late winter and early spring. The drake dramatically throws his head backward until it nearly touches his back, then snaps it forward while giving a nasal, high-pitched call.

I returned to the spot where I had watched the smew, only to find they hadn’t yet returned. Scanning the bay, I noticed some movement and quickly realized it was an otter - my second consecutive visit with a sighting. This time, however, there was no diving, just a swift, purposeful cruise across the bay before it disappeared from view.

I logged my sightings and returned to the car, setting off for Draycote Water. On arrival, I found the car park still quite full and after paying for a couple of hours of parking, I stopped to chat with a fellow birder who was packing up his gear into the boot of his car. He mentioned that he had checked round to the hide at Toft Bay but hadn’t seen the ferruginous duck; it was therefore likely somewhere beyond the sailing club. That saved me some time, and before long, I was joining another birder who was scanning the water with his scope. As we worked through the tufted ducks and coots, I picked up another year tick, a small group of goosanders.

In the far distance near the valve tower, we managed to spot the long-staying red-throated diver. As we shifted our focus back to the ducks closer to the bank, we finally located the ferruginous duck, diving only occasionally. To get a better view, we moved further along the bank. The light was fading, but there was still enough to capture a few photos.

As I made my way back to the car, I came across John Judge and Theo de Clermont setting up for the gull roost and decided to join them. A glaucous gull had been seen in recent days, and it was a great opportunity to learn. They picked out a distant yellow-legged gull, and we spotted the red-throated diver now working along the edge of a group of large gulls; mostly lesser black-backed, great black-backed, and a few herring gulls. Common gulls were plentiful, with black-headed gulls making up the majority.

I kept watching, but eventually, my parking limit ran out, and I had to head back to the car. Later, I found out that the glaucous gull had dropped in just 15 minutes after I left; though it must have been quite dark by then, it still would have been great to see.

Year list: 105.

Derbyshire & Eyebrook Reservoir :: 30 November 2024

The willow tit, once a common woodland bird in the UK, has seen a dramatic decline in recent decades. This small, unobtrusive bird is now one of the fastest-declining species in the country, with its population having plummeted by over 90% since the 1970s. Its plight is largely attributed to habitat loss, ecological competition, and climate change. The isolation of suitable woodland patches prevents willow tits from dispersing and recolonising areas. Small, fragmented populations are more vulnerable to local extinction.

Despite efforts, reversing the willow tit’s decline is challenging due to the widespread and persistent nature of its threats and without substantial and sustained intervention, this species may continue to dwindle to critically low levels in the UK.

Seeing willow tits in the UK has become increasingly rare due to their significant decline, but with some effort, it's still possible to spot them in certain strongholds. Having not seen one for a few years Kev @kev07713 and I decided to make this our target species for our weekly birding trip.

Willow tits are most commonly seen in regions such as Yorkshire, Cheshire, and parts of Derbyshire with some of their key strongholds including: South Yorkshire’s Dearne Valley, Cheshire wetlands, and Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire.

Willow tits are present year-round, but winter and early spring are often the best times to see them, as foliage is less dense and their activity around feeders increases. They are easier to identify by their call than by sight; their song is a distinctive, wheezy "zee-zee-zee," and their calls include a nasal "chew-chew." Key identification features are a black cap and bib (like marsh tit, but with subtle differences), pale cheeks and a buff-coloured underbody - slightly duller plumage compared to marsh tits.

According to Richard Broughton (specialist on willow and marsh tits) they exhibit a nice white cheek pattern, with the hint of a 'golden collar', and obvious creamy margins on the wing. Dr. Richard Broughton has conducted extensive research on willow tits and their ecological challenges. His work has focused on understanding their habitat requirements and the factors contributing to their decline in the UK. He has authored a book titled The Marsh Tit and the Willow Tit, which consolidates decades of research and explores these birds' unique ecological roles, behaviour, and conservation needs.

Conservation efforts inspired by examples from Europe, such as the management of Poland's Białowieża Forest, show promise for habitat restoration. His research also emphasises the interconnectedness of forest ecosystems and the role willow tits play within them. Further study is available in publications and scientific journals, and Richard continues to contribute to bird conservation as the editor-in-chief of the Bird Study journal.

After stopping for breakfast along the way, we arrived at our destination and began preparing for a chance to spot and photograph the elusive willow tit. There were several promising locations nearby where they might appear, as well as the possibility of them being drawn to nearby feeders. Time slipped by without any sign of our target. Meanwhile, a pair of pheasants provided some entertainment, engaging in parallel walking and occasional displays of posturing. Though their loud crowing calls filled the air, there was no physical confrontation - just what seemed like practice for a future encounter.

We watched various tit species flitting through the trees and bushes, accompanied by chaffinches, greenfinches, a nuthatch, and a great spotted woodpecker. Many of these birds eventually visited the feeders, which were mostly nearly empty. At one point, Kev replenished one of the feeders with a "premium mix" he had brought along in his bag.

Patience proved to be essential, as a couple of hours passed without any sign of the willow tit. Then, at last, one appeared, landing briefly on a feeder. I quickly captured a few photos before it departed, stage right. The bird returned intermittently, offering only fleeting views on the feeder and frustratingly avoiding nearby branches. When it finally perched on a branch, it was partially obscured, making a clear shot impossible. Like many photographers, I preferred not to have my subject framed on a feeder, so after managing to capture a decent photo, I cheekily edited it to make the bird appear perched on a twig. A bit of creative license, perhaps, but it made for a much more natural-looking setting! - before and after ... you can't believe anything you see.

We repositioned to get a better angle on a particular tree and settled in to wait again. This time, we watched as the bird moved through the canopy, gradually descending to head height. Finally, it paused in the open just long enough for me to get it in focus. Success and this time, there was no need for any post-editing tricks!

Eventually our bird disappeared for an extended time, and we decided to make our way to Eyebrook Reservoir where a drake smew had been reported for a second day.

Smew are small diving ducks and are a winter visitor to the UK, primarily found in freshwater lakes and gravel pits, commonly seen in southern and eastern England and regularly on Rutland Water and Eyebrook Reservoir. The bird reported was a drake which sports a stunning black-and-white plumage with a panda-like face pattern.

We arrived at the viewing area where the bird had been reported earlier and started scanning. In front (and actually all around) red-legged partridge called; the call of the red-legged partridge is a distinctive and repetitive sound, often described as a loud, rhythmic "chuk-chuk-chuk" or "chur-chur-chur."

We spotted numbers of goldeneye and pintails; they are returning to many sites to overwinter, their populations steadily building. However, our search for the smew proved fruitless. A few other birders arrived, sharing that they too had been searching without success. Meanwhile, we spotted two very distant, black-necked grebes, previously reported in the area, as they swam toward the far end from the dam.

Small flocks of dunlin flew through with small numbers stopping to feed on the water's edge (up to 23 seen at once).

We walked and scanned along the water but couldn't find the bird - still we weren't the only ones. Barnacle and Egyptian geese joined the more common greylags and Canada geese. Try as we might we would dip.

The following days had reports of the smew again - it had gone into hiding while we were there - the Saturday curse. We will find one hopefully before the year ends.

Year list: 247.