08/01/26 - White-tailed Eagle

Over the Christmas break those visiting the Lower Derwent Valley had the good fortune to finish the year off with the appearance of an impressive visitor, when an incredible juvenile White-tailed Eagle was found at Aughton Ings on the 26th. Since then it has appeared to be fairly settled in the area and has been seen daily between Aughton and Thorganby Ings, with the best place to get a view from being around Aughton churchyard, whilst records have also been logged from Ellerton churchyard, the viewing platform and hides at North Duffield Carrs and the viewing platform at Thorganby village hall. 

WTE - Thorganby - 27/12 - James Byatt

This species is the largest bird of prey in the UK, with a massive wingspan of 2.4 m, 'fingered' ends to its wing tips and a distinctive wedge-shaped tail 🦅 White-tailed Eagles went extinct in the UK during the early 20th century due to persecution, but the species has since been reintroduced back into north-western and eastern coasts of Scotland, and more recently into the Isle of Wight and now has a total population of c150 pairs. The individual currently present on the reserve here is un-ringed and may well be a juvenile wandering from the continent where some populations have been rapidly expanding. 

WTE - Thorganby - 26/12 - Duncan Bye

Whilst this is not the first White-tailed Eagle to have occurred in the area, it is the first to have lingered and has been regularly seen feeding on geese carcasses on the floodbank, as well as hunting ducks and even taking fish from the river, whilst attracting a steady stream of birders and interested local residents alike. If you haven’t had chance to get down for a visit yet and would like further updates, keep an eye on our Twitter and Bluesky accounts, and if you'd like to read more about other White-tailed Eagles that have passed through the reserve, pre-order our new book 'The Birds of the Lower Derwent Valley' by e-mailing Lucy.Murgatroyd@naturalengland.org.uk

28/12/25 - New book!

After five years in the making, the first two copies of the new ‘Birds of the Lower Derwent Valley – a Historical, Conservation and Migration Review’ have finally arrived 😃 This book has been published by the Friends of the Lower Derwent Valley, and contained within its 550 pages is everything we know about the 294 bird species that have occurred on the reserve and surrounding area – historically, along with more detailed trends from the 1960s up to the end of 2024. 

As well as the status, counts and trends, this book also summarises the results from the ringing of over 100,000 birds since the late 1980s, with species maps, selected recoveries, and longevity records. Perhaps more significantly, it also identifies where we know we have gaps in the knowledge for certain species, as well as predicting what species might be the next to occur.  With 294 individual species accounts, 40 maps, 344 colour-photographs and 35 line-drawing and artworks, it’s a must-have book for serious local birders, nature conservationists, land managers, or indeed anyone with a passing interest in the area, the Ings, its birds and wildlife. 

The rest of the copies will be arriving in mid-January, and will be available to buy from then on, with all funds going directly back into supporting more conservation and research projects on the reserve, as well as land acquisition in the area – more details on how to buy one to follow, but if you’d like to place an order in the meantime to secure yourself a copy, please send an email to Lucy.Murgatroyd@naturalengland.org.uk

16/12/25 - December WeBS

Recently our team carried out the monthly WeBS (Wetland Bird Survey) which monitors the UK's internationally important non-breeding waterbird population, and following a tradition which started in 1947, volunteers and surveyors count wetland sites once a month on set dates, providing data for population and trends in abundance and distribution.

The Lower Derwent Valley has been counted since the early 1960s, and as such we have a fantastic data set on the changing fortunes of the ducks, geese, swans, wading birds and gulls over that period of time. Due to the recent return of the flood water, accompanied by the return of the wintering birds, the team spent last Saturday working their way around the whole site counting the wintering birds. Despite the challenges of getting around the reserve during such conditions, the team logged an impressive 44,497 wetland birds, including 22,328 wildfowl (ducks, geese and swans) and 8,239 waders. The most numerous species, as is often the case, was Wigeon with 9,870 recorded, followed by good counts of 7,624 Lapwing and 7,418 Teal. A total of 2,240 Greylag Geese was also notable (including a gathering of over 1,400 at Melbourne Ings), whilst 160 Whooper Swans were also recorded across the site (mainly concentrated around Ellerton). The churchyards at both Ellerton and Aughton provided good viewing of large numbers of birds, so it's definitely worth visiting at the moment if you’re in the area. Many thanks to our team for their efforts in helping to build up this valuable data set.

24/11/25 - Firecrest

Whilst working at the office last week we decided to open our mist nets so that Ben (new reserve manager/trainee bird ringer), could get the chance to have more experience of extracting, handling and ringing some of the local Blue and Long-tailed Tits often present around our NNR Base, so it was somewhat of a surprise to then find a Firecrest during one of the net rounds!

Whilst a total of 18 individuals have now been recorded in the wider Lower Derwent area, this one was the first since 2021, with records in 2016 and 2013 prior to that, making this species a difficult bird to connect with in the local area. Over half of all the records have fallen in the months of October and November, and as the new forthcoming ‘Birds of the Lower Derwent Valley’ states – the careful checking of riverside tit flocks in late October and early November would seem the best chance in locating one of these colourful gems’.

Did you know - Regulus ignicapilla (scientific name) translates roughly as the ‘fire-capped little king’ – a reference to the beautiful orange crown of the male, well it’s safe to say that this bird (young male) was indeed a little stunner!

10/11/25 - Autumn work programme

If you’re interested in what our team have been up to across the NNR recently please read on to find out – we honestly couldn’t manage without our fantastic team of volunteers, who help us day in, day out, to manage the four National Nature Reserves across our area. If you’re reading this and are thinking you might also like to lend a hand, please feel free get in touch for more details – our team is made up of a mix of all ages and all abilities, all with the same thing in common – a love for nature and the outdoors. If this appeals to you and you'd like to mix with like-minded people to help manage a National Nature Reserve, we’d love to hear from you.

🍂 Autumn Action Across the Valley & Common 🍂

With the winter floods edging ever closer, our brilliant team of volunteers have been making the most of the dry autumn weather — each week feeling like a gift, allowing us to tick off more vital habitat management tasks across the reserves.

So, what’s been keeping us busy?

🧹 Scrub Clearance for Waders

Across the Lower Derwent Valley, we’ve been focusing on removing willow scrub from key meadow areas. These open habitats are essential for red and amber-listed wading birds like Curlew and Snipe, who rely on clear sightlines to spot danger while nesting in spring and summer. Thanks to our volunteers — armed with loppers and bowsaws — these meadows are kept open and ready to welcome back our breeding birds.

🪵 Out with the Old Fencing

Redundant fencing has also been removed. Not only can it interfere with machinery, but the old posts offer perfect perches for crows — a threat to ground-nesting birds. By clearing these out, we’re giving Curlew and Snipe a safer space to raise their young.

🌱 Birch Clearance at Skipwith Common

Meanwhile, at Skipwith Common, work continues to clear young birch from a ditch — allowing light to reach the food plant of the orange tip butterfly. Come spring, this same ditch will be alive with fluttering wings and buzzing life, all thanks to the efforts of our volunteers.

🌳 Creating Glades for Invertebrates & Nightjars

We’ve also been cutting glades into the birch rows, helping invertebrates move more freely between habitat blocks. This connectivity is key — not just for moths, but for the Nightjars that spend their summers here, hunting across the heath.

🙏 A Huge Thank You

This is just a snapshot of the incredible work our volunteers have done over the past few months. Their dedication makes all the difference — without them, the wildlife we treasure simply wouldn’t thrive in the same way. Here’s to every bow saw wielded, every fence post pulled, and every moment spent making space for nature.