Middleton Moor Update

I've been a little slow to post recent sightings so here's a short update,

Hen Harrier

Adult female on 16th and 26th November

Hen Harrier

Jack Snipe

One on 16th November

Caspian Gull

Adult on 10th November

Caspian Gull - adult

Caspian Gull x European Herring Gull

One on 8th November

Pochard 

Two on 4th November, increased to 4 on 10th November

Common Pochard 2 male, 2 female

Black-tailed Godwit

One on 29th October

Black-tailed Godwit

The only other birds of note were 3 Little Egret on the flooded fields just north of Rowsley on 16th November and a Brambling flock on Bent Lane which has increased to over 100 birds.

The Cetti's Warbler is still at Middleton having survived the colder weather.

Cetti's Warbler - Middleton Moor

I was away for most of September returning on the 26th. The following day I went to Middleton Moor and watched what we believe is the first record of Cetti's Warbler for the Derbyshire Peak District with Ray Scally and Jon Lowes. It has remained at the site, calling frequently but has been difficult to see, but I finally managed some photos yesterday.

It's still present this morning and I had 11 Whooper Swans drop on to the lagoon which are the first of the autumn. Also over a hundred each of Redwing and Fieldfare. 

Cetti's Warbler

Cetti's Warbler was first recorded in Derbyshire in 1999 but with just 5 further records in the following decade. The first proven breeding was in 2010 and it has since colonised wetlands in much of the south of the county. 

So it has been expected further north but is clearly still very rare in central and NW Derbyshire.

Great Crested Grebe - Chatsworth

I first saw this juvenile Great Crested Grebe in front of Chatsworth House on 6th August but didn't have mt camera with me so I was both surprised and pleased that it was still there this morning. It's only my second record at Chatsworth so it is a real rarity there.

It will be interesting to see how long it stays, it looked healthy and must be feeding OK. 

Great Crested Grebe juvenile

Decent wader passage at Middleton

 The first real signs of autumn wader passage getting underway today at Middleton Moor with Wood Sandpiper, Dunlin and 4 Ringed Plover. The Ringed Plover and Dunlin departed high NW but the Wood Sandpiper was then joined by 3 Redshank and a Ruff.

On the 14th I had a Green Sandpiper at Middleton so the photos taken today of the Wood Sandpiper make a nice comparison with the Green, both are juveniles.

Wood Sandpiper juvenile

Green Sandpiper juvenile

Ruff juvenile

Ringed Plover, Wood Sandpiper and Dunlin

Common Scoter - Middleton Moor

It's been fairly quiet the past couple of weeks but a Common Scoter at Middleton Moor this morning is my first for the site. It was there for about 3 hours before flying off north-west. There were several other reports in Derbyshire suggesting there was a significant movemement last night. 

Common Scoter - drake

Two Tree Pipit at Middleton today is an unusual site record, they are much scarcer there than around Beeley.

Tree Pipit

A young Fox gave excellent views from the hide. I've seen one adult there that only has three legs but watching it walking or running you wouldn't immediately notice so it appears to be coping with its disability.

Fox

Black-tailed Godwit - Middleton Moor

Making regular visits to Middleton Moor paid off again yesterday with a superb adult Black-tailed Godwit. It was present when I arrived and I watched it for about an hour but after an arrival of about 100 Lesser Black-backed Gulls it departed.

Black-tailed Godwit

There has been some big movements of Black-tailed Godwits in the last few weeks, a flock of thirty were  seen at Carsington yesterday, and I'm not sure what they are doing. You would expects adults to be breeding now.

Five Yellow-legged Gulls were also at Middleton which perhaps marks the start of the summer arrivals of this species.

Greenshank - Middleton Moor

Black-tailed Godwits have been reported from several sites in Derbyshire during the past week but none locally as far as I know. I have made several visits to Middleton Moor with very little to show for it but a Greenshank this morning was a nice surprise. I did have a Dunlin there on the 1st and two femalw Gadwall are resident at the moment.

Three juvenile Wheatear at Middleton also on the 1st and a male Whinchat was my first of the year!

There are several Whinchat on Screethem Lane and still at least two Quail still calling there.

Greenshank - adult

Osprey - Darley Dale

 Another call from Alan Stewardson, this time regarding an Osprey he had found perched in a tree by the river in Darley Dale. 

I managed brief views of it as it flew up river but as I walked towards Rowsley in past me carrying a large Brown Trout. Fortunately it landed close-by and was easily visible on the branches of a dead tree. After spending some time adjusting its position, and that of the trout, it set about eating it.

Impossible to say what it's doing here at this time of the year. It could be a bird that has failed to breed elsewhere but is one of an increasing number of birds that are present in the midlands during the summer months.

Osprey

Common Quail - Beeley Moor

I heard a Quail calling from Screetham Lane last Wednesday (11th) and it was still present on Friday (13th). It was difficult to hear due to the persistant wind as well as the traffic noise. I did manage a brief recording of the call which can be heard on my eBird list.

I had a good evening with Nightjar, Woodcock and Long-eared Owl all seen or heard calling.

Reed Warbler and a breeding record of Hawfinch

 A singing Reed Warbler by the river at Peak Rail was a great find this morning by Alan Stewardson. It's the first time either of us have seen the species locally and for a bird that is usually found in reed beds it was an odd location. 

I managed some sound recordings but couldn't get a photo so the one below is from Middleton Moor, taken a couple of days ago, where there are at least six singing males in more typical habitat.

The recording is on the eBird checklist here

Reed Warbler

Whilst waiting for the Reed Warbler to show I saw several Banded Demoiselle along the river bank.

Banded Demoiselle - male

It's been a good week for Alan as he also found a pair of Hawfinch in the Darley Dale area and after some careful observations we confirmed that they were feeding two fledged youngsters. 

Formerly a regular breeder in the area they are now very rare in Derbyshire so it was great to be able to confirm that they had successfully raised two youngsters.

Hawfinch juvenile

Avocet - Middleton Moor

 I've been in Latvia at Kolka for the past 10 days so again catching up on local birds.

A good passage of waders through Middleton with a high counts of16 Ringed Plover on 25th May which left then 19 on 29th May.  Also Sanderling on 27th May then 7 on 29th.A Black-tailed Godwit was seen at Middleton on 22nd May.

I had 14 Dunlin drop in for an hour at Middleton on 30th Maywith a single Ringed Plover.

On the moors there has been regularly sightings of Hobby and the expected Nightjar and Woodcock.

This morning was a real surprise though, with a pair of Avocet on the lagoon. They slept for the first hour after I first saw them so I presume they were recent arrivals. After a sleep they were feeding and seemed fairly settled.

Avocet 

Red Knot - Middleton Moor

 Usually just referred to as Knot in the UK as it's the only Knot which regularly occurs here and the vast majority seen in Britain are in the grey none breeding plumage but this bird, which has been at Middleton Moor for a couple of days now, is in breeding plumage and you can see why it gets its name.

Knot

There are only a handful of records each year in Derbyshire so it's a rare visitor to the County. 

I also had a female Ring Ouzel there yesterday which is my first of the year and always great to see.

Ring Ouzel -female

Decent morning at Middleton Moor

I spent yesterday morning at Middleton Moor and certainly felt that I had got my monies worth by the time I left!

First thing, looking from the hide it was immediately obvious that there was a Great Black-backed Gull stood with the Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the edge of the lagoon. I've often wondered when looking through the gulls could I overlook a Great Black-backed and certainly when seen with Lessers the size difference is so obvious that the answer has to be no!.

I think this bird is in its 3rd summer, so not quite adult as can be seen from the brown feathers in the wing and the dark barring on the tail. There has recently been a sighting of the very similar Cape Gull, probably from South Africa, in West Yorkshire but that was an adult so this certainly isn't it.  The Great Black-backed Gull is a rare visitor to Middleton Moor and probably even scarcer now than it was in the past.

Great Black-backed Gull with two Lesser Black-backed

Great Black-backed Gull

Having watched the gull for a while I took a walk, eventually viewing the lagoon from the other side.

As well as the currently resident Little Ringed Plovers a single Ringed Plover was feeding on the shoreline and I noticed another bird landing that looked small for a Curlew and sure enough it was a Whimbrel a scarce but annual visitor.

Whimbrel

I scanned the shoreline again a little later and was very surprised to see another Wood Sandpiper, my third in a week for this very rare visitor which is on its way to breeding grounds in northern Scandinavia.

Wood Sandpiper

There was a lot of heat haze and the birds were distant, but the photos are just about good enough to see what they are.

What else will May produce?

Whinchat - Beeley Triangle

 I wasn't able to locate a Whinchat on Beeley Moor over the weekend. 

I blame the cold and the wind but it didn't stop Dave Griffin who photographed this male by Beeley Triangle on Sunday.

Whinchat - male © David Griffin

Migrant catchup

I was abroad for a month from late March so have spent the 10 days since I got home catching up on the common migrants that have arrived during my absence.

Migrants generally seem to be in good numbers with Blackcaps, Willow and Garden Warblers singing in all the usual locations. Pied Flycatchers were seen in Halldale Wood in the middle of April but then seem to have moved on but are easily found on the other side of the valley.

Pied Flycatcher - male

I usually see Wood Warbler between the 20th and 24th April but there was no sign by the end of April but finally there was a singing male this morning in Halldale Wood.

Wood Warbler

Common Whitethroats also seem plentiful and I've heard a single Lesser Whitethroat several times at Middleton Moor.

I've not been to Elton Common yet but a pair of Yellow Wagtail have been seen there.

I saw my first Cuckoo last weekend, but birds were reported around the 12th April, and I heard Grasshopper Warbler but I've yet to see Whinchat or Hobby but both have been seen in the Beeley Triangle area this week.

Middleton Moor has provided both Sedge and Reed Warblers and a few waders, the best of which were two Wood Sandpiper on 29th April but I saw both Ringed and Little Ringed Plover together there on 1st May.

Wood Sandpiper

Ringed Plover (foreground) and Little Ringed Plover

My first Common Swifts were over Darley Dale on the 30th and Swallow, Sand and House Martins are back at their usual nesting locations.

I've yet to see Spotted Flycatcher but a bird was reported from Hellbank Plantation today, and the Nightjars have yet to arrive.

 So still plenty of the regular migrants to look for and there's always the chance of something rarer.