Another cool morning witnessed the arrival of small numbers of thrushes and finches over Beeley Moor coming up the Cathole from Holymoorside.
At least 7 Redwing were seen but there were also Song Thrushes moving as well which made identification difficult in very overcast conditions. Fortunately some of the thrushes were calling and we were able to confirm our identification with sonograms from the recordings.
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| Redwing (upper) and Song Thrush over Beeley Moor |
Walking along the river towards Chatsworth this morning a heron sized bird flew past towards Beeley and I was surprised to see that it was a Great White Egret. It circled over Beeley Village, gaining height, then drifted off towards Rowsley. I was even more surprised therefore 45 minutes later to see either the same bird, or possibly another sat in the conifer tree just south of Chatsworth House.
It looked like it was feeding in the channel running from the bottom of the cascade steps as it flew down several times before returning to the same tree and with a Grey Heron on one occasion.
We saw two Little Egrets along the river so two species of egret in the Peak District is still good going despite numbers of both species continuing to increase in the south of the County.
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| Great White Egret - Chatsworth - top right in the upper photo |
Yesterday I had seen a juvenile Herring Gull with the Black-headed Gulls in Bakewell, which is a scarce bird locally, but hadn't got my camera with me si I returned this morning hoping it had come back with the other gulls. There was no sign although the gulls often turn up late morning, so it may still appear.
There was however a Common Pochard with three Tufted Duck which made the journey worthwhile, This is only my second record of Common Pochard although they can get several hundred at Carsington in the winter.
It has a very pale mantle which is suggestive of a male but lacks the adult males red head and eye and black chest so probably a juvenile male.
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| Common Pochard - probably juvenile/1st winter male |
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| Herring Gull |
Belated news of a juvenile Red-backed Shrike photographed (below) in a Bakewell Garden on 13th September confirms that migrant birds can, and do, turn up in unlikely locations! The bird was looked for in the following days but wasn't seen again.
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| Red-backed Shrike - juvenile |
Since then there was one recorded at Lumsdale in July in 1951, Masson Hill in August 1960 and Taddington in October 1976 so it could be a while before the next record.
Having been abroad for almost a month it was good to get back to the moors yesterday and Chatsworth today. With another inversion, the day started misty at Chatsworth but I hadn't walked far before I heard the sound of Pink-footed Geese overhead, my first of the autumn and always great to hear. Unfortunately I couldn't see them due to the mist but I did see another skein later.
I was surprised and pleased to see a Little Egret still present by the river below the House but the bird of the day was a female Shoveler which flew up with a small group of Teal when a Grey Heron disturbed them from the pool they had been feeding on.
My last record locally was at Chatsworth in November 2015 and it's only about my sixth for the Patch so a scarce visitor here.
Northern Shoveler female (top right) with Eurasian Teal
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| Little Egret |
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| Pink-footed Geese |