Whinchat, Hobby and a first Common Lizard of the year

 A male Whinchat held territory on Beeley Moor from late May in to June and I had hoped that it would breed, but despite several searches I have not been unable to find any juveniles and suspect the male either remained unpaired or the attempt failed. However, I did find an adult female on the fence line above Harthill Pond in Youlgrave earlier this week. 

Coincidentally, there were also records from Carr Vale and Ogston Reservoir on the same day, all the records were of adults and perhaps signals a departure of the adults from their breeding grounds.

Whinchat - adult female

Yesterday I came across two, presumably a pair, of Hobby chasing swallows above Rowsley. They have bred in the area previously and hopefully there is a nest with what should be almost fully grown juveniles somewhere nearby.

Hobby - second calendar year bird, lacking the red undertail and already moulting some primary feathers

During the summer months I always keep an eye on the dry stone walls in the hope of seeing a Common Lizard. Usually my first sightings are in late April or early May but this year I hadn't seen any until today when I saw a single adult on Flash Lane.

I perhaps haven't looked too hard this year and the weather was very poor in June but still it's very late for my first of the year. Hopefully I'll see more in the coming months as I usually record them through to mid-September.

Common Lizard

Three new for the year!

 Not birds this time, but my first Forester and Latticed Heath moths and Common Lizard. The two moths are probably only just emerging now but the lizards will have been out since the spring, but I've only just managed to find one. All on Flash Lane this morning.

Forester

Latticed Heath

Common Lizard

Common Lizards enjoying the last of the sunshine

I've seen several Common Lizard basking in the sunshine on the moors over the last couple of days. Once the weather changes I think they will be hibernating until next year. The upper photo is a young one, presumably born either this year or last whilst the lower photo is of an older adult.

Common Lizard

More Spring migrant arrivals

On a beautiful Spring morning it looks like most of our returning migrant birds are now back. I added Common and Lesser Whitethroat this morning, the latter is scarce on the eastern side of the Derwent and generally doesn't breed here but is commoner towards Carsington. I also saw my first Swifts, with a dozen over Rowsley although there were reports from Matlock at the start of the week. 
I've yet to see Spotted Flycatcher but they were present at Carsington on Tuesday and I haven't yet been up to Matlock Forest for Nightjar but birds were churring there on Monday (7th May) which is an early date.

Whitethroat - arriving back a little later this year

Unsurprisingly with the recent sunny weather Common Lizards are also enjoying the weather with this small, perhaps 1 year old, individual on Flash Lane. Finally the Large Red Damselfly have at last emerged from my small pond.

Common Lizard

Common Lizards - Flash Lane

Plenty of Common Lizards soaking up the sunshine this morning including some youngsters. The top photo is a composite of two shots in order to have both in focus, unfortunately I have a central area between the two that wasn't in focus on either shot so should have taken three!
The middle photo looks like an adult with a regrown tail and the bottom photo is a youngster only 4 cm long and still with a very dark tail.

Common Lizard

Common Lizard and Garden Tiger larva basking in the sun

It's not just us that enjoy the sunshine, had my first Common Lizard of the year warming in the sunshine and a single Garden Tiger larva also benefiting from the weather. They overwinter as the larva but then need sunshine in the Spring before they pupate.
First Swallows locally today and single Tree Pipit.

Common Lizard

Garden Tiger larva

Common Lizard - pregnant female Beeley Moor

The warm weather has been good for seeing lizards, I had seven or eight this morning on a short stretch of dry stone wall including this very pregnant female plus a rather unusual orange coloured individual, which also looked a bit thick around the waist.
Quiet bird wise but another Red Kite sighting indicates they are still in the area.

Common Lizard

Common Lizard - Flash Lane

Despite the intermittent sunshine and very strong NW wind I saw my first Common Lizards of the year on Flash Lane this morning with at least 4 poking their heads out of the dry stone wall. All were quite small and I assume they are one year olds. 
The appearance of Common Lizards sunning themselves in this area always seems to be quite a bit later than elsewhere in the Peak District presumably due to temperature factors.

Common Lizard

Common Lizard - October record for Beeley Moor

I can't recall having seen Common Lizard before in October. Usually they have disappeared to start their winter hibernation by early September on Beeley Moor but the weather has been so warm recently it has encouraged them to bask a little longer. 
I saw a couple of juveniles today and no adults so it may just be the youngsters remaining.
I've also seen Brimstone butterfly today along with several Small Tortoiseshell and a Red Admiral.

Common Lizard - juvenile

Common Lizard shedding skin

Common Lizards shed, or slough, their skin annually and I caught an adult this morning half way through the process. This looks like a male appearing more spotted than striped.
Also had this youngster, just a few weeks old I think, napping in the sunshine.
The dry stone walls are fantastic habitat for the lizards, I counted at least seven of various ages on one stretch of wall bordering Beeley Moor.

Adult Common Lizard sloughing

Common Lizard - a few weeks old

Family portrait - Common Lizard

As the weather cools the lizards will be spending less time basking in the sunshine readying themselves for hibernation. 
This is often communal and, locally, is most likely in the bases of the drystone walls lasting from the end of September through to mid-March. 
Males can be distinguished from females by their orange or yellow, black spotted belly which is pale and unspotted in females. From above females are generally striped whilst the males appear spotted, so it looks like a female on the right in the photo but it's not clear if the other adult is male or female.

Common Lizards - adults with young

Common Lizard - adult with young

Several Common Lizards sat out in the sunshine on Beeley Moor including this youngster. The adult didn't pay any attention to the youngster and at one point was sat on top of it. The youngsters look completely black at a distance but show paler markings, like the adults, when seen close.

Common Lizard - adult with young

Common Lizard - pregnant female

I can only assume from the size and shape of this lizard that it's a pregnant female. It certainly looks to be in good condition and has what must be one of the longest tails I have see.

Common Lizard - pregnant female

Common Lizard - Beeley Moor

My first Common Lizard of the year, benefitting from some sunny weather. The date is a bit surprising since the Great Grey Shrike was recorded catching lizards from the end of March but probably just shows how much better the shrike was at finding them!

Common Lizard

Common Lizards - enjoying the sunshine

It's amazing what a difference warmth and sunshine makes. I've been checking each weekend for lizards with Ken and Roger but nothing until today when we counted 11 in our walk along Flash Lane this morning.
Big difference in size, and the smaller ones were much more skittish, are these one year olds?
Roger also pointed me in the direction of a pair of Spotted Flycatchers near Flash Dam which were my first for the year.

Common Lizard - with much smaller individual at the bottom

More Common Lizards

Checking the walls around the edge of the moor this morning with Ken and Mel Hayes produced around 9 Common Lizard. The middle photo looks like a pregnant female and the lower lizard has shed its tail which they are able to regrow.

Common Lizard

Common Lizard - Flash Lane

The Common Lizards have been very elusive so far this year, but there were one or two last weekend and at least 5 today taking advantage of the sunshine. The colour of the underbody and tail is very variable and this one was a particularly attractive individual.

Common Lizard

Common Lizard - Flash Lane

This Common or Viviparous Lizard as they are sometimes called due to the fact that the young are often born live as the egg bursts during delivery, was enjoying the early morning sunshine , it won't be long before they are hibernating for the winter.
Saw my first Pink-footed Geese of the autumn with a party of about twenty flying SW over the moor at around 9:30am. They generally leave the Southport area on the West coast at dawn and cross Beeley Moor and adjacent areas on their way to the Wash so it's typically mid-morning when they pass through.

Common Lizard

Common Lizard

Although there have been a few records on the moor in the last month this is my first for the year.

Common Lizard