Dipper and Kingfisher new for the year in Bakewell

 My first Kingfisher and Dipper of the year today and both in Bakewell, and in beautiful sunshine.

Common Kingfisher

White-throated Dipper

Hawfinch - Cromford

 During the past week there has been occasional reports of just two Hawfinch by the entrance to Willersley Castle in Cromford. During a three hour watch this morning I managed brief, perched views, of just one bird but I, and two other local birders, were satisfied with that after a prolonged wait in sub-zero temperatures!

Fortunately there was other entertainment on the river with a pair of Dipper showing regularly and the male in song and a Kingfisher made several appearance which, in the bright sunlight, looking greener than I can recall seeing one before.

Hawfinch

Kingfisher

Dipper

Dipper on the Lathkill

 A singing male Dipper did a bit of display to its mate on the Lathkill this morning, in very cold weather. The male was ringed and I thought its partner might be as well.

Dipper

I've seen a little bit of Goshawk activity in the sunny weather but the lack of wind has prevented any prolonged display.

Northern Goshawk - subadult male

Waxwings are still feeding by Hassop Station car park but numbers are starting to decline with 30 reported there today, and with 35 reported at the Agricultural Centre in Bakewell this morning, it looks like they are starting to look for berries elsewhere.

Autumn giving way to winter

 After the excitement of the Woodpigeon movements last week with a record count of just under 188k from Ramsley on the 4th it has been much quieter this week, the pigeon numbers are back to a few hundred a day. Although there are still the occasional skeins of Pink-footed Geese it feels like autumn is well and truly over. 

The only thing that stops it feeling like winter is the temperature which is still hitting the late teens during the day and staying above ten at night. 

For the past few years Red Kites have largely disappeared from the area by late September and don't start to be seen regularly again until February but this year I'm still seeing them more or less daily as we approach the middle of November. Not sure if this is weather related but I can only assume it's to do with food availability.

Red Kite carrying a food item

The river levels have risen to a more usual level and I'm starting to hear the song of the Dipper more regularly as they have established their winter territories. 

Dipper

There is still a chance of something interesting turning up and Red-flanked Bluetail on the Cromford just north of Ambergate on 4th November was a reminder of how unpredictable birdwatching can be. Sadly, it has not been seen since but could reappear.

Osprey at Chatsworth

 Fantastic views of an Osprey fishing below the first weir at Chatsworth this morning, it took two dives to catch a fairly small fish which it carried off towards Beeley Moor to eat. There have been several reports of Osprey at Chatsworth during the past week and they presumably relate to the same bird. It looks much more worn than the bird seen at Ogston recently.

Osprey

Also had the Dipper feeding young, one of the youngsters looked like he'd taken his first dip and spent too long in the water! When I returned 30 minutes later he was looking much drier fortunately.

Dipper feeding juvenile

Dipper - wet juvenile

I also saw my first Juvenile Pied Flycatcher of the summer. They leave the woods where they have hatched soon after fledging and I'm not sure where they go, perhaps just moving around along the river edges. This bird was still being fed by the female which bore a metal BTO type ring.

Pied Flycatcher juvenile

Pied Flycatcher female

Birds in the spring sunshine

We've had some great weather over the last few days and I'm starting to see more recently fledged juvenile birds which will be benefitting from the warmth, my first young Dipper was feeding on the river at Rowsley and already starting to gain the adult white breast.

Dipper - juvenile

On the moors Hobby have been seen regularly in the evening hunting Fox moths which test the falcons agility as the day flying male moths search for the mainly nocturnal females. I've also seen the Short-eared Owl again hunting over the moor.

Hobby

Short-eared Owl

Dipper first juveniles on the wing

My first fledged Dipper of the year today on the River Wye north of Rowsley. Assuming around 17 days to incubate the egg and 22 days as a nestling and that this bird has recently fledged the egg would have been laid in the first week of March.

Dipper - juvenile

Average laying dates are late March so this is early, even by Dipper standards and probably reflects the mild winter and warm temperatures in March.

First Dipper of the New Year

Although New Years Day started off overcast and very windy the sky partially cleared late morning and I had decent views of a Dipper feeding on the River Wye north of Rowsley. A small party of Mandarin flew down the river with a single drake Goosander. 
At least a dozen Common Crossbill and several parties of Lesser Redpoll still on Flash Lane so not a bad start to the year.

Dipper

A few birds from the weekend

I have just returned from a month in southern Europe (still writing up the trip on andybutlerdiaries ) and made my first visit to the moors over the weekend. The temperature at least was similar to those I experienced last week, but the birds were different!
A female Whinchat on Beeley Moor was the first I have seen locally this year and it doesn't look like they have bred here so this is probably a female that is passing through, hopefully having bred successfully elsewhere. 

Whinchat -  female

A party of at least 17 Crossbill on Flash Lane was a further sign that birds are already on the move as there have been only a couple of birds in the area in the earlier summer.
At Chatsworth no sign of any Common Sandpiper so looks like they have not bred on the river below the House this year but a Wigeon was very unseasonal, looks like this is a drake in eclipse plumage.

Wigeon = eclipse drake

On the river at Rowsley a juvenile Dipper was just about visible in the foliage on the edge of the river.

Dipper - juvenile

Dipper in Black & White

Nice views of Dipper again this morning, a male that briefly sang, the females should be sitting on eggs now. The Dipper was nicely lit but it its surrounds were in shadow so I have edited it in black and white for a changes.

Dipper

Whooper Swan's on the move

A significant movement of Whooper Swan in the area this morning. I had just 5 flying west over Harland Edge but there were 15 at Long Eaton, 12 over Leash Fen, and two groups totalling 38 at Carsington of which 16 landed on the reservoir.

The count for the Ouse Washes a couple of days ago was 7,885 Whooper and 2,813 Bewick's Swans so there will still be plenty left!

Whooper Swan

The mist was patchy at Chatsworth early on, which was quite dramatic at times, and a singing Dipper put on a nice show but it was quiet otherwise.

Mist over the River Derwent

Dipper in song

Spring is on it's way - Dipper feeding young on River Wye

Real signs of Spring appearing now with a pair of Dipper already feeding young on the River Wye this morning.
I will be missing the Spring in the UK this year as I am travelling abroad until the Summer but you can follow my progress on my Wildlife Diaries blog and on the Twitter feed in the two blogs.
I will post any interesting wildlife photos received from the Matlock/Bakewell area whilst I'm away on the Darley Dale blog and normal service will resume on my return!

Dipper

Dipper in song

Interesting bird the Dipper, not only because of its aquatic feeding behaviour but, as most birds vocalisations are limited to calls as winter approaches, the Dippers are in full song defending winter territories much like the Robin and like that species both males and females deliver the song. 
This bird was on the River Wye at Rowsley early this morning.

Dipper in song

First Dipper young - Chatsworth

My first Dipper fledgling of the Spring at Chatsworth today.

Dipper - juvenile

Dipper portrait

Plenty of Dipper activity at the moment, this is a singing male on the River Bradford.

Dipper

Dipper - a lucky encounter

It rained for most of the morning from around 10am but brightened late afternoon. James asked if I wanted to have a look for water voles, which seemed like a good idea so we decided to try the River Bradford at Youlgreave. We found quite a few droppings and signs of recent activity but no water vole but we did get nice views of a Dipper so can't complain. 
Ken let me know that Curlew are back in number with around 20 on the moor today.

Dipper

Dipper - Rowsley

I mentioned yesterday that the Dippers were now singing and I returned to a regular spot this morning and caught this bird on its song post. What particularly caught my attention was the colour and texture of the water behind the bird.
Glorious sunshine today but haven't seen much else yet.

Dipper

Dipper on the Wye

James returned to Chee Dale again today to have a look at the Dipper. The photo below of a juvenile is a combination of good photographic and editing skills to create a really striking image.

Dipper -juvenile in flight (James Butler)

Dipper fledglings - Chatsworth

Did a tour around Chatsworth this afternoon, there were several fledgling Dipper by the old mill. One landed no more than 2m away, more than filling the camera frame! Came across the pair of Common Sandpiper again at least three male Pied Flycatcher singing and 5 or 6 male Redstart along with the Mandarins noted below.

Dipper fledgling

Dipper fledglings

Ken sent me a few photos of a family of five fledgling Dippers he came across yesterday. This is a great portrait of two birds freshly out of the nest.

Dipper fledlings (Ken Smith)