Great White Egret - Youlgrave

Hot on the heels of Great White Egrets at Chatsworth and Middleton Moor, Pam and I came across another at Harthill Pond (New Dam) at Youlgrave today. They are definitely on the move and a record count of 8 at Audenshaw Reservoir, Manchester at the weekend suggests it might be to the North West.

Great White Egret

More thrushes about today with at least 80 in conifers in Matlock Forest and the flock included my first Fieldfare of the autumn. There was also a nice group of 10 Common Crossbill, which are the first I've seen for several weeks.

For those concerned about the potential development of Matlock Forest there is a meeting of the Save Matlock Forest Group on 22nd October at the Whitworth at 7pm. They have also produced a website with details about the campaign to stop the construction of 75 holiday lodges in Farley Moor which you can find here.

There was a decent passage of birds moving up the Cathole by Harewood Moor at the weekend with Wood Pigeons, Redwings and finches on the move. The number of birds attracted some predators with both adult and juvenile Goshawk and my first Merlin of the year, which showed several times as it chased Meadow Pipits.

Eurasian Goshawk - adult female

Merlin - rather distant female

Little Egrets - Youlgrave

 I was very surprised to see two Little Egrets together on Harthill Pond, particularly since the pond was almost completely frozen. Checking in my notes it was last August when I last saw one locally, at Chatsworth, and it was last April when I saw one at Youlgrave. My thoughts that they might become established locally have certain not been realised yet.

Little Egrets

The juvenile Pink-footed Goose was still with the Greylags and there was a nice group of 15 Teal displaying on the small area of open water.

Pink-footed Goose with Greylags

I walked up the Monsal Trail from Bakewell yesterday and came across a nice party of Waxwing at the edge of the town, by the A619 road bridge. There were still Waxwings at Hassop Station with plenty of admirers taking photos. There were also several Fieldfare and Redwing taking advantage of the apples that have been left for them. Surprisingly there still looks to be plenty of berries on the Hawthorns south of the station.

Fieldfare

Caspian Gull - Darley Dale

 As usual the flood waters between Darley Dale and Darley Bridge at Four Lane Ends have attracted large numbers of gulls this week. I've spent several hours checking through them each day this week but apart from one or two Herring and up to a dozen Common Gulls I hadn't managed to find anything else until this morning when I picked out an adult Caspian Gull.

Caspian Gull - adult

The number of gulls on the flooded fields were fairly static until this morning with around 500 Lesser Black-backed and 600 Black-headed but there were more birds this morning with 700-800 Lesser Black-backed and i estimated over 1000 Black-headed.

Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed Gulls on the flooded fields

The water level is steadily falling so without further rain the fields may dry out in the next couple of days.

A female Eurasian Teal has been resident in the Whitworth for about 10 days now, it's the first I can recall there.

I had a Northern Wheatear on the moor on the 17th October which I suspect will be my last. 

Northern Wheatear - female

There have been several sightings of Hen Harriers on the moor with both 'ringtails' (females or immatures) and an adult male so hopefully they will remain for the winter.

I was away for the big Redwing arrival on 9th October when several thousand were seen over Beeley Moor and 21k were counted over Ogston. There are still good numbers of Redwings around with plenty of Fieldfare and upto a dozen Brambling have been seen.

Black Redstart - Flash Lane

 Another exciting day of visible migration on Beeley Moor with 1700 Fieldfare and 1100 Redwing crossing the moor but the star bird was a Black Redstart on Flash Lane. The first local record since November 2015, so it's been quite a wait! 

Good numbers of Black Redstart have been turning up on the coast over the last few days so it could well be a continental bird.

Black Redstart female or immature

Big Redwing Day and an unexpected Osprey

 I was away over the weekend and was keen to see if there were any new birds at Chatsworth. I'd already seen that Dutch radar was reporting large number of migrants leaving their coast on Monday evening and the wind was forecast in the east so conditions looked good.

I was still very surprised to see an Osprey fishing below Beeley village as I set off for Chatsworth. It had just caught a fish and was flying towards Rowsley, presumably to find a suitable tree where it could enjoy its meal. A message from Alan reported large numbers of thrushes passing over Beeley Moor and as I scanned the hillside several flocks could be seen in the distance.

Osprey juvenile with fish

Although they were mainly Redwing there were several groups of Fieldfare with them which were my first local birds of the autumn.

Redwing

Fieldfare

As I walked towards Chatsworth House the Redwing total was approaching 1000 birds moving SW over the wooded valley sides with some birds dropping in to the trees.

A female Wigeon with Mallard in front of the House was a first for the year and posed nicely for a photo.

Wigeon female

The Redwing flocks continued to pass overhead and I was on 1900 as I returned to Beeley Village but my numbers were tiny compared to Simon who had counted 29,190 at Carsington!

Although Redwing were the main species on the move several hundred Wood Pigeon also passed over the area and Ken called early afternoon to say that he had seen a Marsh Harrier over the moor so all in all a very good day.

Marsh Harrier female or immature © Ken Smith

Fieldfare arrival - at last

 Finally, Fieldfare are arriving in numbers this morning. I saw my first Fieldfare of the autumn only on Tuesday, when 55 arrived in the Cathole valley but this morning as I walked by the river north of Darley Dale there were large groups crossing the valley heading west. I counted 1050 but there must have been many more moving high and west along with several hundred Redwing.

migrating Fieldfare

Thrushes in the mist

Large numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare have been moving in to the UK since the wind moved to the East on Tuesday.  At Flamborough Head 32,830 Redwing and 4,475 Fieldfare were counted. Closer to home 300 Fieldfare crossed Beeley Moor. This morning in thick mist 180 Fieldfare were sat in a ploughed field close to the moor with 80 Redwing.

Fieldfare and Starlings in the mist

First snow of the winter brings more thrushes

Much cooler this morning and the first snow fall on Beeley, but not cold enough for it to settle. The cooler weather brought approximately 500 hundreds Fieldfare on to Flash Lane which was great to see, and hear! Also my first local Brambling of the autumn.

Fieldfare 

More unusual than the Fieldfare, a Stoat ran down one of the drainage ditches. Difficult to know what the population is locally but I only see 3 or 4 a year so I regard them as scarce, but doubtless under recorded. 
It was difficult to photograph as they move so quickly and the light was very poor.

Stoat

Fieldfare - Beeley

Had a look for the Dusky Thrush this afternoon but it hadn't been seen since a brief appearance at 8am this morning on School Lane. Those present first thing also had brief views of a flock of 27 Waxwing in the orchard area.
Still plenty of Blackbirds and Fieldfare feeding on apples in the orchards but very few Redwing around the village. 
The Fieldfare below is a 1st winter with 4 fresh inner greater coverts and the rest duller, paler tipped retained juvenile feathers

Fieldfare

Ring Ouzel - Wragg's Quarry

Great to be back on the moors after another short trip abroad. 
Plenty of birds about, Fieldfare and Redwing have arrived in large numbers whilst I've been away and there must have been several thousand around the moors. Pride of place though goes to this male Ring Ouzel, happily feeding in Wragg's Quarry but with Peregrine, Goshawk and a fine pair of Stonechat there was plenty to look at.

Ring Ouzel - male

Stonechat - female

Fieldfare

Fieldfare on the move

There were a couple of hours of dry weather this morning before the rain set in. Groups of Fieldfare 100 to 200 strong were crossing the moor generally heading SE. Simon Roddis was counting at Upper Loads and recorded 7460 between 07:45 and 09:45.
Overnight caught my first December Moth and Scarce Umber of the winter.

Fieldfare

Fieldfare - July record on Beeley Moor

No sign of Ken's Fieldfare on Saturday but record shots from Ken taken on Friday on Flash Lane. Looks like an adult. Fieldfare do occasionally breed in the Peak District

Fieldfare

Fieldfare

A very grey start to the day but caught up with the Great Grey Shrike late morning just as the sun was starting to appear, but it was a long way off. Several parties of Fieldfare including one group of about 150, also a few Brambling but no signs of a flock yet.

Fieldfare

Winter thrush arrival

Saw my first Fieldfare and Redwing of the autumn this morning, apparently 20,000 were estimated passing over the Big Moor area yesterday. There were several hundred on Bent Lane and at least one 1W Ring Ousel still present. Also several Crossbill in the area, Goshawk over Flash Lane and male Peregrine on Beeley.

Fieldfare