Red Grouse on the Triangle and Golden Plover arrival

 A had a single Red Grouse on the Triangle yesterday and then saw two flying near Wraggs Quarry and I thni three birds is now the total for Beeley Moor with perhaps a couple of pairs on East Moor. I think the bird in the photograph below is a juvenile with its rather dark plumage and lack of pale edges to the flanks. So the positive news is that they are still breeding, but raising a single yougster is unlikely to sustain the population. I have seen them crossing Harland Edge so there is some interchange with the East Moor birds.

A recent taxanomic decision by the International Ornithological Congress has elevated the Red Grouse back to full species status Lagopus scotica from its previous position as a race of Willow Grouse, Lagopus lagopus. With the likely future treatment of Scottish Crossbill as a race of Common Crossbill it will be the Uk's only endemic species.

Red Grouse

A nice flock of 22 Golden Plover with a Lapwing flock on Syda Lane are my first of the autumn.

Golden Plover

In the hope of seeing a few more wildfowl and waders I've made several visits to Middleton Moor recently and this morning I was rewarded with two Great White Egrets dropping in. They preened for about an hour then continued west. Seemingly only the second time the species has been recorded at Middleton Moor.

Great White Egret

 

Pied Flycatcher back in Darley Dale

 The first Pied Flycatcher of the year was found yesterday by Alan Stewardson in Hall Dale Wood. It was still there this morning in better weather conditions singing its delightfull, albeit somewhat repetitive, song. Definitely one of my favourites and great to have them back on a fairly typical return date.

Pied Flycatcher - male

The elusive Golden Plover flock were back on Syda Lane today and I counted at least 24 birds but there could have been more as they were quite difficult to pick out when sat down in the grass.

Golden Plover

Sand Martins return to Chatsworth

Three Sand Martin bach at Chatsworth today and 6 Common Chiffchaff  were a sign that Spring really is on its way.

Sand Martin

The Mandarin and Goosander are now looking for nest sites and spending more time in the trees.

Mandarin

My first Golden Plover, a small group of 7, flew over East Moor yesterday but a flock of 60 were seen on Saturday.

I've been looking for Wheatear but without success but two were seen at Tansley on Friday and Simon had one at Carsington Water on Saturday.

Caspian Gull - Upperloads

 It seems to be all gulls at the moment with another Caspian Gull today in a ploughed field on Syda Lane,

The field was proving quite an attraction as there were also around 40 Lesser Black-backed, 3 Herring and a Common Gull plus a nice party of 67 Golden Plover and around 40 Lapwing.

It's possible that th Caspian Gull is the same bird that I saw in Darley Dale last week I guess.

There were several hundred Fieldfare on the moor and the first signs of Woodpigeons on the move with over 1000 birds counted flying SW.

Caspian Gull

I picked up some more news on the Great Northern Diver reported at Chatsworth, what must surely have been the same bird was phptographed on the Derwent in Belper yesterday. So it had almost certainly drifted down river through Darley Dale and Matlock. An amazing record.

Redwing in Chatsworth

 There have been hundreds of Redwing flying around this week and they appear to be settling in to feed now. I came across a nice group feeding with Chaffinch below an oak tree in Chatsworth today as we experienced the first dusting of snow of the winter.

Redwing

I managed to count the Lapwing flock at the end of Screetham Lane earlier in the week. I'd estimated the flock at 200 but counting from a photo I came to 308. The Golden Plover, which have been as high as 170 can be counted at 50 now in the same photo. With the ground now freezing it's likely that these birds will leave the moor for milder areas.

Lapwing with Golden Plover above them

I watched a Hawfinch flying over Cromford Bridge yesterday morning which I think is the first recorded there so far this winter. Still hoping they may return to the yews at St Helen's Church in Darley Dale.

Close encounter with a Kingfisher on the River Bradford

 We've had a spell of very gloomy weather recently and today was no exception but I had very close views of a Common Kingfisher on the River Bradford at Youlgrave today. It was so intent on fishing that it allowed me to get within several metres. It caught three fish whilst I was watching it. I didn't realise at the time but it has a BTO ring on its right leg. If the weather had been better I may have been able to read some of the ring but it was very dark and spitting with rain.

Common Kingfisher

A little further up the river a young male Wigeon was still present which I had first seen on the 25th November.

Wigeon immature male

It's been fairly quiet recently although several skeins of Pink-footed Geese are still passing over the moor and there are now 20-30 Common Crossbill in the forestry plantations on Flash Lane. 

Lapwing are still present around Screetham Lane in decent numbers (over 200) and I've seen up to 170 Golden Plover in the same area.

A Marsh Harrier was seen in the same area last weekend but there has been no further sightings.

First Osprey and Wheatear of the Spring

 An Osprey flew up the River Derwent towards Rowsley, from Churchtown this afternoon and the first Northern Wheatear was seen on Screetham Lane yesterday, sadly I saw neither but it's good to know that birds are on the move. Warmer weather is forecast for Monday and Tuesday so hopefully we'll see more birds moving north.

On the moors the strong, cold NW winds has made bird watching difficult but there were at least 32 Golden Plover in the fields opposite Screetham House today which is a big increase on yesterday, when I saw 11. All look to be northern birds with many assuming the black face and throat which distinguish them from southern breeding birds. In any case, as mentioned previously, English breeding birds will already be back in their nesting areas.

Golden Plover male coming in to breeding plumage

Golden Plover returning to the moors

 A flock of 6 Golden Plover on fields at the edge of the moor this morning are the first I've seen since the snow moved of the birds that hung around up to Christmas. A very scarce breeding bird on Beeley and East Moor these birds will be eventually heading north, perhaps to the Dark Peak although we often have been around well in to April which suggests that they are heading much further north.

Golden Plover

Mountain Hare and Golden Plover - Snake Pass

I took a friend, who had never seen Mountain Hare, up to the Snake Pass area today and we were fortunate with the weather as the sun came out shortly after we arrived. The hares we saw were still very pale so relatively easy to see. 
Whilst we were there we also had several pairs of Golden Plover and I am always surprised how quickly they are back on the nesting grounds. We still have around 150 in the Screatham Lane area so conclude that these birds must be heading much further north and hence delay their departure. Anyway great to see them up close in full 'golden' plumage.
Unfortunately there was a lot of heat haze with the sunshine which spoilt the photos somewhat but gives me a good excuse to go back.

Golden Plover & Mountain Hare

Golden Plover numbers increasing

I counted just over 300 Golden Plover with the Lapwing flock on Screetham Lane this evening. The numbers appear to be steadily increasing at the moment and this is now one of the largest flocks I can recall locally.
I haven't seen the Great Grey Shrike today but it has been around earlier in the week.

Golden Plover

Golden Plover - Snake Pass

In addition to the Dunlin, below, I was on the look out for the Golden Plover and came across a pair. They were much less confiding than the Dunlin but I managed a few photos. Even in the heavily overcast early morning light they still looked 'golden'.
On the way back a Hobby over Beeley Moor was my first for the year. Also plenty of Common Heath moths on the wing.
Had my first Swift from the house yesterday evening and first Large Red Damselfly at our garden pond.

Golden Plover - male

Golden Plover - female

Golden Plover - East Moor

Each year we get a pre-breeding flock of Golden Plover on the fields bordering East Moor, one or two pairs will hopefully stay and breed. Recently we have only seen small groups overflying Beeley Moor but had distant views of a larger flock yesterday. I've checked the regular fields but without locating them but this evening had a flock of at least 185 birds flying around Upperloads so they are perhaps using different fields at present. 
Some of these birds have the black belly of summer plumage whilst others are still in winter plumage.

Golden Plover