When I gave my update on returning migrants I forget to mention the Hobby. The first returning birds were reported on the moor on 31st Apri...

 A couple of interesting records today, the first a Pied Flycatcher in a mixed tit and warbler flock on the edge of Alport. This is the late...

July is a fairly quiet month as the breeding season comes to an end and some of our breeding migrants are already leaving the area, my last ...

 Having seen my first Nightjars a couple of days ago a Whinchat this afternoon on Beeley Moor completes the arrivals of our breeding migrant...

 I've made a couple of evening visits to the moor this week and was surprised to find that the Nightjars were still churring and wing cl...

 Three male Nightjar churring last night in rather windy conditions. Also 2 Woodcock doing their rodding display flight. The first returning...

 A female Goosander with 5 downy young was a nice surprise on the River Wye at Rowsley this morning. I didn't see any young last year so...

 I finally caught up with the Lesser Whitethroat today with a pair just north of Winster. It is very thinly distributed in the Darley Dale a...

Yesterday I walked up to the moors twice, one good thing for me from the current lockdown is that I've had a lot more exercise!  In the...

I set off this evening to do some moth trapping on Beeley Moor, it was slightly warmer than it has been and the wind appeared to have finall...

Fantastic display from the Nightjars last night in Matlock Forest. A male and female chasing each other through the woods with calling and w...

George sent me another photo of the Nightjar trapped on 24th August on Beeley Moor which he aged as a first summer male. This photo clearly ...

The only regular bird ringing on Beeley Moor is carried out by George Briggs, his main focus is Meadow Pipits in the Spring and Autumn and t...

In almost complete darkness a male Nightjar sat churring from the top of a dead tree in Matlock Forest this evening. It was a still night ...

The Nightjar is one of Derbyshire's rarest breeding birds and we are fortunate to have had a small population in the Matlock Forest area...