Shoveler at Chatsworth

 Having been abroad for almost a month it was good to get back to the moors yesterday and Chatsworth today. With another inversion, the day started misty at Chatsworth but I hadn't walked far before I heard the sound of Pink-footed Geese overhead, my first of the autumn and always great to hear. Unfortunately I couldn't see them due to the mist but I did see another skein later.

I was surprised and pleased to see a Little Egret still present by the river below the House but the bird of the day was a female Shoveler which flew up with a small group of Teal when a Grey Heron disturbed them from the pool they had been feeding on. 

My last record locally was at Chatsworth in November 2015 and it's only about my sixth for the Patch so a scarce visitor here.

Northern Shoveler female (top right) with Eurasian Teal

Little Egret

Pink-footed Geese

Shoveler - Bakewell

Having just returned from clear blue skies in the French Alps it was a bit of a shock waking up to the grey skies and mist in the UK but there are generally more birds here than in there rather inhospitable winter alpine climate.
I took a walk around Bakewell this morning and came across a drake Shoveler, which I assume is the bird seen around Rowsley last winter. 

Shoveler - drake

There were more Tufted Duck around than I had seen prior to Christmas, I counted 24, which presumably moved here during the recent cold spell. The Tufted Duck x Pochard hybrid was with them so guess they haven't travelled very far.

Tufted Duck x Pochard hybrid

Finally had nice views of a Grey Heron, already in breeding plumage by the footbridge on the north side of town.

Grey Heron

Wild duck bonanza - Chatsworth

I don't usually visit Chatsworth in the afternoon, especially on the weekend, as it is so busy but the weather has been so bad recently that this was my first opportunity. However I may have to rethink as on the river in front of the house I saw a fine drake Shoveler and whilst photographing the Shoveler a drake Pochard swam in to view and then a Gadwall appeared, a first winter drake I think.
Both Gadwall and Pochard are new records for the immediate area for me and although all three species can generally be seen at Ogston and Chatsworth they are great records for the Matlock/ Bakewell area. 
The Pochard has recently been listed as vulnerable on the European Red List of Birds due to a significant decline in numbers in recent years which is rather worrying.

Pochard - male

Gadwall - 1st male

Shoveler - male

Drake Shoveler - Chatsworth

I mentioned that I saw a drake Shoveler yesterday at Williamthorpe and there were several sightings elsewhere in Derbyshire during the week so it wasn't entirely unexpected that I should see one this morning at Chatsworth. I presume some of their regular sites in the south of the County froze with the cold weather at the start of the week displacing the birds to other wetlands.

Shoveler - drake

Shoveler - Chatsworth

This is the first morning over Easter that I haven't had to scrape ice off the car windscreen but it still didn't feel warm. Went over to Chatsworth and came across a fine pair of Shoveler. These are my first for the local patch so a nice find. They do occur in reasonable numbers in the south of the county in the winter, where the occasional pair breed, but it is scarcer in the Peak District with Middleton Moor the most regular spot. They were flushed by one of the estate vehicles but appeared to land further up the river.
Five Gooseander, at least 7 Mandarin and over a hundred Swallows and Sand Martins with several House Martin feeding low over the river.

Shoveler - male and female