Willow Warbler and Tree Pipit back around the moor

 My first Willow Warblers today back in Farley with two birds singing and a Tree Pipit at Whitesprings is about a week earlier than usual.

Tree Pipit

More migrant arrivals

 Despite the rather cool temperatures there has been a steady arrival of migrants in to the area over the past week. Hopefully, warmer weather forecast for the end of the week will see an increase in the number of migrant birds arriving;

Willow Warbler - 4th April in Farley Plantation and now fairly widespread in the woodlands close to the moor.

Blackcap - several singing birds recorded from 7th April and again can be heard in many wooded areas now. Impossible to distinguish true migrants from overwintering birds although the latter tend not to do much singing.

Common Redstart - 8th April a male singing by the river at Rowsley is my only record so far.

House Martin - 10th April over Darley Dale

Tree Pipit - 10th April at Flash Dam and several reported at Whitesprings Plantation this morning/

Pied Flycatcher - 11th April, singing males reported singing in woodland on both sides of Darley Dale

Merlin - a female on Beeley Moor this afternoon is the only record of the Spring so far and there was only an odd record over the winter. This former breeding bird appears to be just a scarce passage migrant now.

Pied Flycatcher - a male gave a few short bursts of song this morning

A March Willow Warbler at Farley

 My first Willow Warbler today, singing in the plantation at Farley Moor. I can't recall seeing one in March before although I usually expect one in the first week of April. 

The unseasonally warm weather brought several today with reports of birds in the Cathole and further afield at Carsington and in the south of the County with doubtless more to come before the weather turns cool again.

Willow Warbler in song

Red Kite and more Spring migrants

Given the breeding numbers of Red Kite both to the north and south of Derbyshire it is surprising that it is still a relatively scarce bird in the County or at least in the Peak District. Most of my sightings are distant specs over the Derwent Valley or Beeley Moor so it was a real treat this morning to get very close views of a bird hunting around Flash Dam. It did catch something as you can see in one of the photos and I suspect it was a frog.

Red Kite - second calendar year

I've aged it as a second calendar year as it has very little black streaking on the upper breast and pale tips to the greater coverts.
In the Flash Lane area I also had a Ring Ouzel and my first Willow Warblers of the Spring.
Also a decent night for moths with Tawny Pinion, Yellow Horned, and 4 Oak Beauty amongst a good crop of commoner species.

Willow Warbler - Flash Lane

Went back for another look at the Willow Warblers on Flash Lane in the sunshine today. There were at least 10 around the recently replanted conifers but none anywhere else.

Willow Warbler

First Willow Warblers of the year

The first Willow Warblers in Derbyshire were reported yesterday so I was pleased to come across four singing males near Flash Lane this morning. Strangely all four birds were within 20m of each other and these were the only birds encountered this morning which may imply they arrived together. 
It was raining so I didn't bother with the camera but I did get a nice photo of a resting Mute Swan at Rowsley. This male appears to be unpaired at the moment.

Mute Swan - male

Willow Warbler juvenile

Nice to see the recently fledged juveniles around now, all in bright fresh plumage. Plenty of Willow Warblers and Redstarts around at the moment.

Willow Warbler - juveniles

Willow Warbler - portrait

On the edge of the moor this morning and this Willow Warbler appeared and stood in this pose for 60 seconds which is extremely unusual for a warbler. It flew off with another which I presume was a female so was presumably intent on courtship. 

Whatever the reason it provided a great opportunity to capture a portrait.

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler - Stanton Moor

It certainly didn't feel very Spring like this morning with a cold westerly wind and heavy rain showers so we struggled to find anything of note on the moor. As far as I am aware the last sighting of the Great Grey Shrike was last Sunday the 5th April.
My first Sand Martin at Rowsley with several Swallows was a welcome sight and I was struggling to photograph my first Willow Warbler on Stanton Moor when Ken called around 6pm to report an Osprey flying up the valley. I didn't manage to see it unfortunately, this is the second this week with Simon having seen one over Darley Dale last Saturday and there have been three at Carsington this week. There is an urgency to return to the breeding grounds in the spring so they seldom hang around but a sighting late in the day always offers the possibility of the bird roosting locally and continuing its journey tomorrow.

Willow Warbler

First Willow Warblers

Several Willow Warbler on Flash Lane this morning, arrived yesterday according to Ken. Great to hear them singing again.

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler

Plenty of Willow Warblers singing now, James photographed this one on Beeley Moor this afternoon. Also several Tree Pipit and another Whimbrel flew over calling.

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler

Photographed this adult Willow Warbler today feeding fledged young, on the East coast the grey colouration plumage would have you thinking of Eastern races.

Willow Warbler