Last post of the year

It has rained most of the day so it has been hard work but I've seen Peregrines, Ravens, Tawny Owl and a new bird for the local patch Tree Sparrow with at least 6 with about 30 Yellowhammer at Press Reservoir by the public footpath. Tree Sparrows are found in good numbers at Carsington but these are the first I've seen locally.
Also managed to confirm that the obliging Common Buzzard is feeding mainly on small worms.

I'm sure 2014 will produce some good local sightings, I have a long list of species I would like to see but who knows.

Common Buzzard with worm

Curbar Edge sunset

Another photo of James's taken a couple of evenings ago - another striking image, there are more on his website. Looks like you could almost touch the Highland bull!
http://www.jamesbutlerphotography.com/

Curbar Edge sunset

Hen Harrier male - Flash Lane

Ken, Roger and I enjoyed an unexpected late Christmas present this morning when we saw a male Hen Harrier. It came up from Whitesprings Plantation, crossed Flash Lane then followed the tree line behind Darwin Forest where it flushed a Woodcock before it was lost to view as it headed towards Screetham Lane. It looked like a full adult male and although it was very distant for photography I managed a couple of record shots. This is my only sighting in the Beeley area this year although there have been a couple of sightings on the moor in the last month which may be of this bird. 

Hen Harrier - male

Herring Gull - Beeley Moor

As I have previously mentioned the Herring Gull is not particularly common locally and there is still a group of about 30 feeding on the flooded field by the Chesterfield Road so this is probably as good a chance as any to get one on the blog.

Herring Gull - adult

Little Grebe - Cromford Canal

It would be interesting to count how many pairs of Little Grebe there are on Cromford Canal, it looks like there is a pair every 50 metres or so. I'll do the walk and count in the early Spring I think.

It's certainly a great place to photograph them although the weather was poor today. No sign of any Water Vole today.

Little Grebe

Mistletoe - Cromford by River Derwent

This is my first record of Mistletoe in Derbyshire so it's quite fitting that I should come across it during the festive season.
The Flora of Derbyshire by Clapham describes its status as 'occasional' which is repeated in the  Derbyshire City Council - Flora of Derbyshire. The distribution map (reproduced below) shows scattered records mainly in the East of the County. 
I thought the host tree was a Sycamore but not too sure, its right by the roadside next to the river just North of High Peak Junction.
The sun appeared just as I was taking the photo which added a bit of colour.

Misteltoe - fruiting

Mistletoe distribution from Derbyshire Flora website

Redwing - Darley Dale

There was a nice group of around twenty Redwing with a few Mistle and Song Thrushes feeding in a Rowan, which was laden with berries, early morning but it was very misty in the valley until late morning. Fortunately they were still there after the mist cleared and put on a good show.

Redwing

Fox with prey

Out early this morning and it had just about got light when I saw this Fox tussling with its prey. Initially I though it was a rabbit or hare but suspect it's something from a sheep carcass. I had just started to move closer when it set off with the prey in its mouth, it soon saw me and was off.

Fox

Beeley star trail

It was clear last night and James went on to the moors to photograph a star trail, this is a composite of twenty odd 30 second exposures. 
He thinks he can do better so, weather permitting, he'll be having another go.

Beeley star trail

Common Buzzard running

Nothing new to report over the last couple of days but a count of 29 Herring Gulls on flooded fields bordering the moor was a record for me, all appeared to be the British race argenteus. Several Raven which are already starting to display are always nice to see.
I walked around Chatsworth again this morning and saw several parties of Crossbill, but none close up, and at least 50 Brambling. 
I had a bit of luck with Ken's Buzzard and got a nice sequence of it running towards me, still not certain what it is eating although Ken has seen it with the odd earth worm.

Common Buzzard

Common Buzzard - Beeley Moor

Here are three more from Ken Smith's camera. Ken has benefited from some sunny spells this week but you still need to be able to find and get close to the birds. Buzzards are surprisingly shy for a species that is now so widespread and regularly encountered in the Peak District. This bird has been feeding on a grassy field, initially I thought it might be after earth worms but that doesn't appear to be the case and it may be crane fly larva (leather jackets). Great photos in any case.
The pale iris and neatly buff fringed upper wing coverts age this bird as a juvenile in its first calendar year.

Common Buzzard (Ken Smith)

Red Grouse - footwear

Ken took this photo during one of the brief sunny spells earlier last week. It's a nice photo for a number of obvious reasons but the most unusual feature for me is that you can clearly see the feet, which are lost in most photos. 
It reminds me of a day a couple of years ago after we had had a deep fresh snow fall. I walked up on to the moor and came across a group of a dozen Red Grouse together. They were walking about quite happily on the snow surface. After they had gone I walked over through deep soft snow thinking that there must be a solid area where they were walking but I could just see the footprints where they had been with hardly any indentation in the soft powder snow. I took a 2p coin from my pocket and put it carefully on the snow surface where it immediately sank - those large feathered feet are the reason, they do a fantastic job of distributing the grouses body weight allowing them to walk on the surface in the freshest snow.

Red Grouse - male (photo Ken Smith)

Goshawk - Chatsworth

As I was setting off to walk back from Chatsworth I picked up a raptor circling over the trees, I thought it would be another Buzzard but was delighted to see an immature Goshawk circling round before heading off over the trees. It was quite distant but made a reasonable photo in good light.

Goshawk - first winter

Teal take off

After a walk around the moors first thing I walked over to Chatsworth again. The Crossbill and Brambling were still around and the Teal were on Swiss Lake but it was generally quiet. As I approached Swiss Lake I flushed the Teal which made an interesting photo.

Teal

Red Grouse in the rain

On Saturday afternoon I was back on the moor but it was very grey and raining quite hard. Ken had mentioned a spot where he has seen Red Grouse feeding on the last of the cranberries so I parked up for a couple of hours and watched this young male Red Grouse feeding in the rain. 

Red Grouse