Birds in the spring sunshine

We've had some great weather over the last few days and I'm starting to see more recently fledged juvenile birds which will be benefitting from the warmth, my first young Dipper was feeding on the river at Rowsley and already starting to gain the adult white breast.

Dipper - juvenile

On the moors Hobby have been seen regularly in the evening hunting Fox moths which test the falcons agility as the day flying male moths search for the mainly nocturnal females. I've also seen the Short-eared Owl again hunting over the moor.

Hobby

Short-eared Owl

Geese numbers rising

The Greylag Goose is a relatively recent resident in the area, its first appearance on the blog was only in 2015, although I'm sure I had occasional sightings prior to that. Now I'm seeing them regularly both from the house and at Rowsley and counted 8 at Youlgreave yesterday. I have no evidence of breeding yet but it seems very likely. 
Meanwhile the number of Canada Geese is on the up with several pairs now nesting on the moors and successful breeding this year in the Whitworth Park. I counted a flock of 26 yesterday  at Youlgreave and presume that these are immatures not at the breeding age of 3 to 4 years old yet.
Will we see feral Barnacle Geese appearing in the future, they are already established at Carsington Water?

Greylag Goose

An unexpected Red-legged Partridge

I can't actually recall my last Red-legged Partridge seen locally but it must have been at least a couple of years ago. It has not appeared on the blog since 2014! At one time they were released on East Moor for shooting and I do recall seeing 40 together one day. 
Today I had a pair on Screetham Lane so presumably breeding fairly locally.
I now put all my records on eBird so it's much easier to check on records, without having to flick through note books. I've actually put records on back to the 1970's, but not every record I'm afraid. Not only is it a great way to store, preserve and share records but it's free!

Red-legged Partridge

A better year for the Wood Warbler

It's already a record year for Wood Warbler for me with 14 males establishing territories within 4km of Darley Dale. Still nothing like the 33 that Ken recorded in the same area in the late 70's but a big increase on the last few years and there could still be birds to arrive. 
Great to hear them singing in the woods, I don't think any bird puts more effort in to its song than the Wood Warbler with its whole body shaking as it delivers its trilling song.

Wood Warbler in song

End of Lockdown and a pair of Spotted Flycatcher arrive

Well it looks like Lockdown is over, or at least the Lockdown where we can only drive to the shops! My Lockdown list finished on 66 for the garden and 105 species for my local patch, all seen by walking or cycling from home which I think is pretty good. I thoroughly enjoyed myself anyway, and I'm sure the exercise has done me good and was a welcome reminder of the value of walking when watching wildlife.

I drove up to the moors today for the first time since 23rd March. It was still very cool with a strong northerly breeze but a message from Alan Stewardson that he had seen a pair of Spotted Flycatcher in the woods behind my house caused me to head for home and abandon the car.
I soon found the birds, which were an obvious pair as one bird, presumably the male, repeatedly chased the other but then I saw them sat together by a hollow in a tree.

Spotted Flycatcher

 
These are my first local Spotted Flycatchers for about 4 years! That may be partly because I'm usually abroad at this time of year when birds are passing through and establishing territories but there is no doubt that the Spotted Flycatcher has suffered a major decline in the UK.
The BTO Breeding Bird Survey data show a decline in the breeding population of 39% between 1995 and 2016, part of a staggering longer term decline of 87% since 1970. Exactly why the population has suffered such a significant decline is unclear but is thought to be due to factors in their wintering grounds as well as in the UK. The English population has declined more than the Scottish and this is probably due to changes in farming practices as garden populations fair better than those in farmland. High mortality in their first year appears to be the problem.
Well I hope this pair do OK and I'll be looking out for them in the coming weeks.

Lockdown day 49 - Gadwall at Chatsworth

Walked over the moors to Chatsworth yesterday, it was probably 5°C but felt colder with a strong northerly wind. The Stonechats were still feeding their young and I flushed a recently fledged Skylark. Stopped at the top end of the old Deer Park for Redstart and Pied Flycatcher. 
The lake at Swiss Cottage is still dry but Emperor Lake held 4 Tufted Duck and a single drake Gadwall which is new for the lockdown list. A drake at this time of year could indicate possible breeding so worth checking again later.

Gadwall - drake

Pied Flycatcher - male

 The pair of Little Grebe were still there and presumably breeding, this is the only pair I've found in the area although they were present at Conksbury in the late winter so there could be a pair there also but it's a little far to walk! 
A single Common Sandpiper on the river whilst personnel from Chatsworth House were clearing all the debris from the river bank including some of the large tree trunks. I saw the Oystercatchers but fear their nest may have been a casualty of the clean-up operation. Presumably Chatsworth will be re-opening their car parks shortly with changes to the lockdown restrictions taking effect on Wednesday. 
A single Red Kite flew across the skyline as I left the park for Beeley.
This Lesser Black-backed Gull was a sad sight, caught by a length of rope and it will be very lucky to survive.

Lesser Black-backed Gull caught with rope

Lockdown day 47 - return of the Nightjar

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 morning I managed some nice portraits of the Skylarks, the photos are of a pair and it was interesting to see that the male kept his crest raised all the time whilst the female didn't. The sexes are inseparable on plumage but the male was giving occasional bursts of song. 
I think there are around 15 pairs in the area that I regularly walk.

Skylark - male upper

I also came across the family party of Stonechat again with both parents actively feeding the offspring.

Stonechat - juvenile

In the evening I returned to the moor at dusk and waited for the Woodcock to start their display flights. Shortly afterwards I heard the distinctive churr of a male Nightjar. He appeared to be flying around quite a bit and calling 'pruick' and I concluded that he was still exploring the area and hadn't yet established a territory. Very pleased to have the Nightjar back my 104th species for lockdown.

Woodcock - roding display flight

 
It started to rain around 10pm so I made the journey home to the occasional hoot of the Tawny Owl.

Lockdown day 46 - first Hobby on the moor

Lovely warm, still day today and the perfect day for a Hobby gliding over the moors. As I mentioned previously Simon has had a couple of sightings in Darley Dale in the last few days and Ken had one over Hackney today so hopefully there will be a few lingering for the breeding season. 

Hobby

I saw my first Stonechat with fledged young this morning so hopefully they will go on to raised further broods.

Lockdown day 43 - first Whinchat

Never common on Beeley Moor, although an occasional breeder, I finally caught up with a nice male Whinchat. Unfortunately rather distant and he turned round just before I took the photo hiding his bright orange throat and upper breast. Still, nice to see it and takes the lockdown list to 102 whilst the garden lockdown list remains on 65.

Whinchat - male

A nice party of Common Crossbill in Farley this morning, at least 15 birds and I saw two streaky juveniles but there could have been more. So more evidence of successful breeding by the crossbills.
Quite a few Swifts about now and Simon had a Hobby over Darley Dale a couple of days ago, no sign of any Nightjar back yet but three Woodcock. So still a few later arrivers to look for.
Simon Moody in Uppertown informs me that his Turtle Dove has returned for a third successive year which is great news.

Lockdown day 40 - the breeding season moves on

Amazing how quickly the breeding season progresses, I've already seen Mallard and Moorhen chicks at the Whitworth and Coot at Caudwells Mill but even the recently arrived migrants are already nest building. I managed some nice photos of the Wood Warblers doing just that and some poorer photos of a female Pied Flycatcher looking rather 'whiskered' as she carried nesting material.

Wood Warbler nest building

Pied Flycatcher female

Up on the moor the Stonechats are already feeding their first brood.

Stonechat - male with food for young

Meanwhile migrants such as the Spotted Flycatcher and Nightjar have still to arrive in the area. I'm interested in seeing the Spotted Flycatchers (which I failed to find locally last year) so please let me know if you see any in the Darley Dale area.

Lockdown day 35 continued - Short-eared Owl

I did an evening circuit of the moors on my bike yesterday and was rewarded with distant views of a Short-eared Owl hunting over the grassland. My first record since 2016 which shows how scarce they are on the moor (and perhaps how infrequently I visit the moor at dusk!).

Short-eared Owl

I was still on the moors as the Woodcock commenced their rodding display flight. This bird has its bill open giving the peculiar call, which is usually the first indication that birds are in the air.

Woodcock

Finally, I've started off today with a Garden Warbler feeding in a Sycamore on the edge of the garden taking my lockdown garden list to 65 and my patch lockdown list to 101.

Lockdown day 35 - tonne up and an unexpected migrant

Back on the bike I cycled up to Matlock Forest on Sunday morning, only a few kilometres but all up hill! 
After about an hour I was amazed to hear the lovely purring of a Turtle Dove. Now almost lost as a breeding species in Derbyshire and suffering a massive population decline over the whole of its range it was a real treat to sit and listen to the song. I made a recording but I put one on the blog in 2018 so rather than post another here's the link to that post with a more detailed write up on their occurrence.
I was thinking that this was a very early date to record one but on consulting Roy Frost's Birds of Derbyshire he records the 26th April as the average first date for the period 1978 - 2011 so this date was spot on.
I enjoyed nice views of a female Sparrowhawk sat in the pine trees which is a fairly rare sight for me, I'm seeing them daily in the air but seldom landed.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk -female

On the edge of the moor I encountered a pair of Tree Sparrow. They have a very peculiar distribution locally with small groups often occupying a tiny area, sometimes no more than a few hundred metres square and often around housing where food is put out. If anyone has any locally in the Matlock - Bakewell area I would be interested to hear about them and may do a distribution map for the area (you can e-mail me at andysbutler@aol.com).
During the ride I heard seven Common Whitethroat, one Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Cuckoo and at least a dozen Swallows so the number of returning migrants has increased rapidly with the fine weather during the past week.
Returning home I had a message from Ken to say he had seen a Swift flying up the valley, a little later both Simon and Alan also reported Swifts so I spent a couple of hours watching the sky and finally just as it started to rain a single bird flew close past heading steadily north, a fantastic sight and my 100th species, seen locally by foot or bike, since we started lockdown!

Lockdown day 33 - return of the Garden Warbler

The first of the returning Garden Warblers have been seen and heard in the last few days. Simon had the first I'm aware of on Wednesday (22nd) and I've had birds at Clough Wood and Hellbank Plantation in the last couple of days.
Arguably one of our most nondescript birds but it has a lovely song, similar to Blackcap but a little faster.
Still no Swifts, but I did hear another Cuckoo yesterday, and hopefully some Spotted Flycatchers should be on their way although they have been in short supply the last couple of years.

Garden Warbler

Lockdown day 30 - return to Chatsworth

I did a long walk yesterday, over the moors to Chatsworth and back along the river via Rowsley. Since my last visit, only 5 days ago, the Oystercatchers have found a new home on one of the large logs that was washed down during the floods earlier in the year.

Oystercatcher on nest site

Clever how they choose a location off the ground as sheep are grazing all around them. 
The Sand Martin bank which was also washed clean by the river in spate is now full of holes again with around 35 martins in attendance. It's amazing how quickly the nesting season starts when birds arrive back.

Sand Martins excavating their nest holes

Quite a few Mandarin grazing on the grass benefitting from the reduced disturbance from walkers, although they can always graze in peace on the other side of the river. Providing a nice photo opportunity.

Mandarin - male

The Common Sandpiper was still there but no sign of a mate yet.
In the woods I had two Pied Flycatcher and Redstart plus Little Grebe and 7 Tufted Duck on the lakes. The latter two species are additions to my lockdown list as was a Grasshopper Warbler reeling on the moors on my walk across.
Takes me to 95 species for the lockdown list, now where are those Swifts!

Lockdown day 29 - Lesser Whitethroat

Much the rarer of the two whitethroats I suspect that the Lesser Whitethroat is a rare breeding bird in the Darley Dale area. I saw my first of the year today and in the same area, between Wensley and Winster, that I saw one several times last year. 
This bird, a male as it was singing occasionally, was feeding in a Hawthorn hedge, not sure what the caterpillar is in the photo.

Lesser Whitethroat