Marsh Harrier - a migrant over Harewood Moor

This cream crowned Marsh Harrier flew rapidly SE over Harewood Moor this afternoon and looks like a juvenile.
With the dramatic increase in the UK breeding population we do appear to be getting a few more sightings over the moor, usually on Spring or Autumn passage.

Marsh Harrier

Whinchat = Beeley Moor

I've no evidence that Whinchat bred on Beeley Moor this year so this juvenile photographed on a fence on the edge of the moor was probably a local migrant from East Moor or Big Moor where there is a larger breeding population.

Whinchat - juvenile

Water Vole - Rowsley

The Water Voles at Caudwell's Mill and adjacent River Wye appear to have had a tough time in recent years. They were fairly widespread there up to late 2014 when they disappeared entirely. I found one dead at that time and with hindsight I wish I had done more to establish the cause.
In 2015 and 2016 I saw very little evidence of their presence although I did here several reports of sightings. At the start of this year I started to see regular signs of droppings but the Water Voles themselves remained elusive although I did manage some brief sightings.
As we have moved in to the summer sightings have become more frequent but they remain very shy, which may not be such a bad thing!

Water Vole

Two striking caterpillars at Wraggs Quarry

Very windy today with some rain showers, birds were few and far between on the moors so I decided to look for a Poplar Hawkmoth caterpillar which Alan Stewardson had found earlier in the week. It took some finding in a Sallow bush, despite its size (6cm).  
Whilst looking for the Poplar Hawkmoth Alan and I also found a Puss Moth caterpillar.
Both are common and widespread moths locally but not seen too often.

Poplar Hawkmoth caterpillar

Puss Moth caterpillar

Sparrowhawk - juvenile

Had a lucky encounter with a juvenile Sparrowhawk. It chased a small bird in to a bush close to me and I just managed to get a photo before it carried on the chase in to another bush.

Sparrowhawk - juvenile

Bank Vole feeding in the open

Twice in two days I've come across Bank Voles feeding quite unconcerned out in the open. On each occasion my initial thought was that the animal must be ill but both were able to run for cover when they wanted to. In the photo below a finger was used to push a stalk of grass out of the way and I've left the finger in to show how close we were able to get to it. I'm assuming both animals were very young and perhaps freshly emerged from the nest.

Bank Vole

Kestrel and Sparrowhawk

Kestrels and Sparrowhawks generally appear to get on pretty well together or at least tolerate each others presence so it was unusual today to see a pair of Kestrel in aerial acrobatics with a Sparrowhawk for several minutes today. 
The Kestrels looked like an adult pair and the Sparrowhawk a young female so it my just have been high spirits of the youngster that triggered the interaction.

Kestrels and Sparrowhawk

Red Grouse family on Beeley Moor

The Red Grouse is quite scarce on Beeley Moor so I was pleased to see a male with three youngsters today. I've stated before that numbers have declined during the past couple of decades and I'd be surprised if there are more than five pairs in the Beeley Moor area. 
I've no idea why the numbers are so low. Its a good while since I've seen shooting on the moors so I'm sure that is not the reason. Although numbers may well have been higher when they were managed for shooting. Red Grouse are susceptible to a number of diseases and parasites so that may be a factor.
Whatever the reason it would be a sad day if they were lost from the moors.
The flowering heather looks amazing at the moment.

Red Grouse male with juvenile

Juveniles on the wing

I've mentioned previously that Green Woodpecker is a scarce bird in the area so I was pleased yesterday to see a juvenile on 70 Acre Plantation I also had a very smart juvenile Wheatear in the same area which is the first of the birds that pass through during the late summer and autumn. Although the Wheatear breeds as close as Harrington they are a very scarce breeder around Beeley.

Green Woodpecker - juvenile

Wheatear - 1st winter

On Friday I had the very unusual sighting of a Little Egret flying across Harewood Moor. Perhaps heading towards Carsington where there are at least 6 at the moment. Amazing how the numbers of Little Egret have increased in the UK in the last few years. 
Poor photo but an interesting record.

Little Egret

Broad-leaved Helleborine - Via Gellia

Having finally caught up with Dark-red Helleborine I decided to do a further search for that plant in the Via Gellia. It's a bit late really as it mainly flowers in the month of July but I did find several examples of its close, and much commoner, relative the Broad-leaved Helleborine.
The Broad-leaved Helleborine flowers from July to September so any helleborines seen from now onwards are likely to be Broad-leaved.

Broad-leaved Helleborine

The colour of the flower varies considerably, some were almost white whilst others were quite pink but never as red as the Dark-red Helleborine. I have seen it several times in Clough Wood and looking at the Derbyshire Flora map it has been recorded quite widely in the dales around the confluence of the rivers Wye and Derwent.

Distribution of Broad-leaved Helleborine from the Derbyshire Flora

Dark-red Helleborine in the Peak District

I finally caught up with Dark-red Helleborine today, one of the rarest orchids found in the Peak District. It's only regularly recorded from Cressbrook Dale, Coombs Dale and Priestcliffe Lees but has been recorded in the Via Gellia and Biggin Dale. 

Dark-red Helleborine from the Derbyshire Flora

There was an infamous incident in July 2008 when a solitary plant was uprooted and stolen from Coombs Dale SSSI, so I had best not give the location of today's sighting. 
They flower during the month of July so are at the end of their flowering season now and are past their best.

Dark-red Helleborine

Thanks to John Bradley in particular for pointing me in the right direction.

In common with other areas that are good for flowers there were plenty of butterflies including Dark Green Fritillary and the Six-spot Burnet moth.

Dark Green Fritillary

Six-spot Burnet

Whimbrel over Beeley Moor

Despite the frequent heavy showers yesterday I spent the afternoon on the moor. I wasn't expecting to see much but after a particularly heavy downpour at around 2:45 the sky cleared briefly and I was very surprised to see a party of 12 Whimbrel flying directly towards me. They carried on straight overhead, heading SW.
We see, or hear, one or two Whimbrel on passage most years but 12 is a record for me and the highest count I am aware of in the Beeley area.

Whimbrel part of a flock of 12

Marbled White doing well at Clough Wood

Since the first records in 2015 the Marbled White have continued to increase in numbers at Clough Wood. The highest count I am aware of is of at least 12 at the start of July from Alan Stewardson and I think there was probably a similar number on the wing there this morning.

Marbled White

Some were showing signs of wear but this individual looked very fresh. I don't think we will ever know whether they arrived naturally or with a helping hand but, whatever their origins, it great to see them doing well locally.

Common Shrew - Beeley Moor

Finally back home after my trip around Northern Europe. 
Up on the moors this morning with Roger and had an unusual encounter with a Common Shrew. It ran out in to the road but instead of running straight across, as they usually do,  it stopped by the roadside where it appeared to be nibbling a small piece of wood. It stayed long enough for me to grab my camera then it then ran around on the edge of the road, still in the open and actually ran between my legs. A few minutes later it reappeared in the middle of the road so I chased it in to the vegetation for fear of it becoming a road casualty.
Not uncommon locally but I doubt I have more than a dozen sightings in a year.

Common Shrew

Travels abroad

Today I start my journey to Poland to continue the tour of Europe I started last year. All being well I'll be away until the end of June but will post any interesting photos or sightings that are sent to me during that period. 
You can follow my progress on the twitter feed, in the right hand column of this post and I'll also be posting updates on my Wildlife Diaries blog.
Alan Stewartson recorded the first Wood Warbler in the Darley Dale area today, their breeding season will be just about finished when I return.