Mediterranean Gull - Bakewell

 A surprise this morning to find a first winter Mediterranean Gull with the Black-headed Gulls at Bakewell Bridge. I check the gulls every time I go in the hope of finding one but it's something of a shock when you actually do! 

I'm not aware of any previous records in Bakewell but with the number of Black-headed Gulls there it seems likely that they must occur occasionally.

Mediterranean Gull - first winter with Black-headed Gulls

Two Little Egrets by the Fire Station is also unusual although a single bird has been in the area for a month or so.

Little Egret

Twelve Hawfinch at St Helen's Church yesterday is my highest count of the winter with 8 seen there this morning. They like to site in the Alders at the back of the church having eaten some of the Yew berries.

Marsh Harrier - Middleton Moor

 I wasn't able to get out until early afternoon so decided to have a look at the gulls at Middleton Moor. I arrived at the hide at about 14:45 to the news that a cream crowned (female or juvenile) Marsh Harrier had been present since around 14:00 but had dropped in to the reeds in front of the hide shortly after and hadn't been seen since.

I checked the gulls whilst I waited and had brief views of a juvenile female Hen Harrier but there was no sign of the Marsh Harrier which i decided had either slipped out of the reed bed whilst I was looking elsewhere or had gone to roost early.

Then at 16:20 the harrier flew out of the reed bed, quickly gaining height and chased by the Lapwings it disturbed as it flew. It circled then dropped back down flying low over the reed bed and seemingly looking for alternate roosts sites but eventually dropping back in to the reeds in front of the hide.

Marsh Harrier - probably second calendar year female

Marsh Harrier pursued by Lapwing

It repeated this process once more at 16:45 but again returning to the reeds in front of the hide where I presume it roosted.

A scarce bird in the Peak District and my first at Middleton Moor with thanks to Darren who told me about the bird after he had first seen it.

Hen Harrier - second calendar year female

Lesser Scaup - Carsington Water

 Carsington Water continues its amazing run of rare and scarce birds today with a second County record of Lesser Scaup. A female this time found this morning at the Millfields end.

Lesser Scaup female in the shade (top) and sunshine (below)

Very similar to female Tufted Duck but the pale flanks of Lesser Scaup continue on to the mantle whereas the mantle is darker than the flanks in female Tufted. In flight the white wing bar is restricted to the secondaries but extends across the primaries in Tufted. The head looks rather more pointed in Lesser Scaup but varies a bit with posture.

I also saw the female Ring-necked Duck in the same area but there are still two Greater Scaup present plus Great Northern and Red-throated Divers so there is plenty to look for there.

Ring-necked Parakeet - Darley Dale

 There were a couple of reports of a Ring-necked Parakeet visiting bird feeders on Northwood Lane during the week. 

With feral populations in Sheffield and Derby its perhaps surprising we don't get more records but they are few and far between with single birds reported on Beeley Moor in 2001 and 2007 and Bakewell in 2001.

Once established numbers can build rapidly so it's probably just as well that we just get the odd bird passing through.

Ring-necked Parakeet (photo Glen Sellors)

On a similar vein a Barnacle Goose was seen with the Canada Goose flock at Chatsworth on Wednesday, I was there on Thursday but there were only 6 Canada's and no sign of it but it may well turn up again, 

Two female Wigeon were on the river infront of the House and have been present for several days.

Still up to six Hawfinch at St Helen's Churchyard

Wigeon - female

Cold weather thrush arrivals

 The cold spell has resulted in a big influx of thrushes in to the valley with hundreds of Redwing and Blackbird feeding in areas with little snow. I counted 40 Redwing feeding in the Whitworth Park with 30 Blackbirds and at least 6 Song Thrush. 

Redwing

Although the ponds were frozen the open water where it entered the park was full of Mallard and the female Teal was still with them.

I only saw one Hawfinch during a brief visit to St Helen's Church but it was nice to see them in the sunshine over the last couple of days.

Hawfinch - male

Hawfinch increasing at St Helen's Church, Darley Dale

 Four Hawfinch have been reported several times over the last few days at St Helen's Church but increased to six this morning. They feed in the Yew trees then sit in the tops of neighbouring trees presumably while the berries are being digested. There are also good numbers of Greenfinch also feeding in the Yew trees. I saw about 20 this morning but more have been reported.

Hawfinch 

Yesterday I braved the snow and ice and ventured to Middleton Moor. There was more snow there and the small road leading to the rough track was particularly difficult but it was worth the effort as a juvenile female Goshawk flew over Black Harry Gate. Sighting of Goshawk are few and far between at Middleton which is a little surprising although there are no significant woodlands close by.

Eurasian Goshawk - juvenile female

A Curlew has been present for several weeks but looked rather forlorn sat out on the ice.

Eurasian Curlew

Hawfinch - St Helen's Church, Darley Dale

 Decent views of Hawfinch in St Helen's Churchyard this morning, Simon had two fly in just before I got there and one bird sat for 5 minutes in the top of the trees, on the cricket pitch side of the church. It called occasionally particularly when a Jackdaw displaced it from the top of the tree. 

I didn't take my camera due to the poor weather so I've used a photo taken a while back at St Helen's.

It looks like there may have been birds in the area for some time as Alan first reported one on 21st December last year and more recently 2 or 3 were reported last Tuesday. 

The overnight snow has displaced some Redwing with around 50 seen this morning in small groups. A few gulls flying around, mainly Black-headed but also single Common and Lesser Black-backed and still 3 Teal on the Whitworth Pond.

Hawfinch - photo taken in 2018 when there was a nice flock at St Helen Church

Dipper and Kingfisher new for the year in Bakewell

 My first Kingfisher and Dipper of the year today and both in Bakewell, and in beautiful sunshine.

Common Kingfisher

White-throated Dipper

Great Grey Shrike - Middleton Moor

 Having been to Middleton Moor several times recently it was a pleasant surprise yesterday to see that some gulls had returned. They disappeared when it froze over last month but I counted 130 Common as well as 30 Black-headed plus a handful each of Lesser Black-backed and Herring.

As well as the gulls there were more wildfowl with 5 Pintail, which included three smart drakes, and an increase in Shoveler plus a lone Shelduck.

A Hen Harrier did a rapid pass over the fields at Black Harry Gate and I managed a quick photo before it departed as quickly as it arrived.

Sat in the hide with another birdwatcher he casually stated that he thought he had a Great Grey Shrike and sure enough there it was sat atop a small bush on the eastern bank, distant but easily recognisable. I quickly grabbed a few photos before it dropped out of view. 

Formerly seen most winters on Beeley Moor it is now a very scarce visitor and I can only find a single previous record at Middleton Moor on 23 October 1988!

All in all a very nice Christmas present!

Great Grey Shrike

Hen Harrier - female

Pintail

Shelduck

Water Rail - Long Meadows, Darley Dale

 During the winter period (November - February) I can usually hear Water Rails calling in the reedy areas at Long Meadows and the entrance to Haddon Park Farm and occasional at Harthill Pond, Youlgrave, Cromford Canal and even the Whitworth Park. Very occasionally I've come across birds that feed out in the open which have previously featured on the blog. 

Today I got brief views of a bird at Long Meadows which is the first I've seen for a while.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and good birding in the New Year!

Water Rail

Red-crested Pochard - Lumbsdale

 June Oliver let me know that she had seen a drake Red-crested Pochard yesterday whilst walking in Lumbsdale. It's a bird I've never seen locally, and I'm not aware of any previous records in the Matlock/ Bakewell area, so I was keen to see if it was still present this morning and fortunstely it was, on the second pond down from the Highfields end.

Red-crested Pochard - drake

It's a fairly scarce bird in Derbyshire but recorded annually at Carsington where birds can stay for some time. Most birds are thought to be of feral origin as it is widely bred in captivity.

Whatever its origins the males are a striking birds and it's great to see one locally.

Hawfinch - Cromford

 During the past week there has been occasional reports of just two Hawfinch by the entrance to Willersley Castle in Cromford. During a three hour watch this morning I managed brief, perched views, of just one bird but I, and two other local birders, were satisfied with that after a prolonged wait in sub-zero temperatures!

Fortunately there was other entertainment on the river with a pair of Dipper showing regularly and the male in song and a Kingfisher made several appearance which, in the bright sunlight, looking greener than I can recall seeing one before.

Hawfinch

Kingfisher

Dipper

Ring-necked Duck - Carsington Water

 A female Ring-necked Duck was found at Carsington Water on 17th November but wasn't seen again until it was refound at the Millfields end of the reservoir this morning. I saw it this afternoon in very wet overcast weather.

It's only the second record for Carsington and was showing well this afternoon, associating with a small group of Tufted Duck.

Ring-necked Duck - female

With another period of poor weather I haven't seen much else; a Little Egret was on the river at Chatsworth on Friday and I've seen a Pink-footed Goose with the Canada Geese at Bakewell several times. A female Pochard spent several days on the Whitworth Park Lake but left when the lake iced over.

At least 6 Hawfinch were aeen at Cromford on 18th November but I've not looked for them yet.

Knot at Middleton Moor

I've made several visits to Middleton Moor recently in the hope of seeing something a little different and yesterday I was rewarded with a lone Knot stood amongst the Lapwings. Plentiful on our coastal estuaries it's a scarce bird inland but unfortunately it didn't stay long. The Lapwing were disturbed and it left high to the south with them. 

Knot with Lapwing

Common Goldeneye in Darley Dale

 The persistent low cloud curtailed my trip to the moor this morning so I had a look around Darley Dale and was very surprised to see a pair of Goldeneye on the Whitworth Pond. I have never heard of a sighting there before and it's only about my fourth for the local area with the last at Chatsworth in 2013!

Common Goldeneye - male and female

The long staying female Teal was still present a couple of days ago but I didn't really look for it this morning, the photo below is from the end of October.

Eurasian Teal - female

More birds have been arriving with good numbers of Fieldfare joining the Redwing in the last week. My first Water Rail of the autumn was calling at Long Meadows (by the Care Home) in Darley Dale at the end of October.

There has been a widespread influx of Hawfinch, particularly to southern Britain but there were two over Beeley Moor on 26th October and a single there on 1st November with up to 9 at Brackenfield Church by Ogston and several at Carsington so it's a bird to look out for.