Merlin - Beeley Moor

Another good morning on the moor with hundreds of Pink-footed Geese moving SW. The total for the morning was at least 1200 with skeins follow a line just East of Upperloads and a second crossing Flash Lane West of the Bar Road.
A female type Merlin was great to see and it looks like there are two birds in the area at the moment as Ken also had a male.
No sign of the Great Grey Shrike this morning but it reappeared at the top of the Cathole early afternoon before moving on to Harland Edge.

Merlin - female

Pink-footed Geese on the move

Two reasonable sized skeins of Pink-footed Geese crossed Beeley Moor this morning, totalling about 170 birds moving SE towards the Wash. Always great to hear them calling as they pass overhead.
The Great Grey Shrike was still present early morning but flew on to the Triangle about 10:30 and was lost to sight.

Pink-footed Geese

Great Grey Shrike - Beeley Triangle

Fantastic to see a Great Grey Shrike on Beeley again, hope it stays for the winter. They certainly seem to like this area although they have not been quite so easy to see over the last couple of winters.

Great Grey Shrike

Ring Ouzel - Wragg's Quarry

Great to be back on the moors after another short trip abroad. 
Plenty of birds about, Fieldfare and Redwing have arrived in large numbers whilst I've been away and there must have been several thousand around the moors. Pride of place though goes to this male Ring Ouzel, happily feeding in Wragg's Quarry but with Peregrine, Goshawk and a fine pair of Stonechat there was plenty to look at.

Ring Ouzel - male

Stonechat - female

Fieldfare