Barn Owl - Beeley Moor

I am only aware of a single pair of Barn Owls on the edge of Beeley Moor, they successfully fledged two young this year and this is probably one of those birds.  
Hunting around the moor appears to be undertaken almost exclusively in the dark making them difficult to observe but this bird appeared mid-afternoon today providing a rare opportunity to get a photo, against a background of dark coniferous woodland.
They struggle to feed when the moorland and its fringes are snow covered for prolonged periods and this perhaps limits their occurrence around the moor.

Barn Owl

Waxwings in Youlgrave - an early Christmas present

In the early autumn it looked like this was going to be a Waxwing winter with some large arrivals on the Scottish east coast and smaller flocks further south in England but the arrivals quickly dried up and there were few inland records as autumn turned to winter.
So it was a real surprise to receive a call from Ken this morning to say he was watching three birds in Youlgrave feeding on berries by the Health Centre entrance. I didn't manage to get there until mid-afternoon and couldn't find them then, although there were still plenty of berries with Blackbirds and occasionally both Redwing and Fieldfare visiting the Rowen tree.
They may still be in the area and plenty of trees with berries so it's worth keeping an eye out and perhaps checking some of the other areas that have had Waxwing in the past.

Waxwing © Ken Smith

Common Buzzard and Pink-footed Geese

During the autumn and winter earthworms are an important part of the Common Buzzards diet and they can be seen standing and walking, or even running sometimes, in fields in search of their prey. They often sit on the dry stone walls or, as in this case, a fence post from which they can watch their chosen field. The pale iris on this bird indicates that it is not yet an adult.

Common Buzzard

Several parties of Pink-footed Geese have overflown the area during the past week some still going SE, presumably to the Wash but other skeins have been seen heading back NW as at least 300 did this morning in 2 large skeins. There used to be a distinct gap between birds passing over SE in the autumn and early winter and returning NW in the late winter but that distinction is now rather blurred perhaps linked to the timing of food availability around the Humber and Wash.

Pink-footed Geese

Mandarin in winter

The number of Mandarin Duck decrease dramatically on the local rivers during the autumn. For example during my last couple of visits to Chatsworth I haven't seen any on the River Derwent and it appears that after completing their autumn moult birds move on to enclosed waters such as Linacre Reservoir north of Chesterfield and perhaps further afield to Clumber Park. 
It was a surprise therefore to hear of a large group on the small lakes at Ladygrove in Two Dales. I went up today in rather poor weather and counted at least 60 birds on the upper lake. I'm not a regular visitor to Ladygrove so can't say whether this is a regular gathering or indeed whether this is a particularly large count so it will be interesting to see how the numbers fluctuate over the rest of the winter. 
Note that it is possible to view them from the main footpath which runs parallel to and well above the lake without disturbing them.

Mandarin Duck

Stonechat on frosted Gorse

Whilst it remained misty and murky all day in the valley around Darley Dale the moors enjoyed blue skies for the morning but becoming overcast from mid-day. There was a heavy frost overnight with the first icy roads of the winter resulting in a sadly predictable car crash on the Bar Road. Birdwise the Common Crossbill flock is still around the 70 / 40 Acre plantations and numbering around 50 birds this morning. There are still Brambling on Bent Lane, I saw about 350 this evening. A flock of around 500 Lesser Redpoll is difficult to pin down and includes several Mealy (Common) Redpoll although I have yet to see any.
This male Stonechat is one of a handful that are still on the moor and looking rather festive in the early morning light, doubtless they will move in to the valleys with the first snow.

Stonechat - male

Brambling influx

The number of Brambling in the area has continued to increase, as have the places where I have seen them locally. Which now include the area around Chatsworth House including the woods around Swiss Lake and the Calton Lees Garden Centre, Coombs Road in Bakewell, Whitworth Park in Darley Dale with several hundred on Flash Lane and at least 500 on Bents Lane this morning. However, the largest flock I have heard of is 1500 at Matlock Moor at the Cuckoostone Lane end. This is possibly the largest single flock recorded in the County although The Birds of Derbyshire records 5700 which were counted flying in to roost in Shinningcliff Wood in December 1967.

Brambling - male

The flock of Common Crossbill is still present on Flash Lane but are only seen intermittently and often are dispersed in to smaller groups, but I counted over 40 this morning around 70 Acre Plantation where there is also a large mobile flock of Lesser Redpoll which included 2 Mealy Redpoll on Monday.

Common Crossbill - the topmost male looks rather large billed although it is slightly open

Goosander - Bakewell

I quite often see one or two Goosander on the river at Bakewell but ten this morning is a record count for me. Two males and a mix of adult females and first winter birds. 
One of the males had a strong pink tinge to the breast whilst the other was yellowish. 
As is usually the case on the river at Bakewell they are less wary than elsewhere.

Goosander - males

Goosander

Hooded Crow - Rowsley

Todays star bird was a Hooded Crow picked up by Ken over Rowsley mid-morning which followed the Wye valley NE and was last seen over Haddon Hall. 

It's only the second I have seen in the local area following the bird seen in March last year. There was a small influx of birds on the coast in late October with 10 being seen at Flamborough and a few singles at Spurn but there have been singles at Bardon in Leicestershire and Wintersett, West Yorks in the past week but no other Derbyshire records as far as I am aware.

Hooded Crow

Good numbers of Brambling around at the moment with at least 150 on Flash Lane this morning and around 40 at Chatsworth yesterday, but surprisingly no Crossbill today. 

First snow of the winter brings more thrushes

Much cooler this morning and the first snow fall on Beeley, but not cold enough for it to settle. The cooler weather brought approximately 500 hundreds Fieldfare on to Flash Lane which was great to see, and hear! Also my first local Brambling of the autumn.

Fieldfare 

More unusual than the Fieldfare, a Stoat ran down one of the drainage ditches. Difficult to know what the population is locally but I only see 3 or 4 a year so I regard them as scarce, but doubtless under recorded. 
It was difficult to photograph as they move so quickly and the light was very poor.

Stoat

A late Small Copper and more on crossbills

I suspect this will be my last Small Copper of the year, sat in the sunshine on the edge of Beeley Moor yesterday, rather worn now. 

Small Copper

I also saw the Common Crossbill again in 70 Acre Plantation, about 40 all feeding in the same conifers. It was interesting to watch the crossbills feeding, some birds removed the cone completely and flew a short distance with it to the centre of the tree, presumably where they can support it to remove the seeds. 
I think the tree in the photo is a Sitka Spruce and there is an interesting article on the RSPB web site which looks at the impact of the introduction of Sitka Spruce on wintering crossbill in the UK over the the crossbills normal food plant, the Norway Spruce.
I like this photo, showing two female type Common Crossbill with a Siskin and Lesser Redpoll. 

Common Crossbill with Siskin and Lesser Redpoll

Common Crossbills - Flash Lane

A change in the weather today with the calm, warm, anticyclonic system replaced by a strong cool NW wind and overcast skies. It didn't look promising first thing but three swans flying high over Flash Lane must have been Whooper Swans. Several parties have been seen at Carsington in the last few days.
After several groups of Fieldfare overhead and several finch flocks a part of at least 35 Common Crossbill flew over and disappeared towards Whitesprings Plantation. More groups of finches crossed the lane heading west then more, or possibly the same, Common Crossbills. 
A party landed reasonably close and posed briefly for photos in 70 Acre Plantation, hope they hang around.

Common Crossbills - male upper and female

Common Crossbill flock shot of 32 birds

Meadow Pipits on the move

A large movement of Meadow Pipits over Beeley Moor this morning. Parties of generally 15 to 30 were moving SW across the moor on a broad front but some groups numbered several hundred. Difficult to estimate the number of birds involved but 10,000 were counted passing over Wintersett Reservoir this morning. Many of these birds will be travelling down to the Iberian Peninsula for the winter.
A Northern Wheatear on Flash Lane allowed a very close approach but in heavily overcast conditions. I think this bird is an adult male, with lots of grey showing through on the crown and mantle and uniformly fresh plumage. It could be a 'Greenland' Wheatear, race leucorhoa, looking at the length of the primaries. These birds migrate from Greenland and Iceland through the UK and western Europe to Africa and, as is generally the case, longer distance migrants have longer wings.

Northern Wheatear - adult male

At least 6 Stonechat and 6 Red Grouse, which is my largest group of the autumn, rounded of the morning. 
I then headed over to Carsington where a second Grey Phalarope had turned up but I failed to find it.

Grey Phalarope - Carsington

The recent spell of gale force winds have impacted on migrating birds with large numbers of seabirds seen close inshore off the SW coast whilst some have been driven inland including this Grey Phalarope found by Alan Stewardson at Carsington Water this morning. This is a juvenile moulting in to 1st winter plumage and is only the eight time the species has been recorded at Carsington.
Breeding within the Arctic Circle, with a small number of pairs in Iceland, they migrate down the North Atlantic at this time of year, remaining at sea until they reach their wintering grounds off eastern and southern Africa. Their occurence inland is almost always as a result of displacement due to very strong westerly winds like we have experienced recently. There have been around half a dozen on inland waters, and around another 40 around the UK coast during the last couple of days, and they will doubtless continue their southward journey once the wind decreases.

Grey Phalarope moulting to 1st winter plumage

Kingfisher - Rowsley

A scarce bird locally Kingfishers are again being seen around Caudwells Mill canal and the adjacent River Wye where this bird was photographed this morning. The all dark bill and red feet indicate that this bird is an adult male.

Kingfisher - adult male

Relatively quiet on the moors but a juvenile Whinchat at Whitesprings was in an unusual location. 

Whinchat - juvenile

Yellow Slime Mold - Whitesprings Plantation

Walking through the cleared area of Whitesprings Plantation I noticed a bright yellow area about the size of a tennis ball that looked like a splash of paint on the side of a dead pine, several metres off the ground. On closer inspection it looks like the Yellow Slime Mold, Fuligo septica. 
I've often come across it on the ground on the moors where it forms a very slipper mass in the autumn, also known as dog vomit slime mold, but I've never seen such a bright yellow example before.

Yellow Slime Mold

Ruddy Shelduck - Carsington Water

A Ruddy Shelduck was found at Carsington last Thursday and was still present this morning when it flew in with Canada Geese just after 8am at Millfields. A rare visitor to the County, but recorded most years, and almost certainly of feral origins.

Ruddy Shelduck - probably adult female

Although the Ruddy Shelduck is on the British List it is in Category B, species which have been recorded in an apparently natural state at least once between 1 January1800 and 31 December 1949. All subsequent records are in Category E which comprises those species that have been recorded as introductions, human-assisted transportees or escapees from captivity, whose breeding populations (if any) are thought not to be self-sustaining. 
The Ruddy Shelduck is a native of eastern Europe, breeding around the Black Sea coast and adjoining areas of Greece, I saw at least 20 birds on the Greek island of Kos this Spring.
There is, however a regular and increasing flock of moulting birds at Eemmeer in the Netherlands each summer with over 800 birds counted recently. This is a possible source of the un-ringed Carsington bird, as well as the half dozen which turn up elsewhere in the UK at this time of year, post the moult which leaves them flightless for several weeks. These birds appear to be mainly from feral populations in Switzerland and Germany but there is a slight chance that this moulting flock could include genuine wild birds from further east. If the link to wild birds could be proven, birds at Eemmeer have been ringed and even satellite tagged, then there would be some possibility of genuinely wild birds occurring in the UK. 

Osprey - Whitesprings Plantation

My first local Osprey of the autumn today (I was at the Birdfair on Friday and saw one of the Rutland Water birds as my first of the autumn) carrying a large trout over Whitesprings Plantation this morning. It circled several times before drifting off over Beeley village towards Chatsworth. 
It looked like an adult female with a dark breast band and two rows of dark markings on the underwing coverts. It had a blue Darvic ring on the left leg and I suspect it may be the same bird I saw in the spring. Unfortunately none of the photos were good enough to read the ring.
There has been an Osprey on and off at Ogston since the 8th August so it could be that bird, not sure if it has a Darvic ring.

Osprey probably adult female

Wall Brown doing well

After a rather bleak review of the declining fortunes of the Wall butterfly in 2016 (see here) it looks like they are doing much better locally this year. In a short walk this morning I saw several on Flash Lane, Wraggs Quarry and at the Cupola Ponds. 
Last week I saw several at Clough Wood which has always been a stronghold for the species.

Wall butterfly

Marbled White butterfly at Clough Wood for a 4th year

Alan Stewardson informed me of the first records of the Marbled White at Clough Wood this year on 24th June whilst I was away. At least one individual still flying today. 
They have now be present each year since 2015. This is quite a brown individual which I assume means it has been on the wing for some time.

Marbled White

A few birds from the weekend

I have just returned from a month in southern Europe (still writing up the trip on andybutlerdiaries ) and made my first visit to the moors over the weekend. The temperature at least was similar to those I experienced last week, but the birds were different!
A female Whinchat on Beeley Moor was the first I have seen locally this year and it doesn't look like they have bred here so this is probably a female that is passing through, hopefully having bred successfully elsewhere. 

Whinchat -  female

A party of at least 17 Crossbill on Flash Lane was a further sign that birds are already on the move as there have been only a couple of birds in the area in the earlier summer.
At Chatsworth no sign of any Common Sandpiper so looks like they have not bred on the river below the House this year but a Wigeon was very unseasonal, looks like this is a drake in eclipse plumage.

Wigeon = eclipse drake

On the river at Rowsley a juvenile Dipper was just about visible in the foliage on the edge of the river.

Dipper - juvenile

Bordered Sallow a new moth for the Darley Dale area

Simon caught a Bordered Sallow in Darley Dale on the 4th July and sent me these photos. As far as we are aware this is the first record in the Matlock/ Bakewell area. 
It's an attractive moth and is generally restricted to the NW of Derbyshire.

Bordered Sallow (© Simon Roddis)

White-letter Hairstreak - Darley Dale

It's been five years since I last heard of a White-letter Hairstreak in Darley Dale but Simon Roddis sent me this photo taken recently in his garden. 
The butterfly clearly still survives in the village but in very low numbers. There are small elms dotted around the local woodlands and these must still support this species.

White-letter Hairstreak (© Simon Roddis)

Another local Turtle Dove record

I was contacted by Simon Moody in the second week of June to say that he had seen a Turtle Dove in Uppertown around the time I photographed the bird in Matlock Forest, could it be the same bird? 
Well since then Simon has had further sightings of the bird in Uppertown and it is clearly another individual. Apparently this bird, another male, has been courting the local Collared Doves and was still in the area earlier this week when he took this superb photo.

Turtle Dove (© Simon Moody)

Record sighting of Red Kite

I've just seen 4 Red Kite together over the woods at the back of my garden in Darley Dale, a record count locally for me. It looks like they were heading towards Matlock but then turned towards Oaker. 
They all look like moulting adults, so could be failed breeders for one of the populations to the north or south of Derbyshire.

Red Kite

Orchids in Wragg's Quarry

There are dozens of flowering spikes of orchids appearing in Wragg's Quarry at the moment. When they first appeared around 2011 I'm sure they were all Northern Marsh Orchids but now there appear to be a wide range of hybrids with what looks like Heath Spotted Orchid.
Many of the hybrids are tall flowering spikes which is a feature of hybridisation.
What ever they are there are some superb examples!

Northern Marsh Orchid with close-up lower petal insert

Heath Spotted Orchid with close-up lower petal insert

hybrid Northern Marsh x Heath Spotted Orchid with unmarked leaves

hybrid Northern Marsh x Heath Spotted Orchid

A second record of Morophaga Choragella the Large Clothes Moth

Simon caught this moth in Darley Dale a couple of days ago. I caught one on July 2016 so it looks like this moth is perhaps recently established in the area. We are not aware of any other Derbyshire records but it would be surprising if there are not some to the South as it looks like the moth is spreading North. 

There are a handful of records from Nottinghamshire but otherwise is restricted to the south east of the Country

Morophaga choragella © Simon Roddis

NBN Atlas records of Morophaga choragella