First brood of Stonechat

Came across a pair of Stonechat with three recently fledged youngsters this morning.

Stonechat, male with two youngsters below

Red Kite over Harewood Moor

My second Red Kite of the week, or possibly the same bird as this one seen briefly over Whitesprings plantation on Tuesday. This bird drifted over Harewood Moor towards Chesterfield this afternoon.
It surely can't be long before they are breeding in Derbyshire, if indeed they are not already doing so, or even locally for that matter. This bird looks like an adult with an inner primaries on each wing lost to moult.

Red Kite

Lesser Whitethroat - Rowsley

After hearing Lesser Whitethroat on Saturday on the edge of the moor I had another singing male this morning by the A6 just north of Rowsley. Both birds are probably migrants heading to breeding grounds further west or north.
First time for photos of the smart, grey and white, Lesser Whitethroat on the blog.

Lesser Whitethroat

Oystercatcher - Chatsworth

The Oystercatcher was still on the nest at Chatsworth this morning. Not sure if it will be brooding eggs or small young now. It was looking a little perplexed by the rapidly changing scene around it as preparations gather pace for the Royal Horticultural Society Show in June.

More Spring migrant arrivals

On a beautiful Spring morning it looks like most of our returning migrant birds are now back. I added Common and Lesser Whitethroat this morning, the latter is scarce on the eastern side of the Derwent and generally doesn't breed here but is commoner towards Carsington. I also saw my first Swifts, with a dozen over Rowsley although there were reports from Matlock at the start of the week. 
I've yet to see Spotted Flycatcher but they were present at Carsington on Tuesday and I haven't yet been up to Matlock Forest for Nightjar but birds were churring there on Monday (7th May) which is an early date.

Whitethroat - arriving back a little later this year

Unsurprisingly with the recent sunny weather Common Lizards are also enjoying the weather with this small, perhaps 1 year old, individual on Flash Lane. Finally the Large Red Damselfly have at last emerged from my small pond.

Common Lizard

Little Owl - Winster

Whilst I've been away James came across a pair of Little Owls on his drive to work and I managed a trip out to see them this morning and fortunately one of the birds was sat out.
Owl populations in the area, apart from Tawny, fluctuate markedly from year to year. Barn is badly affected by prolonged cold spells with ground snow which can wipe them out completely. Long-eared's on the moor fluctuate with the vole and mice population whilst Short-eared appears now to be only a casual visitor. 
The Little Owl has disappeared from regular sites around Darley Dale and off the moor so there is only a regular pair I've featured in the Bakewell area and this new pair located by James but I do see them occasionally on Bonsall Moor and there is probably a reasonable population there, using the many old barns, some of which are provided with access for Little Owls.
In any case, it's always a treat to see any owls locally.

Little Owl

Wood Warbler - Halldale Wood

The first report of a singing Wood Warbler was on 10th May in Halldale Wood, whilst I have been away, but what is presumably the same male was still singing there this morning.

Wood Warbler

I've mentioned previously that the local population of Wood Warblers has declined markedly over the past two decades and last year I'm not aware of any records from Halldale which used to be one of the best places to hear their trilling song so its pleasing to have at least one male back there this year. The wider Derbyshire population faired better during the first decade of the 21st Century but has been subject to significant fluctuations from year to year and it looks like the overall trend is sadly one of decline.

The UK Wood Warbler population has declined by 69% since the mid 1990s and has been lost from 50% of its former UK range. However, the causes of this decline are unknown and may be driven by factors at their wintering sites, or migration routes or a combination of these. In order to try and understand the factors affecting Wood Warblers abroad the RSPB has attached tiny geo-locators to a number of Wood Warblers from Dartmoor and the New Forest populations which is further explained here.

I made a recording of the Wood Warbler singing this morning. On the recording you can hear the distinctive liquid trill three times followed by the peu-peu-peu-peu notes at 40 seconds and finally finishing with another trill.

Common Sandpiper - Chatsworth

My first Common Sandpiper of the Spring below Chatsworth House this morning. I only saw it in flight and managed a record shot but I'm keen to see if it's the colour ringed bird I first saw in 2013. I sent off the details to the BTO in 2015 and got the following details back;

This bird was ringed by D W Yalden as age at least 1 year, sex unknown on 05-Jul-2012 17:30:00 at Ladybower (N), Grainfoot, Derbyshire, UK
OS Map reference SK1987 accuracy 0, co-ordinates 53deg 22min N -1deg -42min W accuracy 0.
Colour Marks left below knee N
Colour Marks right below knee P,M
Colour Marks left above knee P
It was found on 21-Jun-2015 time unknown at Edensor, Derbyshire, UK
OS Map reference SK2569 accuracy 0, co-ordinates 53deg 12min N -1deg -37min W accuracy 1.
Finding condition: Sight record by non-ringer
Finding circumstances: Identified by Colour Ring(s)
Extra Information: Reported as HW62096

Common Sandpiper