More geese and first Common Gull of the autumn

 I saw my first Common Gulls of the autumn this afternoon with two adults feeding in a recently ploughed field with Lesser Black-backed Gulls close to Bonsall Moor. 

They will be joined by more birds as we get into winter with birds roosting at Carsington or Ogston.

Common Gull= adult

The Pink-footed Geese have continued to pass over Beeley Moor with 1200 yesterday morning and a further 1800 today. The first birds are generally seen around 08:00 and the movement is coming to an end by 10:00. This morning we counted 23 skeins, varying in size from a dozen birds to over 300 with most comprising 50 to 80 birds.

Pink-footed Geese

First Pink-footed Geese of the autumn

Following reports of several skeins in the Midlands yesterday there was a significant movement of Pink-footed Geese over the Peak District today with 550 counted in skeins ranging from a dozen birds to several hundred this morning. 

They were generally moving east or south east, presumably to the Humber or Lincolnshire coast.

Pink-footed Geese

Weasel - Beeley Moor

I rarely see Weasel or Stoat on Beeley Moor but I have had brief views of what I assume is the same Weasel several times in the last week. 

Very difficult to photograph as they run in and around a drystone wall, appearing and disappearing and seldom pausing.

Weasel

Hummingbird Hawkmoth - Darley Dale

 The exceptionally warm summer has produced lots of records of Hummingbird Hawkmoths locally. This one has been visiting the Honeysuckle in our garden for a week.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

A perched Red Kite and my first Yellow-legged Gull of the year

 Two adult Red Kites perched at Rowsley, close to where I saw the Osprey was a nice surprise. I haven't seen any juveniles this summer so I suspect it has not been a good breeding season for them locally. 

I see them perched very infrequently and usually hidden by foliage so this made a nice change.

Red Kite - adult

Early we been walking in Youlgrave, as we approached the village several parties of Mandarin Duck flew down the valley, in the end we counted 39 birds which was unusual for that location, perhaps they had roosted on the small lake.

Close to the lake I counted 350 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and, after checking them carefully, a single adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Most years I check to Lesser Black-backs which favour the fields between Winster and Newhaven but they have only been present in small numbers so far so I was pleased to find this Yellow-legged. 

Yellow-legged Gull - lower foreground with Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Adult Yellow-legged Gull showing the pale upper and underwing compared to Lesser

The Green Sandpipers at Chatsworth increased to three but weren't there yesterday when I checked and a Hobby this evening on Beeley Moor made a brief appearance this evening.