Whooper Swans over Beeley Moor

My first local Whooper Swans of the year today, with six birds seen distantly from Beeley Moor crossing Whitesprings Plantation heading towards Matlock. They are not the first of the autumn though, as Alan saw 11 going east on the 4th November.

Whooper Swans

It was probably a family party but the birds were too distant to be certain of their age.

There was another reasonable easterly movement of Pink-footed Geese with 540 counted in 10 skeins this morning. Also several Common Crossbill and a flock of 30-40 Brambling on Flash Lane.

Footnote: A party of 6 Whooper Swans, 2 adults and 4 juveniles, were flushed from Broadstone Reservoir south of Huddersfield on the morning of 19th November and were seen in the afternoon at Shipley Lake 67km to the SE. I'm sure that must have been the same party which I saw over Beeley.