Whinchat - last of our breeding migrants arrives

 Having seen my first Nightjars a couple of days ago a Whinchat this afternoon on Beeley Moor completes the arrivals of our breeding migrants, a superb male I'm hoping it will stay to breed. As the Whinchat is just arriving the first young Stonechats have fledged this week.

Whinchat - male

Had lovely views of a singing male Pied Flycatcher a few days ago. Usually most of the Pied Flycatchers I see are on the west side of the Derwent River but this year I have encountered 7 singing males on the east side of the although two birds were in Alders on the river bank so could have been either side, hopefully they will also stay to breed.

Pied Flycatcher - male

No signs of any Short-eared Owls this month but a Long-eared hunting over a clear fell area at dusk is a positive sign and a pair of Little Owls close to Bakewell are always nice to see.

Little Owl - pair

Firecrest - Matlock Forest

The Firecrest is a very scarce breeding bird in Derbyshire with confirmed breeding in 1981, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2016, 2018 and 2020 according to the Derbyshire Ornithological Society. It is more regularly found in the winter with one or two birds recorded most years.

This morning I located a singing male in an area of Sitka Spruce in Matlock Forest. Typically they are in some of the oldest and darkest coniferous forest making their features difficult to see in the wild but the photographs show what a superb looking bird they are.

Firecrest - male

There is a history of them occurring in Matlock Forest with the first breeding season record there in 2006 and I was fortunate to see a pair with three youngsters there in 2020.

Nationally the first UK breeding record was in Hampshire in 1962 with numbers increasing rapidly since then and it is now estimated that there could be 4000 pairs mainly concentrated in the south and southeast of Britain.

Firecrest Breeding distribution 2008-2011

Derbyshire and South Yorkshire are at the northern tip of the UK breeding distribution but with summer temperatures rising we may see more in the future.

Fingers crossed that this male can attract a female and produce some youngsters.

Yellow Wagtail - Elton Common

 A single report of a flyover Yellow Wagtail over Beeley Moor on 3rd May was the first of the Spring but I had three, a male and two females, at Elton Common this morning.

Yellow Wagtail - female

Although passage birds may be encountered almost anywhere locally this is still the only site that I know where breeding is attempted.

A kettle of 9 Common Buzzards over the fields was a notable count.

Grey Partridge - my first in over a decade

 Robin Elliot came across a pair of Grey Partridge yesterday by the Matlock Road/ Alicehead Road junction. Fortunately they were still in the area this morning in a field a little closer to Swinger Lane. Although there have been occasional reports; Alan Stewardson saw one on Harland Edge earlier this year and there was a report of a pair a couple of days ago in the Haddon Grove Farm area, they are my first since 2011!

I'd be interested to hear of any other local records in the last few years.

Grey Partridge

Most of the expected migrants are back now with good numbers of Common Whitethroat on the moors and several Garden Warbler around the plantations now. I also had a Lesser Whitethroat singing on 3rd May on Cullumbell Lane outside Uppertown.

Superb views of Grasshopper Warbler this morning with a pair together on Beeley Moor, there are at least four males with territories around the moors.

Grasshopper Warbler

I saw the Turtle Dove on the last day of April and again on the 1st May around Flash Lane. It was displaying to a Collared Dove on the 30th April with the chances of it finding a mate very slim although it persists with its lovely purring song.

Turtle Dove displaying to a Collared

I saw my first Common Swifts over Darley Dale on 2nd May and numbers are steadily increasing but there are not many House Martin about.

There was a Hobby over Flash Lane on 30th April and I've seen another today and the first Wood Warblers returned on 1st May. 

So just Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat and Nightjar still to arrive.