Yellow Wagtail and Lesser Whithethroat new for the year

 A male Lesser Whitethroat, almost certainly one of a pair was singing between Winster and Birchover during the week. Although I see, or hear, odd Lesser Whitethroats elsewhere this is the only area where they breed with any regularity and it's difficult to understand why as similar habitat is fairly widespread in the White Peak.

On a similar vein I caught up with Yellow Wagtail today at Pikehall. Most years I get a pair at Elton Common but I could not find them there this year although there were one or two reported. So I went a little further and came across a singing male with a female so presumably breeding.

The Common Quail was calling there again today but no sign of any on Bonsall Moor this year.

Yellow Wagtail - male

Another very scarce breeding bird was encountered yesterday at Chatsworth when Pam and I flushed a Green Woodpecker from the grass by the river. I've seen or heard them several times during April and May so again presumably breeding in the area.

Green Woodpecker

Little Grebe breeding success on the Lathkill

 At least one pair of Little Grebes have successfully hatched young on the River Lathkill. I usually have a couple of pairs at Chatsworth but, although I see one or two adults I've not seen any sign of nesting this year.

Little Grebe

A Common Quail at Elton Common on 6th June is fairly typical date for them to arrive, two males were calling there yesterday so hopefully they will be here for the summer.

Gulls are starting to appear on the upland fields where grass cutting has commenced. I counted 70 Lesser Black-backed at Pike Hall recently and 40 on the fields by the Alicehead crossroads has an adult Herring Gull with them. Hopefully we'll get a few Yellow-legged as the summer progresses.

Herring Gull

More of a surprise was an adult Pink-footed Goose with the breeding Greylags at Ashford Lake on 6th June and I presume its one of the birds that wintered with the Greylags at Youlgrave but it's my first summer record.

Pink-footed Goose

As of yesterday I have seen 100 species locally since the start of the month which shows how diverse the birdlife is locally!

Osprey - Chatsworth

 A lucky encounter this morning when an Osprey flew directly over my head as I was crossing the single arch bridge at Chatsworth. It was flying away from me as it flew north following the river but it stopped and hovered a couple of times but didn't dive and was last seen continuing north beyond the house.

Osprey

There have been several records in Derbyshire in the past week with a bird seen over several days at Ogston and others in the south of the county, which I presume are non-breeding, second calendar year, birds but its surely only a matter of time before they breed in the County.