Just returned from a couple of hours up on the moors looking for early returning migrants - without any luck!!! I did, however, get a few "year ticks" and some new information for the
BTO's Bird Atlas.
I started off at
Leash Fen where I found my first singing
Yellowhammer of the year. This was joined by several
Meadow Pipits, also singing and displaying.
Shilitoe Wood held the usual
Chaffinches and a
Song Thrush.
Next stop was
Burbage Moor, which was also very quiet, but I did hear
Red Grouse,
Wren,
Stonechat (year tick) and several
Siskin, which were flying over.
Stonechat (male)
Driving home I decided to go via
Barlow. Just as I was heading up towards
Dronfield I noticed a pair of
Mandarin Duck flying around and landing in a tree. I pulled over and whilst watching them, 3
Stock Dove also flew in and landed in a nearby tree. All the birds seemed very interested in a potential nest site - great records for the Atlas. I stayed and watched for about 10 minutes, during which time a pair of
Nuthatch also flew in and looked at the same hole, as did a male
Great-spotted Woodpecker and a pair of
Jackdaw!!!
It's interesting to speculate where the Mandarins came from, but with Linacre just a few miles away as the Mandarin flies, it seems very likely that they came from here, doesn't it?
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