A Few More Birds!!

 Since my last post, Jayne and I have been out and about, and have managed to add another 6 species to the "Year List!.

The first new species was Pied Flycatcher (155), a single male heard singing at Linacre on 24th April. Several other were also seen and heard at Padley Gorge today. The next species, Garden Warbler (156), was special, as it was a female bird, with a brood patch, that was caught and ringed at Linacre on 26th April. Fingers crossed for successful breeding this year.

The other new species were all seen or heard at Padley Gorge and Big Moor this morning. Cuckoo , 1 heard (157), Redstart, several heard, but none seen - annoying leaves!! (158), Tree Pipit, 1 seen and heard singing (159) and finally, Whinchat - 1 male seen on Big Moor (160).

Tree Pipit

Whinchat

One new butterfly was also seen at Padley Gorge, namely, Green Hairstreak.

Green Hairstreak

Year List Update/RSPB Frampton Marsh

After a trip to RSPB Frampton Marsh yesterday, I realised that it was time to update the blog with my new Year List total. Since my last post, I've added 8 new species, taking this year's British total (so far) to 185 species.

The first three new additions were: Tree Pipit (178) and Nightjar (179), both seen back in June, on uplands near Chesterfield, and Black Tern (180), with one seen at Ogston Reservoir on 14th June.

Yesterday's new additions, at Frampton, were: Greenshank (181), Temminck's Stint (182), Green Sandpiper (183), Spotted Redshank (184) and Curlew Sandpiper (185).

Temminck's Stint

Other birds seen included: Ringed and Little Ringed Plover, Redshank, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit (including 2 colour-ringed birds), Dunlin, Snipe, Common Sandpiper (1), Little Grebe, Mallard, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Teal, Wigeon, Greylag and Canada Goose, Mute and Whooper Swan (1), Swallow, Sand Martin, Spoonbill (26!), a possible/probable Merlin, Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Marsh Harrier, Goldfinch, Linnet, Pied and Yellow Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Reed and Sedge Warbler.

There were very few insects about, but 2 Painted Ladies were seen, along with Migrant Hawkers, male Ruddy Darters, and, best of all, a single Eyed Hawkmoth caterpillar, and 3 Willow Emerald Damselflies.

Eyed Hawkmoth

Willow Emerald Damselfly

Derbyshire Woodcock and Nightjar - 21st June 2023

 On Wednesday, Jayne and I went out with our friend Stewart from Derbyshire Bird Tours in the search for Nightjar and Woodcock.

We met up at 8.15pm and spent the next two and a half hours up on the edge of the moors, where we had fantastic views of both these species, along with Tree Pipit, Cuckoo, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler (heard), Great Spotted Woodpecker , Tawny Owl (heard) and Linnet.

Year list update: 169 - Woodcock

Longshaw and Padley Gorge

Jayne and I had a walk around Longshaw and Padley Gorge this morning. It was surprisingly quiet, but we did manage to hear a single Cuckoo (158), 1 singing Redstart (159) and 1 Tree Pipit (160).

Other birds seen/heard were: Kestrel, Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Meadow Pipit, Stonechat, Pied Flycatcher, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. 

Year List Update - 28th May 2019

I last blogged about my Year List a few weeks ago, and since then, I've added 5 new species. The first three: Garden Warbler, Tree Pipit and Little Owl, were seen in Derbyshire, whilst the last two: Little Tern and Little Stint, were seen in Northumberland.

The Garden Warbler (2), were seen and heard in Deep Dale, the Tree Pipit was seen at Padley Gorge and the Little Owl was a nice surprise, seen in Apperknowle, on the way to work last week.

I've seen 2 Little Terns in Northumberland. The first was fishing just off the beach at Seahouses, and the second was seen flying from Lindisfarne Castle.

The Little Stint, a breeding plumaged bird was seen yesterday, and again today at Low Newton Pools.

Year List Update:
173 – Garden Warbler
174 - Tree Pipit
175 - Little Owl
176 – Little Tern

177 – Little Stint

Year List update

I was looking through the blog yesterday, when I realised I'd not updated the Year List since the start of May. Since then, I've added another 8 species to the list, including one (Lesser Whitethroat) that I've not had a for a few years. This species was seen (briefly), and heard singing at Holmebrook Valley Country Park in Chesterfield on 7th May. After seeing this bird I picked Luke up, and travelled to Barlow where we had great views of a Little Owl.

Little Owl

We then drove up to Padley Gorge where we recorded Pied Flycatcher (2 singing males), Redstart (1 singing male), Cuckoo (1 calling male) and Tree Pipit (2 singing males at nearby Barbrook Plantation).

The final "tick" came at the weekend, when a male Whitethroat was recorded singing in the ringing area of Linacre. Hopefully, we'll be able to confirm breeding of this species here again this year.

Year List update:

146 – Swift (first seen in Chesterfield on 5th May)

147 – Lesser Whitethroat

148 – Little Owl

149 – Pied Flycatcher

150 – Redstart

151 – Cuckoo

152 – Tree Pipit

153 - Whitethroat

Derbyshire Year Listing

This morning I got up early and had a couple of hours on the moorland in the Peak District National Park, adding 6 new species to the "Year List".

I started off at Padley Gorge where I heard a couple of Cuckoos calling from the moorlands. I then walked down into the oak woodlands where there were a couple of male Pied Flycatchers and several male Redstarts singing.

Padley Gorge

Back up on the moorlands I added a singing Whinchat to the list, before driving across to Ramsley Reservoir. On arrival I had a singing Tree Pipit, several Meadow Pipits, a pair of Stonechats, a singing Redstart, and, best of all, a "reeling" Grasshopper Warbler on neighbouring Leash Fen.

Year List update:

124 - Cuckoo

125 – Pied Flycatcher

126 – Whinchat

127 – Stonechat

128 – Tree Pipit

129 – Grasshopper Warbler

Year List update and a new bird for Linacre

In the 9 years that I've been watching and recording the birdlife at Linacre there is one species of bird that, although very common in the surrounding area, I've never managed to record there, namely Greenfinch. I'm not sure why this is, but on Saturday, while leading a walk for the rangers, I spotted a male bird in the woodland by the bottom reservoir. A very nice new addition!

Apart from the Greenfinch, the walk was quite quiet, the highlights being my first Linacre Swift of the year, a couple of Common Buzzard, singing Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap, and 2 Coot chicks.

Today (Sunday), I spent a few hours with Jayne, at RSPB Old Moor. We'd just gone, for a walk and a spot of lunch, but, in the end, we ended up with super views of a hunting Hobby, 12 Whimbrels, a booming Bittern along with singing Reed Warblers, a Common Sandpiper and a lovely summer-plumaged Dunlin.

Year List update:

143 – Tree Pipit (Longshaw Estate on 5th May)

144 – Cuckoo (Longshaw Estate on 5th May)
145 – Swift
146 – Hobby
147 – Whimbrel
148 – Reed Warbler

Non-stop Ringing

That was the order of the day today as we (Sorby Breck Ringing Group), made our annual trip to the moorlands above Sheffield (Ringinglow), to catch and ring Meadow Pipits as they migrate south over the area. We arrived at 5.45am and over the next five hours we had a constant stream of birds, resulting in a super catch of 139 Meadow Pipits and 1 Tree Pipit.

Today's ringing site

 

As many birdwatchers know, Tree and Meadow Pipits can be quite difficult to tell apart, but when "in the hand" there are several features that make the job a little easier. When the Tree Pipit turned up this morning, the first thing we noticed was the much shorter, well curved, hind claw, followed closely by the number of primary feathers in a line (2-4 in a line, 2-5 in a Meadow Pipit ), "pinkish" legs and a much "stronger", more powerful beak!

Tree Pipit's wing showing primaries 2-4 (the top 3 feathers in this picture)

in a line

As I mentioned at the start of the post, we were very busy this morning, ringing and recording the bio metrics (weight, wing length, fat and muscle scores) for all those birds, but we also recorded the other birds seen around the site. A Kestrel flew over the area a few times, a few Red Grouse were heard and a couple of Carrion Crows were also about.

Finally, thanks alot to Kevin and Sean for your support and hospitality this morning. Look forward to ringing with you both again.

Ladybower Wood SSSI

Spent a couple of hours out at the DWT's Ladybower Wood reserve with Stewart from the ringing group to check a few boxes and ring my first Redstart pulli. He had 1 box  with 4 chicks in it and we ringed 2 each. Thanks Stewart!

Redstart pulli

 

We checked a few other boxes and ringed some Blue and Great Tits, but the 4 boxes with Pied Flycatcher chicks and eggs weren't ready, so they'll have to wait for another day.

 

Pied Flycatcher chicks

 

Pied Flycatcher eggs

 

As well as these birds we also managed to record several other species including 2 "year ticks", namely Wood Warbler and Tree Pipit. Cuckoos were calling all morning and Stewart managed a quick glimpse of one as I dragged myself up the hill!!

 

Year List:

142 - Wood Warbler

143 - Tree Pipit

Nightjars and Woodcocks

Friday evening saw me and 5 others spending  a few hours in Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire on the Chesterfield RSPB's annual visit to see Nightjars and Woodcocks.

We'd had alot of rain this week, so we weren't expecting too much, but as we arrived, the rain stopped and the sun came out! The first part of the walk took place around the main lake, We saw a good number of waterbirds including Gadwall, Mallard, Mute Swan, Great-crested Grebe and a single male Mandarin Duck.

After an hour or so we headed over to the grassland area where we found a singing Yellowhammer, two Stock Doves and a single Tree Pipit.

Tree Pipit

The final part of the evening started at about 9.30pm, when we moved over to the Nightjar area. Within minutes of our arrival we'd seen a"roding" Woodcock and over the next hour we saw several more. A Cuckoo was heard calling and at about 9.45pm the Nightjars began to "churr" and we managed to see two birds flying around.

The Year List has moved on 4 species:

139 -Tree Pipit
140 - Woodcock
141 - Nightjar
142 - Cuckoo

Barbrook Plantation - 17th April 2011

After my early morning visit to Linacre I popped up to Barbrook Plantation, a small area of woodland on the edge of moorland in the Peak District, and part of the RSPB's newly -established Eastern Moors Partnership. This is a regular spot for me in early spring to catch up with a few summer migrants and today's visit allowed me my first views of Tree Pipit. At least three individual birds were singing and displaying from the trees and I also managed to get a half decent shot of one against a beautiful blue sky.

Tree Pipit

Willow Warblers were in abundance here today with at least 6 singing and another sure sign of summer was a pair of Curlew "bubbling" in the background and 1 Skylark singing overhead. Resident birds seen were: Song Thrush (collecting food, another record for the Bird Atlas), Lesser Redpoll "buzzing" overhead, Chaffinch, Kestrel, Blackbird, Robin, Treecreeper, Meadow Pipit, Carrion Crow and Wren. 2 Canada Geese also flew overhead and landed in the stream by the bridge. I'll pop back later in the season to search for the ever-elusive Redstart and late-arriving Spotted Flycatcher.