12 & 13/07/2008
On Saturday I went to Ogston early morning. Large numbers of Swifts and hirundines were present, and I also saw a Hobby and
4 Little Ringed Plover. The weather had not been particularly good but late morning it appeared to be improving so I decided
to go and have a look around Matlock Forest. As in recent weeks good numbers of Siskins were present in the forest and
I also saw a few small parties of Crossbills. At one point the sun almost came out and good numbers of Butterflies were present
in one of the rides in Bottom Moor. About 15 Meadow Browns were present but these were slightly outnumbered by Ringlets.
This species has only recently moved into the area but looks set to follow Gatekeepers and Speckled Woods and become one of our
commonest Butterflies. On the way home I called in at Ogston. A Greenshank had dropped in and two adult Common Terns were also there.
On Sunday I went to Williamthorpe early morning. Good numbers of ducks included three adult Gadwall including a female with
a brood of six young. Last year was the first time this species had bred there, but they seem to be well established now.
Also there were about 20 Lapwing, nine Tufed Duck a drake Pochard, a Kingfisher and a Common Tern. Later I went to Ogston.
Highlights here included a Crossbill, two Raven, two Common Tern and a Hobby. For a change it was quite bright and sunny
encouraging a few Butterflies out including the odd Ringlet. A Little Owl was also sat out enjoying the warm conditions,and
attracting plenty of attention from several Lesser Whitethroats. Afterwards I decided to try the Little Barbrook Valley. I was
mainly looking for Whinchat, but I failed to find any though several Stonechats were present. Also there were
a few Redpolls, Raven, and a Buzzard. I also had a brief view of an Adder disappearing into the Heather. While I was alongside
Little Barbrook Res a female Golden Ringed Dragonfly flew past and landed on the heather alongside the path where I was able
to watch and photograph it as it sat and ate a Wasp that it had just caught. On the way back a Grasshopper Warbler sang
briefly in the valley bottom, and at Barbrook Plantation I saw Woodcock, a Redstart, Nuthatch and Spotted Flycatcher.
10/07/2008
On Thursday I went to Ogston after a phone call from Tim Sexey about a Black-necked Grebe present there. As I reached the
top of South Hill a Peregrine gave excellent views as it circled just above the car. The Grebe spent most of the time asleep close
to the far bank and I was only able to get a few poor record shots. While we were waiting for the Grebe to wake up a kestrel
came and posed in a nearby tree allowing for a few shots. Later during the evening I returned to Ogston to look for a Barn
Owl that has been showing most evenings recently. While waiting I saw the Peregrine again, this time being mobbed by an
adult Common Tern as it flew up the reservoir. After a while the Barn Owl came out hunting over the nearby fields, my
first ever at Ogston.
05-06/07/2008
On Saturday morning I went to Ogston and spent most of the morning dodging the frequent showers. Birdwise it was fairly
quiet apart from the odd Raven and Buzzard, though three juvenile Shoveler dropped in mid morning. During the afternoon
it began to brighten up slightly and I decided to head for Middleton Moor for a change, and on the way I stopped off at
Longstone Edge. This coincided with a fairly prolonged spell of sunshine and very good numbers of Butterflies were out.
These included good numbers of Dark Green Fritillaries, hundreds of Meadow Browns as well as good numbers of Small Heath,
Brown Argus, Common Blue and Small Skipper. Moving on to Middleton Moor was a bit disappointing as very few birds were
present. These consisted of one Common Sandpiper, one Lapwing about 20 Black-headed Gulls and a handfull of
Lesser Black-backed Gulls but fortunately with the latter were two Yellow-legged Gulls.
On Sunday I went to Ogston early morning and went into the hide to get out of the fairly heavy rain. After a short while
I thought I heard a Black-tailed Godwit and so looked around expecting to see it drop in but saw nothing, though a few moments
later I picked it up on the bank in front of me. As it was the frirst for Ogston this year I called a few of the regulars
but it had gone by the time anyone had arrived. During a short break in the rain I went back to the car for a coffee. The
rain then came even heavier so I went to sleep in the car for an hour or so. Just as I was waking up, through a small
gap in the hedge, I saw what I thought looked like a Black Tern heading up the reservoir. I began to wonder if I had dreamt
it, but a few moments later I got out of the car and was watching it flying up and down the reservoir. I called the other
birders present in the hide and they came up to watch it. After a while the rain began to get heavier again and most people
left. A short while afer they did a Greenshank dropped in and showed quite well at times. Other birds present included a
Ringed Plover, seven Common Sandpiper, a Hobby and a few Raven and Buzzard sightings making a quite good day by Ogston
standards. Late afternoon I went for a quick walk around Bottom Moor plantation and managed to locate at least 40 Crossbills
still present there.
28/06/2008
On Saturday I went to Ogston early morning. Highlights were a Ringed Plover, several Common Sandpipers, two Ravens and two
Crossbills. After this I went over to Carr Vale to have look for a Garganey that had been found there during the morning, but
when I got there it had gone out of sight. Fortunately a Hobby was showing very well in the area and this eventually flew over
the reserve, causing a bit of a commotion. This flushed out the Garganey enabling me to get a few distant record shots.
Afterwards I went up to Matlock Forest where quite a few Crossbillls were still present including at least 50 still in
Bottom Moor Plantation. A small number of butterflies were out including another Dingy Skipper. Later during the evening I
returned to Matlock Forest to try for Nightjar which have finally arrived back in the area during the last week. Just
before dark a male flew around perching briefly on a couple of trees in the area and sang very briefly before disappearing.
19-21/06/2008
On Friday while on my way to Ogston I got a call from Tim Sexey to that an Osprey was present there and showing well. When I
arrived it was still performing very well patrolling up and down over the water just off the West Bank car park. It continued
doing this for quite some time even allowing me to get a few digiscoped flight shots of it. Later I went up to Matlock Forest
and saw 30+ Crossbills at Bottom Moor, a few Tree Pipits and a pair of Redstarts. The rest of the weekend was a bit
disappointing due to the poor weather, the highlights being a second summer Yellow-legged Gull at Ogston on Saturday and 7
Crossbills flying over there on Sunday. Quite large numbers of Swifts were moving in a south-westerly direction on Sunday,
over Ogston and other sites locally. Hopefully this was a temporary movement in response to the poor weather rather than
indicating a poor breeding season and birds departing early.
13-15/06/2008
On Friday after work I went to Ogston and then up to Bottom Moor. Quite good numbers of Crossbills were still present,
but very mobile making it difficult to say exactly how many were present but certainly 50 or more, but while walking around I
did locate three Dingy Skippers. These were my first for the forest area, though they were not entirely unexpected and
during the course of the weekend I found several more at other sites in the area, but apart from a few Small Coppers and
Speckled Woods and the occasional Small Heath and Large Skipper, there seemed to be very few other Butterflies around.
On Saturday I again went to Bottom Moor where at least 50 Crossbills were still present but still mobile, and on Sunday I saw
a flock of 12 Crossbills fly west over Flash Lane.
07-08/06/2008
Over the weekend I visited Bottom Moor where large numbers of Crossbills were still present, probably still over 100, but
the large flock of last week seemed to have broken up into many smaller flocks. I also had a flock of 21 fly west over
Flash Lane on Saturday. On Sunday at Bottom Moor as the sun came out good numbers of Common Lizards were coming out to bask
on a stone wall in the area. Probably 20 or more were out at times, several adults and larger numbers of small darker
juveniles.
1/06/2008
On Sunday I visited Ogston in the morning, and shortly after I was joined by Tim Sexey. Mid-morning just after we went into
the Public Hide to take shelter from a shower I picked up two Black Terns heading up the middle of the reservoir. They went
out of sight around the corner so we returned to the car park in order to view them. We quickly
located them and they were soon joined by two Arctic Terns and then another two Black Terns. After flying up and down a few
times the whole group took off together and headed north. Later during the morning an adult Kittiwake arrived staying for
a few minutes before it flew off north-west, a quite unusual record for June. I then decided to walk around with Tim to check
the West Bank, but shortly after we had left the car park we recieved a call from Mike Conroy to say that a Red Kite was
flying over. We quickly got onto this, my third in less than a week, as it drifted off in a north-westerly direction. During
the afternoon I went up to Bottom Moor again with Mike Conroy to look for the Crossbills. Almost immediately we encountered
large numbers in the first ride and begun to try and photograph them. The vast majority were in trees on the left of the
ride but after a few minutes they gradually began crossing over to the other side in small groups enabling us to count them
accurately as they did so. We counted 168 and at least five remained in trees to the left of us giving a minimum total of
173, though it is likely that the actual figure was somewhat higher as several birds were already in trees on the right of
the track before we started counting. Several times the whole flock flew around together with a deafening chorus of calls a
very impressive sight. This is easily the largest flock I have ever seen and the highest number seen in the county since 1990.
31/05/2008
After a look around Ogston I went for a walk around Bottom Moor. While walking around one of the rides I heard a large group
of Crossbills calling. I did not see them at first but it sounded like there were more than the twenty or so I had been seeing
in recent weeks. A short while later I saw a large group crossing a clearing and counted 83 birds, followed shortly afterwards by
another flock of c35 birds and several smaller flocks. It was clear that large numbers were present but I was only able to
estimate numbers at 100+. I eventually located some feeding in Larches and managed a few photos but the birds were very
mobile. I then decided to try another area of Larch in the area to see if others were present. I decided on Hell Bank Plantation
and upon arrival there quickly located good numbers of birds in the Larches there. Again they were difficult to count and quite mobile but
at one point the flock was flushed, presumably by some unseen raptor and flew over the nearby moorland before returning to
the trees allowing me to estimate that around fifty birds were present. After a while several birds began visiting a small
puddle on the track there allowing me to get a few shots before a cyclist came past and flushed them.
29/05/2008
After a quick look at Ogston I went up onto the moors where the Black Grouse was showing quite well allowing me to get a
few slightly better shots. After this I went for a walk around Farley to try for Wood Warbler. I had found several here
last year but today was not able to locate any, but at least good numbers of Green Hairstreaks were finally on the wing after searching
for them here without success over the previous few weeks. On the way home I decided to have a look for a Corn Bunting in
the Stonebroom area. This species is almost extinct in Derbyshire and this is possibly the last singing male in the county.
Unfortunately due to its isolation from other Corn Buntings and it association with Yellowhammers it seems to think it is
one and has learnt the song of that species, it being almost impossible to tell the difference, thus making the bird
difficult to locate. Fortunately it usually ommits the "cheese" at the end of the song (though I think it did even add this
on at least one occasion).
28/05/2008
Early morning I went down to Ogston again. While there I got a call from Tim Sexey who was at the Canal Pit at Willington
where the two Temminck's Stint that had been present the previous evening, were still there with a good selection of other
waders. I quickly decided to go down and join him there. As well as the two Temminck's Stint a Sanderling, a Wood Sandpiper,
19 Ringed Plover were also present, as well as a few Dunlin and Little Ringed Plover. Most of the birds were quite distant
but I managed a few poor record shots. After a while I went with Tim to look on the pits of the DWT reserve where we located
two Turnstones. After this Tim left and I went back to the car at the end of
the lane. Just as I was preparing to leave, another birder arrived and as I was giving him directions to the Canal Pit I
looked up and saw a Red Kite approaching. This flew very low overhead and headed off towards Repton, my second in the last
three days. Not bad considering I had only ever seen two in Derbyshire prior to this.
25-27/05/2008
Sunday morning I went early to Ogston. A Greenshank was present briefly on the North Bank before flying off NE. Two Ringed
Plovers were also still present but not much else. On Monday I went to Ogston again and met Tim Sexey. Late morning Tim
picked up a raptor arriving from the west which quickly disappeared behind some trees, but when it came out we were quickly
able to identify it as a Red Kite, the fourth for Ogston this year and my first ever there. I managed to get a few distant
record shots as it drifted off to the south. On Tuesday I again went to Ogston where two Ringed Plover were still present
with a Dunlin and a drake Shoveler was showing quite well allowing me to get a few shots.
24/05/2008
Early morning after a quick visit to Ogston where four Ringed Plovers were still present I went up onto the moors to look for
a male Black Grouse that has been present recently. While driving along the road past the one of the fields where it had
been seen recently I noticed a dark head sticking up out of the grass in the far corner of the field. I quickly stopped the
car at the first opportunity and was soon watching the Black Grouse. I was joined by several other observers and after a few
minutes it flew up onto a nearby stone wall where I managed to get a few distant record shots. After a few minutes just as
more observers arrived, it flew into fields out of sight, so we went around to Harewood Road and fortunately we were able to
view it distantly from there. Later I drove down to Ingelby to look for the Red-footed Falcon that had been seen in the area.
When I arrived on site it was quite distant, sat in a ploughed field but fortunately it soon flew nearer to us and began
hunting over a cowfield by the river. On several occasions it landed on various posts just over the river allowing for a few
record shots though the wind was quite strong by now. Later I went to Willington Gravel Pits. A Turnstone was with 2 Dunlin
on the main DWT reserve and nearby 8 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin were on the Canal Pit. Considering that during the day I had
also located a certain rare breeding species (details of which are probably best not published here), an excellent day overall.
18/05/2008
On Sunday morning I went down to Ogston where I met Tim Sexey. The wind was coming from the north-east and conditions
appeared quite promising but not much was happening. At 09.20 I heard a Yellow Wagtail call as it flew overhead, the first
here for several weeks. Due to the late date I suggested that it might be worth making an effort to check it out. The
bird was very mobile, flying back and forth along the bank and we only managed several brief views in flight at first. After
a few minutes it flew past us and off strongly northwards into the distance but fortunately a few minutes later it came
back and landed to the right of the Public Hide. From the hide we managed brief views of it on the ground before it walked
behind an area of the bank where we could not see it. At this point I felt fairly sure it was a Grey-headed, but from the
brief views we obtained we could not entirely rule out Ashy-headed, and it was clear we needed to get better views. A few
moments later it flew again and landed to the left of the hide. We returned to the car park in order to view the bank there
and were joined by a couple of other birders who had just arrived. After a nervous couple of minutes I eventually located it
walking through some short but fairly dense vegetation near the waters edge and was now able to confirm that it was a
Grey-headed Wagtail. I then tried to digiscope it but this was proving very difficult due to the height of the fence in that
area. Eventually I managed to get a few poor record shots, which do not really do justice to such a smart looking bird, but
at least give they some idea of its appearance. After a couple of minutes two boats came out from the Sailing Club and
passed quite close to the shore. The bird froze in the vegetation as the waves from the first boat lapped the shore, then as
the second boat passed it flew up and headed off in a north-easterly direction. We watched as it disappeared into the
distance and this time unfortunately it did not return. So far I have only been able to trace one previous record for the
county, a male seen by Mark Beevers at Staveley Sewage Works in late May 1985.
After this a Common Tern and a 1st summer Yellow-legged Gull put in brief appearances, but otherwise it was fairly quiet.
During the afternoon I decided to go up to look for a Wood Warbler in Rowsley Wood. None were singing where they had been
reported a few days previously, but eventually after walking a mile or so I located a singing male. This was singing from the
other side of a steep rocky ravine, but fortunately just as I was weighing up whether or not it would be worth the effort to
cross the ravine it flew accross and landed in a tree directly beside me. Unfortunately the light was not really good enough
for photography amongst the trees.
26-27/04//2008
On Saturday morning after visiting Ogston I went for a walk around a nearby forest. While walking a track around a dense
plantation I thought I heard a Firecrest calling some way ahead. When I got to where I thought the call had come from I
stopped and waited for several minutes but heard nothing other than a few Goldcrests and Long-tailed Tits. I was just
thinking of moving on when I noticed a Common Lizard come out to bask in the fairly weak sunshine. I spent the next few
minutes gradually getting closer to this, but just as I got close enough to get a photo the Firecrest suddenly began singing
distracting me for a few moments and when I looked again the Lizard had disappeared. After this the Firecrest continued to
sing and call intermittently every few minutes, but although I spent a further 20 - 30 minutes waiting by the track I failed
to see it, so continued on my walk. About an hour later on my way back I made a slight detour to walk past the area again.
As I approached the area where it had been I listened for it, but did not hear it. Once again I noticed a Common Lizard
coming out to bask and managed to get very close to it. As I was bending over, photographing this at close range I suddenly
saw the Firecrest land on a sprig of heather just a couple of feet in front of my face, easily within touching distance. It
then flew around just in front of me, and I could hear its bill snapping as it caught insects. I very slowly tried to raise
my camera to get a picture, but it was moving too fast. It then flew slightly further away into the trees and I was then
able to get a few record shots just using the camera as it was still much too close to take pictures through the scope or
bins.
On Sunday after visiting Ogston I tried the Firecrest site again but there was no sign of it, presumably it had been a
migrant, but unfortunately as it was a singing bird in suitable breeding habitat and therefore potentially a breeding bird I
had decided not to release news of its presence.
19-20/04//2008
On Saturday morning I visited Ogston briefly and saw a couple of Common Sandpipers and a Yellow Wagtail before deciding to go
up to Matlock Forest. On Flash Lane I heard a few Crossbills but did not manage to see any but later in Bottom Moor Plantation
I located a flock of 20+ which showed quite well as they fed in Larches. A Tree Pipit was singing from the nearby clearfell
area and quite a few Bramblings were present in the area. A feature of recent weeks has been a number of singing Bramblings
in quite a few different areas of the forest, though its unlikely that any will linger much longer in the area. Later as
the weather deteriorated, I decided to head over to Carsington. From the Wildlife Centre was a Green Sandpiper, several
Yellow and White Wagtails and the Great Northern Diver was visible distantly quite close to the far bank of the reservoir.
Among the Yellow Wagtails on Horseshoe Island was a yellow-headed individual, perhaps resembling a lutea but it was
quite pale and washed out in its overall appearance and I suspect it was more likely to be just a variant of Yellow Wagtail. These are
notorious for the number of variants that appear among the various populations. Later from Paul Stanley Hide I
saw and heard a Whimbrel as it flew past heading northwards but not much else. On the way home I called at Ogston and saw
another Whimbrel, this time heading south.
On Sunday I woke early and went to Ogston. Pulling up opposite the old Oak tree and looking over the wall I was surprised
to see two Avocets quite close, but by the time I had got my scope and camera out they had moved further away and then they decided
to go to sleep. As it was still very early I decided to wait and see if anyone would arrive before phoning the news out.
When no one arrived after quite a long wait, I tried to contact several people, but it was obviously still too early as
no one was answering their phones. As the light slowly began to improve I took a few record shots of the birds and I decided
to go around to the hide as they were now closer from there. When I arrived in the hide Tony Macey was already present
watching the birds and eventually later during the morning I managed to contact a few people to let them know they were
present. The birds appeared quite settled and remained all day, even mating on at least 3 occasions. These birds constituted
only the third record for Ogston. Also there were a couple of White Wagtails, a couple of Dunlin, a Yellow Wagtail and a quite
large "fall" of Willow Warblers in the Willows along the south-western edge of the reservoir. On the way home I called in at
Doe Hill CP where a flock of c365 Golden Plover, many in full breeding plumage were a fitting end to a good day.
12-13/04//2008
On Saturday after a quick look at Ogston I went up to Matlock Forest. Along Flash Lane 20+ Crossbills were showing quite
well feeding in the Larches. Later in Bottom Moor I saw several other smaller flocks of Crossbills and at least 2 Mealy
Redpolls in a mixed flock with Goldfinch, Siskin and Lesser Redpolls. A male Cuckoo performed quite well on the edge of
the clearfell area, singing for quite a while.
On Sunday I went to Ogston and met Tim Sexey. As we stood in the car park Tim
picked up an Osprey arriving from the south. This bird followed the same course past Highoredish as the bird last weekend,
completely ignoring the reservoir. Later when I was in the hide a Water Rail visited the feeding station there. It was too
close to digiscope it but I took a few shots through the bins. A Yellow Wagtail was present briefly with the Pied wagtails
but otherwise it was fairly quiet.
05-06/04//2008
On Saturday I went down to Ogston where I met Tim Sexey. mid morning we decided to go in the Public Hide to shelter from the
weather. Suddenly the hirundines began to panic and Tim picked out a female Merlin flying up over the resevoir. It was
beginning to look like being a promising day but Tim had to leave early. Shortly afterwards I sat in the car and was
scanning through a group of gulls passing through the area when I noticed a small dot approaching from the south. This
looked like it might be something interesting but as I adjusted my position I lost it. Probably a minute or so later I
refound it, still quite distant but I could now see it was a rather dark looking thrush and began to suspect it could be a
Ring Ouzel so I got out of the car. As it got closer I was able to confirm that it was a male Ring Ouzel but just as it reached the car park it
suddenly turned SE and flew over the reservoir to the east side where it then resumed its northward orientation. As I was
watching it I noticed Mike Conroy nearby so I called him over and pointed it out to him as it flew past. It then appeared
to drop into fields behind the East Bank so I drove around there to look for it. Unfortunately the area where it had appeared
to land is not really visible from anywhere so I soon gave up and returned to the car park. Suprisingly this is the first
record of Ring Ouzel at Ogston, one of the best watched sites in the county. Shortly afterwards while sitting in the car I noticed a distant
large raptor over Brackenfield, but soon lost it behind some trees. Views were very brief but I saw enough to make me suspect
that it was an Osprey so I got out of the car and set up the scope. Mike Conroy quickly realised I had seen something and came
over to see what it was. A few moments it reappeared and I was able to confirm it was an Osprey and we watched as it passed over
Carr Wood and continued in a north-westerly direction over Highoredish.
Predictably Sunday at Ogston was much quiter the highlight being a White Wagtail on the West Bank. On my way to Matlock
Forest I saw 6 Wheatears in a field near Butterley Top Farm. Along Flash Lane I heard a few Crossbills but could not locate
them. Along Screetham lane very large numbers of birds were still present in the stubble fields including 400+ Bramblings.
26/03/2008
A late start at work gave me the opportunity to visit Ogston early morning. The Scaup and the Scoters were still present and
not long after I arrived I picked up 2 Kittiwakes arriving over the dam wall. They landed on the water and I managed a few
poor record shots before I left for work. I thought it looked like it could a promising day and so I decided to return after
work. When I got back I found out I had been right, as a Red-throated Diver had dropped in during the afternoon, but
unfortunately it had gone by the time I got there.
21-23/03/2008
On Friday morning I visited a few sites in Nottinghamshire seeing several Woodlarks and had some reasonable but mainly quite
distant views of the Great Grey Shrike on Budby Common. Later I called at Ogston where the normally distant female Scaup was
showing quite well in Wooley Bay probably due to the boats being out, giving me the opportunity at last to get a few
reasonable shots. At the other end of the reservoir the Tufted X Pochard hybrid was also showing quite well.
On Saturday I went down to Ogston again and scanning through the ducks I picked out a drake Common Scoter by the dam, it was
rather distant, but then I found out that I had left my camera at home anyway. The Scaup and the Aythya hybrid were
also still there. During the afternoon I returned to Ogston, the drake Scoter was still present and still distant but then
I was suprised to find that a female was also now present with a group of Tufted Ducks. On Sunday all the ducks were still
present, and when the boats came out the Scoters came fairly close allowing for a few record shots, but a group of six
Whooper Swans that arrived could not find anywhere to land and after circling the reservoir several times, they flew off east.
15 & 16/03/2008
On Saturday I did not get out until quite late and saw very litle other than a flyover group of 12 Crossbills in Farley. On
Sunday I saw the large flock of 200+ Brambling that are still present in the Screetham Lane area and then went to look for a
group of four Waxwing that had been reported at Cutthorpe. On arrival I quickly located them but they were quite difficult
to photograph in the by now rather strong wind, and they were also quite wary of passing traffic and horses etc. After this
I went for a walk around Linacre Reservoirs, hoping for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker but without success. A group of ten
Goosanders were on the bottom lake and a single drake Mandarin was on the top lake but otherwise I saw little of interest.
23 & 24/02/2008
On Saturday I began by visiting Ogston. The female Scaup was still present, and still distant. A group of five Pinkfeet
were with the Canada Goose flock and a male Gadwall on the reservoir but I did not see much else so I set off for Cromford to
try for the Hawfinch there. I could not locate any in a quick search of the churchyard and Willersley Castle area and had
returned to the car and was about to leave when I heard some calling nearby. I soon located a group of five, a couple of
the males were singing and one began performing the so called "Penguin dance" to a nearby female, something I have surprisingly
never actually witnessed before. The male held its wings partly open while performing a slower, slightly clockwork, version of
Chubby Checkers twist. I did take a short video sequence of it but it was almost over by then. A short while later they flew
into trees around the Wharf where I was able to get a few photos. At least eight were present now and I was sure I could
hear others calling nearby, apparently 12 were seen there later. Later I tried Carsington and had a look for the Diver but
could not locate it, though it apparently was still there. Wildfowl numbers seemed very low and I saw very little of
interest, so I decided to go up to Matlock Forest. As I was driving past Bottom Moor I saw a large flock of birds fly up from a
field on the opposite side of the road so I stopped to investigate. Very large numbers of Siskins and Goldfinch were feeding
in the Larches there and large numbers of Brambling and Chaffinch were feeding under the Larches and in the field over the
road. A few Yellowhammers were also present and I also heard a few Redpoll with the Siskin but never actually saw them. Next I
went along Flash Lane and stopped in the entrance of Forty Acre Wood for a coffee. As I was drinking it I heard a group of
Crossbills approaching and shortly afterwards saw four of them fly over and appear to land in nearby trees. I quickly set
off to look for them and soon located them in the top of a Norway Spruce. I could see now that five birds were present. Four
were obviously Common Crossbill but the fifth bird, a female type, seemed to have a rather heavy bill, though it quickly
turned its head to face away and then turned directly facing me. It repeated this several times but it was not possible to
get a prolonged profile view of its bill. I suspected that it might be a Parrot Crossbill so although they were quite distant,
I decided to take a few photos hoping I might capture a decent image. Several nearby branches were swaying in the breeze and blocking my view quite a lot
and the photo below was the best image I got, a not too helpful head-on view. It was at around this point that the dog-walker
arrived and I'm not sure if was the dogs barking or the owner shouting at them to stop barking which flushed the Crossbills but
either way I was not very impressed. I suppose I will just have to try again to locate them though I dont hold out much hope,
this was the first time I have seen Crossbills actually perched in a tree rather than in flight for nearly a year. I spent
the next couple of hours searching for them without success and then went to Ogston for the roost. Very few large gulls were
present, I managed to pick out 1st and 2ndW Yellow-legged Gulls but gave in and went home a bit early, missing a 1stW Iceland Gull that
arrived late.
On Sunday I went a long walk from High Peak Junction up around Cromford Moor and along the Midshires Way, but did not see
very much. A couple of Crossbill flew around Cromford Moor where I also flushed a Woodcock. Alongside the Midshires way
small numbers of Bramblings were still present with larger numbers of Chaffinches but the flock was much smaller than during
the early part of the winter. Back at High Peak Junction a Dipper was singing alongside the bridge over the river. Next I
went back up to Matlock Forest to look for Crossbills. I managed brief views of a few small parties including one of nine
birds but only got good perched views of a couple of birds. At least one male Mealy Redpoll was with a large flock of Siskins
feeding in the Larches there. At Ogston I saw the 1stW Iceland Gull as well as presumably the same two Yellow-legged Gulls
as last night.
16 & 17/02/2008
On Saturday I decided to go and try again for the Waxwing at Allestree. When I arrived the bird was present but as soon as I
was ready to get a photo it flew off. After waiting for over an hour it was eventually refound a couple of hundred yards
further up the road where it showed quite well allowing me to get a few photos. Most of the time it appeared to be feeding
on moss or lichens growing on the bark of a tree though at times it flew into one or other of the small berry trees in the
area and ate a few berries. After this I tried Allestree Park again hoping for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, but without any success.
About ten Mandarins were present on the upper lake but were fairly elusive though a female Wood Duck also present was more obliging.
Afterwards I tried several other sites without seeing much and eventually headed to Ogston for the roost. On the way I recieved a
call from Mark Beevers about a Thayer's type gull he and Kevin Gould had seen at Poolsbrook. Unfortunately it did not arrive at
Ogston, at least not before dark. A 1stW Glaucous Gull came in and later a 2ndW Iceland/Kumlien's arrived just after I had left.
On Sunday morning I headed for the Poolsbrook area. Mid morning news came through that the Thayer's type Gull had been seen on Erin
Tip so I drove around to view the tip. By the time I arrived there it had gone out of sight though at least one 1stW Glaucous Gull
and a 1stW Caspian Gull were on show. After probably an hour or so the Thayer's type was relocated and gave quite good views
before eventually heading off towards Poolsbrook. We quickly followed it down there where it continued to give good views
for quite some time before it eventually flew off. This bird is almost certainly the one present at Dix Pit in Oxfordshire
recently and probably little more can be added to the debate regarding it's exact identity. Later a 2ndw Iceland flew through
but I saw little else after that. At Ogston very few gulls roosted and nothing of interest turned up.
09/02/2008
At last some decent weather allowed for the opportunity to get a few photographs (last week had not been so good and the highlight
was a single Mealy Redpoll at Farley) On Saturday I went down to Loscoe Dam to see the Ferruginous Duck which had now moved
there from Shipley Park. Although I had seen it at Shipley the chances were that it would be closer here on this much
smaller lake. This proved to be the case and though it could be elusive at times hiding in the reeds I did manage to get a
few shots. After a while it went to sleep in the reeds so I went for a walk along the paths towards Godkin Ponds. Along the
way were quite a few Siskin and Redpolls but they were fairly elusive in the dense scrub there. Afterwards I decided to go to
Allestree to look for the Waxwing there. When I arrived the bird had not been seen for over an hour so I decided to go into
Allestree Park to try for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker instead but without success. About 30 Mandarins were on the upper lake
but I did not see much else.
26 & 27/01/2008
On Saturday I went to the Poolsbrook area checking the gull flocks as relatively large numbers of white-winged gulls have
been present locally. I saw 1stW Glaucous Gulls at three separate sites but it was difficult to say exactly how many
different birds I had seen, as birds were moving around. A 1stW Yellow-legged Gull was also present on Markham Pit Yard.
One Glaucous was on Poolsbrook CP briefly and I was able to get a few photos before it flew off. Later at Ogston two 1stW
Glaucous Gulls were in the roost.
On Sunday I first went around several areas of Matlock Forest. Very large numbers of Siskins are present at the moment,
too many to get an accurate idea of the numbers involved. With them I heard a few Redpolls but could not find any in a
brief search. Along Flash Lane I eventually saw a couple of Crossbills and heard another calling, the first I have seen
in the area for quite a few weeks. Later during the morning I got news that a Ferruginous Duck was present on the American
Adventure Lake at Shipley Park and decided to go and have a look at it, calling briefly at Ogston on the way where the
female Scaup was still present. When I arrived the bird had disappeared under some Willows at the far end of the lake. It
remained there for another hour and a half, until a couple of the security staff there walked around and it came out and flew
around, landing quite close to where we were standing. I managed to get a few shots as it gradually made its way back to
the far end of the lake. After this I decided to go back to Ogston for the roost but on the way I decided to call in at
Loscoe Dam, as it was on the way. With the Pochard flock there I immediately picked out a 1stW drake Scaup, a nice surprise
on this relatively small lake. As with many first winter drakes it had a small amount of dark at the sides of the nail which
from some angles could appear fairly extensive, but from other angles could almost disappear, no doubt the usual hybrid
theories will arise. Ogston was a waste of time as the roost was quite small and nothing of interest turned up.
On a
different matter earlier during the week I had been looking at some of my old photos and was shocked to find out I had
photographed a rare bird without realising it. What a numpty! Read the full story
here.
19 & 20/01/2008
On Saturday I began at Ogston as usual where the Scaup was still present and still too distant to photograph. Later I went up to
Carsington which was fairly quiet, a pair of Shoveler from Sheepwash Hide were about the only thing out of the ordinary. I
decided to stay for the gull roost rather than go to Ogston which turned out to be a mistake as someone was shooting nearby
and all the gulls settled over the far side. I did pick out one adult Yellow-legged Gull and the Great Northern Diver again
but this was very distant right in the middle of the reservoir.
On Sunday I checked several areas around Darley Bridge. Large numbers of gulls were on floodwater there but otherwise it
was fairly quiet. In one copse I found a Tawny Owl roosting in a Holly. It appeared to be leaning against a branch until
I looked more closely and realised it was leaning on another Tawny Owl. They appeared quite comical as they were propping
each other up but unfortunately there was not enough light to get a photo. When I returned to Ogston for the roost the
Scaup was showing slightly better and I was able to get a few record shots. In the roost were an adult Mediterranean Gull
and a 1stW Glaucous Gull.
12 & 13/01/2008
Early Saturday morning I went to Ogston and soon located the female Scaup that has been present for the last few days, but
unfortunately it remained too distant to get any decent photographs. The two Pinkfeet were still present with the Canada
Geese and were more obliging. Next I went up to the Matlock Forest area to check the large Brambling flock along Screetham
Lane. Huge numbers of birds are present in stubble fields in this area, so many that it is almost impossible to get an
accurate idea of the actual numbers involved. I noted a minimum of 300 Bramblings but there are probably many more than
that. There are also large numbers of Chaffinch, Yellowhammer, Linnet, Skylarks and Fieldfares present there. Next I went
up onto the moors. As I was pulling up alongside Beeley Triangle I saw a ringtail Hen Harrier crossing the road ahead
of me heading towards Harland Edge. I jumped out of the car and set the scope up but while fumbling to get my camera out I
lost the bird. About 10 minutes later I picked it up again quartering the edge, flushing a few Red Grouse as it went, but
again I managed to lose it while looking for my camera. Elsewhere in the Peak District good numbers of Ravens and Buzzards
were up enjoying the fine weather. At one roadside feeding station a Goshawk flew through in the manner of a Sparrowhawk
showing remarkable agility among the trees for such a huge bird. Late afternoon I went back to Ogston for the gull roost.
I saw a 2ndW Yellow-legged Gull, a 1stW Glaucous Gull and two Iceland Gulls, a 1stW and a 2ndW. The latter is a slightly odd
individual which shows some characteristics of Kumlien’s Gull. A 3rdW Yellow-legged Gull was also seen and very late on what
was probably a second Glaucous Gull was seen, though it was too dark by then to be sure if it was a different bird.
On Sunday the weather was poor and I ended up staying at Ogston all day. The Scaup was still present but remained distant,
and the 2 Pinkfeet were also still there. A Shelduck arrived late morning and a couple of Goosander were present but
otherwise it was fairly quiet. In the roost I saw one of the regular first-winter Glaucous Gulls, though a different bird to
last night. An adult Yellow-legged Gull and the same 2ndW Iceland Gull as last night also came in quite late but I did not
see them.
04-06/01/2008
On Friday afternoon I had a few spare hours after work so I decided to go to Ogston to view the gull roost. Very soon after I
arrived the weather suddenly turned for the worse. At this time very few gulls were present but an adult Mediterranean Gull
arrived with a small group of Black-headed Gulls. The weather was getting steadily worse so I decided to retreat into the
hide. Later from the hide I managed to pick out the Med Gull again and as I was watching it I saw an adult Little Gull drop
in nearby. Later two 1stW Glaucous Gulls completed an interesting couple of hours, though I missed a 1stW Iceland Gull
that also came in to roost.
Saturday did not get off to a good start. I went first to Cromford to try to get better pictures of the Hawfinch but was
disappointed not to find any so I went on to Carsington. I went first to the Wildlife Centre, where I was further disappointed
to hear that I had just missed two Whooper Swans, which had just flown off. Fortunately after a short time they circled back
around, but I thought they looked more like Bewick’s Swans though I could not be sure on the brief views obtained. It looked
like they had gone and would remain unidentified, reaffirming my opinion that these two species can be quite difficult to
separate in flight. Fortunately they came back around and gave better views and I was now certain that they were Bewick’s,
nowadays much the less common of the two species. Shortly after they landed in the middle of the reservoir so I went around
to Stones Island and managed to get a few very distant poor record shots. A flock of 13 Greylags joined them , themselves
an unusual number for this site. The Great Northern Diver that has been present for a few weeks flew past towards Millfields
but by the time I got around there it had disappeared again. I then decided to go to Ogston for the gull roost. As it was a
bit early for the gulls I decided to have a quick look around the Matlock Forest area. Very large numbers of Bramblings (300+)
along with large numbers of Chaffinch, Yellowhammers, Linnets etc were present in the stubble fields alongside Screetham Lane.
Afterwards at Ogston a drake Pintail was a nice surprise and later two 1stW Glaucous Gulls and a 1stW Iceland Gull came in
to roost.
Sunday I decided to go early morning to Carr Vale to try for the Bittern. While there I picked up a 1stW Glaucous Gull
flying north towards Poolsbrook but there was no sign of the Bittern. Next I went to Williamthorpe for another look at the
Long-tailed Duck. While there I decided to check a few areas for Redpolls but could not find any significant flocks but
while searching I did flush a Woodcock. Later I returned to Carr Vale to get in position for the expected late afternoon
brief flight views. While making my way down to the reserve a skein of c115 Pinkfeet flew W. After a while searching the
reed edge around the southern marsh I began to scan through a small flock of Teal back on the Reserve Pond when I suddenly
saw the Bittern out in the open there. After letting another birder have a quick look at it through my scope I ran back up
the path closer to where it was showing. For the next half hour or more it continued to show very well as it made its way
in and out of the vegetation along the edge of the pond. Although the light was beginning to go by now I managed to get a
few reasonable images of the bird. Eventually it moved further into the reeds and together with a few other birders I went
back to the mound hoping to watch it fly in to roost. Quite late on another flock of c85 Pinkfeet flew W and eventually
the Bittern flew in to roost in the Southern Marsh at 16.40 hrs completing an excellent day.
01/01/2008
The last few weeks of 2007 were fairly quiet and although I have seen a few interesting birds, digiscoping, a fairly
essential element of a digiscoping diary, has been almost impossible due to the weather.
To kick off 2008 off I began at Cromford where at least 3 Hawfinch were showing fairly well but I only managed a few distant
record shots. I had planned to go to look for the Diver at Carsington but I was told thick fog was hampering viewing there,
so I decided on a change of plan and went to Williamthorpe where the Long-tailed duck was still showing very well. Later I
went down to Ogston where a couple of Pinkfeet were present with the Canada Geese and later a 1stW Iceland Gull and two 1stW
Glaucous Gulls came in to roost.
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