'Best of the Dark Peak walk' today & a great selection for our group including 10+ Wheatear, 3 Ring Ouzel, 4 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Redstart, Tree Pipit, Oil Beetle & 6 sp. of wader including our 1st Common Sandpipers of the year (2) and 6+ Curlew @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social @curlewaction.bsky.social
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others"
A top day for Redstarts in the Peaks with a grand total of 27(!) on today's walk in the White Peak. An absolute joy to watch these fan birds 😍. Also 3 Wheatear, Little Owl & Garden Warbler @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social #UKBirding
Few weeks since my last visit but a lovely morning at #HighLeasFarm today - Tree Pipits back in force with 4 birds singing (a beautiful understated songster) along with Willow Warbler (4), Blackcap (6) & a single Whitethroat. Cuckoo flowers but no Cuckoo yet! @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social #UKBirding
Mean, moody & magnificent - Crowden chucked a bit of wind & rain at our fab group this morning but it was worth it to be serenaded by a male Ring Ouzel (1 of 2 seen). Great views of Peregrine, Kestrel, Stonechat & lots of Willow Warbler now @derbyswildlife.bsky.social @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social
And that's it for another spring! A fab private Mountain Hare walk with a lovely couple from Sheffield was our last of season - A min of 4 Hares with a great supporting cast of Golden Plover (8), Curlew (8) and Wheatear (3).
Two walks fell foul of fog but 6 went ahead with Hares seen on all!
😂
Our final 'Discover Mountain Hares' walk this AM & its no exaggeration to say it was exceptional day in the hills! A min of six Hares with lots of chasing and interaction. 5 Wheatear, 6 Curlew & 5 Golden Plover to a backdrop of Skylark & 🌞 @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social @derbyswildlife.bsky.social
Snake's head fritillaries at Notts Road Cemetery this am amongst some fantastic other flowers - Bluebells, Wood Anenomes, Dog Violets, carpets of lemon yellow Primrose and the first Cowslips. Pair of Sparrowhawk, Buzzards & Green Woodpecker @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social @derbyswildlife.bsky.social
A couple of lovely local walks in the sun today - Kestrels, Yellowhammers, Red Kites and woodland flowers at Dale Abbey (including what I think is my 1st ever Toothwort). 1st Swallows, Brown Hares & another lovely close Red Kite at #lockopark @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social @derbyswildlife.bsky.social
A fantastic walk with a freelance writer today to look at and talk about our Dark Peak Mountain Hares (& hopefully help highlight their sad decline) - we had great views of a couple along with a Wheatear, pairs of Curlew & Raven, Golden Plover, Red Grouse & Buzzard @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social
Reedbeds, Dawn Choruses, Ospreys and Green Hairstreaks - April's newsletter from Natural Derbyshire Tours is now available @derbyswildlife.bsky.social @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social 👇
www.naturalderbyshiretours.uk/april-newsle...
#walking #Derbyshire #april #wildlife #naturalderbyshiretours
1st day of BST? It felt more like winter had returned to the Dark Peak today. Neither our group nor the Mountain Hares much appreciating the brisk,v.cold cold wind - at least the Hares were able to hunker down! We found 2 animals and managed decent scope views. Curlew & spangly Golden Plover too 😊
Brilliant, it could well be the same bird. Thanks for the info 👍
Great day out in the Peaks - 3 Ring Ouzel were my first of the year and included a colour ringed male. 5 sp. of wader back on territory included calling Golden Plover, 6+ Curlew, 2 chipping Snipe, plenty of Lapwing & a pair of Oystercatcher @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social @shefbirdstudy.bsky.social
Woodpeckers, Lesser Redpolls, a brief Woodlark, Red Kites and showy singing Stonechats were the highlights from our 'Best of North Notts' walk this morning. A fabulous group enjoyed the sun, scenery and birds at @rspb.bsky.social Sherwood and Budby today #UKBirding #birds #nottinghamshire
This week's #ethels - A wonderful walk up the stunning Crowden Valley to Laddow Rocks and then on to Black Chew Head (542m) (the highest point in Greater Manchester and my 1st of the six 'county tops') and Featherbed Moss (541m). Peregrines, Curlew and Golden Plover for company! #Birds #walking
Just 21 seconds of a Marsh Harrier hunting at the fantastic @derbyswildlife.bsky.social Willington Wetlands on a lovely spring morn along with my 1st LRP of the year, 5 Redshank, 6 Curlew, 10 Oystercatcher, Snipe, Red Kite, 12+ Goldeneye & a booming Bittern @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social #UKBirding
Fab Mountain Hare walk with a lovely family from Cambs this morning - a minimum of 3 seen well including one speeding away uphill (much better view than my naff snap suggests!) along with 4 Curlew (2 pairs), 2 Golden Plover and 10+ Red Grouse @derbyswildlife.bsky.social @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social
Another good outing looking for raptors in the Upper Derwent Valley with a smashing group today. No Gos but did see 4 species with great views of Kes, Buzzard, female Sparrowhawk and a brief Peregrine. Great to hear a Curlew calling nearby @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social
1st visit to #lockopark in a couple of weeks, the birding felt wintery to match the weather today with the highlights a first patch Barn Owl of the year, 2 Peregrine, Kestrel, 8 Buzzard, 3 Raven, 64 Fieldfare, 30+ Chaffinch, 2 Grey Wags, 5 Mandarin & 6 Skylark @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social #UKBirding
Mountain Blackbirds, spring colours and winnying waterbirds - A little later than usual but March's newsletter from Natural Derbyshire Tours is now available! @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social @derbyswildlife.bsky.social #UKBirding #Birds 👇
www.naturalderbyshiretours.uk/march-newsle...
A female abseiler in a green helmet smiles at the camera whilst hanging in front of a wooden peregrine nest platform on the side of a cathedral tower
Wooden nest platform with its base removed
View through a new peregrine nest box with a sunny city landscape beyond.
New peregrine falcon nest box on the tower roof of Derby Cathedral.
Successful abseil today to remove the collapsing base of our 10 year old #peregrine falcon nest platform, and the installation of a new nest box and camera on the tower roof.
Webcams are not yet configured - more work to be done tomorrow.
This week's #ethel - a walk up to Harland Edge (371m) was very much plan B for today (as thick mist clung on in the Derwent Valley until midday scuppering plan A) but wow what a difference some altitude made! Great views with a fine Peregrine & 1st upland Curlew of 2025😊 @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social
A man pokes his head up through the base of a large peregrine falcon nest box, with views over a city in the distance.
Today's the last day of National Nestbox Week!
So who's built a nice big one like ours?
#derbyperegrines
#nestbox
#ukbirding
#peregrinefalcon
Good point - I always assume the chestnut cap is a male but you are absolutely right 👍
A rainbow - can't remember too much sun but defo plenty of rain on a walk at Markeaton Stones/Lower Vicarwood Farm this afternoon! Male Tree Sparrow was worth the soaking, 12+ Skylark, 3 Yellowhammer, 5 Meadow Pipit, 2 Kestrel, Red Kite, Siskin & 4 Greenfinch @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social #UKBirding
Despite the mist (or possibly because of its cover) a good Partridge day at #lockopark - 6 Grey (3 & 3) and my 1st Red-legs of the year (4). 2 Skylark, 2 Yellowhammer, 5 Meadow Pipit, 30+ Linnet & big numbers of Siskin (120+) near the lake @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social @derbyswildlife.bsky.social
Noisy green devils, iconic waders and frisky Hares - February's newsletter from Natural Derbyshire Tours is now available 👇 @derbyswildlife.bsky.social @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social
naturalderbyshiretours.uk/februarys-news…
Away for the weekend on the Lancs coast and a 1st visit to @rspbleightonmoss.bsky.social this morning - a brilliant reserve with lovely, welcoming staff & volunteers. A family of 3 Otter were the highlight with 3 Bearded Tit, 3 Marsh Harrier & lovely views of Marsh Tit @rspb.bsky.social #UKBirding
A day of two halves - great to get distant but good scope views of the 3 Smew at Holme Pierrpont. My first for over 2 years and only my 2nd ever drake 😍. Then back into Derbyshire with a quick visit to Carsington Water (Willow Tit x 2) and a stroll up Harboro Rocks @nottswildlife.bsky.social #Ethels
