Continued. A retrospective through my lockdown walks.

Stoney Wood and Environs Thursday 2nd April 2020

A walk was had of a clear and bright but somewhat blustery afternoon, up through Stoney Wood, where there were several large bumblebees on the catkins, and then taking the second footpath off the hairpin bend on the Dale. Stoney Wood is a favourite local spot, and a community woodland on the site of an old quarry. There were no new migrant birds, somewhat to our surprise, but there were Chiffchaffs, Blue and Great Tits, and chaffinches, all singing. 

We then wandered onto the shorter of the two footpaths across the Middle Peak Quarry, through a tunnelled section, and then picked up the road toward Carsington. Another footpath on our left brought us back through Middle Peak quarry. A few walkers were out and about but humans remained somewhat scarce. Blackthorn, Celandine, and huge mats of some herbaceous plant with white flowers clung to the quarry walls. 

Birds seen: Lesser Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Wren, Blackbird, Dunnock, Pied Wagtail, Goldfinch. 

Bolehill, Cromford Canal, Black Rocks, Cromford Moor.   Friday 3rd April

A Longer circular walk was had this afternoon, taking the now familiar trail up from Wirksworth, past the parked historic trains, up the hill into Bolehill, through the village, along the farm track and down a network of footpaths through a pastoral landscape of spring lambs and shy cattle. I spent a little time with a beautiful, one eyed black cat, who was very friendly and affectionate. I rather wanted to bring him home. A Skylark sang. I reached the canal and looked for waterfowl, but found it all surprisingly poor, both on the canal and the derwent. Unusual. I then struck up the steep part of the high peak trail, and made my return via Black Rocks, and part of Cromford Moor, which hosts a fragment of moorland vegetation but is largely disappearing under conifer plantation. 

The view from the Cromford Moor trig point did not disappoint and I stopped for an obligatory selfie up there. as the sun broke out. The view took in part of Carsington Water in one direction, with the White Peak beyond, and the flat land toward Derby in the other. Cromford Moor was a surprising beauty, and something of a revelation and a discovery, but a few hundred metres from my home.

Birds Seen: Mallard, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Moorhen, Buzzard, Woodpigeon, Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Raven, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Long-Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Wren, Treecreeper, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Redwing, Song Thrush, Robin, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Goldfinch 

Cromford Moor

Part of the view from Cromford Moor Trig.

Descent via Bolehill, with Micropigs. 

Rail Transport through the 80s. 

Middleton Moor, High Peak Trail, Black Rocks and Bolehill.   4th April 2020

Another lockdown walk took me to Middleton Moor via Stoney Wood and the vastness of the Middle Peak Quarry, passing around abandoned or near abandoned farm buildings and a large stand of gorse. Middleton Moor, seldom explored by me, is something of a misnomer. On the limestone, it consisted largely of highly improved grassland, and held a few Meadow Pipits, and Skylarks sang from on high. 

Further down the High Peak Trail a Peregrine circled overhead, and Natty and small human joined me at the National Stone Centre. We climbed the steep footpath up Black Rocks to the Cromford Moor Trig Point I'd visited alone the previous day. The view was still good. I suspect it will take a while to get old. 

We walked back through the Shetland Ponies and spring Lambs near Bolehill. 

Birds: Pheasant, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Kestrel, Peregrine, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Chiffchaff, Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Robin, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Goldfinch. 



Home. 5th April 2020

On a day spent mainly at home, Goldfinches were busy in the bushes, and were house sparrows. Black Headed Gulls flew over and a Peacock Butterfly was in the garden. An afternoon stroll about town added Greenfinch to the Lockdown List, and we also saw a Bombus lapidarius. A Buzzard was in flight over the town and the first Herb Robert was in flower. 

Part of Middleton  Moor. 

A Retrospective on Lockdown walks. Part 1. March.

National Stone Centre and Middleton Top, 26th March 2020

A retrospective on the Lockdown period. 

On a glorious sunny spring day, The Bee Girl and I made our way to one of the survey sites in the grounds of the National Stone Centre. There were a few people still enjoying the sunny weather but visitor numbers were definitely down since the Government advised us all to Remain Indoors. This was our permitted exercise. Walks will be limited to those from our front doors, for the foreseeable future. Still, beats working. 

There were a good few fat queen Bumblebees about, a Bombus hypnorum, a few B leucorum, and hundreds of Bee mimic hoverflies. A Small Tortoiseshell butterfly, recently awoken from his winter torpor, was on the wing near the closed cafe. Blue Tits and Blackbirds sung enthusiastically to a blue sky. 

Approaching Middleton Top, a passing Buzzard flushed big flocks of Fieldfare and Redwing, these wintering species still very much present alongside Butterflies and the spring Bees. Another Buzzard allowed close approach as I returned along an eerily quiet Middleton to Wirksworth road. 

Birds sighted were: Pheasant, Buzzard, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Raven, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Starling, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Fieldfare, Redwing, Robin, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Bullfinch. 

Buzzard

Sculpture at the National Stone Centre

A Walk to Bolehill and Back 30th March 2020

Setting out for an afternoon stroll, Natty and I walked beneath a lead grey sky. By our return in the sunset the sky was blue, small clouds picked out and lined by a red sunset, a magnificent display of greens and blues and long shadows. 
Bees buzzed and birds sang, white and purple violents and golden celandines bloomed. Flies danced in the air and briefly, the sound of a mosquito bothered my ear. We placed figurative bets on when the first Swallows would appear and make a summer. I gave it less than a fortnight. We met few humans, fewer than the previous day. Woodpeckers drummed unseen, and Chiffchaff numbers appear to have risen, with so many singing. This was the kind of stroll of which summer evenings are made. 

Birds Sighted were: Pheasant, Grey Heron, Woodpigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Magpie, Jackdaw, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Treecreeper, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Chaffinch, Goldfinch.

Celandine