Wanderings in the Strangest Summer- A retrospective.

 2nd June 2020

I parked the car in Elton, a small village just off the road to Bakewell, and took a wander along the still quiet country roads to Gratton Dale, a dry, narrow dale, host to a lot of scrub as well as wildflower rich, limestone grassy banks. There was a huge abundance of butterflies, Common Blues chasing off anything in sight. The Common Blues combined with the activity brought on by warm conditions made photographing butterflies very challenging. Among the butterflies chased off by the territorial blues was a scruffy Green Hairstreak, a species coming to the end of its season. There were plenty of very fresh Brown Argus on the wing too, possibly the univoltine (single brooded) race which occurs round here. A Tawny Owl hooted in the daytime, which seemed unusual. The blackbirds were going crazy, mobbing something unseen. A pair of Redstarts were provisioning their young.

Brown Argus

Common Blue

A couple of years ago Gratton Dale had hosted hundreds of Dark Green Fritillaries, I had visited them in late June, an abundance of big orange butterflies, but this time I only encountered a single individual. Perhaps their numbers will swell towards the summer Solstice. There were still a few early season species about, in Brimstone and Orange Tip as well as Green Hairstreak. The beetle Oedemira nobilis was seen in good numbers in all their green jewel brilliance, both sexes, thick-thighed male and female, feasting on the large daisies. Abundant Large Skipper butterflies were my first of the year of this common species. 

Dark Green Fritillary

Oedemira nobilis (male)

Oedemira nobilis (female)

Long Dale was quieter, and lacked the wild kaleidoscope of butterflies, though a Skylark sang overhead. A small copper was pretty but camera shy, and there were plenty of Small Heaths. Long Dale is a National Nature Reserve and kept close grazed, genrally regarded as very well managed, buit I felt it perhaps a little overgrazed, and it lacked the diversity of habitat and the lush verdance of Gratton Dale.  Day flying moths were about, including a Wood Tiger, an arctid with beautiful cream and brown forewings and yellow dappled hindwings, and Forester moths, I'd not like to guess a species, fat and metallic green, were abundant.

Small Heath

Wood Tiger

I climbed the footpath North out of Long Dale over the farmland, and a pair of Linnet watched me attentively as I passed, from a perch atop the Gorse. I avoided a field full of cattle and took in the views. A narrow path among the white Cow Parsley led me down to a road, which I crossed, entering a treecreeper infested patch of woodland. This led me along a stone path to the infant River Bradford. I elected not to try to walk Bradford Dale too, on grounds of time, and took the footpath back toward Gratton village and Elton. Near Gratton I saw a stunning Brown Hare in the grass, and in the grounds of a dairy, numerous Small Tortoiseshells defended a patch of nettles.

Large Skipper

Gratton Village was gloriously wildlife rich, surprisingly so, with an attractive pair of reed buntings, apparently breeding beside a small stream. Chirping House Sparrows were around the houses, and House Martins nested under the eaves. A beautiful Wall butterfly was an unexpected pleasure to see in this pretty stream side hamlet.

Wall

I made my way across more fields back into Elton, to head home, having enjoyed a beautiful, butterfly rich stroll in the glorious June weather. 

Gratton Dale Birds Seen: Buzzard, Tawny Owl, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Great Tit, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Blackbird, Redstart, Goldfinch. 

Butterflies: Large Skipper (10) Green Veined White (6) Dark Green Fritillary (2) Common Blue (25) Dingy Skipper (6) Brimstone (4) Brown Argus (5) Orange Tip (1) Green Hairstreak (3) Speckled Wood (2) Small Heath (3) 

Other invertebrates of note: Oedemira nobilis, Aeshna juncea

Mammals: Grey Squirrel

Green Hairstreak

Long Dale Birds: Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Great Tit, Skylark, Pied Wagtail, Linnet. 

Butterflies Green Hairstreak (1) Dingy Skipper (1) Small Heath (19) Small Copper (1) Large Skipper (1) Large White (2)

Others: Forester Moth, Wood Tiger. 

Elton and Gratton Environs Birds: Pheasant, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Kestrel, Magpie (+fl) Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Swallow (+Fl) House Martin, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Wren, Treecreeper, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Redstart, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting. 

Butterflies: Green Veined White (5) Orange Tip (3) Small Tortoiseshell (9) Wall (1) 

Mammals: Brown Hare, Rabbit, Grey Squirrel. 

Lockdown Walks, a Retrospective. 21st-25th May.

 21st May 2020

Feeling a touch of sunstroke from my long walk in the heat the previous day, something like the mother of all hangovers, I remained at home today, and enjoyed seeing a Cinnabar Moth in the back garden, a smart, day flying red and black creature. Their larvae, black and yellow striped creatures, feed on Ragwort, and can be seen through the summer months. A Large White butterfly had laid some eggs on my Brussels Sprouts, and I will aim to be the best custodian of them I can be. 

1430-1530

Natty and I visited her bee transects up at the National Stone Centre, a patch of greenery cut by examples of the dry stone waller's craft, surrounding Britain's only museum dedicated to building stone. The sun was hot and high and the Comfrey was in bloom. 

There were some butterflies on the wing including some lycaenids, Common Blues, and a bright orange Small Copper, on a patch of grass beside the Stone Centre car park, my first of the year. A larger Satyrid butterfly which flew by may have been a Wall.

Small Copper Butterfly. 

Bees: Early Bumblebee (worker) Garden Bumblebee (Worker, queen) Buff/White tailed bumblebee (workers) Common Carder Bee (workers) Honeybee (workers) 

Butterflies: Orange Tip (2) Common Blue (2) Small Copper (1)

Birds: Swift, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Blackbird, Goldfinch. 

Gang Mine. 

The mountain Pansies, and tiny white flowers were in bloom on the lead spoil. There were surprisingly few bees, but a beautiful pheasant was standing on the path, confidingly, and hirundines darted about. 

Birds: Pheasant, Black Headed Gull, Woodpigeon, Kestrel, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Sand Martin, Swallow, Long-Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Robin, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Pied Wagtail.

Sheildbug at Gang Mine

Small Heath Butterfly at Gang Mine. 

Butterflies: Small Heath (5) Orange Tip (1) Dingy Skipper (1) Green Veined White (1) Small Copper (1) 

Mammals: Rabbit, Grey Squirrel. 

24th May 2020

Bolehill Envrions

Natalie, Lizzie and I took a wader down to Cromford Canal from Wirksworth, taking the steep ascent to Bolehill. There were plenty of hirundines as swifts cavorting in the blue blazing sky. We took the farm track by the toad pond, so alive a few weeks ago but now near bone dry, and avoided four noisy dogs on the footpath, which yapped in a mildly confrontational manner. 
The Gorses in the cattle field were unusually quiet, but there was a fledgeling Meadow Pipit, my first fledgeling of this species this year. A flock of Goldfinch was busy on the farm track but included no juveniles; I would be interested to know if this collective feeding behaviour is common in the breeding season, or whether these birds were all failed or late breeders. When we reached the canal we found visitor numbers slightly up, but the only canal birds we saw were a single drake Mallard and a flyover Grey Wagtail. 
The climb up the Cromford incline was shallow but seemed unending. The precipitous gritstone cliffs were beautifully bathed in shimmering sunshine. In a small pond some Goldfish seemed to have been dumped, but alongside them some tadpoles persisted and Smooth Newts displayed courtship behaviour, the females gently pursued by the crested and amorous males.  Blue Tits nested in a hole in a concrete gatepost. 
I parted company with Natty and Lizzie, who took the quickest route home, and and headed up Black Rocks. The heat had brought out crowds, and some large groups were gathered up there, though they all seemed thoroughly civilised and there was no litter. There were a gorgeous family of Treecreepers, with little dumpy fledgelings, clinging to trunks above Black Rocks. 
A Cuckoo sang on the descent from the trig point, distinctive, distant, though it would not reveal itself. I stared urgently at a passing Sparrowhawk and at a Stock Dove. . A pair of Jays made food runs to nestlings of their own over my head as I waited in hope, but the Cuckoo remained unseen. I made my way back down to Wirksworth, as mother and foal Shetland Pony played in the evening sun.

Micropigs.

Birds: Mallard, Pheasant, Sparrowhawk, Black Headed Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Cuckoo (Heard only) Swift, Kestrel, Jay (feeding), Magpie, Jackdaw, Blue Tit (nesting), Great Tit (nesting), Swallow, Chiffchaff, Wren, Treecreeper (+fl) Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit (fl) Chaffinch, Goldfinch. 

25th May 2020

Stoney Wood

On a glorious sunny afternoon, \I went for my occasional Stoney Wood Bimble, where I counted the butterflies. The Stardisc, a sculpture which sits at the top of Stoney Wood, an illuminated, round star map, was receiving a little TLC from its creator, who was cleaning and respraying the stars. 

The continuing heatwave seemed to be keeping the birds down, but Blue Tits and Robins were busy feeding fledgelings. 

Birds Seen: Woodpigeon, Swift, Jackdaw, Blue Tit, Swallow, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackbird, Robin, Goldfinch.

Butterflies: Orange Tip (1) Dingy Skipper (5) Large White (1) Common Blue (6) Green Veined White (2) Small Heath (2)

Common Blue ovipositing on Lotus corniculatus at Stoney Wood.

Cromford Moor

In the afternoon I returned to Cromford Moor, which was surprisingly busy with people, in the hope of reconnecting with the singing Cuckoo, of which there was not sight nor sound. A rabbit afflicted by Myxomatosis was a sad sight, blind and stumbling. At such a point I wished I were not so squeamish and knew how to euthanise a rabbit, but I do not, and for fear of adding to its suffering I continued on my way. 
A beautiful Green Tiger Beetle was a welcome diversion from lapine tragedy, amd scuttled rapidly across the sand on the clearfell area. A splendid little predator, bright metallic green and orange iridescences in the evening sun.

Green Tiger Beetle at Cromford Moor. 

Birds Seen: Buzzard, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Swift, Kestrel, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Great Tit, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackbird, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Goldfinch. 

Lockdown Walks, a Retrospective. 9th-15th May

 9th May 2020

Cromford, Groaning Tor, Middleton Top. 

I strolled from Wirksworth up through the National Stone Centre and around Gang Mine Nature Reserve, where the mountain pansies bloomed, vivid yellow. The swifts were now abundant, with plenty of birds screaming and whistling through the heavens and over the undulating mining landscape of lead spoil and ancient workings.

Mountain Pansies at Gang Mine

Bluebells at Rose End Meadows.

I continued via the Dene Quarry footpaths, where I had a fleeting glimpse of a butterfly which may have been a wall, and through a Rose End Meadows, now carpeted with bluebells. Surprisingly, having seen it alive with migrants not too long ago, it was now fairly bird quiet, and I descended via a disconcertingly steep path to the small river beside the Via Gellia, before ascending through wet grassland and woodland to a rocky escarpment, called 'groaning tor' on my OS map. I found it rather impressive. I picked up the path to Middleton, and saw more of the apparently locally ubiquitous Redstarts, and was briefly confused by a horse in a zebra costume. A friend tells me the stripes deter biting flies, hypothesised as one possible advantage of the markings of real zebra.

Horse in a Zebra Costume. 

I reached Middleton, and decided to pick up the 'circular walk from Middleton Top.' This crosses more farmland, young woods of hawthorn, birch and blackthorn, and boasts lovely views across the valley. A Brown Hare was in the farmland, watching attentively, but not fleeing. In the Hawthorn woods the Wood Anemone had begun to go over, some of the white-pink blooms beginning to wilt or brown, but they were still an impressive carpet. I rounded the woods and joined a disused entrance track. after a few wrong turns, and impressive views of some remarkable disused quarry equipment, tunnels hewn into rock, I reached the loops' road section. This section of road could be a challenge to walkers on a busy day when the quarry lorries are on the move.
A tractor appeared to be spraying fertiliser on the fields above. Small Tortoiseshell butterflies, many of then slightly tatty from age basked on the dry stone wall, occasionally taking off to flirt with each other, or even a passing female Peacock Butterfly.

Small Tortoiseshell

I walked across middleton moor and descended once again via the National Stone Centre. 

Birds Seen: Buzzard, Black Headed Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Swift, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Sand Martin, Swallow, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Redstart, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch. 

Mammals: Brown Hare, Rabbit.

Butterflies Seen: Peacock, Brimstone, Green Veined White, Orange Tip, Speckled Wood, Dingy Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell. 


11th May 2020

Wirksworth and Bolehill

I took a bimble up the hill to the trig point on Cromford Moor, and strolled along a trail marked out by blue posts, passing relaxed cattle, moving between regenerating moorland on clearfelled forestry land, and young and mature pine plantation. Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs were busy among the pines. Swifts zipped about ahead of the weather under an increasingly angry sky, which changed rapidly between blue, and the colour of old lead. I even enjoyed a brief hail shower. 
Cromford Moor is an interesting little patch. Though no access is marked on the OS map it is entirely possible to walk round it, and many do. Worth more of my attention, this spot, I think. 

Birds Seen: Mallard, Buzzard, Black Headed Gull, Herring Gull, Swift, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Swallow, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Goldfinch. 

12th May. 

Stoney Wood

I took a very brief stroll at Stoney Wood in the afternoon. A beautiful pair of Bullfinch foraged together. Bullfinch are almost always seen in pairs. They are rather romantic like that, foraging together as a pair even during the breeding season. 
Jackdaws flew over carrying nesting material, perhaps for mid season repairs or ahead of a second brood. Corvids breed early. In the low scrub lurked a small, brown, speckled creature, my first fledgeling Robin of the season. Robins, presumably the parents of this little youngster, squabbled with goldfinches over the bird feeders in a neighbouring garden. 

Birds Seen: Black Headed Gull, Woodpigeon, Swift, Jackdaw, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Nuthatch, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Bullfinch, Goldfinch. 

Mammals: Grey Squirrel. 

13th May

Wirksworth-Alport-Idridgehay Envrions. 

A stroll up to Knob Lane was taken in search of Curlew, which I had encountered up here a few days earlier. Not sight nor sound of these melodious and enigmatic waders was had. I took the footpath down into the Amber Valley behind Alport Heights, where a Red Kite, a rather special lockdown 'tick' soared overhead. These magnificent birds are comeback kings, common scavengers even in cities 200 years ago, before they were methodically exterminated, reduced to a tiny population in North Wales by the mid 20th century, where sympathetic landowners allowed them to thrive quietly, then reintroduced, most famously in South Oxfordshire but at several sites in England and Scotland, at the close of the 20th century. When I was a kid they defined the rare and persecuted raptor. Now they are breeding in almost every English county, and there are records of them from Central London. Mobbed by crows this magnificent scavenger floated above the mid Derbyshire Countryside, as if his species had never left. He was a joy to see.

Red Kite near Alport Heights

Moving from the Derbyshire Dales to the Amber Valley, the quality of footpaths rather declined. It is unclear whether this is the result of differing priorities between the councils, or differing landowner attitudes, but the change across this political boundary was notable and distinct. Eventually I found the Ecclesbourne Way, a route promoted by the Ecclesbourne Valley heritage Railway, and walked beside the brook. Agricultural runoff rendered the brook somewhat cloudy, and it proved disappointing in terms of birds, though a magnificent Grey Heron took flight. I ascended again through the beautiful Gibbet Wood, the light of a fading sun peering between the trees, a tiny brook babbling its progress down to the Ecclesbourne. 

I descended via New Buildings and Gorsey Bank, the Dandelion fields now fully gone to seed, spherical 'clocks' of grey fluff replacing the yellow blooms. I continued through Folly Well to Gorsey Bank, and back into Wirksworth

Birds Seen: Grey Heron, Red Kite, Buzzard, Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon,  Collared Dove, Swift, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Swallow, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Wren, Nuthatch, Blackbird, Song Thrush, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail. 

Mammals: Brown Hare, Rabbit, Grey Squirrel. 

14th May 2020

Bolehill Environs

I took a stroll up to Bolehill and around the blue trail once again, on a gloriously sunny evening. Meadow Pipits sang in stereo from every dead tree and stump among the recovering moorland, in the golden light. Their chorus was joined by truck horns and distant rumbles, shattering the tranquility of the moors. It was Thursday, and the truck horns someone's thoughtful contribution to the weekly applause for the NHS and carers.

Meadow Pipit singing on Cromford Moor. 

Birds Seen: Buzzard, Woodpigeon, Sift, Wagpie, Jackdaw, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Swallow, House Martin, Long Tailed Tit, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Dunnock, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch. 

15th May. Wirksworth to Kirk Ireton. 

Natalie and I made our way down through Miller's Green, down to Kirk Ireton via the footpaths associated with Dark Lane, on a bright afternoon. My route through the fields and Half Moon Lane was deemed unduly circuitous. We passed plenty of Pheasants and saw some Red Legged Partridges, and buzzards soared. So many of the passerines we saw were now carrying food parcels to hungry chicks. We could hear the peeps of nestlings too, many of them now well grown. Chiffchaffs and Whitethroats were vociferous. Unfortunately the farmers had been out spraying again, and many of the fields close to Kirk Ireton bore its wilted signature. However this did not seem to have immediately affected the birdsong. 

On the pond near Miller's Green, a carp fishery, were baby Moorhens, and worker Early and Buff Tailed bumblebees, the small 'baby bees' which appear at this time of year, were busy on any thistles. A Nuthatch startled as it flew from a garden feeder past my face, a blue-grey flash across my field of vision. A newly fledged House Sparrow was looking for the power of flight, testing its wings on short hops from the ground near Haarlem Mill, and Swifts wheeled and whistled overhead.

Song Thrush. 

Birds Seen: Greylag Goose, Mallard, Red Legged Partridge, Pheasant, Buzzard, Moorhen, Woodpigeon, Swift, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Swallow, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Wren, Nuthatch, Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch. 

Lockdown Walks, a Retrospective.

 6th May 2020

I took a brief afternoon stroll in Stoney Wood, the little local greenspace in a disused quarry I have visited many times, for an informal bird and butterfly survey. Here I witnessed predation, nature, in all its shocking glory. 

The prey, fast, agile, and undeniably beautifully marked, was flying at treetop height, and clearly very aware of the danger it was in, jinked and turned aerobatically, in a desperate attempt to escape the snapping mandibles. The predator, faster, but not as agile, hung briefly in mid air, before locking on again with its sharp vision, darted and snapped again, and missed again. They prey had almost reached cover, but changed direction, and this loss of speed afforded the predator another chance, and this time, with an audible snap, the sharp bill found its mark. The Spotted Flycatcher returned to its perch in the scrub with the Peacock Butterfly flapping desperately in its tight grip. The bird struck the insect against a branch several times, until the manic struggling ceased. Then it shook its head violently, and the four jewelled wings of the butterfly fluttered to the ground like falling leaves, and the bird devoured the body, a small, sad morsel but of course a substantial meal to the tiny bird. 

Peacock Butterfly. Not the one in this story but one in Cambridgeshire in August.

This horror aside, the weather was still glorious and there were plenty of butterflies on the wing, including several Dingy Skipper, and Robins, Whitethroats and Willow Warblers, insect killers all, sang melodiously to the summer sky. 

Birds Seen: Black Headed Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Swift, Jackdaw, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Blackbird, Spotted Flycatcher*, Dunnock, Goldfinch. 

Butterflies: Orange Tip, Peacock (alive and dead) Green Veined White, Dingy Skipper. 

Orange Tip Butterfly near Kirk Ireton.

8th May 2020

 Wirksworth to Carsington via Kirk Ireton

I strolled along footpaths from Summer Lane, where the housing on the Southern fringe of Wirksworth gives way to farmland. I crossed the open fields and climbed up to half moon lane, which was quiet and offered beautiful views over the Ecclesbourne Valley. The roadside vegetation was well grown and butterfly infested. A Sparrowhawk soared as racing pigeons took their daily exercise from someone's loft. Swallows and Martins wheeled above a farmyard. I arrived in Kirk Ireton, and was surprised to find the human population out and about, celebrating VE day in the streets, a dose of normality, but still a surprise. 

After a couple of wrong turns, I think I had been aiming for the Trig Point called The Mountain, I found myself unexpectedly stood beside Carsington Water, not far from the Millfields car park. A beautiful Garden Warbler sang on the Hawthorn, and the Black Headed Gull colony was typically noisy. A few Lapwings and a single Redshank waded in the shallows. A pair of feral Barnacle Geese were on the gull colony island and one appeared to be incubating.  Long Tailed Tits foraged in the shrubs, gathing beakfulls of insects for their waiting chicks.

Long Tailed Tit at Carsington Water. 

I returned via Kirk Ireton once again, through sunny fields full of butterflies and horses, and filled my empty water bottle with takeaway beers from the pub there. I sat in a field on the way back and raised a glass to the men and women of 1945.

Garden Warbler at Carsington Water

Returning in near darkness I saw hares close to where the footpath crosses the Alderwasley Hall School site. The vegetation here was a sad sight, the farmer appeared to have sprayed herbicide on nearly everything, and wildflowers and nettles alike drooped forlornly. I crossed the Ecclesbourne Brook and returned to Wirksworth through Miller's Green. A pond, signposted as a fishery, beside the road reminded me how I was still discovering this town, I had not known it existed. 

Birds Seen: Canada Goose, Barnacle Goose, Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Pheasant, Great Crested Grebe, Sparrowhawk, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Redshank, Black-Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Swift, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Swallow, House Martin, Long Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch. 

Butterflies seen: Green Veined White, Orange Tip, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock. 

Mammals Seen: Rabbit, Brown Hare. 

Lockdown Walks, A retrospective. 25th April-

Wirksworth - Carsington Trig Point - Middleton - Stoney Wood. 25th April 2020

Today I walked out of Wirksworth along the green part of Summer Lane, through its ancient leafyness and then down through the blooming fields of dandelions. I joined the road to Callow and accessed the Trig point near Carsington. It boasts a good view of the surrounding countryside and Carsington Water itself. The water was clear and calm, and looked cool beneath the blazing summer sky.

A field of Dandelions close to Carsington Water. 

I made my way down to the end of the reservoir, where Reed Warblers sang in the small reed bed, their curious, rhythmic song, perching openly high in the reeds. A long-staying pair of Goldeneye, a beautiful, black, white and bottle green duck, a wintering species in these parts, a tree nester of forest fringed Northern lakes in summer, was a welcome sighting, and in the distance I caught sight of the wintering Great Northern Diver, something of a 'star' species at Carsington with up to three individuals wintering on site pretty much annually. The size of a Goose, thick-set, if a Great Crested Grebe is Bruce Banner the Great Northern Diver is the Incredible Hulk, this bird spends much of its time underwater, hunting fish with a bill like a broadsword, so seeing it at rest on the surface was unusual. 

A Garden Warbler sang in the increasingly verdant trees which fringe the lake. The leaves had really begun to burst, obscuring the water at many points.

Handsome sheep near Middleton Top.

On my return journey I encountered another stunning male Redstart, near Middle Peak Quarry, a species I had not expected to find so abundant within a walk of my home, and a pair of Red Legged Partridges, an introduced game species were visible by the path through the quarry, and represented something of a local 'tick.'

Record shot of Red Legged Partridge in Middle Peak Quarry. 

 

Birds Seen: Canada Goose, Greylag, Gadwall, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Red Legged Partridge, Pheasant, Great Northern Diver, Great Crested Grebe, Buzzard, Coot, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Swallow, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler*, Garden Warbler*, Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Redstart, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Bullfinch, Linnet, Chaffinch. 

Butterflies seen: Orange Tip, Brimstone, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Green Veined White, Small White

Wirksworth-High Peak Trail. 26th April. 

On the last day of the sunshine, I took a stroll from Wirksworth up towards the High Peak Trail, aiming for Ramshaw Rocks. I did not get there, but we passed through damp tunnels and encountered a couple more showy male Redstarts in the fields near Middle Peak Quarry, and a Skylark sang near the turning for Carsington. 

Birds Seen: Pheasant, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Raven, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Swallow, Long Tailed Tit, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Wren, Robin, Redstart, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch. 

Butterflies seen: Green Veined White, Red Admiral, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Orange Tip. 

Wirksworth-Carsington Water-Middleton Top

Natty and I walked, in very changeable weather, across the fields from Summer Lane, to the Trig Point I'd visited a couple of days before, which we now knew was called Hasker Farm, when a dark grey weather front rolled in from the North, the Heavens opening and hastening our descent to Carsington Water.
Here, after the short, sharp shower, we found Reed Buntings singing in the Hopton Reed Beds. There were hundreds of hirundines over the water, and a couple of Swifts, once supposedly called storm swallows for their habit of appearing in front of heavy rain, were among them, our first of the year.  and Moorhen chicks were being fed. We returned via Middleton Top, across fields of cattle, where small Bullocks briefly surrounded us, though we bravely walked on, and upon reaching an invisible line, the Bullocks gave up following.

Countryside with a view of Carsington Water. 

There was a bright sunburst over Middlepeak Quarry, and we enjoyed the sight of a rainbow over Wirksworth. 
Highlight of the day occurred when, drawn by the anxious chatter and alarm calls of Blackbirds and Blue Tits, we discovered Tawny Owl, perched openly in a tree in a tiny roadside copse on the outskirts of town, mobbed frantically by small passerines. In a remarkable encounter, this shy nocturnal predator, so seldom encountered in the daylight, looked us directly in the eye as we stood on a public road.

Tawny Owl. 

Birds Seen: Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Pheasant, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Black Headed Gull, Woodpigeon, Tawny Owl, Swift*, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Swallow, Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Wren, Blackbird,Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch. 

Lockdown Wanderings (A Retrospective) 17th-24th April

 Wirksworth-Middleton Top-Carsington Water 17th April 2020

A sunny day but with strong winds at the tops, and around the high peak trail, but cooler than the past few. 

Despite the hide closures and the lack of visitor amenities, the public footpath sections of Carsington's trails were open. I strolled down from Middleton Top into Carsington/Hopton Village, where the verges bloomed with Forget Me Nots and Dandelions, attended by Tree Bumblebees and a few small Andrena spp. Most of the trees down here are not yet in full leaf. 
Carsington's birds were mainly passerines, with most of the winter waterfowl apparently moved on. Blackcaps sang spiritedly and wrens darted low back and forth across the paths, presumably with hungry gapes to feed. Hirundines wheeled and Lapwings displayed, issuing their strange, electronic sounding whistles. 
My intended route home was blocked by a footpath closure- it passed through the garden of some self-isolating people, so I returned by the same route along which I arrived. There were a pair of Redstarts in the bushes near Middleton Top. 
Additional interest was provided by flypasts from a single member of the RAF Red Arrows display team, a single jet screaming through the sky, low over Carsington Village. 

Birds Seen: Canada Goose, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Pheasant, Great Crested Grebe, Buzzard, Coot, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Redshank, Black Headed Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Kestrel, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Swallow, House Martin, Long Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Wren, Nuthatch, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Redstart, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Dunnock, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Linnet, Goldfinch. 

Wirksworth to Alport Heights, 20th April 2020

Natty and I strolled South out of Wirksworth along Prathall Lane, taking a detour to Moor View Farm through the small woods. There were a few Swallows zipping about around the farm buildings, and plenty of pretty, chirpy Linnets in the fields adjoining Hay Lane. We continued along the narrow country lanes to Alport Heights, pausing to giggle at Knob Lane.
Sadly lots of litter had accumulated around the Alport Heights car park, which was currently closed, but we enjoyed stunning views over the rolling hills of South Derbyshire. Willington and Drakelow Power Stations loomed large to the south. Alport Heights is something of a local tourist destination, where people come to park up and enjoy the view. Irritatingly, the Trig Point at Alport Heights was locked into a fenced compound with the mobile phone masts.

We returned via Prathall Lane again, where Orange Tip Butterflies fluttered and Wild Garlic bloomed beside a babbling brook at Folly Well. Returning to Wirksworth over the bridge across the Hannage Brook I had a surprise, eye to eye encounter with a pair of chiffchaffs, the male continuing to sing just a metre or so from my face. 

Birds Seen: Pheasant, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Swallow, Long Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Robin, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Linnet, Goldfinch. 

Wirksworth - Bolehill - Black Rocks - Dene Hollow - Gang Mine - Middleton Village - Wirksworth 22nd April 2020

An interesting one, strolling from Wirksworth up to Bolehill, where a single House Martin circled, then continuing to Cromford Moor, where a surprisingly confiding Willow Warbler was in a Silver Birch. I began to descend via Black Rocks, and took up the path to Gang Mine Nature Reserve. Sadly there were some dog idiots about here and their menacing charges were off lead and running amok. The grassland at Gang Mine, which hosts remarkable botany, nationally scarce Mountain Pansy and Alpine Pennycress, thriving on the lead spoil which would be toxic to many of their competitors, and a diverse insect flora including mining bees, could also support ground nesting birds if only dog walkers could stay away.  Irritated, I continued to Middleton, passing the town's recreation ground. Since closure it has become a beautiful riot of Dandelions and forget me nots, the abandonment of mowing giving way to a feast of wild flowers.

Taking in some good views of the town, I continued up onto Middleton Moor, where Skylarks sang,  Meadow Pipits argued over breeding rights and nest sites, and Swallows zipped across the grass at speed. 
The weather was fine, with a cooling breeze in the high places. Orange Tip, Large (a beautiful 'cabbage classic') and Small White, were on the wing, with Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell. The Blackthorn on Gang Mine had begun to go over, brown petals falling as the shrubs came into leaf, and the Wood Anemones have begun to fade, but the Bluebells and Forget Me Nots had grown in intensity. 

Birds Seen: Pheasant, Buzzard, Stock Dove, Sparrowhawk, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Kestrel, Jackdaw, Raven, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-Tailed Tit, Skylark, Swallow, House Martin, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Blackbird, Robin, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet. 

Middleton Top Long Loop, 24th April 2020

Natty and I walked up to Middleton Top via Stoney Wood and Middle Peak Quarry. We saw our first Whitethroat of the summer, performing his song flight. He descended slowly and loudly from the heavens to take up his position atop the scrub. We continued to the trig point at Middleton Top, access to which is somewhat ambiguous, where we enjoyed the 360° view from there, taking in the range of local habitats and geologies. Here Natty and I parted company for the evening, among the cowslips above Middleton Top Cycle Hire, having enjoyed further aerial virtuoso performances from Skylarks and Meadow Pipits. 

I continued with a circular walk around Middleton Top, taking in views of the village, then continued through the young Hawthorn woods with their abundant Wood Anemone- these still looking stunning, and bluebells. My visit took in an abandoned quarry, along unofficial paths cut by mountain bikers. The quarry workings were impressive, tunnels of varying ages were cut into the rock. A short stretch of road brought me to a footpath through a farmyard, where I apologised for the intrusion as the family were enjoying a barbecue. I walked past dry stone walls, where increasingly tired Small Tortoiseshell butterflies competed for each other's attention, and that of peacock butterflies, across fields,  and then returned to the High Peak Trail and retraced my route home. 

Birds Seen: Pheasant, Buzzard, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Kestrel, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Raven, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Long Tailed Tit, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Wren, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Bullfinch. Goldfinch. 

Lockdown Wanderings (A retrospective) continued. Walks from 11th-15th April 2020.

Stoney Wood, Middleton Moor, National Stone Centre, 10th April 2020

Orange Tip Butterfly at National Stone Centre. 

A stroll was taken from the front door, up through Stoney Wood, where Peacock Butterflies were abundant, through the abandoned quarry, and up the fields to Middleton Top. Near Middleton Top stand some old farm buildings, and here a male Redstart sang from the top of some Gorse. I crossed Middleton Moor, where a friend had advised me his daughter had seen a Wheatear a few days before.

Cowslips. 

 

Middleton Moor is not a Moor at all, but instead a gentle hill of close grazed grassland,  well used by walkers, which in April is alive with yellow Cowslips, and from its Trig Point it offers commanding views of the area.

Birds Seen: Pheasant, Buzzard, Woodpigeon, Stock Dove, Kestrel, Jackdaw, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Long Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Redstart, Dunnock, Meadow Pipit, Bullfinch, Goldfinch. 

Butterflies Seen: Orange Tip, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Small White. 

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly.

Stoney Wood-Middleton-Ible-Limestone Way-Bonsall-Middleton  11th April 2020

A relatively long one this time, crossing Stoney Wood and walking to the edge of the 'White Peak' section of the Peak District National Park at Ible. Industry and industrial archaeology is in evidence here with active and disused quarries on the way.  The weather was hot and sunny, unseasonably so. 

Between the High Peak Trail at Middleton and the Via Gellia road, I crossed open farmland, mainly improved grassland managed for, and by, sheep and cattle. A Skylark sang above me and Swallows hawked around some farm buildings, but wildlife was not abundant. Closer to the road which was set in a steep sided valley, woodland grows, but birds seemed relatively few. The steep footpath to Ible had discouraging notices on it, politely requesting walkers to 'consider alternative routes' on account of the Covid 19 crisis, so a nervous jog along the Via Gellia, impossible in times of normal traffic, was required. Ible village seems to be a motley collection of particularly untidy farm buildings, dilapidated and piled high with agricultural rubbish, but Linnets were up there, busy and active, and a new species for the Lockdown List. These chestnut backed finches, the males displaying in summer bright red 'bleeding heart' chest markings, are emblematic farmland birds and seem to be a summer visitor to these parts.

I found the Limestone Way, which took me across more picturesque and gently undulating farmland. I neglected the two turnings for more direct routes home, the first in optimism and enjoyment of the butterflies, the second in error. I crossed an interesting patch of scrub, described somewhat worryingly on my OS map simply as 'shafts.' In addition to the common and vocal passerines and a few Small Tortoiseshells, it held several scars and capped mineshafts, dating back presumably several hundred years.

Buzzard.

Eventually I found myself in Bonsall, under a glorious summer sky, stood beneath the lovely old village church. Despite being picturesque this was something of a navigational error, but I found the narrow road to the village of Slaley, and found the steep, descending footpath toward the Via Gellia. The early Bluebells were gorgeous, and not yet open to their full glory. Eventually I found my path blocked by a fallen tree, which moved ominously at the slightest touch. Not fancying surfing or being dragged down to the busy road on or under a sliding, rootless Beech I retraced my steps to Slaley, an interesting collection of fairly grand old houses old and modern. From here I found a much better path, which took me down to the Via Gellia, and then I struck uphill through the woods. The Anemone flowers had closed for the night, pink heads nodding in the fading light. I reached the pavement in Middleton, which took me all the way home, in twilight. I had cut it very fine indeed. 

Birds Seen: Pheasant, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Stock Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Swallow, Long Tailed Tit, Willow Warbler, Wren, Nuthatch, Robin, Redstart, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch. 

Butterflies seen: Peacock, Orange Tip, Green Veined White, Brimstone, Large White, Small Tortoiseshell

National Stone Centre, Gang Mine, Rose End Meadows, Black Rocks.  14th April 2020. 

Another bright sunshiney day, another sunny stroll out of the front door, taking in three local Nature Reserves and the environs of Dene Quarry, walking along its Eastern fringe, parallel to Cromford Hill. Here the common passerines were abundant, with vocal Wrens and Blackcaps especially plentiful. 

Rose End held no new passage migrant surprises but was floral and pleasant. The pond, which in previous years has held good Dragonflies and Amphibians, seemed unfortunately to have become somewhat silted up and appeared relatively lifeless. A Peregrine hunted overhead, circling on the thermals. 

I walked up the steep path through woods and fields, taking in impressive views, up to Black Rocks, and descended via the now familiar path through Bolehill. Siskins, streaky green and yellow seed-eating finches associated with Northern and Upland woodland, were on garden feeders in Bolehill.

Chiffchaff

 

Birds Seen: Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Peregrine, Kestrel, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Wren, Treecreeper, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, 

Butterflies Seen: Peacock, Orange Tip, Small Tortoiseshell, Green Veined White.

Middleton Moor Again. 15th April

More fruitless searching for the Wheatears of Middleton Moor. I strolled up to Middleton by Wirksworth via Stoney Wood, counting butterflies on the way, and then on to Middleton Moor. In the Gorse near the disused farm buildings two male Redstarts were fighting a pitched and colourful battle. The aggression was serious, not dissimilar to Robins fighting. Eventually one bird decided to beat a retreat and flew out of sight with the other in hot pursuit. I did not get to see whether he escaped. 

Also in this area there were plenty of Small Tortoisehell butterflies (Aglais urticae). Butterflies adult lives are brief, and, having endured the winter fully formed and in torpor, these insects seemed well aware that time was against them. Many, after a long spell of hot weather and great activity, had already become somewhat tatty, wings frayed at the edges or with chunks missing or translucent patches, their colour sun bleached. The urge to reproduce, or to reproduce one more time both sexes can breed with multiple partners, was strong in them. Intriguingly, what I assume to be a male Small Tortoiseshell appeared to be attempting to court a female Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io), following her persistently, and touching her with his antennae every time she landed. This cross species behaviour has been reported on the internet too. I found it a curious sight. The two species are cogeneric, so perhaps the chemical and visual signals are not too different.

Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock (with wings closed) cross species courtship behaviour. 

I walked down from Middleton top via the National Stone Centre, where I enjoyed beautiful close views of a female Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines) butterfly. Named for the male, whose dayglow orange wingtips are conspicuous, the female lacks these, but still has a beautiful pattern of dappled green, like sunshine on a mossy forest floor rendered in miniature, on the underside of her hindwing. She was ovipositing, laying a single egg on each Cuckoo Flower plant. A wise move, for Orange Tip larvae will readily turn cannibal on encountering another of their kind.  She was confiding and elegant, a sweet bug, and photogenic.

Orange Tip Butterfly ovipositing. 

I went on my way as the light took on golden tones. 

Birds Seen: Pheasant, Buzzard, Kestrel, Magpie, Jackdaw, Raven, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Wren, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Redstart, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Goldfinch, 

Butterflies Seen: Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Green Veined White, Orange Tip. 

Lockdown Walk Retrospective part 4. Gang Mine, Dene Quarry and Rose End Meadows.

7th April 2020. 

On a glorious summers' day I strolled up through the grounds of the National Stone Centre, counting bees towards Natty's bumblebee survey on the way. We reached the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust reserve at Gang Mine, a site somewhat overused by dog walkers, though the Alpine Pennycress and Mountain Violets continue to flower on the site of an ancient lead mine. Butterflies were out in force today, a highling being four Peacocks (Aglais io) chasing each other. There were also good numbers of bees, including Common Carder and Tawney Mining Bee. 

Unknown wasp species on Daffodil at Stoney Wood

View of Dene Quarry.

Beneath a blue sky I walked the footpath around the active Dene Quarry, which had been somewhat diverted from its course shown on the map. There were plenty of Peacocks up and about. The path down to the Via Gellia had been closed by quarry workings, and quarry vehicles were still busy in spite of Lockdown. In the chalky grassland and farmland I saw my first Redstarts of the year, beautiful birds with orange bellies and black throats in the summer plumage males, and brick red tails in all plumages, from which they get their name (Steart is an old English word for tail).  I proceeded by the Green Lane down to Rose End Meadows. I found the site surprisingly good bird-wise. with the highlight being a brief, and initially obscured view of a Ring Ouzel. Any doubt as to the birds' identity was blown away when he flew directly over my head, his primaries distinctly grey, and the crescent collar at his neck bright white. This scarce passage migrant, a mountain relative of the Blackbird breeds on the Eastern Moors, 20 or so miles to the North. 

By now the sun was setting and the walk by road up Cromford Hill seemed like rather a long slog home. 

Birds Seen: Mallard, Buzzard, Stock Dove,  Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, Jay, Jackdaw, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Raven, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Sand Martin* Swallow, Long-Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Wren, Ring Ouzel* Blackbird, Song thrush, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Redstart* Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Goldfinch

Butterflies seen: Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Green Veined White. 

Stoney Wood, 8th April 2020

A nice sunny unofficial survey day in stoney wood. Blackthorn was blooming, white and scented on the steep slope and a glorious cherry tree was in blossom in the lower part of the site. Maintenance was taking place around the StarDisc. Stoney Wood is a community woodland set in a former quarry, regenerating limestone grassland and young woodland on its slopes.

Blackthorn flowers in Stoney Wood.

View of Stoney Wood.

Bird life was a little disappointing, but a Field Vole emerged from a hole under the small wooden bridge and looked up at me, which was something of a highlight, and there were plenty of Tree and Buff-Tailed Bumblebees on the wing. 

Birds Seen: Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chiffchaff, Wren, Robin. 

Butterflies seen: Peacock (9), Small Tortoiseshell (5)

Cherry Blossom in Stoney Wood

Peacock Butterfly in Stoney Wood

Peacock Butterfly in Stoney Wood. 

Back home in the evening a Tawny Owl was singing in the dark, and Woodpigeons, Blue Tits, and Small Tortoiseshells were in the garden. 

Wirksworth, Bolehill, Whatstandwell, Cromford Canal, Wirksworth  9th April 2020

I strolled up a sunny Wash Green, past a year tick singing Blackcap, and several beautiful butterflies, down the long path towards Alderwasley, carefully avoiding the cattle. The route took me through Anemone carpeted woods, where, near Mere brook, a small bat, probably a Pipistrelle, was circling, apparently catching flies, which were abundant, in broad daylight. I found a noisy track, which I didn't enjoy much, through a small community comprised mainly of dogs and diggers, and eventually crossed the Derwent and the A6 at Whatstandwell.

Anemone and Celandine near Mere Brook.

From Here I took up the Cromford Canal towpath, which was surprisingly quiet of humans, and found it alive with the sound of singing Blackcaps, which must have only arrived recently. Only male Blackcaps were seen. The regular residents and chiffchaffs also sang. A  pair of Moorhens had little black fluffball chicks, which were being fed by the adults. Little Grebes were about on the canal as well as Mallards, the sun reflecting off their metallic green heads. 

Moorhens on Cromford Canal

Mallard on the Cromford Canal

I returned via the regular path across farmland, from near the High Peak Junction to Bolehill. No friendly black cat met me this time, and sadly, there were too many squashed toads on the track, presumably killed by farm vehicles. However the roadside ditches were full of the warty amphibians which could also be heard singing. 

It was a Thursday and the applause for the NHS and care workers at 8pm was stunning, loud, car horns, fireworks, and even a shotgun sounded to be in the mix, showing their appreciation. 

At home this evening the Tawny Owls once again provided its midnight symphony of hoots and kee-wicks. 

Birds Seen: Mallard, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Moorhen, Buzzard, Woodpigeon, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Blackcap*, Goldcrest, Wren, Nuthatch, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, House Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Goldfinch. 

Butterflies Seen: Peacock, Small White, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Brimstone, Orange Tip, Peacock. 

Other Wildlife: Rabbit, Grey Squirrel, Common Toad, Pipistrelle spp. 

Little Grebe on Cromford Canal