Wanderings in the Strangest Summer- A Trip South, 17th-21st July 2020, Part 1.

Stretching the definition of 'on the way' a little, I stopped off at Lakenheath Fen in Suffolk on my way to Upminster, from Wirksworth. Lakenheath Fen sits close to the USAF base at RAF Lakenheath, in the Brecks close to the Norfolk/Suffolk/Cambridgeshire tri-point. A new wetland, a masterpiece of habitat creation, its reedbeds and open water were once carrot fields, and they sit alongside poplar plantations, where Golden Oriole once bred, indeed, they were among the last sites used by this species in the country.

Peacock Butterfly at Lakenheath Fen

I was welcomed by friendly RSPB volunteers, who informed me the site was now fully open, the reserve open access until Dusk, and served me a welcome coffee, before I headed up beside the river Great Ouse, looking across its Lapwing and Godwit infested washlands. The thistles presented a wonderful display of Peacock and Red Admiral butterflies, so many of these magnificent but familiar big nymphalids on the wing. I made my way to the Joist Fen viewpoint, which was surprisingly busy, with a lot of people about including a man with a big camera and a sound lure, a device playing Bearded Tit contact calls. These are highly frowned upon, and thought to disrupt birds breeding behaviour, or at least distract them from foraging. After some dirty looks from the assembled he went on his way, and, satisfyingly, no sooner had he done so, than the Bearded Tits arrived, affording us brief but clear views of these charming, mustachioed denizens of the reedbeds, busy, little brown birds with reed-brown bodies, long tails, and in the males, blue-grey heads and elegant black mustaches.

Red Admiral Butterflies and Red Soldier Beetles at Lakenheath Fen.

The Beardies did not hang around, and bird-wise, the viewpoint was quiet, with no cranes to be seen, these being the other star bird associated with Lakenheath, so, making my walk a circuit, I walked back along track and boardwalk, beside open water, and yet more butterflies including a gorgeous Brimstone, toward the visitor centre.

Ruddy Darter Dragonfly at Lakenheath Fen

View of the Great Ouse, Lakenheath Fen

After this I took another, shorter circuit, up to the New Fen Viewpoint, where a Bittern flew by, and Scarce Chaser dragonflies, males tarnished cobalt blue, staining black according to their age, females a shade of gold in the sunshine, alighted on the benches. and Common Lizards sunned themselves on the boardwalk. There were bright scarlet Ruddy Darters here too. Several Marsh Harriers flew lazily above the nodding reeds, these still uncommon raptors now almost ubiquitous in the Anglian fens, and deep in the reeds, Reed and Sedge Warblers, the rave DJs of the wetlands, sang their ever changing, but distinctive, rhythmic song.

Male (top) and Female (bottom) Scarce Chaser at Lakenheath Fen.

I looped around the family trail, taking in the less explored part of the reserve, the air alive with the song of whitethroat, and more spectacular nyphalidae on the wing. Then I headed on my way, back across the country to the M11, the songs of Acrocephalus warblers still ringing in my ears.

Small Copper at Lakenheath Fen

Birds Seen: Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Pheasant, Great Crested Grebe, Bittern*, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Cormorant, Sparrowhawk, Marsh Harrier, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Avocet, Black Tailed Godwit, Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Common Tern, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker, Kestrel, Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Bearded Tit*, Swallow, Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Whitethroat, Wren, Blackbird, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting.

Banded Demoiselle (female) at Lakenheath Fen

Butterflies Seen: Near Visitor Centre: Small Copper (3) Small Skipper (4), Green Veined White (9), Red Admiral (19), Meadow Brown (19), Ringlet (2), Peacock (74), Large White (27) Small Tortoiseshell (1) Brimstone (2) 

Near Joist Fen: Small Copper (1) Comma (1) Gatekeeper (1) Green Veined White (10) Meadow Brown (22) Small White (2) Large White (17) Ringlet (4) Red Admiral (26) Peacock (50) Large Skipper (1) 

Near New Fen: Speckled Wood (2) Large Skipper (2) Meadow Brown (8) Green Veined White (2) Large White (2) Peacock (14) Red Admiral (9) Comma (3) Brimstone (1) Small Skipper (3) Small White (1) 

Other notable wildlife: 
Scarce Chaser, Emperor Dragonfly, Banded Demoiselle, Blue Tailed Damselfly, Ruddy Darter, Common Lizard, Rabbit, Grey Squirrel.

 

Cranham Marsh, Essex, 19th July 2020

Cranham Marsh is a small Essex Wildlife Trust reserve, a stones throw from where I grew up, indeed, a short bike ride for the younger me, and a place I loved to visit through my teens and 20s. Indeed, I credit walks at Cranham Marsh with reigniting my fascination with wildlife after a few challenging years I had when I was at University, first time round. It's not famous like Lakenheath Fen, but it is important in my personal headcanon of nature reserves. It has been well used by people, barely sitting outside of the leafy suburb of Upminster, but is by and large treated with the respect it deserves by many people, and I hope continues to inspire suburban people to get out and enjoy wildlife.

Mumsie's Brown Argus. 

It was another gloriously sunny day, and there were abundant butterflies on the Hemp Agrimony and Centaurea and the thistles, including a smart Brown Argus (Aricia aegestis) which Mumsie spotted, and a number of bright Common Blues and Holly Blues, all tiny lycaenid jewels in the long grass and among the flowers.

Peacock on Hemp Agrimony at Cranham Marsh

Jays, and Rose Ringed Parakeets, now ubiquitous around greater London, were calling, and a gorgeous Field Vole, Britain's most numerous mammal, but seldom seen, a small dark ball of fur, ran across the path. It was rather a trip down memory lane. 

Cranham Marsh nominally hosts wet grassland habitat, perhaps better described as seasonally wet, seldom holding much water into the high summer.  In this spell of hot weather we were enjoying, parts of the reserve seemed parched and dry.  The site is said to have suffered from the building of the M25, but it still hosts remarkable wildlife. 

I visited again on the 21st, just as a place to enjoy a cold beer and a bench with an old friend in the scorching sunshine, and on that visit, I managed to snap an unexpectedly interesting photo of bees, on the thistles.

Honeybee and Buff-Tailed Bumblebee on Thistle at Cranham Marsh. 

Birds Seen: Black Headed Gull,  Feral Pigeon, Swift, Green Woodpecker, Kestrel, Rose-Ringed Parakeet, Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Whitethroat, Wren, Blackbird, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Goldfinch. 

Butterflies: Comma (6) Green Veined White (22) Large White (20) Gatekeeper (12) Red Admiral (4) Meadow Brown (23) Speckled Wood (1) Ringlet (14) Small Skipper (11) Brown Argus (2) Common Blue (6) Peacock (7) Small White (11) Holly Blue (1)

RSPB Bowers' Marsh, Essex

I took half a damp day, the sun gone, to walk around this damp piece of land, an RSPB reserve sandwiched between the Essex town of Pitsea and a landfill site, to walk a circuit, and tick more bird species than I did at their fenland flagship, in drizzling rain. 

There were a few runners and dog walkers taking their permitted exercise, and to my surprise, a few motorcycle scramblers about. Under the partial reopening permitted, I caught the reserve just before it was closed again due to antisocial behaviour.

Record Image of Black Necked Grebe at Bower's Marsh. 

The birds were the stars of the day, and there were many, Avocets had fledglings on the islands in the scrape. A single Black Necked Grebe, an attractive, relatively scarce species, with Macaroni Pengion ear tufts, a distinct, sharply sloping forehead, a ruby red eye set in a black head and neck, and rich chestnut brown flanks while resplendent in breeding finery, hung out on the water with a small band of Pochards, diving frequently. In the reeds at New Marsh Viewpoint, I again encountered Bearded tits, for the second time in three days! A smart male, and two youngsters made their way between the reeds.  Common and Green Sandpipers were on a black and rubbish-strewn patch of water on the other side of the fence separating me from the landfill site. A Marsh Harrier made occasional flybys, putting all the waders to flight.

Record Image of Bearded Tit

Another highlight was the Yellow Wagtails. Summer migrants, this flock included a couple of dapper yellow adults, bright, flying dandelions, and a couple of muddy yellow and olive youngsters.  Yellow Wagtails are a widely distributed and variable species, with geographically distinct races, though these were true yellow wagtails, the near-endemic British subspecies, Motacilla flava flavissima, and had probably bred locally, though in a few months they would begin their long autumn migration to sub-Saharan Africa.  

Despite the grey, there was a Marbled White butterfly on the wing too, big and blousy, blown about by the breeze. 

Birds Seen: Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Shelduck, Mallard, Teal, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Black Necked Grebe*, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Marsh Harrier, Coot, Oystercatcher, Avocet, Lapwing, Black-Tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Redshank, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Common Tern, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Bearded Tit, Skylark, Swallow, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Whitethroat, Starling, Blackbird, Robin, Stonechat, House Sparrow, Yellow Wagtail*, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting. 


Warley Place, Brentwood, Essex, 19th July 2020


I spent a couple of hours with the family bimbling around one of Mumsie's favourite spots, Warley Place near Brentwood, a fascinating reserve near Brentwood. The reserve's origins are interesting, they form the grounds of a long demolished stately home, once occupied by Ellen Wilmott, keen gardener and plant hunter. Many of the exotic plants she grew in her gardens still survive, though under a canopy of mature trees, the house, unoccupied since before the second world war, was demolished in the 1960s, and the gardens left to fall to ruin, though elements of them have since been partially restored. The historic structures which still stand, parts of a conservatory and a coach house, are maintained in an as-is condition, and the Edwardian glory of the gardens can easily be imagined.

Rutpela maculata on cultivated Rose. 

Two hides stand on the site, overlooking small bodies of water, one a garden pond, the other the irrigation system beneath a long demolished hot house, each with bird feeders outside, attended by Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a few common passerines. Ginkgo biloba grows alongside cultivated roses and bamboo, relics from Ellen Wilmott's day, alongside self seeded secondary woodland.

Among the curious creatures we found was a beautiful longhorn beetle,which Dad spotted atop a rose flower. We identified as Rutpela maculata.  

Birds Seen:  Moorhen, Woodpigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker (H) Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, Robin. 

Butterflies: Red Admiral (2) Meadow Brown (4) Green Veined White (2) Speckled Wood (1) Ringlet (1) Gatekeeper (2)

Wanderings in the Strangest Summer. 2nd-6th July 2020 Attenborough and Bempton

 On the second of July I headed, perhaps ill-advisedly, to Attenborough, and found it extraordinarily and uncomfortably peoply and doggy. The Visitors Centre, and thus the toilets, were still closed, and this unfortunately did no favours for the site. The most interesting wildlife encounter of the day was in Attenborough Village, when I encountered many, many Common Toadlets, beautiful and miniscule, some still bearing tiny tails. I managed to resuce some which had become stuck in a gutter and lurched awkwardly towards a drain grill. One Common Froglet was also among them. 

Following this rather mixed experience, I was rather unsure on the fifth, whether returning to Attenborough was a good idea, but between us Natalie and I decided Carsington was far too familiar, and Rutland Water simply too far. We did not, it turned out, regret it. I was still camera-less so there are no pictures from this trip-and I want a Bempton one for the share banner. 

We found the site again rather peoply, but perhaps the grey sky above and the stiff breeze which blew over acted as a deterrent, and it did not feel quite so busy. Dogs were again on the rampage on the central causeway, the temporary lack of wardening perhaps taken by some as licence for irresponsibility. Beside the semi-feral hounds, we saw a few passerines, and a lovely Green Sandpiper, probably a returning migrant, a hint of Autumn, was on the ridge and furrow. A huge abundance of Swifts and Sand Martins hunted insects, low over the water near the Tower Hide. A Kingfisher flashed between them, fighting the wind on a blur of wings. 

Attenborough hosted at least 10 Little Egrets, with six, later eight, counted on the ridge-and-furrow. The Common Terns which breed at Attenborough were active too, and, evidence perhaps of their maritime lineage, were apparently unperturbed by the wind. 

We walked up the riverside path as far as the Delta Sanctuary, before turning back, following the broad River Trent and its curves. There were plenty of insects about, to remind me of my paucity of Ladybird and Shieldbug ID skills. We saw some beautiful Damsels and Dragons including a beautiful male Banded Demoiselle, and a Small Tortoiseshell was an orange jewel in a moment of sunshine. 

Across the river we found half a dozen or so Black Tailed Godwit, still flushed orange in their breeding finery. Probably non breeding adults, or failed breeding birds, waders like these in July represent the vanguard of Autumn migration. As we watched them the heavens opened and the rain came down. We made our way back to the car, getting soaked to the skin. 

As we arrived at the car park the weather improved a little, and a Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler enjoyed the first of the season's blackberries. 

Birds Seen: Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Egyptian Goose, Gadwall, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Cormorant, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Black Tailed Godwit, Green Sandpiper, Black Headed Gull, Common Tern, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Swift, Kingfisher, Kestrel, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Sand Martin, Chiffchaff, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat, Starling, Blackbird, Sing Thrust, Robin, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting.

Metal Bird: Airbus A400M Atlas

Butterflies: Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown, Peacock. 

Invertebrates: Aeshna spp, Blue Tailed Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle. 

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire, 6th July 2020

With lockdown restrictions easing further, Natty and I were, for the first time this year, able to make our annual pilgrimage to the RSPB's reserve at Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire.

Puffins at Bempton

The weather was largely fine, and we explored the clifftop viewpoints of this towering seabird city, busy, distinctively perfumed, and alive with sound, the cried of Kittywakes and the chattering of Razorbills filling the air. A pair of Razorbills preened each other affectionately, and a mother sheltered her baby, standing between the brown fluffy creature and the chalky face. A large baby Gannet, still covered in down but big and ungainly, a massive white ball of fuzz as long as the adult, was fed regurgitated fish from its parent's crop. Its wings were tiny, but the black points of its juvenile flight feathers had just begun to appear. Puffins, always beautiful but never in great numbers at Bempton compared to the other seabirds bill-rubbed with their partners on their chosen ledges. Stiff-winged Fulmars breezed by- the air was full of seabirds, the white cruciforms of Gannets, the whirring wings of Puffins, and Herring Gulls, patrolling as if looking for trouble, and elegant Kittywakes. A single Common Seal was below in the water, looking up at the birds.

Gannet with chick, with Guillemot arguing with a fish behind. 

Kittywake in the sunshine.

We returned to the visitors' centre, and enjoyed a cup of coffee, something of a novelty after all these months, and found ourselves surrounded by confiding blue-eyed Jackdaws and chattering Tree Sparrows, perhaps hoping for a crumb or two of RSPB visitor centre cake. We also watched tree sparrows dust-bathing in the dry sandy soil. After our sustenance, we were treated to the graceful sight of a Barn Owl, perched on a post, then taking to the wing to seize an unfortunate rodent in the grass.

Tree Sparrows

In the sunny spells, butterflies were on the wing in the clifftop meadows. In the yellow glow of the early evening sun, two juvenile Peregrines perched upon posts. I avoided approaching too close, and enjoyed watching these two powerful predators, and was surprised when these laid-back youngsters did not flinch at oncoming walkers. The adult female flew by, and some minutes later we saw the adult male perched on a clifftop.

Gannet in flight

We turned our backs reluctantly on the seabirds, as the evening was approaching, and made our way back to the car park. Taking a last scan around, and watching some Linnets, Natty found a bird perched in a commanding position on top of a small Hawthorne bush, and identified it as a Red Backed Shrike, a scarce migrant, a life tick for Natty and only my second in the UK. The bird appeared to be an adult female, presumably a returning migrant, and sat with the deceptively cute look of the smaller shrikes, not betraying its nature as a powerful little predator of small mammals and even small birds.

Red Backed Shrike

Nearby a Yellowhammer sang from the top of a post. 

We made our way home, having enjoyed a wonderful day at Bempton, one of my favourite places, and our only day trippable seabird city. I hope we can return in 2021. 

Birds Seen: Fulmar, Gannet, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Kittywake, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull, Guillemot, Razorbill, Puffin*, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Barn Owl, Kestrel, Peregrine, Red Backed Shrike*, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Swallow, Whitethroat, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Stonechat, Tree Sparrow, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Yellowhammer*, Reed Bunting

Butterflies: Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown, White spp. 

Mammals: Rabbit, Common Seal (Harbour Seal)

Razorbill, chattering.

Wanderings from the Front Door- 23rd-25th June 2020

 I took the Summer Lane path from Wirksworth over to Carsington Water once again on a hot summer's day, making my way across quiet fields with cattle, to the Hopton end of the big reservoir. The reedbed was quiet, the Warblers perhaps kept down by the hot, close weather. Abundant Meadow Brown butterflies were on the wing. A distant raptor hawked over the woods-it could have been a Hobby, or a Dragonfly-hunting Kestrel, ever a source of confusion, not seen well enough to add the species to my 'lockdown list.' A Little Egret flew by on slow, lazy wings, bright white in the summer sun. Garden Warbler and Chiffchaff sang near Sheepwash, and so many Meadow Browns fluttered among the meadow flowers, the pink and purple orchids.  The roar of jet engines broke the tranquility as a pair of Eurofighter Typhoon jets flew by, low over the hills.

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly, taken in 2019, somewhere. 

When I reached the visitors' centre, I found it unexpectedly busy, a striking change from a few weeks ago. A shirtless man walked the foreshore with a can of Stella, and families played beside the shallows. One wonders how many wader nests failed mid season on account of this sudden disturbance, having had its first months to themselves.

Still camera-less, photos are taken from previous adventures. Here is Carsington Water in Summer, in more normal times. 

I made my way back the way I came, hoping to reconnect with the possible 'Hobby' but I failed, though, by the reedbed screen, as the day cooled a Reed Bunting sang. I walked back, as the hay cut was underway in the fields which just yesterday seemed full of spring grass and Dandelions. A large Aeshna spp. dragonfly was hawking over the aftermath, perhaps feeding on the myriad small insects, their world falling apart to the tractor. Of course, the meadow would bloom again, as it has perhaps for hundreds of years, but their seemed a curious finality to it, the beginning of Summer's slow decline. But the air was still warm, and the average thermal maximum  still a month away. 

Birds Seen:Canada Goose+fl, Greylag Goose+fl, Mute Swan, Mallard +fl, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Cormorant, Buzzard, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Redshank, Black Headed Gull, Herring Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Swift, Magpie +fl, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Blue Tit, Great Tit +fl, Swallow, House Martin, Long Tailed Tit, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Robin, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Pied Wagtail, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting.

A Bullfinch at Attenborough in 2018.

Butterflies, Hopton End: Large White (1) Meadow Brown (5) Small Tortoiseshell (3) Red Admiral (2) 

Lane Ends-Wildlife Centre: Small White (1) Large Skipper (2) Small Tortoiseshell (2) Red Admiral (1) Meadow Brown (35)

Wildlife Centre-Visitors' Centre: Speckled Wood (1) Large Skipper (2) Meadow Brown (26) 

A Brimstone was near Lane Ends on the return trip.

A Brimstone in the West Country in 2018

A Breif Stroll to Bolehill, 24th June 2020

On what had been a difficult day for personal reasons, I took a stroll to clear my mind, on a hot summer's afternoon. I walked to Bolehill, across grassland now infested with Meadow Browns. A Sparrowhawk floated by on the warm updrafts. More sadly, a Buzzard trailed unknown debris, perhaps some plastic detritus caught around a talon. 

I played a brief but happy game of stick with someone else's dog, and continued across Bolehill village toward Little Bolehill, where the path drops back towards Wirksworth beside a private house, and the bird life here was characteristically interesting. Mistle Thrush fledgelings argued with a family of Blackbirds, a noisy exchange of staccato notes, and wrens and warblers were busy among the foliage. 

As I returned to Wirksworth I encountered a group of young people enjoying a small barbecue next to the stream, and thought it pleasant to see normality returning, people getting back out into the sunshine. Swallows were darting about, feeding on the aerial plankton, the small flies of summer. 

Back home, taking a few moments in the garden, Swifts wheeled and whistled gleefully overhead. 

I noticed, then, my brussel sprouts. The Large White butterfly caterpillars, who I had immediately welcomed to them, of course, had all gone. Dispersed, to pupate. I shall miss them. 

Birds Seen: Pheasant, Sparrowhawk, buzzard, Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Jackdaw, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Swallow, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Mistle Thrush +fl, Blackbird +fl, Robin, Dunnock,. Chaffinch, Goldfinch. 

Butterflies: Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown (many!) 

Mammal: Grey Squirrel.

A Meadow Brown, Gratton Dale, 2018

Carsington Water Again 25th June 2020. 

Knowing that Carsington Water, the patch where I get most of my year ticks nowadays, was fully open, drew me back time and again. On the 25th June, another fiercely hot, close, still day, I made my down Summer Lane. Meadow Browns were again very abundant, and there were a few Small Tortoiseshells of the second brood about. The farmer was baling the hay he cut two days before. Higher up, Bullocks grazed contentedly in the sunshine. 

I took the quieter side of the water, and in the woods fringing the reservoir, bands of Tits picked their way through the trees. Yellow flushed Coal Tit fledgelings were among them, and there was a juvenile Goldcrest in the pines. There were relatively few birds on the water. The island near Millfields hosted plenty of Black Headed Gull youngsters, some of which had now taken to the water.  A Ringlet butterfly was my first of the year at the site, an indicator of the advancing season. 

A Ringlet Butterfly, Sometime in the past, for illustrative purposes. Man they are not easy to make look exciting. 

There were still plenty of people about, many of them on the foreshore, and the Millfields car park was a hive of activity, barbecues and party balloons, and it felt somewhat incongruous on my gentle, birdy stroll, so I retraced my steps a little and made my return journey via Kirk Ireton, buying a take-away pint from the Barley Mow to drink on the way home. I walked up Half Moon Lane, where butterflies were still abundant as the hours moved on apace.

Butterflies. Small Tortoiseshells, abounding, at South Walney in Cumbria in 2015

There were plenty of Hirundines on the wing as I passed the small hilltop hamlet on the way, and House Martins nested under the eaves. I returned to Wirksworth in the evening, crossing several fields of cattle with their calves. A Sparrowhawk hunted after passerines in the bushes. 

When I returned home, swifts were once again whistling overhead. 

Birds Seen

Canada Goose +fl, Barnacle Goose, Greylag Goose +fl, Mute Swan, Mallard +fl, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe+ fl, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Cormorant, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Coot +fl, Oystercatcher, Black Headed Gull +NY, fl, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Swift, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Raven, Magpie, Jay, Coal Tit +fl, Blue Tit, Swallow, House Martin, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff +fl, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat, Goldcrest +fl, Wren, Nuthatch, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Robin, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Linnet, Goldfinch. 

Butterflies: Summer Lane Area: Common Blue (1) Small White (1) Large Skipper (2) Small Tortoiseshell (2) Meadow Brown (70) 

NE of Reservoir: Large White (1) Red Admiral (1) Small Tortoiseshell (4) Meadow Brown (4) 

West Side of Reservoir: Speckled Wood (2) Meadow Brown (84) Ringlet (1) Small White (1) Large White (1) Red Admiral (1) Small Tortoiseshell (6) 

Millfields area: Large Skipper (2) Speckled Wood (4) Red Admiral (1) Small Tortoiseshell (1) Meadow Brown (21) 

Carsington to Kirk Ireton (late) Speckled Wood (1) Red Admiral (1) Small Tortoiseshell (5) Meadow Brown (37)

Speckled Wood, for illustrative purposes. 

Wanderings in the Strangest Summer. Tittesworth Reservoir, 21st June 2020

 I accepted Natty's kind offer of a lift up to Severn-Trent's Staffordshire reservoir at Tittesworth, in the shadow of the Roaches, and was surprised to find the site heaving with people and their dogs, running everywhere including the foreshore, putting up the waders, including a small crowd of Oystercatchers, surprised and confused at their previously quiet habitat suddenly robbed from them. 
The woods were relatively quiet, and I escaped the throng as I walked away from the Visitor Centre. The carefully managed Wild Flower meadows were alive with meadow browns and Small Tortoiseshells, flying among the ox-eye daisies and the Orchids, and they were a beautiful sight in the sunshine.

Small Tortoiseshell, photographed in 2015. Diving into the archive to illustrate these as I was still waiting for my new camera. 

Most of the avian interest was to be found on the Western side of the Reservoir, where a patchwork landscape of copses and scrub, fringed by fenced off farmland, dominates. A disheveled and unwell-looking Willow Tit adult fed a noisy fledgling. According to the Collins, Willow Tit fledgelings produce loud begging calls, while the near-indistinguishable Marsh Tit is near silent in its youth.  The Willow Tit is a fast declining bird and it was sad to see the adult in such an unfortunate state, showing severe feather loss and the suggestion of avian pox around its face. I hope it survived long enough to see the youngster to independence and the disease was not transmitted between the two of them, as this charming little species needs all the breeding success it can get. 

A beautiful Little Ringed Plover scuttled back and forth beside the water's edge, and Common Terns fished gracefully. The banks were alive with midsummer flowers, foxgloves and Ragged Robin. 
I reconnected with Natalie and we paused a while on the Bridge, and watched a Common Sandpiper probing about in the mud, possibly a returning migrant. A distinctive shape, like an obese torpedo on hummingbird wings, a Kingfisher whirred by, as the Terns continued fishing in the open water.

A Kingfisher photographed in Suffolk in January 2020. 

Birds Seen: Canada Goose, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Black Headed Gull, Common Tern, Swift, Kingfisher, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit + Fl, Willow Tit +Fl, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Swallow, Long Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Goldcrest, Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Goldfinch. 

Butterflies: Meadow Brown, Small Tortoiseshell, Green Veined White, Red Admiral. 

Wandering in the Strangest Summer: Curbar, Froggatt and White Edge via the Longshaw Estate. 20th June 2020

20th June 2020 

I parked up on the bend in the road up to Curbar Edge from Curbar, camera-less sadly following its unfortunate inundation in the storm which had caught me at Bradford Dale, and took the low path, through the trees, passing some lovely fresh Small Tortoiseshells, and blooming Foxgloves. The woods were fairly bird-quiet, so I made my way up onto the moor, with the Heather and Meadow Pipits. There were loads of people up here, making their entertainment in the outdoors, though perhaps this is typical. A smart Whinchat, a charming summer visitor, migrant relative of the Stonechat, perched atop a frond of Bracken.

Photos taken on Curbar Edge in 2018

I spent a few moments in solstice meditation at the Stone Circle, ancient marker of this rather magical place high in the Eastern moors, and also took in the vistas across the valley, as the Swifts wheeled above and below me. I strolled downhill into Hay Wood, which was beautiful and alive with birdsong, and charming wrens. I reached the Longshaw Estate, National Trust land. The National Trust in Derbyshire was sadly mired in controversy a few years ago, when a gamekeeper was seen to place a plastic decoy Hen Harrier, a fiercely persecuted, endangered and magnificent raptor, and wait by it with a gun, until walkers sent him packing and the Trust ended his employer's shooting lease. This incident did not happen here, but on land near the Snake Pass, according to Raptor Persecution UK, but unfortunately some of the Longshaw Estate remains under grouse shooting management.

There remains a rich, wild beauty to Longshaw's moorland fringes, its moorland though well walked is home to some remarkable wildlife. A Hobby, a small migrant falcon about the size of a kestrel, but faster and more agile,  hunted over a blooming moor, its underside boldly streaked, a black mustache on its white cheeks. The sound of aero engines made me look up, as a Harvard trainer flew loudly overhead in formation with a couple of smaller machines and a Nanchang. Further engine sounds a few moments later caused me to look up again, and a Hurricane, iconic fighter of the Battle of Britain, followed the same path through the sky. 

Following my pleasant aviation interlude I continued onto the parkland, where a handsome Cuckoo sat silent, my first sighting of this bird this year. I arrived at the heart of the Trust's visitor operation, a popular temporary cafe in a wooden shed, and enjoyed a local ice cream before continuing my exploration of the parkland, enjoying Nuthatches and Coal Tits busy in the branches. A pond on the estate is a great site to see Mandarin ducks.  

I left the Longshaw Estate and all its people behind, and continued onto the high, undulating expanse of White Edge, part of Big Moor. This was quieter, though a family disconcertingly allowed their dog to run off lead. Curlews bubbled their mournful calls, and small bands of deer grazed peaceably below, and Meadow Pipits sang.  A beautiful Stonechat put on a distraction display beside the path.

Stonechat photographed at South Walney in 2015

As I returned to the car, I was surprised to find many young people gathered around, dressed for a night out in alternative stylings, perhaps en route to some Solstice gathering. Were I ten years younger I might have attempted to join them. I hope they had a good night. 

Birds Seen: Mandarin Duck, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Curlew, Woodpigeon, Cuckoo, Swift, Hobby, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Swallow, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Wren, Nutchatch, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Whinchat, Stonechat, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch. 

Mammals: Grey Squirrel, Brown Hare, Red Deer. 

Butterflies: Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown. 

Flashback: Curbar Edge, 30th May 2020

Natty and I took a brief drive, the first one since lockdown for a birdy trip together, to Curbar Edge on he Eastern Moors. The sun was high and bright but a gentle breeze cooled the tops. There were many families out enjoying the sun, but possible disturbing the birds somewhat. Meadow Pipits were plentiful and some stonechats a welcome sight, and there was a beautiful red Cardinal Beetle on the heather.

Cardinal Beetle on Curbar Edge. 

Unfortunately we were witness to an unfolding disaster, as a thick column of smoke rose from the moors somewhere to the North of us. A call to the Eastern Moors RSPB warden to alert him, we found his number online thanks to the miracle of mobile technology, confirmed it was on Bamford Moor, near the Derwent reservoirs. Six fire engines, and a helicopter, I learned on the internet, were needed to put it out, with the support of gamekeepers and other land workers.  In these dry summers, keep your barbecues off the moors, people, and don't smoke up there. A fire at this time of year is devastating for bird life, grouse, raptors and stonechats alike nest in the heather, and the frequency of fires in recent summers far exceeds natural levels.

The Bamford Moor Fire from Curbar Edge. 

We strolled sadly back down the low path, through the leafy birch woodland, where Natty's expert ears picked out Yellowhammer and Cuckoo calling.

Birds Seen: Mallard (flew over) Cuckoo (Heard only) Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Skylark, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Song Thrush (heard only) Robin, Stonechat, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Yellowhammer (heard only) 

Not Birds Seen: Cardinal Beetle, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Heath, Green Veined White. 

Wanderings in the Strangest Summer: Elton to Bradford Dale 17th June 2020

17th June 2020 

I took the short drive to Elton, not to be confused with the same name, once again, and parked near the church, where I was greeted almost immediately by a confiding young Song Thrush.  From here, and in pleasant weather, white cloud above, I crossed the farm fields where a magnificent Hereford Bull nuzzled affectionately with one of his cows. A glance signalled permission to cross, and I did so. I walked through meadows now teaming with Meadow Browns and Small Tortoiseshells, even on this overcast day.

Song Thrush at Elton

Then I crossed some 'improved' fields, ugly dayglo green dairy deserts, little more than lawns, with few butterflies. I waked past enclosed copses fenced in by barbed wire. Barbed wire was a feature only of the improved fields, curiously. I reached a rock-strewn slope and descended through the cattle, and paused to view a small pond, signs advertising it for angling, where coots and tufted ducks swam. The Eastern end of Bradford Dale was heavily managed and well trodden, but there were wild flowers down to the water's edge attended by smart Red Admirals and yet more Small Tortoiseshells.

The Eastern side, where I walked beyond the bridge in Youlgreave, was more wooded in character, though host to Grey Wagtails, swans, and an area of slow, crystal clear water designated for swimming. I walked into the woodland, in decreasing light, as storm clouds gathered. The river had historically been managed for fish, once on a commercial basis, and was divided into concrete pools, each holding a family of Mallards, some with large, near adult size juveniles, others with downy doughball ducklings. The weather was on its way, but still I paused to enjoy a Dipper darting in and out from a nest in some pipework where the river flows under a small arch bridge.

I took the footpath through some wetlands, across a camp site, abandoned for the time being, past a field of inquisitive bullocks, who walked in step with me on the other side of a fence, and reached a narrow road near one of a couple of places in the UK called Robin Hood's Stride. Here the heavens opened, and I found a memorial bench overhung with branches, I wish I could remember to whom it was dedicated, but to their family I am grateful, as from this bench I watched fork lightning split the sky, as the downpour drew on. Hares darted at the sound of thunder like gunfire, and cattle bellowed in their frustration, and gathered together around the loudest. Birdwatching was out of the window, butterfly spotting a laughable dream

When the rain alleviated a little, I made my way back to Elton. When it had stopped, I shivered. To my surprise, on my way back to Elton, I saw a Barn Owl, floating ghostly over the fields. Perhaps the rain had been so heavy mice and voles had been flooded out of their holes. It dived into the grass, stayed down a moment, and then was up again and flying. I reached for my camera, but found its viewfinder and LCD display frosted by condensation. 

I made my way back to my car, shivering, disassembled the camera, hopelessly it transpired, a victim of the deluge, on the passenger seat to dry. As I drove, another storm rolled into the green valleys.

Grey Wagtail

Butterflies Seen: Elton-Bradford Dale: Small Copper 1, Red Admiral 1, Small Tortoiseshell 6, Meadow Brown 29. 

Bradford-Alport: Small Tortoiseshell 8, Meadow Brown 1. 

Bradford Dale East: Red Admiral 1, Common Blue 1, Small Tortoiseshell 5, Meadow Brown 3.

Bradford Dale West (inclement weather) Green Veined White 1, Small Tortoiseshell 2.

Birds Seen: Greylag Goose,Mute Swan, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Pheasant, Buzzard, Moorhen, Coot, Woodpigeon, Barn Owl, Swift, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Swallow, House Martin, Long Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Wren, Treecreeper, Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Redstart, Dipper (visiting nest) House Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Chaffinch, Goldfinch. 

Lockdown Walks-A Retrospective. 13th - 16th June 2020

 13th June 2020

Stoney Wood and the paths between the High Peak Trail and Carsington Water. 

I took a stroll out of the front door this time, up through Stoney Wood, where the butterfly munching Spotted Flycatcher was up and about, and a Kestrel hovered. I made my way along the left hand path through the disused quarries, the one with the tunnel and the barbed wire, and through the scarred and uneven landscape. 

I crossed the road into the sheep field, and took the path down through the fields.  

I ate my lunch in a field overlooking some cattle, where a stunning male Redstart darted between the wind-bent Hawthorns. A Matriarchal looking cow made confrontational noises at me. I must confess after the Bull incident, I was a little averse to mixing with her, so I kept out of her way. 

Many of the thistles in these fields had been sprayed, bent over and yellowing, even as Butterflies tried to feed on the blossoms. However there was a glorious patch of Scabious and Meadowsweet, attended by beautiful Small Tortoiseshell butterflies.

Small Tortoiseshell on Scabious. 

Stoney Wood Birds: Kestrel, Jackdaw, Wren, Spotted Flycatcher

Stoney Wood Butterflies: Common Blue (1) Small Heath (1) 

Stoney Wood-High Peak Trail Butterflies Meadow Brown (6) Speckled Wood (1) Small Tortoiseshell (9) Red Admiral (2) Small Copper (1)

Speckled Wood Butterfly. Only as I add the photo to the blog do I notice it has no antennae. Odd. 

High Peak Trail-Hopton Environs Butterflies: Meadow Brown (3) Red Admiral (1) Small Tortoiseshell (7) Common Blue (1) Small Heath (1) Large Skipper (1) 

Birds: Pheasant, Buzzard, Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Kestrel, Magpie, Jackdaw, Raven, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Swallow, House Martin, Whitethroat, Mistle Thrush, Redstart, Pied Wagtail, Goldfinch.

Skylark

14th June 2020

Carsington Water

I hitched a lift to Carsington Water with Lizzie and Natalie, and arrived in the Visitor's Centre car park. It was sunny, humid and disconcertingly populous. Inevitably visitors had invaded the foreshore and their dogs were in the water. The tranquility of lockdown, for the birds were at an end, and Oystercatchers circled, and alarm called constantly as witless humanity trampled what had been their quiet nest site. 

I walked across the Dam Wall, around to Millfields, on the far side of the lake, As soon as I had cleared the car park, the place seemed deserted. A Lesser Stag Beetle was a lovely sighting. The Black Headed Gull Colony appeared to be having a good year, with several young birds on the water, and Great Crested Grebes attended their growing 'humbugs.' Juvenile Blackcaps were out and about too, in the hedges. Willow, Blue and Long-Tailed Tits had begun moving with their broods in their small family groups typical for the later part of the summer.

Lesser Stag Beetle. 

The weather was punctuated by frequent bouts of heavy rain. A man sheltered his dog under his jacket as his shirt sleeves got soaked. Love. 

I walked through the mature woodland, on the less explored side of the reservoir, and saw a field vole pootling about on the path, as if without a care in the world, perhaps a youngster naive to the risk of predation it faced out in the open. 

I waited at Sheepwash for my lift home and watched the Pipistrelles zipping about among the trees, a larger bat or two among them, perhaps Noctules, and a Tawny Owl called in the descending gloom. Rain began to fall. 

Mammals: Pipistrelle, Noctule (?) Rabbit, Field Vole, Grey Squirrel

Butterflies: Common Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown. 

Other Invertebrates: Oedemira nobilis, Lesser Stag Beetle, Black Soldier Beetle, and too many biting Horseflies. 

Birds: Canada Goose, Barnacle Goose, Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Gadwall, Mallard, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Buzzard, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Redshank, Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Tawney Owl, Swift, Kestrel, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Willow Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Swallow, House Martin, Long Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Wren, Treecreeper, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Robin, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting. 

16th June 2020

Cromford Canal via Bolehill

On a sunny afternoon  I walked up to Bolehill, via the fields behind the Railway station. A dead Bullfinch on the footpath was a sad sight, the body apparently undamaged, perfect. Perhaps a cat kill, or a window collision casualty. On a happier note, the Siskins were back again, the first time I had seen these charming little arboreal finches, green and yellow and streaky. The flock appeared to include fledgelings, suggesting local breeders. To a Southerner, seeing these finches in summer still feels exotically Northern. There was a juvenile Goldfinch in among them. 

I marched up past the Trig point, and nodded at a few walkers, before I wandered down to the High Peak Trail, under an amenable sky of bright white cloud. I joined a path down the grassy, open slopes, enjoying glorious views of Cromford and the Heights beyond. There were confiding Meadow Pipits posing on the rocks, often overlooked but such smart little passerines up close, and Small Heath butterflies fluttered in the grass. I reached Intake Lane, and joined the canal at its head in Cromford. Geese and their goslings hung around outside what, in a normal summer, would be busy food outlets. I followed the towpath, now in sunshine, passing a few fine Cardinal Beetles, and a shoal of small Perch, boldly striped. I reached the High Peak junction, and here a shoal of Roach, pretty, silver fish, very common in such waterways, hung in the crystal clear water.

Meadow Pipit

On the river Derwent, from the bridge behind the sewerage farm, I paused to watch a beautiful family of Grey Wagtails, three fledged juveniles and two adults. These beautiful wagtails, which are often associated with running water like the Derwent, are somewhat badly named. Though they have a deep, smart grey back, their undersides are bright yellow in the male, who also in the breeding season has a deep black bib, and lemon yellow in the female. They are not to be confused with yellow wagtail, the charming running dandelions associated with short grazed grassland.  As I watched these birds, another passerine appeared among them, a small, stocky brown bird with a white belly, bobbing on a rock, before dipping into the fast flowing water, pausing with its head submerged, before briefly disappearing from view in the current, popping up again on another rock. A Dipper! Dippers are the only passerine in Britain to regularly hunt for food, usually small invertebrates, underwater. As I watched the dipper through my binoculars, a flash of blue darted through my vision.  A Kingfisher! I watched it fly off downriver, a stripe of electric blue between whirring wings. Three remarkable and charismatic species of fast flowing water, viewed from this one spot in just a few seconds. 

I caught my breath and walked up a little further along the canal, hoping to see some of these birds again from the aqueduct. The dipper alone was visible, and I watched it busily feeding for a short while. I spoke briefly with a gentleman from Ambergate, sharing our sightings, and he recalled a time when the canal was wildly overgrown, largely abandoned by industry and not yet rediscovered by recreation, and hosted impressive Pike, a species no longer regularly seen there. 

The walk beside the canal revealed few new bird species and I did not see the Kingfisher again, so I made my way back over the fields as the sun went down. When I returned home, Natalie informed me that a tremendous rainstorm had fallen. Only a couple of miles away, on the other side of the hill, it had passed me my entirely as I enjoyed riverside avian splendour.

A Kingfisher. Photo taken at Lakenheath Fen, Cambridgeshire, in January. 

Birds Seen: Canada Goose +fl, Mallard, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Moorhen, Black Headed Gull, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Swift, Kingfisher, Kestrel, Jay, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Sand Martin, Swallow, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher, Robin, Dipper, Grey Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Linnet, Siskin. 

Fishes: Perch, Roach.