A site that I try to get to each spring, and one of the first places I went “out birdwatching” Near Grindleford in the Peak District.
Situated just outside my Hometown of Sheffield an ancient oak and birch woodland set in a gritstone gorge thats nicely sheltered and summer home to good numbers of our scarcer breeding and most beautiful woodland birds. Todays visit was really about Pied Flys which were in good numbers. I had probably 10-12 singing males and a single female.
Scores of Willow Warblers and two or three Redstarts were also singing high in the mostly bare trees and it was nice to see Treecreepers, Nuthatch and coal tits. Dippers and Grey wags patrolled the deep gorge itself.
Previously around the first weekend of May I have seen and heard Wood warbler in this spot and later in season it’s great for Spotted Flycatchers.
The open moorland above the gorge can hold Whinchats, Cuckoo, Tree pipits, Curlews and scores of Stonechats and Meadow pipits (below) Except for Whinchat I had all of the above on this occasion as well as a singing Ring Ousel.
Sunday night I made my escape back down to London. Hopefully I can come across something on its way here this week before the window closes until autumn.
PERDIX BIRDER 