Cycled down again today, July 13th.
For some reason I decide to take a look at the river first, and stop on the bridge near the church, Goldfinch,Greenfinch, Coal Tit, Great Tit and Blue Tit are all in evidence. I then notice a little brown job fly into an Ash tree, upstream of the bridge,closer inspection reveals a lovely Spotted Flycatcher, a bird I had been hoping for, so a good start to the day.A Robin is singing and a Blackbird is alarm calling.Overhead are a few Jackdaws some Swallows and a couple of scruffy looking Magpies.
Onto the canal, and around the wharf c30 Mallards are sunning themselves along with a pair of Tufted Ducks.Towards Lawn bridge a pair of Moorhens have 4 fresh young, a Bullfinch whistles weekly, Wood Pigeons sing and a Great Spotted Woodpecker gives it's "chick" call.Beyond the bridge several Little Grebes are on nests again, one eventually reveals 3 tiny young, and many Moorhens of varying sizes are present.Blackcap,Chiffchaff,Song Thrush,Long tailed Tit, Wren and Goldcrest are all seen/heard, as is a Buzzard, "mewing" somewhere in the distance.The canal side here is lined with Meadowsweet and Great Willowherb.
Heading towards High Peak Junction, many more Grebes, Moorhens and Mallards are seen, one Mallard has 4 fresh young.Just beyond the workshops, a female Tufted Duck has 6 young, they always seem to appear out of the blue at this stage in the summer.A Pied Wagtail gives its "Chiswick" call somewhere by the sewage works. Around the aquaduct, Nuthatch is heard, and further on a couple of Treecreepers are singing. Butterflies seen, up to now, are Gatekeeper,Speckled Wood, Small and Large White and Comma.
In the area around Gregory tunnel a Jay is screeching and a Chaffinch "chinks" from a tree top, Rooks are heard in the fields nearby.
Approaching Whatstandwell, a tiny Moorhen chick is alone, apart from a well grown juvenile.The chick seems to be begging for food from the juv. when eventually 4 more tiny chicks and 2 adults emerge from the reeds. The first chick however continues to beg from the juvenile, which helps out it's parents by feeding the youngster.
At Whatstandwell House Sparrows are chirruping by the houses and further on, by the treatment plant, a family of Grey wagtails, 2 ad and 3 juv, are feeding on insects along with a juvenile Robin. A few Carrion Crows are here and Collared Doves can be heard as I watch a family of Goldcrests.
Almost at Ambergate now, and a Kestrel soars over adjacent woods, along with another Buzzard.A Green Woodpecker yaffles from the fields, a Stock Dove flies by and Swifts hunt insects high overhead.An area of brambles here, is alive with Butterflies, Meadow Brown,Gatekeeper,Small Tortoiseshell and Comma are joined by a single Small Skipper on a thistle head.
The journey back yields 3 Southern Hawkers, lots more Commas (10+ in total) . At one point a Grass snake is sunning itself on the toepath but slithers off as I reach for the camera.
A quick look in at the river by the sewage works provides views of 2 Dipper, 4 Canada Geese and a Grey Heron.
Counts today:
72 Moorhen (31 ad, 41 juv and surely some missed)
26 Little Grebe (12 ad 14 young)
13 Blackcap,6 Chiffchaff and encouragingly good numbers of Bullfinch, their feeble whistle was a feature of the day.
A few photos,Gatekeeper, Tufted with young,Small Tortoiseshell,Meadow Brown and Comma.