19 folks turned up making this the club’s most attended visit for over a decade. Members from as far away as Whaley Bridge turned up probably because this was the first trip west of Chesterfield and thus nearer to them.
Initially time was spent just beyond the Monsal Trail bridge checking the woodland which delivered, Siskins, Nuthatch and Tree Creeper, while the neighbouring fields had two foraging Mistle Thrushes. A Chiffchaff was also heard but couldn’t be located.
The group then headed slowly up the valley track, the mist dispersed to be replaced by blue sky and then the Ravens began croaking and the first Buzzard was heard. Some of the group then got the briefest of views of a Goshawk but once beyond the farm, we had excellent sightings of 6 or more Buzzards, a few Ravens one of which was harassing a Sparrowhawk and Goshawks. At the top of the valley, we paused to enjoy the view down the Wye Valley to Rowsley where the River Wye joins the Derwent and here we also saw a pair of Sparrowhawks with clear size difference between male and female and got our first Goshawk call from nearby woodland.
part of the group at the head of the valley
Returning by the same route, 3 Jays flew, one after another into the same tree and a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew across the valley. The Ravens were now in very good voice and one is tempted to rename this route as Ravens’ Valley with their ‘grumblings’ coming from both sides of the valley serenading our descent. Approaching the farm, a Kestrel was spotted making this the fourth raptor out of the anticipated 5, just missing out on Red Kite.
All in all 30 species seen. A superb day out and incredibly lucky with the weather – if we’d been a day later, the mist still blotted out the view as late as 11:30!