Cutthroat Bridge and Welbeck Raptor Watchpoint

Just under an hour after arriving at Cutthroat Bridge, on Derwent Moors east of Ladybower Reservoir in Derbyshire, the now famous juvenile Lammergeier made a sudden and imposing appearance. It went on to perform on-and-off for the next hour, including a couple of really quite close flybys and a good minute under siege by a Buzzard. A flock of 10 Ravens flew through, while two Red Grouse, a Curlew and two Mistle Thrushes were on the slopes across the road. A Willow Warbler was in full voice, while three Siskins, two Sand Martins and two Grey Wagtails flew over.


A stop at the Welbeck Raptor Watchpoint in Nottinghamshire on the way home delivered fine views of a male Honey-buzzard, along with two Goshawks, two Hobbies, a Red Kite, five Buzzards, a Wheatear, 40 House Martins, 20 Sand Martins, a Little Egret, six Great Crested Grebes, a pair of Shelducks with five young, and a singing Reed Bunting.

Pied Wheatear

I dashed up with my good friend Josh Burch to see the Pied Wheatear in Nottinghamshire yesterday, a short while after news came through of its continued presence. News was encouraging on the way up and I was looking forward to seeing my 25th new species of the year. The bird showed more-or-less on arrival but remained distant. People began to drift off as the day went on but the bird approached ever closer, eventually feeding along the gravel ridge just across the narrow channel of water in front of us, affording superb views through the scope and decent photographic opportunities, although the light was diminishing and I had forgotten my digiscoping camera so had to make do with phonescoping. A supporting cast of two fly-over Whooper Swans and an adult Yellow-legged Gull in the quarry added interest.