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.

Beeley, 12th January 2017

After a lovely few days with Ingrid in Edinburgh, I headed home yesterday afternoon. On hearing the weather forecast, my parents insisted on booking me a hotel half way on my journey so I took up the offer on the condition that it was near Beeley, Derbyshire.

After staying over at a slightly unsettling guest house in Chesterfield, I made the short journey to Pig Lane where I was the only birder present for about an hour and wasted time, I later learned, looking in the wrong place. A couple of birders with local know-how turned up and pointed out the bird's regular, faraway hedge, which I remained fixed on. Just as I was going to pack up and carry on home, I noticed the first-winter female Dusky Thrush concealed in the thicket before it came out to feed in the open just as a few other hopefuls arrived at the scene. This success, along with fly-overs from a couple of heard-only Common Crossbills and three Mandarins, made for a very satisfying, if sodden, visit.

Dusky Thrush (distant!)