Easter in Derbyshire

Easter 2019.

Joyce and I stayed with friends for a week in Chesterfield, Derbyshire and although not at all a bird or photographic week I, as usual managed to get away once or twice or find something while out and about. ( or cunningly suggesting somewhere to go that I thought might be good for seeing some wildlife). One very early morning was spent with our friends son Mark, who spends a lot of time being an 'outdoorsman', wild camping and cooking out in the middle of nowhere, he knows all the best spots on the moors for deer and we spent some time watching a few while eating bacon baps, a pretty good way to start the day. I have an invite to go back in the autumn  for the rutting season, and maybe even camping out for the night ( or am I getting to old for that?) No. dont think so.  A visit on a very busy bank holiday Sunday to Cromford canal produced the expected approachable Little Grebes and then on to Bakewell where on the river a family of Mallards looked very cute in the beautiful light.

Red Deer

Little grebe-very close. Cromford canal.

Little Grebe

Little Grebe on its nest unnoticed by many people passing close by

Little Grebe with catch

Little Grebe with catch 2

Moorhen at Victoria Park, Chesterfield.

Mallard family - Bakewell

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in the treetops

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at new nesthole

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker making a new nest hole

Grasshopper Warbler- Carr Vale

Grasshopper Warbler

Reed Bunting- Carr Vale

 The best was a surprise though, a family day out and picnic at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire whereupon on parking up and getting out of the car I immediately heard the call of a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker which I soon found and realised it was excavating a nest hole in the tree which we had parked under, obviously that was me engaged for much of the time, but nobody seemed to mind, they know what I'm like!.  Another site I visited was Carr Vale owned by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust,  a great site with a mixture of habitats, here I heard a Grasshopper Warbler reeling and managed to locate it and get a couple of photos.