Summer Migrants

It's that time again! I popped to one of my favourite places last week on the hunt for some of our Summer migrants, and I was delighted to be able to catch up with a few of them. The numbers are still a bit thin on the ground, but I'm hoping that it is still early in the season and that more will follow. Pied Flycatchers were the first to be located in their usual spot, but only two males around at the moment and no sign of the females. 

One or two Redstarts were singing and then finally located feeding along a wall. A Tree Pipit was also singing and parachuting down to it's favoured tree, and it's song echoed across the valley. Willow Warblers were singing everywhere and were by far the most common migrant in song. Lovely to have them all back and hopefully I will be catching up with them many more times before they once again depart our shores.

Pied Flycatcher

Common Redstart

Willow Warbler

Tree Pipit

Pied Flycatcher

The local Pied Flycatchers have done very well this year. In previous years I've struggled to find pairs, but I had no such issues this year. There were good numbers around the various sites and this bodes well for some good numbers fledging. It could have been the good warm dry weather that we had for around six weeks at just the right time in Spring. Fingers crossed that the first brood managed to get good amounts of food and left the nest healthy.

Pied Flycatchers in Cheshire

My recent visits to the Goyt Valley have been in hope of finding newly arrived migrants. One of those I always look forward to seeing again are the Pied Flycatchers. A lovely little black and white bird that flits around the canopy of the trees looking for it's meal. I came across my first one on the 18th April, which was almost identical to the previous years first finding. This particular male was singing, which helped me to track it down in the first instance. Seeing it after that was not so easy. I always forget how small they are, and it's always a job to see the movement through the branches. See it I did though, and spent a good amount of time watching it flit and pick off insects, then stop for a bit of song.

Male Pied Flycatcher

It briefly dropped to a lower level out of the sunlight. Amazing how colours change in the light.

Flycatchers Are Back!!

I've been fortunate in recent weeks to be able to wait for and then watch the arrival of our Summer Flycatchers. The Pied is always the first to arrive. Not a particularly big bird, it is easy to overlook it as it flashes up to the canopy of the tree. The call is the main give away, if you're lucky to hear it. It's not very loud, or as loud as I'd like it. 

So a small black and white bird in woodland that is difficult to hear. It's always a challenge, but one which I relish each year. It's a great moment when you hear your first, and even better when you catch a glimpse. This is usually followed by very long stints of standing and waiting for it to come closer, or close enough to get some pictures of. These images are the best I could get over numerous visits, and I don't know how many hours. I think they were worth it though.

Male Pied Flycatcher

The wait for arrival into the country is even longer for the Spotted Flycatcher. I don't know if it's because of the extra wait, but this is the one I'm always desperate to set on eyes on. Each year they seem to arrive later and later, but then I check my records and it's exactly the same time as the years before, within just a day or two. For some reason I always look for them a week or two early, in hope more than anticipation. This just means I head home disappointed each time, having not found one 😩.

The build up increases the excitement though, and then you one day there they are. The satisfaction is immense. 

Spotted Flycatcher

Padley Gorge Wood Warbler

I visited an brilliant place in the Peak District recently, called Padley Gorge. I parked at the bottom and made way up the gorge. A brilliant woodland and fast running water through it's rocky centre. 

Birds were singing everywhere. There were a pair of Dippers to start me off, and I lost count of how many Pied Flycatchers I saw and heard. It was one of the best places I had visited for these. Common Redstarts were competing with them, plus the numerous Wrens, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs. At the top, I found a couple of pairs of Spotted Flycatchers zipping around the tree canopy.

What I had really come for was the Wood Warbler. A bird I have only seen a few times, its one I'd not seen for a good number of years now. It was worth the 5am start and I even found two singing males. 

A cracking male Wood Warbler

Male Pied Flycatcher. They were so busy collecting food for their young, they would drop down in front of you like a Robin and then fly back to their branch,

The female Pied Flycathcer

One of the many Common Redstarts

This is why I love Birdwatching.

I had a superb few hours out last weekend. Up with the Larks, as the saying goes, and out to my favourite Spring/Summer location in the fine Cheshire countryside, which covered ancient woodlands, rivers, reservoirs, moorland and quarries. 

I'd found a pair of Pied Flycatchers a few weeks ago. On my return visit I located them again. This time they were busy taking food to a nest site. I suspected they were close to a nest site so was pleased to see that they were successfully feeding young.

Not far away was a male Redstart, singing as they do right at the top of a nearby tree. They never make it easy to see them.

A very good looking male Pied Flycatcher with a small caterpillar for his young ones.

Male Common Redstart.

I'm very lucky to be able to see Ring Ouzels each year. These upland birds like rocky slopes for their nesting habitat and arrive in April time. Once again there is at least one pair that are feeding young, and the male put on a nice show in between his food collections. The sun was shining and he looked in very good shape.

I look forward to days like these all year. April and May are my favourite birding months. When the countryside is alive with our migrant birds and the sun is shining and I just happen to be in my favourite peaceful place. It's what I long for, and when I get days like this I just feel so content.

The Spotted Flycatchers were also still around, and I hope to catch up with their young in future weeks.

A Bumper Day

I went a little further afield last weekend, as we are now allowed to do. The weather was set to be sunny pretty much from the off, so I headed to my favourite of places close to Macclesfield Forest. I was there nice and early, so as to beat any walkers or cyclists. I stopped off at a few points on the way, where I knew I wouldn't even need to leave the car to see things.
One of these places had me watching a pair of Crossbills drinking from a puddle at the side of the road. A great start!

I moved on and parked at an area I have been to often. The area has Dipper and Grey Wagtail on the river nearby most of the year. You can add another half a dozen species or more at this time of year though. With Swallows, House Martins, Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaff to name a few. I was lucky enough to hear and see a Common Redstart just behind me, and on a short walk I picked out a lovely male Pied Flycatcher. A Cuckoo was calling not far away, but it never revealed itself, much to my annoyance. It sounded so close too.

Male Redstart making sure he's heard high up.

Male Pied Flycatcher, again high up and too far away.

I did find, (and I really wasn't expecting to) a pair of Spotted Flycatchers. They were likely to be new in to the area, and they were busy doing what Flycatchers do, but also perching nicely now and again. I kept my eye on them and I think they were checking possible residences, which would be great news. They made my early morning get more than worhtwhile.

The pair together.