Eastward Bound

A cold start this morning as I headed towards the Cheshire / Derbyshire border to try and make the most of the morning weather. My target for the day was Pied Flycatcher, so I headed for the woodland at Teggs Nose near Macclesfield, parking in the lower (free) car park at Teggs Nose Reservoir. As my back isn't too good at the moment I set off with the R5 and the RF100-500mm, through the gate and started to follow the path upwards through the deciduous woodland. Woodland birds were still singing (I'd arrived at just after 9am) - Robin, Wren, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch; Great-spotted Woodpecker were drumming a Green Woodpecker yaffled. After about 300m I ventured to the left and soon heard a Pied Flycatcher singing, he was soon joined by a female who was investigating one of the nest boxes. At this point I left the birds to continue nest building and started to head back to the carpark. I then heard a second Pied Flycatcher singing and soon found him, advertising his presence to newly arrived females, concentrating his efforts around one of the nest boxes. Satisfied with the views and images, I walked back to the car, seeing a pair of Treecreepers, with the male feeding the female. I then headed up to Danebower Chimney for a few moorland species.

I arrived in the layby near Danebower Chimney and headed off to the footpath and down towards the Dane. Plenty of displaying Curlew and Meadow Pipits greeted me, but Wheatear and Ring Ouzel were proving elusive. A female Red Grouse got up out the rough grass and bracken, flying over the Dane into Derbyshire. A female Stonechat, hopped onto a gorse bush and posed nicely, She flew off down towards the dead bracken, carrying the food to where I presumed she had a nest with chicks. As I walked around and started back to the car, a pair of Wheatear were alarming at me, obviously they too had a nest close-by, so I didn't linger. As I got back to the chimney, I heard a Ring Ouzel calling, but couldn't see it. Lunch was calling and as I drove back, a few Golden Plover were seen in the pastures as I was heading back towards Macclesfield, no doubt feeding up before heading up to the Cat and Fiiddle area to breed.