My patch

Details of my patch in the Loxley Valley will appear here soon. A map, giving an indication of the routes I usually take and what you can see where, is here. Please note all footpaths are approximately marked.

NEW! See my Flickr Collection for photos from my patch.

15/04/09
1 x sand martin at Old Wheel Dam, among a flock of around 6 swallows. Another 2 x swallow over Fisheries, and one over Loxley Park. Nesting Canada Goose at Loxley Park, and stock dove still present in nest box. 5 x stock dove at Old Wheel Farm, along with flock of c70 woodpigeon and a pair of linnet. Also 1 x curlew, 2 x willow warbler, 1 x blackcap and 2 x GSW.

14/04/09
Stock dove in nest box by Loxley Park.

11/04/09
10 stock dove at Old Wheel Farm, heard only green woodpecker and curlew at Stacey Bank, a chiffchaff pair and another stock dove at Olive Dam, and a grey wagtail and singing willow warbler at the Fisheries. 2 blackcap singing near house, with a female in the garden.

10/04/09
1 blackcap, 2 willow warblers, 2 curlews and 5 swallows (the latter still skimming Old Wheel Dam), plus a dipper by the Fisheries and a tree sparrow on Stacey Lane. Treecreeper near Olive Dam.

09/04/09
Singing blackcap near house in the morning. In late afternoon 8 x swallow over Old Wheel Dam and 2 x willow warbler further down the path. two green woodpeckers were yaffling near the Fisheries, but annoying staying out of sight, 130+ woodpigeons were feeding in the fields in two large flocks, with 13 stock doves among them, and 2 curlews were in one of the fields near Old Wheel Farm. 1 x grey wagtail at Fisheries, 2 x GSW on route.

04/04/09
2 tree sparrows on Stacey Lane; 2 grey herons fighting on the Damflask “steps”; 6 chiffchaffs singing en route; 1 great spotted woodpecker near the fisheries; 2+ stock dove by Olive Dam; 2 nuthatch on the feeders by one of the houses on Low Matlock Lane; 3 jays; 3 mistle thrushes, including 2 singing males, two bullfinches by Old Wheel Dam.

29/03/09
7 chiffchaffs on route, 2 dippers together by the river, at least 2 grey wagtails (1 below), a sparrowhawk near the house, 5 tufted duck on Old Wheel Dam, a curlew seen from Stacey Bank and 3 tree sparrows on Stacey Lane, the first I’ve seen for a good long while. 2 x redwing on path opposite house, and 1 x comma butterfly.

 

21/03/09
25 x waxwing on periphery on patch, in poplars south of river by start of footpath at start of Loxley Road. Flock present nearby at Malin Bridge tramstop most of following week. Chiffchaff in garden, 3 redwing on path opposite house.

20/03/09
Chiffchaff on Loxley Road, plus singing coal tit.

14/03/09
2 tawny owl near house, including one seen flying over Loxley Road.

13/03/09
Large flock of 130 jackdaw over Loxley Park nursing home.

11/02/09
6 x jay on route. c40 mallard and c60 Canada goose at Old Wheel Dam, plus 1 x drake teal and 3 x lapwing. Treecreeper and lesser redpoll on path near Old Wheel Dam. Grey wagtail, dipper and grey heron near Fisheries. Tawny owl near Olive Dam.

07/02/09
Dipper and 22 x jackdaw at Stacey Bank. 56 x Canada goose and 70 x mallard at Old Wheel Dam (sadly nothing more interesting!). Great spotted woodpecker calling at the Hepworth Site. A flock of 200+ jackdaw over Low Matlock Lane . A bullfinch calling on Black Lane. 11 x redwing in the trees on the path opposite the house.

01/02/09
A dipper at Stacey Bank, 6 x tufted duck on Old Wheel Dam and a bullfinch on Black Lane.

25/01/09
Big Garden Birdwatch included 2 bullfinch and 1 goldcrest.

17/01/09
2 x drake teal at the Damflask “steps” at Stacey Bank (the first time I’ve seen two drakes together in the valley); 1 x dipper on the river by the Fisheries; 6 x siskin by Old Wheel Dam; 2 x jay, 3 x treecreeper and 1 x goldcrest, plus several long-tailed tits and one heron overhead, on the path opposite the house.

03/01/09
1 x Cormorant flying fairly low over the Hepworth site. c70 redwing and c10 fieldfare on Rowell Lane (with 2 redwing and 1 fieldfare also opposite Loxley Nurseries).  6 tufted duck on Old Wheel Dam with 66 Canada geese in the fields, 3 treecreepers near Olive Dam, great spotted woodpeckers on Rowell Lane and Low Matlock Lane, 2 jays not far from the house, singles of bullfinch by the cemetery and at the top of Stacey Lane.

01/01/09
Kestrel at Old Wheen Dam, a few fieldfare on Loxley Road.

30/12/08
20 x lapwing over Old Wheel Farm, female goldeneye back at Old Wheel Dam, small flock of meadow pipits at Old Wheel Farm, large mixed flock of fieldfare and redwing at Rowell Lane.

28/12/08
c.10 lesser redpoll near Old Wheel Dam; 2 x herring gulls (one pictured below) among the black-headed gulls at Rowell Lane; a bullfinch, a grey wagtail and a dipper at Stacey Bank; a small flock of redwings at Black Lane.

 

25/12/08
6 x lesser redpoll in garden on Christmas morning.

18/12/08
7 x siskin near Old Wheel Dam, 4 x tufted duck (no signs of the goldeneye), 10 x meadow pipit and 2 x mistle thrush at Old Wheel Farm, and a large flock of 87 black-headed gulls in fields by Rowell Lane.

14/12/08
Female goldeneye on Old Wheel Dam, plus 7 x tufted duck, 65 x Canada goose, 10 x black-headed gull. Dipper feeding in goit W of OWD. 2 x goldcrest among a flock of c.20 long-tailed tits at Stacey Bank. 22 x siskin on Low Matlock Lane, with GSW nearby. Kestrels at Black Lane and Low Matlock Lane. Grey heron at Mill Dam. Nuthatch calling on Rowell Lane. Several mistle and song thrushes in fields off Black Lane.

13/12/08
Jay opposite house at around 8am. Great spotted woodpecker on feeder in a house down Loxley Road, grey heron overhead.

07/12/08
5+ lapwing in field behind Old Wheel Dam. 65 x Canada goose.

29/11/08
Kingfisher showing very well at Old Wheel Dam. Also 67 x Canada Goose, 7 x black-headed gull, 3 x tufted duck and 2 x stock dove. Kestrel hunting opposite Loxley Nurseries.

16/11/08
50 + fieldfare on Loxley Road, and at least 2 x redwing in fields opposite Admiral Rodney. 63 x Canada Goose in fields by Old Wheel Dam, with 12 x moorhen (a good count for the area) and 3 x tufted duck on the Dam itself.  A flock of 44 x black-headed gull touring the area and feeding in fields. A kestrel being harrassed by two magpies on Black Lane. A grey wagtail at the fisheries, a nuthatch on Black Lane, and another on Loxley Road near Rowell Lane. A grey heron in a field near Rowell Lane.

03/11/08
2 x goldcrest in garden.

12/10/08
10+ siskins feeding off alder by Old Wheel Dam; three black-headed gulls and four tufted duck on Old Wheel Dam; 2 x jay, 1 x nuthatch and 1 x sparrowhawk on Black Lane. C. 200 pink-footed geese heading SW at 10.25.

28/09/08
c.100 pink-footed geese heading W at around 7pm.

25/09/08
20+ house martins above Black Lane, mobbed by a sparrowhawk, and at least two swallows. Little owl perched on a wall on Loxley Road at dusk.

18/09/08
Female teal still present on Old Wheel Dam.

13/09/08
Chiffchaffs – one singing near house, and a juv at Old Wheel Dam. Kingfisher perched on a piece of wood at Damflask flow pool at Stacey Bank, with grey wagtail behind it. Sparrowhawk in trees at Old Wheel Farm. Pair of teal at Old Wheel Dam (first time more than one seen). Handful of swallows and house martins near Admiral Rodney.

02/09/08
Total: Robin – 15, Woodpigeon – 34, Jackdaw – 23, Chaffinch – 1, Carrion Crow – 4, Magpie - 17, Moorhen – 1, Mallard – 35, Great Tit - 1, Dipper – 1, Great Spotted Woodpecker – 2, Goldfinch – 6, Long-tailed Tit – 5+, Coot – 5, House Martin – 100+, Bullfinch - 1 (at least), Swallow – 35+, Tufted Duck – 1, Kestrel – 1, Teal – 1, Pheasant – 3, Wren -3, Jay -1, Collared Dove – 1, Blackbird – 1

31/08/08
Dipper and grey wagtail at Fisheries. GSW on path south of Fisheries. 1x grey heron and 1 x tufted duck at Old Wheel Dam. c.40 martins/swallows over Low Matlock Lane (too rainy to stop and count!)

26/08/08
c.10 x swift heading W seen from house.

25/08/08
Kingfisher heard at Old Wheel Dam. 4 x tufted duck. Kestrel at Hepworth site. 1 x swift. House martin and swallow numbers rising.

18/08/08
Tawny owl activity quite high at the moment – one perched outside house about 12.30am, and at least two flying around at around 11pm. Also two lesser black-backed gulls over Loxley Road in afternoon.

15/08/08
Sparrowhawk over Loxley Road.

14/08/08
Stock dove and jay on Black Lane. Young coot now growing up into a juvenile on Old Wheel Dam. Also two lesser black-backed gulls over Loxley Road in afternoon.

06/08/08
1 x female pied flycatcher near Fisheries! 2 x herons flying together over Loxley Road. 2 x jay on Low Matlock Lane.

31/07/08
Calling tawny owl waking me up at 5am! Sat on telegraph pole opposite house.

29/07/08
Dipper at the Fisheries (which I caught up with again at Stacey Bank); sparrowhawk near Black Lane with a brief view of a peeping kingfisher; a couple of chiffchaff showing well near the Fisheries; stock dove at Low Matlock Lane.

27/07/08
Grey wagtail at the Hepworth site. Grey heron below at Old Wheel Dam, plus new clutches of moorhen chicks at the pond near Black Lane (1 chick) and at Stacey Bank (4 chicks). Kestrel on Loxley Road. Male blackcap opposite house. Broad-bodied chaser at Old Wheel Dam, and (I think!) brown darter at Fisheries.

20/07/08
Kingfisher and bullfinch at W end of Black Lane. 1 x drake tufted duck at Old Wheel Dam. 3 x grey wagtail, including 1 x juv, at Stacey Bank.

15/07/08
1 x dipper at Fisheries. Female pheasant with chick at Rowell Lane. Large mixed flock of 50+ house martins and swallows over Old Wheel Farm. Coot with chick at Old Wheel Dam. Single jays opposite house and on path south of river.

Tawny owl on telegraph pole outside house at around 10pm.

13/07/08
Great crested grebe at Damflask. 2 x colour ringed dippers near Fisheries. 5 x tufted duck at Old Wheel Dam. Medium-large bird of prey soaring high over Loxley Road, presumably buzzard. Around 70 lapwings in flight over Long Lane, visible from Loxley Road.

06/07/08
4 x drake tufted ducks at Old Wheel Dam, and 1 x baby coot. Mallard drakes nearly all in eclipse plumage. 2 x dippers and 1 x grey wagtail at Fisheries, with 3 x bullfinches, including one juvenile, at Fisheries car park. Squashed common toad at Hepworth site.

24/06/08
Kestrel over Stacey Lane, with brown hare at Stacey Bank, and a couple of garden warblers south of river. Juvenile blackbird at Old Wheel Dam.

21/06/08
Kingfisher at last near the Fisheries! Dipper and 2 x grey wagtails near Hepworth site. 1 x drake tufted duck on Old Wheel Dam. Coot still on nest!

20/06/08
Moorhen chick on lake by Loxley Park residential home.

19/06/08
Drake teal on Olive Dam.

16/06/08
Spotted Flycatcher near fisheries. 12 x lesser black backed gull in field at Old Wheel Farm, with one BHG among them. Old Wheel Dam – swan still present, 1 x drake tufted duck, 2 x lapwing overhead, coot still sitting! Fledgling wren at Fisheries; fledgling robin near ProRoll; two clutches of mallard ducklings at Fisheries and at least two at Stacey Bank.

14/06/08
Nuthatch at Stacey Lane. Kestrel sat on fence near Old Wheel Dam.
Damflask – at least 7 x GSWs.

09/06/08
Flock of 20 x swift over Old Wheel Farm. Swan still present (injury doesn’t seem to be present now), but teal seems to have gone. Coot still sitting on nest. Two GSWs by footbridge near Rowell Lane. Sparrowhawk overhead on path S of river.

04/06/08
Mute swan (which appears injured) and teal still present at Old Wheel Dam, with coot sitting on nest. GSW heard near Rowell Lane and on Black Lane. Bullfinches spotted on Loxley Road near house, on Black Lane, and on Old Wheel Farm. Moorhen chicks in nest on Olive Dam.

26/05/08
Garden warbler singing south of river. Mute swan and teal still present at Old Wheel Dam. Pied wagtail carrying food on Low Matlock Lane. No signs of lapwings.

20/05/08
Blackcap singing on Loxley Road

17/05/08
A reed bunting on Rowell Lane. The first I’ve seen on my patch this year. A 1st summer mute swan on Old Wheel Dam – the first I’ve ever seen there. Also a family of Canada geese goslings, and the usual drake teal. Lapwings still present at Old Wheel Farm, and a great spotted woodpecker and sparrowhawk nearby. Dippers on the river, at Loxley Fisheries and Stacey Bank, and a curlew on the way back down Loxley Road. Male GSW in garden.

15/05/08
Pair of lapwing at Old Wheel Farm, the male displaying.  Sparrowhawk over Old Wheel Dam area. Singing bullfinches heard at Old Wheel Dam. Male blackcap on the path between the bowling green and Rowell Bridge. Singing garden warbler (a year tick), blackcap, chiffchaff and willow warbler on path south of river, plus an agitated great spotted woodpecker.

 05/05/08
Spotted flycatcher, nuthatch and dipper at Rowell Bridge. Mallard ducklings and moorhen chicks at Old Wheel Dam, plus 3 x tufted duck and 1 x drake teal. Pair of bullfinch south of river, 9 swift circling above. Swallow collecting mud on Low Matlock Lane.

03/05/08
Common sandpiper on Damflask overflow pool at bottom of Stacey Lane! 1 x common whitethroat and 2 x lesser whitethroat singing on path south of river, not far from Rowell Lane. Green Woodpecker yaffling near Old Wheel Dam. 2 x screaming swifts, usual tree sparrows on Stacey Lane.

02/05/08
2 x swift over garden.

28/04/08
3 x swift over Rowell Lane.

26/04/08
Escaped falconer’s buzzard on wooded path south of river!  Male blackcap, a few swallows, six linnets, two curlews and the little owls at Old Wheel Farm again. Common toad at Old Wheel Dam.

22/04/08
AM – Swallow over Loxley Park, house sparrow and blue tit collecting nest material in same area.
PM – Dipper on river behind Loxley Park. Pipistrelle seen from living room window.

21/04/08
5 x willow warbler singing near fisheries and on paths behind former Hepworth site. 10 x swallow, at Old Wheel Dam and Hepworth site. Little owl at the same spot at Old Wheel Farm, several chiffchaffs, treecreepers, jays, long-tailed tits, goldcrests and all the usual suspects. Brown hare in fields behind the Hepworth site, a kestrel flying over, singing stock doves on Low Matlock Lane.

19/04/08
Male blackcap in garden.

16/04/08
Damflask: Singing willow warbler, chiffchaff x 5, 2 x heron nests.
Loxley Valley: 3 x tree sparrow on Stacaey Lane. Green woodpecker heard near Rowel Bridge. Trilling nuthatches on Low Matlock Lane. 8 x chiffchaff heard or seen along route. Nesting coots and moorhen seen.

15/04/08
Two little owls at Old Wheel Farm, and two swallows skimming Old Wheel Dam. 2 x pied wagtails scrapping, 3 x meadow pipits, all at Old Wheel Farm. Kestrel overhead on Loxley Road.

13/04/08
A bullfinch and two goldfinches in garden.

08/04/08
Morning – GSW on Loxley Road. Walk after work – heron at fisheries. Lots of chiffchaffs throughout (sorry for vague numbers!). Little owl and brown hare on Rowell Lane at around 7:45pm. Tawny owls hooting outside house.

04/04/08
Walk after work - 2 fighting male pheasants going at it near Rowel Bridge. A heron in a tree, presumably nesting, next to the weir near Rowel Bridge. A kestrel on Stacey Lane. A nuthatch feeding on a feeder in a garden on Stacey Lane. Various chiffchaffs.

30/03/08
Chiffchaffs – all the same locations as yesterday, plus one singing near the end of the path that runs from Low Matlock Lane to near the Post Office on Loxley Road. One singing at the fisheries. A sparrowhawk being mobbed by a carrion crow near Old Wheel Farm. A brown hare galloping across fields and across the road at Rowell Lane. 

29/03/08
Chiffchaffs - 1 heard singing on path near house. 2 seen well (but not singing) at Loxley Fisheries. Another heard singing near end of Black Lane. 2 x dippers at Loxley Fisheries. One was ringed female seen previously, the other took flight before I could check for rings. 2 x grey wagtails at bridge near Olive Dam, and another at fisheries. 2 x treecreeper among long-tailed tits and coal tits near the fisheries. Pair of tufted duck only bird of note at Old Wheel Dam. A sparrowhawk over house earlier in the morning.

27/03/08
Two chiffchaffs heard between the house and the bottom of Loxley Road.

21/03/08
A tree sparrow on Loxley Road, near Stacey Lane. A redwing by the side of Loxley Road near Damflask. Two curlew flying over Damflask, near Bradfield. Two also seen later feeding in a field on Loxley Road, near Storrs Bridge Lane – the same ones? A GSW calling by the cafe at Bradfield. A flock of around 10 meadow pipits in a field near Loxley Road. 2 x tufted duck and 1 x greylag at Old Wheel Dam – no signs of goldeneye.

08/03/08
The usual at Old Wheel Dam – 1 greylag goose, 3 tufted duck and the usual 2 goldeneye. A few grey wagtails on the river at various points. A dipper at Loxley Fisheries. It was in flight, so I didn’t get chance to see any rings. A couple of treecreeper on Stacey Lane.

01/03/08
Meadow pipit on Low Matlock Lane. 2 x goldeneye, 5 x tufted duck, 1 x greylag on Old Wheel Dam. Grey heron, GSW and colour-ringed dipper at Loxley Fisheries . Goldcrest showing well and teal tagging along with a pair of mallards on path east of Rowel Bridge. Two nuthatches showing well on Low Matlock Lane on way back, where path forks off to Pro Roll.

23/02/08
Sparrowhawk over Old Wheel Farm, Kestrel a few minutes later over Old Wheel Dam. 2 goldeneye on Old Wheel Dam – 1 female, one 1st winter male (I suspect I’ve been mistaking this for a female on previous visits). Also six tufted ducks, and a greylag in adjacent fields. Bullfinches calling by entrance to footpath near house.

20/02/08
Male tawny owl hooting heard from front of house at about 6.15pm 

18/02/08
Pair of bullfinches in garden. 

16/02/08
Only visited Damflask – 2 cormorants, 5 tufted ducks, 1 greylag with feral geese, GSW drumming.

09/02/08
Many dunnocks and song thrushes singing. 2 tree sparrows on Stacey Lane, plus c. 10 long-tailed tits and 2 tree sparrows. Cormorant and little gull at Damflask. 

05/02/08
Sparrowhawk being harrassed by a carrion crow (seen from bedroom window).

02/02/08
Thick blanket of snow! Seven siskins at Old Wheel Dam. 2 goldeneye, 5 tufted ducks, 5 coots, 2 moorhens, 1 heron on Old Wheel Dam. 16 stock doves and 1 meadow pipit in fields near Old Wheel Farm. 4 bullfinches and 2 goldcrests on footpath over bridge from fisheries. c. 20 long-tailed tits and a treecreeper on Stacey Lane.

27/01/08
c. 60 redwing in field by Old Wheel Farm. Great spotted woodpecker over fisheries. First winter common gull among flock of black-headed gulls. Nuthatches calling at end of Low Matlock Lane.

13/01/08
Pair of female goldeneye still on Old Wheel Dam; also a pair of tufted duck. Goldcrest singing and showing well on Low Matlock Lane.

01/01/08
Pair of female goldeneye on Old Wheel Dam. Flock of around 40 fieldfare on farmland near Stacey Lane.

List of animals I’ve personally heard or seen:

Birds (79)
Mute Swan
Canada Goose
Greylag Goose
Mallard
Teal
Goldeneye
Tufted Duck
Pheasant
Cormorant
Grey Heron
Common Buzzard
Sparrowhawk
Kestrel
Moorhen
Coot
Lapwing
Common Sandpiper
Curlew
Black-headed Gull
Common Gull
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Feral Pigeon
Woodpigeon
Stock Dove
Collared Dove
Tawny Owl
Little Owl
Swift
Kingfisher
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Green Woodpecker
Sand Martin
Swallow
House Martin
Pied Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Meadow Pipit
Waxwing
Dipper
Wren
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Mistle Thrush
Song Thrush
Fieldfare
Redwing
Blackcap
Whitethroat
Lesser Whitethroat
Garden Warbler
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Goldcrest
Spotted Flycatcher
Pied Flycatcher
Long-tailed Tit
Blue Tit
Coal Tit
Great Tit
Nuthatch
Treecreeper
Jay
Magpie
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Rook
Starling
House Sparrow
Tree Sparrow
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Siskin
Lesser Redpoll
Greenfinch
Bullfinch
Linnet
Reed Bunting

Mammals
Badger
Common Shrew
Mole
Wood Mouse
Common Rat
Grey Squirrel
Common Rabbit
Brown Hare

Amphibians
Common Frog
Common Toad