Where do I find them?

snerkler

snerkler

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I've decided to give this birding 'malarkey' a whirl and would like some tips on where to go to see some interesting birds rather than just shooting the finches and tits that come to my bird feeders. I live in Chesterfield (Derbyshire) and don't have the time to travel too far but I'm sure living in the peaks we must be blessed with a variety of birds. So if anyone can offer some advice where to go, and at what time if the day and year I'd really appreciate it. I'd particularly like to see a kingfisher, owls, and other birds of prey such as Hawks, kestrels and osprey etc.

Cheers.
 
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Thanks very much, useful. I have actually contacted the Ogston bird club but info wasn't very forth coming tbh. The other link looks interesting, I'll have a look at this properly later today. Cheers.
 
snerkler said:
I've decided to give this birding 'malarkey' a whirl and would like some tips on where to go to see some interesting birds rather than just shooting the finches and tits that come to my bird feeders. I live in Chesterfield (Derbyshire) and don't have the time to travel too far but I'm sure living in the peaks we must be blessed with a variety of birds. So if anyone can offer some advice where to go, and at what time if the day and year I'd really appreciate it. I'd particularly like to see a kingfisher, owls, and other birds of prey such as Hawks, kestrels and osprey etc.

Cheers.
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RSPB and National Nation Reserves would be a good start. The best to start is in your garden and then local woods and coast. You are driving in at the deep end and aiming high with Owls, Kingfishers and Raptors. Bird photography is my main hobby and I would love to get some owl photos. Kingfishers are a bit easier, find a perch and wait, but you could be waiting a long time.
Good luck, its great Genre to get into.
 
KAS said:
RSPB and National Nation Reserves would be a good start. The best to start is in your garden and then local woods and coast. You are driving in at the deep end and aiming high with Owls, Kingfishers and Raptors. Bird photography is my main hobby and I would love to get some owl photos. Kingfishers are a bit easier, find a perch and wait, but you could be waiting a long time.
Good luck, its great Genre to get into.
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Thanks very much. I've taken plenty of birds in my back garden and feel ready to spread my wings (pun intended ;)). I like to push myself :LOL: Joking aside, I have taken on board your words of caution :)
 
snerkler said:
Thanks very much, useful. I have actually contacted the Ogston bird club but info wasn't very forth coming tbh. The other link looks interesting, I'll have a look at this properly later today. Cheers.
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Bird club are unlikely to welcome a photographer as they asume you will want to get close and potentially disturb them, it is not always the case myself like to see them and a photograph is a bonus
 
Go for a walk if you see activity then find a spot and wait usually after around 30mins they appear to accept you and quite often return to their favourite watring hole or feeding area
 
Thanks guys, all useful info. Can't believe I've not thought about Linacre for this, it's about 2 mins drive from my house :oops: :$
 
Buzzards and kestrels can often be spotted from the road while just driving around. If you're lucky, you'll spot one near a gateway so can pull over and get some shots (cars can make great hides - wildlife often doesn't perceive them as a threat.)
 
The Goyt Valley just outside Buxton is a nice little spot with Redstart, Pied Flycatcher there during the Summer months it has the usual Kestrel and Buzzard and if you are lucky Short Eared Owl are in the area. The reservoir holds often Common Sandpiper and the moors have breeding Curlew along with Red Grouse.
The river along Wye Dale and Millers Dale both have Dipper and Grey Wagtail and the wooded valley again having Pied Flycatcher.
Dane Bower Quarry again just outside Buxton on the Congleton Rd is a great spot for Red Grouse, Wheatear and Meadow Pipit and if you are really lucky Ring Ouzel (but the last species will take many hours of watching and waiting)
Swallow Moss in the Staffordshire Moor Lands is a great spot for wintering Raptors and the surrounding area does have Short Eared Owls again is best just to drive around the area and see what you bump into.
Attenborough in Notts is well worth a visit with Bittern and many species of Wild Fowl during the Winter and in the Summer its a great place for the more common Warbler White Throat etc
Langford Lowfields near Newark is worth a visit (a RSPB reserve)
Closer to you Rufford Country Park is great early in the day more so in the Winter months for Hawfinch and Cromford being another spot worth checking out the canal near High Peak Junction is a nice spot for Water Vole as well.

Tim.
 
Gronk08 said:
The Goyt Valley just outside Buxton is a nice little spot with Redstart, Pied Flycatcher there during the Summer months it has the usual Kestrel and Buzzard and if you are lucky Short Eared Owl are in the area. The reservoir holds often Common Sandpiper and the moors have breeding Curlew along with Red Grouse.
The river along Wye Dale and Millers Dale both have Dipper and Grey Wagtail and the wooded valley again having Pied Flycatcher.
Dane Bower Quarry again just outside Buxton on the Congleton Rd is a great spot for Red Grouse, Wheatear and Meadow Pipit and if you are really lucky Ring Ouzel (but the last species will take many hours of watching and waiting)
Swallow Moss in the Staffordshire Moor Lands is a great spot for wintering Raptors and the surrounding area does have Short Eared Owls again is best just to drive around the area and see what you bump into.
Attenborough in Notts is well worth a visit with Bittern and many species of Wild Fowl during the Winter and in the Summer its a great place for the more common Warbler White Throat etc
Langford Lowfields near Newark is worth a visit (a RSPB reserve)
Closer to you Rufford Country Park is great early in the day more so in the Winter months for Hawfinch and Cromford being another spot worth checking out the canal near High Peak Junction is a nice spot for Water Vole as well.

Tim.
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Thanks very much for this, great info.
 
Bird clubs might also think that an enquiry about bird location is from an egg or bird collector, especially if you are asking about raptors.

It is a bit of a drive but possibly the nearest place to you with ospreys is Rutland Water. I don't know if the adults have left yet but the junveniles should be around until late August or into September.

Dave
 
The BTO's Map Store will give the most accurate information about bird ranges for all our species. Useful as a sanity check to stop yourself hoping to see something you won't find in our area (other than a rare migrant). After selecting a species, you can use the 'map' button to change between summer and winter maps.
http://app.bto.org/mapstore/StoreServlet

Their BirdTrack sightings tool is also useful to see what has been reported in your area. I also like the species month graph.
http://app.bto.org/birdtrack/portal.jsp
 
Where abouts in Chesterfield are you, i'm also from Chessy (Newbold) and do quite a bit of wildlife photography

As for local locations, Shillito Woods is a good location if you want lots of birds, mostly garden variety, but i have seen a Greater Spotted Woodpecker nearly every time i have been up there, and you can even shoot from inside your car

Linacre as mentioned above, best spot is right up at the top reservoir, usually Tufted & Mandarin ducks, Great Crested Grebes, plenty of young Moorhens/Coots around at the moment

Carr Vale is a good reserve as well, out near Bolsover Castle, as is The Avenue Washlands down near Wingerworth

Holmebrook valley park is also good for Great Crested Grebes as you can get pretty close due to the size of the pond, and the odd Lesser Spotted Hoochy ;)

There is also Hardwick Hall, the ponds down at the bottom end can be accessed without needing to head to the Hall itself, another great location for Grebes

Hope that helps
 
Almost forget, we are also very lucky to live very near a rather larger herd of wild Red Deer, best time to see them is around the Rutting Season in Autumn, me and a few friends usually make quite a few trips there during the Autumn, you'd be more than welcomed to tag along if you like

This was my best shot from last year


Charging Stag by Richard Smith, on Flickr
 
Thanks for all the advice guys, got loads to go on :)
 
rpsmith79 said:
Almost forget, we are also very lucky to live very near a rather larger herd of wild Red Deer, best time to see them is around the Rutting Season in Autumn, me and a few friends usually make quite a few trips there during the Autumn, you'd be more than welcomed to tag along if you like

This was my best shot from last year


Charging Stag by Richard Smith, on Flickr
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Fantastic, where was this taken?
 
rpsmith79 said:
Where abouts in Chesterfield are you, i'm also from Chessy (Newbold) and do quite a bit of wildlife photography

As for local locations, Shillito Woods is a good location if you want lots of birds, mostly garden variety, but i have seen a Greater Spotted Woodpecker nearly every time i have been up there, and you can even shoot from inside your car

Linacre as mentioned above, best spot is right up at the top reservoir, usually Tufted & Mandarin ducks, Great Crested Grebes, plenty of young Moorhens/Coots around at the moment

Carr Vale is a good reserve as well, out near Bolsover Castle, as is The Avenue Washlands down near Wingerworth

Holmebrook valley park is also good for Great Crested Grebes as you can get pretty close due to the size of the pond, and the odd Lesser Spotted Hoochy ;)

There is also Hardwick Hall, the ponds down at the bottom end can be accessed without needing to head to the Hall itself, another great location for Grebes

Hope that helps
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I know Holmebrook Valley Park well as I live overlooking it ;)

Here's some pics from Holmebrook when I was testing my Tamron 150-600mm
https://www.flickr.com/photos/99443690@N04/sets/72157653067770104
 
snerkler said:
Fantastic, where was this taken?
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I don't like to give away too much but it's not more than a 10 min drive from where i live

snerkler said:
I know Holmebrook Valley Park well as I live overlooking it ;)

Here's some pics from Holmebrook when I was testing my Tamron 150-600mm
https://www.flickr.com/photos/99443690@N04/sets/72157653067770104
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Ahh yes, i'm in Newbold, we regularly go walking around the pond at Holmebrook and feed the local wildfowl, if you ever fancy meeting up i'd be up for that, i'm free most evenings and weekends, and we could discuss the Red Deer ;)
 
rpsmith79 said:
I don't like to give away too much but it's not more than a 10 min drive from where i live



Ahh yes, i'm in Newbold, we regularly go walking around the pond at Holmebrook and feed the local wildfowl, if you ever fancy meeting up i'd be up for that, i'm free most evenings and weekends, and we could discuss the Red Deer ;)
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Cool, thanks :)
 
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