Birdsong Walks with Simon

29/07/2024

Fere Mere is our first official 'stop' on the Birdsong Walk and not for the first time this season it has yielded a surprise: Yesterday morning, a Little Egret, hunting in the shallows. AFAIK this is a first for our Monyash mere.

24/07/2024

Special Wildflower and Butterfly Walk (with some birds, for sure): This Sunday (28th). 9am from the green, Monyash. Two hours over fairly easy terrain. Book ahead by texting me: 07930 266218 and I'll see you there! Weather looking really good...(Pictured in my photo, a Small Tortoiseshell on Field Scabious, the hay meadows, Lathkill.)

21/06/2024

Flower of the Walk, this week, has to be Mouse-ear Hawkweed; the hairy leaves are a little like the ears of mice, but it's the lovely, lemony-yellow of the flower that really stands out in the limestone grassland of the dales. Next walk is Sunday, 9am from the green in Monyash, with weather looking good, then Wednesday. To book a place, text or WhatsApp me: 07930 266218

17/06/2024

Bird of the week: Spotted Flycatcher. The UK population of these little beauties has reduced by 92% since the late 1960's and they are on 'The Red List' for conservation. Happy to report, then, that our Birdsong Walk gives you at least two chances of meeting with them, in the dales and in the heart of the village. They are almost slient, so not much of song, but the way in which they dart up to catch an insect is music in motion. Next walk is Wednesday, 9am from the green, Monyash; to book your place contact me on 07930 266218.

08/06/2024

With thanks to Jeremy, who joined last Sunday's Birdsongwalk, this is one of our Monyash Jackdaws (I'm going to have to name him Jeremy Jackdaw, aren't I) showing genetic variation in action - and, who knows, evolution? He's grown a longer than normal tip to his bill. The village Jackdaws are real characters and always feature on the walk, especially around the churchyard.

06/06/2024

The Summer Orchids are starting to bloom on our Birdsongwalk... These Common Spotted, along with other kinds, start to upstage the birds a little. Next walk is Sunday, 9am from the Green in Monyash. Why not join us? Book ahead on 07930 266218

31/05/2024

As we move in June on our Sunday walk, (9am from the Green, Monyash) the Buttercups have taken over from the Dandelions for the main flower show, along with smudges of Cow Parsley; lots of other Summer flowers, including Orchids beginning to appear too, while the star singer of the week is the Garden Warbler (rare in gardens!) with its song compared to a tumbling mountain brook. Book ahead by texting me: 07930 266218 and I'll see you there! Weather looking really good...

21/05/2024

Now on Tripadvisor, number one out of TWO things to do in Monyash! But SEVEN five start reviews is not bad...

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

10/05/2024

Butterfly of the week: The Orange Tip. The walk before last we found three males newly emerged and flexing wings on Water Avens (a typical plant of Lathkill) This one is on Honesty. A good number are now flitting about the dale, males with the orange tips, females without, but both with a lovely green mottling on the underside of the wing. Next walk on Sunday 12th, 9am from the green, Monyash. Great weather forecast! Places free, but book ahead: 07930 266218.

07/05/2024

Absolutely nothing to look at...but what a gorgeous song! The Garden Warbler, now singing away, not in gardens (unless they have turned into jungle!) but thicketty woods, such as we have in Monyash. Much as with the Nightingale, the dullest looking birds that like to hide away have the best songs. (And because of this they are hard to photograph singing, so not my best bird shot!) Next walk is tomorrow, Weds 8th, then Sunday 12th and there will be a high chance of hearing these. Weather looking good. 9am from the green. Book ahead: 07930 266218

04/05/2024

The Whitethroats are back and singing. Meet one on a walk in the next few days, (absolutely no knowledge or special kit needed): An Evening Chorus Special, this evening, (Sat) at 6:30, Sunday and Wednesday mornings, as usual at 9am, from the green, Monyash. www.corble.co.uk for full details and photos, or book your place by texting me 07930 266218 (and I can answer any question you may have).

02/05/2024

Right now, the birdsongwalk is as much about the Dandelions. I don't know anywhere else that has such an abundance...Next walks on Sunday and Wednesday, 9am, with the weather looking as good as this from today. Contact me: 07930 266218

27/04/2024

Bird of the week: Lesser Redpoll, still visiting our garden feeder (pictured here in our apple tree) but also turned up at the campsite yesterday, on the edge of the village, the campsite which is in effect a suberb, mixed, open woodland and which marks 'the beginning of the end' on our birdsong walk. A tiny finch, easily overlooked and not breeding locally (or is it?). The fact that they are still visiting the garden feeders shows how cold this Spring has turned out, after a promising start. Redpolls are the last in our trio of 'March Finches' (my term) - which frequently continue into April - after the Brambling and Siskin, featured in earlier posts, but it is nearly May!

23/04/2024

The weather for tomorrow's Birdsong Walk is looking perfect, 'Sunny intervals and a gentle breeze'. 9am from the Green, Monyash and it's not too late to book. The star performer is bound to be the Willow Warbler, (pictured in our little dale) arrived in numbers now and in fine voice today. With a gorgeous, cascading song, it's THE sound of Middle Spring and one of my faves.

22/04/2024

15/04/2024

Drumming beautifully on Sunday's birdsongwalk, the Great Spotted Woodpecker. The drumming is, in effect, it's song, as it serves the same purpose as most birdsong. They will find a good 'sounding board' to created the best effect. This one visits our bird feeders, for either peanuts or fatballs. The shot was captured by stuffing a rotten log with peanuts near the feeder and lying in wait in our garden 'hide' - an old play-house/chicken shed. The weather is looking ideal for the next walk on Sunday (21st), 'Sunny intervals and gentle breeze,' according to the BBC forecast, which I will take, gladly!

13/04/2024

13/04/2024

Weather looking good for the birdsongwalk in the morning, 9am (Sunday) from the green in Monyash. One bird that is not very vocal, yet we stand a good chance of seeing is the Wheatear, (derived from Old English 'white-arse'! ) - newly arrived for the Summer. This one photographed by me, in the little dale that is at the heart of our walk, catching flies on a sunny morning. Contact me if you would like to join us: 07930 266218

08/04/2024

First walks of the season! This Weds 10th and Sunday 14th, 9am from Monyash green. The Redstarts (pictured) and Willow Warblers started singing, bang on cue, today and I saw my first Lathkill Swallow. Join me for a walk full of delights, but book ahead: 07930 266218

06/04/2024

The first walk of 2024 might have happened tomorrow, but with 45mph winds forecast there is little chance of hearing any birdsong, even if they tried. In the meantime, we are being visited by many kinds of Finch this week, the Brambling (as in the last post) and this weekend Siskin, loving the sunflower hearts in our feeders. But, for such tiny finches, they can be aggressive!

01/04/2024

One of our 'March Finches', a male Brambling in our apple tree. Not staying to breed, but fueling up on our sunflower hearts before migrating to the continent.

23/03/2024

Spotted Lark. Hearing Skylarks on the Birdsong Walk is just about guaranteed, spotting one climbing high up in the sky as it sings is not so easy, as these two sisters found out in 2023... The first walk of 2024 is on Wednesday 3rd April, 9am from the green in Monyash. £7.50 per person.

17/03/2024

Song Thrush early yesterday morning, top of an Ash tree (so, taken from a loft window...) Duetting with a Chaffinch in the next tree.

20/06/2023

One of my last Birdsong Walks of the season is tomorrow morning, (Weds) at 9am from the green, Monyash. One bird we are bound to hear is the Chaffinch, here photographed in full song in my garden; but another bird singing in the churchyard the other day was a Goldcrest and in full view too, which is rare. If you want to join us there is still time: Simply message me or text 07930 266218 / email [email protected] and show up tomorrow morning. The wildflowers are looking amazing too, as an added bonus. It's about an hour and a half, very easy pace and each time it's a unique experience. We take in the village, the mere, wooded churchyard, a green lane, a small dale and some hay meadows.

05/06/2023

May Blossom Special tomorrow! 9am from the Green, Monyash. Book now - or simply turn up (this time). You get to walk through this amazing display of blossom AND hear some gorgeous birdsong. £5 per head as usual. Call or text 07930 266218.

31/05/2023

Bird(s) of the Walk: Mallard ducklings, now very vocal on the mere. There is one who always does his own thing; this morning he went down like a diving duck to the bottom for something he fancied the look of. Unusual for Mallards which are 'dabbling ducks' not divers. This will be him, swimming against the flow... Next walk, Saturday 8:30am (or a little later if you want!).

20/05/2023

Bird of the Walk: Whitethroat, singing away this morning amongst the Blackthorn and Hawthorn of Milkings Lane, Monyash.

14/05/2023

Just before the start of today's walk, BBC Radio 3 used the recording I made last year of a Redstart with a Chaffinch joining in, for their "Sounds of the Earth" feature, blending it with some Vivaldi and jaunty folk music - inc. a traditional Derbyshire song. And then we went to hear the real thing... It is at 1:16 minutes into the program on BBC Sounds. The second of my recordings to feature on the show, after last Summer's Jackdaws. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001lnwhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001lnw4

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13/05/2023

Bird of the Walk: The Blackcap, or 'Northern Nightingale', singing in Monyash churchyard and in Fern Dale this morning. Next walk is tomorrow, Sunday 14th May, at 9am from the old market cross, Monyash green. Plenty of places still available at just £5 per person. To book yours, call/text/WhatsApp/email/message me: 07930 266218, [email protected].