Nature Notes November 2024
Nature Notes
The weekend we were in Derbyshire at the end of October was bright, sunny and surprisingly warm, so we were able to walk over the moors from Snake Head to Glossop. Initially there was low cloud, through which we heard the familiar calls of Pink-footed Geese as they flew east over Bleaklow. They may have been on their way to Norfolk to spend the winter. We also heard the ‘go-back, go-back’ calls of Red Grouse as they flew across the hillside below us but it wasn’t until later, when the cloud had lifted, that we had a proper view of one perched in Heather, on a peat hag and silhouetted against the sky. We had hoped we might get a glimpse of a Mountain Hare, as there were many of their oval droppings alongside the path but they were probably tucked away in warm spots within the broken ground. The greyish-brown of their summer fur blends in perfectly with the moorland vegetation, making them almost invisible for much of the year. It is only in winter, when their coats turn white, that they stand out – as long as there is no snow! On the second day we walked down to the River Goyt in New Mills through a meadow dotted with bright Waxcap fungi. There were many orange Meadow and a few Scarlet and Golden Waxcaps brightening the grazed, permanent pasture. These are very much fungi of old pasture which has to be grazed to lower the fertility of the soil, so allowing them to thrive. The river was much lower than it often is at this time of year, with shallow water riffling over the underlying stones, ideal for Dipper. We scanned the far bank and there it was, a dumpy, dark brown and white bird sitting in the sun below the bank! After a few minutes the Dipper flew to a rock midstream and started to feed, diving under the water and popping up on another stone with a snack in its beak. Once it had satisfied it hunger by catching several insect larvae or small fish, it flew to our side of the broad stream, perched just offshore and proceeded to sing! We could see its beak opening and shutting as it produced its ‘watery’ and surprisingly beautiful song. Despite its dependence on water, it is actually a song bird.. As it was so close, we could admire the chestnut band below its large white bib and see the white, transparent eyelid, when it blinked, which protects its eye when under water while allowing it to hunt its prey.
Do let me know if you see any interesting wildlife (rachel.42rr@btinternet.com)
