Summer Wildlife Walks
A fantastic selection of easy group walks aimed at seeing a varied selection of Derbyshire’s stunning Summer wildlife.
All of the walks have a maximum group size of six people (bookings are on a first come, first served basis), cost £20 per person and will normally last around 3- 4 hours (except the Locko Park evening walk which will cost £10 per person and last around 2.5 hours). Exact meeting times and places will be confirmed on booking
If you would like to do one of the walks but the date doesn’t suit you please get in touch as I will normally have availability on other dates to run a private guided walk at the same location.
Sunday 16th July – Summer on Derwent Edge
We’ll climb up above Ladybower Reservoir to the wonder Derwent Edge where we’ll spend time looking for birds such as Ring Ouzel, Tree Pipit and Stonechat (which will all have broods of youngsters on the wing by now) as well as keeping our eyes open for raptors such as Buzzard, Kestrel, Red Kite and, increasingly, Hobby! As well as birds we’ll be looking out for such fabulous species as Common Lizard as well as Green Tiger & Oil Beetles. Our descent from the edge will take us through an extensive area of Bracken, the favourite haunt of the Whinchat who will be busy feeding their fledged young. We’ll return along the shore of Ladybower itself looking out for family parties of Restart and Common Sandpiper which will soon begin their southerly migration.
Sunday 23rd July – Butterflies & Orchids at Rose End Meadows (Cromford)
The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust reserve at Rose End Meadows is a very special place, a series of small walled meadows that have never been treated with any pesticides or fertilizers leaving a botanically rich and varied landscape with Marsh, Common Spotted and Pyramidal Orchids amongst the highlights. Other wildflowers abound with Knapweed, Burnett, Scabious and Trefoils attracting plenty of pollinators including several species of butterfly including Small Copper, Painted Lady, Purple Hairstreak amongst the Oaks and perhaps most notably Dark Green and Silver Washed Fritillaries. Emperor Dragonflies cruise above the small ponds here whilst the woodland edges are patrolled by Southern Hawkers, making this an ideal walk for those that enjoy our summer flowers and insects.
Saturday 12th August – Raptors & Bats at Locko Park (Evening Walk)
An easy evening stroll on my local patch. Starting an hour or so before sunset we’ll look out for resident raptors such as Common Buzzard, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel heading in to roost whilst the local Hobbies will be feeding and hunting well into dusk. Along with raptors we’ll keep an eye open for the plentiful Brown Hare and Fallow Deer that call the estate home. As sunset nears we’ll head down towards the lake with our bat detector, its well wooded surrounds and insect rich waters make this the ideal spot to watch and listen out for bat species with good numbers of Daubentons, Noctule and Common Pipistrelles regularly recorded along with a chance of Tawny and Barn Owl nearby too.
Sunday 20th August – Waders & Migration at Carsington Water
With the business of breeding finished arctic wading birds are on the move with August and September seeing the peak of wader passage in the UK as both adult and juvenile birds make leisurely stop offs on their way South. As an inland and landlocked county Derbyshire doesn’t sound like a migration hot spot but large water bodies such as Carsington can pull in a nice mix of species with the Summer exposed muddy shoreline providing ample feeding opportunities for wading birds. Resident/breeding species such as Oystercatcher, Redshank, Lapwing and Little Ringed Plover will be joined by returning wintering species such as Snipe and Dunlin along with passage birds like Ruff, Black Tailed Godwit, Ringed Plover, Curlew and Common Sandpiper with the chance of scarcer birds like Spotted Redshank, Curlew Sandpiper and Knot. Its not just waders, at this time of year the dam wall attracts species such as Wheatear and Yellow Wagtail too and Osprey are a now regular sight on passage. Add in Carsington’s fantastic resident species such as the nationally scarce Tree Sparrow and Willow Tit and it it should be a great walk!