Proving you don’t have to stray far (or at all) from cities in order see some amazing wildlife in the first half of this month you reported seeing a variety of animals around Derby starting with Britain’s largest land predator, the iconic European badger, eats small mammals, birds’ eggs, worms, fruit and plants. A range of birds were spotted too including a buzzard, the most widespread and common bird of prey in the UK, and a summer visitor from Africa, the wheatear. A number of waterbirds were also seen such as the aptly named white-fronted goose, though this winter visitor from Greenland and Siberia is most easily distinguished from other geese by the white feathers on its forehead and around its bill. One of its more familiar relatives greylag goose was also seen, as well as being our most common native goose it is also the ancestor to most of our domesticated geese. Other waterbirds you reported include the noisy and striking oystercatcher and the little egret whose numbers fell during the 19th century due to the high value of their long neck plumes but are now protected by law and making a comeback. One of our largest ducks, the shelduck, was also recorded, despite its size they nest underground in old rabbit burrows, tree holes or haystacks.

Also spotted in South Derbyshire was a water vole, which many of us know as Ratty from the classic tale, Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows, but is unfortunately now under serious threat due to predation by invasive American mink and habitat loss. Further north in the High Peak a curlew was recorded, breeding on grassland and moorland this large wader (about the size of female pheasant) has distinctive call, making a ‘cur-lee’ sound and long curved bill it uses to probe the mud for prey.

We are looking forward to reading about your wildlife sightings across Derbyshire as we move further into spring. To submit your own sighting and be featured in a future blog go to www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife/record-sighting.

Thank you to Belinda Sykes, Scott Place, James Stone, Rhiannon Fearn, Janet Ford, Michael Williams and Richard Knisely-Marpole for submitting their wildlife sightings.