I first saw the immature Lammergeier on 13th July 2020, when it was regularly roosting on Howden Edge at Crook Clough, frustratingly just over the Derbyshire border in Yorkshire. I never saw it fly during the 2 hours I was watching it and I also, more importantly, never saw it in Derbyshire.
The bird became very erratic towards the end of July and eventually seemed to settle down in the western area of the Peak District National Park around Crowden and Woodhead. A favoured site has been the valley above Crowden at Black Tor.
On 22nd August I decided to head off to the area for the afternoon in the hope that I may be lucky and get a view of the “Lady” in flight. By the way it’s been sexed as a young female.
After about a mile or so walk from Crowden Car Park, along the trans pennine way, I arrived at the Black Tor watch point where a small group of people had gathered. It had flown off down the valley, lost to view about half an hour before I arrived.
After about and hour or so, the bird re-appeared very distantly and settled on the ground appearing to feed on something in the heather. It could be seen clearly through the telescope and must have been about a mile and a half range. Eventually she took to the air and soared over Bareholme Moss and the valley, giving excellent but distant views. A few minutes later she settled on the cliffs at Rakes Rocks. I left around 4:15pm, making it back to the car park area just as the heavens opened. I managed a few images of a bird I never expected to see gracing the skies over Derbyshire, my home county.
