Pick n Mix - Fire Station Closures, Ambulance Hubs not opening and Corn Buntings

Here we go again.

This was the opening line on a Facebook group set up to help save the ambulance stations within the High Peak area. It refers to Derbyshire Fire & Rescue closing various stations including those in the High Peak. The BBC reported this at the end of September you can see the article here. The fire stations in New Mills (where East Midlands Ambulance Service base their ambulance and 4x4 response car, so where are they going to go) is to close along with Chapel-en-le-Frith, Whaley Bridge and Hathersage stations. Glossop station will be downgraded to a retained station. Buxton station will relocate somewhere in the area.

New Fire stations will be opening in Furness Vale & Bamford.

The absurd thing about the Buxton fire station is that it only opened down Staden Lane 2 years ago in October 2011 costing £3.5 million. The nickname for the site within the fire service was Tracey Island. As it was supposed to be able to operate the various emergency services out of it should the need arise.See what the local paper the Buxton Advertiser says here.

Various comments in cyber space have noted that these public consultations seem to have a pre-determined outcome (see the Being the Best sham regrading the local ambulance service). That they are merely a tick box exercise. We of course wait and see. I hope we'll all get a rebate on our council tax for all these services that we are loosing. There will I think be some political fall out from this. The people of the High Peak are getting repeatedly annoyed it seems at the resources in their area being axed. Or moved to other areas, like when they were proposing to close both Buxton & New Mills ambulance stations and move them to junction 29A on the M1 over Chesterfield as this would, according to the Being the Best consultation,  improve response times. Which as we all know is a completely potty idea. I can't imagine who in EMAS said that was 'okay' to release publicly. Totally nuts.Where that political fallout will land will be interesting.

You could argue that we have better fire safety now, we have smoke alarms, sprinkler systems, we're no longer filling settees and easy chairs with toxic foam. But the fire brigade don't just fight fires. The service is called Fire & RESCUE service. They do more than get cats out of trees. They rescue people from water, ice, trapped in buildings, stranded on hillsides (it's not just mountain rescue), in car accidents. They deal with prevention as well, monitoring carbon monoxide in flats as well as fire safety. And if you were unfortunate enough to have a house fire and found yourself trapped, it wouldn't be the police or ambulance you would call it would be the fire and rescue service. With the removal of stations in the High Peak and particularly the Hope Valley, I can only see their response times to an incident increasing. You may have a better chance of survival if you open your windows and shout for Superman.

When is an ambulance hub not a hub but a station?

Last week the Buxton Advertiser noted that there will be a delay in the building of a High Peak hub for our ambulance service. I couldn't find a link to the article online, not sure why the Advertiser hasn't posted one. However, after the Being the Best consultation we the residents of the High Peak were assured that the High Peak would retain an ambulance station. Here's what the Advertiser reported back in March this year. How this got upgraded to a hub I don't know. EMAS have different 'levels' of station.
1. Hubs which are more or less all singing and dancing with mechanics, supply crews , where all you have to do is jump on your ambulance and go.
2. An ambulance station where you have everything except mechanics & supply crews. The ambulance has to be maintained by the ambulance crew which is how the ambulance station operate now anyway.
3. Community ambulance stations, these will be port-a-cabins based in certain areas where ambulance crews can be positioned. Or as a friend or a friend of a friend told me a standby point where you park your ambulance. It won't be port-a-cabins all round. Which we have anyway, you may have seen the ambulance crews parked up at the bottom of Fairfield road in Buxton or Long Hill in Whaley Bridge.

EMAS only promised an ambulance station not a hub. Will this mean more funding from the CCG? Check out the North Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group website for more information. Just click on the High Peak locality.

Anyway hub or station we're not going to get one now until 2017 due to finance. If they were looking at basing some of their standby points at the fire stations I guess they're going to have to think again.

East Midlands Ambulance Service reported yesterday that they have a new interim chief executive a Ms Sue Noyles. She will replace Jon Sargeant, who replaced Phillip Milligan earlier this year (that's three chief executives, is this a poisoned chalice?) Anyway Ms Noyles has a proven track record of getting the best out of people. I hope Ms Noyles displays the practical common sense that seems to be lacking so far in the management of East Midlands Ambulance Service and shy away from the buzz word babble of spin that seems to have accompanied it. Which would enable us to have a better ambulance service with crews that weren't fighting their own fatigue from being run ragged due to lack of cover, available to respond when needed.

I wish Ms Noyles the very best of luck and hope she is the breath or fresh air and common sense that we need in this matter. 

They were Corn Buntings

As you will know dear reader I have been trying to identify some finch like birds in the Goyt Valley that I had seen. In fact it was starting to bug me a little. The other day I was back down there and bumped into a chap who knew his birds. I asked him if he could tell me what they were and he confirmed that they were corn buntings. He'd been down watching for the short eared owl that can sometimes be seen down there.
I also noted there was a flock of swallows still in Peak Dale. I went back twice this week and saw on Sunday 29th September there were around 10 still fluttering around. I went back yesterday the 1st October and there were none. So I guess that they are heading back to Africa.

Not so much Ramblings from the High Peak as Moanings, I'll try and keep it a bit more up beat next time.

Spring Migration 2

Well the swifts and house martins have gone from around Buxton as far as I can see.

I was over Peak Dale the other day and there was quite a large number of swallows feeding in the fields along upper end road. A flock of around 10-20 individuals. I would have thought that they would be heading back to Africa on their return migration. Other areaS where I see swallows like the Goyt Valley, Manchester Road in Buxton, Combs reservoir and Fernilee reservoir all seem to have recognised the shortening of the day light hours and flown away. However, the birds in Peak Dale don't seem to have picked up on this. It would be interesting to note the day they depart.

Has the recent warm spell thrown them off a little. There's still plenty of flying insects to feed on at the moment. I have seem several different types of caterpillars on my walks. Some large and green the others very hairy like little bears. Still lots of peacock butterflies around, so maybe this crazy weather that we've had this year has still thrown nature off a little. A friend of mine has got some broad beans flowering on his allotment. Maybe he'll get some beans before the year is over?

Another summer migrant that I thought would be well on it's way to Africa was a female wheatear that I spotted in the Goyt Valley yesterday afternoon. Feeding along the side of the dismantled railway line now frequented by dog walkers, it seemed to have little fear of me. Allowing me to get quite close. I was surprised to see a female wheatear still here, but delighted as it is a very pretty bird.

a male Wheatear

I still have to identify those finch-like birds in the Goyt. To be honest it's starting to bug me a little. Their the right colouring for Twite but I think their size is nearer that of corn buntings. There were several small flocks of them moving round the Goyt. I just couldn't get close enough for a proper identification check.

Corn Bunting

Twite

There were also the resident red grouse and pheasant. Though they were more silent than normal possibly to avoid detection by the buzzard that was flying low over the heather and grass. It was a wonderful sight to be able to look down on this mini-eagle and watch it from above. As it flew silently over the heather, just a foot or so off the ground. Not a behaviour I've seen them do before. Usually a buzzard is spotted up high in the sky as it sweeps the ground for rabbits.

There were also carrion crows, skylark and meadow pipits on the hillsides as well as mallard on the pond. Again no curlew or lapwing, then again the buzzard could have been a factor there.

The departure dates of our summer migrants (and our winter ones) as well as hangers on is of interest to the avian boffins at the RSPB and the BTO. They do as for volunteers to log such sightings in one of their online surveys. Here's a link to one that I use, BirdTrack.http://blx1.bto.org/birdtrack/main/data-home.jsp

Birdtrack logo copyright British Trust of Ornithology.

So if you do see something interesting flying around you can help out by logging it at BirdTrack, you don't have to be an expert to do so either.

CRoW act 2000 in force in the Goyt Valley.

What a glorious few days it has been in the High Peak. Wall to wall blue skies. Quite a few sunburned faces around including my own, must remember stronger sun block.

 I have been down and around Fernilee reservoir mainly as at the moment you cannot walk your dog off lead along the dismantled railway line in the Goyt valley.

This is due to curlew & lapwings, along with other ground nesting birds being disturbed from their nest sites.

Sign on the dismantled railway in the Goyt Valley

To encourage them to recover their numbers, the CRoW act 2000 is being implemented and enforced, where dogs must be kept on a short lead. Park Rangers are around telling people to keep their doggies under control and on a short lead. This is in effect until July 31st 2013.

Lapwing

I think this is under the reckless disturbance offence which was brought in with the Countryside and Rights of Way act. Which is supposed to protect the wildlife. There are a number of ground nesting birds present in the Goyt. Short-eared owls, Hen Harriers, Skylarks, Curlew, Red Grouse, Pheasant, but I have not seen Lapwings on the the dismantled railway. They do nest further away over the pasture area of Long Hill where the sheep & cows graze.

Hen Harrier

Well I don't mind the act being enforced. I just hope the park rangers are as strict with those who damage the hen harrier and short-eared owl nests as those people who let their dog off lead

Spring migration

Well I was out and about on the hills recently and noticed that some of the migratory birds have arrived.

My 1st Swallow was in mid April over Chinley Head near the Lamb Inn on the Hayfield road from Chapel-en-le-Frith A624.

Swallow

I haven't heard any Cuckoos down the Goyt valley yet, usually you hear one by the trees on Errwood reservoir or Nook Wood.

No sign of House Martins, Sand Martins, Swifts or Hobby's yet. I am keeping an eye out for them.



I did see several Wheatears over towards Axe Edge last week. Still watchful for some Whinchat

Wheatear

I did see Whincat over towards Mam Tor last year, but none so far this year.

We do seem to have a thriving wildlife here in the High Peak something I am very grateful for. As well as such a picturesque landscape.

If you do see any migratory birds, please feel free to log them on the British Trust of Ornithology's BirdTrack website. It's free and you don't have to be an avid birder to be involved. 

An unusual duck has been seen for quite a while in Pavillion Gardens in Buxton. At first glance I thought it was a pochard but a bird boffin has informed me it is a North American Canvasback. See what you think. Here's a few photo's.

Canvas back with local Mallards

Canvasback?

Canvasback?

 The Red Grouse, Curlew and the delightful Lapwings seem to be busy nesting. I always love to see the Lapwings doing their courtship displays, so acrobatic. A bird known by several names such as Lapwing, Green Plover, Farmers Friend (as they eat the pests that bother the livestock) and Peewit after the sound of they're call.

No sign of the resident Short-Eared Owl in the Goyt for a while. I saw a Tawny Owl one night in April, just outside Fernilee, but no Short-Eared Owl to-date. Nor the Hen Harriers.

Other birds of prey like Windhover 'Kestrel' and Buzzards all seem to be doing well.

Two ravens that I saw earlier in the year in the Goyt seem to have moved on. 

Canada Geese also seem to have set up shop permanently in Pavillion Gardens. They do seem to be getting into a strop with the local Mallards.

Locally House Sparrows, Robins and Blue Tits are all happily nesting. Near where we live a noisey Rookery is active.

Collard Doves are nesting and we're also getting visits in the garden from a Woodpigeon.

Canvasback?

 Meadow pipits are busy so are Corn Buntings, Redpoll and Linnets. Pheasants are squawking in the hedgerows, quite frankly with the sun out the High Peak is most lovely. I'm sure we'll get more than one or two visitors this bank holiday. Let's hope the good weather continues.

Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Greenfinches and Siskin have all been seen down Cunning Dale.

I look forward to spotting my first Garden Warbler or Grasshopper Warbler. The last one I saw was down Monsal Dale.

No Yellow Wagtails or Tree Pipits so far this year, plenty of Pied Wagtails. They come into the garden off the local fields and pasture, a sure sign the weather is about to turn nasty.

Haven't seen any today so I guess the weather is going to stay fine.

Canvasback?