Dove Stone RSPB (including Binn Green and environs)
James Minchin said
Fri Aug 19 10:17 PM, 2016
Green Sandpiper hanging around one of the bog pools yesterday.
Shannon Llewellyn said
Fri Aug 5 10:52 PM, 2016
Day off work today, so spent it here instead; much more agreeable. Highlights:
Binn Green:
2 goldcrest Plenty of coal tit; the only numerous species here. 2 treecreeper 1 bullfinch
Yeoman Hey / Ashway Gap / Dove Stone:
2+ goldcrest (juveniles) 1 willow warbler (juvenile) 3 lesser redpoll (one very confiding juvenile by the sailing club) 2 siskin 5+ swallow (not swift, as originally typed) 8+ meadow pipit 4 pied wagtail 3 grey wagtail 1 raven 1 common sandpiper
Chew valley path:
2 willow warbler heard calling 5 or 6 stonechat (one young juvenile) 7 meadow pipit 2 grey wagtail (pair, both with food) 6 red grouse 6 teal (on pond next to small copse; with 8 mallard)
Chew reservoir:
5+ meadow pipit 2 red grouse 100+ Canada geese 1 common sandpiper
-- Edited by Shannon Llewellyn on Friday 5th of August 2016 11:09:32 PM
Steve Suttill said
Wed Jul 27 9:26 AM, 2016
Not a bird sighting, but there's a very good new website about Dove Stone been set up by Geoff Frost who used to be one of the rangers here:
http://www.doveheritage.com/
Mark B-Seifert said
Thu Jun 30 7:59 PM, 2016
Hello all. First post. I hope I haven't made any mistakes with names. I went on a RSPB guided walk of Dove Stone edge on 19 June.
My sightings were:
Mallards. Several males and handful of females. Three ducklings Great Tits x 2 Chaffinch x 1 (male) Pied wagtail x 2 Jackdaws x 6 Common Sandpiper Kestrel x 1 (female) Wren x 2 Meadow Pipit x 4 Skylark x 1 but heard many more.
There was a stonechat seen apparently but for the life of me I couldn't find it. We were also on the lookout for Golden Plover but all we saw were the remains of, what I am assuming, was a peregrine's lunch as we came down Ashford Gap.
-- Edited by Mark B-Seifert on Thursday 30th of June 2016 08:01:16 PM
Ian Campbell said
Sat May 21 11:54 AM, 2016
Late post for Yesterday(Friday),walked all the way upto Chew Res. last time I did this I was 15!!, best birds were Stonechat, 8 Red Grouse and 2 Golden Plover. Cheers Ian
Chris Harper said
Sun May 15 5:42 PM, 2016
Quick circuit of the reservoir this afternoon. Highlights:
4 Siskin, Common Sandpiper, Peregrine Falcon, Treecreeper, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Meadow Pipit, 7 Willow Warbler.
S Rothery said
Sat May 7 12:24 PM, 2016
On the adjacent moors - 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls 3 Swallows 1 Kestrel 5 singing Skylarks 1pr Dunlin 20+ Red Grouse 6 Lapwings
-- Edited by S Rothery on Saturday 7th of May 2016 12:27:01 PM
JSPALDING said
Sat May 7 11:09 AM, 2016
Cuckoo, Green Woodpecker, Buzzard and Peregrine at Chew Plantation at 9 am.
Bradley Nixon said
Mon May 2 6:31 PM, 2016
Binn Green Car Park Feeders
4 Greenfinch
20+ Chaffinch
Blue and Great Tits
8+ Siskin
6 Goldfinch
Forest to the Right of Chew Res Road
Brambling
Lesser Redpol
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Chiffchaff
Stonechat
Chew Res Road
20+ Meadow Pipit
Red Grouse
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 2nd of May 2016 07:13:22 PM
Shannon Llewellyn said
Wed Apr 20 11:05 PM, 2016
Bulk of the day spent around here today. Highlights:
Binn Green:
3 chiffchaff Coal tit, blue tit, great tit 2 lesser redpoll 6 siskin (one singing) Goldfinch, greenfinch, chaffinch (the most numerous finch) 1 brambling 1 great spotted woodpecker
Yeoman Hey / Dovestone & surrounds:
1 goldcrest heard singing 5+ willow warbler 1 pied wagtail 1 grey wagtail 2 dipper (in the usual overflow channel running parallel to Yeoman Hey) 1 jay heard in Ashway Gap wood 1 common sandpiper 2 black-headed gull
Chew Valley path:
6 wren 1 willow warbler (singing from small copse) 3 stonechat (2 singing, briefly) 8 wheatear (one singing) 15+ meadow pipit 1 skylark heard singing 1 ring ouzel 7 red grouse
Walking back from over Tintwistle side and down Chew Track today.
17 Red Grouse
50+ Meadow Pipits
8 Skylarks
2 Wheatear (first of the year!)
6 Curlew (as well as calling from every direction going, so who knows how many there were)
2 Stonechat
3 Pied Wagtail
-- Edited by James Minchin on Thursday 14th of April 2016 10:54:39 PM
Barry Corless said
Tue Apr 5 5:47 PM, 2016
Walk up to Chew Resvr this afternoon (and back too )
Stonechat x 3 2m 1f Meadow Pipit (bucket loads) Kestrel m Ring Ouzel 1m (in the quarry like structure right at the top of Chew Valley Rd on the left. Flushed it on the way up and with its back to me I was only 95% sure it was a RO (v.unlikely a blackbird at that height). Walked up to the reservoir and back (c.15 mins) and sure enough it had returned. Still v.flighty but saw it long enough for a +ve id. Grey Wagtail x 2
plus regular bits
Bradley Nixon said
Mon Apr 4 8:18 PM, 2016
Thank you Steve will make a note in my book for future reference
Steve Suttill said
Mon Apr 4 5:35 PM, 2016
Yes, Bradley, if it was that size it would have been Great Spotted Woodpecker.
That's a problem with most field guides - they never really give you a proper idea of scale. Lesser Spotted are not much bigger than a sparrow.
Bradley Nixon said
Mon Apr 4 1:41 PM, 2016
Was unsure regarding spotted woodpecker, was roughly same size as green woodpecker, would that be the greater spotted?
Only seen them twice before so wasn't sure
paul brady said
Mon Apr 4 1:30 PM, 2016
Bradley Nixon wrote:
In the forest across the valley from chew res road
Green Woodpecker Nuthatch Jay
At Binn Green
Siskin Reed Bunting ? can anyone else confirm they've seen one here as Im not sure if it definitely was a reed bunting as I've never seen one before
Chew res
Dipper Red Grouse Heard the ring ouzel but only caught a glimpse, possibly 3 in total flying over the res
We had a bunch of 5 male reed bunting feeding in the "river" that flows into the Dove Stone Reservoir along with dipper, grey and pied wagtail plus another one or two in various locations around, quite an nice and slightly unexpected find
Steve Suttill said
Mon Apr 4 1:24 PM, 2016
Reed Buntings are regularly seen at Binn Green. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker would be a real rarity around here...
Bradley Nixon said
Mon Apr 4 1:14 PM, 2016
In the forest across the valley from chew res road
Green Woodpecker
Nuthatch
Jay
At Binn Green
Siskin
Reed Bunting ? can anyone else confirm they've seen one here as Im not sure if it definitely was a reed bunting as I've never seen one before
Chew res
Dipper
Red Grouse
Heard the ring ouzel but only caught a glimpse, possibly 3 in total flying over the res
steven burke said
Sun Apr 3 11:20 PM, 2016
11.30-5pm
2 ring ouzel, both males up chew valley road. 3 stonechat several red grouse around no wheatears 1 dipper on chew res 1 peregrine falcon 2 buzzard 1 kestrel 1 raven 1 grey heron
all the usual birds around binn green feeders inc... siskin, redpoll, tits, finches & pheasants.
Bradley, about half way up the road you come to a gate with a style, I had a male high up the rocks on your left hand side & the other was a flyover but then landed on opposite side from the road where you come to a metal barrier at the side of the road, I managed a few distant pics of this male which had some white on the side of its head.
was going to have an early walk up to chew res tmw morning, does anyone know roughly where the ring ouzels were
Chris Greene said
Sun Apr 3 12:34 PM, 2016
Highlights of early morning visit up path towards Chew...
3m and 1f Ring Ouzels
Only 1 wheatear
Male Stonechat
Green Woodpecker yaffling away in valley
Raven over
Song thrush in full song
My first two Swallows of the year,through over the dam
Cheers Chris
paul brady said
Fri Apr 1 2:51 PM, 2016
Had a lovely trip around the reservoir yesterday (31st March) and then up to Chew reservoir:
2 male ring ouzel 2 chiffchaff 4 wheatear dipper grey wagtail reed bunting 3 stonechat curlew golden plover red grouse green woodpecker yaffling away :) 3 lesser redpoll & numerous siskin at Binn Green feeders
we got 43 species in total and missed a few obvious ones
MARK HULSE said
Fri Apr 1 12:00 PM, 2016
Binn Green + Dovestone thursday 11 am to 400 pm
binn green
1 female brambling 1 treecreeper lots of siskin,chaffinch, blue, great, coal tits, very quite around the reservoirs apart from the meadow pipits....
JSPALDING said
Sun Mar 27 10:24 AM, 2016
A Red Kite being mobbed by a Raven at Binn Green this morning at 10 am.
Charles Farrell said
Sat Mar 26 3:33 PM, 2016
Long Good Friday walk around the reservoirs and uphill. No migrants seen but some nice birds
- 2 Raven along the top of the valley
- Buzzard over Binn Green (12:15)
- 6 (at least 3 pairs) Grey Wagtail - 1 pr heading uphill, 1 by Yeoman Hay and 1 near where the RSPB watchpoint is usually.
- 3 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Cormorant
- 22 Canada Goose
- 35 Mallard
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 1 Mistle Thrush
- Lots of singing Chafinch, Wren, Robin and Coal Tit, Lots of displaying Meadow Pipit
- Plenty of calling Great Tit, Blue Tit and Siskin
- Great Spotted Woodpecker at Binn Green Feeders
- Pheasant everywhere
Also noticed masses of frogspawn in the channel alongside Greenfield Reservoir.
Several carcasses of dead Mallard and Pheasant in some of the channels with their heads missing.
steven burke said
Mon Feb 29 7:59 PM, 2016
10.45-2pm
binn green feeders was buzzing with birds majority being siskin & chaffinch, other birds inc...
at least 4 brambling few lesser redpoll greenfinch goldfinch coal tit blue tit great tit pheasant 1 great spotted woodpecker 1 treecreeper no signs of any crossbill
other birds around...
1 dipper on greenfield res 2 raven 1 kestrel 5 red legged partridge amongst the pheasants at the end of the plantation next to yeoman hay res. 3 treecreeper 2 goldcrest 1 nuthatch 2 mistle thrush
JSPALDING said
Wed Feb 24 12:11 PM, 2016
Female Crossbill in the trees above the Binn Green lookout, also Raven displaying across the valley.
The feeders were very active with good numbers of Siskin and Redpoll amongst all the usual birds.
Then everything disappeared in a snow blizzard!
JSPALDING said
Mon Feb 22 3:15 PM, 2016
A couple of Crossbills in the trees below Binn Green flew up the valley into the distance.
Plenty of Siskin around the feeders plus at least one Brambling.
Mark Jarrett said
Mon Feb 15 4:10 PM, 2016
Arrived at Binn Green carpark at 11.00 in bright, sunny weather but very cold. Spent twenty minutes at the feeders hoping to get Brambling on my year list. Birds there included :-
Brambling (2) Siskin Lesser Redpoll Reed Bunting (1m) Plus Blue, Great, Coal & Long tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Blackbird, Pheasant etc etc.
Walked down to Dovestone Reservoir noting a pair of Dipper on the outfall from Yeoman Hey Reservoir. Carried on down past Ashway Gap and on up to Chew Reservoir at 1600 ft via Chew Road. Saw six Red Grouse on the tops and heard others in two separate areas. Returned to Binn Green by retracing my route, arriving back at 14.00.
Shannon Llewellyn said
Sun Feb 14 9:32 PM, 2016
Day spent here today.
Around Binn Green:
c10 coal tit (two mating) 2 or 3 treecreeper c20 chaffinch (one sorry female with trichomonosis, sadly) c15 siskin 10+ greenfinch 10+ goldfinch 2 lesser redpoll 1 brambling 2 reed bunting Blue tit, great tit, dunnock, robin, blackbird, pheasant
2 dipper on the channel next to Yeoman Hey 2 cormorant on the Yeoman Hey end of Dovestone Good numbers of black-headed gull on and around the pontoon on Dovestone.
Ashway Gap and nearby wooded areas:
1 goldcrest 2 chaffinch 1 brambling (male in pretty much full breeding plumage) 2 bullfinch 2 song thrush
Chew Valley path:
1 wren 4 stonechat (or the same pair twice, perhaps) c10 red grouse
1 pied wagtail around the sailing club
David Bramhall said
Sun Feb 14 10:57 AM, 2016
Late Post
Saturday 13th February 2016
Feeders contained good numbers of the following. BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, LONG-TAILED TIT, COAL TIT, CHAFFINCH, GOLDFINCH, GREENFINCH, SISKIN plus the a small group of PHEASANTS.
Single birds noted. BULLFINCH (male), TREECREEPER, ROBIN, BLACKBIRD.
Field on Bradbury Lane. (Left side towards Dovestone)
Contained good numbers of REDWING, JACKDAW, GOLDFINCH and single finger number ROOK.
Barry Corless said
Fri Feb 12 8:28 PM, 2016
Today at the Binn Green feeders
Treecreeper Brambling Siskin Coal Tit Greenfinch Chaffinch Blue Tit Great Tit Goldfinch Robin Blackbird
2 Dippers in the channel over the other side of the reservoir
Mark Burgess said
Sun Feb 7 3:25 PM, 2016
Binn Green On the feeders, Good numbers of Siskin Greenfinch Goldfinch Chaffinch Brambling (But not seen whilst I was there)
Treecreeper 2
Also 2 dippers in the channel that runs from Ashway Gap down to the res
David Walsh said
Sat Feb 6 2:14 PM, 2016
Saturday 6th February 2016, 10.30 - 11.00am
A quick stop at a soggy Binn Green
A lot of movement around the feeders, so the following are approximate counts.
5 Brambling 5 Siskin 50 Chaffinch 30 Greenfinch 20 Goldfinch 1 male Reed Bunting feeding on the ground with the pheasants, beneath the feeders 1 singing Song Thrush
A flock of c 30 Reed Bunting were feeding by the trees on the opposite side of the A635 from Binn Green car park. After five minutes they flew off towards Alderman's Brow, and out of sight
David Walsh said
Wed Feb 3 12:08 PM, 2016
Wednesday 3rd February 2016, 9.00 - 10.30am
A quick walk in the snow from the sailing club, up to Chew Reservoir.
Quiet, but a "quick walk" is not the best way to see moorland species, especially in winter.
1 Cormorant on Dove Stone Reservoir Peregrine and a Raven having a noisy dig at each other over Dish Stone 4 Reed Bunting Dipper singing in Chew Brook. I would normally hang around to see if the other half of the pair showed, but no time today. 1 Grey Wagtail back and forth overhead
Plenty of Siskin at Binn Green, but no Brambling for me today (or Reed Bunting), but it was a very brief visit (too populated for me. )
C Brown said
Sun Jan 31 6:16 PM, 2016
From personal experience there have been more reed buntings at Binn Green this winter than past winters.
Regards, Chris J - B.
David Walsh said
Sun Jan 31 12:50 PM, 2016
Thanks both for those comments. The male in the tree was in more or less breeding plumage and wasn't moving around with the finch flock. The others were picked up on call only, but I am confident that they were Reed Bunting. I see and hear them in good numbers around the Swineshaws, a couple of miles to the south, at all times of the year. Bearing in mind Jamie's information, I will include a comment that they were in the area of the feeders when I submit the record to the GMBRG. Perhaps the shocking weather had moved them to the free food?
It was nice to see my first Brambling of the winter, even if I did have to leave Tameside to do it! There doesn't seem to be any beech mast at all this winter.
JamieDunning said
Sun Jan 31 11:58 AM, 2016
At Dove Stone Reed bunting are common on the meadows & in-bye in autumn/winter, the meadows are specifically managed for this sort of activity. They are not as common is up at Binn green - And this is what the tweet was meant to say - a reed bunting in the feeding area is an unusual record.
Rob Creek said
Sun Jan 31 11:21 AM, 2016
Hi David, I thought Reed Bunting were a fairly common sighting up around Dovestones and Binn Green, but when you look back at the posts there haven't been many seen up there at all. Seems I only saw 3 in all of last year, 1 in July and 2 back in April, so you could be right...you got lucky!
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Sunday 31st of January 2016 11:22:51 AM
David Walsh said
Sun Jan 31 10:50 AM, 2016
Sunday 31st January 2016, 8.15am
Binn Green car park. The forecast put me off trekking through mud in the rain with the dogs, so I decided upon a quick visit to Binn Green for a change, thinking that the trees and feeders may be popular after a rough night. The area was alive with birds, with a mixed group of over 100 moving noisily around. Viewing conditions weren't brilliant, so the following counts are approximate.
15 Brambling, including a couple of handsome males 25 Siskin 20 Greenfinch 50 Chaffinch 15 Goldfinch 6 Coal Tits 10 Long-tailed Tits 4 Reed Bunting - 1 male in the alders; another 3 heard calling from the other side of the car park, away from the trees. I saw a recent tweet from someone at RSPB Dove Stone, reporting a Reed Bunting sighting, as though it was unusual, but the habitat looks good for them, and I didn't leave the car park this morning and had 4? I rarely visit the area, so perhaps I was lucky? Blue and Great Tits completed the throng.
A good 45 minutes, despite the rain. Thanks to the volunteers for filling the feeders.
-- Edited by David Walsh on Sunday 31st of January 2016 10:56:50 AM
Oliver Jepson said
Sat Jan 23 12:15 PM, 2016
Ringing going on at Binn green
S Rothery said
Fri Jan 22 4:57 PM, 2016
Afternoon circuit around Dovestone Resvr from Greenfield via Forty Row and Tunstead. Good to meet and chat with Dave O'Hara from the RSPB. 2 Woodcock - I flushed one from a spot where I've seen them before. Then proceeding slowly, scanning the ground carefully as I went, the second bird erupted from about 3 feet away. Amazing camouflage! 2 Dipper - I see lots of Dippers around Saddleworth, which wasn't the case in the dim and distant past. It wouldn't surprise me if we had well into double figures breeding locally. A local success story. 12 Redwing including one actually singing 4 Mistle Thrush 12 Goldfinch, 3 Greenfinch, 2 Chaffinch Mixed Tit flock - Long-tailed, Coal and Great 1 Grey Wagtail 1 Kestrel ....and a very weird bird (man-made). The Airbus Beluga flying low over Wharmton.
Ian Campbell said
Tue Jan 19 3:27 PM, 2016
10-11.30 a.m. 2 Brambling(f), many Siskin, single Buzzard over. Cheers Ian
C Brown said
Fri Jan 15 1:17 PM, 2016
This morning:
2 bramblings,
treecreeper,
reed bunting,
lots of siskins,
plus typical stuff.
Regards, Chris J - B.
JSPALDING said
Wed Jan 6 2:19 PM, 2016
A couple of brambling present at the Binn Green Feeders this morning, quiet elsewhere due to 'shooting' further up the valley.
MARK HULSE said
Thu Dec 24 11:30 AM, 2015
wed 23rd dec [11.30-1.00]
Binn Green
15 chaffinch 6 coal tit 8 blue tit 2 siskin 1 female woodpecker 1 female bullfinch 10 great tit plus 1 brambling my first this winter as well,
plus 50 crows and 20 wood pidgeon on the right of yeoman hey
ps good to see all the feeders filled up at Binn Green....
Roger Baker 3 said
Sat Dec 19 12:59 PM, 2015
Sat 19th Dec.
Binn Green.
Small flock (7-10) of Brambling turned up around 09.00 hrs .... vanished after 15 mins.
My first this winter.
Roger.
S Rothery said
Wed Nov 25 5:05 PM, 2015
1230 - 1400 Binn Green and surrounding moorland 1 Short-eared Owl 1f Kestrel Red Grouse (>30) 3 Raven 1 Treecreeper 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 1m Bullfinch Lots of Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Greenfinch Blue, Great and Coal Tits
David Morris said
Sun Sep 27 3:10 PM, 2015
The highlights of a stroll round Yeoman Hay today were:
1 Kestrel (female)
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Pheasant
1 Red Grouse (female)
I noticed there weren't many feeders at Binn Green anymore, anyone know what's happened there?
JSPALDING said
Wed Sep 23 4:48 PM, 2015
A bike ride around the reservoirs today. 2 Kestrel, 1 Buzzard, 6 Raven, a few Red Legged Partridge among a 100 or so Pheasant, 3 swallows, 1 dipper, a few Meadow Pipit and a Stonechat.
Binn Green:
2 goldcrest
Plenty of coal tit; the only numerous species here.
2 treecreeper
1 bullfinch
Yeoman Hey / Ashway Gap / Dove Stone:
2+ goldcrest (juveniles)
1 willow warbler (juvenile)
3 lesser redpoll (one very confiding juvenile by the sailing club)
2 siskin
5+ swallow (not swift, as originally typed)
8+ meadow pipit
4 pied wagtail
3 grey wagtail
1 raven
1 common sandpiper
Chew valley path:
2 willow warbler heard calling
5 or 6 stonechat (one young juvenile)
7 meadow pipit
2 grey wagtail (pair, both with food)
6 red grouse
6 teal (on pond next to small copse; with 8 mallard)
Chew reservoir:
5+ meadow pipit
2 red grouse
100+ Canada geese
1 common sandpiper
-- Edited by Shannon Llewellyn on Friday 5th of August 2016 11:09:32 PM
http://www.doveheritage.com/
Hello all. First post. I hope I haven't made any mistakes with names. I went on a RSPB guided walk of Dove Stone edge on 19 June.
My sightings were:
Mallards. Several males and handful of females. Three ducklings
Great Tits x 2
Chaffinch x 1 (male)
Pied wagtail x 2
Jackdaws x 6
Common Sandpiper
Kestrel x 1 (female)
Wren x 2
Meadow Pipit x 4
Skylark x 1 but heard many more.
There was a stonechat seen apparently but for the life of me I couldn't find it. We were also on the lookout for Golden Plover but all we saw were the remains of, what I am assuming, was a peregrine's lunch as we came down Ashford Gap.
-- Edited by Mark B-Seifert on Thursday 30th of June 2016 08:01:16 PM
Cheers Ian
Quick circuit of the reservoir this afternoon. Highlights:
4 Siskin, Common Sandpiper, Peregrine Falcon, Treecreeper, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Meadow Pipit, 7 Willow Warbler.
4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
3 Swallows
1 Kestrel
5 singing Skylarks
1pr Dunlin
20+ Red Grouse
6 Lapwings
-- Edited by S Rothery on Saturday 7th of May 2016 12:27:01 PM
Cuckoo, Green Woodpecker, Buzzard and Peregrine at Chew Plantation at 9 am.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 2nd of May 2016 07:13:22 PM
Binn Green:
3 chiffchaff
Coal tit, blue tit, great tit
2 lesser redpoll
6 siskin (one singing)
Goldfinch, greenfinch, chaffinch (the most numerous finch)
1 brambling
1 great spotted woodpecker
Yeoman Hey / Dovestone & surrounds:
1 goldcrest heard singing
5+ willow warbler
1 pied wagtail
1 grey wagtail
2 dipper (in the usual overflow channel running parallel to Yeoman Hey)
1 jay heard in Ashway Gap wood
1 common sandpiper
2 black-headed gull
Chew Valley path:
6 wren
1 willow warbler (singing from small copse)
3 stonechat (2 singing, briefly)
8 wheatear (one singing)
15+ meadow pipit
1 skylark heard singing
1 ring ouzel
7 red grouse
Chew Reservoir:
4 wheatear
20+ meadow pipit (3 parachuting)
2 pied wagtail
1 dunlin
2 or 3 curlew
2 red grouse
67 Canada geese
Another fantastic day here, in stunning weather.
Walking back from over Tintwistle side and down Chew Track today.
17 Red Grouse
50+ Meadow Pipits
8 Skylarks
2 Wheatear (first of the year!)
6 Curlew (as well as calling from every direction going, so who knows how many there were)
2 Stonechat
3 Pied Wagtail
-- Edited by James Minchin on Thursday 14th of April 2016 10:54:39 PM
Stonechat x 3 2m 1f
Meadow Pipit (bucket loads)
Kestrel m
Ring Ouzel 1m (in the quarry like structure right at the top of Chew Valley Rd on the left. Flushed it on the way up and with its back to me I was only 95% sure it was a RO (v.unlikely a blackbird at that height). Walked up to the reservoir and back (c.15 mins) and sure enough it had returned. Still v.flighty but saw it long enough for a +ve id.
Grey Wagtail x 2
plus regular bits
That's a problem with most field guides - they never really give you a proper idea of scale. Lesser Spotted are not much bigger than a sparrow.
We had a bunch of 5 male reed bunting feeding in the "river" that flows into the Dove Stone Reservoir along with dipper, grey and pied wagtail plus another one or two in various locations around, quite an nice and slightly unexpected find
2 ring ouzel, both males up chew valley road.
3 stonechat
several red grouse around
no wheatears
1 dipper on chew res
1 peregrine falcon
2 buzzard
1 kestrel
1 raven
1 grey heron
all the usual birds around binn green feeders inc... siskin, redpoll, tits, finches & pheasants.
Bradley, about half way up the road you come to a gate with a style, I had a male high up the rocks on your left hand side & the other was a flyover but then landed on opposite side from the road where you come to a metal barrier at the side of the road, I managed a few distant pics of this male which had some white on the side of its head.
2 male ring ouzel
2 chiffchaff
4 wheatear
dipper
grey wagtail
reed bunting
3 stonechat
curlew
golden plover
red grouse
green woodpecker yaffling away :)
3 lesser redpoll & numerous siskin at Binn Green feeders
we got 43 species in total and missed a few obvious ones
thursday 11 am to 400 pm
binn green
1 female brambling
1 treecreeper
lots of siskin,chaffinch,
blue, great, coal tits,
very quite around the reservoirs
apart from the meadow pipits....
A Red Kite being mobbed by a Raven at Binn Green this morning at 10 am.
binn green feeders was buzzing with birds majority being siskin & chaffinch, other birds inc...
at least 4 brambling
few lesser redpoll
greenfinch
goldfinch
coal tit
blue tit
great tit
pheasant
1 great spotted woodpecker
1 treecreeper
no signs of any crossbill
other birds around...
1 dipper on greenfield res
2 raven
1 kestrel
5 red legged partridge amongst the pheasants at the end of the plantation next to yeoman hay res.
3 treecreeper
2 goldcrest
1 nuthatch
2 mistle thrush
Female Crossbill in the trees above the Binn Green lookout, also Raven displaying across the valley.
The feeders were very active with good numbers of Siskin and Redpoll amongst all the usual birds.
Then everything disappeared in a snow blizzard!
A couple of Crossbills in the trees below Binn Green flew up the valley into the distance.
Plenty of Siskin around the feeders plus at least one Brambling.
Brambling (2)
Siskin
Lesser Redpoll
Reed Bunting (1m)
Plus Blue, Great, Coal & Long tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Blackbird, Pheasant etc etc.
Walked down to Dovestone Reservoir noting a pair of Dipper on the outfall from Yeoman Hey Reservoir. Carried on down past Ashway Gap and on up to Chew Reservoir at 1600 ft via Chew Road. Saw six Red Grouse on the tops and heard others in two separate areas. Returned to Binn Green by retracing my route, arriving back at 14.00.
Around Binn Green:
c10 coal tit (two mating)
2 or 3 treecreeper
c20 chaffinch (one sorry female with trichomonosis, sadly)
c15 siskin
10+ greenfinch
10+ goldfinch
2 lesser redpoll
1 brambling
2 reed bunting
Blue tit, great tit, dunnock, robin, blackbird, pheasant
2 dipper on the channel next to Yeoman Hey
2 cormorant on the Yeoman Hey end of Dovestone
Good numbers of black-headed gull on and around the pontoon on Dovestone.
Ashway Gap and nearby wooded areas:
1 goldcrest
2 chaffinch
1 brambling (male in pretty much full breeding plumage)
2 bullfinch
2 song thrush
Chew Valley path:
1 wren
4 stonechat (or the same pair twice, perhaps)
c10 red grouse
1 pied wagtail around the sailing club
Late Post
Saturday 13th February 2016
Feeders contained good numbers of the following. BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, LONG-TAILED TIT, COAL TIT, CHAFFINCH, GOLDFINCH, GREENFINCH, SISKIN plus the a small group of PHEASANTS.
Single birds noted. BULLFINCH (male), TREECREEPER, ROBIN, BLACKBIRD.
Field on Bradbury Lane. (Left side towards Dovestone)
Contained good numbers of REDWING, JACKDAW, GOLDFINCH and single finger number ROOK.
Treecreeper
Brambling
Siskin
Coal Tit
Greenfinch
Chaffinch
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Goldfinch
Robin
Blackbird
2 Dippers in the channel over the other side of the reservoir
On the feeders, Good numbers of
Siskin
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Chaffinch
Brambling (But not seen whilst I was there)
Treecreeper 2
Also 2 dippers in the channel that runs from Ashway Gap down to the res
A quick stop at a soggy Binn Green
A lot of movement around the feeders, so the following are approximate counts.
5 Brambling
5 Siskin
50 Chaffinch
30 Greenfinch
20 Goldfinch
1 male Reed Bunting feeding on the ground with the pheasants, beneath the feeders
1 singing Song Thrush
A flock of c 30 Reed Bunting were feeding by the trees on the opposite side of the A635 from Binn Green car park. After five minutes they flew off towards Alderman's Brow, and out of sight
A quick walk in the snow from the sailing club, up to Chew Reservoir.
Quiet, but a "quick walk" is not the best way to see moorland species, especially in winter.
1 Cormorant on Dove Stone Reservoir
Peregrine and a Raven having a noisy dig at each other over Dish Stone
4 Reed Bunting
Dipper singing in Chew Brook. I would normally hang around to see if the other half of the pair showed, but no time today.
1 Grey Wagtail back and forth overhead
Plenty of Siskin at Binn Green, but no Brambling for me today (or Reed Bunting), but it was a very brief visit (too populated for me. )
Regards, Chris J - B.
It was nice to see my first Brambling of the winter, even if I did have to leave Tameside to do it! There doesn't seem to be any beech mast at all this winter.
They are not as common is up at Binn green - And this is what the tweet was meant to say - a reed bunting in the feeding area is an unusual record.
I thought Reed Bunting were a fairly common sighting up around Dovestones and Binn Green, but when you look back at the posts there haven't been many seen up there at all.
Seems I only saw 3 in all of last year, 1 in July and 2 back in April, so you could be right...you got lucky!
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Sunday 31st of January 2016 11:22:51 AM
Binn Green car park. The forecast put me off trekking through mud in the rain with the dogs, so I decided upon a quick visit to Binn Green for a change, thinking that the trees and feeders may be popular after a rough night. The area was alive with birds, with a mixed group of over 100 moving noisily around. Viewing conditions weren't brilliant, so the following counts are approximate.
15 Brambling, including a couple of handsome males
25 Siskin
20 Greenfinch
50 Chaffinch
15 Goldfinch
6 Coal Tits
10 Long-tailed Tits
4 Reed Bunting - 1 male in the alders; another 3 heard calling from the other side of the car park, away from the trees. I saw a recent tweet from someone at RSPB Dove Stone, reporting a Reed Bunting sighting, as though it was unusual, but the habitat looks good for them, and I didn't leave the car park this morning and had 4? I rarely visit the area, so perhaps I was lucky?
Blue and Great Tits completed the throng.
A good 45 minutes, despite the rain. Thanks to the volunteers for filling the feeders.
-- Edited by David Walsh on Sunday 31st of January 2016 10:56:50 AM
Good to meet and chat with Dave O'Hara from the RSPB.
2 Woodcock - I flushed one from a spot where I've seen them before. Then proceeding slowly, scanning the ground carefully as I went, the second bird erupted from about 3 feet away. Amazing camouflage!
2 Dipper - I see lots of Dippers around Saddleworth, which wasn't the case in the dim and distant past. It wouldn't surprise me if we had well into double figures breeding locally. A local success story.
12 Redwing including one actually singing
4 Mistle Thrush
12 Goldfinch, 3 Greenfinch, 2 Chaffinch
Mixed Tit flock - Long-tailed, Coal and Great
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Kestrel
....and a very weird bird (man-made). The Airbus Beluga flying low over Wharmton.
Cheers Ian
This morning:
2 bramblings,
treecreeper,
reed bunting,
lots of siskins,
plus typical stuff.
Regards, Chris J - B.
A couple of brambling present at the Binn Green Feeders this morning, quiet elsewhere due to 'shooting' further up the valley.
Binn Green
15 chaffinch
6 coal tit
8 blue tit
2 siskin
1 female woodpecker
1 female bullfinch
10 great tit
plus 1 brambling my first this winter as well,
plus 50 crows and 20 wood pidgeon
on the right of yeoman hey
ps good to see all the feeders filled up
at Binn Green....
Binn Green.
Small flock (7-10) of Brambling turned up around 09.00 hrs .... vanished after 15 mins.
My first this winter.
Roger.
1 Short-eared Owl
1f Kestrel
Red Grouse (>30)
3 Raven
1 Treecreeper
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1m Bullfinch
Lots of Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Greenfinch
Blue, Great and Coal Tits
2 Kestrel, 1 Buzzard, 6 Raven, a few Red Legged Partridge among a 100 or so Pheasant, 3 swallows, 1 dipper, a few Meadow Pipit and a Stonechat.