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
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?
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.
A walk around Yeoman Hey at lunch produced 4 Kestrel, 4 Coal Tit, 2 Grey Wagtail, 3 Pied Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit and plenty of swallows and house martins passing through.
At least 20+crossbills[3 stunning males bright orange/red colours showing well], got to see them at last after 3 or 4 previous visits,very pleased indeed. 2 lesser redpoll, 3 siskin, 1 coal tit, 2 chaffinch, 4 juvenile goldfinch,
yeoman hey / dove stone and surrounds, 2 common sandpiper, meadow pipit, pied wagtail, willow warbler, plus a very busy kestrel over ashway gap...
Hello Jim, I am sure Jim and I passed you all yesterday, as we were around from about 10.30 -2pm. We only managed two sightings of a female Crossbill. One in the middle of the tree, and the other very good, as it was on the top branch of the tree to the left. Also we saw one Lesser Redpoll.
With Tom Jones, and meeting Bill Beckwith and friends, and Alan RSPB Volunteer.
Glorious weather on arrival, with car park half full, but seemingly not many birders about. Those above helped tremendously.
Within twenty minutes of our arrival, Crossbills came the murmur from the pathway east of the bench in the viewing area. About 20 quick strides gave us views of 1 male, 1 female and approx. 5 juveniles. At last, and what lovely birds they were ! Well worth the wait !
Others seen included : Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Lesser Redpoll, Chafffinch and Blackbird
c30 Crossbills. At least 4 males, the majority juveniles Mixed group of juvenile finches, consisting of Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, and Chaffinch Blackcap singing Juvenile Coal Tits
-- Edited by David Walsh on Tuesday 7th of July 2015 06:40:37 PM
Sunday 5th July From Dovestones car park up Chew Valley to Chew Res.
2 Kestrel 2 Ring Ouzel Lots of Meadow Pipit 2 Willow Warbler seen, lots heard 1 male Reed Bunting 2 Raven cronking as they flew over Chew Res Few Black-headed Gulls over Few Goldfinch over Few Pied Wagtail 3 Grey Wagtail Lots of Canada Geese at side of Chew Res
Binn Green. A group of around 10-15 Lesser Redpoll over 1 Coal Tit 1 pair of Bullfinch 1 Blackbird 1 Blackcap flycatching near car park Great Spotted Woodpecker heard only
-- Edited by Rob Creek on Monday 6th of July 2015 06:56:00 PM
Glad you saw them Rob, I suspected there was at least 2 groups of Crossbills present, As I viewed the group in the Larches I heard the Glipp Glipp Glipp of anther fly over group but didn't see or locate them.
As soon as we arrived, another birder informed us that the Crossbills had been seen minutes ago (was that you Mark? Many thanks if it was) and sure enough within a minute we were on them. Firstly a gorgeous female showed then bright orangey male appeared just above her feeding. I think they were spooked by a walker and 3 birds actually flew out of the tree. About 5 minutes later a group of around 7 or 8 birds flew over and landed just beyond the feeders. We could see at least 4 birds including juveniles but then they flew off again.
Other birds of note... -Lots of Lesser Redpoll -Goldfinch -couple of juvenile Siskin -2 Peregrine circling near Ashby Gap -1 Kestrel -few Willow Warbler -few Meadow Pipit -Common Sandpiper heard only Also forgot to mention 2 male Blackcap heard and seen yesterday.
Ian it must've been you I spoke to approx 3.50pm near the viewing area.
-A late showing of a female Crossbill at 5.29pm then a juvenile at 5.48pm but that was it for me as far as Crossbills go! -Lesser Redpoll - didn't count, lots of them including a group of around 10 birds -Siskin - lots of juveniles around, not a single adult -few Goldfinch -2 Great Spotted Woodpecker -2 Chiffchaff seen, 1 really close up near the viewing screen, more heard calling -1 Coal Tit -few Blue Tits -2 Mallard over -Red Grouse heard opposite viewing area
Had an hour at viewing area (11 - 12 ish) in hope of seeing crossbill and was lucky. Initially had a small flock in flight, approx 15+, only seen briefly but did pick out a male. A short time later also picked up some in larches to left and down the slope from viewing area. Not able to estimate numbers as often on opposite side of trees to me, but again had a male and several females and juveniles.
Ludicrously busy up here and very few birds. A group of youths have set up shop at the viewing area ready with pots and pans and a huge bag of charcoal. The RSPB Warden has been informed but unless and until they are cleared off there's little chance of any Crossbills coming to the Larches
5 crossbills, 2 males, 2 females & 1 juvenile showing well in the larches just to the right of the viewing area at binn green, then the views got even better when they all decided to drop further down into the open branches of the trees in full view at about 10 yards away, lots of pics taken & then they decided to drop onto the ground after they left I went to see where they had been dropping down & there was a small pool of water, so obviously having a drink. other birds around... redpoll siskin great spotted woodpecker nuthatch treecreeper goldcrest jay bullfinch goldfinch chaffinch peregrine falcon kestrel willow warbler blackcap coal tit mistle thrush a pleasant couple of hours
It was a good karma day today clearly, after great views of Black Redstart in Manchester City Centre first thing, I made it up to Binn Green by about 11. I met Stuart Rothery and had a chat, hello! We thought we heard a Crossbill calling and Stuart headed off. Within 2 minutes of me wandering through to the viewpoint, 10-11 Crossbills flew over my head and dropped into the trees out of sight! I had a quick look from the road and then realized that all I really had to do was wait by the fence by the feeders. Right enough the birds appeared within a few minutes and then I watched them for about 45 minutes feeding like machines in the Larch trees. It was a classic mixed group, with at least a couple of streaked juveniles, a rich orange male, a couple of yellow younger birds (males too?) and a rich greeny-yellow bird that I took for an adult female. Absolutely awesome, I hadn't been online so I was pretty gobsmacked when they dropped in, I had been hoping as I walked up the hill but how often does it go that well?
Also seen a Siskin and several Lesser Redpoll and a busy couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers
I walked round the reserve and to be honest the far side by the Sailing Club was pretty quiet, seems less busy than last year to me. I did have good views of some busy Stonechats up Chew Valley, plus a Dipper on one of the weirs, I've not seen one there before.
Another Dipper seen by the roundabout at the bottom of the hill as I headed home, plus at least 8 Grey Wagtails on the brook at different spots.
Yet another brilliant session at Dove Stones, one of my absolute favourite places to go birding
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 14th of June 2015 09:24:51 PM
A flock of 15 to 20 Crossbills in Binn Green Car Park up until at least 9-30 this morning. Nice to meet Richard who was asking when the last time I had seen Crossbills here, about 10 seconds later they flew in. What timing!
Quick visit following on from the Greenfield Ring Ouzels.
Very busy birdwise... 8 Lesser Redpoll (some mating) Lots of Chaffinch Lots of Goldfinch 1 m Greenfinch 1 m Bullfinch 2 m Reed Bunting 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Jay 1 Robin 1 Dunnock Few Meadow Pipit 1 Song Thrush doing a fantastic repertoire of songs including a belting imitation of a Curlew Lots of Blue Tit, Great Tit and Coal Tit 1 Kestrel Plenty of Pheasant
Also I had a quick drive over the Saddleworth tops to Kirklees and back which produced at least 19 Red Grouse (some giving excellent roadside views)
Spent the day here after visiting the abandoned cottage area to see the ring ouzels. Highlights:
Binn Green:
1 bullfinch 1 willow warbler Coal tit and chaffinch the most numerous, but also great tit (with nesting material), blue tit, goldfinch, robin, blackbird, woodpigeon.
Yeoman Hey:
2 dipper (on the overflow) 4 pied wagtail 5 or so redpoll (including the pinkest one I've ever seen) 3 common sandpiper
A couple more redpoll in the conifers next to Dove Stone itself, and one common sandpiper at the far end (which could have been one of the three noted above), 4 displaying dunnocks at Ashway gap woods, and plenty of willow warbler to be heard all around.
Path up to Chew Reservoir:
1 willow warbler (in the trees by the pond, singing as I went up, and as I came back down :) ) 20+ meadow pipit c10 wheatear 3 red grouse
Chew Reservoir and surrounds:
10+ meadow pipit 1 pied wagtail 3 wheatear 2 ring ouzel 2 skylark 1 swallow hawking over the reservoir 2 raven 5+ red grouse 3 common sandpiper 2 dunlin (giving absolutely wonderful views; birds of the day) 1 curlew 1 kestrel 35 Canada geese
2 mistle thrush and 1 singing song thrush as I left, so I saw all of our summer thrushes here today.
-- Edited by Shannon Llewellyn on Thursday 23rd of April 2015 09:31:37 PM
8 Bramblings in conifers on the reservoir side of the bird feeders. About even numbers of males and females. Still plenty about. 10 plus Lesser Redpolls in the same area and on the feeders.
Common Sandpiper at the far end of the first reservoir, some swallows and sand martins. Buzzards.
best of a 2 1/2 hour dawdle in the woods and moor on south side of dove stone res 1 white wagtail (farmland across the track from the sailing club) 3 stonechat 2 yellowhammer 1 dipper
Set off early morning for a walk up to Chew and then along the edge and back down to the reservoir. Quite quiet bird wise but heard Raven, saw plenty of pairs of Red Grouse then a mixed tit flock at the feeders. It was a stunning walk in fantastic snowy conditions with a temperature inversion filling the valley below with cloud.
Thanks for the tip and Yes plenty of snow there - I had a look today and was pleasantly surprised. A nice bit of winter wonderland up there. I wish I could go more often as it is a very dramatic place landscape wise. I walked up to Chew reservoir, in fact marched up as I had little time and now my legs feel it.
I did not go today to see birds specifically but managed to see Raven tumbling, a Buzzard, plenty of Grouse one flying very low over Chew Reservoir and I thought it was going to land on it. One Grouse was on a small lump of snow covered land with cloud in the background - would have made a nice photo but I was too slow. A Peregrine put in an appearance spooking a Woodcock on the moor. Fantastic bird - by far the bird of the day - they looks really strange in flight - like some one has chopped the back end.
In August 2013 I managed to video a bird which I mentioned at the time but forgot to do something about the video. For now I have taken some stills and uploaded them. I was convinced it was a Goshawk then and I am 100% sure now. The still is very grainy I doubt many people could confirm the identification from it unless they saw the bird there and then.
Sarfraz
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 5th of February 2015 10:24:26 PM
Just wondered how the snow cover is in this area? I am in Oldham tomorrow might just stop off up thee if still plenty of snow there. Where is the best place to get views of the water, woods and hills in this particularly area?
Still plenty of snow up on the hills, Sarfraz, with a few more flakes dropping this morning. Good views from the Binn Green site.
Just wondered how the snow cover is in this area? I am in Oldham tomorrow might just stop off up thee if still plenty of snow there. Where is the best place to get views of the water, woods and hills in this particularly area?