8.30-9.30 a.m. 2nd visit in the last week looking for Crossbill, 6 over car park at 9.20, ( GM Year list now 171). Also 10+ Brambling below feeders. Cheers Ian
Binn Green, following a cold and windy blank around Higher Swineshaw
Goldfinch and Chaffinch dominated around the feeding area, but there were also around a dozen flighty Brambling, and I managed to pick out a couple of Siskin. Without the trees, nothing was flying due to the strong wind.
20+ Brambling 6 Siskin 10+ Mistle Thrush, including 8 moving noisily around the Rowan trees at the car park 40+ Chaffinch 6 Goldfinch 10+ Greenfinch Several Goldcrest 1 Treecreeper 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 6+ Coal Tits 1 Sparrowhawk 1 Grey Wagtail on Yeoman Hey Reservoir
By the time I returned to Binn Green, at 11.00am, the Brambling were down to 4, and the Siskin had disappeared.
4 goldcrest c15 coal tit 10+ goldfinch 5+ greenfinch 20+ chaffinch 1 great spotted woodpecker 2 cormorant over 1 buzzard
Yeoman Hey / Dove Stone and surrounds:
10+ goldcrest (lots in Ashway Gap wood) 1 nuthatch 30+ lesser redpoll (the dominant species in a large mixed flock that also contained goldfinch and siskin) c15 meadow pipit 3 pied wagtail 2 dipper (one in the channel alongside Yeoman Hey, one on the overflow channel coming down from Greenfield Reservoir(?) at Ashway Gap) 2 song thrush 3 jay A few rook coming in to roost late on when leaving 2 raven
Chew Valley Path:
1, probably 2, stonechat (brief distant view, with the male standing out) 16+ meadow pipit 1 grey wagtail 2 dipper (or the same dipper twice) 3 raven 11+ red grouse 1 kestrel
Meadow pipits, red grouse, and a flock of around 15 goldfinch at Chew Reservoir.
-- Edited by Shannon Llewellyn on Sunday 2nd of October 2016 11:10:32 PM
Rather depressing walk from Binn Green along Yeoman Hey to the top of Greenfield Reservoir this afternoon.
Hardly a single wild bird to be seen or heard. Hundreds of recently released Pheasants and dozens of Red-legged Partridges (never seen so many). I suspect that many of the Mallard have also been introduced. Game bird feeders everywhere and corn scattered all over the place. All so some sadistic so-and-sos can have their "fun"...
Did a similar walk on Sunday 18th Sep and noticed exactly the same thing. Lots of Mallard sheltering along the edge of Greenfield Reservoir and tons of Red-legged Partridge on the hilsides. a few Pheasant were heard but none seen.
At Binn Green, just the usual tits, Chaffinches, Goldcrests and Siskins. Also a single Kestrel.
Did the same walk rather depressing , a pair of coal tits plus pair of chaffinch at Binn Green, a male Great spotted woodpecker on the trees opposite the viewing platform and a pair goldfinches flying in , Raven heard but not seen in the same area, 200+ mallard on Greenfield reservoir never seen so many erm???? plus a few pheasant and partridge
Rather depressing walk from Binn Green along Yeoman Hey to the top of Greenfield Reservoir this afternoon.
Hardly a single wild bird to be seen or heard. Hundreds of recently released Pheasants and dozens of Red-legged Partridges (never seen so many). I suspect that many of the Mallard have also been introduced. Game bird feeders everywhere and corn scattered all over the place. All so some sadistic so-and-sos can have their "fun"...
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
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
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
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
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
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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
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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. )
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.
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.
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