18/05/2018 14.15 - 18.35

Came up here after my visit to Strinesdale.

Long-tailed Tits, Nuthatch collecting food and a Grey Heron along the Brook from The Clarence to the turning to the cottages on Broadbent Lane.

3 Cuckoos in the sheep field by the cottages - all grey birds. Not sure if it was two males trying to court a female or a female trying to see off a courting pair. A male called and flew into one of the hawthorns near the lane as I turned onto it from the footpath by the cottages. While I was failing to digi-bin it a female's bubbling call came from the left, back towards the plantation and the bird flew off. Shortly afterwards a bird flew into a distant tree, there was more cuckoo-ing and bubbling then one bird followed another across to a stone wall where they were joined by the third bird. At that point two birds flew right to a dead tree where one perched normally, with the second bird behind it, facing the opposite way with wings drooped and tail cocked. As I was moving to try to get a better place for a photo the third bird again flew over and two of the birds disappeared behind the sycamores to the right of the track. The remaining bird eventually flew uphill to the southern end of the plantation and cuckoo-ed from there. I'm pretty sure that when the third bird first got involved I'd heard bubbling calls in the direction from which it came, which makes me think the two birds flying behind the sycamore were female.

Also along this stretch 2 male Pheasants, 4 juvenile Mistle Thrushes, a male Sparrowhawk and 9 Lapwings in the fields above Tanner's Business Centre.

Made my way through the obstacle course of the conifer plantation to check on the Bog Beacon. Good showing in its' primary location but only a few specimens in the second spot.

Juvenile Song Thrush in Chew Piece Plantation. Meadow Pipits, Chaffinches, Wood Pigeons, Great Tits and Blackbirds also seen. Several Willow Warblers and 1 ChiffChaff heard.


Followed the old railway bed up Chew Valley, crossing over to the road to head up to Chew Reservoir.
4 or 5 Red Grouse advised against this but I stuck to it and added a male Ring Ouzel, 2 Common Buzzards and a pair of Teal in the stream bed at the top, which probably explains the single duckling piping away several small waterfalls down stream.

The Teal relocated to the reservoir, joining 2 Canada Geese, 2 Curlews, another Cuckoo, male Grey and Pied Wagtails and a Lesser Black-backed Gull. A Golden Plover and a Wren were heard but not seen. On the way down the only bird of interest between the reservoir and Charnel Clough was a sun-bathing Red Grouse. Lower down the old paper dump had 15 Mallard (4 M 1F 10 ducklings) 10 Teal (1 M 1F 8 ducklings) 1 Magpie and 1 Willow Warbler. A male Cuckoo was still calling somewhere around the conifers as I headed back for the bus.

Yeah he was up here filming the breeding waders for Springwatch, with the wardens and site manager. I said hello briefly, but wasnât able to make it up top that day sadly.

I can confirm Chris Packham, roosted at the Old Bell Inn Delph fed by my daughter apparently travelling the length of the UK filming for some new nature programme.  Good record!

First Swallow of the year for me.

Greylag on the res today in amongst the Canada Geese too. Same Cormorant and Oystercatcher still there.

-- Edited by James Minchin on Wednesday 21st of February 2018 05:20:39 PM

Lots of Red Grouse on the way to Chew Reservior today.

7 crossbills  3 male and 4 female  in group of mixed finches approx. 14 including greenfinches and goldfinches. Saw twice once at 11.15 and again same group at 13.30

From the road down to reservoir in the larches in front of car park at Binn Green(which is closed to Public due work on Dam commencing this weeks for 3 months!)

Also saw two dark pheasant and a flock of 20+ Goldcrest and Merlin.

-- Edited by Terry Sykes on Monday 6th of November 2017 03:48:05 PM

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 6th of November 2017 04:33:29 PM

Thanks for the info and history Rob, there were definitely 2 or 3 individuals on Friday. I've also been told they are classed as a mechanistic mutant of the common pheasant.

Darrenjruddick wrote:

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Looks like an escaped Mikado Pheasant

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 Thanks Darren 

If these two stay around the pine trees they've got a better chance of staying alive as they were more camouflaged than the regular pheasants 

Spotted a number of strangely coloured pheasants from Binn Green area yesterday (photos attached). Are they a usual phase or something else?

1/9/17

Lower hillsides and valleys:

Buzzard 1
Stonechat 1

Higher hillsides and moorland tops:

Red Grouse 21
Kestrel 1
Meadow Pipit <10
Raven 2

No sign as of 5.00pm, but Adrian one of the RSPB volunteers had a good view from the Sailing Club car park and is pretty certain it was a Cattle Egret. It flew further up the farmers field with all the sheep.

Male Ring Ousel active along Chew Reservoir Road. I heard the alarm call first and then found the bird.

Among the usual at Dove Stone (26th May)

Spotted Flycatcher (been hanging around for a few days)

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Common Sandpiper

Sparrowhawk

Treecreeper

 

 

Around Dove Stone site 12-6pm

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Blackbird

Chaffinch

Goldfinch

Siskin

Willow Warbler

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

Mistle Thrush

Song Thrush

Robin

Goldcrest

Ring Ouzel

Mallard

Canada Geese

Cormorant

Meadow Pipit

Stonechat

Wheatear

Jay

Treecreeper

Grey Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

Golden Plover

Red Grouse

Dunlin

Curlew

Skylark

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Raven

Pheasant

Red Legged Partridge

-- Edited by James Minchin on Thursday 18th of May 2017 11:09:47 PM

My first swallow this afternoon in a quick visit, plus a ring ouzel, fairly quiet otherwise.

all day here having a good mooch around..

no signs of any ring ouzel or wheatear that had been seen in the week.
2-3 dippers
plenty of red grouse around
1 brief view of a crossbill, more heard in one of the plantations.
lots of siskin around with several redpolls
2 stonechat
1 skylark
plenty of meadow pipits around
1 kestrel
1 buzzard
1 sparrowhawk
1 raven
4 grey wagtail
5 pied wagtail
1 oystercatcher
mistle thrush sat on nest
3 grey heron
2 golden plover up at chew reservoir
plus all the usuals around.

Had a red kite drift over Binn Green Car Park at about 3pm today

Also a male wheatear up at Chew Reservoir

Cold and dreary today (11.00-15.00)

Finches galore at Binn Green including a Greenfinch, one Brambling and a lot of Siskin.

Usual variety of tits present around the feeders with a single treecreeper and 4 pheasant. 

Andrea 

Sun 29th Jan (09:45 - 12:00):
Another nice day, with clearblue sky and warm sunshine - at least around the Binn Green area. This time the path alongside the reservoirs was open, despite it still being shooting season (until 1st Feb), however the lack of sightings of Pheasant and Partridge (other than the odd carcass) suggests that perhaps there is not much left to be shot at.

Binn Green - very busy with finches
- 2 Mistle Thrush
- 2+ Coal Tit
- 12+ Siskin
- 15+ Goldfinch
- 6 Chaffinch
- Great Spotted Woodpecker
- Pheasant

Later 2 Buzzard to the north. 1 Peegrine on rock face high above Dovestones Res.

1 Dipper in channel alongside Yeoman Hay.

Binn Green today, approx 3:15-3:45pm Brambling- 2m, 2f- lifer for me, made the decision to go despite the snow and ice worth while, even though I worried about getting my car out of the car park! As I was leaving someone was struggling to get their car up the hill at the bottom car park... Mistle Thrush x2- feeding on berries on a bush in the top car park. Treecreeper- round the feeders. Other species seen: Blue Tit Chaffinch (at least one of each sex) Coal Tit Great Tit Robin

Feeders fairly quiet, but still a couple of Bramblings about.

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