The Clarence to Binn Green on round to Pots and Pans then return to Binn Green. Up to Upper Wood House (end of pavement on the A365 to Holmfirth) and back to Greenfield. 10.15 - 16.00
32 species inc Curlew 3 - 2 in display together and a third bird heard but not seen above Greenfield Res. Kestrel pair hunting Alderman's Hill Raven - at least 3 Common Buzzard - 1 possibly 2 individuals Mistle Thrush -several Wheatear 1 M Ring Ouzel 2 minimum - a bird was heard calling and singing but couldn't be located, then two birds flew in high on to the hillside, one of them a nice male. Crossbill 1 heard in the trees flanking Yeoman Hey Res. Redpoll, Siskin and Coal Tit on feeders at Binn Green Oystercatcher 1 heard over the trees at Binn Green - pairs often seen on the lodges lower down Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Nuthatch all calling/singing in the woods along Chew Brook.
Crossbill 13-20 in Larch at Binn Green this morning. Initially a flock of 7 which flew towards Yeoman Hey, later 13 arrived. Just the one adult female picked out amongst the juveniles.
Dove Stone Car Park to Chew Res and return pre-rain
Red Grouse (at least a dozen increasing concentration nearer the top) Ring Ouzel x 1 (fem) Hoards of Meadow Pipits Stonechat x 2 m Raven (single flew up the valley) Dipper x 1 Teal (on the small lake part way up) 3m 2f Willow Warbler Wren Mistle Thrush Pheasant Pied Wagtail
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Garden Life List: 57 My UK only life list: 257 My Global Life List: 521 Global 2024 year list: 133 My UK 2024 year list: 121 My 2024 Garden List: 26
4 ring ouzels, 3 male 1 female on the rocky slopes above binn green car park this morning.
Also 8 buzzards & 1 Raven in the air together making a lot of commotion between each other. 4 wheatear 3 red legged partridge Lots of meadow pipits & pied wagtails.
Wood Warbler still singing this morning at Binn Green.
Some top birds around the place too, everything showed well today, Ring Ouzel and Stonechat in particular. The oddest thing was an immature Marsh Harrier that banked up over the ridge overlooking Chew Brook, and after being mobbed by a Buzzard flew off towards Mossley. Brilliant views of Spotted Flycatcher in the plantation blocks above the terraced cottages before you get to Intake Lane.
Early trip to Binn Green (06:15 - 7:45)and was surprised to see that we were the first in the carpark. Lovely misty morning giving great views over the area as we walked up past Greenfield and Yeoman Hey Reservoirs.
Binn Green - m Wood Warbler giving fantastic views - I've seen lots when I was working in Sweden, but its my first in the UK and GM - several Siskins heard callling - c2 Treecreeper calling - 1 seen plus supporting chorus of Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Willow Warbler
Greenfield Reservoir - pr Common Sandpiper - several Curlew heard but not seen - Mistle Thrush
Male wood warbler still just south of Binn Green car park. Also 1 siskin in same area, Oystercatcher, Common Sandpiper, Dipper and 2 Curlew displaying on moors NE of Binn Green
Wood Warbler still showing well at midday. Male and female Redstart in the charred woodland SE of Dovestone Reservoir. Spotted Flycatcher on the fence in the same area. 3x Common Sandpiper around Dovestone Reservoir. Grey Wagtail and Dipper along Chew Brook.
A wander round the quieter parts today. C 9 Ring Ousel (8M 1f) around the usual area today, but more dispersed than the 14 reported by a friend on Tuesday. Several were in patches of uneven ground so it was difficult to follow individual birds as they fed Wheatear 2 1M 1F but well apart Common Buzzard 1 Mistle Thrush 15 minimum mainly in fields just above Greenfield. Several very pale looking Curlew 2 flying together down the valley from Greenfield Reservoir direction then circled over Indian Head spiralled up and away west. Raven 2 a pair enjoying the thermals. Kestrel 1 Long-tailed Tit 2 collecting sheep's wool from bushes along Bradbury Lane. Red Grouse 1 sat on a wall a few yards off Oldham Way. Not sure who was more surprised him (you could clearly see his wattles ) or me! Chiffchaff 2 S- at either end of the private road beside Chew Brook. In contrast Willow Warbler - everywhere 1 seen all singing. Black-headed Gull 3 on Dove Stone Reservoir Golden Plover 1 heard over, towards Uppermill Oystercatcher 1 flew west over the fisherman's pool and old Tanner Bros Mill calling Grey Heron 1 in Chew Brook by Tanner Bros Mill. Pied Wagtail 2 together on Dove Stone dam
Uncounted Pheasant - usual motley collection including the black cohort and a single white bird Meadow Pipit inc display flight Carrion Crow Jackdaw Blackbird Magpie Blue Tit Great Tit Nuthatch Robin Goldfinch Chaffinch Mallard
One thing I noticed was how quiet it was in the mature woodland south of the sailing club compared with the rest of the area. There has obviously been a lot of disturbance (wide paths everywhere) but I didn't hear or see a single bird as I came through, in sharp contrast to elsewhere.
-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Friday 16th of April 2021 12:29:59 AM
First visit in months and pleased to say that we avaoided the crowd.
Binn Green Feeders: Just the usual Pheasants, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Tit species
Walk up past Yeoman Hay and Greenfield Reservoirs - c12 singing Chaffinch - 3 singing Coal Tit - 2 singing Goldcrest - 1 Song Thrush - 2 singing Blackbird - 1 Mistle Thrush - 2 Dipper - 1 by Greenfield Reservoir and a second higher up along Greenfield Brook plus usual supporting cast of Woodpigeons and Pheasants etc
Chew Reservoir is in Oldham, GM, You should enjoy it up there .... be like mid-winter but with midges ... so don't forget your wooly hat, gloves and insect repellant !!
Roger.
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Blessed is the man who expecteth little reward ..... for he shall seldom be disappointed.
It needs to come South Pete ... and slightly East.
To get a better idea go on Google Earth maps and put in SK13 1HP (Arnfield Moor) then zoom in and out of the triangle formed by Woodhead / Crowden - Greenfield - Mottram-in-Longdendale ...... when you zoom in the county border between GM and Derbyshire is Ogden Brook ... so where it would cross that is anybodys guess ?
Or best place to view from ???? ...... you pays your money and takes your chance.
By the way the big dark patch above Stalybridge and Mossley is where our beloved moor was burned out .... still pees me off just looking at it.
-- Edited by Roger Baker 3 on Monday 10th of August 2020 05:13:23 PM
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Blessed is the man who expecteth little reward ..... for he shall seldom be disappointed.
Bearded vulture reported has North of a628 this afternoon, must be close to the gm border now
Actually the A628 is the same general area the bird has been in for the last couple of weeks, looking at the map on Birdguides it's been much closer to the county border than that, unfortunately,still a chance it'll drift a bit further north ,fingers crossed.
Viewing from east of Chew Reservoir a Red Kite went NW (arriving from over the Crowden area) around 11:40, circling and drifting over the Laddow Moss-Blindstones Moss area, then continued roughly towards Dovestones Reservoir
That same Red Kite was also seen from Alex Lees garden in Padfield, along with Marsh Harrier and Bearded Vulture
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Viewing from east of Chew Reservoir a Red Kite went NW (arriving from over the Crowden area) around 11:40, circling and drifting over the Laddow Moss-Blindstones Moss area, then continued roughly towards Dovestones Reservoir
The last couple of nights the Bearded Vulture has roosted within the Dove Stone reserve boundary (though back across the valley tonight). Seen flying over Laddow Rocks at times so very close to a Greater Manchester tick!
Bit of a 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen' visit today 10.45 - 17.00. Not the day I'd planned to visit but delayed deliveries and necessary repairs put paid to earlier attempts. Greenfield Station-Chew Valley Road (part closed for resurfacing)- brook-side path from Tanner's- Dove Stone car park - Club Field- Binn Green- Ashway Gap- 'Bradbury's Plantation' - the old railway track- Chew Road - Chew res - Chew Road - the old paper dump - the ice cream van(!) and back to Greenfield Station for the bus home. Chew Road was still a bit of a pull despite avoiding the 1 in 1 start but there was a nice easterly to lean on going up and pushing me back down.
Jackdaw large flock(50+) over toward Whamton and several around main carpark Blue Tit - several heard contact calling Long-tailed Tit- Brook and edges of Club Field Swift 2 min Greenfield Black-headed Gull -on raft - Dove Stone - uncounted Lesser Black-Backed Gull - on raft Dove Stone 1 Willow Wabler - contact calls at several points inc old paper dump Pheasant 6 Binn Green(1) Ashway Gap in down flow (3) Chew Road (2) all juvenile/female except 1 bird on Chew Road Coal Tit 3 Binn Green bottom of steps Redpoll - several heard in flight but not seen Binn Green Crossbill -1 flew over Binn Green calling Goldfinch- heard in larches Binn Green 2 more by Sailing club and below crags Jay heard Binn Green and near Tanner's Meadow Pipit - various areas Kestrel male top of Chew Valley Wheatear 3 2 female/immature fly-catching from guard rails on Chew Road near small quarry at top, third seen lower down Chew Road on descent Red Kite 1 over Chew res approx 3 p.m. circled a few times, then off over the valley towards Indian's Head (Oldham tick) Swallow 4 2 over Dove Stone res, 1 over Chew res, 1 heading down Chew valley as I was Sand Martin 2 over Chew Res with Swallow Canada Goose 6 on Chew Res (that I could pick out) uncounted on Dove Stone Mallard 2 old paper dump pond, uncounted on Dove Stone Wren several heard in different areas of bracken Robin 1 partial-adult plumage Dove Stone car park Song Thrush 1 near glamping site Carrion Crow 2 over Greenfield Station.
Not a sightings post, but RSPB Dovestone have, via their Twitter account, requested visitors stay away. Does not go into specifics, but suggests that the number of visitors is having a negative effect on wildlife. More vaguely, it also suggests that the recent influx of visitors is ruining the area for locals. I would have thought that the same could be said for a number of areas.
Well both the main carpark and the carpark at Binn Green were open when we arrived at 6:25AM this morning, though we noticed that the entrance to the main carpark was manned, when we left 2 hours later.
6:30 - 9:00 AM - Lovely clear, bright, dry and still conditions.
Binn Green: The feeders were not stocked, so there wasn't much around save for a few finches and singing Chaffinch, Goldcrest, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Song Thrush.
Binn Green to Greenfield Brook - c12 singing Willow Warblers - a couple of calling Siskins - 3 Curlew - juv Stonechat - 1 Common Sandpiper - 1 Dipper - 6+ Grey Wagtails including some juvenilles - c10 Meadow Pipit - 1 possible Ring Ouzel (not seen clearly enough to ID) - 2 Reed Bunting. + usual supporting cast of Woodpigeons, Mallards etc
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 30th of May 2020 05:11:43 PM
Main car park blocked off FULL, drove on to Binn Green FULL, lay-bys were busy, and traffic police had issued plenty of tickets on cars that were parked on the road, on both sides. We tried main car park again and got in, busy but social distancing wasnt a problem due to size of the park, wide paths etc.
Of note... - Plenty of Willow Warbler singing, couple seen - few Blackcap singing - Chiffchaff singing - distant Cuckoo singing - few Lapwing flying around