Saddleworth Naturalists field trip yesterday evening led by Dave O'Hara:
Bird highlight was a flyover of c25 Crossbill.
Otherwise the most numerous species was MIDGE - trillions of them undaunted by our copious applications of "Bug-ger Off" and frantic waving of fern fronds - is this what's meant by Bioblitz (it certainly felt like it ) ?
Adult male Crossbill showing well feeding in tree-tops viewable from the viewing point adjacent to Binn Green car park 4pm-4:30pm, also at least 4 Crossbills (at least 2 adult females) seen flying over
Also several Redpoll around the sailing club
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Cheers to you both and anyone else that came, I will get a decent Email out with some highlights once i've sorted threw the 600 or so records in the next week or two.
Excellent five hours spent here today enjoying the RSPB's BioBlitz, an excellent event, well organised and attended by various 'experts' with really good numbers of visitors joining in and enjoying themselves.
I managed a total of 38 species of birds around the whole area, the best being:
Two Peregrines (of course!)
Common Sandpiper at the top end of Yeoman Hey Reservoir
At least 17 Siskin
11 Lesser Redpoll
46 Meadow Pipit
Best of all my best views EVER of Crossbill. Thirty eight (38) of them were feeing in conifers along the footpath from Dovestones dam (along the western edge of the reservoir) to just where it joins the road down from Binn Green. Feeding right next to the footpath they were totally unconcerned by all the public walking under them and allowed incredibly close prolonged views with the vast majority (at least 70% of them) being juveniles but oddly no males seen. The path here (just by a wooden bench) was strewn with cones they had dropped and at one point my son took to trying the catch the ones they were dropping above us before they hit the floor!
Well done to everyone involved with the organisation of the event and in making the day a great success.
15 to 20 Crossbills, including a couple of nice males, this morning at 10 am from the viewing platform at Binn Green. Only a few metres away at times. Plus a family of 4 Stonechat on a bike ride round the reservoirs.
Just completed a fantastic weeks work experience with the RSPB at dovestone
Some of the more notable sightings:
Dunlin common sandpiper red grouse flushed from under my feet golden plover peregrine siskin lesser redpoll pied flycatchers appeared to have moved on from their previous haunt
Binn green a.m, sightings included: 7 crossbill ( most of them juveniles) feeding in conifers right of viewing platform 2 song thrush ( 1 adult, 1 young) goldcrest
Ashway gap:
Great spotted woodpecker 4 raven 2 bullfinch 2 common sandpiper 4 mistle thrush treecreeper willow warbler blackcap
Binn Green 3 Great Tits c8 Coal Tits c5 Great Tits c4 Long Tailed Tits 2 Linnets c5 Greenfinch c4 Goldfinch 1 Blackbird 1 male Greater Spotted Woodpecker
Yeoman Heys Resvr 2 Grey Wagtails 2 Willow Warblers 2 Blackcap 1 female Sparrowhawk 3 Greater Spotted Woodpecker (1 female was trying to get a juvenile out of the nest) 1 Blue Tit feeding a fledgling 1 Oystercatcher 1 Common Sandpiper 1 Curlew over calling c10 Meadow Pipets 'Psycho Pheasant' heard!
Greenfield Resvr 1 Wren c16 Meadow Pipets 3 Pied Wagtails 2 Grey Wagtails 3 Common Sandpipers 4 male Mallards 2 Canada Geese 2 Curlews over calling
Too hot to go up to Chew Resvr!
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 3rd of June 2011 07:50:00 PM
Chew res 7am to 1 pm produced 3 dunlin, approx 10 golden plover, 1 curlew, 1 common sandpiper and numerous skylarks, meadow pipits and red grouse. Farmers field opposite boat club produced 2 red legged partridge: a first for me. Regards, dean
25th April - Manchester road - Fletchers, Alphin, Chew Piece -11am -4pm
Buzzard around most of time -2 at one point Blackcap Linnet - 2 Redpoll -3 Pied Wagtail with nest mat Raven - a few tail feathers missing House Martin Tawny Owl - heard in Chew Piece Coal Tit - 2 pairs battling it out Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming
Two golden plover, two curlew, one buzzard, ten plus wheatear, twenty plus skylark, forty plus meadow pipit in the environs south of chew res this morning. Dean
22nd April 10:00 -12:00 (ish) walk from Binn Green carpark to Greenfield Reservoir & Brook, then back down to Dovestone Reservoir.
- Lots of Willow Warbler singing + some other singing species I couldn't Id (birdsong recognition needs improvement) - Great Tit - Blue Tit - Lots of chaffinch singing - c3 Pheasant - pair of Jays - pair of Kestrels chasing each other through the conifers - 3+ Wheatear (along Greenfield Brook) - 10+ Pied Wagtail (several pairs displaying) - c8 Mallard - 6 Canada Goose - 2 Common Sandpiper (at the top end of Greenfield Reservoir) - 10+ Meadow Pipit
The 'occasional showers' - Heather with the weather- were heavy enough for even the Dippers to have their umbrellas up!
30 species seen/heard inc:
Dipper 1 - too brief a view to check for rings Chiffchaff 5 Willow Warbler 5 Curlew 1 heard Coal Tit 10 Redpoll 1 -heard only- flight call Siskin 2 - Main Carpark Swallow 2 - over the main Dam Grey Heron 1 - Chew Brook, near Fletchers Nuthatch 1 - calling from potential nest site Brambling 20 - feeding on leaf buds in the tree tops along Chew Brook
Also 'Psycho Phesant' 1 bird up on the shrouded hillside kept interspersing his calls with a perfect version of the first two notes from the music score to the shower scene in 'Psycho'
Post for yesterday ,07/04/11 pm ... Feeders at Binn Green much quieter today , mainly usual tit species , plenty of chaffinch , only two siskin and one redpoll seen . Also female LSW and one treecreeper ... Continuing the theme of mindless destruction , the carved bench has been sawn in half !!! ... This apparently happened last week, and the culprits ,( camping nearby ) , were promptly apprehended by the local constabulary ,and were issued with a £300 , on the spot fine !! ( Info from lady RSPB worker ! )... 2 male and 1 female brambling , in larches near remains of bench .. Dozens of mipits around Dovestones ,also two wheatears, peregrine over towards Indian's Head , three skylarks ,kestrel, and a single swallow !! Green and goldfinches on Dovestones car park feeders .
9.00 am to 10.30 3 chiff chaff at fletcher's,usual tits on way up to dovestones,2 oystercatchers behind fletcher's,2 nuthatch ,2 grey wags and 7 pied wags,1 dipper heard then rain stopped playno willow warblers for me yet
Perhaps not the politest way to enquire Judith? This was Dave's first post and I'm sure he's unaware that you utilise sighting from this forum for your daybook and whilst this is great, it is not the reason I set this forum up. It is a place for birders to let others know what they've seen, where they've been or just have a general chat. Anything else is a sideline.
To answer your question though, Dave's flock contained 6-10 Ouzels
Walking up to Pots and pans by the old Farmhouse. Little owl on dry stone wall. First skylark singing. Lots of newly arrived pairs of WHEATEARS, peregrine flew over to Dovestones and spooked out a small flock of RING OUZELS, a first for me. Descending to Bunkers the first WILLOW WARBLERS of the year singing their hearts out. What a walk!
good views of brambling , siskin, redpoll, goldfinch,pheasant, curlew over , all at the feeders in the carpark, we saw a dipper singing on the reservoir and mipits displaying.
Sunday 3rd April 8.30-9.15am
Lots of Brambling and Siskin. Pleased to finally see the Brambling. My first.
Male Bullfinch on the feeder at one point.
Lots of Chaffinch too.
Two Pheasants, and a Curlew calling.
Binn Green (Sat 2nd April), between 3:30-$:30 quite a few brambling, & siskin in the feeding area, plus a mistle thrush opposite but the highlight were a pair of crossbill in one of the larch trees next to footpath. A male was spotted first and then a female. The female hung around and showed well enough for us time to focus scope on it andwas still feeding when we left.
Heard Green Woodpecker calling from road up to Dovestone
Binn Green: Goldfinch Greenfinch Lots of Brambling including at least one summer plumage male 1 Redpoll Curlew bubbling from above car park 1 Sparrowhawk Goldcrest Coal Tits Purple pheasants
2 Peregrine - over Yeoman Hey Resr Mipits everywhere 1 Skylark 1 Raven - over rocks overlooking Ashway Gap
Large flock of Redpoll - Chew Piece (near Sailing Club)
Saturday am. My first swallow of the year flew over Binn Green to welcome 'summer' it then started raining again. Also a green woodpecker down at Fletchers Mill below the main Dovestones car park. Plenty of Chiffchaff. Another green woodpecker calling in Uppermill.
Binn green 10.45-11.45 (in rain)
pheasant
great tit
blue tit
coal tit
chaffinch
bullfinch
goldfinch
brambling
siskin
jay
tree creeper
gs woodpecker
very busy with birds around feeders.
Early visit this morning - bitterly cold NE wind.
More Brambling than anything else - though good numbers of Siskin, Lesser Redpoll and Chaffinch. A few Greenfinch and Goldfinch. Great, Blue, Coal & Long-tailed Tits. 2 Jay and 2 Mistle Thrush. 1 Treecreeeper.
Steve
Wednesday pm. Still a couple of brambling on the feeders among the usual birds, no sign of any crossbill, a good view of a male wheatear further up the valley.
Anybody visiting dove stone can find a site plan in the main carpark and a limited supply of visitor guides at the toilet notice board Did notice some feeders had gone on monday and a lot of noise from the helicopter working just up the road
Greenfield (Clarence) to Binn Green and back 10.40 - 13.00
In addition at Binn Green Blackbird 4 & Mistle Thrush 1 feeding in the larches south of the steps Long-tailed Tit 3+ Green Woodpecker heard
Raven 2 over Dove Stone Rocks - 1 in tumbling display Peregrine 1 over
Chew Brook Dipper 1 - ringed - pale green over orange (left): orange over pale green (right) flew upstream towards Fletchers Grey Heron 1 by the football pitch ChiffChaff 1 singing - Fletchers Goldcrest 1 male -same spot.
-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Monday 21st of March 2011 10:35:09 PM
Again, Bloody disgusting, that permenant marker is a good idea, makes it harder for them to do owt with them, hopefully they might give up now
Lee Griffiths wrote:
1st of all 2 nut feeders pinched from binngreen. hopefully they realized that we have wrote binngreen/dovestones on them in permanent marker so left the rest 415 to 6.50.walk from dovestones carpark to heys top along to chew piece plantation seen the following in no order... blue tit great tit coal tit greenfinch chaffinch robin blackbird magpie sparrow hawk crow jackdaw pied wagtail siskin nuthatch curlew lesser redpoll pheasant great spotted woodpecker meadow pipit skylark oster catcher 2 in field facing sail club at 6,35 mallard canada geese also seen what i thought was a wheatear sat on a wall but couldnt get a proper id due to light fading cheers lee
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Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................
1st of all 2 nut feeders pinched from binngreen. hopefully they realized that we have wrote binngreen/dovestones on them in permanent marker so left the rest 415 to 6.50.walk from dovestones carpark to heys top along to chew piece plantation seen the following in no order... blue tit great tit coal tit greenfinch chaffinch robin blackbird magpie sparrow hawk crow jackdaw pied wagtail siskin nuthatch curlew lesser redpoll pheasant great spotted woodpecker meadow pipit skylark oster catcher 2 in field facing sail club at 6,35 mallard canada geese also seen what i thought was a wheatear sat on a wall but couldnt get a proper id due to light fading cheers lee
At Binn Green 10.15-11.30 Plenty going on, chaffinch greenfinch goldfinch siskin pheasant jay pied wag tree creeper g s woodpecker (heard) redpoll (first) brambling usuals
i hope you have better luck than me, i keep mising um though there is now definatly a male and a female bird both seen over the weekend, only little extra nugget i can pass on that might come in usefull is on the lower level bottom carpark, as you go to the bottom end of the small car park the left hand corner, keep walking straight about 20ft and there is a nice small bolder on the floor there that holds a nice amount of water, a small trough shape if you like, i recently filled it up, take down a few gallon of water and empty there, a great little drinking station, i saw other birds drinking there but no crossbills but i have heard crossbills need to drink a lot and could be a good spot to also keep your eyes on when you visit, the female bird was seen in the large larch tree to the right of the previously mentioned bench with writings carved on it, the same area as the previous male bird,
Good luck, Best Dennis, Ps keep yours eyes open for that mealy to
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Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................