A quick update with news that Common Sandpipers were heard at Dove Stone on Sunday - quite often they'll give a three-note call as they fly. They've also been seen earlier this week, with the most recent sightings being on Friday around Yeoman Hey and Greenfield reservoirs. Common Sandpipers are summer visitors to Dove Stone. They'll be here to around July and August with any young birds staying a bit later, leaving around September. Look out for these birds flying low over the reservoirs and alongside areas such as Greenfield brook. You might see them 'teetering': bobbing up and down, and they have quite a distinctive flight with stiff, bowed wings with white on the wings. Also around and about on the reservoirs there have been Cormorant and Oystercatcher with Dippers on the watercourses around Greenfield res and Chew Brook. There's also been sightings of a Snipe at the water's edge down from Ashway Gap.
Elsewhere around Dove Stone there's Siskins showing well up at Binn Green along with lots of Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Lesser Redpoll, plus plenty of our regular Blue, Great and Coal Tits and Chaffinches of course. There was also a male Bullfinch on the feeders at Binn Green yesterday - listen out for the low piping call - as well as a Jay. I also saw a Brambling in the feeding area at Binn Green yesterday.
Further around at Dove Stone there's Meadow Pipits, Peregrine, Willow Warbler, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Swallows, Wheatears and Red Grouse on the moor tops. More soon with hopefully news of Blackcaps and Cuckoos...