A quick update with recent sightings both this week and last.
Dove Stone reservoir usually has a good amount of Black Headed Gulls, and this week there have easily been 100+ on the res at any one time. Always worth a scan for something more unusual in the mix of Black Headed Gulls though ! On the main res and today were a group of around 8 Pochards, which is a new sighting for the Dove Stone Bird List, bringing it up to 36. Last week we had 5 Mute Swans ( 37 ). Add in a sighting of Kingfisher (38) earlier this week ( at the Ashway Gap end of Dove Stone res and also seen around Yeoman Hey ). Finally, sightings this week of Long Tailed Tit brings the list up to a mighty 39 ! The Long Tailed Tits were seen in trees surrounding the area where we have feeders at the main car park and also on the peanut feeders themselves up at Binn Green. I don't recall seeing Long Tailed Tits on the feeders at Dove Stone before.
Also to be seen in the feeding zones are Nuthatch, Goldfinch and Greenfinch at the main car park and also up at Binn Green, along with two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit and Mistle Thrush today. The Treecreepers were keeping out of sight. Good numbers of Siskins still present, with 80+ being ringed at Binn Green last week. We've also had a report of possible Crossbills heard but not seen. Elsewhere around Dove Stone we've had sightings of 6 Dippers and a Grey Heron over Yeoman Hey moving towards Greenfield res. Finally, the Peregrines are regularly being seen and observed by us all here and we also have sightings of 2 Ravens over Alderman's Brow as well as around Dove Stone rocks.
More soon...