It's been a while since I last blogged, with news of Common Redstart at Dove Stone, being the last update to the Dove Stone reserve 2013 Bird List. Saturday saw my first sighting of Swfits at Dove Stone for this year with one flying over Dove Stone reservoir, and on Sunday there were several flying around Dove Stone rocks, seen from Ashway Gap so this brings our reserve total to 65. Obviously Swifts have been in the area for a while now, it's just that this is the first record for the year of them actually at Dove Stone. Swifts are really amazing. These are birds that sleep, eat and often mate on the wing.
Swifts are now an amber listed bird, ie they're of conservation concern declining possilby due to loss of nesting sites. There are things you can do http://www.rspb.org.uk/thingstodo/surveys/swifts/underthreat.aspx and if you want to take part in the RSPB's Swfit survey then follow this link http://www.rspb.org.uk/applications/swiftsurvey/
Back to the list. Ahead of Swift we've also seen over the last few weeks the return of Dunlin to the moor tops, coming in at number 64 on the Dove Stone reserve 2013 Bird List.
Elsewhere around Dove Stone I've had regular sightings of Common Sandpipers around Yeoman Hey and Greenfield reservoir and Curlews around the hillsides beneath the Holmfirth road. Also on Yeoman Hey last week there were two Oystercatchers. On the surrounding low hillsides there's been two Reed Buntings as well as Dipper and Grey Wagtail on the reservoir spillways and on Greenfield Brook. All around Dove Stone there are good numbers of Meadow Pipit, including regular flocks on Dove Stone reservoir dam wall as well as Pied Wagtails and Swallows over the water and surrounding fields. At various points around the main trail Willow Warbler are singing well and up at Binn Green there's been Treecreeper, Coal, Blue and Great Tit, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Jay, Mistle Thrush, Wren and Great Spotted Woodpecker.
More soon with updates on what's happening with the Peregrines and perhaps news of Spotted Flycatcher, which would be a good reserve tick !