Browse by Tags

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...

Great to see a group of 30 Whooper swans on the main Dove Stone reservoir yesterday. Short but sweet; they were gone by mid morning. We'll keep you posted wth any more sightings of Whoopers coming through. And of course we’re all looking out for Waxwings...

Today's update of a few sightings around and about. A group of 9 Redwing flew over the main car park this afternoon. Bradbury Lane off Banks Lane has a couple of rows of mature trees which is always a good place to look out for Redwing in the tops, as are the fields next to the car park for Fieldfare...

A quick update with some recent sightings at Dove Stone. This morning in the field above Dove Stone reservoir 'plughole' ( it's actually a bell jar overflow but plughole's a much better name ! ) good views of a Kestrel hunting. In the trees bordering this field there were also two...

Time for a monthly update on some of what Dove Stone's wardens and volunteer crew have been up to over the last few weeks. Thanks go to John for keeping us up to date with this. ' another day on the bog restoration site south of Chew reservoir. We drove up to Chew reservoir and then had a...

A quick update of what's around and about. Starting with Chew Brook and up to Chew Res we've recent sightings of Grey Wagtail and a juvenile Dipper . Lots of Meadow Pipits around as well as a few Wrens . Up on the moor tops we've had sightings of three Ravens and Red Grouse , including a...

Time for an update with some news of recent sightings around and about Dove Stone. Up at Binn Green plenty going on with regular sightings of Bullfinch, Siskin, Greenfinch, Treecreeper, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay and Coal Tit as well as Crossbills earlier in the week. Recent reports of both a Hobby...

Our BioBlitz has finally arrived and today is all about finding, identifying and recording as much wildlife as we can at Dove Stone. And if we can record much more than the 400 species we recorded last year that will be really good. We want to show just how much biodiversity there is at Dove Stone. ...

A quick update with a few highlights from today. Reed Bunting , two Kestrels including a female juvenile, a first summer Stonechat, Curlew, Common Sandpiper, Willow Warbler as well as Mistle Thrush , Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Wren, Coal, Blue & Great Tit . Aside from the birds we have sightings of Mountain...

A quick update with sightings yesterday of two Ravens and a Kestrel seen whilst walking the main Dove Stone trail from Chew Brook, with the Ravens mobbing the Kestrel. Thanks to Jamie for the info. Elsewhere around Dove Stone our woodland birds are showing well, particularly up at Binn Green . And flying...

Kicking off our top-ten species , ten day countdown to BioBlitz on Saturday July 7th it's Green Hairstreak ( Callophrys rubi ). Green Hairstreaks are widespread throughout Britain, although this butterfly has declined in some local regions. They can be seen at rest with wings closed, showing...

An update on what's happening with the Peregrines at Dove Stone this year. Over the last few months we've had some really great views of both birds and we've watched them through their courtship displays to mating to what looked like sitting on eggs. Unfortunately the Peregrines haven't...

A quick update for this week. Starting from the main carpark still plenty of House Martins and Swallows around - particularly flying along the reservoir bank. Regulars such as Greenfinch , Goldfinch and Pied Wagtail can be seen around the feeders at the main carpark. Willow Warblers still to be heard...

Great to see Crossbills at Binn Green. And really great views of them yesterday feeding on quite low Larch branches, rather than in tops of these trees as seems to be more usual. The male was looking particulary stunning.

Recent sightings from Dove Stone this week include three Crossbills up at Binn Green this morning as well as a Spotted Flycatcher seen up at Binn Green yesterday. Regular sightings around the Binn Green feeders of Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, Jays, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Treecreeper and...

The first Cuckoo of the year returning to Dove Stone, probably from sub-Saharan overwintering grounds, was heard on May 4th. This will be the male giving the 'cuckoo' call. Since then we've heard regular calling from around the plantations behind Bradbury's Farm; yesterday was our first...

We've just had one of our woodland art walks ( courtesy of the good folk at the local Woodend Artists collective ) where we follow a trail through Dove Stone's woods, collecting a small number of leaves from a number of trees such as Sycamore, Alder, Birch, Rowan & Oak ( as an aside, apparently...

What's about this week at Dove Stone so far: at the moment we're liking the activity up at Binn Green. This morning lots of Siskins with Lesser Redpolls , Brambling as well as regulars Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Coal, Blue, Long tailed and Great Tit and Black Pheasants. Jays are also around regularly...

If you're thinking coming to Dove Stone anytime soon here's what's been seen recently. Wheatears have now returned - have a look for them around hillsides up from Chew Brook onwards. In the same area look out for Stonechat and Reed Buntings . Along the way there's lots of Willow Warblers...

A quick post on what's about at Dove Stone. Thursday saw our first Swallows returning to Dove Stone seen flying in the field next to the main carpark and along the main reservoir bank on Friday. Willow warblers and Chiffchaff are also around the estate, arriving a couple of weeks ago. Up at Binn...

A brief Dove Stone update. Plenty of Goldfinches and Greenfinches to be seen today as well as Coal, Great and Blue Tits - all to be seen at both of Dove Stone's feeding stations in the main car park and at the top car park, Binn Green. Also seen today were a small group of Long Tailed Tits. Recent...

Whilst setting up the public information desk this morning I saw my first migrant Fieldfares of the season. Unmistakeable with their grey heads and backs, there were just three or four birds at first with a couple of Redwing as companions, easily confirmed through the spotting scope. Then one or two...

The last two weeks since I last posted to the blog have seen changes in the woodlands at Dove Stone. The yellows and oranges are really noticeable amongst the usual green of the trees now. Autumn is really here. We've also seen in this time an end to the Peregrine watch at Ashway Gap. A big...

This afternoon has given us good views of one of the young Peregrines perching on a ledge on Dove Stone rocks, as well as some good aerial displays of two Peregrines together. One of these birds clearly had food in its talons and there was some calling going on between these two. The young Peregrines...

The run of good weather we've been having came to an end this morning with low cloud, rain and poor visibility at Dove Stone this morning. On the plus side, rain is what we need at the moment as the reservoir levels at Dove Stone are very low at the moment. We've had a busy weekend on the...