goyt valley nr buxton (1 Viewer)

[peter hill]

Out again today from coombs res towards the valley through coombs and over the tops then the old road and elnor lane home , first birds of intrest were a flock of redpolls mixed with siskins just before the boating club a quick scan over the water turned up 20+ wigeon my biggest count on here lots of redwings and fieldfares but very spooky also saw a snipe that i think was flushed by a dog walker A lone kestral hunted the ridge above the path to withen leach ,stopped for a coffee just off the road and a sparrow hawk flew overhead brightl male phesants strutted in the woods above the road ,more fieldfares flying about and feeding on the berries at the top of elnor lane ,now headed to taxel via shallcross estate 2 bullfinches were spotted on route a nice day lots of birds about but mostly flyty fieldfares best shot i could manage

 

[peter hill]

First time out locally today started from coombs res 30% frozen over did not expect much the normal black headed gulls and mallards then my morning was warmed up by three bullfinches and a small flock of siskins where the res meets the coombs road i had a stop and watched the area where a small stream flows in after about 10 minutes i saw a swirl in the water a seconds later a mink was swimming towards me before i could take the lens cap from my camara it disapeared under some tree roots apart from a raven the walk was uneventfull till i reached erwood res thre i spoted 5 goosander 2m 3f Then on up the valley a couple of flocks of long tail tits and a nuthatch and 2 tree creepers was all i could see ,on reaching the higher moors above derbyshire bridge the snow became deeper in patches but thre was no shortage of red grouse i must have seen 30+ they really stand out in the snow ,the rest of the walk to buxton was quite with just a nice mandrin <tame i think in the gardens > a couple of snaps from my new camara

 

[peter hill]

Been nothing much to report lately,my last walk in the valley hardly saw anything ,a short local walk today i saw a flock of approx 50 pink footed geese flying west and a goosander on the goyt in whaley bridge park

 

[birdleg]

Just been out for a long walk in the snow around Errwood and Fernilee reservoirs this afternoon. Not very exciting but saw 1 Blue Tit, 4 Long-Tailed Tits, 1 Common Treecreeper (just ID'd by you fellow enthusiasts here) and 3 sightings of a male Common Pheasant.

Very quiet....will pop back in the spring when I believe there will be more birds!

 

[peter hill]

Try again towards the end of april to late may this seems to be the peak time B

 

[birdleg]

Thanks for the information Peter. Will definitely return during that time! :t:

 

[Bananafishbones]

Been nothing much to report lately,my last walk in the valley hardly saw anything ,a short local walk today i saw a flock of approx 50 pink footed geese flying west and a goosander on the goyt in whaley bridge park

Missed this one Peter

Nice Goosander image mate :t:

Have you seen any Winchats recently Pete? Are they usualy by the Derbyshire bridge carpark?

Dave

 

[peter hill]

Hi bfb no the winchats wont be around till later in the year <may june > they dont winter here , a couple of places i have seen them in the past ,from d b car park head towards the cat and fiddle check the trees on your right just above were the stream crosses the road ,also in the bushes on the left from d b c p towards errwood they can be hard to find and are not reliable best of luck B

 

[birdleg]

With the sunny weather the past few days, popped over to Fernilee and Erwood Reservoirs today.

Again quiet but saw: 1 male Red Grouse (Derbyshire Bridge area), 1 male Common Pheasant, 21 Canada Geese, 3 Great Tits and 2 Mallards (male and female).

 

[hampers]

Trip up the valley today from Errwood to the top produced little. Canada's, mallard and a cormorant on the reservoir. Very quiet from the woodland species, some tits calling was all. Near Derbyshire Bridge a pair of ravens flew over as did buzzard. At the top good views of a number of red grouse. Quick look at the old workings produced nothing, went just on the off chance. Down into Wildboarclough, again quiet, dipper on the river. Mistle thrush on wires.

Phil

 

[peter hill]

Had a walk up the valley today not much about a few nuthatches and tree creepers and a buzzard in the lower valley only walked up as far as errwood res and the only bird on there was a canada goose, the best bird of the day was an hype active goldcrest

 

[peter hill]

Thought id have another walk from coombs res via the valley to home ,sighns of spring the lapwings are about in numbers on the hills so are the curlews only managed 1 meadow pipet must be still a bit early ,a snipe on the fields above long hill was nice and saw my first frogspawn of the year not a lot in the lower valley but i got a dipper and a goldcrest Yesterday i walked around coombs res and as today there were about a dozen greater creasted grebes but yesterday i saw a barnacle goose ,some sort of feral but nice to see as i have not seen one here of years mybe 1 of the carsington flock B

 

[peter hill]

With the possable chance of a pied fly catcher had a trip up to errwood ,seen on the web that someone had seen 3 on the 8th ,got a lift to errwood then walked past the res and did the riverside walk ,was supprised at the lack of birds did not heard any chiffchaffs or willow warblers no sign of the pied flys ,did see a dipper and a day flying bat :eek!: A freind told me he had seen a common sand on the res bank ,but no sign of that ,just before i left the res had a quick glimpes of a redstart my first of the year the white crown gave it away Only 1 mallard on fernilee but below the dam heard a couple of chiffchaffs and saw another dipper ,still needs a few days or mybe weeks before the valley comes alive

 

[Bananafishbones]

Hi Peter

I too walked the goyt down to eerwood a few days ago (with Neil from the staffs thread) and I echo your report, very quiet.

No warblers and only a few LTTs, however bonus was the sighting of a male merlin

I will return one evening next week

Dave

I did manage a male Pied Flycatcher at macc forest this morning and plenty of Willow Warbs and Chiffchaffs... so they cant be long fron the Goyt

 

[Neil-T]

Hi Dave, let me know when the Redstarts show up mate. Are you still on for Cannock chase, Saturday morning. Drop me a PM or call me. Neil.

PS: Had Pied flycatchers down at RSPB Coombes valley this morning.

 

[Goyter]

Cuckoo in Goyt

Heard a cuckoo this morning calling above Fernilee Reservoir. Will be going out next week to try for a sighting

 

[mick.ball]

Fernilee

Heard a cuckoo this morning calling above Fernilee Reservoir. Will be going out next week to try for a sighting

east or west side?

 

[peter hill]

Not heard a cuckoo yet but did see 2 common sandpipers on friday at errwood + 2 buzzards and 2 jays +3 or 4 curlews

 

[Goyter]

Cuckoo

on te west sideup near Old Hall Farm. Hear it every year up there but not usually this early

 

[jonlowes]

Hiya, there was one male Pied Flycatcher singing at the north end of Errwood Resr yesterday, plus Jay, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Raven, Dipper & good numbers of Willow Warblers. There have been a couple of sightings of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker according to the log & two Redstarts recently but I couldn't find either. I did have a pair of Stonechats in Berry Clough though.