Blakehill sightings 2024

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 Below: Male Stonechat, 20th April (Clive Scarlett), female  Stonechat, 2nd April (Ken Cypher), Wheatear, 21st Mar. (Jon Mercer),                                                        Curlews, 5th Apr. (Teresa Farr), Cuckoo, 17th April (Jon Mercer)


Blakehill 2024


Please don't put Brown Hare reports on the blackboard at the site - Hare-coursing is a constant threat - please send them to me robswildlife(at)googlemail.com  as with all other reports 


25th April: Cuckoo, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Curlews, Common & 3 Lesser Whitethroats, Wheatear, 2 Stonechats, 3 Linnets, Reed Bunting, Green-winged Orchid  (RG)


24th April: Cuckoo, Little Egret, Stonechat, Lesser Whitethroat (Elliot Horton)


20th April: Male Stonechat (Clive Scarlett)


18th April: Ringtail Hen Harrier (James Tipping), the fifth for the site, there have now been 4 in the last 5 years, the first was in 2007. Four ringtails and one male, in Oct 2022. 


17th April:  Grey Heron, Red Kite, Kestrel, 2 displaying Curlew, Cuckoo, Skylark, pair Stonechat, Long-tailed Tit, Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Raven (JM, Andrew Cooper)


16th April: Pair Redstarts, pair Stonechats, pair Curlews, c4 Linnets, Lesser Whitethroat singing, Green Woodpecker, 2 Kestrels (RG)


Cuckoo (Neil Pullen)


13th April: Male Redstart, 2 Common and 1 Lesser Whitethroat, male Stonechat acting furtively, at least one Curlew, Red Kite, Swallow, 8 Linnets (hopefully 4 pairs)  (RG)


Butterfly transect week 2: Brimstone 3, Orange Tip: 10 (1 female), Peacock 4, Speckled Wood 2 


12th April: Grasshopper Warbler - earliest ever (?), Cuckoo, Redstart, Common Whitethroat (Anon.1)


 2 Curlews, 2 Swallows, Weasel (Anon. 2)


11th April: 2 Wheatears (Anon.)

4 Curlew, 3 Mistle Thrush, 2 Stonechat, reeling Grasshopper Warbler  (Nigel Sluman) 


10th April: Male Redstart from the first gate, looking along the track towards the stables. A Curlew calling in flight, also a Swallow, 15 Linnets and a the pair of Stonechats  (JM, Scott Punter)

5th April: 2 Curlews, Meadow Pipits, 2 Kestrels (Andy & Teresa Farr)


4th April: 2 Curlews, 12 Linnets, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Blackcaps, Mistle Thrush


Butterfly Transect week 1: 3 Peacocks


3rd April: 2 Stonechats


1st April: Grey Heron, Red Kite, 2 Curlew, Skylark chorus, 4 Meadow Pipit, 3 Stonechat, m and f Wheatear, 8 Fieldfare, 6+ Linnet, 5 Reed Bunting (Clive Scarlet, JM)


30th March: WHITE-TAILED EAGLE flying north over Whitworth Building at 1pm (Jon Beresford & Liz Bone) - first for Blakehill!


Short-eared Owl at Poor Field 9.20am flushed from fence post then flew over to the west but maybe not far - the first at Blakehill itself since 16th November 2019, (seen later hunting over plateau - Eliot Horton) also Kestrel, Common Snipe - both also at Poor Field, Curlew,  pair Stonechats, 5 or 6 Linnets, 2 Reed Buntings, Blackcap, many Skylarks, pair Canada Geese on the ponds. (RG)


27th March: Buzzard, singing Skylark chorus, 2 Meadow Pipit, 1 Wheatear, pair Stonechat  (JM) 


25th March: Curlew, Skylark chorus, 6 Meadow Pipit, m Wheatear, pair Stonechat, Chiffchaff, 2 Raven (JM) 


22nd March: 2 male Wheatear, also Buzzard, 6+ singing Skylark, male Stonechat, singing Song Thrush (Andrew Cooper) 


21st March: 4 Wheatears - first for the year, Stonechat (JM, Steve Birt, Roger Gillespie)


20th March: Sparrowhawk, Red Kite, 3+ singing Skylark, Song Thrush, m Stonechat, Chiffchaff, 3 Goldfinch, Raven (Andrew Cooper)


10th March: Curlew , about 6 Skylark, 2 Kestrel and a Great Spotted Woodpecker (Ken Cypher) 


3rd March: Marsh Harrier hunting (James Harris)

Buzzard, Kestrel, 11 Meadow Pipit, 230 Fieldfare, 4 Redwing, pair Stonechat, Greenfinch, 3 Chaffinch  (Dave Gilbert)

25th Feb: Curlew (T. & A. Binny)


6 Short eared Owls on hedge at Stoke Common - the first on site since 2019, and the max count since January 2015 (Jonathan Clarke)


24th Feb: Little Owl - first here since October 2019, although one was probably breeding at Leigh Crossroads quite nearby in June 2023. Also 2 Stonechats, 8 Fieldfares and 18 Redwings. Only two Snipe  (RG)

Curlew (Anon.)


21st Feb. : Curlew - earliest ever by 9 days (Neil Pullen)


18th Feb: 9 Stonechats (Simon Gathercole)


15th Feb.: 10 Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipit, pair Stonechat, pair Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, c70 Fieldfare/ Redwing, 25 Rook  (Dave Gilbert, JM)


11th Feb.: Merlin on plateau - the first since 8th October, also Green Woodpecker, drumming GS Woodpecker, pair Stonechat, Fieldfare, Jay, Raven

 (JM)

10th Feb.: 21 Meadow Pipits out of 50+ on site, 2 Stonechats, 4 Reed Buntings all trapped and ringed, also 30+ Skylarks, Fieldfares (but no Redwings), Kite & Buzzards (Simon Tucker)


4th Feb. : pair Stonechat, 80+ Fieldfare, 25+ Redwing (JM)


2nd Feb.: Buzzard, 15 Meadow Pipit, 20+ Fieldfare/ Redwing, pair Stonechat, fem Bullfinch  (JM)


25th Jan.: 300+ Redwings, c50 Fieldfares, 3 Meadow Pipits, 2 Linnets, Green & Great Spotted Woodpecker, singing Skylarks (RG)


13th Jan: Kestrel, pair Stonechat, 15+ Fieldfare, 10+ Redwing  (JM)


6th Jan: 2 Red Kite, Raven, 2 Stock Doves, 2 Stonechats, Song Thrush, Greenfinch over (Steve Davies)


5th Jan 2024 : Stonechat on the plateau, 2 Reed Bunting and a pair of Raven flying over (Ken Cypher)


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