Whiteholme

 

Whiteholme

                                             Record shot of distant Osprey sat on fence post in the middle of the moor

  1 x Osprey sat on the fence post for 10 minutes before  heading off south west

31 x Ringed Plover

2 x Curlew Sandpiper 

1 x Little Stint

3 x Dunlin

1 x Snipe 

2 x  Kestrel

4 x Swallow

1 x Wheatear

2 x Teal 

2 x Raven

60 + Meadow Pipit , small groups heading south throughout morning 

Andy Huyton and Cockroft

Ogden

1cy Continental Cormorant, P c sinensis

Tufted Duck 2

Whiteholme continues..............to 11th Sep

Late news from AC

9 Bar-tailed Godwit and  2 Turnstone -didn't stay long yesterday.

2 Curlew Sandpipers and Little Stint still today (MH)

Whiteholme Reservoir

   Headed up to Whiteholme Reservoir late morning to try to see the juvenile Curlew Sandpiper found earlier by MH. The bird was still present when I arrived, but feeding distantly with a large flock of Ringed Plovers in the northeast corner of the reservoir. Fortunately, the whole group decided to come closer not long after, but it was a shock that when the flock landed, there were not one but two juvenile Curlew Sandpipers standing next to each other!

  Sadly they did not stay long before returning to the far shoreline, with all the waders being quite mobile throughout the morning. It was not until another hour had passed that the birds came close again, this time close enough to allow for some photos to be taken. Curlew Sandpiper was a new species for me in Calderdale.

  In addition to the two Curlew Sandpiper, the juvenile Little Stint remained present but it never came close. A solitary Dunlin was also present, alongside my best count of 18 Ringed Plover. A Wheatear was also running on the exposed shoreline. Great to see AC, PD, LD, MH & SH all present as well. 

-Curlew Sandpiper

-Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin & Ringed Plover

In total managed 15 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S272544834

Whiteholme

Early start for MH this morning was well worth the effort with the Little Stint still present along with a newly arrived juvenile Curlew Sandpiper. Brilliant birding.

Also from yesterday 5 Crossbill flew over (BL)

Canada Goose IAD

This bird with the orange neckband, seen at Ringstone Edge on 6 September, was banded as an adult male on 9/7/22 at Scorton, near Catterick, North Yorks.

I mentioned the Euring website on 6 Sept as the place to track down a colour ringed bird. This was not exact enough. One needs to go to: cr-birding.org - and click 'Find a colour-ring project': then enter the details and click 'Apply'.

Whiteholme res'r

A good day today for MH in finding a Little Stint - a scarce wader for Calderdale - always a good find and in this case persistence payed off !

Shortly afterwards joined by AC they manage an Osprey passing over late morning. 

More waders on the shoreline included 23 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin along with a Shelduck and 13 Teal.

We headed up there in the afternoon in the wake of PD, LD then later with DJB. Stint still showing well near the NE island, always with the Ringed Plover flock and single Dunlin though they were very wary and ended up on the distant shoreline leaving them impossible without the scope. Also present 1 Golden Plover and 2 Snipe with a Wheatear on the rocks and Shelduck and 13 Teal still present.

A good afternoon all round.

Earlier in the day a cream crowned Marsh Harrier was reported moving through Rishworth Moor and shortly after one was over Scammonden (AC) - possibly the same bird on it's travels.

Ringstone Edge

Continental Cormorant, P c sinensis.

'European Birds' by Hume et al (Princeton University Press) explains how the shape of the yellow gular skin usually tells which subspecies a bird belongs to. This skin is pointed on P c carbo, and squarer on most P c sinensis.

This is because of the angle between the gape and the rear edge of the gular skin. For this angle the ranges given are: carbo 30-72 degrees, sinensis 66-111 degrees. (A few birds in and around the overlap zone cannot be assigned to subspecies.)

PS: I've had a response from the BTO about the Canada Goose with a neckband seen two days ago. It is not one of the Norfolk birds. I've now been asked to send my photos to someone at WWT Slimbridge.

Soil Hill

  First day back and first morning on Soil Hill of the autumn produced a very nice patch tick in the form of this Mediterranean Gull, which flew south with the steady stream of Black-headed Gulls, my 131st species for Soil Hill. From the photos, it appears to have small dark edges to the wingtips, so I suspect this bird is a 2cy. The white plumage stood out a mile from the other gulls moving. Sadly I lost it behind the hill, but it did not appear to go down on Ogden.

  Steady trickle of Swallows going south, with 76 counted in several small bursts. At least nine Chiffchaffs in the bushes, and a Lesser Redpoll flew south calling. 

-Mediterranean Gull

 In total managed 43 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S271942912

Trektellen count here; https://www.trektellen.org/count/view/767/20250907

Ringstone Edge

This Canada Goose with black letters IAD on an orange neckband was here today. I've sent details to an email address at the BTO, that I found on the Euring (European colour-ring birding) website. The website says that birds with these colours, and letters, were banded in Norfolk. If I get to hear when the bird was banded, I'll put this on the blog.

Ringstone

No sign of the recent Caspian Gulls at Ringstone this afternoon despite an extensive search, in good light, checking through the mass of gulls on there again, with AC. Mostly Black-headed and Lesser Black-backs with a very small number of Common Gulls in-among.

Also 6 Ringed Plover, 2 Golden Plover on the shore (+ 55 in the field), 6 Teal, 4 Shelduck, 2 Great Crested Grebe and a Cormorant along with several Mallard and Tufted Duck and a mobile number of Lapwings.

Ringstone

 Ringstone has had very few waders this autumn so far but is getting a lot of gulls..There has been an Adult summer , 3 x   2 Cy Caspian Gulls on the shoreline. Mid -afternoon seems to be the best time , 2 Little Egrets dropped in for about 10 minutes yesterday. 1 Swift on the 1st .

Lee Mount etc - 2nd September

Started off well this morning with a decent flock of  25+ House Martins over the trees in Shroggs Park. Time to watch out for Swifts - then 4 appeared, generally feeding higher than the martins. Always good to get Swifts in September as they are certainly 'early leavers'. Also 3 Swallows.

Best I could do with a Swift  (the sunshine on its underparts)

Most frustratingly, a distant falcon was hawking insects high up towards Boothtown. I watched it for a good few moments but failed to get firm identification so will have to let that one go.

Later, I tried Swales Moor, on the top. No visible migration other than 33 Lesser Black-backed Gulls with 2 adult Herring Gulls drifting >S along the ridge and 15 Meadow Pipits and 3 Swallows in the same direction.