Bitterly cold wind along the road this afternoon. A pair of Stonechats running the fence line adjacent to the patch of heathland was a welcome sight but one wonders how they manage to survive, and find food in those conditions.
Not a lot else, but around 15 Meadow Pipits feeding in a patch of long grasses and 2 adult Herring Gulls over >W
A couple of visits to Soil Hill to round out 2025 have seen good numbers of snipe on offer. Both yesterday and this morning I flushed a Woodcock, this morning's individual eventually being flushed three times. And there has been an excellent count of six Jack Snipe yesterday, with five again today.
Second visit this week to check on the geese - just in case of anything unexpected.
The Todmorden Shag did the polite thing and waited two weeks for me to return to Halifax, allowing me to see it. Fortunately, it did not take too long to find yesterday morning, sat on the nearside canal bank below Lock 16, adjacent to the Haugh Road Bridge. The bird seemed completely unconcerned by people passing by, giving excellent views.
Also a welcome update from SB today (20th) with the Shag still present and looking good along the Rochdale Canal near Todmorden. (still there on 21st)
The recent reported ring number (1713684) of the Shag on the Rochdale Canal near Todmorden has been replied to by the BTO.
Managed to get to see the Shag recently reported near Todmorden. Thankfully, still there this morning and I managed a few shots including information off the metal ring - details of which are now reported to the BTO with hopefully an update in due course.
A very confiding bird but not sure that's a good thing.!! Hopefully it is managing to feed and perhaps return to it's normal habitat as a coastal bird. Plenty of activity nearby from at least 2 Kingfishers, Grey Heron and a number of Goosander, all suggesting there is plenty of food there for the taking.
