Wainstalls and Castle Carr Road

A mix of sunshine and wintry showers this morning but plenty of interest.
10+ Skylarks back on the moorland fringes with some birds in song when the sun came out.
Pair of Stonechats
20+ Meadow Pipits
Curlews and Lapwings well in evidence and a single flyover Golden Plover heard.
1 Kestrel
Green Woodpecker heard in the dean
No sign of any Wheatears yet - but anytime soon with a bit of luck !
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Hunter Hill and Stodfold

This afternoon. It was good to get out after that torrential rain all day yesterday. A nice mix of birds around the site which included the lower end of the golf course
11 Curlew
18 Fieldfare
60+ Redwings
80+ Starlings
1 Little Owl
1 Kestrel
1 Reed Bunting
Plus other usual species
7 Pied Wagtails in a freshly manured field - and carefully checked for White Wag's
Herring Gulls were moving west all the time I was there. Not in groups but mostly singles on a broad front so no accurate count. Interesting that we do well for moving Herring Gulls over our area as BS also notes at Fly Flatts on a regular basis.

Lee Mount

A walk around Shroggs Park first thing this morning and it's stopped raining, for a while. !!
Green Woodpecker 'yaffleing'
Great Spotted Woodpecker 'drumming'
Nuthatch 'singing'
3 Brambling near the park lodge
Blue, Great and 2 Long-tailed Tits
Blackbirds, Song Thrush and 2 Mistle Thrushes singing.
Plus other usual species


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Fly Flatts

No let-up with the weather up there this week The gales, rain and gusting wind continue with a vengeance !
Difficult to find anything around the reservoir other than a few Mallard and Canada's.
I eventually found some waders, all sheltering on the flat moor including an unknown number of Lapwings, Golden Plover and at least 2 Redshank.
Apart from that 5 Meadow Pipits were getting blown about alongside the top road.
1 Curlew at Withens Head.

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Mixenden and Fly Flatts

Those gale force winds continue especially so at Fly Flatts. A bit of shelter for the birds from the plantation at Mixenden usually pays off.

Mixenden
Pair of Goldeneye
2 pairs Tufted Duck
5 Goosander
1 Cormorant
12 Mallard
4 Canada Geese
20 B H Gulls but only 2 Common Gulls.

Fly Flatts
A few Lapwings and Canada's but I couldn't find any Golden Plover or Curlews, probably hunkered down on the moor somewhere !
1 distant Peregrine
9 Herring Gulls >w
2 Jackdaws (unusual at this site) >N

Also from JJL this morning, a Chiffchaff singing along the canal side between Elland and Brighouse. Nice one John.

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SEO Cock Hill

Monday 8.50 pm.

Just for information.

Short eared owl near Cock Hill. It flew across the A6033 in front of my car.

Mixenden and Fly Flatts

Westerly gales throughput with spells of heavy rain.
Mixenden
1 f Goldeneye
3 Goosander
1 Cormorant
1 Sparrowhawk

Fly Flatts
1 distant Common Buzzard
1 Oystercatcher
3 Herring Gulls >W
c24 Lapwings on the West Bank
4 Stock Doves
1 Red Grouse

Withens Head
1 Redshank with 8 Lapwings

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Puzzling pipit, possible Icelandic Meadow??

Me and DF took these pictures of an odd looking pipit at Walshaw Dean yesterday. It was very orangey buff coloured underneath but appeared to have pink legs and a dark bill which didn't seem to fit any species. I recall seeing a similar bird some 6 years ago at Castle Carr Road Wainstalls also in March and I came to the conclusion it must be the Icelandic Meadow Pipit. Any thoughts welcome.

Grey Herons.

Spent some time earlier this week watching Herons collecting different kinds of nesting material. Quite enlightening! 

Rooks also were doing the same.

                                                                              

Mixenden Reservoir

3 Goldeneye including one drake
3 Tufted Duck
Drake Goosander
1 Cormorant
8 Mallard

Pepper Hill

An hour or so around the hilltop this morning. A very blustery wind but it stayed dry.
3 Skylarks were the best. Pleased there are some back there.
1 Green Woodpecker heard
2 Buzzards distant
2 Sparrowhawks over Shibden
6 Herring Gulls >W
Pair of Goosander high >SW - they don't half fly at speed, aided no doubt by that streamlined appearance in flight.

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