Whiteholme Reservoir

Whiteholme this morning

      Juvenile Little Ringed Plover

3 Dunlin
1 Adult Ringed plover
2 Juvenile Little Ringed Plover
1 Common Sandpiper
3 Peregrines
4 Wheatear

Crossbills

3 Crossbills showed really well today in the plantation at Walshaw Dean, adult male and female and a juvenile.

Ogden Water etc.

An hour there across tea-time produced a couple of nice surprises...a bit distant for any photo's  unfortunately.
1 Green Sandpiper
1 Dunlin

Also, amongst the usual species
2 Cormorant
2 Willow Warblers
2 Herring Gulls
c25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
30+ Black-headed Gulls
3 Common Gulls

Also from yesterday as I was waiting at Halifax Railway Station, an adult Peregrine was soaring about over Square Chapel and then over Beacon Hill. I guess this was one of the birds that attempted to nest there earlier in the year (?)

River Calder

Yesterdays walk along the river Calder-:

  Cormorant, Goosander, Jay, Canada, BH Gull, Mallard,
  Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Blackcap, Moorhen, Wren,
  Dunnock, Blackbird and Otter

Hebden Bridge Rally Saturday 11th August

https://www.facebook.com/events/185104235652390/

Cuckoo

Last nights juvenile Cuckoo at Crimsworth Dean taken through car window.

Lee Mount

Just 3 Swifts through today and 4 House Martins early on and that was about it for today.

Tawny Owls calling and singing most nights from the park and in Wheatley Valley.

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Mixenden reservoir

Female goldeneye still there this morning
1 grey wagtail

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Swales Moor - Ringby Lane

Plenty of gulls in north field, ie 'the wagtail' field, this afternoon following the plough. Around 150 gulls but nothing out of the ordinary - mostly L B B Gulls and B H Gulls with a few adult Herring Gulls and 3 adult Common Gulls.
Also 30+ alba wagtails - some looked very pale, possible 'White Wagtails' but with changing plumage of the Pied Wagtails and a large proportion of juveniles it was difficult to be sure of any 'whites' !
No Yellow Wag's...... but it's worth keeping a check on especially when/if we get some rain.

It could be fantastic up there if they sowed it down with wildflower seed. !!!!!

Also a few Linnets about as well as Goldfinch's, 1 Skylark, 2 Kestrels and c60 Carrion Crows, but they weren't showing any interest in the 'wagtail field' for some reason.

Withens Head

Viewpoint, opposite the wind-farm car park late morning.
2 Wheatear
c12 Linnet
1 Sparrowhawk
20+ Meadow Pipits

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Fly Flatts

This morning, no sign of the weekends waders.
Just 2 Dunlin along with a few Lapwings.
12 Teal
1 Buzzard
10+ Kestrels
50+ Swallows and Swifts passing through > SW
1 Common Gull
c30 B H Gulls and a few L B B Gulls over the moor
2 Barnacle Geese
2 Meadow Pipit
5 Ravens > N
For yesterday's concise update at Fly Flatts see BS's blog (West Yorkshire Birding).

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Twite

I've just seen a request on FB for information on Twite, it's a chap from Slovakia who is trying to get some UK birding done whilst he is over here for Birdfair.  One target species is twite, so Derby Delph is an obvious site but are they being seen there at the moment, if so is there a preferred time to visit?

Fly Flatts

Greenshank still present from yesterday and now with 2 Green Sandpipers, an early morning find for DF. All still there at 10:30 this morning. They were showing in the area at the bottom of the fence line, view from the large-ish car parking area on the top road but from there a scope is essential.
DF, DP, DJS (3 Dave's)!

Also this afternoon 2 Sanderling turned up along with a single Dunlin (which is under scrutiny?) see BS's photo's on West Yorkshire Birding blog.. (DF NCD BS)

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Recent news !

A few birds of interest this week including some wader species that we have expected with the shoreline of several of our local reservoirs. Still plenty time for some more !

Juvenile Greenshank at Fly Flatts today along with a Common Sandpiper and 2 Barnacle Geese still there. (DJS BS)

Blackstone Edge and Whiteholme reservoirs area has seen several Dunlin, up to 4 Ringed Plover, some Curlew and Oystercatchers this week with c25 of the latter still in the Gorple/Walshaw area earlier in the week. (PG NCD DF DW et al)

Little Egret briefly at Green Withens on Tuesday flew off >NW. (PD)

280 or so House Martins at Eastwood sewage treatment works. (MB)

2 Crossbills at Sunderland Pasture plantation (PG) and another at Walshaw plantation (NCD DF)

Lots of Kestrels about at a number of locations after what looks like a really good breeding season. Several reports of Buzzards, Short-eared Owls and Little Owls, and Raven etc along with  a Merlin near Widdop (PB) - plenty of voles for the raptors and owls this summer which is good news. Several reports of Buzzard juveniles fledged now as well.

Swifts now well on the move out of our area but some moving flocks around early morning and  early/late evening with 30+ this morning over Lee Mount and 40+ over Northowram on Wednesday (DJS AC)

Yellow Wagtail seen again at Ringstone this week (GS)
Yellow-hammer at Claremount last Sunday (DB)

Probably a few more 'bits' I've missed out as well, with apologies. !!
It's been good to get a few more 'birders' doing the rounds recently. Good work everyone.
Just need a few more to blog.