Cold Edge

This slightly out of focus front view of the Scaup shows how broad its bill is.

Cold Edge

Juvenile Scaup

1 of 3 Wheatears

Shroggs recalimed landfill

I managed to find a female Blackcap this morning in the tree belt area - eating elderberries and in and out of blackberry bushes. Also at least 2 Chiffchaff, Nuthatch, Buzzard and a Swallow.

Afternoon in Lee Mt - 2 Swallows passed through as well as a Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk with at least one Tawny Owl singing in Shroggs Park at 8 pm.

Ogden golf course (am) - and Withens Clough Res'r (pm)

Ogden. 

One Common Redstart showed briefly then didn't show for another 20 mins. Not a lot else other than a Great Spotted Woodpecker high >NE and 3 Buzzards at a distance.

Withens Clough Res'r circuit

84 Lapwings along the shore and a Dipper  were the only birds on or near the water, though there is plenty of shore-line. Elsewhere, nearby 2 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 6 House Martins, 1 Kestrel, 6 Meadow Pipits, 2 alba Wagtails, 1 Grey Wagtail.

The only sign of any passage birds were c20 Swallows high >W.

Cold Edge

Some of 16 Greylags, including 2 partial albinos

More 'pinks'

40 Pink-footed Geese over >SE around 08:00 this morning (WG).

Also a skein heard over Todmorden at 22:30 last night (Bob S) and possibly the same flock over Queensbury at 22:50 (HC).

Ogden

 Didn't find a lot this afternoon in the blustery conditions.

1 adult Little Grebe in the middle of the water, 2 Cormorants and a single Common Sandpiper along the embankment shore-line.

Mixenden Res'r

With a strong westerly gale blowing I thought the res'r might turn something up - but nothing doing other than 12 Canada Geese along the west shore-line that was sheltered from the wind.

In the shelter of the wind I walked the tree belt adjacent to the shore. No disappointment there, coming across a lot of bird activity in the birch,alder and willow. Same situation down the north end with it's well overgrown hawthorn hedge. Plenty birds flitting about and a good number of Swallows and House Martins over the trees. Plenty juveniles with both species was good to see.

Some of these counts estimated, it was so busy ! 1 male Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Nuthatch, 2 Treecreeeper, Goldcrests, Goldfinch and 4 species of 'tit' dominated by Coal Tits all over the place. 

2 alba Wagtails, 1 LBBG and 1 B H Gull flyovers and 1 Grey Heron very high >S

All made for a pleasant hour or so out of the wind.

NCD messaged a Spotted Flycatcher at Roils Head but elusive in the wind.

Also 2 more skeins of Pink-footed geese reported today (PD)- again in a >W direction over Norland.

Autumn approach !!!

Two reports yesterday of  winter visitors to to the UK passing through Calderdale. Two skeins of Pink-footed Geese (25 and 40 heading >W during the afternoon from SiB and PB). More to come in the coming weeks and months.

I was on Hunter Hill at the time of the reports but failed to pick them out. 

Had a good afternoon anyway with an adult Hobby over Carrs Beck though it failed in a brief attempt at 2 Swallows and headed off high towards Illingworth. Also in that area, thanks to an earlier prompt from NK, were 2 Common Redstarts, 1 Whinchat with 2 Stonechats, 2 Ravens high and a Sparrow Hawk.

Further along the valley to check Hunter Hill for any more migrants I found 2 Chiffchaff,  Green Woodpecker nearby, 1 Jay, 1 Meadow Pipit and c30 Linnets.

Not a bad afternoon after a recent time when it had been hard to find much of interest.

Cold Edge

Juvenile Scaup.  On the bus to Wainstalls this morning I realised that the bird I identified 3 days ago as Tufted Duck could be a Scaup.  I had forgotten that the plumages of young juvenile Tufteds and Scaups are identical, and that they can be told apart only by behaviour and structure. 3 days ago I had decided on my ID and seen what I wanted to see - in particular a something or nothing 'bump' at the rear crown: and I had ignored the obvious steep forehead and hefty bill.  Thankfully the bird is still present, and was not diving while I watched it.

It was diving constantly 3 days ago, staying underwater far longer than I have ever seen Tufted do (I estimate 1-2 minutes), and surfacing for only a few seconds. It took me nearly 30 minutes to get the single photo that I put on the blog.

Its bill is heftier (photo 1) and body broader (photo 2) than those of Tufted Duck.

There are small white patches at the sides of the bill (eg photo 3). And photo 5 shows a black leg.

Then there is the fraught question of the rear crown. Photo 1 shows spiky feathers where the crown meets the nape, and also down the whole nape. Photo 4 shows a rounded rear crown with slightly raised feathers from the front of the crown to the base of the nape. Because wind can cause head feathers to stand up, I think these can only be said to exclude Scaup if one of two things is present: a tuft, or a definite 'bump' that is consistently present in all photos.

All good fun, and better than spending hours looking at tarmac.

Cold Edge

3 Goosander

Sowerby Bridge

Cormorant perched on high chimney

Cold Edge

Goldfinch juvenile

(Tufted Duck juvenile: dark eye, dark grey bill, dark brown back, 'bump' at rear crown.) This was misidentified: it is a Scaup - see above.

Soil Hill

  A delightful day up on Soil Hill. Although I had a few hours bush-bashing this morning, the highlight of the day came during an afternoon visit when at 14:35 an Osprey flew over high southwest, my second here this year, always a brilliant bird to see.

  During the morning there was very little in the way of VizMig but a Yellow Wagtail flew south calling which is my second of the autumn here, and a Tree Pipit went south, which given the forecast could be my last of the autumn after a fantastic August for this species. Two Snipe also flew west, a species I always enjoy seeing on VizMig and is a highlight of early to mid-September when their migration picks up.

  The bushes this morning were quite productive with a few grounded migrants. The highlight were two Sedge Warblers, which were also joined by a Grasshopper Warbler, three Chiffchaff and three Whitethroat. In the reservoir field there were two Wheatears this morning, and during the afternoon three Wheatears flew high southwest, which may have been the same birds. 

  Finally, two days ago after a day of thick fog, a Hobby flew north, which is first here this year.

-Osprey

-Sedge Warbler

-Hobby

In total managed 48 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S193914451