Swales Moor etc..

An interesting morning once the mist cleared from the top with a good movement of some species including...
Westerly movers
44 alba Wagtails
135 Woodpigeons
240 Meadow Pipits
9 Fieldfare
1 each of Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Skylark
+ a few other sp. from the Calder Valley including 65 and 40 Pink-footed Geese (CS and RB)

Easterly
5 Raven
3 Goosander
1 Sparrowhawk
45 Lapwings
2 Jays

1 Greenfinch near the top - an increasingly scarce bird locally nowadays !

Also a Black Redstart near Bradshaw this afternoon - a gem from JJL with photo's on his Bradshaw Birding blog.  Certainly a different bird form the one we had recently at Withens Head though it's not been reported there since around 1st October.

Copley
1 drake Teal on the long pond near Hollas Bridge
1 Moorhen - half-grown chick with an adult

Unnamed site

Barn Owl

Ring-necked Parakeets - 15th October

2 reports from yesterday - with one over Ovenden towards Shroggs Park at around 08:20 (SC) and another, or the same bird in Skircoat around 09:00 (WG).

We have had reports over recent years from around Sowerby Bridge, Warley, Greetland and Bradshaw, as well as a few other places. Anyone else seen any recently at these or other Calderdale locations ?

Mixenden Reservoir etc

Checked early afternoon including a walk around the plantation (that's a wet, soggy job)!
2 Cormorant
1 Tufted Duck
1 Green Woodpecker
2 Raven
100+ Woodpigeons - making the most of this years beech mast

Withens Head
Still no sign of the recent Black Redstart
13 Magpies, and a Raven had a serious go at one but it just escaped in time !

More “Pinks” !

This morning another good move of Pink- footed Geese

First report from BS of a skein over Fly Flatts heading towards Halifax at around 08:45. I think I saw the same flock over Lee Mount with 67 >SE at 08:56. Thanks for the E W S Bri.
c150 > SE over Beacon Hill at 09:30 (PJWS).
c80 >NW over Hipperholme at 09:30.
Massive flock of 2 skeins >SE over Lee Mount at 10:13 - the count from phone photos is 245 - update from computer later. !
Also from SB c150 >E over Halifax at 10:15.

Might be some more today !!

Cold Edge ad Withens Head

Cold Edge
1 Little Grebe
1 Grey Heron
2 Tufted Duck
2 Barnacle Geese
c120 Canada Geese
2 Greylag Geese
1 Little Owl
5 Stonechat together near the top dam
c25 Goldfinch
2 Kestrel
2 Raven

Withens Head
1 Little Owl
2 Kestrels

No sign of the Black Redstart today - but it could still be around that area !

Pink-footed Geese

Plenty 'pinks' moving west and sw over Fly Flatts earlier on this morning (BS)

Also around 30 Redwings >SE followed by 2 skeins of 'pinks' totalling around 190 birds over Lee Mount >W around 10:20 closely followed by reports of c. 300 in 3 skeins west over Skircoat Green 10.44 (SB) and c200 over Cromwell Bottom around the same time (GWH).

Various

Reports of Pink-footed Geese this morning, first from JJL of a flock heard over Bradshaw around 09:15 but unseen in the mist. Also from AvH and SB c100 >E over Holywell Green area at 11:15.

Over Lee Mount this morning - 5 Swallows over the park and earlier I called in at Jay House Lane. Nice to meet up with DF and enjoy the Tree and House Sparrows, both with lots of chirping in the shrubbery and on the building.. A lot of birds in that area. It's a shame that some of those very productive fields will probably be lost to housing development. Let's hope not !!!

Around and about late morning.

Withens Head - looking immaculate, adult male Black Redstart still, showing well on walls around Farm with at least 4 Stonechats at around 11:45

38 Mallard, 2 Tufted Duck on Fly Flatts.

3 Goosander and 3 Cormorant on Mixenden Reservoir

Hunter Hill

This afternoon I tried the east side of the hill overlooking Ogden golf course and Mixenden - mainly to get out of the blustery wind and to check the hill for Ring Ouzels. It used to be a favoured place for them and in the light of several reports in the last few days I thought there might be chance though I didn't score !
1 Swallow >W along with several Meadow Pipits
c80 Goldfinch - a nice flock on thistle heads (no Linnets with them)
2 Red-legged Partridge

Shibden Park

Wigeon male moulting out of eclipse

Ring Ouzels

1 of 4 Ring Ouzels found at Blake Dean today.
Also in the same area ,70 + Mistle Thrush , (must be a calderdale record?) Fieldfare , Redwing, Blackbird  and a single Song Thrush . Buzzard , displaying Raven , Goldfinch , Chaffinch , 3 Stonechats , Merlin , Barn Owl and Great spotted Woodpecker.

Mixenden Reservoir

Tried Fly Flatts and Withens Head first - heavy drizzle and fogged off....go home !! No.... I'll call at Mixi....
2 Swallows
1 Little Grebe
2 Cormorant
1 Moorhen
1 Common Gull
1 Fieldfare flyover >W
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel

Plenty Redwings over Shroggs Park earlier in the day - very flighty - mostly >W

Ogden golf course and Withens Head

Had an hour at the lower end of the golf course mid afternoon but it rained heavy and I gave it up as a bad job after 2 Bullfinch, 2 Chaffinch and c20 Goldfinch down in Carrs Beck area.

Called at Withens Head for 40 minutes or so just in case the Black Redstart was still about - drew a blank with that one as well. Wondering if it's gone now ?  It's been  there at least since 2nd September and possibly even longer. I'll give it another try at some point this next week.