Ringstone

22/05/08 6:15 - 7:15 pm

Thought I'd check out Ringstone even though the weather wasn't very good; overcast, fairly strong easterly and spots of rain.

6 meadow pipit
2 lapwing
4 great crested grebe
1 dunlin
3 pied wagtails
5 mallard arrived from Booth Wood direction
2 greylag geese

Hardcastle Crags - 4:30 to 6:30pm

Main carpark, past the mill to the fork and back

3 spotted flycatcher
1 blackcap
2/3 small groups (2/3) of siskin
1 green woodpecker
1 gs woodpecker
3 goldcrest
1 raven
3 lesser black backed gull
1 treecreeper
1 roe deer

cats

our neighbourgh-hood has many local cats but one has been taking birds from our garden. it has on previous occasions taken birds in mid air and this has ernt it deep hatred on our behalf. however a few days back my neighbourgh said it was trying to raid a blackbird nest box. today he has seen it catch a baby blackbird-can anything be done to stop this. we have poured water on it before but have failed on the later occasions.

Brighouse and Elland - yesterday pm

1 yellowhammer singing in scrub opposite Holiday Inn nr. Brighouse. This site is North of the M62, so maybe they're spreading from Bradley Hall?

Also, a quick visit to the EGP are produced 2 coot, 7 chiff chiff, 6 willow warbler, 2 blackcap, 1 reed warbler, and 3 whitethroat - one of which was a female carrying nesting material.

Fly Flatts

Fly Flatts Dunlin. BS

Hardcastle Crags

Just a reminder that the nest box survey is this Saturday - 9:00 am start. Please contact me if you intend to help out, then I can know what sort of numbers to expect. Again, whatever happens in the nestbox survey itself, it should be a good opportunity to pick up pied flyactacher, spotted flycatcher, redstart, wood warbler etc.

Mallard Record Brood ?

I spotted a female Mallard with 18 newly hatched ducklings this morning on the canal. This must be an exceptional sized brood even for Mallard ? When I spotted all the ducklings I assumed there were a couple of broods mixed together but only one female was present and she was definitely caring for the whole brood. I forgot the camera this morning but will try and get a shot of them tomorrow assuming they all survive overnight.

Undisclosed site

Posting for Nick Dawtrey
3rd site for L E Owl tonight - out hunting at 8 pm.
If anyone is up for monitoring the species again this year then please liaise with Nick.

Fly Flatts

18/05/2008 0730-0930hrs cold NE>4 bright.

2 Dunlin
4 Twite
6 Common Sand
1 m Whinchat
2 Reed Bunting
54 Canadas + 22 young.
+ usual sp.
BS

Whiteholme today

4 Dunlin, 8 Common Sandpiper, 3 Sanderling, 4 Redshank

Little Egret

Posting for Nick Dawtrey confirming the sighting at 06.35 at Elland G P this morning from Nick Cunningham. The bird was flying west and could still be in the area? There are lots of places along the Calder Valley such as Copley/High Royd etc as well as many suitable locations along the river Calder and the canal - or maybe back at Elland in the next day or so?

Sanderling

Message just come through on grapevine that Sean G has had 3 Sanderling fly west at Whiteholme this lunchtime. Will any grapevine members please send all texts to me between Monday and Thursday next week as Dave is unavailable. Thanks.

Little Egret Elland GP

Report on Birdguides etc of a Little Egret flying through Elland GP early this morning, no further details I'm afraid.

Fly Flats

4 Dunlin still there and very approachable on the embankment
2 pairs Common Sandpiper and another one hanging about with the Dunlin

Luddenden Dean

Male Redstart singing this morning in the dean - very elusive with short bursts of song then going quiet and moving around the wood. Heard at the far end of Spa Wood from the track that leads towards Castle Carr lower lodge. Also seen later down near the stream. No sign of a female.

Male Pied Flycatcher still singing in the dean but still no sign of a female there.
At least 2 Cuckoos singing around Spa Wood
1 Dipper

Undisclosed site2

From Nick Dawtery tonight - L E Owl, Woodcock and Ring Ouzel

Hardcastle Crags

Male Pied Flycatcher located tonight in Hardcastle Crags from Sean J.

Jumble Hole Clough

- 2 garden warbler
- 4 willow warbler
- 2 chiffchaff
- 1 green woodpecker
- 1 gs woodpecker
- 1 male pheasant
- 6 swallow
- 2 Jay

Fly Flats/Castle Carr/Cold Edge

Fly Flats
1 of 4 Dunlin there this afternoon and very approachable
4 Common Sandpipers
1 Redshank
2 Twite
1 Cuckoo in Clunter Clough

Dean Head
2 Tufted Duck on the top res'r
2+ Twite in the area

Cold Edge
1 Whinchat still behind the boat hut above Haigh Cote Dam
1 Snipe
2 Grey Partridge
20 Greylag Geese

Castle Carr Road
4 Twite in the field after the old railway cabins

Also - from Nick Dawtrey 2 Red Legged Partridge near Roils Head

High Royd

Very very short of water, including all but one of the back beds.

- 4 whitethroat, showing well
- 3 willow warbler
- 2 chiffchaff
- 2 blackcap
- 21 mallard, including 2 sets of duckings (x7 and x4)
- 2 grey heron
- 1 gs woodpecker

Singing Male Whinchat at Widdop

Undisclosed Site

Tawny Owl brooding at nest in Beech tree this morning

Garden warbler

Garden warbler, taken by Denise Shields at Cromwell Bottom, 11 May. Note heavy beak and prominent dark eye, and the solid look of the bird.