Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Cold Edge

A goose day !

Pretty hard work in the freezing cold wind up there this morning. It ended up with a big bonus with c242 Pink-footed Geese right overhead following the EWS from Andy at Northowram.
 c180 in this group (above) closely followed by 11,25,12 and 14 (below)
 
Earlier on there were 30+ Canada's at Cold Edge along with 19 Greylags and a tired looking 'pinkie' type in with the domestics, It's not usually there with them but need to check it again as I couldn't get any leg colour - it just looked worn out (below).
 
Also in that area a flock of c130 Fieldfare, 1 Redwing 3 Mistle Thrush, 3 Blackbirds and c250 Starlings.
1 Reed Bunting
A male Peregrine over a couple of times
Plenty of B H Gulls and a few Common Gulls about as well as usual corvids
1 distant Little Owl near Wainstalls
 
UPDATE - with thanks to BS for checking out the 'pinkie' though I did manage to get up there later in the afternoon with Nick D and we met Pete S on his way down from that cold winter bite up there !
Besides the Pink-footed Goose showing better  and showing it's leg colour we also found a pair of Stonechats by the small upper pond along with a Moorhen and then a single Little Owl on Castle Carr Road.
(See BS's blog - West Yorkshire Birding - and comments on the leg colour + photo's of this individual).


3 comments:

Bradshaw Rambler said...

Plenty there to keep the COLD at bay Dave.
Always a treat to get Reed Bunting.
I've not had one on Soil Hill for ages.
John

Brian Sumner . said...

An educating day on Pinkies for us Dave, its good to have to get the books out now and again.

David Sutcliffe said...

Yes plenty of birds there this morning John.
Always good to get the books out Bri looking for those 'pointers' with identification and always something new to learn.