Ogden - 5th July

Tried this morning in the drizzle for yesterdays Black-tailed Godwit that was there at some point  yesterday. Gone now, just too late for it !

8 Grey Heron on the res'r shoreline along with 1 Cormorant and a single drake Tufted Duck. 

2 adult Herring Gulls and 25+ L B B Gulls to and fro along with 17 Black-headed Gulls.

Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler also present along with at least 5 singing Blackcap and a Treecreeper.

3 Oystercatchers, 1 Curlew and then 14 Swallows, mostly juveniles passed through >W.

Cold Edge

Short-eared Owl

Tufted Duck female with 3 young

Bar Lane, Rishworth, 4 July

Its avian name is my feeble excuse for putting this wonderful Hummingbird Hawk-moth onto a bird blog. It hovers like a Hummingbird while it drinks nectar from a flower through its long tongue.

Fly Flatts

Tried hard this morning till noon for the summer plumage Black-tailed Godwit found by BS earlier in the day. In a strengthening wind up there I failed to relocate it and just about managed 1 Oystercatcher and 2 Common Sandpipers scoping from the top road watch-points. I suspected the bird had moved on.

I gather that NK relocated what was presumably the same bird later in the day at Ogden Water and a Little Egret turned up there too.

Whiteholme

Well camouflaged LRP

Whiteholme

Little Ringed Plover. This is a different bird from yesterday: the breast band is narrower, suggesting it is a female. The breast band of the (presumed) male yesterday was broader either side of the midline, giving a 'dickey bow' effect.

Common Sandpiper: adult and juvenile. The upperparts of the adult (lower bird) are plainer than those of the juvenile. The juvenile's upperparts have dark and light markings, and are lighter brown overall.

Whiteholme

Teal

Little Ringed Plover

2 Ravens

Cold Edge / Ovenden Moor

Still a few waders about but nothing too exciting in the heat yesterday afternoon.

A single Wheatear on the walls at Withens Head was about the best.

Also from NK - a Common Redstart at Carrs Beck - adjacent Ogden golf course. This seems to be a favoured spot.

Blackstone Edge

Little Ringed Plover

2 female Ringed Plovers

BIRD A

BIRD B

Yesterday's Ringed Plover was a male: jet black head and breast markings, - including a thick black band between forehead and crown - and quite bright orange legs and bill base.

Today's birds show how females differ. The head and breast markings are dark brown, not jet black (only really apparent when photographed in sunlight - Bird B, top), with a thinner band between forehead and crown. And the bill base and legs are duller, especially on Bird A.

Whiteholme

Teal

Blackstone Edge

Ringed Plover

Blackstone Edge

Trip up there this afternoon to see if any further waders were present as viewed from Turvin Road . Nothing new but still 1 Sanderling, 4 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 Curlew and 2 drake Teal.

Kestrel nearby and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls dropped in briefly to bathe and preen.

Elsewhere 2 Common Terns around at Ringstone for a while until they left around 15:15 (JB et al).

2 Quail also heard nearby - not sure when the last ones were recorded in Calderdale !

Whiteholme

Great Crested Grebe. My first here. (Because of the rain, I had only my 30x pocket Lumix with me).

I now have a Local Patch life list of 117. But mine is not a typical patch: it is a Split Patch comprising Whiteholme + Shibden Valley (north of A58, east of Easting 10). Ticks from both these sites go onto a single life list. 

If I: (1) lived by the coast,

(2) had an inland patch with both an expanse of water and surrounding vegetation and fields - like Ringstone Edge, or (3) was able to be in a patch soon after dawn to catch flyovers, I could see at a single site a reasonable number of species of the main families that occur locally.  

But since none of these applies to me, the only way I can build a lengthy local patch list (as opposed to a Calderdale list) is by lumping two very different habitats together as a single split patch.

Blackstone Edge

Sanderling

Ringed Plover (1 of 2)

Withens Head and Fly Flatts

Late afternoon. 3 Golden Plover, not northern forms, in field by Withens Head farm with a pair Stonechats running the walls.

Fly Flatts - 40+ Swifts over the water with more arriving from the south and east. 

A pair of Carrion Crows were persisting at chasing Meadow Pipits, probably recently fledged birds. They had some very close calls but I failed to see any 'catches'. Never seen C Crows so agile in flight and  they had several near misses.

Whiteholme

Sanderling

Soil Hill

   Despite the constant drizzle it was an enjoyable morning on Soil Hill, with a few warbler highlights.

  A new Grasshopper Warbler was reeling on the summit. Normally, I don’t get this species singing so late into the spring, with birds on territory stopping singing around mid-May before starting again at the end of June or beginning of July.

  The Sedge Warbler continues to hold territory and was in fine voice this morning, although not showing particularly in the rain. A recording has been attached to the eBird list. 

  The Garden Warbler continues into its fourth day, during which time I have managed to see it a grand total of three times. I don’t understand how a bird can be so vocal but so impossible to see. This morning it was much quieter than the previous days, giving only a few short bouts of song but mostly remaining silent during the hour I spent continuing to fail to photograph it. Perhaps this is an indication it has successfully paired up, but being as elusive as it is, it's unlikely I will ever know. 

  Lots of Willow Warbler and Whitethroat activity as well. It looks like both species are having an excellent year here!

-Grasshopper Warbler

In total managed 36 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S246854442

Whiteholme

Little Ringed Plover

Dunlin

Common Sandpiper

Tufted Duck

Soil Hill

   Despite the bright conditions, it was a frustratingly breezy morning on Soil Hill, and sadly this came to play a large part in the story of this mornings star bird.

  Upon reaching the top of the North Slope, I caught a brief snippet of warbler song, reminiscent of Blackcap but faster and more bubbly. Fortunately the bird sang again and was soon in full song, confirming that it was a Garden Warbler, a full Soil Hill tick for me. Although I was able to take some recordings, in the following 90 minutes of tracking the bird I managed to see it just once as the strong breeze kept it deep in the vegetation. It was surprisingly mobile, moving from the top of the North Slope, to the mast and then all the way to the bottom of the North Slope and back to the top. Although thrilled at a patch tick, it was a rather frustrating experience.

  Garden Warbler is my 130^th species for Soil Hill, and the 10^th species of Warbler here. Can’t imagine there are too many sites in Calderdale that can claim double figures of warblers. 

  Audio recordings are attached to the eBird list below

In total managed 38 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S245812256

Beacon Hill

1 of 2 singing Whitethroats, (rear view, left of centre)

Blackstone Edge Reservoir & Whiteholme Reservoir

   Once again, the ample shoreline at Blackstone Edge provided a wader bonanza this morning. Yesterdays reported 12 Sanderling had now increased to a flock 15 strong, flying around the reservoir in a close-nit group before settling down to feed on the exposed mud. At times they were quite approachable, and a steady stream of birders came and went throughout the morning, enjoying this incredible inland spectacle. 

  The birds of Halifax quotes that the record count of Sanderling in Halifax being nine on the 27^th May 1980 at Fly Flatts. Before today, has this record been broken since its publication? And does this flock now become the new benchmark for Sanderlings in Calderdale?

  Whilst there, I also ventured on to Whiteholme Reservoir but found it almost void of birdlife. Who can blame the migrant waders when Blackstone Edge has so much shoreline to offer, and Whiteholme has comparatively little. 

-Sanderlings

In total managed 15 species at Blackstone Edge Reservoir today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S245301265

In total managed 9 species at Whiteholme Reservoir today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S245330572

Cold Edge

4 of 10 Tufted Ducks (5 pairs)

Shibden Park

Little Grebe

Mixenden and Ogden reservoirs

Tried both sites this morning in the hope of seeing so moving terns in the wet and windy conditions - no luck there at all and not much else. Mixenden res'r was devoid of birds other than a Swallow, Mallard and 3 Canadas though the woodlands were pretty lively with the expected Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap. Blue, Great and Coal Tits were all busy collecting beak-fulls of insects. Also a pair of Great-spotted Woodpeckers.

Ogden was pretty grim in the drizzle. 15 adult LB-b Gulls's and 4 Black-headed Gulls. No sign of any waders though masses of shoreline. A few Willow Warblers in song as were 2 Blackcap and nothing unusual among the other small birds other than 2 Bullfinch.

Blackstone Edge Reservoir

  Went up to check Blackstone Edge and Whiteholme Reservoir this morning and was met by horizontal rain, fog and strong winds. The conditions were almost impossible to bird, with optics becoming saturated in a matter of minutes upon stepping out of the car. Fortunately it was not a complete loss as a new Sanderling was feeding away on the mud among the Dunlin. There could easily have been other interesting waders hidden away in the murk, but I couldn't see them. I did not bother venturing to Whiteholme, I had already suffered enough punishment for one morning!

-Sanderling

In total managed 5 species at Blackstone Edge Reservoir today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S244056900

Cold Edge

Stonechat male (calling)

Cold Edge

Whitethroat female

Linnet: breeding male (was with a female)

Blackstone Edge Reservoir & Whiteholme Reservoir

   The Sanderlings that had been present had moved on by yesterday morning, but there continues to be some excellent wader action on the exposed shoreline, especially at Blackstone Edge. Yesterday there were seven Ringed Plover, but this had increased to 13 this morning. Dunlin numbers remained steadier, with six on both mornings. Yesterday also had an Oystercatcher, which had moved on by this morning. 

  Whiteholme, by contrast, has struggled for waders, although it is not a surprise given the more limited shoreline. A single Dunlin and a single Ringed Plover have been present on both days, otherwise just the usual species present.

-Dunlin

-Ringed Plover

In total managed 8 species at Blackstone Edge Reservoir today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S243352855

In total managed 16 species at Whiteholme Reservoir today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S243351537