High Brown Knoll etc

I went up there this morning with Dotterel in mind - no luck there today. I searched the same area where I found 2 in May 2005 - can't believe 20 years ago .....though the vegetation has certainly increased since then making a search quite difficult with very few bare areas.

What a beautiful day to be out in the hills with wall to wall sunshine and a stiff easterly breeze on the top there. Not a lot to report other than 6 Curlew and a distant Golden Plover calling. 1 Buzzard , 2 distant Raven and a few Meadow Pipits and Skylarks. 

3 adult L B b Gulls, 1 Swallow and a House Martin  all heading >N over the moor.

Also got a call from PGr who managed 2 Yellow Wagtails in the cow field off Long Lane at Southowram - they had gone when I got there. Nice record Pete.

Ringstone Edge

Whitethroat singing

Willow Warbler singing

Great Crested Grebe: pair immediately after mating

Tufted Duck pair

Ringstone Edge

Oystercatcher 2

Mallard with 2 young

Soil Hill

  A very pleasant morning, with bright, sunny and quite still conditions. There was plenty of birdsong to enjoy and good numbers of migrants, including 8 Willow Warblers and 12 Whitethroat seen at various locations around the site. The highlight was the return of the Soil Hill Sedge Warbler which was in good voice but not especially showy. Given this species' scarcity in Calderdale, it's always good to see the territory reoccupied each spring.

  At 07:36, an adult female Marsh Harrier flew low over the North Slope, circling directly overhead but sadly also directly into the sun. It eventually flew off, heading SW down the Ogden valley. I record this species here just about annually, so it's always good to see. 

-Marsh Harrier

-Sedge Warbler

In total managed 39 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S234856114

Ogden area

At least one Great-crested Grebe on Ogden this afternoon. 

Woodlands very very quiet other than a singing Blackcap and 1 sighting of a Goldcrest

4 +3 Swifts >NW -straight through

Cold Edge

 2 singing Whitethroats

Stonechat male

Wainstalls

Red Grouse male

Fly Flatts and Ovenden Moor

It was touch and go this morning where the best local spot might be. Decided that Fly Flatts might be a decent bet especially with the recent dry spell and water levels dropping making migrant waders a distinct possibility. I usually scope from the top road - not ideal but always expectant that something might turn up. Managed a pair of Reed Buntings and a male Stonechat then the news came through from BS about the number of waders on site. Quick phone call to Bri's watch-point with his impressive list including a Ruff and a Wood Sandpiper - though both species were being very elusive.

Decided to leg it over to the north bank and after some time I managed to catch sight of a wader in flight landing on the east shore - Ruff - (not sure what my pictures are like from distance as not checked yet.) Tried very hard for the Wood Sandpiper but I failed to find it - there is a mass of shoreline on this permit only site so it could have been there or maybe moved on.

Dunlin, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Curlew and Common Sandpipers all in attendance or nearby. Along with a Wheatear, Meadow Pipits and an occasional Red Grouse. A great mornings birding ! Ta Bri.

Cold Edge

Mallard: 11 juveniles, including 1 albino

1 of 3 pairs of Tufted Duck

Ringstone Edge

Tufted Duck male

Great Crested Grebe

Ringstone Edge

1 of a pair of Swallows

4 of 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Ringstone Edge

Great Crested Grebe

Ringstone Edge

1 of 5 singing Willow Warblers

Female Tufted Duck. With 3 males

Wren

Soil Hill

Despite the rain this morning I made a short visit to Soil Hill. This turned up trumps with, from what I understand, the first Calderdale Grasshopper Warbler of 2025. After a very poor year on Soil Hill for this species last year, with only one sighting in the autumn, this was a welcome sight. It was flushed from the grass on the west side of the summit, before flying into the adjacent willows and then dropping into the brambles. It was never heard to sing so time will tell if it sticks around.

There was also a smart male Ring Ouzel this morning, perched in the willows on the west side of the summit, but before I managed to get a picture it flew low west down calling. I lost it below the hill but didn't get the impression it went far. Nevertheless, I was unable to refind it. At 10:38 a Red Kite flew north over Taylor Lane, presumably the same individual seen by AC heading west over Northowram. Otherwise common spring migrants included 1 Wheatear, 3 Common Whitethroat & 8 Willow Warbler.

-Common Grasshopper Warbler

In total managed 33 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S227777414

Recent news

Four Common Cranes on Sunday morning over Widdop around 11 am - heading in a North-westerly direction. A great find from TM, right place, right time !

Beacon Hill

On 17 April I saw this very tame Woodpigeon. I'm bothered that it and yesterday's Jay might be ill?

Bar Lane

2 well camouflaged Dippers

An unusually tame adult Jay

Soil Hill

   A chilly and blustery morning on Soil Hill produced my fourth Ring Ouzel of the spring, with a smart female feeding in the horse paddocks behind the White Cottage on Perseverance Road. I had only just spotted it when it was flushed by a Crow and I had to nervously wait to see if it would reappear. Fortunately, it then sat up in the near hedgerow, showing well and calling before dropping back behind.

  At least eight Willow Warblers this morning, but no sign of the Whitethroat that has been present the last two days, although one was singing in Bradshaw this morning. An unexpected bonus was a late spring Common Gull that flew south over the North Slope. Other migrants were limited to a single Wheatear in the fields on Taylor Lane. 

-Ring Ouzel

-Common Gull

In total managed 35 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S226235015

Beacon Hill

 An hour or so around the top this afternoon was quite interesting

4 Song Thrushes at the same time was quite unusual, usually seen as singles, with 3 feeding in close proximity in the 'horse field' and a male singing in a nearby tree. 

At least 2 Green Woodpeckers 'yaffling' around the same area.

At least 6 Willow Warblers were singing in the rhododendron/silver birch scrub on the down slope towards Shibden. 

Withens Clough

 A walk around the site this afternoon. Quite a brisk southerly wind so the water was a bit 'choppy'.

A drake Goldeneye was out in the middle and a single Common Sandpiper was on part of the extensive shoreline after all this dry weather. 

One Swallow around the barn and several Pied Wagtails around the embankment.

1 distant Buzzard and a few Meadow Pipits around.

Returning Cuckoo reported today from the Walshaw area as well as several Ring Ouzels about in the area and yesterdays Black Redstart was still showing near the middle res'r..

Soil Hill

   With sightings of Ring Ouzel across the Calderdale area this week, I was hopeful that Soil Hill might get to join the party at some point. And so it transpired today, with three individuals seen on the Hill.

  As I was walking up Taylor Lane early morning, my scans of the fields picked up two bright white gorgets glowing in the sunrise, from two male Ring Ouzels feeding together in one of the frosted fields. I could not find them again on my walk back, but could easily still be present in one of the other fields which are more difficult to view from the road.

  I completed my circuit and was walking back up the north slope when I heard the tacking call of another Ring Ouzel, and was delighted to spot a female perched up in the North Slope Tree-Line. Having already checked this area, the bird had presumably just dropped in. She was quite mobile, moving around the various bushes at the bottom of the North Slope.

  In addition, there was a Fieldfare on Ned Hill Track, a Jack Snipe was flushed from a wet area on the summit, and at least nine Willow Warblers were present today.

-Male Ring Ouzels

-Female Ring Ouzel

In total managed 39 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S225470144

Walshaw Dean - Male Pallid Harrier

 Had a marvelous walk around Walshaw Dean reservoirs this morning with my daughter. Saw a raptor, immediately thought male Hen Harrier. Not quite right as a bit pale so thought it was a young bird and not full adult. Looking at the pics when I got home and querying my id with friends (thanks Nick and Andy), it turns out that it was a male Pallid Harrier!

 Also Black Redstart at the res. keeper's place.

Ringstone Edge

Common Sandpiper

Soil Hill

   A lovely day for my first Soil Hill visit of the Spring, with a few migrants around and a few lingering winter species. The highlight was a new personal record count of five Jack Snipe which were all present in the same small area of marsh. My previous record was three individuals, which I have reached on several occasions. 

  In terms of spring migrants, five Willow Warblers were back on territory, with at least six Swallows blogging around and a single Sand Martin which flew southwards over the Hill. 

-Jack Snipe

In total managed 39 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S224503751

Whiteholme

2 of 3 Wheatears

Ogden - Carrs Beck

 A nice early returning migrant surprise this afternoon with a male Common Redstart working the fence line hedge. It's usually a spot for autumn migrants where they often stay for a few days. I'm pretty sure this is my earliest ever in Calderdale.

Nearby 22 Curlew, Great Spotted Woodpecker and 2 Swallows around Stodfold Barn. 

First Common Sandpipers reported today from Walshaw Dean, Gorple and Widdop.

Pair of Teal also reported on Mixenden Res'r (NK)

Whiteholme

1 of 3 Wheatears: this bird has a mostly black mask, with a brownish-grey back and brown wings - making it a 2cy male.

Also, a male Blackbird flew NE.

And I had 2 Ravens circling overhead, with one of them calling: one of those moments which are the reason we go birding. (And one that did not have to follow many wasted hours looking at tarmac).

40 years ago Phil Cunningham told me the First Law of Thermo--, no - sorry, of BIRDING: "The more you get out, the more you see".

Whiteholme

Partly albino Raven

Whooper surprise !

The last thing I expected  this morning as I walked up to Carrs Beck at the lower end of Ogden golf course was to hear, then see a flock of 27 Whoooper Swans. They were quite high, approaching from above the golf club house and heading in the direction of The Withens / Fly Flats. They were gone before I got an accurate count, (quick text to BS at Fly Flats but before I sent the message they returned so aborted that idea) it was a real surprise as they appeared a few minutes later and this time went towards Mixenden.

I managed a short video into the sun but from it I managed an  accurate count of 27. I 'dashed' ! on to Mixenden , suspecting they might have come down there but no sign, so suspect they just headed straight over >W. 

Perhaps the last to be seen locally until the autumn now as they spend the summer months in Iceland and maybe beyond.

Recent news ......

Cold Edge 24th March

Tried over the last couple of weeks to find an early Wheatear. Jen managed to find our first, in a field just opposite the top dam, a nice male showing well. Nice to see a good mix in the same fields including Graylag and Canada Geese, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Curlew, Moorhen, Starling, Pied Wagtail and Meadow Pipits.

29 species for the afternoon.

I had chance to head up to Lower Gorple on 25th March. Don't often manage to get up there but it was, as usual, well worthwhile. Just about the first bird I saw was a Chiffchaff - feeding continuously in the small conifer plantation near Blake Dean on the track up to Gorple. Highlight thereafter was 5 Crossbills, including 2 red males around the edge of the plantation by the cottages, always a special bird in Calderdale. 

Plenty waders in the area including Curlew, Lapwing, Redshank and in excess of 70 Oystercatchers. Also 2 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Tufted Duck, Canada and Greylag Geese and a few Mallard,

On return I was surprised to find around a dozen House Sparrows near the cottages along with Siskin, Chaffinch's and Stock Doves and a singing Mistle Thrush.

1 Skylark as I returned down the track and a single Red Grouse calling.

All in all 36 species was a decent total.

Ringstone Edge

Oystercatchers and Crow

Also, 50 Fieldfares