Cloudy Soil Hill & Fly Flatts

                   Went up to Soil Hill to try find the Snow Bunting
                   again but no sign of it, but other birds there were,
                   20+ Meadow Pipits, Skylarks, 2 Curlew, 6 Lapwing,
                   1 Pheasant, 1 what looked like a Golden Plover and
                   one unknown with the light being so bad.
                                    Left there to go to Ogden Water but decided
                  to drive up to Fly Flatts instead where it was cold and
                  windy, 2 Golden Plover flyovers, 4 Curlew, 20+ Canada's
                  also a flock of what looked like 20+ Redwing opposite Travellers
                  Rest but not certain as was driving and 1 Red Grouse.
                                  Garden- 10 Goldfinch, 4 Greenfinch, 4 Chaffinch,
                  2 Blue Tits, 2 Collared Dove, 2 Dunnock, 2 Blackbird and best
                  bit of the day a Short-Eared Owl in back field looking a me then
                  flew off over Shibden before i could get my camera.
     

                                            Unknown ?

Red Kite

Yesterday's Red Kite from Mike Henshaw. Nice one Mike, keep them coming!

Goldcrest

Goldcrest singing in my garden last weekend.  It was flitting about in an evergreen singing away to itself. Not a song Im familar with so took me a while to locate and ID the bird which luckily didnt seem to mind me dancing about underneath it like a crazy person

Bramblings are still about with 12 seen in the garden today

Other news today

Mixenden Res'r - just 3 Great Crested Grebes this morning (PS)
Jay House Lane near Clifton - Wheatear still present from yesterday (DF)
Ringstone Edge - up to 400 Golden Plover in the nearby fields yesterday (SL)
Lesser pecker Hove Edge this morning (DF SL)
Red Kite over Brighouse heading towards Kirklees at 8:30 (MH)
It's all happening today!!!

Fly Flatts

BS taking in the comforts of Fly Flatts !! and watching the Whoopers at 07:30.

Can't beat it Bri, glad you found a soft spot.

Fly Flatts

I decided an early start was on the cards as there was a possibility Nick's 42 Whooper Swans found at Cold Edge yesterday might be present at Fly Flatts this morning. They duly obliged with all 42 present including 6 juveniles, all  looking very relaxed, preening and resting on the banking at the far end. I walked down the track part way but decided against disturbing them so hence the distant photo's.

 

A few Canadas were present with 2 Oystercatchers and Curlews were calling on the moor and 2 Golden Plover flyovers. 10  medium sized waders were seen arriving from SW and at first I wasn't sure what they were, then they came around the reservoir looking for a place to drop in. 10 Bar-tailed Godwits - that was a surprise. They were not impressed with the high water level and no muddy edge and circled round a couple of times before heading off east towards the wind farm at 06:45.

 

The Whoopers left >NW at 07:47 a great sight flying over the moor.


 

Other news today

From Dave F - the first report of a Wheatear this year for Calderdale on Jay House Lane, Clifton around mid-day. Well done Dave.

Whoopers

42 Whooper Swans at Cold Edge Dams today was a nice surprise. Unfortunately they flew off towards Fly Flats soon after these pics were taken. Found out later from a local that they were present the previous day.

Whooper Swan flyover

              Low flyover of 3 Whooper Swans over Claremount going
              towards Northowram, could've been on there way to
              Oakenshaw where they've been congregating in Caldene
              fields, 12 Linnet and 4 Meadow Pipit up Swalesmoor and
              1 hovering Kestrel over ski slope, garden had 10 Goldfinch,
              4 Greenfinch,2 Dunnock, 2 Blackbirds and 1 Blue Tit.
             

Mount Tabor

Went to look for early migrants but no luck.  Had the usual pair of Little Owls.  I have never been to the spot and at least one not be visible. 1 Skylark in display flight and song and Cormorant over pass.

  Yesterday 3 Golden Plover landed by The Withens just before dusk.

Other wildlife pretty good at the moment.  There is a herd of 6 Roe Deer about with at least one buck.  I couldn't get the camera to focus from the car through the branches though.  Also we have seen another Badger in the last couple of weeks in a different location to our first local one last year.

Shoveler

Met Pete S up there following Steves report of a pair of Shoveler at Ogden this morning - record shot !

Ogden and Mixenden

A pair of Shoveler there this morning from Steve L - they left about 10:30 leaving just a drake Goldeneye there and an adult summer Herring Gull with just a few B H Gulls and Common Gulls.
Also a drake Goldeneye at Mixenden Res'r but nothing else there

Tawny Owl possible nest

A Tawny Owl occupying a hole in an old Ash tree in Centre Vale Park reported by Philip Marshall on the Calderdale-wildlife.blogspot

I have his contact details.

While in Todmorden one winter night in about 2005 I remember a large number of hooting owls. (c.12)

WALSDEN

This is my first for Calderdale, though I know they have been reported regularly down the valley. A BUZZARD over Walsden. Low enough for OH to identify it immediately. So though I can't add it to my list, I'm confident it might be back! Sandra

Swales Moor and Soil Hill

Late morning not a lot doing at Swales along Ringby Lane other than a female Stonechat on the top and 13 Linnets and near the quarry and 6 + Skylarks and c20 Meadow Pipits
Little Owl at Ploughcroft

20+ Skylarks on Soil Hill, 20+ Meadow Pipits and 15 Filedfare but if the Snow Bunting is still there I wasn't able to find it. !  UPDATE.... NK found it around 12:45 so it's still there.

Eastwood sewage works

A total of 8 grey wagtails present. 5 on the filter beds, 2 on the river and 1 on the canal. Pied wagtail numbers around 33, but will probably build up further in the next few weeks.

Ogden Water

One whooper swan on the water at 8.30 am.

Fly Flatts and other news today

I only managed a brief outing today, late afternoon though Fly Flatts is not easy later in the day with the  glare of the sun.
4 Oystercatchers
4 Curlew
c10 Lapwings
No shoreline for passage waders yet and that's not looking too hopeful with the forecasts
c70 Canada Geese
4 Greylag Geese
1 Raven high >N
1 very distant Common Buzzard
2 Kestrels
Plenty Red Grouse
No sign of any Wheatears yet but they could turn up anytime now with a bit of luck (?)
No sign of yesterdays Stonechats at Fly

From NK - the Snow Bunting on Soil Hill was showing again there this afternoon. also plenty of Skylarks about up there and a big bonus with a Red Kite overhead - well done Nigel and from yesterday afternoon a single flyover Shelduck >S
Common Buzzard over Elland area as well this afternoon (SL).
No shoreline at Ringstone. We can but hope !

Buzzards

Common Buzzards seem to be everywhere at the moment, took these pics at a local watch point today. Its probably time we surveyed this species, so can birders make note of occupied territories and let me have the results at the end of the year or sooner.

Mytholmroyd buzzard

Common buzzard over the garden around 4pm drifted from hebden then up cragg vale 

Late post - Saturday

2 buzzards over the house at Jumble Hole on Saturday, including one whilst I was having a cup of tea in bed! A peregrine later in the day, plus male sparrowhawk and kestrel made for a a decent day.

Short Eared Owl at Soil Hill Sunday 8/3/15

We went up to look for the Snow Bunting on Sunday afternoon after the rain stopped. My partner Kathy has never seen one. She still hasn't, but we were lucky enough to flush this Short Eared Owl right in front of us on the east of the mounds, which flew a little way off and perched on a wall.   Time approx 16.45.

It was clear enough to see the White Horse of Kilburn way off across the Vale of York, but it came and went as light changed on the Howardian Hills.

Fly Flatts

Late morning surprise!
With a deterioration in the weather it was a a shock to find 4 Stonechats together feeding on the edge of a drain along the top road and then in fields perching on the stone walls - 3 adult males and a female. A Carrion Crow had a go at catching one several times but failed miserably (thank goodness)
1 f Goldeneye on the water
3 Mallard
2 Curlew
Most of the Canada's had deserted to either Cold Edge or Dean Head

Wild & Wet Soil Hill

                    Soil Hill late morning,no sign of Snow Bunting
                    or anything else for that matter,the wind was wild
                    and it was pouring down so don't blame em for
                    the no-show, but seen a nice Stonechat on the way
                    back down to the road.

                    Garden-:
                                 6 Goldfinch
                                 2 Greenfinch
                                 2 Chaffinch
                                 2 Collared Dove
                                 2 Blackbird
                                 1 Dunnock
                                 2 Blue Tits checking the nest boxes.
                     

Mixenden and Soil Hill

No sign this morning of yesterday's drake Gadwall
  The Barnacle Goose is there with 14 Canada's

Soil Hill - I found the Snow Bunting again briefly this morning with 2 Skylarks on the mounds to the east of the track. They were flighty and I wasn't  able to relocate, somewhere on the north slope!?

Migrants !

Whooper Swans should be coming through our area anytime between now and early/mid April as they travel north to breed in Iceland and the northern tundra - so its well worth checking local reservoirs (and the sky)!!

Not long now for Northern Wheatears - they are already being reported on the south coast.

Mixenden Gadwall

                   Mixendens Gadwall   Photos BS.

BS, DJS.

Cold Edge

This afternoon, blustery up there but fine and dry
4 Oystercatchers
10+ Curlew
30+ Lapwing
2 f Goldeneye
Pair of Tufted Duck
The single Pink Footed Goose was back with 4 Greylag Geese
60+ Canada Geese
1 Raven >N
1 Grey Wagtail
4 Meadow Pipits

Then I called back at Mixenden Res'r to see BS's single Gadwall - another good find for our area. Well done Bri.

Soil Hill Delight

                Visited Soil Hill this morning to try & spot the
                Snow Bunting that was reported by Brian and
                was well chuffed as I've not seen one before, so
                a big 1st for me, look for it I nearly stood on it I
                couldn't believe how friendly it was.
                                                    Kestrel, 2 Pheasant, Skylarks
                & Meadow Pipits also seen up there along with plenty
                of visitor's in search of the Snow Bunting, so hope
                they all got lucky.
             

               
 

Soil Hill

Snow bunt still on Soil Hill at 08:30 message via BS from BH,NK,DF

Lee Mount

Nearly forgot !! - before I set off up Swales this afternoon a nice surprise with a bat flying to and fro along the tree line at the back of Shroggs Park. Probably a Pipistrelle (?) It was there for at least half an hour with plenty insects around in the shelter of the trees and I tried to get some photo's (not good enough for the blog) - they just don't stay still !!

Swales Moor and Soil Hill

I was in two minds this afternoon - Swales or Soil Hill - and went for Swales! Just 12 Linnets up there.

 

It's a good job BS went to Soil Hill, coming up trumps with a Snow Bunting. I abandoned Swales and headed off up to meet Bri. Thankfully the bird was still there at the far end of the track in the short grasses. I found it tricky getting some decents shots being in the shade then later in the bright sunshine but I got a couple of record shots. This is, as far as I can recall, only the second Snow B this year and BS also found the first at Fly Flatts on 1st January.

Well done Bri - I owe you again !!

Check out the link for Brian's blog West Yorkshire Birding for more photo's etc....

Is it Spring already?

There was a flock of about 50 curlew flying over Blake Dean this morning.

Luddenden Dean

This morning from Wainstalls we walked down to Booth then up to Jerusalem Farm and did both sides of the upper dean.
2 pairs of Little Owls in the usual spots
Green Woodpeckers very vocal
2+ Great Spotted Woodpeckers
1 pair Kestrels defending territory
2 Sparrowhawk sightings
1 Grey Heron
1 Dipper
Red Grouse in Midgley Moor
Very few thrushes or other small birds about other than where there are feeders at Jerusalem Farm and The Lowe
Plenty Jackdaws, a few Woodpigeons and Stock Doves.
It was nice to see the sunshine today!

Crimsworth Dean

This morning in the lower dean from the crags Midgehole car park checking the woodlands both sides of the valley
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Green Woodpecker
Several Nuthatch
1 Goldcrest singing
3 Song Thrush singing
1 pair Mistle Thrush at a probable nest site
3 Jays
A lot of Jackdaws
2 Goosander flyovers
c20 Redwings
Curlew 1 >NE
Buzzard and Sparrowhawk >S
Not a lot else - but that was enough to keep me going !

Mixenden and Cold Edge

This morning.
Mixenden - 3 Goldeneye, 1 L B B Gull

Cold Edge - a strong blustery >NW wind and rain made birding tricky!
4 Lapwing
2 Curlew
1 Oystercatcher
3 Greylags but no sign of the 'pinkie'
c130 Canada Geese
25 Mallard
2 drake Tufted Duck
1 Little Grebe on the top small pond
4 Meadow Pipits
c90 Starlings
4 Mistle Thrush

Wintery Day

                    CBNR area fairly busy today on a cold & windy day.

                     8 Bullfinch, 4 Chaffinch
                     8 Canada's  3 Mute Swans
                     20+ Greats & Blues
                     3 Coal Tits, 2 LTT
                     4 Grey Heron, 7 Blackbirds
                     1 Grey Wagtail, 6 Robins
                     5 Cormorant, 4 Wren
                     4 Wood Pigeon, 4 Mallard
                     1 female Greenfinch, not seen one there before

                     Garden-:

                      10 Goldfinch, 8 Chaffinch
                       1 Great Tit, 1 Blue Tit
                       2 Collared Dove
                       3 Greenfinch,  1 Wren
                       4 Blackbird 2 Robins
                       2 Mistle Thrush ? or song
             

                                          Mistle or Song Thrush ?
                   
                   
                 
                   

Jayhouse Lane

Large flock of Redwing and Fieldfare
C200 Golden Plover
C20 Meadow Pipits
4 Skylark
4 Curlew
50+ Common Gulls

                            Visited Cromwell Bottom NR today for an hour
                             just the usual visitors today but in small numbers,
                             Great, Blue & Coal Tits, 2 LTT, 2 Robins, 2 Chaffinch
                             couple of Blackbirds in the viewing area.
                             1 Wren on the riverbank, 4 Canada's and a juvenile
                             Mute Swan playing about with an old rag on the canal.
                             Car Park feeders busy with the tit family & robins but no sign of the
                             Nuthatch today.
                             4 Herons up in the Heronry 2 doing naughty's so
                             eggs in the nests soon and a few flyovers with branches in their beaks.
                       

                                     
                              Garden-:
                                           10 Goldfinch
                                            2  Chaffinch
                                            2 Greenfinch
                                            1 Backbird
                                            1 Robin
                                            Crows & Gulls flying over back field.

Around and about!

This afternoon
Bowers Mill - 2 Teal, 1 Grey Heron
Ringstone - 4 Shelduck
Ryburn - 1 Tufted Duck drake, 1 Moorhen and 2 Cormorant
Baitings - 1 G C Grebe
High Royd - 2 Coot, 2 Teal and several Grey Wagtail and 2 Jays
Tower Hill - c60 Common Gulls and 2 Golden Plover flyovers
Cold Edge - 1 Pink-footed Goose still with 2 Greylags away from the 150 Canada's, 2 Lapwing displaying and Golden Plover heard on the moor. 4 Goosander flyovers. 2 Kestrel and a Red Grouse.

Swalesmoor Crow Festival

                    Had a walk around Swalesmoor today and nothing
                    about apart from Crows, Crows & more Crows 100's of em oh and 1 Rook
                    and a couple of Magpies.
                                                            Couple of Chaffinch at bottom of Ringby Lane
                    and a few Great & Blue Tits down lane at back of Sportsman Inn not even a
                    sight of the usual Kestrel & Sparrowhawk.
                                                             In the Garden I had 5 Greenfinch which was nice to see
                    2 Chaffinch and 8 Goldfinch, 2 Blackbirds and 2 Collared Dove and a Kestrel
                    hovering in the back field.

                       

Hartshead area

2 Buzzards overhead, dropping into the trees.
Kestrel hunting over the fields.
80 Redwings in one of the trees.
6 Fieldfares in a nearby tree.
Just one Yellowhammer calling - so far.

Jumble Hole

First house sparrow on the feeders so far this winter. A male turned up for all of about 30 seconds this morning. Not a common sighting here at all.

Then late morning, the first curlew of the spring flew over the house towards Erringden.

A cormorant was reported as being on the canal at Brierly 8:00am.

Garden sightings

Hello, just wanted to let everyone know about the birds visiting my garden over the past month or so.

I have feeders with Sunflower hearts and Nijer seed in.  Also scatter some on the floor for the blackbirds (which are my favourite) and sometimes put out old apples.  Costs me a fortune but worth it to see  all the lovely birds coming down for the food

Brambling - about 17 counted last week
Redpoll - 2
Song Thrush - not seen it for a while but there was a Thrush singing when I got home today so assuming its the same one
Blackbirds - about 15.  Get a lot this time of year but will soon be back down to the odd one or two
Goldfinch - more than I can count most days but guessing about 25
Chaffinch - about 8
Greenfinch - about 3
Goldcrest - seen briefly one morning before work
Starlings - there is a group of about 50 which hang about and sometimes come into the garden if I put bread down
Then I have a few House Sparrows ,Dunnock, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Robin, Wren, Also have Collared Dove & Woodpidgeon which are a bit of a nuisance scoffing all the food!

Havent seen any Siskin yet but I did have about 15 turn up about this time last year.

Un-scientific observations of my feeders

A few very un-scientific, un-empirical observations on my garden feeders nr Jumble Hole this winter. Feeders are peanuts, nyjer seed, mixed seed, and various fat balls, coconuts filled with fat etc.

- great spotted woodpecker: both m&f visit more or less every hour, whatever the weather. Hard to tell if it's the same two birds or not, although one was seen flying off the feeders, over the valley and lost sight of almost a mile away. Prefers the square shaped suet block.

- nuthatch: despite being very regular in recent years, and as numerous as ever in the woodland around (and often in the garden) I haven't had one single visit on the feeders this winter. There must be ample food about elsewhere.

- siskin: very regular flyover, but only one feeder visit from a female earlier in the winter. Also never had a redpoll on feeders, despite being around in the woods.

- goldfinch: stupidly, I didn't bother putting nyjer seed out until about a month ago, as there didn't seem to be goldfinches about. The day after I put the seed out, they arrived, and have been a more or less permanent fixture since

- greenfinch: a worrying one this. One of the commonest birds on the feeders in previous years, I saw my first a week ago. Been back twice since then, but that's it. Could be related to the virus that's being written about?

- chaffinch: common

- long tailed tits: due to the weather being relatively mild, I've seen less of these too. Also, they come in 2's and 3's, rather than 16-20 like in harder winters.

- great tits, blue tits and coal tits all regular, in descending order.

- likewise dunnock, robin and blackbird.

- goldcrest and treecreeper have both come in once
with tit flocks, and searched for insects around the feeders

(spot the gs woodpecker)

Yesterday

A cold blustery day
Mixenden Res'r - just a female Goldeneye, One 3rd winter Herring Gull and an adult L B B Gull with the B H and Common Gulls and 10 Canada Geese

Cold Edge - c135 Canadas, 2 Greylag Geese (but no sign of the recent 'pinkie') 1 f Goldeneye, 1 male Tufted Duck and 23 Lapwings

Mount Tabor - I also checked the fields alongside the main road between Pellon and Mount Tabor where Nick has had the recent Skylarks in the freshly manured areas. I found c25 Skylark in one area which was giving a bit of shelter from the westerly wind. I checked through them carefully as there is always a chance of something different with them.

Ogden (from PS) - the Barnacle Goose was still there in the morning with 7 Canadas

Ringstone (from SB) - c150 Lapwing and c100 Golden Plover

Mealy Redpoll ???

Took these pics of a Redpoll at Roils Head this pm. There were 2 birds present, the other one was a very bright pink male. This one seems to show features of Mealy Redpoll, any thoughts welcome.

Highroad Well Moor

56 Golden Plovers with 10 Lapwing today, also at least 70 Skylarks still present.

Sunny Vale & Coach Road

At Sunny Vale yesterday - a Little Grebe, 2 Teal, 10 Moorhen.
And over Coach Road - a Buzzard being mobbed by Crows,heading towards Bailiff Bridge at speed.

Fly Flatts

Freezing cold up there this morning along with a light covering of fresh overnight snow.
70+ Canada's was the best I could do on the Res'r and 4 Mallard.

Cold Edge
74 Canada's and 2 Kestrels

Wheatley Valley

Coming back from the 'chippy' ! at tea time just on dark - a Tawny Owl flew across right in front of the car heading towards the tree belt on former landfill site - first sighting this year.

In Lee Mount up to 2 Grey Wagtails have been around daily in the last 2 weeks with a pair of Nuthatches still visiting the garden feeder and also a report of another 2 Nuthatch visiting garden feeders at Cragg Lane towards Mixenden.

20th Feb

150+ Redwings at Tower Hill Norton Tower and at least 70 Skylarks now at nearby High Road Well Moor.

Mixenden and Fly Flatts

First thing, just a 1st winter Goldeneye on Mixenden.

Fly Flatts was much more productive despite 1c and a freezing cold westerly! Getting soft - scope out of the car window!!
1 f Goldeneye
2 Tufted Duck
4 Mallard
c60 Canada Geese with a few pairs already on territory!
2 Curlew came in from the west to rest by the res'r
3 Lapwing
2 Skylark >N
Plenty Red Grouse

Mixenden and Ogden

Poor conditions in the pouring rain this morning - very few birds about !
Mixenden Res'r
6 Goosander (2 drakes)
1 Goldeneye looked like a 1st winter male
2 L B B Gull adults and a few smaller gulls

Ogden
c100 Mallard and little else other than a solitary Song Thrush and c20 Goldfinch chattering in the top of a pine

Highroad Well Moor

30+ Skylarks yesterday feeding in the Muck Spread at Mount Tabor.

Shibden Valley from Pepper Hill

We walked along Hag Lane, at the back of the ski-slope, this afternoon but couldn't find a lot, just enough to keep us interested. The view from up there is really good whether looking East or West.
1 Little Owl
1 Kestrel
1 Sparrowhawk
c35 Redwing
c30 Starlings
c80 Jackdaws
1 Jay
c20 Chaffinch in the beech woodland but no Brambling with them
At least 2 Mute Swans on Shibden Park lake viewed from Pepper Hill.
No sign of any gulls moving today

Recent news

Ringstone - up to 100 Golden Plover and 150 Lapwings on and off in the last few days though Golden Plover down to c40 this morning.  Everything went up this morning when a female Sparrowhawk came through and stayed in the willows in the edge of the Res'r.

Yesterday at Gorple - a Woodcock at dusk and a Grey Partridge calling.
A number of Chaff's heading up the valley at Blake Dean late afternoon and at least 6 Stock Doves and 14 Lapwings.

At least 15 Twite at Rishworth recently. We are hoping for some at Fly Flatts this year after last year when none were reported!
2 Siskin and 2 Nuthatch on garden feeders at Lee Mount today.

Weekend

Edge Lane, Colden, Saturday. Buzzard flew south. 5 fieldfare with c.150 starling. 2 red grouse were calling from the moor.

Jumble Hole, Sunday. Scanning with binoculars from the garden, I was pleased to see a common buzzard on a fence post in the distance. It eventually took off, being harassed by corvids. A total of 190 herring gulls flew NE in the morning. A goldcrest joined a tit flock on the feeders, though obviously looking around for invertebrates.