Soil Hill & Fly Flatts

        Morning stroll up to  Soil Hill while it was sunny but
        the wind was bitter and then it even snowed believe it
        or not, any way it was quiet but busier than last time I
        went and then took a drive up to dark & bleak Fly Flats.

       Soil Hill-:

       14 Skylark
       2 Pheasant
       2 Stock Dove
       3 Crows
       2 Goldfinch.

       Fly Flats-:

       2 Kestrel
       8 Canada's
       2 Greylag.

Goosander

A pair of goosander were on Elphin Brook in Mytholmroyd today - somewhere I've never seen them before. Photo taken on a phone

Mixenden Reservoir

A big disappointment this morning when I saw the state of the 'big hedge' !

Maybe YW had their reasons for such drastic action rather than phasing the work. This was a massive old hawthorn hedge, in length probably over 100 meters, with Blackthorn, Holly, Bramble, Lonicera and other species. Hopefully it will grow quickly again.
This was a really important staging post for small birds with many migrants stopping off on their travels in spring and autumn as well as winter thrushes and breeding birds with a wealth of other species.
I'm still trying to find some photo's before it was ravaged like this - the birds lose out again !! (for a while).

On the reservoir
1 f Goldeneye
5 Mallard
c70 Black-headed Gulls
30+ Common Gulls
2 adult L B B Gulls

and Frogs active in the plantation ponds.

Mount Tabor

Drive round for an hour this morning to check the former landfill fields at Moor End - well worth checking this site from the roadside - it has potential !
I found another 12  Skylarks flying around together at the back of the field near the manure heap following on from 13 Skylarks on Swales Moor, Ringby Lane yesterday. They must be on the move.
Just a few Black-headed and Common Gulls there, as well as a number of Carrion Crows and Jackdaws.

 Adult Common Gull taking a rest !

Swales Moor

Earlier today there were 13 Skylarks on the top all feeding together but flighty, though they came back to the same spot in the field by the big metal gates along Ringby Lane.
Encouraging that they are up in numbers from the previous day.
1 Meadow Pipit
1 Kestrel and a few gulls and corvids and that was about it other than a Sparrowhawk high >W

 Skylark

13 Skylarks

Soil Hill & Wainstalls

       Soil Hill today 9.30 to 10.30 sun was shining but the
       wind was ice cold, went up in hope of a Snow Bunting
       but drew a blank.

        2 Skylark
        3 Crow
        2 Gulls.

        Wainstalls produced one male Stonechat and that was it.
         Garden- 8 Goldfinch

Swales Moor and Soil Hill

Swales Moor

No sign of yesterday's Linnets

5 Skylark

3 Meadow Pipits

1 Reed Bunting

Soil Hill

Just 1 Skylark and nothing else though there is definitely Snow Bunt possibility in this cold spell!

Swales Moor

An hour up there late afternoon was probably a bit too late in the day but with clear skies interspersed with hail showers there was always a chance of some geese-  but not today !
12 Linnets on the top was a nice surprise though they were flighty but I did try to check to see if any Twite were with them but drew a blank on that score.
2 Skylark
2 Meadow Pipits
8 Stock Doves
3 Herring Gulls >NW
3 L B B Gulls loafing about with Common Gulls and scores of corvids on the top

Mount Tabor - Golden Plover

Only time to do any birding from the house today but I was thrilled to see 4 Golden Plover flying round the field this morning.  I lost them in the murk before they came down.  Also 1 x Grey Heron stopped by.  Feeding too, 40 x Starling and 17 x BHG (all carefully checked).  5 x Lapwing have also been around.

Blackbirds

Early one morning over the past week I was watching out of my bedroom window and could see at least 15 Blackbirds in and around my garden eating the seed I had scattered on the floor.  I do tend to get a lot this time of the year but think that 15 must be the record

Still on Blackbirds, I work in HX town centre and coming out for lunch recently there was a Blackbird perched in a tree behind the Bowling Alley belting out the most beautiful song.  I stopped to listen to him for a few minutes while everyone else carried on around me totally oblivious. 



http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03wphhd

Pinkies Flyover

          Lots of noise over Claremount this morning as 50
          Pink Footed Geese flew over possibly going to Fly
          Flatts Res shame it was so cloudy.

          Cromwell Bottom-:
          6 Jay
          1 GSW
          8 LTT. lots of the regular tit family
          1 female Reed Bunting
          1 Wren
          2 Grey Heron
          1 Goldcrest
          Blackbirds and Robins and Corvids
          1 Song Thrush.

          Garden-:
           12 Goldfinch
           2 Collared Dove
           2 Chaffinch
           1 Blue Tit.

Ploughcroft

We had an hour along Hag Lane at the back of Ploughcroft this afternoon - and the sun was still shining.!
1 Kestrel
1 Green Woodpecker
2 Stock Doves
1 Tawny Owl singing
One or two Chaff's and Goldfinch and a good number of the usual corvids.
Starlings doing imitation Curlew calls was a bit misleading as we looked to the sky but no Curlew flying over (though they won't be long now).

 Distant Green Woodpecker

Chaffinch (male)

Soil Hill

This morning I  was after some Skylark shots after I deleted some really good shots by mistake last week.  5 Skylarks there but they remain elusive and hard to capture close to or without grass and walls in the way  !

Skylarks

 

Nothing else on 'The Hill' other than the guys on the mast - wondered if NK and BS had taken a new position for a watchpoint !!!

1 early returning Oystercatcher at Ogden reported this afternoon on the buoy - from C S - thanks Chris

Swales moor

Ringby Lane - just had an hour up there late morning - nice to see the sun shining for a change !!!!!
2 seperate Sparrowhawks went over high >W
5 Skylarks (3 high >NW) and 2 on the top with the male singing
8 Meadow Pipits on the top
1 2nd winter Herring Gull >W
1 adult Great Black-backed Gull >N
3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls >SW (all adults)
8 Stock Doves
11 Starlings
Loads of corvids as is usual up there

Lee Mount

We don't often get Mistle Thrushes in the garden, though they fly over regularly. This one stopped off this morning checking the feeders out even though they normally feed on the ground or in berry bearing trees/shrubs.

Mistle Thrush (taken through the window I cleaned yesterday and with a plastic tie in the way)!

 

Also this morning the 2 usual Nuthatches were on the feeders regularly - until I went out to try get some decent shots of them - then they disappeared though I did get just 2 record shots looking up into the light.!

 

Wheatley

A friend has feeders in his garden and recently had 5 Siskin on mixed Sunflower seed-  and the other surprise was when he saw a Treecreeper going up the pebbledash on his house earlier this week.

Cromwell Bottom Today

           Took a walk down to Cromwell Bottom today with the sun shining
           a few of the members were hard at work near the cabins but I bypassed
           them and went birdwatching.

           Bullfinch, Chaffinch,
           Blue, Coal, Great and Long Tailed Tits,
           Sparrowhawk fly through,
           2 Goldcrest by the ponds
           1 Pied Wagtail between canal and river nr bridge,
           1 Jay in the same place,
           6 Cormorant on ski lake and lots of Gulls,
           1 Goosander on the river below the weir,
           1 what looked like a Raven but not 100%,
           2 Wren, 2 Dunnock, 4 Blackbird,
           Crows & Magpies.

Scammonden

Had a couple of hours again today, one or two sunny spells but the wind was bitter
All the usual small birds about plus......
Saw the Goldcrest again, positively ID'ed this time :)
Treecreeper
Female Siskin
Although I didn't get any photos of the Goldcrest, I managed a couple of  record shots of both the Treecreeper and Siskin
Also added another one of the SEO,taken when it snowed the other weekend and a Buzzard that passed over Ringstone the same day, cheers

Early Morning

Keighley Road/Hebden Bridge Road AM

Before the rain began

1 kestrel
1SEO
1 buzzard
1 red grouse

Around and about

Mixenden Res'r -  drake Goosander and the usual smaller gulls moving through.
Fly Flats -  6 Carrion Crows, 2 Ravens heading down towards Hunter Hill, 4 Canada Geese (early returners), c12 Mallard - why anything wants to be up here in conditions like today I'll never know - oh but I was there !!
Cold Edge (lower pond) pair of Tufted Duck and a drake Goosander
Dean Clough - I couldn't find the usual Dipper or Grey Wagtail in the Hebble Brook - just 4 Mistle Thrush (one singing), 1 Song Thrush singing, 2 Bullfinch near North Bridge and around 12 Long-tailed Tits turned up as I was chatting with Denise - who usually pulls in the rarities !

Ogden Early Hours

This birding lark is hard work at the mo with poor weather
and bird life being quiet-:

Ogden and Back lane early hours
1Goldeneye, 2 Dunnock, 4 Robin, 3 Blackbird,
4 Fieldfare, 1 Hare, 3 Wood Pigeon, 2 Mistle Thrush,
1 Chiffchaff singing.

Roper Lane & Raggalds floods gave a zilch apart from a
few Gulls.

Garden and Claremount Hill had 12+ Goldfinch, 1Blue Tit
and lots of Crows and Gulls flying about.

Soil Hill

Nearly got blown away on the top this morning with DB and JL - but you never know what else might be lurking there ! not much today.
1 Kestrel
2 Skylark
2 Meadow Pipits
4 Fieldfare
Moorhen on the lower pond

Various sites today

Started off at Swales but there was nothing on the top at all so headed up to check Soil Hill - just  Skylarks (got 2 cracking photo's of them and then deleted them by mistake - gutted )!!!

Mixenden Res'r
Pair of Goldeneye and a pair of Goosander plus c120 Black-headed, c60 Common Gulls and 2 L B B Gulls
Ogden golf course -  nice looking Stonechat and a Little Owl nearby.
2 Siskin with a flock of c30 Goldfinch at Lower Brockholes
1 Moorhen and a Grey Heron on the small pond
12 Redwings with 24 Starlings at Stodfold

Stonechat

 

Elsewhere a distant Short-eared Owl hunting in the drizzle

 

Short-eared Owl



Scammonden/Dean Head

Had a couple of hours this afternoon, mild, breezy and a little wet once the low cloud decended.
1 Kestrel
Quite a few GT, BT, CT
4 Bullfinch, both M&F
And a couple of Roe Deer, which was good to see
Was hoping to spot the Green Woodpecker again, but instead we were tret to our first ever sighting of a Firecrest, very pleased but no camera!
Edit- Apologies, it could have been a Goldcrest, but still a first for us. I'll return tomorrow with camera and try get a few record shots.

Interesting reading - but no surprise.

http://www.energyroyd.org.uk/archives/13331

Ogden Lane

Late afternoon. The small finch roost on Ogden Lane near the main road was active with Chaff's Greenfinches and Goldfinches in the top of the sycamores so I checked them carefully in case of a stray Brambling (without success). Worth checking late afternoon if anyone is up there !

Shibden Head

A great morning for a walk around the upper reaches of Shibden Valley and Shibden Head though it was a struggle to find any small birds. Plenty of Jackdaws, Magpies and Carrion Crows and a good few Stock Doves and Woodpigeons as well as Black-headed and Common gulls in the fields.
2 Kestrels were the only raptors
c15 Redwings, 5 Mistle Thrush and just 3 Starlings.
1 Meadow Pipit over Corporal Lane
No sign of any tit flocks other than a few Blue, Great, Coal and LTT's scattered about. Hardly any finches about !
A brief look in Bare Head Tunnel located 4 hibernating Herald Moths.

Castle Carr

Had a walk on Castle Carr Road today then on to Cold Edge. 1 Raven, 1 Little Owl in usual place, 1 Buzzard, 2 Kestrels, 1 Red Grouse, 9 Herring Gulls, 9 Stock Doves and a pair of Stonechats.

Jay House Lane

I had another look for the green sandpiper on the pond at Jay House Lane, but no sign again.

Back at Jumble Hole, a treecreeper was a welcome visitor to the bird feeder area, moving in with a flock of tits and searching for insects whilst they were on the feeders.

Quiet Shelf Moor

      Had a drive around Shelf Moor this afternoon after work
      but it was bereft of bird life apart from Crows, Magpies
      and 100+ Gulls in a field at the side of the Golf course.

      10+ Goldfinch on my garden feeders.

Ogden

Hardly anything this afternoon though the westerly was still blowing strongly.
Woodlands checked.
1 male Sparrowhawk
c15 Goldfinch around the car park trees
Usual Mallard and just a few small gulls and that was it.

Mixenden and Ogden

Very wet conditions this morning in a gale force westerly. Mixenden was attracting a lot of gulls with c200 Black- headed, 120 Common and 2 adult Lesser Black-backs and that was it.
Ogden was quiet and I missed out on the Kingfisher seen in the usual place by JL earlier. Nice to see you and have a chat John - once I recognised you in all the wet weather gear and camera cap!!
I went through the western woodland but it was birdless.

Ogden Garden

Just watched a sparrowhawk catch a nuthatch at our garden feeder. It happened so quickly that I was unable to react and get a picture.

Castle Carr Road and the upper dean

Hard work in that driving snow this afternoon both along the road and in the dean.
1 Little Owl
1 Kestrel
The feeders near the lower lodge were 'buzzing' near dusk. 50+ small birds challenging each other at the feeders including Chaff's, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Blue, Great and Coal Tits, Great-spotted Woodpecker - but no sign of any Brambling !

Castle Carr Road this afternoon looking back towards Wainstalls

Jay House Lane to Wellholme Park

The Curlew was in the field at J H Lane, not far from the flock of at least 20 Tree Sparrows. Over 250 B H Gulls were nearby along with two L B Backs. Near Wellholme Park were 25 Stock Doves, a Treecreeper by the car park, and a couple of Mistle Thrushes nearby on the rugby field. But no sign of the Green Sand. today.

Last call for records

Could any observers who have not yet submitted records for last year please get them to me within the next two weeks. Send to Halifax Birdwatchers Club, 11 Mile Cross Road, Halifax HX1 4HN

Mixenden.... and Soil Hill

Started off ok this morning with clear sky and sunshine until noon. 1 Sparrowhawk over the house, 2 Nuthatch still coming to the feeders and 11 Long-tailed Tits this afternoon.
I got out this afternoon but the weather deteriorated rapidly with a F4 to 6 westerly on the top and heavy drizzle. Cold Edge was not good though I just managed 51 Jackdaws
Mixenden Res'r - 3 Teal, 5 Mallard, 1 f Goldeneye along with the usual Black-headed and Common Gulls.
The white Carrion Crow was again at Lane Head Lane near Ogden - though the wall was in the way for a decent shot of it !

 

Soil Hill (I didn't stay long)!! - 1 Skylark along the track past the mast.

Also a report from RR of a male Brambling on his feeders at Greetland this afternoon - that's a nice bird for the garden Roger.

Various sites

Mixenden Reservoir - pair of Goosander, 70+ B H Gulls, 35+ Common Gulls, 1 adult L B B Gull.
The plantation turned up nothing at all though I went in looking fro Woodcock. It's a bog in there but some of the habitat has lots of potential - when the quads and off-roaders aren't in there !!!

 

Shibden Valley - Sunny Vale was productive on the lake but hardly any passerines anywhere. It's a welly job there too !

2 Little Grebe

2 Coot

c10 Moorhen

1 Grey Heron

10+ Mallard

Leucistic Blackbird?

Before Christmas I saw this leucistic bird probing the grass on the University of Bradford campus. By its behaviour I took it to be a Blackbird. Today was the first time that I have seen it since then, perched in a tree with a thrush. This footage was shot handheld through a mucky window in poor lighting conditions. The two birds took flight shortly after I shot this. 

Ringstone and Booth Wood Reservoirs

Not a lot at Ringstone or it had been blown away in the gale force winds this morning - Black-headed and Common Gulls and around 24 Lapwings and c35 Starlings was about all I could find so I headed off to Booth Wood but couldn't find anything at all there - but the overflow was quite impressive !

First records for Halifax since 1899

Cleaning out the house, I came across this I did 14 years ago, it never made the bird report so I thought people might find it of interest. I have added the latest from 2002,those marked with an * indicate just one record to date. Firsts for Halifax 1899 - 2015 Year Species 1899 Spotted Sandpiper 1900 Lesser Black-backed Gull 1902 White’s Thrush * 1903 Brambling 1907 Red-breasted Merganser Curlew Sandpiper Short-eared Owl 1908 Scaup 1909 Long-eared Owl Green Sandpiper 1910 Marsh Tit ? 1911 Sanderling Turnstone 1912 Shag 1914 Bewick’s Swan Long-tailed Skua* 1922 Bittern 1927 Hoopoe 1929 Canada Goose 1932 Little Owl 1934 Ruff 1935 Wood Sandpiper Willow Tit 1936 Eider Sandwich Tern 1937 Bar-tailed Godwit Red-necked Phalarope Common Gull 1938 Stonechat 1939 Temminck’s Stint 1940 Black-tailed Godwit Spotted Redshank 1941 Whooper Swan 1943 Black-necked Grebe Velvet Scoter Snow Bunting 1944 Greylag Goose 1947 Ferruginous Duck* 1948 Black Guillimot* Lapland Bunting 1949 Cormorant Desert Wheatear* 1950 Avocet Nuthatch 1951 Reed Warbler 1955 Woodlark 1955 Gadwall 1956 Fulmar 1958 Puffin 1960 Mealy Redpoll 1963 Red-throated Diver 1964 Stone Curlew* Collared Dove Rock Pipit 1967 Little Ringed Plover Glaucous Gull 1971 Shore Lark 1975 Water Pipit 1976 Mediterranean Gull 1977 Goshawk Iceland Gull Buff-breasted Sandpiper 1978 Wilson’s Phalarope* Great Skua Snow Goose* 1983 Ruddy Duck 1984 Bluethroat* 1988 Bean Goose Firecrest 1993 White-fronted Goose 1994 Yellow-legged Gull 1995 Ring-necked Duck* Mandarin 1998 Black -headed Bunting* 2002 Common Crane* 2004 White Stork* 2005 Yellow-browed Warbler 2008 Woodchat Shrike* 2009 Montagu’s Harrier Spoonbill* 2012 Ring-necked Parakeet 2011 Bee-eater* 2014 Richard’s Pipit* I have also noted an error in the last report, 2014 was not the year with the most species recorded, it was in fact 2008 when 166 species were recorded. Ps Please could I have any records for 2015 within the next two weeks so I can make a start on the next report. Cheers Nick D.

Tabor Partridges

I was pleased to find 5 Grey Partridge in the fields at Tabor, record shot below.  Thanks BS for the Pinkie alert, I reckon about 70 came over from Queensbury direction, another poor shot below.  Between 12 and 30 Lapwing still around and Reed Bunting and Sparrowhawk (M + F) been visiting the garden amongst others.

Booth Wood and Baitings Reservoirs

I checked both sites early afternoon but nothing doing on the waters. Interesting movement of large gulls with 24 Herring Gulls and 1 Great Black-backed Gull all together >W over Booth Wood and another 7 Herring Gulls >W over  Baitings.
Also checked Ryburn Dam - 1 adult Cormorant and a Dipper and not much else there.

Kirklees Hall

The flock of Siskins numbered 30+ today, and there were 15 Redwings nearby.
The juv Mute Swan was still on Clifton Lagoon with 14 Mallard and a couple of Coots. 2 Cormorants were on the river.
A pair of Bullfinches were nearby, and a Kestrel overhead plus another one at Colnebridge.
Rain stopped play at 3.00pm !

Walshaw

Out today with DJS, first real bird was a Barn Owl hunting at 2.30pm, closely followed by 2 Shorties. 4 Kestrels, 1 Sparrowhawk and a Raven + 7 Stock Doves was about it. Digi scoped shots of Kesterl today and Shortie on Saturday.

Scammonden/Deanhead

Had a short walk from Deanhead Church to Deanhead resi this morning that turned out to be very productive

Buzzard flying  SW
2 Kestrels
10 Long-tailed Tits
GSW
2 Stonechats
Wren
Dunnock
And a first for me up there, a Green Woodpecker!

Had my camera but just a few record shots, here's one of the Stonechats

Various....

Mixenden Res'r  - this morning just 2 f Goldeneye and a f Goosander flyover. 5 Herring Gulls >W and 2 ad L B B Gull's on the res'r with B  H and Common Gulls.
Also 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, and a Nuthatch in the plantation.

Fly Flats -
2 Tufted Duck, c25 Mallard
Pair of Stonechat on the fence line near the reservoir
1 Kestrel
1 Herring Gull flyover >W
Plenty Red Grouse including this confiding individual below

Red Grouse - male

 

Jerusalem Farm - this afternoon

At the pond just below Jowler

2 Grey Heron

1 Dipper

1 Sparrowhawk

 

Luddenden Dean (upper)

1 Lesser Redpoll on the feeders at 'The Lowe'

6 Redwings eating holly berries

1 Fieldfare

2 Jays

1 Kestrel but no other raptors

There were very few passerines about other than a few Chaff's - plenty corvids !

This looks very interesting.......

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/dovestone/b/dovestone-blog/archive/2016/01/05/sphagnum-moss-reintroduction-a-new-wren-funded-project-at-dove-stone.aspx

Looks like there are plenty of areas around the Pennines where this would be a good idea for encouraging wildlife and retain water in the hills !
Well done the RSPB
There is also a good link on BirdGuides about this project.

Pepper Hill

Not a lot up there this afternoon though it was a pleasant walk along Hag Lane at the back of the ski-slope and around the fields above Claremount.
c60 Redwings and 5 Fieldfare in one field along with a few corvids and Common Gulls
Looking down from the top towards Shibden Park there looked to be 5 Mute Swans - 2 adults with juveniles on the park lake.

Mixenden Res'r and Cold Edge etc

Nothing on Mixenden Res'r  this morning other than a few  Black-headed and Common Gulls along with 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Moor End Road - the reclaimed landfill site between Gibb Lane and Green Royd turned up a surprise in the lightly snow covered short turf with 50+ Meadow Pipits. I started counting, got to 47 then they all lifted and landed in the field just out of site on the down slope away from me.

Cold Edge - 1 female Stonechat on the rubble pile near the top small pond which was more or less icebound. It was nice ice to chat with Dick who had also picked out the Stonechat in the same place.
1 Kestrel
1 adult L B B Gull >E
22 Mallard on the lower dam along with 2 Canada's but no sign of any Goldeneye
15 Meadow Pipits feeding in the juncus near Haigh Cote then later in the Stonechat gully.