Fly Flatts

Late morning -great morning !
A skein of Pink-footed Geese came over high around 12:28, making a racket. Heck!! , they are early returners for our winter from northern climes. We usually get them late September and October.
I was surprised they landed, at first on the mud then, unsettled, they went up again and after some hesitancy they alighted on the north end pond area and started grazing.
Final count from flight photo's 95 + 1 straggler that came over later.
Also MH arrived followed by BV just in time to see them before they left >WNW at 12:53,unfortunately disturbed by a jogger.

Also this morning...…...
1 Pintail
37 Mallard
12 Teal
1 Cormorant >S
c6 Kestrels
12+ House Martins and 1 Swallow - all >S
40+ Meadow Pipits >NW
1 Raven
1 Merlin

Fly Flatts etc

Pintail still present this morning with 8 Teal. No sign of the recent Mallard and no waders.

Mixenden - water sport activities on the res'r so no wildfowl. Just a single flyover Skylark >W.

Cromwell Bottom

Little Egret and a Dipper this afternoon at Cromwell Bottom (DL) and from this morning, a Kingfisher (AT and JM) with nice shots below from JM.

Hag Lane and Shibden Valley

An hour up there mid afternoon.
An amazing number of House Martins feeding in the shelter of the valley, mostly in the area north and south of Shibden Mill Inn. Also lots of Swallows though these were feeding at a higher elevation. Impossible to count but maybe 100+ Hs M and 50+ Swallows (??)
Also a few Jays around and about and starting to show now that the acorns are ripening.

Fly Flatts

Late morning.
Pintail still at Fly Flatts (can be tricky to pick out even with a scope) with 34 Mallard and 9 Teal.
A few Kestrels and a Buzzard with a few Swallows and Meadow Pipits >W

Lee Mount

Common Buzzard - juvenile over the house this afternoon. Had a dash for the camera !!

Mixenden Res’r

This morning - loads of hirundines 09:00 probably 100+ each Swallows and House Martins with a few Sand Martins mixed in. They all started to drift off >SW around 09:30
1 f Goosander
3 Moorhen
No sign of the f Goldeneye !

From yesterday
Pintail still at Fly Flatts. (BS AC et al)
5 Twite near the former Withens Pub - what a rarity this species is locally nowadays. (AC)

Sent from my iPhone

Ringstone / Baitings / Blackstone Edge and Whiteholme Reservoirs

Ringstone.
Met up with AT and JM for an hour or so though it was a struggle to find much in the blustery, pretty cool, westerly.
1 Great Crested Grebe
2 Tufted Duck
2 Moorhens
c40 Lapwings
2+ Linnet
A few Starlings dropped in and a few Meadow Pipits were attempting >W with quite a number also on the shoreline along with c20 B H Gulls

Baitings
1 Cormorant  - I think it was lucky to find any water !

Baitings Reservoir

Blackstone Edge
2 Wheatear on the shoreline
Raven >SW

Whiteholme
Not a wader in sight in nearly 2 hrs watch mainly with the scope. It was warmer and more sheltered than Ringstone
A few Meadow Pipits >W

Whiteholme Reservoir

Osprey

Osprey over Whiteholme yesterday morning.

Fly Flatts etc.

Late afternoon with BS patrolling the west bank in the westerly gale I viewed from the comfort of the car on the top road !

Strong wind, choppy conditions and with sunlight glistening on the wet mud it made viewing difficult from both sides of the reservoir. Nothing doing for a while, other than 13 Teal on the edge of the mud and a buzzard >W.

Managed to get rather a poor view of a duck, larger than the Teal. As soon as I got the scope on, it took off and I followed it, with difficulty, until it landed in the choppy water near the south west corner. Immediately thought - Pintail which was later confirmed by BS as he went to and fro trying to get a decent photo of the bird.
He did well in the conditions - see West Yorkshire Birding blog - confirming an eclipse male Pintail. Quite a scarce bird for Calderdale with only one or two records annually.

Also from AT this afternoon - 3 Ring-necked Parakeets in the Pye Nest area.

Halifax Town Center

Report from WG
The trees on Broad St / Waterhouse Street had a gathering of Pied Wagtails at around 7pm today (8th September). At least 50 birds, many with rather short tails (young birds maybe).
Nearest landmark is the Yorkshire Bank building next door.

Many stand on the ridge of the roof tops on Waterhouse street.  It could well be a overnight roosting site.

Fly Flatts and Mixenden Reservoir

Fly Flatts
No waders this morning but 2 Great Crested Grebes with 11 Teal.
A few signs of movement with 50+ Meadow Pipits, 40+ House Martins and 30+ Swallows >W
8+ Kestrels
1 Common Buzzard
9 Canada Geese

Mixenden Reservoir
1 female Goldeneye also seen flying around
1 Tufted Duck
5 Moorhens including 1 juvenile

Gull ID

I have altered the colour saturation of Johns bird at Ringstone Edge and what used to look like pinkish legs now interestingly look yellow. Having said that remember a small population of Herrings can also have yellow legs.

Hag Lane and Shibden Velley

Along the track to rear of the ski slope this afternoon.
2+ Buzzards
Several Kestrels along the horizon as well as at least one Sparrowhawk
1 Common Whitethroat feasting in a bramble patch.
Lots of Swallows and House Martins feeding in the sheltered part of Shibden Valley
1 Wheatear in a field near Claremount

Ringstone

No sign of yesterday's Knot but this Herring Gull type was there this morning (JM and AT)
Photo's from JM - any thoughts ? It appears to have pale pink legs - except the knees are yellow.
The bill marking looks slightly different on each side as well as a very pale eye!

Fly Flatts

Greenshank flew into Fly Flatts 11:30 but left >SW 2 minutes later.
9 Teal
Lots of Kestrels
Trickle of Meadow Pipits high >NW
1 Wheatear
1 Swallow.

Sent from my iPhone

Ringstone

Knot at Ringstone tonight found by TW

Fly Flatts

Late afternoon - not a lot doing, no waders at all though had a nice chat with BS doing his daily round.
3 Wheatears on the rocks near the 'Nab' (NE end of the top road)
Kestrels - plenty, wherever I scanned. It seems to have been a good breeding year for them with plenty of voles.
Merlin briefly, shot over the north end of the reservoir towards the Nab
A few Teal and a Tufted Duck
c40 Meadow Pipits went high >N

Withens Head
Little Owl on the wall and another 3 Kestrels.
I also scoped 2 Little Grebes on Cold Edge top dam

Roils Head

A single Spotted Flycatcher was found at Roils Head today, not much else doing.

Walshaw Dean

Female Pied Flycatcher was a good find in the plantation this morning. (AM)

Luddenden Dean

We had a trip around the upper Dean from Jerusalem Farm this morning covering both sides of the valley.
Lots of Kestrels over the moor along with 2 or more Common Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk.
Green and Great-Spotted Woodpecker a Nuthatch and a few Jays.
2 Wheatear near Catherine House Farm.
Loads of Swallows and a few House Martins but no other migrants.
c10 Greenfinch bear Throstle Bower + usual woodland species.

Sent from my iPhone

Mytholmroyd AM

Female sparrowhawk
2 grey heron
Chiffchaff
2 grey wagtails
Buzzard
Peregrine over
5 ravens
2 oystercatchers heading east
3 nuthatch
c20 swallows
GS woodpecker
Dipper

Today's news

Ringstone Reservoir - a nice find from DF early afternoon - a juvenile tern on the rocks with other gulls.
Some nice shots below from JM would seem to confirm the identity as a juvenile Arctic Tern.
Also another very nice shot, the lower photo. A surprise Merlin (adult female?) seen chasing the smaller birds around the bushes. Not an easy bird to get a decent photo of - nice one.

Merlin

 

Mixenden Reservoir

Female Goldeneye still present along with a single juv/female type Tufted Duck, 3 Mallard, 1 Moorhen and 72 Canada Geese.

Small tit flock in the plantation included a couple of Goldcrests.

 

Hunter Hill

2 Sand Martins >SW along with a small group of Swallows

1 Kestrel

3 Meadow Pipits >SW

Lots of House Martins (maybe 25 + but distant) over Heathmoor Park/Abbey park estate mid afternoon.

Tern

Tern sp at Ringstone today.

Today’s news !

Ruff Still at Fly Flatts this morning AT@ AC.

Lots of Blackbirds about as well this morning in gardens, Lee Mt (10+) and on Shroggs landfill (25+) probably overnight arrivals as hardly any Blackbirds about here during August. Now gorging themselves on rowan berries etc.

Sent from my iPhone

Fly Flatts

Another belter from BS with a Ruff found this afternoon on the mud at Fly Flatts. I managed to squeeze a quick visit in and managed to find it where BS suggested. Distant, with a scope but a very nice bird to see. A scarce bird for Calderdale.

Distant Ruff - (photo courtesy JM)

Also see BS's West Yorkshire Birding for further information and photo's.

Gamekeeper convicted for killing two short-eared owls on grouse moor in Yorkshire Dales National Park | Raptor Persecution UK

https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2018/08/28/gamekeeper-convicted-for-killing-two-short-eared-owls-on-grouse-moor-in-yorkshire-dales-national-park/

A pathetic sentence.

Original post from Brian Leecy

Scottish Golden Eagle news

Not local of course but of great interest. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-45322932?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cq0y4l88j4lt/birds&link_location=live-reporting-story

Fly Flatts and Withens Head

This morning, then the fog came down!
Fly Flatts - 1 Peregrine, 3 Buzzards, no waders, 10 Teal, 3 Tufted Duck.

The weather cleared up for Withens Head - 1 SEOwl, 5 Wheatears, 25 Golden Plover >NW. djs

Also from Castle Carr Rd, a pair of Stonechat - (DS)

Sent from my iPhone

Swales Moor

An hour or so on Ringby Lane this afternoon. It's an area with a working quarry and recycling plant with fields which are mostly infilled quarries. All overlooking Boothtown and Halifax as well as an all round vista of the surrounding hills and countryside. Fantastic views on nice clear days.
It's been fairly quiet bird-wise over the summer, though it's been good for butterfly's. The site comes into it's own in autumn and winter when it can be good for migration watch (otherwise known as vis mig) and wintering birds.
This afternoon
1 Swift with 30+ Swallows feeding high over the ski-slope
2 Common Buzzards
100+ Linnets with a few Goldfinch's in among them
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Kestrels
30+ Pied Wagtails in the newly seeded fields at the Ambler Thorn end of the site. Carefully checked for Yellow Wagtails but none found
1  Skylark and  a few Meadow Pipits
c80 Carrion Crows
25+ L B B Gulls, 1 adult Herring Gull and a few B H Gulls and Common Gulls

Ring necked parakeets

over the last 2 months I have noticed a very similar pattern

Firstly there are now 3-4 birds, seeing 3 poss 4 about 2 weeks ago sat in tree tops in pye nest,
They appear to roost down Copley as I saw 3 last evening near the caravan dealer by the canal.
All my sightings are either dawn or dusk

Ogden

Expect Terns moving through at this time of year in this sort of weather with heavy downpours so I went to check Ogden and Mixenden reservoirs - just in case - no luck !
10 Cormorants at Ogden along with a Little Grebe and a Kestrel but little else other than a few Swallows and 2 House Martins. Nice to see Muxy as well on the bike run. Hope I recognise you next time with the helmet on !!

Mixenden still has the female Goldeneye. Also 1 Moorhen and c50 evenly mixed Swallows and House Martins

Fly Flatts

Early start as jobs to do later !
A bright sunny day with clear views but a lot cooler up there this morning and looking like cloud thickening from the west.

One Buzzard, 4 Kestrels and 2 Ravens flew threw but not a sight or sound of a single wader on the extensive mud at Fly Flatts.
7 Teal, 8 Tufted Duck and a few B H Gulls. The Red Grouse sounded happy !

5 Wheatear, 2 Whinchat and 50+ Meadow Pipits and Little Owl at Withens Head on walls opposite wind farm car park.

Sent from my iPhone

Godwit

Photo by DF. Is it just me or does this bird look a bit odd. At first at a distance in bad light I called out Bar-tailed Godwit then as we got closer we thought oh no its a Black tailed. Looking at the flanks they seem to be reddish which is a strong indication of Icelandic Black Tailed Godwit. What do others think?????

Black-tailed Godwit

Whiteholme this evening, very misty and murky but me and Dave managed a Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin, 1 Common Sand, 1 Snipe, 5 Curlews and 3 Wheatears.

Ringstone Reservoir and Whiteholme.

From PJWS - a drake Common Scoter on the water around 14:15. Always nice to see these sea duck at our upland reservoirs.

Also at Whiteholme Reservoir tonight at 19:30 - a summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwit along with a Common Sandpiper, Dunlin and a Ringed Plover with 5 Curlew also dropping in there. (NCD DF)

Fly Flatts

Late afternoon check for me after BS had a Sanderling earlier in the afternoon, though it headed off high whilst he was there. I chanced it, after the rain and fog drifted on to the tops there, thinking if it did clear then something else might have dropped in !
Nothing new other than the usual Tufted Duck, Mallard, a few Teal and Canadas.
Just about to head off when a S E Owl landed on a nearby wall, looking  a bit wet. Quite a dark bird with a very prominent white facial disc. Well worth the visit.

Down the road near the wind-farm car park it suddenly poured down and c20 Pied Wagtails and a dozen or so Meadow Pipits came down in then rain to feed on the roadside. Signs of movement there !

Fly Flatts

Pretty quiet this morning with no sign of moving birds in the calm, humid conditions. Unusual for this upland site to be so still and no wind.
1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Dunlin and a few Lapwings were the only waders seen.
3 Wheatears were on the walls at the NE corner of the Res'r.
Only one Meadow Pipit, though in the coming weeks we would expect a lot more as they start to move south. No Swallows either.
2 Ravens earlier, 3 distant Buzzards, 2 Sparrowhawks also distant and the usual Kestrels.
Usual duck species present and just a few Canada's.
Hopefully something will turn up for BS's visit this afternoon. Stand by !!
KM. GS. AT. JM. djs

Sent from my iPhone

Mixenden reservoir etc

Early afternoon
The female type Goldeneye is still on Mixenden - looking much greyer now. Also 95 Canadas there this afternoon is a big number for this site.
c50 Swallows and 20+ House Martins feeding over the reservoir as well, with other groups moving through and feeding higher >SW in the very humid conditions.

3 single Curlews also went >W over the lower end of the Ogden golf course between 15:30 and 16:00
1 Common Buzzard >SE
1 Kestrel
1 Nuthatch in Mixenden plantation
A few Willow Warblers around were probably migrants but no sign of and other passerines in the scrubby areas.

Lee Mount
B H Gulls and L B B Gulls along with a few Common Gulls passed over late morning in  a bit of  a feeding frenzy after swarms of flying insects/ants.

A call from AC late afternoon about an Egret species (probably Little Egret) heading my way failed to materialise from my viewpoint. It maybe went up the Shibden Valley out of sight. Wonder if it dropped in at Ogden(??) A watch from the garden did however result in the very welcome sight of 2 Swifts along with a large group of Swallows and a few House Martins >SW.

Ringstone (Sunday) 3 Arctic Terns there briefly (JB)

Plenty of waders at Fly Flatts the last few days. See BS's report on his West Yorkshire Birding blog. Well done Bri, what next ?

Ogden Kirk

A walk round the kirk and the reservoir revealed over the week end a dipper just beyond the bottom bridge of the clough, a female wheatear higher up and five curlew flying over in a SW direction. A female  kestrel was also very active hunting. There was a spotted  flycatcher in the garden this morning.

Fly Flatts

Grey Plover still in summer plumage this morning on the muddy shoreline. A nice find for JM  and AT.The bird still there at 13:15 (DF)

:

Grey Plover - photo's from JM

Whiteholme Reservoir

Whiteholme this morning

      Juvenile Little Ringed Plover

3 Dunlin
1 Adult Ringed plover
2 Juvenile Little Ringed Plover
1 Common Sandpiper
3 Peregrines
4 Wheatear

Crossbills

3 Crossbills showed really well today in the plantation at Walshaw Dean, adult male and female and a juvenile.

Ogden Water etc.

An hour there across tea-time produced a couple of nice surprises...a bit distant for any photo's  unfortunately.
1 Green Sandpiper
1 Dunlin

Also, amongst the usual species
2 Cormorant
2 Willow Warblers
2 Herring Gulls
c25 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
30+ Black-headed Gulls
3 Common Gulls

Also from yesterday as I was waiting at Halifax Railway Station, an adult Peregrine was soaring about over Square Chapel and then over Beacon Hill. I guess this was one of the birds that attempted to nest there earlier in the year (?)

River Calder

Yesterdays walk along the river Calder-:

  Cormorant, Goosander, Jay, Canada, BH Gull, Mallard,
  Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Blackcap, Moorhen, Wren,
  Dunnock, Blackbird and Otter

Hebden Bridge Rally Saturday 11th August

https://www.facebook.com/events/185104235652390/

Cuckoo

Last nights juvenile Cuckoo at Crimsworth Dean taken through car window.

Lee Mount

Just 3 Swifts through today and 4 House Martins early on and that was about it for today.

Tawny Owls calling and singing most nights from the park and in Wheatley Valley.

Sent from my iPhone

Mixenden reservoir

Female goldeneye still there this morning
1 grey wagtail

Sent from my iPhone

Swales Moor - Ringby Lane

Plenty of gulls in north field, ie 'the wagtail' field, this afternoon following the plough. Around 150 gulls but nothing out of the ordinary - mostly L B B Gulls and B H Gulls with a few adult Herring Gulls and 3 adult Common Gulls.
Also 30+ alba wagtails - some looked very pale, possible 'White Wagtails' but with changing plumage of the Pied Wagtails and a large proportion of juveniles it was difficult to be sure of any 'whites' !
No Yellow Wag's...... but it's worth keeping a check on especially when/if we get some rain.

It could be fantastic up there if they sowed it down with wildflower seed. !!!!!

Also a few Linnets about as well as Goldfinch's, 1 Skylark, 2 Kestrels and c60 Carrion Crows, but they weren't showing any interest in the 'wagtail field' for some reason.

Withens Head

Viewpoint, opposite the wind-farm car park late morning.
2 Wheatear
c12 Linnet
1 Sparrowhawk
20+ Meadow Pipits

Sent from my iPhone

Fly Flatts

This morning, no sign of the weekends waders.
Just 2 Dunlin along with a few Lapwings.
12 Teal
1 Buzzard
10+ Kestrels
50+ Swallows and Swifts passing through > SW
1 Common Gull
c30 B H Gulls and a few L B B Gulls over the moor
2 Barnacle Geese
2 Meadow Pipit
5 Ravens > N
For yesterday's concise update at Fly Flatts see BS's blog (West Yorkshire Birding).

Sent from my iPhone

Twite

I've just seen a request on FB for information on Twite, it's a chap from Slovakia who is trying to get some UK birding done whilst he is over here for Birdfair.  One target species is twite, so Derby Delph is an obvious site but are they being seen there at the moment, if so is there a preferred time to visit?

Fly Flatts

Greenshank still present from yesterday and now with 2 Green Sandpipers, an early morning find for DF. All still there at 10:30 this morning. They were showing in the area at the bottom of the fence line, view from the large-ish car parking area on the top road but from there a scope is essential.
DF, DP, DJS (3 Dave's)!

Also this afternoon 2 Sanderling turned up along with a single Dunlin (which is under scrutiny?) see BS's photo's on West Yorkshire Birding blog.. (DF NCD BS)

Sent from my iPhone

Recent news !

A few birds of interest this week including some wader species that we have expected with the shoreline of several of our local reservoirs. Still plenty time for some more !

Juvenile Greenshank at Fly Flatts today along with a Common Sandpiper and 2 Barnacle Geese still there. (DJS BS)

Blackstone Edge and Whiteholme reservoirs area has seen several Dunlin, up to 4 Ringed Plover, some Curlew and Oystercatchers this week with c25 of the latter still in the Gorple/Walshaw area earlier in the week. (PG NCD DF DW et al)

Little Egret briefly at Green Withens on Tuesday flew off >NW. (PD)

280 or so House Martins at Eastwood sewage treatment works. (MB)

2 Crossbills at Sunderland Pasture plantation (PG) and another at Walshaw plantation (NCD DF)

Lots of Kestrels about at a number of locations after what looks like a really good breeding season. Several reports of Buzzards, Short-eared Owls and Little Owls, and Raven etc along with  a Merlin near Widdop (PB) - plenty of voles for the raptors and owls this summer which is good news. Several reports of Buzzard juveniles fledged now as well.

Swifts now well on the move out of our area but some moving flocks around early morning and  early/late evening with 30+ this morning over Lee Mount and 40+ over Northowram on Wednesday (DJS AC)

Yellow Wagtail seen again at Ringstone this week (GS)
Yellow-hammer at Claremount last Sunday (DB)

Probably a few more 'bits' I've missed out as well, with apologies. !!
It's been good to get a few more 'birders' doing the rounds recently. Good work everyone.
Just need a few more to blog.