Ogden

First thing in search of yesterdays  15 Crossbills. They took a bit of finding, up near the 'Giant's Tooth' area though I kept hearing their calls.  They eventually showed but I only got them in flight. At one point they landed in the heather briefly and then returned to the plantation. This happened several times and I suspect they kept getting 'spooked' by a Sparrowhawk. I left them around 10:20 after 14 headed off over Ovenden Moor as the rain started and I lost them from sight. Not sure if they returned or not (?) JJL followed me up but think he missed out.

On the way up I came across a good number of birds in the clough immediately to the east. Including c30 Redwings, Goldcrests, Treecreepers, Great Spotted Woodpecker along with Blue, Coal and Long-tailed Tits but no sign of any Great Tits ! 2 Ravens along with other corvids and a Sparrowhawk.

Not many moving birds - 4 House Martins >S,  5 Mistle Thrush >E, 1 Buzzard >N

1 Great Crested Grebe on the reservoir.

Giant's Tooth just had some dental treatment adjacent to Ovenden Moor

Ovenden 'pinkies' etc....

Pink-footed Geese - 30 moved through high >NE around 09:15. I could hear them but picking them out was a struggle at first in the bright blue sky and morning sunshine. Earlier a small flock of 8 Redwings >W at 07:30.

This afternoon 7 Common Buzzards together over Ovenden drifting >N (Steve C). Maybe a couple of family groups making good use of the afternoon thermals. Also one or two Swallows still trickling through. Ringstone had 14 Golden Plover and 12 Snipe late morning (AT) and 15 Crossbills from Ogden plantation (CS).

Castle Carr Road area was pretty quiet this afternoon. 1 Little Owl, 2 Kestrels and not a lot else. Not a Stonechat in sight !!!!

Soil Hill

This afternoon - how warm was that ! After such a cold day yesterday and a cold start today the warmth took me by surprise. It was nice though. It's not often like that up there.

Ned Hill Road

No sign of the recent Black Redstart though there was a Wheatear in the same area and 8 Swallows for a short while over the farm buildings. 2 Rooks with around 20 Jackdaws by the old farm machinery in the field off Taylor Lane and around 40 Meadow Pipits. Green Woodpecker heard, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, c18 Linnets and 8 Goldfinch flyovers.

The mast area had a pair of Stonechats along the wall.

North slope - quieter - 2 female type Tufted Duck and a Moorhen on the NK pond, 3 Wren, 1 Robin a Pheasant an a few Mipits. The best bird up there was a lone Coal Tit heading towards the summit.

Earlier in the day no sign of Redwings moving over Swales except for just one heading >SE

Redwings arriving !

Redwings have been reported in Yorkshire just in small numbers this last week - until today.

Report from first thing this morning of flocks heading >NW over Oxenhope, probably arrivals overnight from across the North Sea. I went out to check the sky over Swales Moor and Ovenden. Sure enough flocks were still in the move and I managed 430+ between 9:00 and 9:30 - all >NW.

Signs of changing seasons with the arrival of winter visitors this week including Redwings and Pink-footed Geese with, hopefully, Whooper Swans, Fieldfare and Bramblings to look out for in the coming weeks.

Still a few Swallows and House Martins about with the changing of the seasons.

Sent via BT Email App

Bird Report, Fox and Goose

The Halifax Bird Report for 2019 is now available at the Fox and Goose in Hebden Bridge open 3 - 9pm except Monday and tuesday.Only £6.00, we do need all the help we can get this year so if you have not already got one please do.

Mixenden Res'r and Hunter Hill

 Mixenden Reservoir 

6 Goosander (all female types) 5 left to the north leaving one on the water - though it could fly.

2 Cormorant

1 House Martin

Hunter Hill

Nothing moving at all...unless it was really high (?)

1 Green Woodpecker

60+ Meadow Pipits

6 Stonechat

c55 Linnet

24 Canada Geese > towards Stodfold fields

Fly Flatts and later on Ogden

Thick fog didn't look all that good through Wainstalls and Cold Edge for a trip to Fly Flatts this morning but it was a surprise to have a clear view of the reservoir as I arrived and the rain stopped, leaving reasonably good clear conditions for VisMig from the north end. Cold feet in wellingtons was the only drawback after 2 hrs standing about !! but I did enjoy it.

Full details on Trektellen. 

Birds moving >SW - 363 Meadow Pipits, 4 Rooks, 4 Swallow and a 'tit' species was probably a Coal Tit. Others moving >NE - 1 Snipe, 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Also around the north end - 4 Mallard on the res'r, 4 Stonechat with a Wren in attendance, 4 Wheatear, 1 Reed Bunting, 2 Kestrel and a Reed Bunting etc.

More Stonechats later for BS - see West Yorkshire Birding - link on this page.

Ogden - Carr's Beck at bottom of the golf course this afternoon - a Green Woodpecker was alarming and we saw a Sparrowhawk after it. Thankfully the 'woody' escaped at the last 'ditch' and the hawk headed off in another direction. Quite a few Jays about and Mistle Thrushes too.

Other news - the Black Redstart is still at the site at the top of Taylor Lane, 

Gull I.D. Please

 This gull was on its own up at Lower Gorple the other evening. Phone scoped in poor light on the far bank so not great quality.

I've got it down as a 2nd year Lesser black-backed but could be wrong. Looking in me books, I also had  a little niggling doubt it could be a Caspian gull, can anyone confirm ID please, cheers, Phil

 

Ploughcroft area

 Along Hag Lane this afternoon towards Pepper Hill and  Claremount 

Another Stonechat - they seem to be all over the place this autumn. They appear to have had an exceptionally good breeding season with lots of family groups reported throughout summer and into autumn still.

Not a lot else up there other than a nice flock of c150 Starlings, 3 Linnet, 1 Common Buzzard and 2 Kestrels. Around 40 Rooks in one field must have found some interesting grubs to feed on. Don't usually see that many up here. 

Swales Moor ...

Hardly anything visibly moving this morning though birds could well have been high and out of sound and sight.
1 Jay > NE
1 Snipe > E
1 alba wagtail >W
Plenty Meadow Pipits about but no sign of any Swallows. 2 Kestrel and a Sparrow Hawk
3 Stonechats on the top along Ringby Lane
1 Chiffchaff

Black Redstart above Bradshaw, along Ned Hill proved elusive at times and sightings were brief - but it is still there.

Sent via BT Email App

Black Redstart

  Black Redstart still at the top of Taylor Lane

  but at a distance for photography but great for 

  binoculars, lovely bird but fast and elusive and

  not easy to photograph not helped by the blowing

  wind, seems to be a young un, nice to bump into

  DjS, AT and GR up there.

  

Black Redstart

Update from the previous post. It's still there around the farm at the top of Taylor Lane, Bradshaw.

Sent via BT Email App

Bradshaw - Black Redstart

Black Redstart yesterday afternoon seen at the top end of Taylor Lane mid afternoon (AvH from a Halifax Scientific Society walk). A really good find - perfect timing this time of year and after easterly winds last week.

Seen later in the day (CK and JJL) but so far not re-found this morning (NK). Quite a bit of decent habitat up there around the Soil Hill and Ned Hill farms and stone walls so there's still a possibility it's still there - somewhere....

Mixenden Res'r and Hunter Hill watch-point

Nothing at all on the reservoir this morning and I failed to find hardly anything moving at all from Hunter Hill watchpoint in the cold >NE wind and clear sky.

Most interesting event - I was watching a Common Buzzard reasonably close by for quite a while till it dived speed with legs down - it had definitely seen something. It dropped out of site but came up again a minute later with a full grown Weasel dangling from it's talons. Looks like it got it head first. It carried it off out of site. I've never witnessed one take a Weasel before though I think BS had one a year or two back at Fly Flatts - this time, of course. with a photo (am I correct Bri?)

Otherwise it was down to a green Woodpecker,  Kestrel, c grounded Meadow Pipits,  Stock Dove, 2 Feral Pigeons and a Starling.

Elsewhere a Shoveler at Ringstone Edge reservoir (AT),

Soil Hill - north slope this morning.

Following in DJB's footmarks from this summer I set up the scope for a couple of hours in the hope of some migrants. Not a lot doing but enjoyable just the same. Brisk >NE wind, cool but bright and dry (apart from underfoot !)

6 Skylarks came in from distance to land on the hill

2 Buzzards headed high >E while 2 others were to the north of the watch-point

2 Snipe >E

c30 Swallows >SW

Lots of Meadow Pipits high >SW with lots of others on the top

c50 Goldfinch >E

2 Kestrel

Plenty of gulls in distant fields but a bit too distant for scrutiny.

Cold Edge yesterday (17th)

30 Pink-footed Geese high over Midgley Moor >SE at 08:45 was a decent start. Around the same time was a slightly larger flock over Fly Flatts heading >SE (see West Yorkshire Birding)

Otherwise - 2 Little Grebe, 11 Moorhen, 1 Buzzard, 3 Stonechats, 2 Teal, 3 Snipe, 2 Raven, 3 Red Grouse, 2 Chiffchaff and lots of Meadow Pipits blogging and >W on a broad front along with a few Swallows.

39 species in total was not a bad return for up there but the best was a flock of 25 Greenfinch near Moorlands Farm in the small copse and then on the overhead wires. Scarce birds for us nowadays but a welcome sight indeed.

Mixenden and Hunter Hill

This morning. Little sign of anything much moving though conditions at high level were poor with mist hanging on. Hunter Hill - 40 +Swallows and c10 Hs Martins high >Sw
1 Green Woodpecker, c20 Linnets, a few Meadow Pipits, 1 Kestrel and 3 Jays

Mixenden Reservoir
One each - Teal, Cormorant, Mallard and Grey Wagtail.

Sent via BT Email App

Luddenden Dean

This afternoon with mist still clutching the tops.

Fairly quiet in the Dean.
One group of 5 Stonechats and a Whinchat along Catherine House Lane and a Green Woodpecker calling nearby.

Chiffchchaff in Wade Wood.

Elsewhere - 2 Nuthatch, 3 Buzzards distant, 8 Bullfinch, 2 Kestrel, 12+ Swallows plus not much else.

Sent via BT Email App

Swales Moor

First thing - very warm and no breeze and very little movement overhead, unless birds were very high, other than a few Meadow Pipits and 3 alba wagtails.

The rest were grounded along Ringby Lane - the best were...
2 Stonechats
4 Skylark
3 Chiffchaff
1 Green Woodpecker

Sent via BT Email App

Wainstalls area

Castle Carr Road this afternoon

Family group of 5 Stonechats with a single Whinchat

2 Buzzards distant

1 Little Owl

A few Swallows

Out of area Franklin's Gull

Franklin's Gull at Redcar Tarn Keighley today, well worth the trip, only the second in Yorkshire for 29 years I think.

Ploughcroft and Pepper Hill

Yesterday afternoon
A single Swift high over Shibden Valley was a big plus for September.

Still plenty of Swallows and House Martins in the valley. It's a good place in autumn especially with insects to feed on where there's shelter from a westerly wind.

1 Whinchat feeding from a fence line perch over a freshly cut hayfield was a bit unexpected but really nice birds to come across.

Sent via BT Email App

Ogden / Ovenden Moor

Yesterday morning a very quiet walk over the moor apart from Red Grouse starting to make plenty of territorial noise and a family group of 5 Stonechats! 2 Kestrels near the wind-farm. Plenty of Meadow Pipits >W on a broad front and a few Swallows and a brief view of a Sparrowhawk.

Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch and 2 Great Crested Grebes on the water and a Common Buzzard flyover >E


Sent via BT Email App

Pepper Hill Kestrel Family

    Enjoyed watching a family of Kestrels hunting

    Pepper Hill every couple of hours today, they never

    gave up even after being pestered by Crows & 

    Magpies, there were 3 hunting together to be exact.

  

      

Pule Hill

Wheatear 

Around and about - 7th September

 I checked the Wryneck site yesterday - no sightings as far as we know since Sunday morning, first thing. Green Woodpecker nearby. 2 Raven fly-overs >SW along with a few Meadow Pipits and Swallows.

Garden birds -female Blackcap briefly along with a Chiffchaff at the same time. Plenty of Coal Tits along with Blue, Great and 2 Long-tailed Tits.

Fly Flats and Withens Head - late afternoon - conditions not good at the reservoir with a strong westerly and heavy drizzle - I only found one Mallard ! Withens Head was slightly more sheltered -  1 Kestrel and 2 Wheatears by the farm with 2 Swallows still in and out of the farm building probably feeding young.

This Mornings Birds

  Birds seen while looking for Wryneck at Wainstalls, shame I didn't get a pic

 of the bird but I did get to see it early doors and hear it calling a couple of times.

 

Teal

 Spotted two this morning, seems early?

Wainstalls....Wryneck

 After yesterdays great find by Ashley, and thankfully reporting the bird with a great description I was thinking we might have missed the bird after looking in the wrong location yesterday evening.

I tried the right location late afternoon and came up with a beauty.

Wryneck - Jynx torquilla

It was a struggle to find the bird after a few fleeting glimpses of it, enough for identification, thankfully. The wind was pretty blustery so it was probably hiding away in shelter most of the time. Disappointment for BS and PB but at the last gasp JJL spotted it hiding in the shelter at the back of a wall and then on  top of a post as we headed for home. Then it was off and we left it to it's own devices hoping that the Sparrowhawk, a second or two later, didn't spot it.

What a bird for Calderdale. !

Hopefully others will be fortunate enough to see it before it heads south on it's migration back to Africa.

'Bits ad pieces'

 Some items from this last few days

A nice Hobby was photographed by Mike H over Brighouse on 1st September. Well done Mike. A scarce bird in Calderdale. This summer visitor usually 'whizzes' past so well done to get the photo Mike. Checked with Nick, its a first summer bird (one of last years fledglings).

Also this week a few encouraging reports of Whinchat's returning from their breeding areas. Unfortunatley they are a scarce breeding bird in Calderdale nowadays. Also a good show of returning Wheatears in the upland areas - Fly Flatts, Warley Moor, Ogden area, Cold Edge, Gorple and Walshaw.

Swifts have just about gone now though September ones could be seen as they travel from more northerly sites. Just a few reports of ones or two's this week but maybe a chance for more.

Yesterday late afternoon a Wryneck was reported from the Wainstalls area. Several have been seen on the east coast this last week and from some inland sites. We have very few records for Calderdale over the years so it would be a bit special to re-find this one though it may well have moved on with a clear sky opportunity overnight. (?)

Fly Flats

This morning - bright  clear conditions with a brisk westerly. It was nice to get back up there (with permit and hi-vis jacket) now the works have been completed and the water levels rising.

A decent show of birds but no real movement. 20+ Wheatears on the mud and stone walls, 2 Whinchat, 6+ Stonechat, 3 Raven >NE, 1 Red-legged Partridge,  Red Grouse calling on the moor, 80+ Meadow Pipits (blogging), 1 Pied Wagtail, a few Swallows >SW, 3 Kestrels, a Sparrowhawk that whizzed past me from behind, so close it made me jump ! Waters edge - 7 L B-b Gulls with an adult Herring Gull. Shortly afterwards, the rain came in.

Pied Wagtail

Whinchat - looks like  a juvenile

Roils Head Yellow Wagtail

At last a good bird at Roils Head today, a Yellow Wagtail feeding with Pieds in the horse paddocks. At first very flighty moving from field to field before settling in the one surrounded by Leylandii conifers. Good to see DJS arrive in time before it was flushed by a Sparrowhawk, it soon returned and was still there when we left.

Cold Edge dams etc.

 Nearly three hours there this morning and only 29 species - it's usually 39+. Chilly and a blustery northerly wind probably had something to do with it.

A single Wheatear was about the best along with 1 Cormorant, 1 Moorhen, 1 Buzzard and a Kestrel and maybe 60+ blogging Meadow Pipits plus a few other expected species. Good to have a chat on the way round with PB and later PJWS.

This afternoon we had a check in the area at the lower end of Ogden golf course. Miserable drizzle didn't help. Went in the hope of a finding a small flock of Redpoll and the female Redstart thanks to NK's message this morning. Try again another day !

Swales Moor (Ringby Lane) and later - Withens Clough (Cragg Vale)

Not much to report from Ringby this morning other than a Chiffchaff in the cottage garden at the top of Ploughcroft. Also c20 House Sparrows including a good show of juvs at the same place.

Ringby Lane - no sign of anything moving at all. c100 Meadow Pipits in the fields and 50+ Goldfinch on thistles. Green Woodpecker and a Sparrowhawk but not a lot else.

Withens Clough. A good show of Stonechats around the site with family groups of 6, 4 and 2. They seem to have done well locally this year. 

8 Swifts over towards Stoodley Pike along with 2 Kestrels and 60+ Swallows over the clough below the reservoir. 4 Wheatear nearby and a few Meadow Pipits, Grey Wagtail and c10 Pied Wagtails in the reservoir overflow. 

Nothing on the reservoir - full to overflowing !

Juv Cuckoo

 Juvenile Cuckoo showed well around mid-day, same area as reported on Grapevine yesterday.

Highlight had to be a young (brown) Merlin that landed on a post whilst I was crouched down behind a wall watching the Cuckoo, sadly no photos, my slightest movement and it was off!

Pepper Hill

    Pepper Hill yesterday evening when the sun decided

    to show its face, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Dunnock,

    8 LTT'S, Blackcap, Blue & Great Tits, a Hawk calling loudly

    but couldn't be seen and a Kestrel hunting well until disturbed

    by Magpies, lots of Goldfinch and Swallows & House Martins

    flitting about, sorry for the gruesome pics but it is nature.

    

Swales Moor

Nothing at all moving this morning in a brisk >NW wind other than 3 Swifts and 1 Swallow >W and a single Wheatear in the top.

Plenty Lesser Black-back Gulls and Carrion Crows loafing around the processing plant.
1 Meadow Pipit
c20 Linnets

Later - Soil Hill - 1 Wheatear on the ruin was the only migrant, 2 Buzzards, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Ravens high >SW. Plenty Lesser Black-back Gulls >NW, 1 Common Gull.

Lee Mount - rain all day !

We sat in the conservatory for our lunchtime 'sarnie' shortly after a Sparrowhawk whizzed through and scatter the birds on the feeder. We don't know the outcome of the Starling that it seemed to lock on to !

The feeder went quiet, though after a short while I started counting the usual visits to the feeder at 12:55. Fifteen minutes later the count was ,,, Coal Tits - 30 visits, Great Tits - 5, Blue Tits - 4, Nuthatch - 2, Dunnock - 1...... then the Sparrowhawk returned with  a fly-past at 13:10 and not a single bird visited the feeder until 13 minutes later. They returned very warily. Probably quite wisely.

Not at all scientific I know but at least it gave me something to do for  a short while !!!

Coal Tits the commonest bird - probably around 6 individuals. We're hardly getting anywhere near normal Blue or Great Tit numbers. 

Ogden

Pretty wet and windy but I gave it a go this morning. Nothing scarce but a decent mix of species.

2 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Cormorant, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Dipper, Blackcap female, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, 30+ Swallows >W, Blue, Great, Coal and 2 Long-tailed Tits, 1Common Gull, 6 LBB Gulls and a few Black-headed Gulls plus other expected species.

Sent via BT Email App

Wellholme Park

Time with the family - play area included - a single Swift with around 30+ House Martins and c20 Swallows with a single Common Buzzard over >NE

23rd August

5 Spotted Flycatchers and 1 Redstart at Roils Head today.

Swales Moor etc....

This morning along Ringby lane and Ringby top. Very quiet apart from the Carrion Crows and Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the roof of the processing plant. 

Not a sign of any movement other than 8 Swallows >SE 

A few Meadow Pipits and Goldfinches about as well as 2 each Kestrels and Sparrowhawks.

Later in the day a Peregrine was calling over Lee Mount and just 1 Swift over mid afternoon >NE

 

Mixenden and Stodfold

2 Green Woodpeckers on Hunter Hill and a female Redstart still at the lower end of the golf course late morning. Also a Willow Warbler there but no migrants at all in Slaughter Gap. Nice to catch up as well with NK doing the rounds.

A solitary Tufted Duck on Mixenden Reservoir and a feeding frenzy of 40+ Swallows on Hunter Hill, they drifted off towards Cold Edge. Not a lot else about but a Swift earlier over Lee Mount was nice to see.

Whiteholme Reservoir

Had a look at Whiteholme this afternoon to see if the Hollingworth Lake Pectoral Sandpiper had relocated here this afternoon, but nothing doing. A single Ringed Plover was the only wader I could find. Was a surprise to find a Dipper up there though.

Total species list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S72509421

-Dipper

Also 3 Tree Pipit on Soil Hill this morning (2 Tayor Lane, 1 North Slope), as well as a single Sedge Warbler. Reasonable sized large gull flock in the bottom field but difficult to sift through without a scope. Picked out a single juvenile Yellow-legged Gull but could have been other birds in there.

Total species list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S72498173

Also a juvenile Redstart on Taylor Lane on the 15th

Rishworth

 20 Geese Sp.   E towards Ringstone 08:11

Soil Hill - 100 species in 2020

Reached my 100th species on the Hill this year when this cracking Short-eared Owl flew past being mobbed by crows. 

It was fogged off this morning so had an afternoon visit instead today. Good numbers of large gulls moving, mainly LBBG but two juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls flew East. Migrants were poor, just 3 Willow Warblers in total.

total species list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S72401280

-Short-eared Owl

Mixenden area

 I went in the search of returning migrants this morning. Not many migrants ...but good enough...

Mixenden Reservoir - 2 Sand Martins, 10 Swallows, 1 House Martin, 2 Grey Wagtails. Chiffchaff in the woodland and a Common Buzzard over >SW. 

Lower Brockholes - male Siskin in the top of a Spruce in one of the gardens there.

Hunter Hill - 4 Wheatear (2adults and 2 juvs together) Green Woodpecker, Jay and Mistle Thrush's scoffing rowan berries. Best of the day was a Tree Pipit - heard the call and it came over and dropped into the woodland at Slaughter Gap. Searched for it till it flew out again and moved further up the clough.

Carrs Beck - 2 Sand Martins at the lower end of the golf course still ! I had a search in the heath-land area and checking the fence line came across male and female Redstarts.  both were very wary and very reluctant to show again after the initial sightings.

Kestrel was getting plenty of aggravation from the local Jackdaws until this Raven went over and diverted their attention. It went off high >NE

Green withens

 This morning green withens

7am till 10am

Kestrel 1 f
Buzzard 1
Carrion crow 6
Wren 4
Meadow pipit -
Reed bunting 3
Goldfinch 7
Twite 50+
Pied wagtail 4
Grey wagtail 5
Stonechat 1 juv

Migrants

Sedge warbler 1 in the bracken below the south dam

Willow warbler 2 in the eastern bracken 6 south dam 5 m62 pond

Whinchat 1 m62 pond 1 in the clough
I
Wheatear 1 on the track

Ogden plantation

Checked quite a lot of the woodland this morning. Quite misty but pleasantly cooler than of late. Pretty quiet on the whole other than a foraging 'tit' flock in the area just above the pond, mostly in birch and pine. 

Garden Warbler showing quite well on and off was the best I could do. Definitely camera shy ! In with c 8 Chiffchaff and  a similar number of Willow Warblers (mostly young ones), 1 Treecreeper, 1 Nuthatch, just 1 Blue Tit, no Great Tits with the commonest bird Coal Tits - maybe 15+.

Nearby 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers and Green Woodpecker calling, 1 Jay, 1 Sparrowhawk.

A Kestrel and a Reed Bunting down the side of the golf course

3 Cormorants on the water. Pair of Blackbirds carrying food to a nest site.

Mixenden and Lower Brockholes

 This morning - before it got too hot...! but it was hot - no escape !

Nothing much on Mixenden Reservoir other than 2 Swifts and a female Tufted Duck. On my return I came across 6 Chiffchaff feeding together on the edge of the plantation - a family group I suspect.

Slaughter Gap was worthwhile checking with a Spotted Flycatcher on the fence line. Camera shy was a bit of a disappointment ! Also quite a number of Willow Warblers down the tree line and a group of 6+ Mistle Thrush and 5 Jays stripping berries off a Mountain Ash. Also nearby, a Green Woodpecker, Kestrel and a few Swallows.

Another camera shy bird with a female Redstart in the hedge / fence line near the lower end of the golf course became very elusive. Migrant birds seem to like this area near Carr's Beck.

20+ Swifts over Hunter Hill - make the most of them now until next April / May !

Cold Edge

 This morning. Temperature and conditions totally unprecedented up here. Not living up to it's name at all ! No sign of any migrants in the small plantations other than a Willow Warbler half singing.

Lower Dam

6 Teal kept flying in then out due to disturbance. 1 female Tufted Duck. 1 Grey Heron, 1 Moorhen

1 Common Sandpiper on the island along with a few Black-headed Gulls and a single Lesser Black-backed Gull

Spring Mill Dam

2 Little Grebe and some juvenile Mallard along with a Buzzard sitting on  a nearby post

2 Kestels, 2 Stonechats, a pair of Pied Wagtails, a few Reed Buntings, Linnets, Goldfinch and Meadow Pipits and a Greenfinch.

No Swifts, just a few Swallows plus the usual species

Green withens am

 

Green withens 07.00-9.30

A lovely south east wind misty and a balmy 17•

Very quiet as I parked up, very little moving

The walk to the res

Kestrel 2 juvs
Buzzard 1
Curlew 1

Res

Mallard pair with ducklings
Canada goose 4
Common sandpiper 1
Pied wagtail 4
Lbb gull 1 ad

East bracken

Willow warbler 2
Reed bunting 3
Wren 2

M62 pond

Whinchat 1 juv
Wheatear 2
Willow warbler 1
Reed bunting male
Stonechat male and juv

Soil Hill

This Juv. Yellow-legged Gull flew south past Soil Hill this morning. The pale primary windows were the most striking feature in the field but I had some concerns about the amount of markings on the tail. However, have discussed it with some of the guys from Spurn and the tail markings are apparently within an acceptable level of variation for YLG, with other features combining to confirm the ID.

Full species list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S72272639

Speaking of Spurn, had a visit over this afternoon for the Collared Flycatcher, and came away with an awesome supporting cast of Pectoral Sandpiper, White-winged Black Tern, Red-backed Shrike, Icterine Warbler (Trapped and ringed), 2 Spoonbill, Great Egret, 2 Little Stint and a random August Redwing. Back to the Hill tomorrow... 

-Juv. Yellow-legged Gull

Crossbill

 Took the dog in the garden this afternoon and heard an unusual call thinking Im sure I know what that is and to my amazement a female Crossbill flew off from a tree across the road and over my head not bad for an urban area about 5miles from the nearest conifers. Makes me think about taking up birding again. (maybe not)