Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Dean Clough Chimney!
Peregrine on the top south facing ledge of the chimney (out of the wind) feeding on prey between at least 2.30 and 3.30 this afternoon.
Halifax Town Centre - Bull Green 29/11/05
Lots of Pied Wagtails roosting in the shrubs between the roundabout and car park last night as I drove round it!! No chance of counting but there were a lot diving into the bushes. I think we had this a few years ago in winter with lots of P Wags roosting in the Woolshops area shrubberies. Will have a closer look as soon as I get chance! Anyone else seen them in town centre areas recently?
EGPits
Cold and misty
19 Cormorant
3 Goldeneye
30+ Goosander
40+ mallard
1 Kingfisher
2 Grey Wagtail
4 Tufted Duck
19 Cormorant
3 Goldeneye
30+ Goosander
40+ mallard
1 Kingfisher
2 Grey Wagtail
4 Tufted Duck
Ogden/Fly Flats 29/11/05
Not much about today - very cold but sunny!
White Carrion Crow still about in the Mixenden valley area. It's been about for several years now - there used to be two of them!
Ogden - 6 Grey Partridge in fields east side of Res'r also Green Woodpecker and m Sparrowhawk . No waterfowl of note.
30+ Red Grouse on Ovenden Moor and Fly Flats area. 1 Kestrel and also a falconer with dogs and f Peregrine flying near the windfarm - bit hazardous I thought - for the bird! Quarries checked to n/w of windfarm for Snow Buntings etc but nothing doing. 1f Stonechat at the Withens was toughing it out a bit in the cold!
White Carrion Crow still about in the Mixenden valley area. It's been about for several years now - there used to be two of them!
Ogden - 6 Grey Partridge in fields east side of Res'r also Green Woodpecker and m Sparrowhawk . No waterfowl of note.
30+ Red Grouse on Ovenden Moor and Fly Flats area. 1 Kestrel and also a falconer with dogs and f Peregrine flying near the windfarm - bit hazardous I thought - for the bird! Quarries checked to n/w of windfarm for Snow Buntings etc but nothing doing. 1f Stonechat at the Withens was toughing it out a bit in the cold!
Monday, November 28, 2005
2004 Bird Report
The Halifax Bird Report is available NOW!!! for £5 (£5.50 incl postage), to obtain your copy contact Nick Carter via email MIDGLEYBIRDER@YAHOO.CO.UK
EGPits(all from roadside)
17 Cormorant
25+ goosander
20 Coot
7 tufted Duck
3 Mute Swan(2adults +1 juv)
8 Moorhen
20 Mallard
1 LBBGull
25+ goosander
20 Coot
7 tufted Duck
3 Mute Swan(2adults +1 juv)
8 Moorhen
20 Mallard
1 LBBGull
Sunday, November 27, 2005
2004 Bird Report
Sadly no birding for me this weekend but I contacted the printers on Friday re the bird report and received an answerphone message tonight from Matt to say the report will be ready to collect from the printers on Monday. Full details of how to obtain your copy will be posted on here in the near future.
Roils Head Road, Norton Tower 27th November
Stonechat still present, also 60+ Fieldfare over and c100 Lapwings over Mount Tabor.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Ringstone 3.00
3 Gooseander,3 Snipe ,!7 Golden Plover ,2 Mistle Thrush,! Stonechat,7 Fieldfare,1 Kestrel and 20 Starling
Friday, November 25, 2005
Elland Gravel Pits
Not much about really, 12 Cormorants on Ski lake, 5 Bullfinch, 1 Reed Bunting, small numbers of Blue tit, Great tit, Long Tailed tit, 10 Goosander on the River and 1, possibly 2 Little Grebe and 1 very charming Robin.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Ringstone
Another very grey day at Ringstone with heavy sleet and high winds.
5 Bewick's Swan
1 Goldeneye
3 Teal
3 Mallard
5 Greenfinch
2 gooseander
5 Bewick's Swan
1 Goldeneye
3 Teal
3 Mallard
5 Greenfinch
2 gooseander
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
HARDCASTLE CRAGS 11AM-2PM
Without really venturing far from the car park recorded, Great,Blue and Coal tits, Goldcrest, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Male Sparrowhawk, Mistle Thrush, half dozen Redwings, Nuthatch, Treecreeper. Spent most of time photographing several grey squirrels and the dozens of Coal tits near a feeding station over the other side of the river close to the houses.
Donna Nook Twite details
I have now received the following E mail from Andre Raine who is co-ordinating the Twite colour ringing project...
Glad you guys managed to pick up the twite flock at donna - you've bagged
the largest confirmed flock this winter - the others are only at the
30mark. however, there are rumours of a flock of 300 in norfolk which im
hoping to catch up with when i return from kenya.....
info on your sightings (all 2 colour birds are cohort combos. triple
ringed birds will have individual data included):
> Pink/Black white - light hazzles bird ringed in post breeding season 2004.
> Red/ Black white - cant clough bird ringed in post-breed 2004
> Pink/White orange Green/BTO - this bird is a bit of a problem. i had
this bird at walberswick, suffolk, on 11/11/2005. now last year we had
a similar incident, around this time, with 2 birds at walberswick flying
the 163km back north to donna nook (and one subsequently heading back
down to walberswick later in the winter) - i have no idea why!!
anyways, are you guys SURE this is the correct combo as there is a
Pink/w-o bto/dark green combo as well, so it could possibly be mixed up.
pete said he was sure of it - if you can confirm then we will accept it
and this will be the third odd-ball winter movement of a s pennines
twite!!
> White/Pink black BTO - no idea what this is, as there are no white/pink
or pink/black spilt rings (at least none we use). there is a pulli
combo white/pink darkblu/bto, but that doesnt appear to be what youve
written. also, of course combos of white/black pink and pink
black/white.....
> Red/White orange - bird ringed at cant clough in postbreed 2005
> Red/Blue orange - bird ringed at c clough in postbreed 2003
> Red/Yellow - one of the old school! bird ringed at c clough in prebreed
2003, making it a contender for the oldest known twite. any birds w
this combo at the beginning of next year will beat the longevity record
for this species....
> Dark blue/Orange Green/BTO - great resighting! bird ringed in the nest
at cupwith moor in 2004, wintered in donna nook last year as well (in
fact i think it was you guys who found it there last winter!). shows
winter site fidelity.
> White black/Pink - bird ringed in postbreed 2005 at light hazzles
> Red/White orange - BTO/Black white - bird ringed as a 3female (first
year bird) at c clough on 05/08/05. not seen since.
so, great stuff! cheers for going to have a look at them - i will try to
come along on your next foray in the new year. and please do pass this on
to local birders - we would really like to get people to check these
flocks as regularly as poss to get a handle on how long birds are staying
at wintering sites and if there is any between site movement in the winter
(ie the weird donna-walberswick connection).
I need to double check the Pink/White orange Green/BTO bird with Andy and Iain but as far as I remember this was correct. Not sure what has happened with the White/Pink black BTO perhaps we were mistaken with this bird or I misinterpreted what someone called out. I am sure the Andy and Iain will agree that birds feeding in Sea Aster were difficult to get good views of!
Nick
Glad you guys managed to pick up the twite flock at donna - you've bagged
the largest confirmed flock this winter - the others are only at the
30mark. however, there are rumours of a flock of 300 in norfolk which im
hoping to catch up with when i return from kenya.....
info on your sightings (all 2 colour birds are cohort combos. triple
ringed birds will have individual data included):
> Pink/Black white - light hazzles bird ringed in post breeding season 2004.
> Red/ Black white - cant clough bird ringed in post-breed 2004
> Pink/White orange Green/BTO - this bird is a bit of a problem. i had
this bird at walberswick, suffolk, on 11/11/2005. now last year we had
a similar incident, around this time, with 2 birds at walberswick flying
the 163km back north to donna nook (and one subsequently heading back
down to walberswick later in the winter) - i have no idea why!!
anyways, are you guys SURE this is the correct combo as there is a
Pink/w-o bto/dark green combo as well, so it could possibly be mixed up.
pete said he was sure of it - if you can confirm then we will accept it
and this will be the third odd-ball winter movement of a s pennines
twite!!
> White/Pink black BTO - no idea what this is, as there are no white/pink
or pink/black spilt rings (at least none we use). there is a pulli
combo white/pink darkblu/bto, but that doesnt appear to be what youve
written. also, of course combos of white/black pink and pink
black/white.....
> Red/White orange - bird ringed at cant clough in postbreed 2005
> Red/Blue orange - bird ringed at c clough in postbreed 2003
> Red/Yellow - one of the old school! bird ringed at c clough in prebreed
2003, making it a contender for the oldest known twite. any birds w
this combo at the beginning of next year will beat the longevity record
for this species....
> Dark blue/Orange Green/BTO - great resighting! bird ringed in the nest
at cupwith moor in 2004, wintered in donna nook last year as well (in
fact i think it was you guys who found it there last winter!). shows
winter site fidelity.
> White black/Pink - bird ringed in postbreed 2005 at light hazzles
> Red/White orange - BTO/Black white - bird ringed as a 3female (first
year bird) at c clough on 05/08/05. not seen since.
so, great stuff! cheers for going to have a look at them - i will try to
come along on your next foray in the new year. and please do pass this on
to local birders - we would really like to get people to check these
flocks as regularly as poss to get a handle on how long birds are staying
at wintering sites and if there is any between site movement in the winter
(ie the weird donna-walberswick connection).
I need to double check the Pink/White orange Green/BTO bird with Andy and Iain but as far as I remember this was correct. Not sure what has happened with the White/Pink black BTO perhaps we were mistaken with this bird or I misinterpreted what someone called out. I am sure the Andy and Iain will agree that birds feeding in Sea Aster were difficult to get good views of!
Nick
Heading West
Following 2 successful trips to the East Coast in the last 5/6 weeks, this Saturday I'm planning on heading west(yes I know snow has been forecast!) Myself, Iain Greenwood and his girlfriend are taking up 3 spaces which leaves 1 more for anyone who'd like a lift or more if someone wants to join us and drive. There is also the possibilty that Iain's girlfriend won't be able to come along due to work commitments. The exact site/s to be visited are yet to be decided, open to suggestions.
Monday, November 21, 2005
ROUND THE BENDS TO HEBDEN AND BACK
Set off this afternoon up by the side of the Railway station in Mytholmroyd and onto Brearley then back along the Canal and on through to Hebden before returning via the Canal. Good mixed tit flocks incl Long tailed, Blue, Great & Coal along with Goldcrests in woods along the side of the railway also Tawny Owl heard. Down by the Cricket club a single Female Bullfinch. Passing the sewage works upto 5 Redpoll in trees by the canal bank opposite side to the tow path, also small numbers of Goldfinch.
No sign of Kingfisher by Railway Bridge in Hebden, 1 Grey Heron in the river though, on our return Male and Female Goosander on the river close to Walkley Clogs Mill flew towards Hebden. No sign of Redpoll as we returned to Mytholmroyd.
No sign of Kingfisher by Railway Bridge in Hebden, 1 Grey Heron in the river though, on our return Male and Female Goosander on the river close to Walkley Clogs Mill flew towards Hebden. No sign of Redpoll as we returned to Mytholmroyd.
