The finch flock at the back of 'The Delvers' was showing well this morning (TM and SL) and we also caught up with them mid afternoon. Several Brambling were present with the mass of Chaff's and Goldfinch with a few Greenfinch as well.
We were heading up to Fly Flats - but it was thick fog up there!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Bird Report update
The 2009 Halifax bird report is now at the printers and will hopefully be out in the next few weeks. Can I please have any remaining records for 2010 in the next few weeks so I can make a start on it.
Jay House lane
28 Tree sparrow
14 Fieldfare
2 Redwing
1 Mistle thrush
8 Goldfinch
4 House sparrow
9 Lapwing
23 Common Gull
4 Chaffinc
1 robin
All seen by/over feeders.
14 Fieldfare
2 Redwing
1 Mistle thrush
8 Goldfinch
4 House sparrow
9 Lapwing
23 Common Gull
4 Chaffinc
1 robin
All seen by/over feeders.
Lumbutts/Mankinholes yesterday
In a field between Mankinholes Bank and Lumbutts yesterday afternoon:
46 Redwing
3 Fieldfare
c. 80 Starling
No Wrens about, nothing on Lee Dam either as it was frozen.
Also a Little Owl on London Road - I've sent an email to myself!
46 Redwing
3 Fieldfare
c. 80 Starling
No Wrens about, nothing on Lee Dam either as it was frozen.
Also a Little Owl on London Road - I've sent an email to myself!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Cold Edge
Wainstalls
Nothing at the Delvers field this afternoon. The finch flock seems to favour mornings!
Cold Edge
7 Greylag Geese in the heather
6+ Red Grouse
Nothing at the Delvers field this afternoon. The finch flock seems to favour mornings!
Cold Edge
7 Greylag Geese in the heather
6+ Red Grouse
Cold Edge/ Mixenden
Cold Edge Dams. Top dam froze, lower dam partially froze
18 Mallard
4 Red Grouse
1 Peregrine >N
Delvers
c 150 mixed finch flock of Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Greenfinch
At least 8 Brambling
3 Meadow Pipit
c40 Fieldfare
c25 Redwing
c18 Mistle Thrush
Mixenden Reservoir
2 Cormorant
4m 2f Goosander
1m Goldeneye
c 200 small gulls.
BS
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Shibden to Beacon Hill - 29/01/11
Shibden Park - lake mostly frozen
Robin 1
Blackbird 1
Jackdaw 30
Blue Tit 6
Coal Tit 1
Kestrel 1
Blackheaded Gull 80
Common Gull 1
Moorhen 5
Mallard 100
Dark Lane up to Beacon Hill
Crow 4
Magpie 3
Wood Pigeon 2
Long Tailed Tit 8
Coal Tit 2
Treecreeper 1
Blackbird 2 - chased by a female sparrowhawk right onto the track in front of me. I think I startled them and scared the sparrowhawk off.
Willow Tit 1 - about 10m up the track after the sparrowhawk. It was feeding in the hedge at the side of the track. I managed to see it for about a minute before it headed down the track into the higher trees. It was calling on and off for about 20 minutes but I didn't get another view.
Bullfinch 2
Wren 2
Goldfinch 1
Robin 1
Blackbird 1
Jackdaw 30
Blue Tit 6
Coal Tit 1
Kestrel 1
Blackheaded Gull 80
Common Gull 1
Moorhen 5
Mallard 100
Dark Lane up to Beacon Hill
Crow 4
Magpie 3
Wood Pigeon 2
Long Tailed Tit 8
Coal Tit 2
Treecreeper 1
Blackbird 2 - chased by a female sparrowhawk right onto the track in front of me. I think I startled them and scared the sparrowhawk off.
Willow Tit 1 - about 10m up the track after the sparrowhawk. It was feeding in the hedge at the side of the track. I managed to see it for about a minute before it headed down the track into the higher trees. It was calling on and off for about 20 minutes but I didn't get another view.
Bullfinch 2
Wren 2
Goldfinch 1
Friday, January 28, 2011
Various sites
Swales Moor (am)
4 Skylark
30 Linnet
1 Kestrel
Mixendedn Res'r
1 drake Goldeneye
Crimsworth Dean
1 Raven over high >SE
2 Great Black-backed Gulls >SE
1 Little Owl
c60 Fieldfare
c30 Redwing
1 Nuthatch
2 Kestrel
Only 1 Wren found in the dean
3 Stock Doves - plus another one high up in an inaccesible tall sycamore with its legs tangled up with string around a branch and dangling from the tree upside down flapping away - afraid there was nothing we could do late in the afternoon. We hope it is dealt with by a raptor as quickly as possible.
4 Skylark
30 Linnet
1 Kestrel
Mixendedn Res'r
1 drake Goldeneye
Crimsworth Dean
1 Raven over high >SE
2 Great Black-backed Gulls >SE
1 Little Owl
c60 Fieldfare
c30 Redwing
1 Nuthatch
2 Kestrel
Only 1 Wren found in the dean
3 Stock Doves - plus another one high up in an inaccesible tall sycamore with its legs tangled up with string around a branch and dangling from the tree upside down flapping away - afraid there was nothing we could do late in the afternoon. We hope it is dealt with by a raptor as quickly as possible.
Hartshead & Kirklees Hall area
A very muddy walk down from Hartshead produced a striking male Yellowhammer calling loudly from the top of a hedgerow.
A Kestrel was prey-watching from a nearby tree and a Cormorant flew overhead.
Perched on the boundary wall of the K H Estate were two Little Owls- I've not seen them just here before, but the habitat seems perfect.
On the return walk, a group of trees contained a large, noisy mixed flock of Tits, Goldfinches, Siskins and Greenfinches, with at least 3 Bullfinches nearby.
A Kestrel was prey-watching from a nearby tree and a Cormorant flew overhead.
Perched on the boundary wall of the K H Estate were two Little Owls- I've not seen them just here before, but the habitat seems perfect.
On the return walk, a group of trees contained a large, noisy mixed flock of Tits, Goldfinches, Siskins and Greenfinches, with at least 3 Bullfinches nearby.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Various sites
7 Blackbirds and a Dunnock on the lawn the other day. There has been up to 12 Blackbirds together but can't get them all in the frame at the same time. They love Robin food, quaker oats and apples and are there at first light.
Very early lambs, taken on 19th January just behind the old Withens pub - well there were no birds about!
waxwing
There were 80 plus Waxwing at the top of garden road Brighouse this morning at 10 30 but were not there at 2 30pm
Night out
OK, taking all availability into consideration, the night out will be Friday 25th February at the New Moonlight in Luddendenfoot. Let's say 7:00-7:30 in the bar downstairs and eating for 8ish?
Sorry to those who cannot make the 25th, but with the feedback I had received both on the blog and on the phone, it is the date that the majority can make. And this doesn't have to be the last time we get together either!
Sorry to those who cannot make the 25th, but with the feedback I had received both on the blog and on the phone, it is the date that the majority can make. And this doesn't have to be the last time we get together either!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Sowerby Bridge centre
A single Peregrine over near the bridge at approx 10:25 this morning, mobbed by black headed gulls.
Wainstalls and Luddenden Dean
2 or more Brambling with a large finch flock (c80 - mainly Chaff's and Goldfinch and a few Greenfinch) by the shrubbery at the far end of the field behind the Delvers pub at around 12:30. In the fields across the road were c 50 Fieldfare and 6 Redwing. We called back later in the afternoon to put some seed down but there were only a few Chaff's there!
Luddenden Dean
1 Green Woodpecker
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
1 Redpoll
2 Grey Heron
1 Sparrowhawk
No Little Owls or Wrens!
At Jerusalem Farm there were no less than 25 Great Tits in and around the feeders along with good numbers of Blue and Coal Tits and 2 Bullfinch.
Luddenden Dean
1 Green Woodpecker
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
1 Redpoll
2 Grey Heron
1 Sparrowhawk
No Little Owls or Wrens!
At Jerusalem Farm there were no less than 25 Great Tits in and around the feeders along with good numbers of Blue and Coal Tits and 2 Bullfinch.
Swales Moor (Ringby Lane)
This morning;
32 Linnet
1 colour ringed Twite
1 Reed Bunting
2 Meadow Pipit
2 Skylark
Pair of Kestrels at Ploughcroft but no Little Owls
32 Linnet
1 colour ringed Twite
1 Reed Bunting
2 Meadow Pipit
2 Skylark
Pair of Kestrels at Ploughcroft but no Little Owls
Monday, January 24, 2011
Night out - final try
Ok, it has been suggested we should offer three dates up and take a poll as to the most popular, so here goes. I putting down Fridays, as the consensus was that was the best day.
Friday 4 Feb (I can't make, but as said previously, don't let that stop it happening)
Friday 11 Feb
Friday 25 Feb
Please post your thoughts. And if you're waiting silently in the wings to see what date is picked, please now raise your hand, otherwise it is in danger of being cancelled due to what could be mis-interpreted lack of interest!
Beer, curry, and an informal chat about birding. Come on - it's a no-brainer!
Friday 4 Feb (I can't make, but as said previously, don't let that stop it happening)
Friday 11 Feb
Friday 25 Feb
Please post your thoughts. And if you're waiting silently in the wings to see what date is picked, please now raise your hand, otherwise it is in danger of being cancelled due to what could be mis-interpreted lack of interest!
Beer, curry, and an informal chat about birding. Come on - it's a no-brainer!
Mixenden and Ogden Res'rs
Mixenden Res'r
4 Goosander
Ogden plantation
3 Treecreepers together, all feeding at the base of trees mainly with moss growing around them
Ogden Syke Lane - all mainly feeding in freshly manured fields
50+ Rooks
60+ Jackdaws
c70 Fieldfare
20 Starlings
We checked several traditional Little Owl sites but drew blanks at every site!
4 Goosander
Ogden plantation
3 Treecreepers together, all feeding at the base of trees mainly with moss growing around them
Ogden Syke Lane - all mainly feeding in freshly manured fields
50+ Rooks
60+ Jackdaws
c70 Fieldfare
20 Starlings
We checked several traditional Little Owl sites but drew blanks at every site!
FREE to a good home
A large selection of Birdwatching and BBC Wildlife magazines, can deliver this week or preferably for collection.
No room in new flat - great reference material.
No room in new flat - great reference material.
