Bank Top

 Green Woodpecker

Lee Mount

 Bird bath has been busy last few days including these two juvenile Willow Warblers. I think they arrive when there are Blue and Coal Tits around - safety in numbers ? Photos through the window !

Also a ringed Nuthatch here the last few days so I''m trying to get the ring number with photos but that's certainly not easy !!!

Willow Warblers

Whiteholme Reservoir Sat 28th Aug

 A Greenshank flew low over the south side of the reservoir at 14:30 hrs heading west and looked to be dropping down onto Light Hazzles Res. 

One wheatear foraging on the shoreline. 

'In the bath'.......

 At one point there were seven Blue Tits and a Coal Tit at home - all in the bird bath at the same time but by the time I got the camera on them through the window they were reduced to four !

Later in the day I checked out the top end of Cold Edge dams as far as Withens Head. Just above Haigh Cote and on the edge of the shelter belt a nice show of migrants on the fence line including a Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat, Wheatear and 2 Stonechats.

In the fields up by the mast the freshly cut fields  had another 5 Wheatear and a lot of Meadow Pipits.

Swales Moor and Fly Flatts

An interesting day today starting with an hours VisMig first thing in the strong North easterly wind - frustrating sight of a very fast flying probable Diver species. Going away from me to the north all the time. If i'd been on the coast I wouldn't have hesitated to call it. I hate those that 'escape' but if there's an element of doubt I'll have to leave it and move on.

Otherwise

1 Swift, 7 Swallows and 3 Greylag Geese high over the ski-slope.

2 Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk

Message from BS to say the juvenile Spotted Redshank at Fly Flatts was still about so headed off up there early afternoon. Great views of it at the north end. A real beauty of a bird. Thanks again Bri.

See photos on West Yorkshire Birding blog. I took  a phone video but don't think I can get it on this blog. The bird was still there this evening (AC) but flighty and calling a lot so maybe it will be up and away tonight. 

Subbuteo

 I've just read in The Oldie how the flick-football game Subbuteo got its name. Peter Adolph, its inventor, wanted to call it 'The Hobby', but this was vetoed. So he used the bird's species name: Falco subbuteo.

Fly Flats etc....

Another good bird for BS at Fly Flats his morning with a Knot. Busy this morning so I headed up there early afternoon. Thanks again to Bri for directing me to the bird on the eastern shore. Almost the same colour as the stones so good job I took the scope ! I suspect BS will have some decent photos on his blog - West Yorkshire Birding.

Five Curlew flew over >NW earlier, really high up but they kept calling, thankfully so they were easily located.

Later in the afternoon - sitting out with a cuppa - a juv Willow Warbler and a female Blackcap came to join 2 Coal Tits in the bird-bath. A lovely sight but no camera nearby and they didn't stay long !!!

Yellow-legged Gull

The moulting adult Yellow-legged Gull came in to roost at Lower Gorple at 20,15PM

Swales Moor

Ringby Lane - hardly anything moving at all except 1 Woodpigeon and 34 Swallows >SW

Around the site - again very quiet apart from 1 each Wheatear, Green Woodpecker and a Kestrel.

Walsden

 One swift soaring above Walsden cricket ground amongst half a dozen house martins.

Wednesday 18th August 8.00pm

  

Walsden II Correction

 My previous post re swift in Walsden : time should be 7.00pm if that's important.

Beacon Hill

 5 of 13 Linnets

Soil Hill & Whiteholme Reservoir; updates from the week

Its been an excellent week on Soil Hill so here is a quick summary of some of the highlights from the past few days.

Soil Hill 16th August

-1 Swift flew south.

-2 Grasshopper Warbler present.

-2 Wheatear.

-3 juvenile Bullfinch on Ned Hill Track.

Soil Hill 18th August

-A RED KITE flew W over Taylor Lane, but made slow progress against a strong SW breeze before dropping low over Bradshaw.

-1 immature Common Redstart was in the garden along Taylor Lane. Initially very elusive, it became more showy later in the morning.

-7 Swift flew south.

-A Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling on Taylor Lane.

-2 Grasshopper Warbler.

-2 Wheatear.

A full checklist from this date can be found here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S93394174

-Common Redstart

-Red Kite

Soil Hill 19th August

-2 immature Common Redstart together in garden along Taylor Lane. On first passing c.07:00 they were actively chasing each other round, but on my return at c.09:00 they seemed to have established their own stomping grounds at opposite ends of the garden.

-9 Willow Warbler, the highest count of the week.

-3 Wheatear, also the highest count of the week.

-1 Grey Wagtail flew south.

Soil Hill 20th August

-A superb juvenile Whinchat was in the Reservoir Field but was always distant before, after about 10 mins, it flew strongly south down the Hill.

-A Tree Pipit flew north over Ned Hill Track, calling three times. 

-Just 1 Common Redstart remained in the garden on Taylor Lane.

-2 Grasshopper Warbler were still present, even uttering some short reels.

-A juvenile Sedge Warbler was at the bottom of the North Slope.

A full checklist from this date can be found here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S93477357

-Whinchat

I only had time for a couple of visits to Whiteholme This week, but there were a few birds around. The shoreline seems to have dramatically reduced since last I was up there about 10 days ago, but still plenty for migrant shorebirds to go at.

Whiteholme Reservoir 17th August

-Female Goldeneye present.

-5 Oystercatcher roosting on the shoreline.

Whiteholme Reservoir 19th August

-A superb adult GREY PLOVER was on the island. It stayed present for the hour I was there, looking very relaxed and feeding away on the island. 

-Female Goldeneye still present

-3 Wheatear

A full checklist from this date can be found here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S93437222

-Grey Plover

Withens Clough reservoir

Unfortunately heavy rain curtailed the proceedings ! 

3 Oystercatchers on the shoreline with 3 Pied Wagtails and 2 Grey Wagtails around the outflow.

3 Stonechats were spread about and a juvenile Green Woodpecker calling for food went quiet after the adult arrived.

c40 Swallows - some around the reservoir cottage but others were moving through west heading up and over the moor in the drizzle along with a single adult Common Gull heading in the same direction.

Swalesmoor

Ringby Lane first thing to see what, if anything, was on the move as autumn approaches.

Best I could do was this distant shot of a single Whinchat also with 2 Wheatears in the same vicinity.

Moving birds, all  >SW included 35 Swallows, 40 House Martins, 1 Sand Martin and 2 Swifts - then by 09:00 most of the movement just stopped or the birds went higher and out of sight.

Yellow-legged Gull

4th year Yellow-legged Gull was again present at Lower Gorple last Night, phone scoped at 96X NCD, DF.

Withens Clough

 Withens Clough This Morning.

3 Whinchats

6 Stonechats

1 Redstart 

1 Red kite

 

Cold Edge

 Barnacle Goose - first seen by NK

Also a Buzzard and a singing Willow Warbler

Lee Mount and Cold Edge

Lee Mount

8 Swifts the top count today - first thing in the morning seems the best time to see them here. 

Buzzard over >W early afternoon (SC)

Plenty of Blue, Great and Coal Tits visiting the feeders (sunflower hearts) along with Nuthatch's and House Sparrows and a few Starlings, with Collared Doves and Woodpigeons cleaning up underneath the feeders.

Cold Edge

Still a bit of a struggle to find much up there but suspect it will improve as autumn draws on. (juv Cuckoo would be nice) though a number of the adults Cuckoos being satellite tracked are already across the Sahara !!

Meadow Pipits - still at least one pair feeding young in the nest

A few Linnets and Goldfinches about as well as B H Gulls and c100 Canada Geese. 30+ juv Swallows enjoying the feast of insects in the warmth after several days of heavy rain showers.

One Buzzard and a Kestrel was about it.

Lee Mount

Didn't get out far today.

Nice to still have 4 Swifts about here. I suspect they are the local birds with max of 4 most days throughout the summer, certainly well down on previous years. Don't think they will be around for much longer but there will be chance of other moving birds during the next couple of weeks with maybe the odd chance of late movers even into September.

Let's see what this next week brings though it's unlikely we will have any reservoir shorelines after all this rain. Maybe Whiteholme is still the best bet for any migrant waders.