Mixenden Reservoir

Site visit 16th January.

Bonus bird was an adult Great black-backed Gull, most of the time just resting on the water, looking a real 'bruisers' of a bird compared with 3 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls and up to 20 Herring Gulls nearby. Also on the embankment 20+ Common Gulls and 40+ Black-headed Gulls. The  gulls here like to drop in, bathe and preen then move off, with others arriving almost continuously at times during the winter period.

Nothing else on the water other than 1 drake Mallard.

Over the years this site has produced some outstanding sightings so it's always worth a check even though it is often disappointing !

The woodland was so wet - a welly job so didn't venture far in.

Elsewhere 6 Brambling were located in Luddenden (MH) and throughout the day a big move of Pink-footed Geese reported passing over the Calder Valley probably in excess of 800 birds.

6 Whooper Swans passed over Northowram (AC) heading south late afternoon.

The 2 Scaup at Cromwell Bottom ski-lake seem to be well settled having been reported there since 5th November 2024 - presumably the same birds ?.

Also on the ski-lake a small flock each of Tufted Ducks and with Goldeneye drakes now starting to display..

Cromwell Bottom and Castle Carr Road

 Finally got a bit of light birding yesterday 15th Jan.

Cromwell Bottom ski-lake

2 Scaup still present and sticking together. Looks like they are paired up now with the drake looking particularly good. I suspect these are the long stayers from the end of 2024 when they both were in immature plumage.

Still limited viewing of the lake but also present as far as I could see were 18 Tufted Duck, 9 Goldeneye (inc 5 drakes), 14 Cormorant, 4 L B B Gulls (inlcuding 1 intermedius), 3 Herring Gulls, 7 Coot, 3 Moorhen and 2 Grey Heron along with just a few B H Gulls and 2 Common Gulls.

An afternoon  saunter along a short stretch of Castle Carr Road produced a nice surprise with 2 Golden Plover on the edge of the moor that called and sped of towards Cold Edge. Also 6 Red Grouse becoming vocal and 3 Fieldfares

Shroggs Park - Mistle Thrush in full song yesterday afternoon

River Ryburn and Mid Jannuary

 A walk along the river Ryburn today produced 19 Mandarin Duck by far my biggest count in Calderdale in fact anywhere , the 12 males  were in perfect plumage and 7 female types . Dipper , Moorhen and Mallards made for a great walk, Cromwell was very busy with 23 Tufted Duck , 2 Pochard , 2 Scaup , 8 Goldeneye , 5 Teal .500 Black headed gulls( the odd one or two with full black hoods)  , 100 Common Gulls , 3 LBBGulls (1 intermedius) and 6 Herring Gulls...

Shibden Park

Ring-necked Parakeet 1

Lots of overnight snow !

Not much to report today though  the feeder was  busy with Blue, Great, Coal and Long-tailed Tits.

Most interesting was a superb looking Grey Wagtail in the crescent feeding off the snow and searching the walls and fences. Not much like their usual stream-side habitat but it must have been finding food as it was there most of the morning.

Cold Edge

3 of 50 Fieldfares

Also, 66 Greylag geese!

Soil Hill, Ringstone Edge & Cromwell Bottom

   Had an enjoyable day out birding around Halifax with Harry Coghill. We started at Soil Hill (of course) where we flushed two Jack Snipe, had a flyover Golden Plover, a heard-only Redpoll and two Raven blogging in glorious conditions above the fog.

  Whilst there a message came through from DF that there were two drake Pintail on Ringstone, which would have been a Calderdale tick for us both. So we finished off our loop around the Hill before heading over. Upon arriving at Ringstone we quickly found the Pintails in the middle of the reservoir, with two drakes and two females sadly never coming close. In addition, a pair of Wigeon was close to the willows on the north bank.

-Pintail

  Now midday we decided to head over to Cromwell Bottom for a Calderdale tick of Scaup for HC. We arrived but couldn't spot any Scaup from La Casa so headed down to the canal bank. From one of the spots where it is possible to view through the fence we managed to pick out the Aythya flock at the western end of the lake but viewing was nearly impossible. We did manage to pick out the female Scaup, but couldn't make out the male. At least four Goldeneye were also on the lake, along with four Coot.

  Whilst we were watching we spotted a group of four ducks come in from the west and circle the lake. Although we only caught the end of the group, we noticed that the first bird was certainly a drake Wigeon. Fortunately, the group looped around and we were shocked to see the other three birds in the group were female Pintails, so a different group to Ringstone. They looped high above the lake three times, before heading off southwest, although the Wigeon later returned and landed on the lake. 

-Pintail & Wigeon

We finished off the day with a visit to Jay House Lane, but failed to find any Tree Sparrows. 

In total managed 32 species at Soil Hill, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S206721238

In total managed 14 species at Ringstone Edge, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S206725297

In total managed 32 species at Cromwell Bottom, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S206733532

Shibden Park

Single Mute Swan still here. The knob at the base of the bill is a little more swollen than in the photo of 5 November - suggesting that the bird is a male?

Stump Cross

3 Greenfinches: a welcome sight