Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Recent news ......
Cold Edge 24th March
Tried over the last couple of weeks to find an early Wheatear. Jen managed to find our first, in a field just opposite the top dam, a nice male showing well. Nice to see a good mix in the same fields including Graylag and Canada Geese, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Curlew, Moorhen, Starling, Pied Wagtail and Meadow Pipits.
29 species for the afternoon.
I had chance to head up to Lower Gorple on 25th March. Don't often manage to get up there but it was, as usual, well worthwhile. Just about the first bird I saw was a Chiffchaff - feeding continuously in the small conifer plantation near Blake Dean on the track up to Gorple. Highlight thereafter was 5 Crossbills, including 2 red males around the edge of the plantation by the cottages, always a special bird in Calderdale.
Plenty waders in the area including Curlew, Lapwing, Redshank and in excess of 70 Oystercatchers. Also 2 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Tufted Duck, Canada and Greylag Geese and a few Mallard,
On return I was surprised to find around a dozen House Sparrows near the cottages along with Siskin, Chaffinch's and Stock Doves and a singing Mistle Thrush.
1 Skylark as I returned down the track and a single Red Grouse calling.
All in all 36 species was a decent total.
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Monday, March 24, 2025
Saturday, March 22, 2025
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Various....
10 Whooper Swans on Mixenden res'r this morning thanks to a message from BS. They were still there mid afternoon but suspect they will have gone in the morning.
I checked Swales Moor this morning, looking for those early Wheatears, no joy there but managed a vociferous Green Woodpecker in the Shibden Valley. In fields at the top at least 4 pairs of Skylarks and a good deal of song. Several Meadow Pipits displaying by showing off their parachute descents. Not a lot else other than a single male Kestrel and as usual, a good number of corvids.
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Ogden......
This morning (Tuesday).
Large flock of Whooper Swans seen there first thing (MM) - someone will get an accurate count in due course. Hopefully they will stay there all day if we're lucky - they sometimes do !!
c150 Whoopers still there till at east 15.30
Also 2 Redshank were there briefly yesterday afternoon but not a lot else.