1 pair of Ringed plover. Male displaying, and reflected in water.
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Monday, April 12, 2021
Around and about
From AT this morning - at least one male Ring Ouzel present just off Castle Carr Road - also 5 Wheatears nearby.
Bradshaw Bonanza
Great Morning out at Bradshaw today with John L and
later on Andy C. 4 Ring Ouzel, Red Legged Partridge,
2 Meadow Pipits, 2 Linnet, 1 Merlin, 2 Heron, Pheasant
and Little Owl, just a shame they were all distant but still
remarkable seeing 4 Ouzels together very cagey and flighty
though. also a Mistle Thrush chased off by the Ouzels.
Summer Migrants
Used the bridge camera and at high zoom so got the 'painting effect' but the migrants Dave described were still around this lunchtime.
Friday, April 09, 2021
Luddenden Dean
Wheatley Valley
Shroggs Road reclaimed landfill yesterday morning turned up 2 Jays, 1 singing Willow Warbler and 2 singing Chiffchaff. Three Long-tailed Tits were nest building and nearby on the slopes of Shroggs Park a pair of Chiffchaff were busy nest building and a male Blackcap singing. Two more Long-tailed Tits dashed into a very dense and prickly Berberis wilsoniae just escaping the clutches of a male Sparrowhawk.
Thursday, April 08, 2021
Crimsworth Dean - 7th April
A nice surprise late afternoon with a male Ring Ouzel in the fields above Grain Water Bridge alongside Thurrish Road (the continuation of Haworth Old Road). Mind you it was the target species for the day, a traditional site in spring for migrants. Nearly missed out, as we scanned the fields for well over half an hour and just about to give it up when one appeared. Distant but distinctive black bird showing it's white bib and pale panel on the wings. Distant photos only. No sign of any Wheatears up there but there are a few about in our local area.
Elsewhere in the dean a goup of 34 Curlew was feeding in a freshly manured field and nearby a flock of around 40 Meadow Pipits were doing the same. Probably all birds that are moving through the area rather than locals ?
Wednesday, April 07, 2021
Tuesday, April 06, 2021
Ringstone Edge etc
A good find yesterday (JB) with 3 Jack Snipe also showing earlier this morning but disappeared into reeds after a short while.
1 Common Snipe, 7 Teal, c350 Golden Plover, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 G C Grebes, 1 Little Grebe.
Not a bad start to the day !
Monday, April 05, 2021
Mixenden Reservoir and Hunter Hill
It was really nice and quiet up there this morning - bitterly cold though that's ok, but it certainly kept any birds low down in the various sheltered gullies on the east facing hill.
1 Green Woodpecker, 3 Linnet, 60+ Meadow Pipits, 3 male Wheatears. Only 4 Lapwings were seen but 9 Curlew were together in the fields by Stodfold obviously preferring the shelter down from the moor.
Reservoir - 4 Canada Geese, a Moorhen and a fly-by male Sparrowhawk with a single loan Black-headed Gull on the water. (Never know what might turn up there so it's always worth a check).
Some good summer visitor reports in the last week or so with a few Wheatears, Swallows, Sand Martins and a House Martin as well as 2 reports of Willow Warblers along with Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs. This cold spell might delay some of the other summer visitors. There are also still just a few winter visitors hanging on, with Fieldfares still about and a couple of Bramblings reported.
I recently down-loaded some photos and came across this one from Jay House Lane on 27th Mch. I was aiming at the 2 Mallard and at the time missed this other bird which looks to be having a go at them. How did I miss that !!! Looks a bit owl like ?
Saturday, April 03, 2021
I was encouraging (I was trying to be encouraging to) birders to cover more of the Upper Calder woodland cloughs for summer migrant songbirds. Jonathan S. had reported the first Common Redstarts at Hardcastle Crags. Matthew B went up Broadhead Clough and got this year's first reported Willow Warbler. Adrian Z said he had Redstarts in Broadhead Clough on numerous occasions, and I've had Wood Warbler there.
It seems that most birders go to to Hardcastle Crags, where there are known to be Common Redstarts, 2 species of Flycatcher, and Wood Warbler. Tree Pipits used to be present at the top end around Blake Dean.
Here is a list (not exhaustive) of woodlands in the Upper Calder Valley which seem to be little watched.
Withens Clough - WoodWa (Nick C)
Colden Clough inc. Eaves Wood - WoodWa, CRedstart (SB)
Brearley Wood - WoodWa (SB)
Stoodley Glen - WoodWa (SB)
Crow Nest Wood, Hebden Bridge - WoodWa (SB)
Jumble Hole Clough - WoodWa, PFly (Matt B)
Pudsey Clough, Cornholme - S.Fly, also Ring Ouzel higher up (SB)
Todmorden Edge Woods (behind the park) - S.Fly (SB)
Crimsworth Dean P.Fly (AVH et al)
The above records are over a period of years. Below are some others which look perfectly suitable for migrants.
Rawtenstall Wood - Hebden Bridge
Horsehold Scout - Hebden Bridge
Burnt Acre Wood
Callis Wood
Lumbutts Clough - Todmorden
Shaw Wood - Todmorden
Gorpley Clough - up Bacup Road
Wittonstall Clough - Cornholme
Ramsden Clough near Gordon Rigg's
Kilnhurst Wood - Todmorden
Cat Hole Clough - Lydgate
Dean Hey Wood - Cragg Vale
Let's start a thread on "Summer woodland migrant - new sites"
With apologies if I've missed anybody's records out.
Friday, April 02, 2021
Ogden
It's interesting to see the difference between the bills of the male and female Tufted duck at this time of year.
Vinicombe ('Helm guide to bird id') focuses on tertials and greater coverts: Tertials - little patterning and almost solidly dark in LBBG, and notched in HG; Greater coverts - "dark based" in LBBG, and "chequered" in HG.
These differences can be difficult to pick up. Some HG tertials have little notching. And it is often hard to see the bases of LBBG's greater coverts.