Mixenden Res'r and Fly Flats

Mixenden. An interesting morning with a nice surprise of 4 Shelduck on the reservoir. Also on the embankment a pair of Oystercatchers. 2 Cormorants flew over >SW and an adult Great Black-backed Gull dropped in but didn't stay for more than a few minutes.

Plenty of activity with c200 other gulls, mainly Common and Black-headed and at least 12 Herring Gulls. All tricky to count as so many were to and fro-ing and with plenty of disturbance on the embankment where they like to stay and preen.  Most were arriving from the north and departing >SW.

From the woodland a Nuthatch was making plenty of noise with a Green Woodpecker 'yaffling' from the hillside. Then a call from BS with Pink-footed Geese over Queensbury coming my way. Very distant from my spot. They were over towards The Withens, maybe 60 or so.

I headed up to Fly Flats and  4 birds arrived and landed on the water - Shelduck - they must have been the ones from Mixenden.

Soil Hill

  It was a blustery morning on Soil Hill today, so I did not expect too much bird activity despite the otherwise pleasant and clear conditions. 

  As I began my descent along Perseverance Road towards Ned Hill Track, I spotted a large gull flying SW slowly into the wind, almost adjacent to Ned Hill Track. Whilst I expected to see a Herring Gull in my binoculars, I was stunned to see the bird had creamy-white primaries; a white-winger! Due to the general lack of Glaucous Gull records in the country, I assumed the bird would be an Iceland Gull, but my priority in the moment was to grab as many photos as I could. 

  Once the bird began to move away from me I had a chance to check and confirm the bird was an Iceland Gull and to get the news out. It continued towards Ogden until I lost it as it dropped below the plantation there. I hoped that the bird would have settled on the reservoir but both BS and JJL confirmed that it was not there, so it presumably carried on its way.

   I note that the long-staying bird at Roundhay Park in Leeds was not reported today, so it may be the same bird. Iceland Gull is my 133 species for Soil Hill! 

  Additionally, there was a very dapper male Stonechat at the bottom of the North Slope but sadly no Jack Snipes today. 

-Iceland Gull

-Stonechat

In total managed 32 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S302937172

Beacon Hill

Stock Dove.  No white, short tail, pink bill.

Lee Mount ...

Garden feeder very entertaining at times especially with up to 12 LTT's favouring the coconut feeder.

Photo through the window

Swales Moor on the top this morning - perishing up there and very little to show for the effort.

90+ Carrion Crows, 60+ Jackdaws, 10+ Magpies, 22 Starlings, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Wren, 1 x 3rd winter Herring Gull.

Ploughcroft - 14 Chaffinch, 12 Goldfinch, 10+ House Sparrows and 2 adult Herring Gulls feeding in the field.

Fly Flats and Withens Head

Birds very scarce..... 4 Carrion Crows and Red Grouse heard. 22 Canada's  at Fly Flats though there was no frozen water. Some good sunshine though it is a cold spot up there !!

Big frustration came when scanning from the top road, an interesting looking bird flitting around the the boats and always on vantage points then dashing down to the ground and back again. Immediately suspected a Black Redstart, it certainly wasn't a Stonechat. A greyish looking bird though mostly in silhouette with an obvious tail but around 100m away. Unable to get any more on the bird which was always on the move. Disaster..... grrrr no scope !!! Then I lost it.

I returned this afternoon, with the scope, stayed for over an hour along with checks at the stone pile at Slade and then Withens Head - both areas have attracted this species in the past - not a sign of anything other than a Kestrel and a single Meadow Pipit.

Maybe BS will clock it ......tried again Wednesday 18th bitterly cold wind, nothing doing - other than 1 Oystercatcher and 6 Canada Geese.

Soil Hill

   I've been working the Hill since the start of February with some pleasant birding between the fog, but this morning I had my first standout species since my return when this brute of a Great Black-backed Gull flew north. This is only my second record for Soil Hill, but with a few seemingly in the area this winter, I had high hopes for an encounter. 

  Jack Snipe has been an almost daily occurrence throughout February (when I have looked for them), although the higher totals of five individuals were only at the start of month, with only a solitary individual this morning. Common Snipe has been for more erratic with three this morning the highest count. In addition, up to four Golden Plovers have been frequenting the Soil Hill summit in the last week.

  The first Linnet of the month flew over this morning, as did the first Siskin. The flock of Fieldfare on Taylor Lane, which has been up to 40 birds strong at times, contained five Redwing this morning, which was a good return since I have not seen any for the most part this February. 

-Great Black-backed Gull

In total managed 37 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S301657089

Cold Edge and Ovenden Moor

 BTO Winter Bird Survey today - been waiting for at least half-decent conditions given the fog and rain over most of February so far. Sunshine this morning, wall to wall, so made the effort despite the frozen snow covering up there.

Birds were certainly at a premium with most of the Canadas moved out as well as the corvids and most other birds ! Best of the day were 2 Curlew flyovers calling probably heading to some lower elevation to feed. Little else 2 Reed Bunting, several vocal Red Grouse, 1 each Kestrel ,Chaffinch and Blackbird. Even most of the corvids were missing. One hardy Magpie up at The Withens shows how dire it was for birds.

Cold Edge and Fly Flats

 Another check of the goose flock at Cold Edge this afternoon. The site lived up to its name !

102 Canada Geese,nothing new with them. Also 22 Lapwing, 50+ Jackdaws, 2 Kestrel, 2 Blackbirds , 1 Song Thrush and a Starling. Very few smaller gulls this afternoon, there are usually a good number.

It was worth a trip up to Fly Flats with 5 Oystercatchers, on the edge of the shore including a pair in copulation. 3 Mallard and 2 Carrion Crows were the only other hardy birds there apart from 4 pairs of Canadas hidden away in the tall grasses !

Blackstone Edge

Kestrel male

In flight in dull conditions I often find I cannot sex a Kestrel. Helpfully perching, this bird's grey head and prominent moustache are clear, although the grey is quite pale and might be difficult to see in flight. And the back has spots not bars. But books often say a male Kestrel's back is brick-red, and that's not the case here: it is the same brown as a female's back. Do colours darken as a bird ages?

Lee Mount / Shroggs Park

Quite a morning after hearing some Pink-footed Geese over around 09:30 unseen in the mist sounding as if heading >W. At 09:50 more were heard, this time noisy and low coming right overhead  >W. Phone out and a decent video recording but failed to work out how to get it on here ! At least 450 is probably the largest count ever over this location.

Around the same time BS had skein of c50 'pinks' over Ogden >E but they were soon lost in the mist.

Later in the morning a Great Spotted Woodpecker was 'drumming' near the park lodge and a Nuthatch was also singing nearby. I was pretty suspicious what sounded just like a Chiffchaff singing, unlikely, so investigated further - it was a Great Tit. Also 16 Redwing on the park football pitch and a flock of c17 Goldfinch nearby and c16 Long-tailed Tits at one point as well as Song Thrush singing.

We don't seem to be able to escape cold rain and mist this last week or so. Maybe more of the same for the coming week.