Lee Mount - 23rd July

Heard a commotion from Lesser Black-backed Gulls this afternoon. Looked up, high a Red Kite also being mobbed by a Sparrowhawk was a very nice surprise. It headed off towards Dean Clough / Halifax.

Ringstone Edge

Coot 1

Great Crested Grebe 2

Ringstone Edge

 Tufted Duck 2m 1f

2 juvenile Grey Herons

Whiteholme

 Teal female

Close-up of the orchid first posted on 24 June

Beacon Hill

 Meadow Pipit carrying food

Whiteholme

 Tufted Duck

Orchid. I photographed this as a Common Spotted Orchid, and it does have a lip divided into 3 with the middle lobe a little longer than the side ones (ruling out Heath Spotted). However, the cuts between the middle and side lobes are quite shallow, and there are a lot of spots and not many lines on the lips - so it could be a hybrid of Common Spotted and Southern Marsh - which is common here. (Apologies - but the birding is quiet!)

Beacon Hill

 16 Linnets, including this female

Also, a Skylark singing

Around and about...

Luddenden - came across 2 juvenile Dippers along the stream-side this afternoon. They seemed to be feeding themselves, perhaps still relying on the adult birds though we didn't see any.

A Grey Heron was also lurking along the stream side so let's hope the Dipper chicks are not predated .

Earlier this week there were 3 Wheatears in the fields at Withens Head, a stunning male and two females. Time is going on for further migration so maybe they will stay for the summer /? We'll see.

Elland Gravel Pits

 2 of 3 juvenile Little Grebes

Moorhen: 1 of a pair of adults with 1 of 4 tiny young