Teal
Tuesday, July 01, 2025
Cold Edge / Ovenden Moor
Still a few waders about but nothing too exciting in the heat yesterday afternoon.
A single Wheatear on the walls at Withens Head was about the best.
Also from NK - a Common Redstart at Carrs Beck - adjacent Ogden golf course. This seems to be a favoured spot.
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Blackstone Edge
Little Ringed Plover
BIRD A
Today's birds show how females differ. The head and breast markings are dark brown, not jet black (only really apparent when photographed in sunlight - Bird B, top), with a thinner band between forehead and crown. And the bill base and legs are duller, especially on Bird A.
Monday, June 09, 2025
Sunday, June 08, 2025
Blackstone Edge
Trip up there this afternoon to see if any further waders were present as viewed from Turvin Road . Nothing new but still 1 Sanderling, 4 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 Curlew and 2 drake Teal.
Kestrel nearby and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls dropped in briefly to bathe and preen.
Elsewhere 2 Common Terns around at Ringstone for a while until they left around 15:15 (JB et al).
2 Quail also heard nearby - not sure when the last ones were recorded in Calderdale !
Saturday, June 07, 2025
Whiteholme
Great Crested Grebe. My first here. (Because of the rain, I had only my 30x pocket Lumix with me).
If I: (1) lived by the coast,
(2) had an inland patch with both an expanse of water and surrounding vegetation and fields - like Ringstone Edge, or (3) was able to be in a patch soon after dawn to catch flyovers, I could see at a single site a reasonable number of species of the main families that occur locally. But since none of these applies to me, the only way I can build a lengthy local patch list (as opposed to a Calderdale list) is by lumping two very different habitats together as a single split patch.
Thursday, June 05, 2025
Withens Head and Fly Flatts
Late afternoon. 3 Golden Plover, not northern forms, in field by Withens Head farm with a pair Stonechats running the walls.
Fly Flatts - 40+ Swifts over the water with more arriving from the south and east.
A pair of Carrion Crows were persisting at chasing Meadow Pipits, probably recently fledged birds. They had some very close calls but I failed to see any 'catches'. Never seen C Crows so agile in flight and they had several near misses.
Soil Hill
Despite the constant drizzle it was an enjoyable morning on Soil Hill, with a few warbler highlights.
A new Grasshopper Warbler was reeling on the summit. Normally, I don’t get this species singing so late into the spring, with birds on territory stopping singing around mid-May before starting again at the end of June or beginning of July.
The Sedge Warbler continues to hold territory and was in fine voice this morning, although not showing particularly in the rain. A recording has been attached to the eBird list.
The Garden Warbler continues into its fourth day, during which time I have managed to see it a grand total of three times. I don’t understand how a bird can be so vocal but so impossible to see. This morning it was much quieter than the previous days, giving only a few short bouts of song but mostly remaining silent during the hour I spent continuing to fail to photograph it. Perhaps this is an indication it has successfully paired up, but being as elusive as it is, it's unlikely I will ever know.
Lots of Willow Warbler and Whitethroat activity as well. It looks like both species are having an excellent year here!
-Grasshopper Warbler
Wednesday, June 04, 2025
Monday, June 02, 2025
Soil Hill
Despite the bright conditions, it was a frustratingly breezy morning on Soil Hill, and sadly this came to play a large part in the story of this mornings star bird.
Upon reaching the top
of the North Slope, I caught a brief snippet of warbler song, reminiscent of
Blackcap but faster and more bubbly. Fortunately the bird sang again and was
soon in full song, confirming that it was a Garden Warbler, a full Soil
Hill tick for me. Although I was able to take some recordings, in the following
90 minutes of tracking the bird I managed to see it just once as the strong
breeze kept it deep in the vegetation. It was surprisingly mobile, moving from the
top of the North Slope, to the mast and then all the way to the bottom of the
North Slope and back to the top. Although thrilled at a patch tick, it was a
rather frustrating experience.
Garden Warbler is my 130th species for Soil Hill, and the 10th species of Warbler here. Can’t imagine there are too many sites in Calderdale that can claim double figures of warblers.
Audio recordings are attached to the eBird list below
In total managed 38 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S245812256
Sunday, June 01, 2025
Blackstone Edge Reservoir & Whiteholme Reservoir
Once again, the ample shoreline at Blackstone Edge provided a wader bonanza this morning. Yesterdays reported 12 Sanderling had now increased to a flock 15 strong, flying around the reservoir in a close-nit group before settling down to feed on the exposed mud. At times they were quite approachable, and a steady stream of birders came and went throughout the morning, enjoying this incredible inland spectacle.
The birds of Halifax quotes that the record count of Sanderling in Halifax being nine on the 27th May 1980 at Fly Flatts. Before today, has this record been broken since its publication? And does this flock now become the new benchmark for Sanderlings in Calderdale?
Whilst there, I also ventured
on to Whiteholme Reservoir but found it almost void of birdlife. Who can blame
the migrant waders when Blackstone Edge has so much shoreline to offer, and Whiteholme
has comparatively little.
-Sanderlings
In total managed 15 species at Blackstone Edge Reservoir today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S245301265
In total managed 9 species at Whiteholme Reservoir today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S245330572
