Crimsworth Dean

I was just driving on the Haworth to Hebden Road (7:00pm) and a c. buzzard passed over the car at about 200 feet. It came from where the dotterels were and flew over Crimsworth Dean, possibly heading for Walshaw.

Plenty Swifts heading >E in the dark skies over Cold Edge this morning. BS 

Cold Edge Dams

First day of Autumn Vis Mig watch. 0730-1100hrs 31/07/05
135 Swift >E
59 Swallow >SW
Other... 33 Canada 2 Mallard 1 Pied Wag 1 Heron >W
All Curlew Common Sand Mipits and Stonechat seem to have gone. BS

Ringstone

1 yellow legged gull(3rd different individual this month central tail feather missing)
40 Swallow east
30 house martin east
1 swift South
7 lBB Gull west
1 Curlew west
1 Grey Wag
1 green woodpecker
3 Kestrel
20 linnet

Ringstone Edge

Two Whimbrel flew through immediately prior to rain with a Green Sandpiper arriving soon afterwards, Yellow legged Gull present also.

Lesser spotted woodpecker

On the Calderdale Wildlife network website Steve Blacksmith has reported a LSW seen 8:30am Monday 25th ".... flew in and perched on the tip of a fruit tree in the garden of Barkisland Hall. The garden is about 700 mtrs from Beestones Wood SE069196."

A Wonder Round Withens.

19:00 - 21:00 a good night turned up Whimbrel passing through at 20:45, came in from the N and left heading SW towards Warland Res. Snipe flushed from drainage ditch on the left hand side of res. 3 Common Sandpipers, 1 female and 2 Juv Wheatears, 1 male and 1 Juv Whinchat. 5 BH gulls and other usual occupants.

Elland Gravel Pits. How it used to be,when Pere could always be seen on top of one of the towers. BS 

ringstone last few days

21 July 2juv peregrines both female hunting lapwing flock with no succsess.30 swift and 1 Yellow legged gull
22nd 1 redshank, 1 juv Dunlin and1 tufted Duck
23rd 3 black tailed Godwit flew South at 10 o,clock

Cold Edge Dams & Fly Flatts

24/07/05 am.
Cold Edge Dams. 10 Swallows >W 1 Oyk. Sev Lapwings. Weather like last years vis mig Nick, Cold >E fog and heavy drizzle.
Road between CED and Fly Flatts.... 1pr Stonechat + 2 young, loadsa blogging Mipits.
Fly Flatts ..Dense fog.
BS

Common Scoter 23-07-2005

Bradford watchpoint 23-07-2005-0800hr
This bird left here, vaguely in the direction of Fly Flat Res in the early afternoon due to disturbance.
SJ/DCB/JS

Common Scoter (c) DCB
Also a Whimbrel went on south (pm) and would have passed over the Ogden area.

PS I think the Calderdale weblog is GREAT!!
Dave

Ringstone Edge Fri 19:00 - 21:00

Yellow Legged Gull dropped in briefly before flying off west, also 4 LBB Gull and 8 BH Gull, no waders except for 2 LRP - 1 Juv 1 Adult, 1 Adult eclipse Tufted Duck, 2 Great Crested Grebe - 1 Juv 1 Adult, 1 kestrel and 1 Peregrine both seen briefly as they dropped over western edge wall. Flock of 10 Linnet dropped onto pools at back and usual Pied Wagtail family feeding on road side shore.

UNDISCLOSED RESERVIOR 18:20 - 19:00

Brief visit on my way home produced some great scenes of Juv Peregrine bathing at side of reservoir then buzzing local crows. Also on reservoir 2 great crested grebe incl 1 juv. 8 BHG and 1 Common Gull.

Cold Edge Dams 1845hrs 20/07/05 1 Greenshank in overflow 2 Dunlin. BS 

Ringstone

Breaking news (!) Sanderling at Ringstone 1930 hrs

Ringstone

A great morning at ringstone.
1 Greenshank feeding on the shore flew calling to east pool and could not be relocated.10 dunlin and 7 LRP on shoreline with 3 great crested grebes , 2 mallard, 8 chicks.on the water.Heavy rain with sunny spells and out of nowhere 10 black tailed godwit dropped in feeding frantically in the far back corner.Lets hope its this good tomorrow night.
Andy

Withens Clough 13:00

Busy day for feeding young both this Willow Warbler and the resident StoneChat very busy, also Whinchat present and the other usual inhabitants around the car park.

Buzzard 16.07.05

A poor record shot, no sign of it today.
Left hand image zoom & enhanced on adobe photoshop.

Ringstone Edge

2 Oystercatchers, 5 Dunlin, Yellow legged Gull, 7 LRP in total this afternoon.

Early Drive up Widdop Rd 06:30

Went up in search of the Buzzard, unsuccessful at first but drive produced green woodpecker and little owl along with usual. Then on return Buzzard relocated in same spot as last night and watched for an hour until 09:30 when I had to leave. Left it sat in a tree opposite Stoneshay gate. Bumped into Police dog handler who is also a falconer who agreed with that that is was an Imm. he thought a male.

Widdop Rd 20:00

Went up in search of my first Short Eared Owl along here in what must be 14 years and true to my fathers reports (initially he said Tawny Owl hunting - not a birder I must add) a Short Eared Owl was located hunting in fields between the road and the Crags. Sat on the wall of these fields was my first ever Buzzard, couldn't believe my luck especially given we'd just been discussing how we had never seen one locally (did inform him of recent sightings) Ran back to house to drag him out (would never had believed me otherwise) Bird which judging by rough feather edges and dull brown colouration was an imm. gave great views sat on wall in field just past cragside cottages until 20:45 when flew into near by tree and perched out of sight. Fantastic!!!!

Just out of area...

Little Egret today at Blackmoorfoot res, until 18:30 at least

Widdop rd Common

Unconfirmed report of Short eared Owl hunting on the common and in fields between Widdop Rd and Hardcastle Crags. If confirmed this will be the first sighting I know of in approx. 14 years. Sighting reported by my father who lives at Stoneshay gate. Only just reported hope to get up tomorrow to check it out, will let you all know. If anyone knows of more recent sightings please do let me know.

Ringstone

Last few visits to Ringstone
10 July - 11 Curlew (west)
12 july - 1 black tailed godwit (nice pics sean),10 Sand Martin and 2 common Sandpiper.
14 july -7 LRP (4 adults and 3 Juv's)4 Dunlin,1 Common Tern,

Whiteholme 2nite

Nice walk directly over the top from Blackstone Edge to Whiteholme. Scoped the whole shore of both. Common Sand Blackstone Edge, 2 Common Sands + chick Whiteholme, and pr of GP in between. Bizarrely 8 orphan goslings on Whiteholme. No parent to be seen for miles. Nice Little Owl at Flints.

Crossbills over Midgley

You know how it is when some birders just seem to attract birds? Just had John Beaumont round to measure up for some work we are having done and whilst we are outside 23 Crossbills fly over calling!!
Peregrine over here also earlier today.

Underbank, nr. Jumble Hole

Whitethroat, greenwoodpecker, woodcock, 1 pr. swallows with 5 young, chaffinch with 1 young. It's not exactly a sooty tern, but satisfying to see nontheless!

Roils Head 10th July

Juvenile Redstart feeding on track next to West End Golf Course. Probably bred somewhere on the Golf Course ? Also good numbers of Narrow Bordered five Spot Burnet Moths present.

Walshaw Dean lizard.

Fairly quiet, 5 Oystercatcher, at least that number of C Sand, very few Curlew now, at least 4 singing Reed Bunting and a pair of Stonechat.

The oddest sighting was a lizard, which crossed our path just above the middle dam, and down the wall (the drain on the E side of the res). I'm certainly no expert, but I've failed to find anything that looks like it on any of the websites I've found. It was about 6 inches long, and was a sandy yellow at the front, merging into a grey-blue tail! I'm quite sure it was a lizard, not a newt, but I only got a brief glimpse, and not enough time to photograph it.

Has anyone any ideas as to what this might be?

Cold Edge Dams early a.m. 3f Shoveler on water but soon left high and >E. 3 Tufted, i20 lapwings on waters edge, 29 Curlew >W. Now 2pr Stonechat + 5 young and 6 young in 2 broods. BS 

Little Egret

Don't panic! its not in our area, but it is very near, Leeshaws reservoir near Oxenhope to be precise, seen today.

Fly Flatts. 06/07/05 evening. 2 Little Owl 1 Redshank 3 Oyks 2 Common Sand 1m Stonechat + usual. BS 

Cold Edge Dams.03/07/05 a.m. 1pr Stonechat with 2 young now feeding 2nd brood. 1 Redshank 2 Common Sand with 1 young. 730 Swifts >WSW. DCB also had big numbers at his watchpoint. BS  

Nightjar search

Many thanks to those of you who made the effort to turn out for last nights Nightjar search, a number of sites were checked including those with historical records but sadly no birds located. The weather didn't help and some people thought it to be a little late in the year but it is certainly an exercise worth repeating next year.