Jumble Hole - 10:00pm

Woodcock right over the house, back and forth calling several times. Also, 2 tawny owls calling.

Calderdale Haymeadows

[click to enlarge photo]
I'm pleased to report that this project is now officially underway! The contract was signed today and Gordon plus Ann Blackburn received the ceremonial £10,000 cheque from GBN at Jerusalem Farm today (the project is centred on Luddenden Dean, to complement Andre Raine's PhD study). Many thanks to Gordon D for representing the Bird Group, who are the lead partner in the project. The next steps will be taken on 6th July, 7.30pm, same venue.

Blackbirds

28/06/06
Is anyone else finding an influx of breeding blackbirds this year?
Here in Queensbury there are more breeding pairs than ever before with what seems to be a pair in nearly every garden. This is a newly fledged youngster behind my works garage where there are 3 pairs. BS 

Jumble Hole

Peregrine half heartedly chasing the young jackdaws. Also - goldcrest, green woodpecker, 2 willow warbler.

Fly Flatts

25/06/06 0800-1030hrs Misty, slight>ENE
1 Barnacle Goose
200+ Canadas inc young
4 Common Sand
1 Redshank
+ usual sp. no twite
BS.

GREEN WITHENS

GREEN WITHENS

stopped of for while on my way to angelsey, common sandpipers have raised 2 young,not sure on the other pairs. highlight was ringed plover and oystercatcher flying south-west.pied wagtails have 4 young between them.

Dr Andre Raine

Andre Raine (the "Twite man") has today received confirmation that he has achieved his PhD. When I rang him to offer my congratulations he was very keen that I should pass on his thanks to the local birders who helped with field work, reporting sightings of colour ringed birds etc. well done guys, you know who you are!

THIS EVENING

A QUICK VISIT THIS EVENING

DIPPER 1
GREY WAGTAIL 1male
REED BUNTING 1male

GREEN WITHENS

SUNDAY 18TH JUNE

canada goose 12
golden plover 3
dunlin 1
common sandpiper 3
curlew 6
lesser black backed gull 2nd summer flew west
swift 3 flew sw
swallow 3
grey wagtail 1 male
dipper 1
reed bunting 1 male

www.greenwithens.blogspot.com

walshaw dean 17/6

fairly quiet but good views of short eared and stonechat.
teal still has 5 young

Possible Purple Heron seen

Tall Andy's internet is down, so he as asked me to post the following blog.
At 20.05PM yesterday he obseverd a very dark heron flying north west over Northowram, its size was similar to a Grey Heron, but not having any binoculars on him he could not be entirly sure. His attention was also drawn to a dangling leg which the bird then straightend in flight.
It is known that a Purple Heron was at Old Moor, Barnsley the previous day but not seen there on 14th.Its probably less than 20 miles in a straight line between the two sites so could he have seen the Barnsley bird flying over ??

Elphin Brook - Mytholmroyd

A pair of dippers, and a pair of grey wagtails all day. Also, a few house martins around, though couldn't see nests. Blackcap calling. Unfortunately, the kingfishers that were an almost permanent fixture last year haven't been seen all spring.

Gorple / Widdop

I had my annual hike up to Upper Gorple and over the top to Widdop res on Sunday morning - as in most years it didn't turn up much of interest, but at least after the exercise, I feel less guilty about watching the footall for the rest of the day!

Lower Gorple.
c60 adult Canada Geese, 4 broods of young.
13 Black-headed Gulls, all adults.
Pair Oystercatchers flying towards Walshaw Dean.

Upper Gorple.
c60 adult Canada Geese, only 1 brood of 3 chicks seen.
Curlew around in reasonable numbers.

Widdop.
c50 adult Canada Geese, 4 broods.
Willow Warblers singing in plantation.
Stonechat heard on hillside near plantation, not located.
Pied Wagtail with 3 fledged juveniles by outflow stream.
Adult Grey Wagtail briefly in same area.
Mistle Thrush gathering food, flew to trees near res keepers house.
Common Sandpiper heard, not located (very little exposed shoreline at the moment).

JUST A NOTE

The Collared Dove I put on the blog 16/05/06 nesting on a security light on a house side in Queensbury hatched 2 chicks,one of which mysteriously disappeared but the other went on to fledge and flew yesterday.The owner Mr Campbell can now have his patio back unless they return for a second brood. BS.

walshaw dean res

beautiful weather as i walked round the reservoirs (2-5pm)
birds of note;
2 common sands
1 male reed bunting
1 oystercatcher
1 female teal with 5 young (fresh on the water by looks of it)
1 singing stonechat

Alpine Swift

hi there
i doubt if anyone here will know me because i have been keeping a low profile birderwise and have only really come to light because of this sighting and the need to share it.
the sighting was yesterday (9th) evening along sowerby road near the cricket pitch. i was travelling parallel with it in my car (which made for an exhilarating ride!) and got within 10 metres of it as it was following the road for a large section. the car behind didnt know what on earth i was doing and ws probably getting very irrate!
unfortunately i got the impression it was passing thru as it was not feeding- but you never know! going up there today just to check. i hope someone else can catch it as it is a spectacular bird - good luck!

ps
look forward to meeting some of you

L.E.O

Long-eared owl confirmed at two separate undisclosed locations this evening. MB & AH.

Callis Bridge

Oystercatcher high over, moving towards Hebden Bridge. A first for me from the house. Cuckoo still calling in Jumble Hole (from 4:30am this morning!)

Lumbutts Area

Brief visits this morning to:

Lee Dam
Canada Geese with 4 young.
F Mallard with 3 young.
Adult Moorhen on top dam.
Wren with at least one newly fledged juvenile.

Longfield Dam
c15 adult Canada Goose.
1 adult Redshank.
Swallows, Starlings feeding, no juvs obvious.

Also, Chiffchaff singing in trees N of Tod railway station.

SOIL HILL

04/06/06 1800-1900hrs
Though this site has been 90% devastated the last little corner of moorland is still holding :- 8 singing Skylarks
6 Lapwings
sev.Linnets and Mipits
BS.

HARDCASTLE CRAGGS

HARDCASTLE CRAGGS 10am-1pm

NUTHATCH 1 adult feeding 2 young
REDSTART 1 male
SPOTTED FLYCATCHER 6
CUCKOO 1
GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER 4 including 1 pair at a nest hole feeding young
COAL TIT 1 pair
GOLDCREST 8
TREECREEPER 4
CHIFFCHAFF 1
WILLOW WARBLER 7
BLACKCAP 1 male

Ring Ouzel success

Pair with 2 fledged chicks watched Sunday morning, with a 2nd male singing not far away.

Sorry about the photo quality - this sort of shot is not ideal for my crude digiscoping set-up.

Location undisclosed, contact Nick C for details (unless the Editor is happy for me to post it here?).

Hows that for camouflage

Female Reed Bunting at Fly Flatts. BS 

Hardcastle Crags

Wood warbler and male pied flycatcher still present. Also, nuthatch, treecreeper, 3 gs woodpecker, cuckoo, garden warbler and 2 spotted flycatcher.

Fly Flatts

04/06/06 0730-1015 Cloudy,some sun, W>3 ,heavy mid a.m. rain
95 Canadas + 48 young
1pr Reed Bunt
1 Common Sand.
1 moving Buzzard very high >S 0905 watched till over M62.
2 Red Grouse now scarce up here
2 pheasant, 1 almost white.
+ usual sp. BS 

Shroggs Park

Cuckoo singing this afternoon around Shroggs Park. Most unusual as it's over 30 years since I had cuckoo at this location. Previously they were seen most times in August passing through either early morning or early evening.

ANOTHER SHOT FROM THIS MORNING

Hardcastle Crags this morning

Ringstone 18:00 - 19:30 tonight

Not much happening tonight, 1 common gull, Pied Wagtail, numerous Carrion crows and Rooks, several Mipits busy feeding young. 1 Common Sandpiper and 3 LRP which appeared to be displaying.

Calderdale Birds

Ringstone today
3 LRP
1 Ringed Plover
1 Peregrine
6LBBGull
1 Common Gull
1 Stock Dove
4 Linnet