Fly Flatts

30/07/06 0730-1030hrs dull then broken cloud SW>4

1 Green Sandpiper- flew in from S 0745-left NE mid a.m.
3 Golden Plover
1 Wheatear on shorline
2 Common Sand.
2 Skylark
1 Tree Pipit
Curlew seem to have gone.?
+ usual sp. BS 

Ringstone at lunch time

1 Grey Heron
1 Cormorant
2 Mallard + 1 white farm duck
c20 Black headed gulls
2 Common Gulls
2 LBB Gulls over
3 Lapwings
Several Carrion crows knocking around on the shoreline.
3 Pied Wagtails incl 2 juvs
1 Willow Warbler in bushes on the south shore.
Also several Swallows and House Martins.

Nuthatch

Heard calling, then seen at Jumble Hole this morning. As far as I'm aware, this is a site first. It certainly is for me. They have been close for some time (Eastwood and the Crags, for example) but never confirmed here, though it was inevitable. Also, 2 green woodpecker, male blackcap, gs woodpecker plus usual stuff.

CONFIRMED

The 4th breeding site for LEO is now confirmed. Matt and myself are going to try a further 2 sites this week in the hope of being able to annouce a record year.

4th Breeding Site??

I need to check with some of our more learned colleagues but at around 00:15 last night I had 2 LEO's hunger calling close to a known previous site. If confirmed that there is little chance of over lapping from other sites, then this would be the 4th confirmed breeding site and equals the highest previous count.

Cold Edge Dams

23/07/06 1730-1830hrs Sunny W >3
14 Canadas
1 Barnacle
5 Greylag
1 Pied Wag + 2 juv
1 Snipe
1 m Whinchat
sev linnets and mipits + usual sp. BS 

10,000 visits!

Just noticed we have passed the 10,000 visits mark since the web counter was added to the site, just goes to show how popular this Blog has become for local birders to keep in touch with what's happening. Special thanks must go to Matt Bell who put the whole thing together at the beginning and of course to all posters who keep it fresh.

Fly Flatts

23/07/06 0745-1030hrs
If anyone is sick of this hot uncomfortable weather take a trip to Fly Flatts. GD and myself spent 3 hrs this a.m. in fog then mist then back to fog.Drizzle then rain then back to drizzle.
1 Skylark
2 LBB gull
6 juv BH gull
sev Mipits
2pr Common Sand + 3 juvs
10 Twite very mobile between nyger seed and thistles .
+ usual sp. BS

Soil Hill pond

1700-1815hrs- raining and on the edge of a thunderstorm
2 Teal
8 Reed Bunting
5 Linnet
2 Skylark
6 Mipit
200+ Swift drifting in front of storm
no sign of NKs Gropper but weather poor. BS 

OUT OF AREA

Thought with not much happening that I'd post these photo's in relation to the caption competition and hopefully cheer you up in the process. The photo's were taken in "Trough of Bowland". Thursday afternoon.

CAPTION TIME AGAIN.

Lee Mount - House Sparrows

Over the last 3 years I have managed only about one or two records per year of single House Sparrows actually visiting my garden (similar to national concerns about dwindling populations) - even though feeders are in the garden summer and winter. It's been a bit worrying as twenty and more years ago we had a small colony that visited on more or less a daily basis.
THEY ARE BACK!!! Ten or more visiting in the last few days thanks to a bird bath which I put in last week! A very simple solution - and they are now using the feeders as well (black sunflower seed) so hopefully they will stay around.
I am more than happy with the result as the water has also attracted Blue, Great, and Coal tits, Blackbird, Magpie,Woodpigeon, Greenfinch, Dunnock, Robin, andCollared Dove so far.

Widdop Res yesterday evening.

I could have called this posting "Land of the Midge's" 3 stonechats Adult male and 2 other birds viewed from a distance could have been 2 juvs or 1 juv and female, a 4th bird was calling not far from the group. Common Sandpiper, 2 Ravens over and 3 Curlew. A few mipits and a Kestrel also had a Little Owl near the Ridge (no it was near the Ridge not stuffed on a shelf inside) Also had lapwings calling as the light faded and I headed home.

Lee Mount - Shroggs Park

Peregrine over the park yesterday afternoon at 2 pm . Also 40+ Swifts regularly over lower Ovenden/Lee Mount are probably nesting nearby. Lots of young Blue Tits and Great Tits in the park this year.

Possible goshawk - site withheld

A large raptor reported early evening. Before bins were grabbed thought to be a buzzard (!) ID'd as a possible goshawk.

Whiteholme Res 10:30 - 14:00

The picture of the juv Redshank is a good few weeks old now, but a walk up there this morning produced, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, Pied Wagtail with 2 juvs, lots and lots of mipits, 4 Twite non of which were colour ringed. 12+ teal (all twelve were female or juvs) the plus bit, is as a result of what happened following the initial 12 being flushed by myself.

From behind me I heard a sudden rush of wind as I turned a peregrine less than 30 feet away was just flattening out of its dive and as my eyes followed its path suddenly there was a mass of wings as several ducks went up in different directions. For a split second there was too much happening to take in then I picked up the peregrine again amongst the wall of wings. As I did so the wall parted as the bird flew straight back at me, I got off 2 shots (with my camera) before it flew literally feet above my head and away over the reservior.

The peregrine had failed in it's mission of picking up lunch but had succeded in giving me one hell of a display the sight and sounds of which I will never forget. A big thank you to all of you who with your hard work and vigilance make it possible for these events to take place and to any pigeon fanciers/game keepers, see they don't just eat bloody pigeons and grouse!!!!

PHOTO'S

Just some photo's I've taken locally since moving house, now back fully online so should be able to keep you all upto date with photo's and news. Hope you enjoy the pics. Tree Pipit taken using Nokia N90 phone down Nikon S80A scope at Withens Clough.

Fly Flatts

16/07/06 0745-1030hrs hot and sunny vis hazy SSE-2
5 Common Sand inc 1 well grown juv
1m Reed Bunt
1 Goldie
4 Lbb gulls
2 Snipe
2 Grey Partridge
sev Lapwing >E
+ usual sp. BS 

Widdop Rd 15:00 - 17:00

3 Sand Martins Heading East, 4 Kestrels family group, 3 Ravens flew over again heading east and a none birding sighting of interest - a dead Common Lizard, is any one aware of their status in Calderdale? plus the usual mipits.

Marsh harrier

Cream crowned marsh harrier reported this morning at Fly Flatts. (PC).

"The Birds of Ringstone Edge"

Andy Cockroft has placed a draft copy of the above publication in the hide at Ringstone, he asks that everyone reads through it and makes any corrections, additions, changes etc in pencil, he intends to remove it on 1st September with a view to publishing it soon after then. I have looked at it this morning and have to say it is very impressive and includes many of Sean's excellent photos (virtually every page has colour photos), Andy is to be congratulated on this mammoth task, please take the time to proof read it for him.

Black tailed Godwit

2 at Ringstone again tonight.

My garden

A willow warbler with 5 very newly fledged young appeared this afternoon. Judging by the fuss and noise, I think they had literally just left the nest, though I have to admit I didn't know they were nesting in my garden!

Black tailed godwit

Four reported at Ringstone yesterday evening.

Collared Dove or Emu ?

 

Collared Doves

Thanks once again to Colin Campbell for the use of his kitchen after he called me to say the Collared Doves nesting on his patio security light above Shibden have reared a second brood of 2 young. BS 

Grey partridge

The grey partridge pair that have been around the top of Jumble Hole / Underbank recently have produced a minimum of 5 chicks - seen this morning by a neighbour.

Fly Flatts

09/07/06 0800-1000hrs WSW-5 Drizzle then rain
1 Juv Greenshank
1 Dunlin
5 Common Sand + 2 well grown juvs
1 Golden Plover on shore line
2 Grey Wag
2 Grey Partridge
Sev mipits still carrying food
167 Canadas inc young
Not a Twite in sight. BS 

Lee Mount!

Peregrine over tonight at 9 pm - even had time to reach for my bins and fabulous views just over the house. Probably a male and heading SW going to roost somewhere nearby??

A devastated soil hill

07/07/06 1845
4 Singing Skylark
3 Lapwing
1 Curlew
12 Goldfinch
sev hirundines and swifts BS 

Good News from Ringstone

After an unsuccessful trip to West Carlton to see 3 common cranes which have been knocking about I returned to Ringstone this evening for a quick stop at 21:30 and to my delight immediately got onto 1 of the LRP adults which was busy running around and calling. As she/he settled 3 young appeared from amongst the rocks, which was a really nice surprise having been told on Monday that it appeared only 2 of the chicks were left.

Not much else about only a Mallard and some Mipits along with the usual crowd of crows. No sign of the other 2 adult LRP's.

My other trip wasn't a complete waste as I had 2 great views of Barn Owl and paid my first visit to Paul Holme Straits which allowed me great views of what must now rival Blacktoft as the Norths biggest Avocet colony.

Jumble Hole this evening

A woodcock was roding up and down, then a second flew up to join it. Couldn't decide if the second one was challenging it, or display with it. Let's hope he knew.

Earlier, chiffchaff still calling, plus GSwoodpecker, and on Saturday two noctule bats (wingspan = 13 to 16 inches!!)were feeding close to the house.

Another caption competition

Any suggestions?

Update

To fill you in on my sightings over the last 2 weeks since I moved upto Widdop Rd, Little Owl sightings - 1 on walls between Slack bottom and Lea Wood, 1 near the farm before the Packhorse Pub (Ridge), 1 Crimsworth Dean by the ruined farm. Tawny Owl near StoneShay gate widdop rd. c5 Linnets Slack Common. In the Garden, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, House Sparrows, Dunnock, Blue and Great tit's upto 4 juv Blue's and 3 juv Great's. Sparrowhawk, Rook, Carrion crow and Jackdaw's, Chaffinch, 3 GS Woodpecker incl 2 juvs, Collard dove. Pheasant female with 3 juv's in fields in front of house. Also cuckoo calling.

A walk up Whiteholme and Lighthazzles the other week produced the following, 1 adult Redshank with 2 juv's (photo's to follow), Curlew x 2, Skylark x 3, Meadow pipit, Pied Wagtail, Mallard and Wheatear male (my first in calderdale since we where working on the hide.) c6 Twite - 2 colour ringed (red,black,white and red over BTO on right leg also yellow,white,red).

Also had Green woodpecker calling up Crimsworth dean.

Hopefully now I'll be able to keep upto date.

Greetland 1pm

A pair of Raven sailed over Upper Greetland today, going (roughly) East from Barkisland towards West Vale. A great sight, a first for the house.

Crimsworth Dean - am

Sightings from Andy Huyton:

Female redstart seen by previous known nesting place.
Little owl. No sign of spotted flycatchers.