30th Sept Fly Flats and Walshaw Dean

 
 
 
 
Afternoon spent birding with DJP.
Fly Flats 4 Wigeon, 12 Twite and 23 Goldfinch was a good start.
Walshaw Dean 2 Ravens annoying the local sheep, Peregrine and female Merlin both seen twice, 4 Ring Ouzels around the Rowan trees, several Red Grouse and Kestrels,1 Goldcrest and 2 Swallows.
5 Goosanders flying north over Pellon at dusk.
More naff pictures of Wigeon, Ravens and Ring Ouzels. DJP must have done better than these immages? 

Ringstone update

The waste from the building of the hide has finally been removed from the site, many thanks to Tim and Nigel for their hard work and also to John Benson for use of his vehicle and trailer. John runs his own grass cutting business so if anyone has work of this kind that needs doing please get in touch, his rates are very reasonable and the work to a very high standard.

29th Sept watchpoint 2.20-4.30pm

 
 
 
 
5 sightings of Sparrowhawk including a pair up together, 5 Kestrel sightings, 1 Greylag Goose, 5 ducksp probably goosanders, 13 LBBGs west, 5 House Martins and several Swallows. Also this Rook with a slightly deformed bill.LBBGs also in flight.
Yesterday at Roils Head 5 Stonechats. 

28th Sept 1.50 - 4.30PM watchpoint

 
 

Returned to watch point today after 3 hours of nothing but a snipe yesterday. Started well with a juvenile Peregrine playing tag with a Kestrel. Then 2 Common Buzzards hunting at a distance. More views of the Peregrine, also 3 or 4 sightings of Sparrowhawk one being mobbed by a Magpie and several more Kestrel sightings. Finished with a distant Raven and 5 Goosanders over. Naff photos of a sparrowhawk and buzzard. 

Castle carr Road - Wainstalls

Whinchat this morning along the road. Also 2 Ravens over high and 2f Sparrowhawk and about 6 Kestrels along the moor.

Whiteholme and back

A wheatear busy feeding on the shore this afternoon. Little else worthy of note.

26th Sept Red Kite at last

 
 
 
Visited my watch point at 2.00PM, after 20 minutes a Red Kite came over Midgley Moor being persued by a Corvid.Managed to get a few distant photos of the bird which can just be made out. Probably the same bird I missed at Walshaw Dean on Sunday, and has probably been wandering about the area for some time.Also got a distant Common Buzzard, 4 Sparrowhawk sightings and several Kestrels. 

SEO 8pm tonight

Driving down Cragg Rd tonight there was an SEO sat in the middle of the road just down from the gate to Whiteholme Res, it allowed me to pull up to within a few feet of it then after approx 30 secs flew a short distance down the road and sat on the verge. Again a pulled up only a matter of feet away, concerned that it may move back into the road, once again it sat and stared at me before finally flying off.

25th Sept another Osprey missed

Went to my watchpoint at 2PM for 2 hours. 3 Wigeon north, 8 Greylag Geese, 3 Snipe 3 LBBGs, 2 BHGs, 3 Sparrowhawk and 8 Kestrel sightings, lots of Meadow Pipits and 2 Swallows moving. On my arrival home recieved a phone call from Derrick Wood who told me he had seen an Osprey moving south here at 1PM. The THIRD osprey Ive missed here this autumn.
After tea went to Roils Head and had a Chiffchaff and a Stonechat, also 9 or 10 duck flying north towards Ogden, probably more Wigeon moving.

Midgley

Nice covey of 10 Grey Partridge here tonight.

Ringstone IMPORTANT please read

I have received an E mail from YW letting me know that someone from within the key holders for Ringstone is not locking the chain on the gate in such a way that YW can open it independantly of us. Please ensure when you lock the gate that our padlock and YW's padlock are linked together to form part of the chian so that either us or YW can open the gate without the other having to be there.

They have also requested that we remove the remaining material left from the hide construction, the delay in doing this is down to me and I am in the process of arranging a man and trailer, if anyone is available to help hand ball the material into the trailer please let me know ASAP. Thankyou.

Ogden

3 little Grebes present this afternoon looked quite settled and catching plenty small fish in the shallows.

Walshaw Dean 24th September

Visited this site with DJP in the hope that the Red Kite was still present. It was ! but unfortunatley for us on the other side of the hill to where we were standing. 3 hours then spent scanning the moors to no avail.Birds noted included Sparrowhawk, Kestrels, (Peregrine and Merlin by DJP)Golden Plover, 3 Tufted Ducks, Reed Bunting 27 Mistle Thrush, 50+ Swallows and lots of Meadow Pipits moving, 3 Twite and a rather lonely Goldcrest calling from the bracken at the top reservoir.

OOPS ! Still a few potholes left on Soil Hill

24/09/06 1500-1600hrs
A lot more levelling work been done but still some deep ruts left as above.
16 Grey Partridge
15 Linnet
1 Wheatear
2 Skylark
1 Kestrel
Plenty Swallows. BS 

Calderdale Birds

Lesser spotted woodpecker
Seen on bird feeder in garden at Ogden Sunday am. Male lesser spotted woodpecker, remained on nuts for good 5 minutes giving excellent views. A first for this garden as far as we are aware.

Murky E.G.P.

24/09/06 Misty, heavy drizzle ,calm
4 Singing Robins
1 Jay
1 Willow Warbler
2 Swallows
+ usual sp.
Not much but better than stood in thick fog at Fly Flatts. BS 

Fly Flatts 23/9/06 1pm

A visit to the Autumn Crocus site produced only a few flowers but was rewarded with over 50 goldfinch feeding on thistle heads and a very closeup view of SEO quartering the field at the last farm before the res. (a first for my wife). The res area was quiet as beating for grouse was in progress.

23rd September 12.25PM

Red Kite and Marsh Harrier reported at Walshaw Dean (TL).

Grapevine

Due to my impending departure we will need a replacement as the co ordinator for the "early shift" on the grapevine. All this involves is being the recipient of any interesting local bird sightings and texting them out to the rest of the grapevine members (currently 19 people). All members pay a fiver each up front and 10p is debitted from each persons account every time a text is sent thus ensuring the texter is not out of pocket. Nick Dawtrey currently looks after sightings during the afternoons but we need someone for the mornings, anyone who is interested and wants further details please contact either myself or Nick Dawtrey.

SOIL HILL

17/09/06 1545-1630 calm and cloudy
7 Reed Bunting
1pr Kestrel
1 Skylark
12 Linnets
1pr Mallard
Sev Swallows. BS

Fly Flatts

17/09/06 0800-1000
Another foggy morning clearing by 0930 leaving blue birdless skies.
14 Linnet
22 Goldfinch on thistles
7 Greylag on moor
1 Mallard- the only bird on the water. BS

16th September

Pellon 1.25PM
Waiting for DJP to pick me up for an afternoon at Filey when out of the low cloud appeared a juvenile / immature Hobby flying south west. Only seen briefly but the long wings were very notable and the pale buff cheeck patch gave the bird the appearance of having a pale colar around the neck.

Clock Face Quarry PM
Lesser Whitethroat seen by JB.

13th Sept site witheld 1.20 - 4.00pm

Adult female Peregrine, 2 Sparrowhawks, several Kestrels, 1 Raven, 1 Stock Dove, 1 Common Gull, 1 LBBG,20+ Goldfinch.

Roils Head 6pm
1 Juvenile Sparrowhawk.

12th Sept Site Witheld 2 - 4pm

 
Found this dead bat at Heath Hill Road yesterday Piperstrell ?

12TH Sept 2 - 4pm
1 Common Buzzard, 2 sightings of adult Peregrine, 6 sightings of Sparrowhawk and 5 of Kestrel, 1 Stock Dove 30+ BHGs and 30 Goldfinch.

Roils Head
1 Sparrowhawk,
West End Golf Course
c100 Chaffinch, 2 Goldcrest, Coal Tit
Heath Hill Road
Sparrowhawk and Kestrel 

Wheatley Valley

First thing this morning, Goldcrests seem to be everywhere in Wheatley Valley. Probably came in overnight in the heavy rain which suggests they are now moving through in numbers.

11th Sept site witheld 2 - 4pm

Dark male and typical female soaring together for 7 minutes. Female has 7th primmarie missing in right wing and small notch in middle of left. Male looked fully winged except for small notch in centre of left wing. Spoke to Tim who had 3 birds yesterday at Scammoden and his were all fully winged and rather pale birds.

Cold Edge Dams

10/09/06 1800-1900hrs
All Quiet.
8 Mallard
1 Greylag
1 Heron
1 Golden Plover
Few feeding Swallows and House Martin
plus the now common dogs in water and scramble bikes. BS

10th Sept site witheld 2 - 4.30PM

Cream crown Marsh Harrier drifted slowly south at 2.25pm. My first ever self found Marsh Harrier in Calderdale was some compensation for missing 2 Ospreys last week.3 or 4 kestrels were present and a female Sparrowhawk attrackted 50+ mobbing Meadow Pipits. Then at 3.35pm 2 Common Buzzards were scoped soaring together. 1 Common Gull flew east and 30+ BHGs flew west, also had a flock of 40+ Goldfinch and lots of Swallows.

Check out this brilliant web site. www.birdphotos.dk
Its a danish site and the raptor photos are superb.

Fly Flatts

10/09/06 0730-0945. SE>2-3 Thick Fog, cleared slightly then in again.
28 very mobile Twite
1 Willow Warbler in solitary tree
Few blogging Mipits.
Got Nyger ok Nick thanks. BS

9th Sept Site witheld

3 Sparrowhawks, 2 Kestrels and a probable Goshawk?

Roils Head early evening.
With the high pressure every thing as gone. The only birds of note were 2 Long-tailed Tits at the Golf Course.High Road Well Moor, 1 superb adult male Sparrowhawk perched on wall.

Andy Cockroft reports another Buzzard high over Northowram this PM.

Mount Tabor 6 - 7PM

An optimistic fool, I decided to give it an hour from the bench overlooking the Wainstalls area tonight, in the vain hope that the Red Kite reported earlier might still be in the area.No luck there, but I did manage to log a Short-eared Owl, Sparrowhawk,2 Kestrels,1 Snipe, 4 Golden Plovers, 2 Common Gulls, 2 LBBGs and several House Martins and Swallows on the move.

Red Kite sighted 8th Sept

Iain Greenwood reports a Red Kite flying high north over Cold Edge Dams at 12.35PM.

Roils Head PM
Very quiet, 1 Goldcreset, 2 Goldfinch and only a handfull of Pied Wags.Sparrowhawk over Wheatley Valley.

Ogden/Fly Flats/Luddenden Dean

Had a good look at Ogden again - no migrant raptors! but the wind seemed to be from the north today. Just a Sparrowhawk there and small passerines on the edge of the wood including a family group of at least 4 Spotted Flycatchers, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Reed Bunting and several willow/chiff's. 3 Tufted Duck on the res.

6 Kestrels on Ovenden moor and a Peregrine over Fly Flats and a female Merlin went through.

1 Wheatear on High Brown Knoll and a Raven going east, high over Luddenden Dean. Also Little Owl near the lower lodge.

At Wainstalls, in the fields near Bridge Terrace there were c30 Linnets on thistle heads and still lots of Swallows and House Martins about.

Roils Head 7th Sept PM

3 Chiffchaffs, 22 Pied Wagtails, 1 Stonechat, 1 Goldfinch and a Skylark.

Roils Head 6th Sept PM

 
Found this headless body of a Starling, probably a Sparrowhawk kill that was disturbed by the increase in motorcyclists (I have another name for them). Also present 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Willow Warbler, 32 Pied Wagtails,6 Goldfinch, lots of Meadow Pipits, 4 Linnets, 2 House Martins west and a Roe Deer that I stumbled on which jumped up almost at my feet.
Heath Hill Road, 1 Wheatear, 16 Goldfinch and a Kestrel. 

Osprey Day - Ogden

2 separate Ospreys in one day after birding in Calderdale since 1971 and not having seen one locally before, must be a special day!

The first bird came over the moor from Denholme/Thornton area at 11.45 and when it got over the ridge near the plantation at Ogden went high and drifted south at a liesurly pace towards Illingworth/Halifax until lost from view.

After a walk from ogden to Thornton Moor and Fly Flats and the Withens I got back to Ogden and found another Osprey, coming from the same direction as before at 15.45. Same flight as the previous bird - when it got to the plantation ridge it went high and this time drifted slowly west towards Wainstalls/Cold Edge Dams. 30 Minutes later I met up with Gordon who was scanning the ridge at Mount Tabor. We located the Osprey high over the moor above Luddenden Dean and fortunately for us it slowly drifted down the dean giving us really good views heading south at 16.30. Bad luck Nick - sorry you missed out this time - lets hope some more come through in the next week or two!

By the way 7 Ravens went through Fly Flats togather and 22 Twite by the feeding station there - but it was too windy to look for colour rings. Just out of our area 6 Common Scoter (2 females) were on Thornton Moor Res.

Roils Head 5th Sept PM

Dave Suttcliffe reported an Osprey moving south at Ogden at 11.45 am, so early afternoon I visited Roils Head keeping one eye on the sky. 2 Chiffchaffs were all that could be found at first, so I visited the Horse field and found the Pied Wagtail flock. Whils't counting these Dave rang with a second Osprey over Ogden (a different bird)moving west towards Luddenden Valley. I was at Heath Hill Road in minutes looking up the Valley and over the distant moors but only had two Kestrels. Within 30 minutes I met up with Gorden Denison who told me he had just been watching the Osprey and that I must have just missed it. Dave then arrived and said they had seen it over Cold Edge Dams, my other local patch. 3 Ospreys in Calderdale in two days however must be some sort of record, well done to Dave.

Osprey sighted 4th Sept

Terry Lally reports an Osprey flying south west at Widdop this afternoon at 4.50 PM. Of note he also found a White Line Dart Moth, only the third for Calderdale).

Roils Head 4th Sept PM

2 Chiffchaffs, 43 Pied Wagtails, 6 Goldfinch, 200 Starlings.

Andy Cockroft reports a Common Buzzard at Northowram all morning.

Roils Head 3rd Sept PM

1 Chiffchaff, 1 Wheatear, 50+ Pied Wagtails, afew Meadow Pits and Black-headed Gulls

FLY FLATTS

03/09/06 0800-1030hrs Warm SW>5 Heavy showers clearing mid a.m.
Water now up banking,no shore exposed.
14 Twite by top gate
6 Twite by feeding station ( photo )
12 Pied Wagtails in overflow
2 SEO
46 Swallow >SW.
Nick, I will start putting seed down 50yds below top gate where steel rail crosses path as well as at bottom as I get them every week up there now. BS 

Ogden

Juvenile Cormorant this morning. Also c60 Swallows (mostly juveniles) and c50 House Martins struggling in the very heavy rain. Also 1 Grey Wagtail and c20 Meadow Pipits around the edge of the reservoir.

Roils Head 1st Sept evening

 
Returned to Roils Head this evening and whils't doing a bit of pishing out poped this odd looking Chiffchaff (poor photo)any ideas ? 

Roils Head 1st Sept 2 - 4pm

The Redstart of the previous 2 days had been replaced by a Spotted Flycatcher, sat on the same wire fence. Also present were 1 or 2 Chiffchafs, 5 Willow Warblers, at least 43 Pied Wagtails, c30 Linnets, 10 Goldfinch, 1 Bullfinch, lots of Meadow Pipits and 2 Swifts and a Common Gull flying west.
Nearby another Swift flew west at Heath Hill Road with 2 Kestrels Hunting.

Plough Croft
Ian Greenwood has reported a juvenile Cuckoo at Hag Lane Plough Croft this afternoon. It is the latest on record, the previous latest being one at Gorple on 28th August 1978.