Seed Order

I have passed everyones costs who bought into this order to Nick Carter to collect. Its probably easier than people trying to catch me at home. We just got the order in time as CJ Wildbirdfoods havs just upped their prices due seed/peanut shortages from China the main exporter.

For example 20k standard peanuts used to cost around £45, they now cost £54
20k Sunflower seed black were £20 now £32 !

GRAPEVINE

Grapevine - c57 texts sent out since 1st October so new round starting today!

Grapevine funds are now due for:-
AC, AH, BS, BH, DB, GD, JB, MS, NCD, NO, PG, RA, SC, TW, WB.

Still in credit for the new round is MB, NDawson, PJWS, SG, (and SJ next 2 rounds)

Fivers (or whatever) to NC, NCD or DJS in next week or so or to next CBCG next Tuesday 5th Feb at Green Business Network, Sowerby Bridge.
Please let one of us know if you wish not to continue.
Many thanks - Dave

Towpath & Cromwell Bottom 31/1/08

Morning all
Back to the winter crap again this morning on my walk, with gales, heavy rain and occasional hail showers. No Les this morning due to the bad weather so I cut the walk short just nipping around Tag Loop via the disabled path and back on the river path to the canal to put out some seed. I was very pleased that my feeding over the last few weeks along the fence posts and hawthorn hedge is paying dividends in terms of bird numbers building up in this area. I had the good fortune this morning to pick out 4 male Reed Buntings and 1 male Yellowhammer amongst the Dunnocks and Chaffinches. The Reed Buntings and Yellowhammer were at the far end of the path near the gate and stile as you come over the river bridge from North Bank to Tag. I am certain about the Reed Buntings and 90% sure about the Yellowhammer, the only doubt if it is some bunting I don't recognise that looks like a Yellowhammer ? I would be grateful if anyone down at CB keeps an look out and see if they can confirm my sighting this morning. I only had the compact bins with me this morning AND the weather made it difficult to keep anything in sight for more than a few seconds at a time.

Coming back up the towpath home I nipped off the path to check through the willow scrub to see if I could find any further patches of the Scarlet Elf Cup fungus I mentioned the other day. As I was up the banking looking I spotted Bambi & Bambino the two Roe deer well out in the open grazing in dump field. I decided to nip back down to the canal towpath to get a better view of them, bad idea ! As I came down the banking my feet went from under me, a tree branch caught my parka hood and half strangled me as I slid down the slope, by the the time I extricated myself my whole life was flashing before me ! It didn't help either that I had watched the Blair Witch Project film last night, so a change of underware was in order when I got home :-))

Ringstone

Today
92 Pink Footed geese
1 Great Creted Grebe
Monday
1 Skylark
2 Lapwing
2 Stonechat
1 Golden Plover
3 reed Bunting
25 Redwing
30 Meadow Pipit
25 Snipe
9 Herring Gull S/w
Loads of BH & CM
Tuesday
50 and 28 PF Geese s/w over Stainland

A Hint of Spring

It was almost spring like today on my morning walk along the towpath and Tag Loop at Cromwell Bottom. Plants are now starting to show some growth and I found vigorous new growth of Sweet Cicely , Hogweed, Hedge Parsley and Lords & Ladies. Checking the spot just off the canal towpath that I find the spectacular fungus Scarlet Elf Cup every year, I spotted the first tiny red cup appearing. Once this is in full growth I will post some images and give directions for those who wish to see a very beautiful fungus.

On the towpath down to Crowther Bridge I saw and heard Greater Spotted Woodpecker drumming on a dead tree near Park Nook Lock, Chaffinch, Song Thrush and Blackbird all calling out with their spring songs. I also heard but did not see Green Woodpecker.

Not much around on Tag Loop for Les and I this morning, although at various points that I scatter seed , large mixed tit and finch flocks are hanging around awaiting my arrival every morning. Two Herons spotted flying over Tag up river towards Elland. Two pairs of Goosander on the River near the weir.

Leaving Les with the Crumblie Club on the bridge I set off back up the towpath. Just below the wooden lodges in the field a pond has developed in the recent wet weather and a Fox sneaks around trying to catch the Mallard on it. Its Vixen I believe as I think I know where she has an earth and is likely to or already have cubbed this year. I watch foxes in the same places and have done so for 20 years now so have an idea of various individuals. The Vixen was so busy stalking the ducks that she never even spotted me or the dog until I did a "squeak call" like a trapped rabbit and her ears shot up while she tried to work out where the wounded rabbit was ! Eventually she spotted the dog and ambled off back to her den. Walking on a bit further I spotted the two Roe deer that alternate between the field below Knowles dump and the scrub on the other side of the canal. I am almost certain these are a doe and her now almost full grown fawn which was born in 2006/7.

Just up from Rawson's pool I heard the alarm calls of tits and wrens and spotted a male Sparrowhawk perched in the mature trees. He was obviously flying around the area and then landing in the hope that one of the birds hiding in the scrub below would panic and make a break for it. Unluckily for the hawk they all kept very close to the ground in scrub. After 5 minutes or so he decided nothing was going to panic so took off for Park Wood.

Best make the best of tomorrow as winter is supposed to be back with a vengeance on Thursday :-(( Its nice to have a least a brief sniff of the Spring to come which will hopefully lead to a better or at least drier summer than last year.

Lee Mount

From the kitchen window this morning I saw a male Blackbird on the lawn fly into the hedge pursued by a female Sparrowhawk! The hawk sat waiting on the fence till the Blackbird came out and the hawk grabbed it. Surprisingly enough the Blackbird escaped and the hawk was left holding a pile of feathers.
I couldn't find the Blackbird after but by the amount of feathers it lost perhaps it did not survive ??

Sunny Vale and Ogden

(L) Great Crested Grebe at Ogden and (R) Little Grebe (1 of 2) at Sunny Vale this afternoon.

Also at Sunny Vale

4 Teal

18 Mallard

2 Moorhen

1 Grey Heron

1 Nuthatch with a tit flock and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

28th January

Roils Head - High Road Well Moor PM
2 Redpoll at Roils Head also c 35 Pinkfeet west over West End Golf Course. At least 14 Skylarks at High Road Well Moor was somewhat of a surprise as was c180 Lapwings that flew in.

Wainstalls/Cold Edge/Fly Flats

Well done Matt picking up the Pink-footed Geese.
We also had the 200+ (at a distance) over Mount Tabor at 11.35 going west, probably the ones you saw.
Another 240 over Cold Edge at 12.20 heading west towards Midgley Moor.

Also today - 1 Brambling in the garden behind the Delvers pub (but elusive) with c20 Chaffinch and a female Sparrowhawk over.

Cold Edge - 1 adult Cormorant looking immaculate with big white patch on thighs headed off towards Calder Valley at 12.30. Also 9 Lapwings, 9 Greylag Geese, 1 Moorhen, 18 Mallard and usual Red Grouse on the moor.

Withens gap - 6 Fieldfares.

Fly Flats - 1 Skylark down the track to the sailing club and a Raven over the moor along with the usual Red Grouse.

Pink feet

Two flocks of pink footed geese over Jumble Hole at 11:40am today, about 7 minutes apart. 280+ birds in the first flock, 240+ in the second.

Both very high up, and heading west. Sorry for the duff mobile phone photo!

bradley hall farm

no yellowhammers,
a pair of goosanders,grey wagtail,green woodpecker and nice group of 7 goldcrest's

Mount Zion Chapel and Brookhouse

A walk round today revealed a pair of fieldfare in the field adjacent to the Chapel and a mixed flock of long tailed tits blue tits and coal tits in the wood adjacent to Brookhouse.Also present was a treecreeper.

manor heath

once again on my weekly drive past manor heath there were the usual flock of redwings. this time showing incredibly well. you could really see the red.

Sunday

Jumble Hole Clough - a group of 9 incredibly tame siskin still kicking around. A pair of goosander flying west along the canal towards Tod'.

Pecket Well, Hebden Bridge - A flock of 380+ fieldfare in a field to the left of Keighley Road. Made for an impressive sight.

Luddenden Dean

Yesterday afternoon - again in the strong wind not easy to find many birds.
1 Brambling (could have been others) heading up the valley with Chaffinch's to roost at Castle Carr late afternoon was about the only highlight plus a Green Woodpecker calling near the lower lodge area.

Shibden Park and Sunny Vale - Sat. am

Shibden Park - 90 mallard (the pintail cross is still there), 12 BH gull, 40 jackdaws, 1 sparrowhawk, 2 flocks of long tailed tits, 3 moorhen, 1 muscovy, 1 pied wagtail.

Route to Sunny Vale - great/blue tit, another LT tit flock, grey heron, 3 crow (1 a piebald), 4 greenfinch, 8 goldfinch, 6 magpie.

Sunny Vale - 18 LT tit, 5 great tit, 4 blue tit, 2 coal tit, 1 song thrush, 1 jay, 1 treecreeper, 2 moorhen, 10 mallard, 1 little grebe, 1 goldcrest, 1 grey wagtail.

High Royd

A quick 20 mins there this lunchtime

32+ teal
15+ mallard
2 coot (a pair?)
2 heron
c.10 pied wagtails

Ogden Water

One cormorant circled at 9.30 a m and then flew off over Mixenden reservoir but did not appear to land there.

Luddenden Dean

Great Spotted Woodpecker this afternoon near Jerusalem Farm.

Also in the dean:

120 + Redwing

15 + Fieldfare

15 + Starling

8 Pheasant

c30 Blue tits (at 3 garden feeding stations) along with c15 Great Tit, 2 Coal Tit, c20 Goldfinch, 2 Bullfinch, 15 Chaffinch and 12 + Greenfinch.

Also in the dean up from Jerusalem Farm were 2 Grey Herons, 1 m Sparowhawk, 1 m Kestrel, c15 L T Tits, 4 Jays, 38 Jackdaws, c25 Rooks and 10 Carrion Crows, c10 Mistle Thrush and c15 Blackbirds.

Castle Carr Road - 1 m Stonechat feeding on molehills and eating worms. 1 female Stonechat feeding on the ground around a sheep feeder. I think both these birds were trying hard to keep out of the very strong, cold wind.

Goldeneyes at Cromwell Bottom

Excellent views of 5 male Goldeneye displaying to a couple of females on the water skiing lake. Even from the canal towpath they can be clearly seen moving along the lakesides, heads continually thrown back and then submerging again. 2 or 3 seem the normal number in winter, but so many males together make quite a stunning sight.

Cromwell Bottom ( Elland Gravel Pits) Tues.22nd

On Monday the river finally went over the slipway on the left bank just below the bailey bridge. Got some pictures. There was a long waterfall dropping down into Brookfoot Loop. Still didn't prevent the cellars of Brighouse from flooding as the engineers said it would when the scheme was built. This was at the time of the waste tipping on the other two loops. I was on the liason group.
When I went down again Tuesday afternoon, the lagoons were holding back hardly any extra water.
List in two hours, nothing rare, but for diversity, as usual birds have the edge over other groups for year round interest.
Blue, Great and Long Tailed Tits,
Robin, Wren, Blackbird,
Cormorant swimming in the swollen river,
Mallard, Teal, Goosander,
Grey Heron, Canada Goose,
Great Crested Grebe on the anglers' lake,
Grey Wagtail, Green Woodpecker,
Coot, Moorhen about 6 different individuals,
A flock of finches unidentifiable in the gloom,
Carrion Crow, Magpie, Dunnock.
Flock of Black-headed Gulls feeding from the surface of the river.

SUNNYVALE LAKE
Colin Duke reports a pair of Little Grebe, one held a small fish. Courtship?
I have found a half-built Collared Dove's nest already at Halifax.

Luddenden Foot

This lunchtime along the canal between Luddenden Foot and Brearley. Plenty of mallard on the temporary lake between the river and canal plus a couple of moorhen.

Large number of BH gulls (30ish) and jackdaws (20ish) on the flooded fields towards Mytholmroyd.

Robins singing, blue and great tits, kestrel hunting along the canal, 2 dipper at L.Foot on the river, male goosander flying towards Mytholmroyd.

Woodpecker Update

No sign of the Lesser WP at the feeder today sadly but a pair of Greater Spotted are now around on and off all day. The tit flocks seem to have got used to the peckers arriving and no longer fly away when they appear. Greater Spotted seem quite tolerant of the other birds around the feeders as long as they do not try and cling onto the peanut feeder they are feeding on, any bird that alights on a pecker occupied feeder is driven off immediately. Its most peculiar to watch the peckers come into the feeders as they never fly directly to the feeders but land on the flat topped wall behind the feeders and scan the area before venturing onto a feeder. They look very strange as they face forward, almost like those "dipping ducks" you can buy that when set in motion dip forward into a glass. I have also been surprised at just how big they appear when you can watch them from a feet feet away , they seem to be far larger, bulkier birds than when you spot them in the field. Most of this is probably familiar to you proper birders but its a new and very interesting experience for me. The Nuthatches are also regulars now from late morning onwards with at least three individuals arriving daily.

I know of a promising area locally where I suspect peckers/nuthatches will be breeding come spring. Is there anyone from the blog willing to come out with me later this year and check over where I suspect they are breeding ? I am happy going on my own but have only ever found Great Spotted nest holes and many years ago I did know of the area that Lesser Spotted were nesting in (site long gone sadly) but have never seen a Nuthatch nest site and am not sure how you spot these ? From my moth-ing I know its always much easier to find anything if you go out with someone who has at least some experience of the species in question.

Ogden/Fly Flats

Ogden - 1 Great Crested Grebe and 2 f Sparrowhawks together.
Ogden Clough - 1 Stonechat and several Red Grouse over Ovenden Moor.
Fly Flats - 1 Peregrine at a distance - lots of Red Grouse.
Cold Edge - 2 Greylag Geese and 30+ Mallard. c30 Fieldfares, 10 Starlings and a male Sparrowhawk over.

Peckers at Park Road

I arrived home at lunchtime today to find the garden feeders a hive of activity with probably my best ever grouping of species on the feeders. Female Greater Spotted WP on a peanut feeder, Male Lesser Spotted WP on fat feeder and 3 Nuthatches (2M&1F) feeding on the floor under the feeders. The usual mixed tit flock were keeping well away from the feeders until the Great Spotted flew off ! If any sort of pattern develops to when Lesser arrive at the feeders I will of course let people know so that those who wish to see the species can do so from my kitchen window. I now have a decent Espresso coffee machine as well, so you can have a decent Latte or Espresso while you wait :-))

WALSDEN

A pair of goosander intermittently on the canal in Walsden - occasionally just the male - successfully fishing!

Attention Bill Aspin

Bill, could you send me your E mail address please, I'll need it to send you an invite to post on here, best e mail it to midgleybirder@yahoo.co.uk

Cheers

Cracking views of the Slav Grebe and GG Shrike over your way at weekend by the way!

Ogden

1 Great Crested Grebe
14 L T Tits, Treecreeper, 2 Coal Tits and 3 Goldcrests
55 Rooks and 45 Jackdaws along Syke Lane and 18 Greenfinch over.

Ogden

Ringstone today

Force 6 with horizontal sleet and rain.
Goldfinch 8
Greenfinch 1
Chaffinch 1
Dunnock 2
Robin 1
Starling 100+
Herring Gull (argentatus)1
GBB Gull 2
BH Gull 150+
Common Gull 50+
Rook 30
Jackdaw 20
Carrion Crow 15
Magpie 1

Hebden Bridge canal

1 kingfisher near Stubbing Wharfe pub.
2 heron
2 nuthatch in woods by Thistle Bottom
1 male goosander flying high towards Tod'

Ogden Garden

Our sightings for the week beginning 13 January 2008

Blue Tit 4, Robin 3, Blackbird 5, Dunnock 2, Chaffinch 2, Great Tit 4, Bullfinch 2, Coal Tit 4, Carrion Crow 2, Goldfinch 1, Great Spotted Woodpecker 4, Jay 1, Long-tailed Tit 13,
Magpie 2, Siskin 1, Sparrowhawk 1, Treecreeper 1, Wren 1, Pheasant 1,

Walsden: Saturday 19th
The birds were singing this morning - I felt they rejoiced in the light as I walked through the churchyard by the old school - chaffinches, tits, robin and high in the tall trees the churring of the mistle thrush - a blackbird sang in the yew tree. No Woodpeckers today but the singing was rich with the promise of spring. Later I passed the pond above Longfield - a small flock of lapwing lifted off the edge, their square wings flashed in the suns pale light. Alone in the middle of the dam a male goldeneye, all black and white, moved with such grace over the water. The mallards rested by the side almost as if they were unwilling to share the water with this aristocrat.

Wheatley Valley

Shroggs Park this morning - 12 Redwings still feeding on holly berries around the football pitch and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Shroggs Road - former landfill site
80 + Siskins and 25 + Redpolls (also probably some Mealy Redpolls in among them but uncertain without a better view). All the birds were in the area just above the Dorlux Industrial Unit. There is access to the landfill site just past Dorlux into the tree belt area where there are lots of alders and birch full of seed cones. At one point they all flushed and formed a very large flock overhead, impossible to count but maybe a lot more than I have estimated above (?)

Also present were 2 Bullfinch, 4 Jays, and a Song Thrush in full song. I tramped across the grass area at the top of the tree belt - nice bog! which looks ideal for Snipe/Jack Snipe but none found. 12 Greenfinch near Brackenbed Road end of the old tip.

Undisclosed site

Ogden

A mixed flock of approx 150 rooks and jackdaws with one common gull and two crows feeding in a field adjoining Syke Farm Syke Lane at 4.00 p m today. Estimated one third rooks and two thirds jackdaws.

High Royd

All the lagoons are full to overflowing so not much mud on the edges!
20 + Teal
20 + Mallard
2 Grey Heron
2 Moorhen
20+ Pied Wagtails on the filter beds along with 1 Grey Wagtail and 44 Carrion Crows
65 Jackdaws over 1 pm going north
2 Jays
c16 Blue Tits and c8 Great Tits on some garden feeders nearby.

Wainstalls/Cold Edge/Fly Flats/Ogden

Wainstalls - no sign of the Brambling this morning, just 12 Chaffinch and a Grey Partridge in the fields nearby.
Cold Edge - nothing!
Fly Flats - nothing!
Ogden - Great Crested Grebe still there and a Great Spotted Woodpecker

The curse of Calderdale???

In recent days, recording areas directly neighbouring ours have turned up some great birds, despite it being January. Granted, both of their areas are bigger and you could argue more diverse in habitat, but in the past week alone...
Bradford - glaucous gull, scaup, red crested pochard, little egret, black-necked grebe, white-fronted goose
East Lancs - slavonian grebe, great grey shrike, caspian gull, glaucous gull, scaup, red-breasted merganser, pintail.

In the same period, we appear to have had relatively little. These are nearly all birds that have in the mists of time appeared in Calderdale on more than one occassion, so what is happening? Are they making a huge detour to go round us these days? Or are they there and we're just not picking them up?

Alright, it's not exactly the Carmargue round here, but I think there is a danger that we are missing birds that are out there, and therefore people think that Calderdale isn't worth birding in and go out of area, so we miss birds that are out there..........etc in circles.

Telegraph Newspaper Recognition

Just a quick note to say that the birdguides photo of the year competition made the national press today in the Daily Telegraph.

Whilst Sean's picture didn't make it to the press it had appeared along with the other runners up on their website.

http://tinyurl.com/2j5zta

Once again Well done Sean.

As for the Brambling at Wainstalls I only had 1 for a couple of minutes when it flew off towards the church/graveyard. Unable to relocate.

Wainstalls/Cold Edge/Ogden

Wainstalls - couldn't find the Brambling found yesterday(although AH had them earlier this morning). It was pouring down at the time and only found a few Chaffinch, Try again tomorrow!
1 Redwing 2 Mistle Thrushes and 6 Starlings nearby and 7 Pink-footed Geese went over heading west at 11.15.

Cold Edge - 1 Snipe, 6 Fieldfares and c15 Mallard.

Ogden - 1 Great Crested Grebe still present and 36 Woodpigeons in fields along Ogden Lane.
Syke Lane 60+ Jackdaws and 35 Rooks, 6 Carrion Crows and c30 B H and c20 Common Gulls making the most of the worms coming up in the boggy fields.

Also at Mixenden near Shaking House Farm/Whitegate was one of the two white Carrion Crows that have been in the valley for several years now. The other one used to frequent lower down the valley near Straight Lane/Mixenden flats - maybe still there?

Wainstalls

7 Brambling reported today by PJWS in a garden near the Delvers at Wainstalls. That was a good find !

Malta Optics update and Andy's run

Now that the dust has settled on the Xmas and New Year period I thought it approriate to update everyone on the Malta Optics appeal. Following on from the fund raising events undertaken so far we have raised a total of £505 and have received donations of 11 pairs of binoculars (of variable quality!) as well as one telescope. Those binoculars not considered suitable for Malta will be traded in against telescopes or tripods. Out of the £505 we have bought 10 pairs of Bresser bins (remarkably good for the price) as detailed in earlier postings, the balance of the money will go towards telescopes and tripods. It is our aim to supply the ALE on Malta with sufficient binoculars and telescopes/tripods to fully equip four anti hunting patrol cars and personnel. To help with this Andy Cockroft has agreed to run a forthcoming 10km event to be held in Blackburn on 10th February and for any sponsorship funds he raises to be donated to the Optics fund. If anyone would like to sponsor Andy please contact either me or Andy direct.

Further details of this Spring's anti hunting camp on Malta can be found at http://www.birdlifemalta.org/conservation/other_projects/springwatch/ and about the general hunting and trapping problem on Malta at http://www.birdlifemalta.org/campaigns/hunting_and_trapping/

Bird Food has arrived

This lot arrived today.If you have ordered any of it could you please pick it up on sat morning between 10 - 12.I am away until then.Cheers Andy

Marshalls Feeding Station

I had a site meeting today on the Marshalls Lowfields office site. I met up with Dave and Neil from Marshalls and Gavin from the Green Business Network. We are discussing various aspects of the gardens, but at the moment nothing to report on this project. However we did discuss the feeding station and how best to run it as well as improvements to the equipment & feeders we are using. Whilst we stood around I spotted plenty of bird activity in the new shrubbery near the feeders. We had Blue & Great Tits, Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and some Siskins feeding on the Alder saplings they had planted. We also had a solitary Pied Wagtail mooching around hoping we would bugger off so it could get back to the ground table for some grub. After spending hours at CB this winter and only getting fleeting glimpses of Siskins in the tree tops its was nice to watch them feeding about 6 feet way in an 8 foot sapling ! As I left the garden to cycle home I spotted that both the Siskins and Goldfinches were feeding on the Nyger seed feeders.

I hope we can persuade other companies on Lowfields and elsewhere in Calderdale to follow the Marshals lead in setting up a feeding station. As I have commented before on the blog, Lowfields Business Park carries a huge population of finches and other birds. If we can only encourage others to follow Marshals lead and put up nest boxes and feeders I really do think we can have a large influence on building up sizable bird populations in what are usually deemed to be unsuitable areas for wildlife. The Green Business Network and Calder Futures seem to be heavily involved in this as they have spotted the potential for access to a funding source for conservation that the council has seemingly never tapped into. Dave Berry at Marshalls is very keen on wildlife and what his company can do to help local wildlife, there must be dozens of equally keen people in other local businesses who would do the same if contacted.

I would just like to stress the views in this post are my own and I am not speaking on behalf of any other person or organisation mentioned.

Fly Flats/Cold Edge/Ogden

Fly Flats - 2 Ravens through low over the moor >N near the windfarm.
Nothing on or round the res'r other than lots of Red Grouse on the moor.
1 f Goldeneye on Dean Head top res'r seen from Fly Flats.

Cold Edge - 5 Greylag Geese (did check for Whitefront!) and 1 f Goldeneye.

Ogden - 1 Great Crested Grebe seen to catch several small fish so it may stay around. Still no sign of the Dipper which has been around the top ponds over last few years, but not this year.
Back Lane plantation - 25 Magpies, 2 Stock Doves and 30+ Woodpigeons roosting.
Also between Ogden and Soil Hill lots of Jackdaws and Rooks heading north to roost at 4 pm.

BHF (14:00-15:00)

1 Goosander braving swollen R Calder
1 Cormorant flying E along R Calder
2 Grey Heron
1 Kestrel
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Song Thrush
2 Mistle Thrush
10 Yellowhammer!!! (8 males, 2 females) obviously attracted by Sean's offerings which I failed to locate yet again!

High Royd - 3:00pm

A quick visit whilst passing

- 54 teal
- 26 mallard
- 4 moorhen
- 18 canada geese
- gs woodpecker
- 2 little grebe

On the new sprinkler beds -
- 11 pied wagtail
- 2 grey wagtail
- 1 pipit. It was at some distance, and only had bins with me, so couldn't get anything on the pipit, though meadow is at least statistically the most likely.

Sparrowhawk Kill

First casualty at my garden feeding station this lunchtime. One of the female Blackbirds was taken by a Sparrowhawk. I heard the distress cry of the Blackbird whilst I was working in my office and looking out the window spotted a Sparrowhawk had it pinned down. I was sorely tempted to intervene but left the birds alone to let nature take its course. The hawk took off within a few seconds with the by now dead Blackbird in its talons. It only took 5 minutes or so before the feeders were full of tits again !

Two questions:
The hawk appeared to be very brown across its back and wings, is this likely to be a bird still in juvenile plumage ? It was definitely a Sparrowhawk, but I have never seen one so strikingly brown.

Do all hawks always carry prey just on the one foot ? I have only seen a few Sparrowhawk Kills as they occured and they always carry the prey using only one foot and I just wondered if all hawks carry prey this way.

Jumble Hole

Quite a good haul today

- 3 goosander flying up the valley towards Tod' (1m, 2f)
- 1 raven over >w
- GS woodpecker
- Green woodpecker
- 3 bullfinch
- 18 long tailed tit
- 2 mallard on the mill pond in the woods
- 3 coal tit
- flock of c.15 siskin over
- song thrush in full voice between the showers
- female sparrowhawk
- 2 mistle thrush
- 1 jay
- c. 50 jackdaw
- c. 70 bh gull
- tawny owl at 5:00am this morning (h)
- lots of blue and great tits suddenly on the feeders (bad weather coming??!)

Out of area

The great grey shrike that has been around East Lancs for most of the winter is now in Higham, not far from Burnley. It has been slowly edging south over the past few weeks, and I reckon it can only be 7-8 miles (as the shrike flies) to Gorple/Walshaw. So, if it vanishes from its current location, it might be worth a look...

Luddenden Dean

This afternoon, a bit wet and blustery but some fine spells in among.

1 superb male Sparrowhawk at Jerusalem Farm - very pale underparts with hardly any rusty colour on the chest and very white under tail coverts - yes it was a Sparrowhawk! Also its back was pale blue/grey rather than the typical darker slate colour, it was seen in the hedge by the bird feeding area where there were lots of Blue (c25) and Great Tits (c15) then seen crossing the valley to Wade Wood and sitting in a tree out in the open.

Also in the dean one female Merlin hunting along Castle Carr Road then mobbing the Sparrowhawk stooping and diving at each other over Saltonstall. 2 Kestrels also seen in the valley.

Other birds - 1 Green Woodpecker, c2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 5 Bullfinch, c15 Long-tailed Tits. 1 Grey Wagtail and a Siskin over. A large dog Fox seen higher up the valley but no sign of any Dippers (don't seem to be many about?), and no Fieldfares, Redwings or Brambling.

2 days ago

northowram
top:
huge numbers of redwings gathering in the feildseven more
top:
20 or so lapwings in the usual feild

Loose scope problems?

For a long time now I have had problems with my scope working loose on the plate attaching it to the tripod, very annoying when this happens in the field! At last there is a solution, if you have a Manfrotto head they have produced a new plate to attach to the scope which is fixed in place by two screws, so far it has worked brilliantly! They are available from Pennine Optics in Rochdale and are known as the Manfrotto 200USS Universal Anti Twist Spotting Scope Plate.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

The last two days have seen two individual Lesser Peckers feeding on peanut feeders at my garden feeding station. First one was yesterday around 20 mins after Andrew Huyton left my house after spending 30 mins watching the feeders whilst on a social call to drop a book off. You should have stayed for that extra coffee Andy :-)) Another bird, male this time, was on the feeders when I got home from shopping around 2.30pm. If a pattern of arrival starts to occur I will let the blog know so that anyone who wants to see this species for their year list can nip down for a look. Great Spotted are now coming to the feeders as well, so you have chance of bagging the two species and if you are really lucky you will hear the Green peckers calling in the wood behind the house and bag up totally!

Ogden

Photo is Ogden Clough with Soil Hill in the mist behind.

No wildfowl other than the assortment of c85 Mallards. 32 Common Gulls and 40 Black Headed Gulls on the res'r. 2 Jays by the visitors centre feeders.

2 Siskin feeding in alders close to the waters edge on the west side of the res'r. Also Treecreeper and Goldcrests heard in the woodland and a Reed Bunting on the edge of the plantation.

A number of Red Grouse heard on Ovenden Moor and 1 very hardy wren up there in the heather.

Local lad done good!

Congratulations to Sean Gray who has just been announced as a runner up in this years Birdguides Photo Of The Year competition. We are very fortunate to have some excellent photographers locally and its brilliant to see Sean's work being recognised nationally and indeed internationally. Next time you admire a cracking shot in a birding magazine check the photographer, quite often you'll find its Sean. For anyone who isn't aware his work can be viewed at http://www.grayimages.co.uk/

Last call for bird food

Order going in very soon!

Jumble Hole, 2:00pm

Quantity, rather than quality today.

- 16 siskin in an alder. Never seen more than 2 here
- 235 jackdaw was a higher than normal count
- 110 bh gulls loafing around the sewage works
- a single jay

First wildlfe talk for 2008 - Antarctica

At the Central Library tonight, 8th Jan. 7.15
Halifax Scientific Society presents Hannah Lawson showing slides from her work as a tour guide on a ship visiting Antarctica. Hannah is a zoologist and also an accomplished artist, illustrating wildlife.
All are welcome, our library will be open for reference. A retiring collection is made to defray expences.
Steve

Yellowhammers

A local guy who walks down the canal towards Cooper Bridge tells me that he sees and hears Yellowhammers most of the year round at "Bradley Hall Farm" (I think this is what the area is called near the Old Cornmill ?) and lower down on the Canal and river around Cooper Bridge. I know there is a feeding station for Yellowhammers at Bradley Hall Farm but is anyone aware of the Yellowhammers further down towards Cooper Bridge and below ?

Ogden Water

1 Waxwing at 10 am trilling away in the top of a pine tree then flew up Skirden Clough but not relocated. That was about it other than a female Sparrowhawk heading towards Soil Hill and a Stock Dove on Back Lane.

Cold Edge Dams

1 male stonechat
1 female Goldeneye
32 mallard
2 Canada Goose
6 Pheasants.
NB.There has bee a White Fronted Goose at Leeshaw/Oxenhope for the last couple of days in with the Greylag flock,it may be worth a looking at the fly flatts /cold edge area to see if it drops in.

Castle Carr Road

Late posting from yesterday afternoon (Sunday 6th Jan)

1 Red-legged Partridge
1 Peregrine heard calling over the moor
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Redwing
65 Fieldfares
1 Kestrel
1 Grey Wagtail
No Stonechats today - wonder if the cold miserable weather has moved them on?

Ringstone late morning

Just one of around 50 in fields north of Ringstone by the road at 11:30 today. Nothing else showing at all in very heavy showers and strong winds. Next bird for Calderdale Cattle Egret.

Back Garden this morning

It was like a scene form Hitchcock's the birds.30 Carrion Crows,10 jackdaws and 8 Rooks just sitting in the trees all round the back garden.3 Mipits flew over heading E/s/E and that was it,

Cromwell Bottom & Towpath 7/1/08

Not too much of any great interest around this morning sadly and what there was was very difficult to watch due to the high winds. I topped the feeders up on Tag Loop and spotted a small flock of Chaffinches & Bullfinches underneath the feeders picking up fallen seed. I got good views of a fox as I came down the track from the top of Tag Loop as it walked round the path on Brookfoot loop with a dead Squirrel in its mouth ! I suspect this was a young Squirrel moving across CB looking for a home territory of its own and the Fox bagged it on the floor. I have now started placing a mixture of Sunflower, Pinhead Oats and Peanuts on the fence posts on the fence that runs alongside Tag and the river. I also scatter some of the mix in the hawthorn hedge. There is a quite nice sized population of finches & tits now using this area regularly. There is also a pair of Pheasants around most days, I know this because the dog usually starts to dash around and flushes them out and back over the river to North Bank Loop. Hopefully the male of the pair is the same bird that used to appear in the compound on North Bank to scrounge sandwiches from people working the site. The Heron was in its usual spot on the river despite it being up to around the 1mtr mark on the measuring stick this morning. I have noticed a distinct drop in Goosander numbers this year with a pair or four or five birds at most. Most I had was 18 together in early autumn.

Walking back up the towpath home I had good views of the two regular Roe Deer I see near Knowles Pipe dump. There was also a Fox sunning itself. Best spot of the day was courtesy of the dog again which flushed another Woodcock from the woodland between river and canal just above Rawsons Pool. I did have a report of another Woodcock lower down the canal near Crowther bridge a couple of weeks back.

Finally; I have had reports of two van loads of men with terriers seen in the anglers car park on Sunday 30th December. I don't suppose anyone from the blog spotted these and took numbers ? They are no doubt sussing out fox dens in the area to dig out vixen and cubs in the next few weeks and I would like to get the numbers to the local Badger Watch group as Fox diggers are invariably involved in Badger baiting as well in my experience. We have not had much trouble with the terrier brigade in recent years at CB, if they are around again I would dearly love them to get nicked by the police and nip any problems in the bud. If anyone sees anything suspicious please phone the police ASAP and take plate numbers as there are Badgers in the area as well as Foxes. I would strongly advise that you do NOT approach anyone you see behaving in this manner and leave it to the police to handle as they are likely to turn violent if confronted.

6th January

Roils Head
4 Reed Buntings, 1 Kestrel and 20 Redwings over. Plenty of Common and Black-headed Gulls at Mount Tabor.

Its that time of year again when I ask people for thier records for the previous year. To speed the bird report up it would be great if people could get thier records in to me by the end of January. The 2006 report is still on my lap top and just needs a little bit more work plus any photos.

Garden Birds

I have spent a fair amount of time lately watching the feeding behaviour of the species attending my garden feeding station.

The Tit family are by far the most numerous attendees at the feeders. One thing I have noticed is that whilst a certain "pecking" order prevails amongst each species this does not seem to carry over between species. Its often the case that on the peanut feeders Great Tits will not tolerate another Great Tit on the same feeder but will allow Blue Tits to feed with no attempt to drive them off. By far the most aggressive species are Blue tits who seem to spend almost as much time squabbling as feeding. Coal Tits tend to nip in and out on the feeders as when a gap occurs during a squabble amongst the other species.

I have noticed a certain preference on the seed feeders in terms of choice feeding position. I have three medium defender seed feeders, these have two sets of feeding holes, one at the bottom and one midway up the feeder. Given the choice every bird without fail will chose to feed from one of the higher perches. I had thought this might be linked to a safety or pecking order aspect, i.e. the higher up the feeder the higher up the pecking order or safer feeding. I now think this is linked to ease of removing the food from the feeder and making a quick getaway back into the woods to eat the prize. When the feeders are full its harder to remove food from the bottom holes due to the weight of the food above compressing the seed and thus making extraction harder. The midway holes have less weight pressing down and are thus easier to grab a quick beak full from and scarper back into the woods. Birds will use all four feeding holes but if a bird vacates the midway feeding hole another bird will move immediately to this from the lower feeding hole. Coal Tits again lurk around waiting to grab food from the midway hole when a squabble creates a vacancy on the midway feeders. I need to fill the seed feeders daily as they are half emptied every day. I reckon I am feeding around a kilo of sunflower seed per day

On the ground I have at least three individual Blackbird Males and I think only one female. The boss male will drive off other males most of the time but occasionally all three males will feed amicable together (more on this later). I have at least two Nuthatches feeding throughout the day, never together, but I can pick out at least two individuals from the slightly different markings on each bird. They are very wary whilst feeding and are away at the slightest hint of an alarm call from the other birds. As I have mentioned before they spend the vast bulk of their time foraging on the floor for fallen seed which I suppose is exactly how they would feed out in the woods as seeds/nuts seem to be their main winter food source. I don't know how many of you have watched Nuthatches feed but they adopt a different method of feeding to peckers in the fact that when they do feed on the feeders they hammer at the nuts putting their whole body behind each blow rather than pecker style hammering with the head providing the hammer effect. Nuthatches NEVER use the seed feeder, even though they gather the sunflower seeds I put on the ground table and gather any spilt onto the floor from the feeders. I think this must be because they cannot grip the feeders to feed head down as they do on the nut feeders. I am going to fill one small wire nut feeder with sunflower seeds to see if they use this.

The strangest behaviour is by the Robins, I have still to work this out to my satisfaction but I think its linked in some way to the behaviour I mentioned about Blackbirds occasionally feeding together. The boss Robin has a very distinctive white feather on the outer edge of his wing (primary feathers ?). He/she is without doubt boss Robin in the garden and will drive off the other two Robins as soon as they appear. Just occasionally all three will feed amicably in the garden together ( my garden is only 12 X 15 feet). I think this happens when the weather is particularly poor with dropping temperatures causing the birds to concentrate on feeding first and squabbling later. The only time the boss male Blackbird will allow the others to feed without being driven off is in the same situation of falling temperatures/snow when I assume the need to stock up quickly with food overrides the territorial urge

I also have the odd Chaffinch male and the odd Greenfinch who I see occasionally on the seed feeders, but finches are in very short supply in the garden. A couple of Dunnock also appear on and off throughout the day. So far I have had visits by Greater Spotted Woodpecker on only one occasion and by Lesser Spotted on two separate occasions (sorry Nick they went before I had time to phone you)

Finally much to my surprise the busiest time of day on the feeders is from around 1pm until around 3.30pm. I would have assumed it would be first thing as soon as it was light enough for birds to be up and about. I think the Tit flocks build up as the day goes on as other birds move in from the woods from their roosts and thus more birds appear in the afternoon. I often have 20/30 individual tits on the feeders and floor at any one time and a quick count round the bushes near the garden will usually reveal around 40/50 birds in total when added to those actively feeding. Around 3.30-4pm things start to quieten down with just the occasional tit feeding and the last birds to feed well on into dark are Robins and Blackbirds who are also the first to appear every morning. I will no doubt change my ideas about the whys and wherefores of feeding behaviour in the garden as time passes, but nevertheless its fascinating to watch the birds for their behaviour as well as watching them for their sheer beauty.

PS.Can anyone point me in the right direction on the web etc to get some ideas on how to digiscope photos, the less technical the better please :-))

Shibden and Cunnery Wood 06/01/08 pm

4 robins, flock of approx 30 siskins, 4 jay, 1 great spotted woodpecker, 3 magpie, 3 song thrush, long tailed, great and blue tits, 4 blackbird and 1 redwing.

1 grey wagtail waiting outside my door when I got back.

redwings

flock of about 10 on manor heath today in the trees on the way back on the opposite side of the road so they are moving. there are alot more than beforeso they must be on the increase

Cromwell Bottom 06/01/08

1 kestrel hunting on the drop down from Southowram.
Car park feeders : great tits, blue tits, 3 robins fighting, 3 greenfinch.
Ski lake: 1 cormorant, 8 canada geese, 1 male goldeneye, 1 little grebe, 4m2f tufted duck, 20+ coot.



Tag: 20+ siskin, 4 jay, 2 green woodpecker, 3m1f goosander hunting the rapids below the weir, grey heron, 1 moorhen, 6 goldfinch, flock of long tailed tit. On the feeders: great tit, blue tit and chaffinch.

Plus a couple of photos from last Sunday here:

Fly Flatts/ Cold Edge Dams

06/01/2008 coldWNW>5
Fly Flatts :-
14 Greylag
7 Red Grouse
1 Goldeneye

Cold Edge :-
70 + Fieldfare in field
4 Greylag
2 Canadas
And that was it. BS

ogden yesterday

saw i treecreeper with the ogden watch group. also there were the usula ducks and the snow(farm) goose and that resident muscovy. 2 goldcrests were fliting around in the canopy and a woodpecker flew overhead near the giants tooth. the robin was there again to feed of my hand (3rd time) and this time without gloves.

Ogden

Just 1 Reed Bunting up by the 'Giants Tooth' and 6 Siskin over the lodge. Also 2 ad Herring Gulls went straight through >W over the golf course.

Tree Sparrows

These are Les Midgleys records for Tree Sparrows at Jay House Lane at Clifton. Although the records are for Nick to add to the 2007 records I thought others might also be interested.

20/2/7.. 9 seen in Ox Close area

21/3/07..2 ditto
27/3/07..1 ditto
28/3/07..4 ditto

6/4/07...various adults showing interest in farm boxes
16/4/07...2 Ox Close area

9/5/07...two farm boxes being visited regularly
11/5/07...adults seen taking food into farm boxes and box on telegraph post at top of lane
12/5/07... ditto
16/5/07...adults appear to be feeding chicks in both sets of boxes
24/5/07..3 groups seen in lane, parent birds feeding between four and five fledglings in each group.

2/6/07.. 6 young birds seen on manure heap near Ox Close
9/6/07...1 bird Ox Close
27/6/07...ditto

28/7/07 1 bird Ox Close

Les also wishes to make it clear he probably saw birds on more occasions than this but these are his written records so these are the only firm records he wishes to pass on. He is unaware if any breeding success was achieved in the Ox Close House box ? His estimate of breeding success was four or perhaps five successful broods.

If possible, could others who saw Tree Sparrows in the Jay House Lane area over the year let me know their records so that I can pass these on to Les. If the conservation committee let me what specific information they require for 2008 with the Jay House Lane Tree Sparrows I will pass this onto Les as he and a mate bird watch up the Lane several times a week throughout the year depending on weather. Les is now 80 years old, so I think he's a remarkable example of how fit (he walks around 50 miles a week 52 weeks a year !) and active an interest in wildlife can keep you. He realy is a truly remarkable local naturalist who has been recording wildife for over 50 years in the area without thought of fame or rarity lists. I admire him tremedously as a pefect example of what a local natural historian should be. Finally do we have a map of the lane with the boxes marked on it ? This would be useful for Les of add records to over 2008.

Bird food

I will be looking to put an order in soon, if anyone wants anything please let me know ASAP, the CJ website is at http://www.birdfood.co.uk/

Beacon Hill 04/01/08

Town centre to the top of Beacon Hill in Halifax - 12:30 - 13:30
Low cloud.

6 magpie
5 mistle thrush
6 house sparrows
4 blackbird
2 wren
1 robin
1 dunnock
2 great tit
1 blue tit
60 starling
1 BH gull
4 jackdaw
2 rook
4 carrion crow
1 great spotted woodpecker

Redpolls

A dozen or more redpolls (which ones?) have returned for their annual visit to well-stocked feeders in a garden in the Kilnhurst area of Todmorden.

Books & Stuff

A couple of things I would like to raise in this post on the blog.

Nick Carter very kindly plugs my webshop, Pennine Books. Whilst this is very nice of Nick I just want to make it plain than my support of the bird conservation group in no way hinges on members of Halifax Birdwatchers buying books from me. I support the efforts because I think its a worthwhile cause to support. Many of you put in a lot of unpaid time and effort on behalf of Calderdale's wildlife, I'm a lazy bugger so I give cash instead :-)) If I mention books I like or recommend its not to try and con some of you into buying them from me. On most occasions you can usually buy them cheaper on Amazon as they can obtain much bigger discounts from publishers than small independents like myself. So if I mention any books on the blog please don't take as "spam" for my shop. its simply that I love books !

Second item I would like to raise is in response to the posts when I asked for recommendations for good bird books. I am not sure if many of you are aware but in recent months Calderdale Libraries are offering a free reservation service for books you might wish to order from the library. Reservations unusually cost around 65p, with extra if they go outside Calderdale for the book. At the moment the service is free and you can use the online search to search their catalogue, link
http://www.calderdale.gov.uk/community/libraries/catalogue/index.html

You need your library card and its number + a unique pin number you can obtain by taking your card into any library. I have ordered and reserved all the books suggested by people and look forward to reading them in the coming weeks.

Finally a book plug for one of the best all round nature/bird books I have ever read, "Crow Country" by Mark Cocker. I bought myself a copy of this after reading Peter Marrens review in British Wildlife. In my opinion its destined to become an all time classic UK nature/bird volume. I won't spoil the book for you by telling you about it but believe me its the best modern nature book I have ever read.

ogden

just 1 grey wagtail on the resovoir this morning. bitterly cold with all the snow

Nuthatch Behaviour

Having watched Nuthatches in the garden for a couple of weeks now some of their behaviour is not what I would have expected. According to the books they spend most of their feeding day climbing up and down trees searching for insects,etc In my garden their behaviour is far more terrestrial than arboreal. Despite me having 3 large seed feeders, 3 large peanut feeders, two fat cages and 2 fat feeders hanging from the feeding station, Nuthatches are almost always feeding on the floor under the feeders or the floor table I have set up for ground feeding species. I reckon 90% of my sightings, and I see them at least 10 times a day in the garden, they are foraging on the floor with just an occasional visit to a peanut feeder.

Another interesting facet ( well I find it interesting !) is that I had read that they stored nuts etc in trees in holes in the bark to eat later. I have watched one bird for the last few days gathering fallen black sunflower seeds and depositing them in the trellising that surrounds two sides of the garden. I think this is just one individual who uses the garden to store surplus food. He/she is using the small holes I drilled all over the trellising to encourage wood dwelling solitary bees and wasps to use as nesting sites.

Unlike most of the tit family that use the feeders Nuthatches do not stay around to feed but gather food and store it or grab enough to eat and then take off back into the wood behind the house to feed. Even when on the nut feeders they try and chisel a nut out of the feeder as quickly as possible and move off into the woods to eat it. They also have a flight very reminiscent of Kingfishers, very fast and low, almost like a dart flying through the air.

Being able to spend long periods of time watching bird behaviour from the comfort of your warm kitchen clutching a coffee has a lot to recommend it in winter :-))

Blog bird records

As its now the end of another year I am working my way through the Blog postings for 2007 to take any records from here to enter onto the Club's recorder program ready to pass onto Nick. The Club would prefer all observers to submit their records via this recorder program which is easy to use and great for keeping all your bird records on computer, anyone who wants a free copy just E mail me and I'll send it to you. To help with the arduous job of taking records off the Blog would anyone who has entered their sightings onto the computer program as well as the blog please let me know so I don't have to take them from the Blog. Hope that makes sense!

Geese

Les Midgley reports arond 250 Geese heading west on Monday 31/12/07. They were too high to be certain of species. Seen from top of Jay House Lane up Clifton. He also reports he has not seen any Tree Sparrows for weeks now, are they still using the garden feeders up Jayhouse Lane ?

Public blog

Firstly, happy new year, and here's hoping that in the course of 2008 Calderdale has some great birds - both rarities and breeders.

Just a reminder that there are some people out there who's interest in birds is not the same as ours. Eggers for example - I'm sure you can think of other ones too. Due to the nature of blogs, the information we post on here is fully viewable on the web, and therefore treat every post with sensitivity. If it's not information you'd want publishing in the Courier, then don't post it - or at least heavily disguise locations. There's always the mobile grapevine, or secure emails. Certain birds are still heavily persecuted in our area, and we don't want to inadvertently give anyone a helping hand.

Cheers everyone.

a very long walk

a mornings walk from my house to fly flatts and back again. first we went up to soil hill where we saw a kestrel.then to ogden where we saw the various ducks and a goldcrest which flew litterally 1 inch away from my head. the robin was there again to feed off my hand and this time he actually landed. then onto ogden moor where we flushed 1 lone golden plover. then 6 gazillion grouse (slight exageration) and 2 crows. we heard a loud scream probably from a merlin but could be some other bird of prey. then onto fly flatts where about 100 mor grouse were flushed and 1 tufted duck was on the res itself. then back down home. on the way we saw 2 song thru[sh in the school garden and 5 collard doves on the wires.

First for 2008

My first birds for 2008 were all seen from the kitchen window, it took me a moment to realise that it was actually a little misty and it wasn't the alcohol clouding my vision.

In Order:-

Collard dove 2
House Sparrow
Dunnock 3
Robin
Blackbird - male
Great Tit
Blue tit - 2 (Inspecting last years nestbox!)
Greenfinch
Magpie
Bullfinch - female
Rook
Jackdaw
Chaffinch - 3 males
Sparrowhawk - male
Starling - fly overs 8
Wren

With the great achievements of 2007 now behind us I'd like to think that with our ever growing list of members that even more can be acheived in 2008. We're getting off to a great start with the continued fund raising for the ALE in Malta.

If your not already involved and active why not make your New Years Resolution to actively help out on at least 1 Calderdale Bird Conservation Group project this year.

With your help we can achieve alot more for the birds of Calderdale.

First of 2008

My first bird of the New Year at 5.30 am this morning, Robin(s) singing on the canal towpath when I took the dog out for its early walk.

A very happy, healthy 2008 to everyone.

Soil Hill/Ogden etc.

Managed a couple of hours out yesterday afternoon 31st December.

Soil Hill - 7 Pink-footed Geese >N at 13.55

Ogden - nothing much on the res'r other than 120 Black-headed Gulls and 6 Common Gulls.

Lower Brockholes below the golf course was more rewarding with 38 Greenfinch, 1 Little Owl, 1 Moorhen, 1 Fieldfare, 18 Redwings, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a pair of Stonechats.

Halifax Town Centre (am) - 1 f Sparrowhawk over Burdock Way roundabout.

Also 1 Song Thrush singing at dusk in Shroggs Park was nice to hear.

Every best wish for the New Year everyone.