Towpath & CB 14/4/08

Set off down CB this morning just after 7am, beautiful almost spring like morning, slight frost but very sunny. I had not walked 20 yards when I heard the first Great Spotted drumming in Park wood. A further 40 yards and I spotted the second Great Spotted on the road side of the canal above Rawson's Pool. Nothing much showing for the rest of the path on the way down but plenty of Chiff-Chaff calling on both side of the canal, with the odd Blackcap and Willow Warbler. Heard Green Woodpecker yaffling just as I got to the Herons nest, no sign of life in or around the nest.

I walked on the running track for a look over the ski lake and apart from one Cormorant and 5 squabbling Coots nothing much in sight, not a single Swallow or Martin as far as I could see. I cut across the path between the two lagoons and came out on the new motorway running alongside the river. Apart from the ever present Chiff-Chaff, not much here apart from a Kingfisher seen heading up river. Walked up river and over the pontoon bridge to Tag Loop and followed the path by the rivers edge towards Tag cut. Picked up another Kingfisher here but it could well have been the same individual seen earlier. Just as I walked into the open area near the willow scrub and tag cut a Tawny owl chased by two Crows flew overhead and on into Strangstry wood. Just as I got into the scrub I picked up the resident Great Spotted drumming on his usual perch. Nothing much along Tag cut, but I did spot one Roe Deer heading up towards the meadow on Tag after it spotted the dog. Came out of Tag Loop onto the riverbank and had another (or same) Kingfisher and a late red head Goosander.

Walking back up the canal towpath the weather had completely changed with heavy cloud cover coming over. Moving up the towpath I spotted the two doe Roe deer moving up into the scrub by Elland rd. Further up I had Tree Creeper and a pair of Bullfinch. Coming through near Rawson's pool I had the highlight of the morning in a male Lesser Spotted in the top of a large Beech. I only spotted this as I heard a strange call and saw it fly across the canal into the Beech. I had at first thought is a finch of some sort until I got the bins on it as it swung about under branches looking for insects. This is the third time in the last two years or so I have had all three Wood Peckers in one 90 min walk. After the Lesser Spotted I came home as I thought I had, had enough luck for one morning ! Calderdale might not get many rarities or particularly exciting birds most of the time but even numptie birders like me can see enough variety of species and bird behaviour to have something of interest most days of the week. Most nature observations are not particularly exciting but getting to know your own patch over a number of years brings its own quiet satisfaction I think. What ever type of wildlife watching is your "thing" the best and most enduring observations are made by those who get to known their chosen patch or patches over a period of years. Its all very nice chasing rarities occasionally but it adds nothing really to our knowledge of any form of flora or fauna and taken to its extreme the "tick" rather than the wildlife itself becomes all important. I hasten to add that these are my own opinions are not meant to deride anyone or assume I speak for anyone else on this blog or elsewhere

Checked the Sparrowhawk nest again today, just the male adding some twigs this morning.