Winter Wildfowl Survey Results

Tim Walker covered:-

Ringstone Reservoir - 24 Mallard (with more coming to roost from all directions after dark - 16:30)
- 26 Goosander (majority coming in at dusk W/NW)

Booth Wood - 2 pairs Mallard

He also covered the following sites with negative results

Green Withens, Spa Clough, Booth Dean Upper & Lower.


Matt Bell covered:-

Longfield Dam - negative results on Wildfowl but did hold 70 BH Gulls & 8 Lapwing.

Steve Ellement (apologies if that is not your surname Steve, just assuming due to your email address that it is) covered:-

The Canal from Hebden Bridge to Copley -

285 Mallard
19 Greylag Geese (feral)
7 Canada Geese
6 Muscovy Duck

The Calder from Copley to Sowerby Bridge - 2 Goosander

Rose Grove (alias High Royd ie:- Old sewage works) - 6 Teal (m)

Other species seen by Steve:- Kingfisher (x3 all Sowerby Bridge), Treecreeper, GSW, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Blue tit, Great tit, LT tit, Collard Dove, Wood pigeon, Feral Pigeon, Magpie, Jackdaw, Starling, BH Gull, Blackbird, Robin, Chaffinch.

Andy Cockcroft covered:-

Brighouse Canal - 86 Mallard

Sunny Vale - 10 Mallard
- 2 Goosander

Ringstone - 5 Teal


I covered:-

Middle Walshaw res - a pair of Mallard

Upper Gorple - Goldeneye (m)

negative results from

Lower & Upper Walshaw, Widdop Res & Lower Gorple

Other species seen by myself:-

Along Widdop Rd - 1 GSW, 1 Mistle Thrush, c30 Goldfinch, 3 Fieldfare, 9 Redwing, 1 Green Woodpecker (heard), 1 Wren, 9 Pheasant.

At Blake Dean - 1 Grey Heron, 3 Goldcrest.

At Walshaw incl res and plantation - 24 Fieldfare, 3 Redwing, 1 Kestrel (m), 1 Red Grouse (though plenty more heard), 19 Pheasant, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Dunnock.

At Widdop Res - 1 Kestrel (f) very tatty tail missing several feathers.

At Gorple - 5 Red Grouse, 3 Stonechat (pair at Upper Gorple, Single Juv/Female on Dam wall at Lower Gorple), 5 Redpoll, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Kestrel (f) full set of tail feathers.

Huge thanks guys, a fantastic effort to have covered 19 sites a real shame we didn't get Ogden or Elland covered off, just think of the area that could have been covered with a few more people joining in. We could have had almost a complete picture of the numbers of Wildfowl wintering in Calderdale prior to Xmas.

Some good news since Sunday is that Steve revisted High Royd and the number of Teal present had risen to 17. As Nick Carter pointed out nowhere near the numbers of years gone by, but certainly not as worrying as only the 6 seen on Sunday.

As for the 11th Jan 2009 we are going to go with Andy Cockcrofts idea of a survey of Sowerby Bridge and Copley, centring on the area of planned development. The records pulled in from this days birding will be vital in shaping bird life/conservation in this area for years to come and I therefore ask that as many people as possible join in. 2 Key birds to wet your appetites will be Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Water Rail.

We still need a volunteer to help organise this, any offers??