Yellowhammer Sitings Wanted

Are Yellowhammers exinct in Calderdale? Please, prove me wrong. Technically speaking, the only known population within our recording area is actually outside the parish boundary and I have not seen any evidence of any birds remaining at any of the historical sites previously occupied. Maybe they are under-recorded due to an absence of observers in their historic locations, or perhaps due to folk not submitting records to the Halifax recorder. On the other hand, and more depressingly, perhaps we have lost them all.

Voyueristic Owl Chick

I had a phone call from my sister late one evening after she had an owl chick perched on her bedroom window sill. The bird sat there for about an hour watching her and allowed her to some photos from just a few feet away. Looks like a Tawny to me. BTW, she lives on Anglesey, so slightly outside our region.

Walshaw Dean

1 Cuckoo reported there this evening

Raptor protection

The CBCG are continuing their efforts to protect breeding raptors in the Calderdale area by undertaking a concerted effort to security mark eggs and DNA fingerprint chicks from threatened pairs. This work would not be possible without the efforts of several people in particular Steve Downing and Tim Walker and also those that helped with fund raising by buying the calendar or supporting Rishworth school's efforts. Thanks are expressed to them all.

The photo shows Steve climbing down to a nest to take DNA samples from chicks.

Buzzard - undisclosed location, Calderdale

Following up reports of buzzards being seen daily this week, including a pair yesterday, I headed to the location and sure enough there was the buzzard. It remained around all morning pretty much. This is a new location, and a pair being there could indicate breeding activity.

Fly Flats

1 pair of Twite plus 3 other individuals seen in the area - better than none at all, but fewer birds than last year!
Most of the Wheatears seem to have moved on - none found today
2 Oystercatchers and 2 Common Sandpipers around the res'r and c230 Canada Geese

Also several Painted-Lady butterflies at the top of Dean Head Res'r

Ogden

2 Woodcock together flying over Syke Lane yesterday evening

Only tits, but some surprises.

There's a Great Tit pair nesting on the ground a few metres form my kitchen, down inside a couple of hollow concrete blocks. I feared they were feeding the young on bombay mix some idiot had put on a bird table nearby. When I looked with the bins they were dried mealworms!
Other food they bring looks like seeds, etc. though, which doesn't seem a good idea.

The Blue Tits even nearer the window, by contrast, are bringing fat green caterpillars to their 8 young up till 9.15 pm. Their box I made by hollowing out the top of a tall stump of a pine I had to cut down as it was lashing the windows upstairs. It's been used a couple or three years now, so is a bit soft. A woodpecker has been having a go at getting the young. It got some of the nest material out this morning, so I split a black plant pot and wired it round the damaged part. The adults accepted it emmediately, continuing to feed without hesitation. I know the woodpecker has to feed, but I felt guilty giving the tits an insecure box.

Another box down the garden has just 2 well-grown Blue Tit chicks in it, sitting on a pile of unhatched eggs!

Sorry, posted in error.

Gaddings Dam and Langfield

Had a wander around Langfield and up to Gaddings Dam this morning.

Wheatear
Skylark - 9
Mipits - stopped counting at 25
Black headed gull - 6
Reed Bunting - 4
Dunlin - 3
While I was creeping up on the dunlin to take a few pics I heard a redshank calling behind me and turned around to fire off a few frames. I saw what I believed to be 2 redshanks and didn't stop to put the bins on them, but looking at the photos this evening what do you think? Is one of the birds a golden plover - the one on the left? The second redshank is just below it, partially hidden by grass. May be just a trick of the light and shadow as the bill looks too long for a golden plover, but the markings look right. Also the redshank just in front looks like a redshank so the light and shadow, if they are playing tricks, should also affect that bird too?

Also saw a squirrel up there on the eastern dam wall, which is pretty unbelievable as the nearest tree is about 3/4 mile away so it must have been lost. A jogger ran past it while I was taking a picture and his dog went after the squirrel, but luckily the dog was on a long lead so the squirrel escaped to get lost somewhere else!

Raptor

A large raptor sailed purposefully east past my house (Jumble Hole) at 2:10pm. It was buzzard / harrier size. It was fairly low, and travelling at a rate, so I had to decide whether to:

- just sit and enjoy it go past

- run inside for the binoculars

- run inside for the camera

I thought I would have time to get back out to take a decent shot, so I went for the camera option. After much swearing and panic, I found the camera and re-emerged outside to see it vanishing into the distance. On balance, it was entirely the wrong decision! Any opinions on ID? (click on picture for a larger image)

House Martins

Our long-lived House Martin nest was a victim of the early year bad weather and most of it fell down, so we were a bit worried that our usual residents would find somewhere else to build this year. A few birds flew around and seemed interested and on Friday a pair started, we thought, to repair the nest. This morning we found the remainder of the old nest on the path so we feared the worst. However, all day long a pair have been busy rebuilding the nest so hopefully all will be well.

Help please - does anyone know if House Martins return to the same nest each year, and do their offspring take over the nest when the original birds have died, or do other 'free' pairs take over nests?

Recent Ramblings

A quick run down of what I've seen over the last week and more, sorry for the delay and I'm not going to give sites as some species are sensitive (not in such a way that they'd be offend of course).

LEO hunting early evening following 3 nights of heavy rain it was clearly hungry.
Little Owls seem to have vanished (nesting no doubt) though 1 out of a possible 10 was seen recently late on at dusk.
Tawny Owl roosting/nesting in a hole in a tree
SEO not seen for over a week now.
2 Spotted Flycatchers.
Ring Ouzel M/F also possiblity of a second pair though it could just be the same pair wandering (surprised female not down on eggs yet!)
Grey Wagtail 3 pairs
lots of Willow Warblers
Chiffchaffs have all gone quiet with exception of occassional bird.
2 Whitethroat, Blackcap, Garden warbler and a Reed Warbler was heard but not seen in it's usual spot.
Wheatears have been around in good numbers this year but unsure how many have stayed as yet.
Golden plover piped me off a moor one evening though visually remained elusive.
Lots of Curlew
Pair of Common Sandpiper on one res and oystercatcher there also.
Cuckoo heard calling but as yet unseen.
Buzzard hunting distantly in the last week was being buzzed by a falcon sp. but only bins and very distant, almost certainly not a kestrel.
After the rains water levels right back up on at least one local res.
prior to rains had 4 Male Reed Bunting feeding in the overflow one evening.
Distinct lack of skylarks (anyone else noticing a shortage?)
So there you have it a little vague but it does tell you there is plenty to be seen.....Blue tits have nested in there usual nestbox in the garden (I have 3 and they use the same one each year) and have seen them using a natural nest site in the crags as have Great tits I mention this as I have seen nothing using the nestboxes down there.
On a non birding front Brown Hares seem to be doing very well and a Badger was a very pleasant surprise one night.

Todmorden

3 first time visitors to our son's nut feeder in the past 24 hours in Portsmouth:

In order of excitement: female bullfinch; starling; male siskin. The siskin was being harrassed by a great tit but didn't shift.

Blackbirds

Hi all
I have been watching with great fascination the dynamics between fledgling blackbirds and their parents today. For the last week or so I have had a single fledged blackbird with recognisable markings living around the feeding station permanently. It spends most of the day pecking up scraps that drop from the peanut feeders when the Great Spotted hammer away at them. This week I also put out some sultanas on the ground for it to feed on as its been coolish and wet most of the week and I wanted to provide another high energy food to help it out.

Over the few days more fledgling blackbirds of varying ages have appeared along with their parents. Yesterday I watched one cock blackbird constantly feeding one obviously recently fledged youngster. This youngster is living under a large fern and only appeared from under the fern yesterday when the adult came back to feed it. Watching the same birds today showed the cock blackbird seemingly trying to wean the young one into feeding itself. Despite being pursued around the feeding station by the increasingly frantic youngster it refused to feed it whilst I watched. The cock bird even went and pecked at the sultanas to give the youngster the idea of what it was supposed do. Despite watching the cock bird the youngster did not get the idea at all and just got increasingly raucous in its pleadings to be fed. The cock bird gave it up in the end and flew off, presumably to try and encourage any other fledglings it had to start feeding themselves. The youngster retreated back under its fern but shot out again when the older resident fledgling started to feed on the sultanas and tried to get it to feed it. The older fledgling drove it off from the food and now every time it appears the older fledgling drives it off unless the cock blackbird is with it. Watching this behaviour fascinated me and I abandoned work and started to pay more attention to the dynamics between the birds. After a couple of hours of observation its obvious that the older resident fledgling blackbird has claimed the feeding station as its own and should any other fledgling of what ever stage appear it chases them from under the feeders. The only time it tolerates their presence is if an adult is in attendance to feed them.

Of course this will be common knowledge amongst you proper birders but to me its been a real eyeopener. I have had as much enjoyment watching a common species and learning something new about its behaviour as I have when spotting a bird I have not seen before for the first time. It just brings it home to me that you do not have to rush around forever seeking new species to add to a list when so much enjoyment can be had simply by watching a common species that I have seen for years but taken very little notice of simply because its "common". This is one of the added attractions to me of having the feeding station right outside my office window in the van. Sure its great to see unusual birds on the feeders but to me the most enjoyable aspect of the feeders is that I can observe common species over a long period of time and learn things about their behaviour that I did not know before. Birds are more than just collection of colourful feathers or the latest tick on the list, I think thats a fact thats easy to lose sight of when birdwatching.

Cuckoo at Elland GP

First seen 12th, 18th and again this morning at 0830,only managed a couple of shots before a jogger scared it off I have always seen it between Avocet Works and Cromwell Lock. SKI LAKE this morning c50 Swifts. C30 House Martins, 8 Swallows, 6 Sand Martins, numerous Blackcap, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff , Whitethroat, 2 Reed Buntings, 2 Little Grebe and the 2 Mute Swans also a pair of Coots had 6 young on 15 th down to 4 on the 19th and today only 2. A lone GT Crested Grebe is on the river .

Elland G P

1 Reed Warbler there this morning - and singing in the pouring rain!
Also c4 male Reed Buntings
2 Whitethroats, 1 Chiff-chaff and c6 Willow Warblers
2 Mute Swans still there and Little Grebe singing
2 Kingfishers

3 m Yelowhammers in the usual area lower down the valley along with a pair of Whitethroat

Ringstone, 20/5/09, 6-7pm

3 swallow
6 m. pipit (3 pairs)
2 lapwing
1 herring gull
3m,1f mallard + 11 chicks
1 moorhen
25 canada geese
1 greylag
2 oystercatcher
willow warbler & skylark heard

2 brown hare

News from North Wales

Hi all
As not much seems to be happening in Calderdale in recent days I thought I might update you all on whats around here on the Llŷn Peninsular. For the first time ever I have kept the feeding station going through the year. Its around 6 feet from my office window in the caravan so I get very good close views of the birds and as its being going since last Autumn they have got used to my presence.

Several species have obviously bred successfully somewhere in the vicinity as this week we have had several broods of Blackbirds with parents, whats seems like millions of young Chaffinch, several Greenfinch, one Songthrush and several rooks from the rookery across the field hanging around in the trees waiting to be fed and in the meantime waking me around 4.30 am every morning with their loud cawing. Other birds seen on the feeders regularly are a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers who come down to feed every 30 minutes or so. A pair of Nuthatches with the obvious difference in colouring showing up well now the male is in full breeding plumage. The female is made even more obvious as she flutters her wings constantly whilst feeding which seems to be due to preventing the male chasing her off the feeder as he does with every other bird apart from the Great Spotted.

We also have had a male Siskin coming on a regular basis to feed and this morning he was joined by the female so hopefully they have bred nearby as well. Goldfinches are regulars at the feeders but I have not seen any young birds yet. The "Tit" tribe are obviously well dispersed for breeding as although they are regulars on the feeders they are not as common as they are in winter.


I have kept up with the Buzzard feeding station but have not seen any birds come down to the carcases which disappear quickly overnight, no doubt taken by Foxes and Badgers which are both common in the area. As an aside to this although Foxes are shot in numbers around the area because of worries about them attacking stock they are left well alone from January to summer as they may have cubs and no one wants the cubs to die of starvation in the earths if the vixen is shot. A different attitude to the one I experienced in Calderdale where the idiots who like to torment Foxes with dogs couldn't care less about the animals well being. Speaking with local farmers suggests that they quite like having badgers on their land and do keep an eye on the setts to make sure the baiters don't get them. One local farmer who had been threatened by some guys with dogs and guns near a sett went and got his tractor with a bale spike on the front, rammed the spike through the windows and picked up their parked car and placed it on top on a wall !Along the coast Wheatears are around in some numbers and I have seen some large flocks of Curlews in recent weeks. We have not seen many raptors in recent weeks due to the poor weather keeping us nearer home than usual.

Just to issue our invite again to anyone who fancies a trip to the area. You are more than welcome to visit us and we do know of some good B&Bs and self-catering accomodation in the village.

Copley - Pickwood Scar May 19th.

Dipper on the Calder
One each of Whitethroat,Blackcap and Wood Warbler singing
Pheasant and Great Spotted Woodpecker calling
Bullfinch (pair) and Stock Dove.

Charlie.

Cold Edge/Fly Flats

Cold Edge;
1 Wheatear
2 Tufted Duck
1 Common Sandpiper
6 Golden Plover in fields along Cold Edge road

Fly Flats;
5 Wheatear
2 Oystercatchers
1 1st summer L B B Gull
1 Reed Bunting

Luddenden Dean - Cuckoo

Calling for several minutes at Lunchtime.
Assume only 1 but it kept moving but never saw it!

Mute Swan at EGP

4 1st year Mute Swan flew in from the east at 09:30 this morning which set my pulse racing initially before I identified them.



c30 Common Swift round + 4 Sand Martin, 6 House Martin & c10 Swallow also there.

Earlier after completing a Twite survey in the area I came across this particular bird near Deanhead Reservoir, I emailed Nick Dawtrey the photograph and he suggested that I post it on the blog, any comments would be appreciated.

Common Tern at EGP

Sadly not Arctic or Black Tern for that matter but any Tern is a bonus here these days!

This particular individual which had one tail feather noticeably shorter than the other was constantly dipping to the surface of the water for insects early this afternoon.




A pair of Tufted Duck & Great Crested Grebe were also present at the time.

Out of area (just!)

Black Tern at Leeshaws today and looks like there has been a few elsewhere also so worth keeping an eye out, especially if it rains.

Halifax Birdwatchers' Club Annual Reports

Steve off loaded a few reports on me the other night. That means I now have the following free to a good home: 1991-1998, 2000, 2002

I'd appreciate copies of 2001 and 2005 if anyone has spares.

Regards

Hugh

Fly Flats

Worrying times! not a sign of any Twite at the feeding station or nearby locations
2 Oystercatchers
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Wheatear
1 Reed Bunting along with several Skylarks and Meadow Pipits

Scar Head Rd, S/B

1 Little Owl carrying prey this morning

Brookfoot/Elland GP

At 0715 a B/H/Gull flew past with a Commic Tern alongside heading east. On to the river and spent 30 mins watching a pair of Kingfishers in and out of nest chamber. On the return leg stood on the banking overlooking Ski Lake a male Cuckoo flew past about 15ft above the canal and headed down towards Brighouse also 1 Mallard and 9 ducklings and a pair of Tufted on the Ski Lake,a good morning.

Hardcastle Crags

A report received from Murray Chalmers, one of the National Trust team there, of a cuckoo calling in the Crags this morning.

Cold Edge

Yesterday;
1 male Whinchat near Haigh Cote
19 Golden Plover and 6 Wheatears in fields along Cold Edge Road
1 Lapwings with 2 chicks
1 Redshank
3 Reed Buntings
2 Pink-Footed Geese still there - but a bit late now for truly wild birds!

Yesterday

Jay House Lane early pm

Pair of whinchat

Wheatear

Tree sparrows, goldfinches etc

Other site

Pair of lesser spotted woodpeckers

Gorple Lower and Upper

Met Jim Welford while walking at Gorple this morning who said he'd come hoping to see the Whimbrel, but no luck so has probably moved on. Jim said he'd seen 2 Grey Partridge earlier. Also seen:
Curlew - 5
Common Sandpiper - 7
Oystercatcher - 3
Lapwing - 2
Wheatear
Tufted Duck
Greylag Goose - 3
Canada Goose - 14
Mallard - 4
Skylark - 2
Meadow Pipit - 4
Before we parted we helped a lamb to get out of the reservoir run-off channel and back to its mum - well, I say helped - we climbed into the channel and as soon as the lamb saw us it managed to jump out!

swifts

my dad reports 3 swifts over oxenhope and 2 over sowerby this sunday morning

Vacancy - Calderdale Seeds Project temp seasonal worker

The Calderdale Seeds Project intends to employ a temporary seasonal worker to help continue the project, the job profile is detailed below. Expressions of interest in the form of a current CV and brief 'pen portrait' to be received by 5.00 p.m. Monday 18th May 2009 please. Up to 3 candidates will be invited for discussion with the Project Officer and representative(s) from our Steering Group (ideally later that week). Appointment will be effective from week beginning Monday 25th May 2009.

Please send any applications to Ann Blackburn at ABC-aquila@care4free.net

CALDERDALE SEEDS PROJECT – PHASE II
SEASONAL (TEMPORARY) WORKER

Personal profile

Essentially, someone;
· With a full, clean, driving licence and their own transport
· That pays attention to detail, is motivated, flexible and has a sense of humour
· With a keen interest in grassland biodiversity and/or a willingness to learn
And ideally, someone;
· Relatively local to the Project area i.e. communities around the Midgley/Warley Moor ‘fringe’
· With an understanding of upland agriculture and the important role that it plays in land management
· With some natural history ID skills e.g. birds, butterflies, bees or plants

Outline draft work Programme

May/June;
· Undertake soil sampling ‘in field’ and dispatch these to labs for analysis with Project Officer
· Undertake ‘receptor’ site surveys e.g. assess their species and/or structural diversity, and take photographs with Project Officer
· Identify possible ‘donor’ sites e.g. fields, road verges, church yards or reserves

June/July;
· Attend Midgley Fair on 13th June with Project Officer and/or other Steering Group members
· Undertake ‘donor’ site surveys e.g. assess their species diversity, and take photographs with volunteers
· Undertake Phase I ‘receptor’ site surveys e.g. assess their species diversity, and take photographs with volunteers

June/July/Aug;
· Harvest seed from ‘donor’ sites then sieve, bag, weigh, label and store it, as necessary, with Project Officer/volunteers

July/Aug;
· Monitor management of ‘receptor’ sites prior to enhancement with Project Officer
· Organize, facilitate and attend a promotional event with Project Officer and other Steering Group members

Aug/Sept;
· Allocate seed for enhancement work with Project Officer
· Undertake ground preparation and seed ‘receptor’ sites with Project Officer/volunteers

Terms
Up to 1 day per week (8 hrs)
Appointment by end-May until end-September 2009 (16 weeks)
£6 per hour + mileage at 40p per mile

Training and/or guidance will be tailored to suit individuals needs; including time ‘shadowing’ Project Officer
The Seasonal (Temporary) Worker will be self-employed and responsible for looking
after their own tax, NICs and any VAT affairs.

Brookfoot/Elland GP.

Late posting due to internet problem. 6th&7th. River Calder. 1 Goosander(M), 2 Kingfishers, Mallard with 11 ducklings, Mallard 8 ducklings, 1 Dipper, 2 Grey Wagtails. Ski Lake. 1 Cormorant, 30+Swallows, 6 House Martins, 1 Grey Heron. G/Pits. 4 Whitethroats( 1 nestbuilding) 5 Willow Warblers, 2 G/S/Woodpeckers, and on reed lagoon 2 Mute Swans, 4 Little Grebe, 2 Coot, 1 Reed Warbler(singing)and C/Goose still on eggs. 8th. at 0715 1 Tern over heading N/E did not stop to feed. Ski Lake. 9 Swifts, 8 Sand Martins, 4 Swallows, 1 G/C/Grebe. MHL Private Site. Pair of Nuthatch exiting nest hole with faecal sacs, 4 Coot one has 4 young, Pair Mistle Thrush with 4 young, 1 Sparrowhawk(M), 2 Song Thrush, 2 Grey Wagtails, 4 Moorhen, 16 C/Geese and a quick look up Jay House gave 1 Female Wheatear on dung heap.

Hardcastle Crags/Crimsworth Dean

We went looking for summer migrants today but conditions were not ideal with a blustery wind, though there were some sheltered spots in the woodland.
Not a sign of any Redstarts, Pied or Spotted Flycatchers, Wood Warblers, Garden Warblers or Cuckoo.
c12 Swifts, c20 Willow Warblers and 1 Chiff-chaff along with Nuthatch's and a pair of Treecreepers.
2 Wheatears at Walshaw and that was about it except for a good number of Orange Tip butterflies

Short Eared Owl This Evening

SEO hunting giving excellent views for several minutes
Nothing much else in strong winds but several Lapwing and Curlew. Also an unidentified small raptor.

Don't know if a SEO is classed as sensitive but won't disclose location just in case.

M62 Woodpigeon

Coming back from Manchester yesterday evening up the M62 from Milnrow to Jct 22 we 'locked on' to a Woodpigeon on the same flight path! We trailed it for about 1 & half to 2 miles (it was about 30 to 40 ft up - it was doing the same speed as us - 70mph. We came off at Jct 22 and the Woodpigeon looked to be carrying on towards Ainley Top......I know they are strong fliers but 70 mph - wonder how long it could keep that pace up?

Cragg Vale and Withens Clough area - 2 May

Sent in via email from Chris Jepson-Brown

Tree pipit
Cuckoo calling
Grasshopper warbler reeling
Pair of nuthatch
Common Sandpiper
Green woodpecker
Stock dove

Crimsworth Dean - 5:30pm

Very little of interest about. Windy, so may have been a factor?

- 5 goldcrest
- 7 willow warbler
- 1 treecreeper
- numerous siskin
- 2 herons
- 40 swallows over the meadow by the turning circle

Ringstone 4/5/09, 3pm

Reed Bunting, m
Pied Wag, 2
Skylark, 2
Carrion Crow, 8
Canada Goose, 8
Curlew, 2
Lapwing
M Pipit, 2

Also, Norland Moor 3/5/09, 3pm; Reed Bunting(m), 8 Linnets, 2 skylark, m.pipits & willow warblers

Sowerby Bridge Town Centre, now, sky full of swifts.

Mill Bank

Tuesday evening and now have 2 Male Mandarin's - presume female is present nearby but no sighting.

Also seen

1 Grey Wagtail
1 Adult Dipper feeding 2 fledglings.
1 Very Wet Dog

Cold Edge/Fly Flats

Yesterday afternoon;
Pouring rain - nothing much doing other than 1 Redshank, 2 Curlew and c40 Swallows over the lower dam. 1 pair Greylag Geese with 8 young and a pair of Canadas with 5 young.

Not one bird seen at Fly Flats - and don't blame them, the conditions were appalling!

Mill Bank & Withins Clough

Saturday evening Male Mandarin seen just below the bridge at Mill Bank, second sighting, it was also present on the previous Thursday evening.

Sunday at Withins Clough - Sanderling present on far shore line.

Bullfinches

Been fascinated watching a pair of Bullfinches on the feeder today. On there as I write this.
The male is sat patiently waiting apparently not interested in feeding himself as the female gorges herself on seed at each visit.
Still have the Redpolls visiting also as well as Goldfinches, Greenfinches etc.

EGP 03/05/09

2 Mute Swan which have have relocated to a safer resting place on lagoon 1
2 Little Grebe also there
3 Common Swift wheeling overhead
1 Kingfisher on R Calder
1 Reed Warbler giving it some from phragmites surrounding lagoon 1
4 singing Garden Warbler
2 singing Common Whitethroat

Nice to bump into Ian and the ever present Mike this morning who may have other sightings to add to this post.

Fly Flatts - This Evening

Twite x 1
Common Sandpiper x 2
Curlew x 4
Oystercatcher x 2
Swallow x 1
Red Grouse x 4
Wheatear x c10

Plus plenty of Mipits, Skylarks, Canadas, Mallards.

Luddenden Dean

1 Cuckoo calling in the upper dean this morning
No sign of Redstarts or Pied Fly's - lots of Willow Warblers

Castle Carr Road
1 male Whinchat - 200 m past Bridge Terrace on wall by the small stream that runs under the road. Also 1 f Wheatear there.
1 Raven over

Ogden plantation and moors - early morning

11 Willow Warblers, 6 Goldcrest in the plantation
Pair of Grey wagtails by Ogden Clough, one taking nest material to nest site
On the moor - 12 Skylarks, 8 Curlew, most in song, 8 Red Grouse, 3 Canada Geese,
27 Meadow Pipits, 3 Swallows

Elland GP Fri AM

Help with ID please not the usual warbler song it stayed in the treetops singing and this is the best I could do ,Warblers not my strongpoint