Sunday, May 31, 2009

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.

2 comments:

ticatica said...

I MUST ADMIT THAT I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY YELLOWHAMMERS WHILE ON MY WALKING ROUTES IN YOUR AREA.I WILL IN FUTURE LOOK FOR THIS SPECIES.I LIVE IN LEEDS AND THE SPECIES IS ON THE DECLINE ON THE OUTSKIRTS ,EVEN IN FARMLAND HABITATS.ITS A LOVELY LOOKING BIRD ALWAYS CHEERS ME UP WHEN SIGHTED.GOOD LUCK.

Goldon Gordon said...

Steve
When I lived in Elland I visted Cromwell Bottom/Elland Gravel Pits twice daily for 20 years. In the late 80's and early 90's Yellowhammers were heard every year. But from say 1995 onwards I never heard one again. Even here in my new home in North wales on the Llyn Peninsular I rarely hear their call despite it being seemingly ideal with lots of small farms with good amounts of scrub, hedgrows and seed filled meadows. Other finches are around in massive numbers so its suprising that Yellowhammers are not heard more often.