Moorwatch website

Just reported a fly tipping incident on the Moorwatch website, very easy to do and hopefully will result in some action. I would recommend local birders check it out and post if they see damaging activities on our moorland. Check out www.moorwatch.com or follow the link on this blog.

EGP

A nice finish to March with 16 Sand Martins and 4 Swallows over the Ski Lake and not much else around except 4 Redpoll

More Waxwings

Found 30 Waxwings at Broadley Close Pellon this PM.

Other news today

1 Sand Martin over the canal at Copley this afternoon around 14.30 from GD

EGP/Waxwings.

Late post. 29/03/2011.EGP.Willow Warbler singing on the old landfill site and a flock of 40+Siskins and Redpolls.

30/03/2011. 10 Chiffchaffs,2 LBBand 1 BH gulls.4 Little Grebes,pair Tufted Duck, 1 Swallow.

The Waxwings in Brighouse town center were 27no in the Wellington Arcade and they departed towards Rastrick at 1245 so they may be part of the flock seen at Rastrick High School

Ogden - Back Lane

This afternoon in the drizzle! 1 Wheatear and 2 Pied Wagtails in the horse fields. 2 Snipe and 1 Redshank along with a few Lapwings and 4 Curlew. 2 Grey Partridge were flushed down Foreside Lane and a Little Owl was there also. Female Sparrowhawk over Ogden and around 8 Skylarks and 30+ Meadow Pipits.

Swales Moor

This mornings surprise was a Woodcock flushed on the top late morning on the landfill, it flew around twice before going down again further away on the same landfill site. Still around 20 Skylarks there with some singing, others are probably still wintering birds. c30 Meadow Pipits and 18 Linnet but no sign of any Twite. 1 L B B Gull going north. Ploughcroft - 2 Kestrels, 2 Sparrowhawks and 1 Little Owl

Next CBCG meeting

Could I ask local birders to let me know if they plan to attend the next meeting on 5th April as those organisations that are sending representatives to give short presentations are going to considerable effort on our behalf and if the turn out is likely to be poor it might be better to cancel/postpone?

Walshaw Dean and Gorple - from Monday

Late posting from Monday afternoon:
4 Meadow Pipit at Walshaw and 4 at Gorple
1 Skylark at Gorple
2 Oycs at Walshaw and 3 at Gorple
3 Redshank at Gorple
2 Kestrel at Walshaw
2 Curlew at Walshaw and 4 at Gorple
5 Lapwing at Walshaw and 6 at Gorple
39 Canada Goose at Walshaw and 61 at Gorple
3 Greylag Goose at Walshaw and 2 at Gorple
7 Goosander at Walshaw (6 f)
1 Grey Wag at Gorple
1 Pied Wag at Walshaw and 1 at Gorple (Upper)
1 Mistle Thrush at Walshaw
1 Wren at Gorple (Upper)
13 Black-headed Gull at Gorple

Wainstalls and Cold Edge/Withens Head

At least 3 Little Owls in the area. 1 L R Plover, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Redshank, with Lapwing, Snipe, Curlew also present. 1 Kestrel ,2 Goosander, 5 Grey Herons (and eating frogs!), 2 Moorhen, 2 Grey Partridge, 1 Wren! 2 immaculate looking Black-headed Gulls. No Wheatears today but plenty mipits and just 1 Skylark and 1 Reed Bunting

Waxwings in Rastrick

About 40 waxwings this afternoon catching flies over Rastrick High School. Difficult to assess numbers as they were constantly flitting about, great to watch so many actively feeding like this in a relatively small area. Elsewhere 4 Teal on the pond at the bottom of Jay House Lane, at the top 4 Rooks on the feeders eating the tree sparrows millet. Often wondered how they emptied so fast!

Gadwall record 2010?

Im writing the 2010 bird report and ive come across a record of Gadwall at Ringstone on 14th December. Its down twice, once as 1 flying south and again as four. Theres no ones name attached to this record just down as logbook. Can anyone shed light on it cheers.

Fly Flats

Above - 1 of 5 Twite this afternoon (the same bird as the recent posting) today showing the pink rump of a male bird.

Above - the highlight of the afternoon - a distant male Ring Ouzel on the rocky outcrop

3 Wheatear

2 Oystercatchers

2 Redshank

30+ Meadow Pipits

1 Skylark

1 Kestrel

1 Grey Heron

plus usual Canadas and Greylags

Roding woodcock

The woodcock have started roding already at Jumble Hole. 1st appeared on 12 April last year, so much earlier than in 2010

Next CBCG meeting - a reminder

The next meeting of the CBCG will be of a slightly different format to previous meetings in that it will include two short presentations that will hopefully be of interest to all birders (not just CBCG members). The first will be by Giselle Murison of West Yorkshire Ecology who will give a brief resume of the findings of the moorland fringe surveys which were undertaken by WYE in our area last year. The purpose of these surveys was to increase the information they currently have on the distribution of breeding birds in the important, yet largely unprotected, area that borders the moorland SPA, without this info it is difficult to actively challenge planning applications etc in this sensitive habitat. If there is sufficient interest Giselle has also offered to bring colleagues from WYE to explain the way the organisation works and the importance of them holding as much info on local bird populations and distributions as possible. This will be an ideal opportunity for any local birders who have reservations about the sharing of information with WYE to come along and discuss their concerns.
The second presentation will be by Edie Jolley of Pennine Prospects who will be accompanied by Phil Sanderson (West Yorkshire Police), Edie will give full details of the recently set up Moorwatch website (http://www.moorwatch.com/) and the way it can be used to report damaging activities on our moors.
There will also be the opportunity for local birders to discuss the Wildlife Sites Criteria that will be in the consultation period by then, the CBCG has already submitted comments but this will give non members an opportunity to have their say. In addition to this I believe there will be representative/s of the RSPB Twite recovery project also attending.

As the above issues are likely to be of interest to all local birders the meeting will be open to anyone who wishes to attend and will be held at the offices of the Calderdale Council Countryside Unit above the library in Mytholmroyd on Tuesday 5th April and will begin at 1930.

In order to ensure there are enough seats etc would any non CBCG member who will be attending please let me know in advance on midgleybirder@yahoo.co.uk

Thanks

Nick Carter

Woodpecker city

4 GSW's at Coach Road early a.m. And a pair of LSW's as well. Another GS near Bradley Hall Farm Also a pair of Nuthatches at Coach Road, with a Chiffchaff and a Heron. Wellholme Park: pair of Kingfishers, pair of Mistle Thrushes nest-building, pair of Bullfinch and 5/6 Chiffchaffs. Bradley Hall farm area: Kingfisher (possibly 2) calling, Buzzard over, and a single Swallow.

Peregrines, Peregrines, Peregrines

Out for a drive with the family yesterday but still managed to watch a pair of Peregrines yesterday for 1/2 an hour calling constantly and sharing prey. At Tesco car park today at King X, heard it first and then a Peregrine again. Went to see the local Buzzards this aft but I was greeted with another Pergrine patrolling their territory for at least 10 mins. The Buzzards were nowhere to be seen for over an hour. The Buzzards did finally appear when I was back at the car to circle over the valley together. It is superb to see birds of prey thriving in our area and I hope it continues!

Cold Edge

2 Wheatear together on the rubble pile this afternoon. 1 Little Grebe and 2 Moorhen on the top small pond . 1 Goosander female on the top dam caught a large frog but don't think it was impressed as it tossed it about for a while then discarded it ! No sign of the LRP - just 2 Redshank, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Curlew, 2 Snipe 'chipping' and 15 Lapwings on the top dam with 2 Black-headed Gulls and 1 female Kestrel nearby.

Fly Flatts/Cold Edge Dams

A pair of Shoveler flew out of the mist this a.m. at Fly Flatts and headed off >SE. Due to the height of the birds its unlikely that they came off the water.
A single LRP was again at Cold Edge but was flushed by dogs on the shoreline and flew in the direction of Oxenhope.
A cracking male Wheatear showed briefly near the boathouse, probably DJSs from the other day. None present at Fly and just 2 unringed Twite.
BS

Cold Edge

Several waders present this afternoon including 1 LRP, 2 Redshank, 15 Lapwing, 4 Curlew, 2 Oystercatchers and 2 Golden Plover

1 Little Grebe still present on the small pond

1 Grey Heron

1 Goldeneye

1 Reed Bunting

60+ Meadow Pipits

6 Skylark

No Wheatears !

1 Little Owl near Wainstalls

1 Fieldfare

Fly Flats

Colour ringed male Twite there this morning (same bird as NK found yesterday) with 5 others unringed.
2 Oystercatchers
2 Redshank
4 Curlew
2 Golden Plover
3 Goldeneye
2 Teal
12+ Red Grouse
1 Raven >S
30+ Meadow Pipits
1 Reed Bunting
6 Skylark
50+ Canadas and 4 Greylag Geese
No Wheatears !

Whiteholme and Gaddings Dam this afternoon

Langfield Edge
Twite (unringed)
4 Mipits

Whiteholme
2 Ringed Plover
Pied Wagtail
A Pink-footed Goose which was hanging around with a pair of Canada Geese. Sorry for the quality of the photo but my camera battery went and I didn't have the spare with me so I had to use the phone camera through the scope!

Gaddings Dam
Pair of Teal
3 Goldeneye (2 f, 1 m)
2 Little Ringed Plover - they didn't hang around very long due to a dog walker coming along the shore line. Alan Nuttall said he'd seen 2 LRP at Whiteholme so perhaps these were the same birds?
9 Skylark
4 Mipits

Withens Clough and Gaddings Dam yesterday

Reed Bunting and 4 Dunnock at Langfield Edge

Gaddings Dam
9 Mipits
6 Skylark
Pair of Teal
Pair of Goldeneye
Withens Clough res
6 Goosander (all female)
3 Goldeneye (2 f, 1 m)
3 Red Grouse
7 Mipits and 2 Skylark further up the hill towards Stoodley Pike
Lots of new fencing going up along the lines of the old dry stone walls. Car park and dam wall still closed for repair work, reopens in Autumn-ish.

25th March

Had a walk over Roils Head this PM and had 5 Waxwings flying west. Also 5 Stock Doves. Having just got the Lap Top up and running again its now developed a problem with the keyboard in that the letter L sticks, you have to press it down hard to get it to register. Does anyone know if this can be easily fixed or is it a big job?

Jumble Hole / Underbank - 8:30

2 chiffchaff calling at Underbank
A pair of nuthatch in Jumble Hole
1 treecreeper
1 green woodpecker
4 mistle thrush
1 song thrush

Nothing of interest at Eastwood Sewage Works

Bird Report 2009 update

I am pleased to say that just over half the number of bird reports printed have now been sold, if anybody still needs one then you can still get one from the sites advertised on this blog.

Chiffchaff

One heard singing somewhere west of Todmorden station at 0630.

Swales Moor

1 Common Snipe flushed on the top this afternoon
2 Twite
15 Linnet
c18 Skylark
c20 Meadow Pipits
4 Stock Dove

SWALLOWS

2 flew over the house this morning at 1130 heading towards Brighouse/EGP,

Wainstalls/Castle Carr Road/Fly Flats/Cold Edge

We did the full round with Nick D - over the moor this afternoon. A brilliant day to be out. A few more mipits about plus c8 Reed Buntings at the far end of Castle Carr Road. Elsewhere a few Red Grouse, Skylarks, Pheasants, Canada Geese, c4 Kestrels and one or two Curlew.
Fly Flats
3 Twite
3 Goldeneye
2 Oystercatchers

Cold Edge produced 2 Oystercatchers and the highlight of the day with a male Wheatear on the rubble between the top dam and the small pool, which also had a Little Grebe, 2 Moorhen and 4 Grey Herons.

The top dam held 1 Goldeneye, 12 Lapwings and 2 Redshank and the lower dam 3 Goosander.

Osprey at Green withens yesterday

Follow link for  photo and account ...http://www.greenwithens.blogspot.com/

Erringden etc. this morning

Went out looking for Wheatear again this morning but still none turned up. Good thing is I can go looking tomorrow now as well :)
Mipit - 15
Skylark - 2
Reed Bunting
Curlew - 2
Fieldfare - over 200 in fields around Rough Head
Starling - c. 35
Snipe
Stock Dove - 3
Green Woodpecker - Burnt Acres Wood
Great Spotted Woodpecker - Shaw Wood

Hooded Crow ?

Spotted this crow when out running on the coast here in North Wales this afternoon. It looks like a Hoodie to me but I have only seen these is Scotland some years ago and was not aware they occured this far south ? The shots are terrible but we had a sea fret blowing in at the time and this is the nearest to the bird I could get before it flew away. OK to record this as a Hoodie ?

I have never seen anything resembling a hoodie on the coast here before and wonder if its perhaps a lost bird from Ireland which is only about 40 miles away as the crow flies ;-) I have left the shots at full size so they can be enlarged.

Fly Flats/Withens Head

Fly Flats
1 Redshank
2 Oystercatchers
4 Curlew
1 Twite back at the feeding station but flighty so not sure if it was a ringed bird - or not.
1 Grey Heron on the res'r edge was unusual for this site
2 Pied Wagtail
c20 Meadow Pipits, some displaying and singing
2 Skylark
Lots of Red Grouse

Withens Head
1 Little Owl
40 Starlings

Cameras

Hi all
I will be needing a decent camera shortly for wildlife photography and would appreciate advice from you clever people.
Mike has suggested interchangeable lenses. What do you use/recommend?

Lee Mount

1 Tree Sparrow still here on and off in the garden throughout the day for it's budgie seed, and a bathe!
1 Sparrowhawk over

Cold Edge

This afternoon
1 Goosander
1 Redshank
1 Golden Plover
5 Lapwings on the mud with 3+ pairs elsewhere
15 Curlew in a field on Cold Edge Road with 5+ pairs elsewhere
85 Canada Geese and 12 Greylags
c20 Meadow Pipits
1 Grey Heron
1 Kestrel with a vole
Mist and drizzle at Withens Head!

EGP

Best long shot of Red Kite this morning,4 Whoopers from Sat and 2 Grey Lags on side of Ski Lake this morning.Apologies for poor quality of Kite shot.

Swans and stuff.

3 Whooper Swans at the Skiing Lake at Elland GPs this morning (nice to meet Mike Henshaw there already viewing them)
1pr of Goosander on the canal at Elland Bridge.
c5 Waxwings on the side of the canal towpath at the bottom of Salterhebble Hill.
3 Chiffchaff singing at various points.

Lee Mount

The single Tree Sparrow dropped in for bathe and feed for half-hour late afternoon. It seems to like budgie seed 'Trill' as do the House Sparrows!
1 Sparrowhawk over >NE

On St George's Road at dusk c30 Redwings dropped in to roost. They perched in a tall sycamore before roosting in the holly bushes and were singing a pre roost song, very rarely heard this before.

Various sites (am)

Target bird was Wheatear today - not a sign of any!

Fly Flats
1 Redshank
2 Oystercatchers
4 Goldeneye
4+ Skylark
c20 mipits moving through >NE
No Twite but plenty of Red Grouse

Crimsworth Dean
Flock of 38 Curlew at the head of the dean plus others on the moor
2 Oystercatchers
6 Lapwings
c20 Stock Doves
2 Little Owls
c50 mipits and similar number of Chaffinch moving through and heading up the dean towards the moors >NE

Castle Carr Road
1 Little Owl

Wainstalls
At least 4 Brambling still there with the Chaffinch flock in the garden behind the 'Delvers'

Elland Park Wood----Elland Gravel Pits

Park wood had the usual suspects,with about 12 very vociferous jay's about.Highlights being Nu

thatch,3 drumming G.S.Pecker's,1pr.plus a single f.L.S.Pecker(s). G.P.highlight 2 singing Chiff Chaff,one of which was showing well on canal side by Cromwell Bridge.

Ogden Garden

A flock of nine waxwings in the same tree this morning. It is the first time the tree has appeared out of the fog since Monday.

Tree Sparrow Main Colony

Two of us were replacing repaired nest boxes and painting numbers on as many as we could today. With thanks to Paul, countryside volunteer, for the repairs.

The one on the big oak at the top had had a dead fledgling in last autumn but today there was a fresh nest (of hay and straw.) No eggs.

There were plenty of sparrows about.

A big weasel , no black tail-tip - so not a stoat, crossed the road.

Strait Hey, Erringden and Swillington

A walk over the hills this morning looking for Wheatear and finding none. I didn't really expect to find any as my earliest record up here is 20 March in 2005. Still, you never know these days. Plenty of other birds around though:
Curlew - 2
Reed Bunting
Skylark - 5 (4 singing)
Mipit - 7
Red Grouse - 5

Luddenden Foot etc

We walked along the river this afternoon along the cycle-way to Mytholmroyd and returned on the canal. At least it was less foggy in the valley than on the tops !
A pair of Dipper were along the river along with 1 Kingfisher, 1 Grey Wagtail and 3 Goosander as well as Grey Herons.
35 B H Gulls, 1 Common Gull and 1 L B B Gull went over heading east and that was about it.

Swales Moor

I tried again in the thick fog this morning - usual species plus 6 Meadow Pipits were new arrivals

Lee Mount

1 Tree Sparrow again (same time as yesterday at 1 pm but is was only seen for about 5 mins today) . The bird was also seen by a neighbour who said she had seen a different looking sparrow on her garden feeders this afternoon with a chestnut crown !

Next CBCG meeting

The next meeting of the CBCG will be of a slightly different format to previous meetings in that it will include two short presentations that will hopefully be of interest to all birders (not just CBCG members). The first will be by Giselle Murison of West Yorkshire Ecology who will give a brief resume of the findings of the moorland fringe surveys which were undertaken by WYE in our area last year. The purpose of these surveys was to increase the information they currently have on the distribution of breeding birds in the important, yet largely unprotected, area that borders the moorland SPA, without this info it is difficult to actively challenge planning applications etc in this sensitive habitat. If there is sufficient interest Giselle has also offered to bring colleagues from WYE to explain the way the organisation works and the importance of them holding as much info on local bird populations and distributions as possible. This will be an ideal opportunity for any local birders who have reservations about the sharing of information with WYE to come along and discuss their concerns.
The second presentation will be by Edie Jolley of Pennine Prospects who will be accompanied by Phil Sanderson (West Yorkshire Police), Edie will give full details of the recently set up Moorwatch website (www.moorwatch.com) and the way it can be used to report damaging activities on our moors.
There will also be the opportunity for local birders to discuss the Wildlife Sites Criteria that will be in the consultation period by then, the CBCG has already submitted comments but this will give non members an opportunity to have their say.

As the above issues are likely to be of interest to all local birders the meeting will be open to anyone who wishes to attend and will be held at the offices of the Calderdale Council Countryside Unit above the library in Mytholmroyd on Tuesday 5th April and will begin at 1930.

Anyone requiring further details please get in touch.

Lee Mount

1 Tree Sparrow at 1 pm on garden feeder, hung about with a House Sparrow for half-hour then flew off towards Boothtown. The previous Tree Sparrows here were 3 on 14th and 15th November 2010. Previous to that - none.
Keep a check on your feeders. If they can turn up in Lee Mount they can turn up anywhere!

Swales Moor

Thick mist but usual suspects still there;
15+ Skylark
1 Reed Bunting
3 Twite
18 Linnet
1 Pied Wagtail
Not many corvids recently up here - wonder if someone has been taking them out!

Various sites today

Eastwood - River Calder
Dipper
2 Grey Wagtail
Eastwood WTW
5 Pied Wagtail
Great Spotted Woodpecker in woods opposite
Warland Res
2 Curlew
1 Mipit
1 Skylark
1 Pied Wagtail
Gaddings Dam
7 Skylark
3 Mipit
1 Lapwing
1 Redshank
2 Goldeneye (pair)
1 Goosander (female)
Lee Dam
4 Teal (2 pairs)
2 Mistle Thrush
1 Pied Wagtail

Withens Head/Fly Flats

Fly Flats (pm)
6 Goldeneye (3 males)
2 Oystercatchers
2 Mistle Thrush by the Twite feeding station was unusual for Fly - feeding in the heather. No Twite but Niger seed put down in anticipation!
2 Curlew
30+ Canada Geese
6+ Red Grouse
No mipits or Skylarks

Withens Head
4 Lapwing
1 Kestrel
39 Starling
2 Curlew
6 Rook
Also unusual at this elevation was a Grey Squirrel by the former Withens pub

Hartshead area

3 Yellowhammers
Skylark
Little Owl
Sparrowhawk
2 Pheasant
4 Bullfinch
c12 Siskin

And a hare
But no sign of Buzzards so far..

Ogden Garden

This morning a flock of six waxwings in exactly the same tree as yesterday.Three magpies perched higher up did not appear to worry them.

Ripponden etc

Saturday

Very brief visit to Flints & Ringstone produced:

Flints:

Curlew - 4
Lapwing- 8 (probably more as plenty displaying towards Waterstalls)
Golden Plover – 20+

Ringstone:

Grebe – 2 (Displaying)
Oystercatcher – 2
Moorhen - 1

On the fields –

Canada Geese
Lapwing
Curlew
Golden Plover
BH Gulls

Sunday

Only item of note was a Buzzard and a Kestrel in the Soyland area.

Swales Moor etc

Shibden Head produced a Green Woodpecker this afternoon. Not much else found there other than 6 Bullfinch and some nesting Stock Doves.

Swales Moor
19 Skylark
3 Twite
12 Linnet
2 Reed Buntings
1 Pied Wagtail

Ploughcroft
1 usual Little Owl
6 Common Gulls
2 Sparrowhawk

Strait Hey this afternoon

Went in search of Kestrel and found one at last - a male. First one seen here for about 6 months.
72 Fieldfare and a Redwing in the three hawthorns. When the Fieldfare flew off a single bird was left, and it was the Redwing.
3 Mipits
Peregrine over

Buzzards- Sun pm

Think I was near Nick D's raptor area and had:-R

Buzzard x 3

Raven x 2

Kestrel x 3+

The Buzzards were very vocal and all three were up together with the 2 Ravens and 1 Kestrel. It was great to see so close to home.

Ogden Garden The one that got away

I was watching the birds on the feeder just now when suddenly a male sparrowhawk swooped in and took a male blackbird from a nearby bush. It flew down onto the lawn and sat motionless for several seconds guarding its catch with open wings. Then a second sparrowhawk zoomed in with tallons blazing and attacked the male. In the confusion, the blackbird- which I had imagined would be a goner by now - took its chance and flew off, seemingly unharmed! I have never seen a bird escape before. The male sparrowhawk seemed dazed and bedraggled and spent several minutes hopping round the lawn persued by two magpies, before eventually flying off.

Bird mag back copies

I have quite a large number of birding magazines which I am looking at recycling to create some space, if anyone has any gaps in collections of Yorkshire Birding, Birdwatch or British Birds let me know I might be able to plug them.

Ogden Garden

A flock of 9 waxwings on the same tree as yesterday in the garden of our neighbour this morning. Probably the same flock. They flew off in the direction of Syke Lane.

Fly Flats/Castle Carr/Cold Edge

Fly Flats
1 Goldeneye
2 Oystercatchers
several Red Grouse
1 Reed Bunting
(still no sign of any mipits up there this morning)

Cold Edge
6 Golden Plover
6 Curlew
2 Oystercatchers
1 Kestrel
1 Goosander
1 Little Owl at Withens Head - (usual one Jeff )

Castle Carr Road
6 Lapwings
Sparrowhawk chasing a Skylark
6 Skylark
2 Curlew
2 Golden Plover

Ogden Garden

A flock of 9 waxwings perched in the tree in our neighbours garden this morning. They were present for at least one hour.

Ring Necked Parakeet West Vale

They've been mentioned couple of times before, but briefly saw a Ring Necked Parakeet while driving through West Vale/Greetland yesterday morning.

It flew in to trees on the railway embankment behind a modern development of flats on Rochdale Road opposite entrance to Clay House.

Bradley and EGP today

Went over to see if the Yellowhammers were about over at Bradley. As I arrived I saw a male in one of the mature trees and later I saw a male and female fly over. The male returned and landed just above me -

It was singing intermittently and flew off into the scrub after about 30 seconds or so.

Also present were a pair of Bullfinch, a Sparrowhawk and a small flock of finches including Goldfinch and Lesser Redpoll.

Would I have time for a quick look at EGP on the way home and risk being late for the dreaded shopping trip? Well, there's always time isn't there.

EGP - Ski Lake
6 Goldeneye (3 pairs)
3 Cormorant
c. 50 BH Gull
3 Common Gull
Great Crested Grebe
Coot

Plenty of Tits about all over the place including 5 Long-tailed; just 3 Goosander (2m 1f) on the river by Avocet; a Little Grebe calling and a Coot were on the lagoon, and another single Coot was on the fishing lake.

Peregrine

Today - 11th

My son was driving his mail van off his street onto Burnley Road just before the railway bridge the Tod side of The Glen. A peregrine was on the white line in the middle of the road hunched over a pigeon and plucking it. It was disturbed by another car and both birds took off. The peregrine chased its prey at bonnet level of cars and disappeared somewhere by Bobbin Mill.

Ogden/Mixenden/Cold Edge

Late posting for Wednesday - I went out to check some res'rs in case of wind blown Kittiwake etc. but nothing doing!
Mixenden Res'r
3 returning Meadow Pipits
120 B H gulls
30 Common Gulls
2 Canada Geese

Ogden - Back Lane fields
1 L B B Gull
14 Curlew
c20 Lapwing
3 Common Snipe
6 Stock Dove
40 Woodpigeon
c230 Starling
1 Skylark

Ogden Res'r
Sparrowhawk, Nuthatch and Great-spotted Woodpecker near the car park but nothing doing on the res'r!

Cold Edge (pm)
2 Curlew
30 Golden Plover
55 Canada Geese and 5 Greylags

Ringstone Res'r

This afternoon
c180 Golden Plover
2 Oystercatchers

Shibden valley and Swales Moor

This morning;
Green, Great-spotted Woodpeckers and Nuthatches calling in the upper valley
1 Siskin flyover
1 Kestrel
3 Stock Doves
1 Goldcrest singing
2 Tawny owls singing on each side of the valley at the same time - mid-day!

Swales Moor
17 Skylarks
1 Reed Bunting
c30 Linnet
2 Twite
1 Pied Wagtail

Ploughcroft
1 Little Owl
1 Common Gull
20+ Woodpigeons

Red Kite and White Stoat

Distant shots of a Red Kite I had this PM heading towards Cold Edge, also had a White Stoat in the same area, a first for me.

Cold Edge Road/Fly Flats

Fly Flats (pm)
2 Oystercatchers
1 female Goldeneye
c50 Canada Goose
1 Skylark
6+ Red Grouse

Withens Head
2 Little Owls
1 Grey Heron
2 Curlew

Soyland Area

Wander around Soyland area Sunday afternoon produced:

Skylark at London Springs/Blue Ball Road junction.

Coal Tits & Chaffinch at Soyland Plantation.

17 Lapwing on Flints Dam wall. Heard but not seen Curlew.

Blue & Great Tits, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Brambling – Kennel Lane above Cottonstones.

Little Owl just below Cottonstones – first for this location and made up for not seeing any in the usual locations on this walk.

Kestrel in usual area between Kebroyd woods and Cow Lane, Soyland.

The Rookery at Mill Bank is very active early evening with large numbers congregating before the majority move off to roost over toward Ryburn Reservoir.

No sign of either Grouse or Mipits on Soyland Moor.

Robin with eggs

Found this nest at third attempt. First noticed nest material being carried on 11th Feb.

There are 4, possibly 5 eggs. A wren also once brought young off from a nest in this hole, a few years back, where a stove pipe comes through the wall of the outhouse.

Today flushed the robin inadvertantly. She was back on the nest 15 minutes later.

Scammonden

Out and about near Scammonden this afternoon

Tree Creeper near the Scout hut (also plenty of finches)

3 Kestrel

15 Curlew by Dean Head (flew off and landed near Nont Sarah's)

3 Goldeneye on Cupwith (1F, 2M)

1 GSW

Ogden Water

Four Whooper Swans on the water this am.

Cold Edge

I did check Cold Edge Road area again yesterday morning but unfortunately there was no sign of Thursdays Snow Bunting - just 3 Skylarks, 6 Reed Buntings and 1 Golden Plover.

Elsewhere 17 Skylarks and 1 Reed Bunting were present at the Swales Moor site on Friday afternoon.

Various Sites

Cracking day for a walk and hoped to see Skylarks and Mipits back on the hills.

Lee Dam
5 Goosander - 2 pairs and a spare redhead
4 Teal - 2 pairs
3 Mallards - 1 pair and a spare drake

Green Woodpecker at Lumbutts Clough

Gaddings Dam
A pair of Goldeneye
1 Skylark

Longfield Dam
1 Goldeneye - drake
7 Black-headed Gull
23 Canada Goose
1 Lapwing

Also a Goldcrest flew onto one of the garden bird feeders this morning, had a look at the sunflower hearts and flew off into the fir trees from whence it came. A male Reed Bunting and 3 Lesser Redpoll (2 male, 1 female) were the only other birds of note.

Out of area - just

Great grey shrike reported on Birdguides at Paul Clough, Oxenhope, 10:00 this morning.

Sowerby Bridge/Copley planning application

The application has gone in see ref 11/00200/FUL via the Calderdale Council website (under planning). As already decided the CBCG will be registering an objection, there is a facility on the website for other bodies, individuals etc to make representations should they wish (either for or against)

Other news today

7 Whooper Swans were reported this morning at Baitings Res'r
c150 Golden Plover with the Lapwing flock at Ringstone Res'r
2 Oystercatchers at Booth Wood Res'r
All reports thanks to Steve L

At least 2 Mute Swans were still on the mill pond at Triangle on Tuesday.

Cold Edge Road/Fly Flats etc

We headed off from Mixenden Res'r in the mist this morning to walk over the moors to Hebden Bridge. Despite the mist, and frost over 1,000 ft we had a very interesting day.

Nothing much of interest on Mixenden but as we walked up Cold Edge Road towards 'The Withens' we disturbed 2 birds, just over the wall in the field. I followed one bird which landed nearby and turned out to be a Skylark. Jen followed the other bird which landed nearby in the opposite direction (glad she did especially when she said it had large white flashes on its wings) and it turned out to be a Snow Bunting. The bird took off again calling about four times with it's 'pr r r rt' and 'piu' but we lost sight of it in the mist and were unable to relocate it - it could still be there though (?) Another nice job for tomorrow!

Later on in the day we found a Stoat 'in ermine' not often seen one of these! It stood out in the fields as it was hunting along walls and rabbit holes - what was even more surprising was that it came out of a rabbit hole with a half-grown dead rabbit in its jaws, ran across the field into a banking and stashed the rabbit. It repeated this process twice more with half grown rabbits and stashed them in the same place. We wondered if it was a female feeding young (or do males hunt for females?)or was it just stashing them for later? A very exciting experience which left us with a few interesting questions.

The Stoat was just starting to lose some of the white around the head and nape. It did look bigger than normal probably due to the extra thick fur.

Elsewhere there was a flock of 300+ Fieldfare

Several Golden Plover and 2 Curlew starting to sing on the moor where there were 20+ Red Grouse.

2 Dippers were together in the river near Hebden Bridge

Cold Edge and Fly Flats

Fly Flats - very quiet (no sign of any Mipits, Skylarks or waders)
43 Canada Geese
2 Goldeneye
2 Red Grouse

Cold Edge
Very quiet here too - not a sign of any waders, mipits or raptors other than 1 Little Owl
1 Skylark around the chicken coup at Withens Gap
7 Golden Plover were resting in a field just up Cold Edge Road in a field above Nolstar kennels - unusually they just sat there in the field 50 m from us. We expected them to be off (as they usually do) but perhaps they were recovering from a long flight (?)

At least 6 Brambling were still with the finch flock at the back of the 'Delvers' the males are starting to look good

Various sites (am)

Swales Moor
There was a flock of 27 Skylarks there yesterday but only 20 there this morning.
25 Linnet
2 Twite (including the colour ringed bird)
1 Meadow Pipit
1 Reed Bunting

Ploughcroft
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Little Owl

Sunny Vale
3 Teal
3 Coot
4 Moorhen
1 Treecreeper
1 Great spotted Woodpecker drumming

Butterfly at the Barge & Barrel

A Small Tortoiseshell was sunning itself on the stone wall next to the towpath by the the 'Barge' at Elland Bridge this morning. Flies in early March ? Then this was a really early one !

WYE local wildlife site designation criteria - update

Thanks to everyone for their comments re the critieria for designation of wildlife sites proposed by West Yorkshire Ecology. I have forwarded them onto Hugh Firman who is meeting WYE today where this issue is likely to come up, hopefully these recent comments plus the general comments I submitted some time ago will be taken into consideration. This is a good example of where the CBCG can influence important decisions that affect local wildlife and habitats and a measure of the respect in which our opinions are held, I would encourage all members to continue to take an active part in the Group, we are making positive inputs into the conservation of local birds.

Nick

Blackbird behaviour

We observed a few days ago a strange display by a blackbird. We have an arbour a few yards from the kitchen window and a male blackbird came and stood on one corner. A few seconds later another male stood on another corner. Nothing odd there, but instead of the usual noisy fracas, the first bird lowered its head opened its beak slightly and proceeded to sway its head from side to side five or six times, much like an avocet does when feeding. Another male arrived on another corner and the first bird did this action again, all three stood in silence until a female arrived and spoiled things. bird one followed by bird two, then three, and finally the female flew off in silence. It looked like a submission display to us. Anyone seen this behaviour before?