Ringby Top and Beyond

After dropping off the car with BS in Queensbury for a quick repair job, I walked back towards Halifax and decided to have a kick around Ringby Top. I ended up walking up to the ski slope, then down towards Ousel Hall and down into the valley towards Shibden Head, finally heading up hill towards Black Dyke Mills and back to Queensbury.

A pair of Swallows greeted me at the Calderdale boundary with 2 more later in the Shibden valley.
Several Skylarks were singing on the top with around 6 Wheatears in the sheep pastures.
Mippits aplenty and the obligatory Carrion Crows, Magpies and Jackdaws with a couple of Linnets passing overhead.
Goldfinches were everywhere along this route and Greenfinches were plentiful around the ski slope.
Green Woodpecker was heard in the valley, as was Great Spotted Woodpecker. The valley had a few Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers singing and I had my first Blackcap for the year. The usual Wrens, Dunnocks, Robins, Blackbirds, Chaffinch, Woodpigeon, Blue Tits and Great Tits were present, and a Sparrow-hawk and a Jay added to the list.
Peacocks, Small tortoishells and Orange Tips were on the wing but no sign of any Green Hairstreaks where the Billberry was the dominant vegetation.
Coming out of the valley and into suburbia, House Sparrow and Starling let me know that I was leaving some nice habitat behind me.