Ringstone

Called in there late evening
3 G C Grebe ( 2 displaying)
3 Goosander (1 drake)
c35 Swallows
6+ Sand Martins
12+ Pied Wagtails coming in to roost

Fly Flatts + other news

This morning in the hope of some heavy showers to fetch some terns through !! No showers but freezing cold.
Usual waders + 1 Snipe and 2 Common Sandpipers but no migrant waders though some (not much) shoreline is appearing
4+ Wheatear
Pair of Greylag with at least 2 chicks but not seen any Canada chicks yet
No Twite though Niger seed still being put down
Distant S E Owl
Lots of mipits
6 Kestrels
1 Pied Wagtail
2 L B B Gulls

Yesterday in the Luddenden Valley
1 male Pied Flycatcher, 1 male Redstart and a Cuckoo

Today at Withens Clough - a Grasshopper Warbler singing and recorded in the Juncus by Nigel G
Also there 1 female Goldeneye still
Pair of Tufted Duck
3 Common Sandpipers
Reed Bunting

Wheatley Valley

Earlier today on the former landfill site I went to check for warblers.
The cold wind was not too helpful but in the sheltered areas I found 6 Bullfinch, a Garden Warbler singing,  3 Blackcaps, a pair of Chiff-chaffs and 2 Willow Warblers. No sign of any Whitethroat there yet though.
7 sub-adult Herring Gulls went over >W and 1 Swallow

Dotterel Day

I managed to get up there about 7 pm and got straight on to them at the same site as described earlier, about 50 yds in from the road feeding on the short turf. They looked fantastic in the evening sunshine and I viewed them from the car rather than risk disturbing them - though the camera was in the boot ! The farmer passed on a quad and they moved down the hillside with just heads showing.
Then at 7:45 pm they took off, went very high and headed >NE and across the valley towards Blackshaw Head area. I guess they won't be back there in the morning !
Also from BL - a Whimbrel over earlier

More Dotterel Shots

One of seven

One of seven Dotterels above Todmorden this afternoon (well done Andy C for another good find).

Fwd: PAW Award

Subject: PAW Award

The Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime [PAW] is co-chaired by the Police [Wildlife Crime Officers] and Defra and works with 84 Partner NGOs who work together to raise awareness of and end wildlife crime. Raptor persecution is one of the wildlife crime priorities and the Northern England Raptor Forum, of which Calderdale is a member is represented on the Raptor Persecution Delivery Group by Steve Downing.

Each year the PAW present an award to a Partner NGO that has achieved the most, on behalf of PAW, in their chosen field targeting wildlife crime.

NERF was nominated for the Award by Bob Elliott, Head of RSPB Investigations.  Having accessed the nominations NERF was declared the Partner of the Year 2014. The Award is sponsored by Browne Jacobson Solicitors. Steve attended the PAW Seminar in Bristol on Monday 27 April to collect the Award from Tom Browne Jacobson behalf of NERF.

Other news

This morning 7 Dotterel in fields at Stone Road (off Bacup Road) near Todmorden. A great find Andy. Still there at 10:00 near junction with Parkin Lane. AC and NR

And from KL yesterday, a Pied Flycatcher and a male Redstart in Luddenden Dean. Also Cuckoo there singing.

Harrier

Harrier low over a moor in the south of the area this evening 

Fly Flatts

With the forecast of some heavy showers today I gave Fly Flatts a try for nearly 2 hrs late morning in case any terns (or anything else for that matter) might come through and drop in.
1 very heavy shower - 1 Swallow and 1 Herring Gull both >N and that was it apart from a few very high Meadow Pipits
2 Common Sandpipers and 2 Oystercatchers were constantly disturbed by wind surfers so no chance of any migrant waders on the shoreline (which is just appearing nicely)!
Kestrels showing well and that was about it.

4 Snipe, 1 Golden Plover and 2 Curlew at Withens Head along with a pair of Wheatear and a few Swallows

Brambling (Part 2) Todmorden

Further to my post a couple of weeks ago about the brambling flying into a window near my son's house in Cornholme. He's received details of the ring etc. from BTO Ringing Team, as follows: The bird (male brambling) was ringed by Merseyside RG as 2nd year on 12th February 2013 at Woolston Eyes, Warrington. Map reference given. It was found on 11th April, stunned after flying into a window. Ring number X573846. It was found 788 days after being ringed, 47 kms from the ringing site, direction NE. After a couple of false starts as the bird came round, it eventually flew off into a tree. This was a great response from the BTO and makes very interesting reading. If the Ringing Recovery Report is needed by anyone please let me have an email address and I'll forward it. Sandra

Pics of Cromwell Birds

                Just a few pics taken lately, lots of Chiff Chaffs this year.

Friday Mytholmroyd

2 oystercatchers over the house at 0530

Also in the afternoon a possible diver sp west over the village at 1514 but I was driving so unable to see much 

Over the house

2 house martins

5 swallows

1 sparrowhawk 

2 raven

1 grey wagtail 

Mytholmroyd Yesterday AM

Scout Bottom

Garden warbler singing.
Lots of willow warblers c15.
2 blackcaps (m) collecting nesting materials.
3 chiffchaffs.

Stubb
4 willow warblers.
3 chiffchaffs.

Whitethroat

Whitethroat in the garden at Jumble Hole yesterday and today, along with a blackcap for most of the week. Whitethroat seems pretty fearless - I wish I had a decent camera!

Mytholmroyd special !!

Driving through Mytholmroyd with Nick at 7:15 tonight I had the sun visor down and concentrating on the traffic when Nick said "what's this" ? Thinking it was maybe a buzzard "it's a Red Kite". Sun visor up pronto and pull up safely !! And yes unmistakable Red Kite just over the road heading down the valley or maybe over to Scout?
I like those sort of surprised!! Well spotted Nick.

A garden Redstart.

I woke up last Sunday morning to find a stunning male Redstart flitting around my garden in the middle of Green Park estate, Skircoat Green. It started off a little distant at first posing on an old brussel sprout stalk.

 

It then moved a little closer on to a recently pruned dogwood bush. In between I heard it singing a couple of times through thick cover.

 

Finally, after fighting with the local House Sparrows, it posed nicely, right beneath my bedroom window before moving off to (hopefully) more suitable habitat.

 

What a way to start the day!

Mytholmroyd Circular AM

Buzzard mobbed by corvids & seen off  pdq.
2 blackcaps m
21 willow warblers
4 chiffchaff
2 nuthatch Redacre
c25 swallows over sewage works etc
3 pied wagtails
2 grey wagtails
3 moorhen incl 1 juv Redacre
 2 ravens over
1 gs wodpecker seen & 1 drumming
1 green woodpecker calling
1 kestrel

1 roe deer f

4 peacock butterflies
2 green veined whites
3 small tortoiseshell

Whinchat

Usual walk up Walshaw Dean this PM with DF produced a stunning male Whinchat on the embankment at Upper Walshaw. Managed a few digi scope shots, but not very good. Also all the other usual suspects present.

Ouzels still at Soil Hill

            5 Ring Ouzel still at Soil Hill 2 by the new trees and 2 near cabins
            and 1 nr the muck & soil heaps. 4 Pheasant and plenty of Mipits that
            was between 14.30 to 16.00.

Castle Carr Road / Luddenden Dean

At least 3 male Ring Ouzels still in the area by the broken down cabins along C C Road this afternoon along with 4 Wheatears
2 pairs of Little Owls nearby and a Cuckoo singing and showing well in the Dean near 'The Nunnery'
1 Sparrowhawk
4+ Kestrels
A few Willow Warblers
1 Nuthatch
Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming
Just one Linnet flyover
A few Swallows about on territory
Also a good number of Small Tortoiseshell, c10 Peacock and 2 Green Viened White butterfly's

6 Ring Ouzels Castle Carr Road again near the cabins late afternoon. KL and PL
Don't try driving on there tomorrow - resurfacing!!!

Blackcaps

Blackcaps seem to be everywhere today. 4 at Jumble Hole, 2 at Eastwood, 2 in Todmorden near the canal, 1 in Hebden.

Swales Moor and Soil Hill

Swales - Ringby Lane
3 Wheatears on the top this morning plus a few resident mipits and Skylarks

Soil Hill
I got a message via BS from DP about 2 female Ring Ouzels on the west slope of Soil Hill at the same time as I came across 3 males on the north slope. They were staying close together but they were very wary and didn't like being approached.
1 Common Buzzard >NE

Also from DP - a Cuckoo in Luddenden Dean this afternoon
6 Ring Ouzels in the upper Dean area yesterday afternoon KL

Whimbrel?

Hello all, I think I may have just had a Whimbrel over my house at Highroad Well

It has just shot over being chased by a crow and was alarm calling and my first thought was Curlew as it had long wings and was Curlew shaped but the alarm call was not I am familiar with.  On Googling it and listening to several plover sounds the sound it made fit perfectly with a Whimbrel

Is this possible?  If so its my first Whimbrel ever and it was actually flying over my house...!  Although im not sure it counts as I dont normally count it as a sighting until Im totally positive of the ID

Dipper News, sadly since getting back to work from holiday, I have not seen a dipper in our stream, but other folk have and seen thee bird(s) going into the hole I spotted one using before Easter, so there is still some hope. However I have been puzzling over another bird, flying out from the bank over the beck, flycatching and flying back usually to a perch I cant see. I watched it several days this week and then on Thursday - finally, the bird stopped where I could see it and I had a pair of bins! It was the typical Chiff chaff/ Willow warbler shape, the eye stripe, the hint of colour on the breat , the olive green back, all the rest. So which one,I did get a really good view and it was flycatching, which I don't think Chiff Chaffs do so I can confirm a willow warbler in Halifax Town centre!

Warley Rookery Check

Hi Dave,

Sorry don't have you email so I have had to post it.  I have had a good look round both Stock Lane and Whitty Lane and can't find any rookeries.  Stock Lane could potentially cover a big area but I'm pretty sure there aren't any and Whitty Lane definitely.

Cheers.

Mytholmroyd PM

Mytholmroyd Circular

4 willow warbler & 3 chiff chaff incl on Scout Bottom Lane, & Mytholmroyd Methodist Chapel graveyard.
11 swallows over canal, fields & sewage works  at Hawksclough/Redacre.
2 goldcrest.
1 kestrel over from Redacre Woods to Daisy Bank.
2 nuthatch Redacre Wood.
1 great spotted woodpecker.
1 green woodpecker yaffling.
4 grey wagtail.
2 dippers. (1 River Calder, 1 Elphin Brook.)
4 grey heron (2 R Calder, 2 Elphin Brook.)
Plus usual species.

Fly Flatts

This morning
1 Common Sandpiper still there + the usual waders
2 x 3rd winter Herring Gulls >E
6 L B B Gulls loafing
Mallard with small chicks
1 B H Gull >N
1 Swallow >N
A tiny little bit of shoreline appearing!

Mytholmroyd

Willow warbler singing this morning by the railway station also 2 chiffchaff's 

Warley Moor and Soil Hill

Warley Moor (but not Fly Flatts). It was really hard to find anything this morning it was so calm and still (not used to these conditions on the moor)! apart from plenty of Meadow Pipits on territory. Only 1 Skylark singing and even the Curlews were quiet.
1 Willow Warbler near Castle Carr top lodge
1 Swallow low over the moor >E
c20 Stock Doves on a ruined building
1 female Kestrel
1 Golden Plover
Still not a sign of any Twite up there
1 female Wheatear near Wainstalls

Later on, thanks to  a message from BS, sounded promising so I detoured to Soil Hill - 1 female Ring Ouzel was a reward though it took some finding (thanks Bri) and was distant so I got it through the scope - looked brilliant. There had been 3 there earlier thanks to DW.

Also another Ring Ouzel today near Rishworth from Andy

Wheatear on Ovenden Moor

      Had a wander about today on a very calm day, went up to
      Soil Hill first hoping to see Ring Ouzel and Wheatear but
      it was just wishful thinking, 4 Lapwing buzzing about 3 Curlew
      very loud 2 Stonechats 3 Pheasant and plenty of Pipits & Skylarks.
      Next I went to Ogden Water but car park full so decided to give it a
      miss but seen a jay fly in front of me and a Little Owl on my travels,
      I then went up to Ovenden Moor to have a look and the first bird on
      the moor was a Wheatear and then another but nothing else but
      meadow Pipits and a few Curlew and 2 Red Grouse, didn't see a raptor
      all day apart from the owl which surprised me.

     

     

Ringstone

Heading up towards Fly Flatts this afternoon with Nick but the fog was down to Wainstalls so we headed up to Ringstone - not much better up there with a cold blustery wind, rain and mist closing in from the west. Met DF up there following  his big spend !! searching for a different wader with the 'goldie' flock but we couldn't find anything.
c170 Golden Plover, 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Snipe and a few Lapwings in the big field
2 Little Grebe
1 Swallow
1 Willow Warbler
......and that was just about it as the weather deteriorated further.

I called later after the mist lifted and about half the 'goldies' headed off high >E leaving 83 there when I left.

Other recent news

From Monday (BL) 5 migrant Ring Ouzels at a site near Todmorden

Ogden - Drake Common Scoter (BS) found yesterday evening with a Great Crested Grebe also there but the scoter had gone this morning (DP)
Also from yesterday on Soil Hill a Ring Ouzel, 4 Wheatear and 3 Swallows (DP)
1 Little Ringed Plover at Cromwell Bottom ski lake yesterday on the grass banking on the canal side (SL)

This morning at Cromwell Bottom ski lake c150 Swallows a few House and Sand Martins in with  them (SL)
Jay house Lane - 3 Wheatears on the manure pile and Little Owl nearby (SL)
Ringstone Res'r fields - 100+ Golden plover (SL)

Dreadful mist and drizzle up north Halifax today - I hear most other parts of the country are bathed in sunshine - no matter if we can still find some good birds !!!

Fly Flatts

This morning in a very strong wind made viewing tricky!
Usual waders + a Common Sandpiper but still no shoreline!
18 Golden Plover - probably a migrant flock in a field
2 Swallows >NW
2 B H Gulls >N
12 Herring Gulls >NW
Several L B B Gulls blogging - maybe after Canada eggs/chicks!
2 Wheatear
1 Skylark
Plenty mipits around
4 Pied Wagtail >W
Red Grouse of course!
No Twite despite Niger seed at the feeding station from BS and myself over the last few weeks

Derby Delph 14th April 2015

Small party of twite this morning, plus two stock doves and my first house martin of the year, passing through, westwards.

Regards, Chris Jepson-Brown

Great Grey Shrike

https://vimeo.com/124647076 A brilliant bit of film of the Great grey Shrike at Scammonden scoffing a vole by Dave Pennington

Rookeries !

A wet afternoon looked spot on for some Rookery nest counts before the leaves come on the trees otherwise its then impossible. Thanks to all those who have returned counts already.
There is still the upper valley areas - Matt is doing 3 colonies near Hebden Bridge. If anyone can check the colonies in Todmorden that would be a big help as Jeff used to do them but has moved east ! Hope you're ok Jeff? we are missing you !!

The other known colonies are being covered but there are several areas where we have no known colonies. These are Norwood Green, Shelf, Rastrick (other than Tofts Grove), Elland area, and Warley (though we have Newlands). If anyone has information on colonies in these areas please do a count and let me know - Many thanks - Dave

A good number of Swallows (maybe 40+) and a few House Martins mainly on the fishing lake with a few on the ski lake at Cromwell bottom this afternoon. c12 Tree Sparrows at the Clifton site in the pouring rain!

Migrants

5 swallows, 2 house martins and 2 singing willow warblers at Eastwood Sewage Works this lunchtime. Good numbers of pied wagtails, but hard to count as very mobile. I'd say c.75.

Brambling

A couple of hours ago a beautiful male brambling flew into the window of my son's neighbours in Cornholme, Todmorden. They thought it was dead but it came round after a short time and after a few attempts it flew into a nearby tree. While it was playing dead they had the chance to take note of the number on a ring on its leg and are interested to know where the bird had come from. Half an hour ago they were looking on the BTO website and I wanted to ask someone on this site if this is the best place to start, please? Sandra

Great Grey Shrike

More Shrike photos

Great Grey Shrike

Got some digi scope shots of the shrike at Scammonden tonight. The bird showed very well, at times flying down into a bush a few yards away to eat voles it had impailed on the branches. Congrats to all involved on a great bird and well done to the finders for letting us all know.

Bill Halling

Some sad news received yesterday about Bill - he died recently, just before Easter. Not everyone will know Bill but he had a long and keen interest in birds and other wildlife and conservation issues. In fact he did some work on green issues for the Diocese of Wakefield. During the time I knew him he had retired as a Church of England Vicar. A lovely friendly person.

He has been struggling with his health over recent years and has unfortunately not been able to get around the former haunts which included many parts of Calderderdale. He still remained part of the grapevine team and Calderdale bird blog follower.

I first met Bill on the top at Swales Moor on 28th December 2006 looking (and finding together the then present Shorelark) which stayed on that site until 26th March 2007.

We also met Bill and his wife up on the hill near the M62 and enjoyed the site of 3 Dotterel there in late April 2009.

We always seemed to meet at 'cold spots' including Fly Flatts on several occasions and Ovenden Moor on 23rd November 2010 when the late staying Wheatear was still present that day along with a Black Redstart. It was freezing that day!

On behalf of the local 'birders' we offer our thanks for Bill's friendship and encouragement and valuable contribution to local birding and offer our condolences to Bill's wife and family at this sad time.

Shrike

Apologies for posting this here, I was unsure where else to post. I think I've seen a Shrike at Dean Head reservoir, yesterday 7/4/15. Is this possible? It looked exactly like the one in the photos here and can't identify it as anything else
http://calderbirds.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/shrike-photos.html
Thanks

Lee Mount

6 Fieldfare over this morning at 9:00 heading high >N
2 Jays > W
Another first for the year with a single Sand Martin >N at 14:30
1 kestrel very high >W at 15:00

Elsewhere just a Swallow reported today near Black Brook, Greetland via NK.

Fly Flatts

Yesterday from HC Swallow and Wheatear there and a Black Redstart nearby between far end of Fly Flatts and Paul Clough (which is just before the mast/ cattle grid on the Oxenhope side.) maybe still about today.
No further news in the Black Redstart at Walshaw Dean on Monday afternoon/evening.

Green Withens

Water level really high, so no shoreline to check !

A Raven was mobbed by a couple of Crows.
5 Pied Wagtails were around the conduit.
4 Skylarks.
Curlew calling.
Lots of Canada Geese on nests.
A single Linnet - looked like a male still in winter plumage.
Plenty of Mipits about.

Lee Mount - Common Buzzard

Buzzard showing signs of tail damage!

Swales Moor

I checked along the ridge at Ringby Lane this afternoon. Not a lot doing with no sign if migrants other than a few blogging mipits, 1 Skylark, 2 Linnets, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 L B B Gull and 6 Stock Doves and the usual glut of Carrion Crows.
Lots of Small Tortoiseshell's and a few Peacock butterfly's up there along the shelter of Ringby Lane

Lee Mount

A couple of hours on sky watch from the garden across lunchtime
3 Sparrowhawk sighting probably the same bird?
1 f Goosander >NW
1 Swallow >NW
5 L B B Gull >N
Great Spotted Woodpecker nearby and 2 Nuthatch on the garden feeders
Common Buzzard >N at 17:20

Today's news

Looks like Wheatears are here now! With 4 near Stoodley Pike this morning (PG), 2 at Northowram (AC) and also at Scammonden/Dean Head (SL) and a Swallow at Dean Head as well.
An Osprey over Buckstones at around 10:50 >NW (RR)

Out of Area - ID Advice Please

Not the best of shots I know but what do people think of this raptor seen in the mist yesterday out at Hutton Roof crags.

Difficult to get any impression of size though it did seem larger than a kestrel that preceded it a few seconds before, the only other thing that stood out was the white on the leg coverts. I put it down as a sparrowhawk at the time.

Black Redstart

A few more Black Redstart photos

Other news today

Ringstone Res'r - pair of Shoveler and a pair of Teal this morning along with 1 G C Grebe and 2 Little Grebe (SL)

Middle Walshaw - this afternoon and evening a female type Black Redstart near the Res'r keepers house feeding along the wall on the left hand side (MF NCD DF) - hopefully some photo's to follow.

Lower Gorple - a Swallow this evening (MB) - this follows the first report from MH of one over Brighouse on Saturday 4th April

An Osprey reported over Keighley Res'r at 10:45 heading straight towards Fly Flatts area thanks to I. H. of B.O.G. Lots of reports of moving Ospreys over many parts of the country in the last 2 days so there's a good chance of others crossing over our area on their migration >N

Very few reports of Wheatears so far - 1 at Scammonden on 25th March (SL) and only a handfull of others yet - this might change in the next day or so !!

Lee Mount - eyes to the sky today with hot weather and rising thermals birding from the garden chair !!! - 2 Common Buzzards >N (11:20 and 13:30) and a Peregrine >N very high at 14:00 and 3 sightings of Sparrowhawks 1 >N and the other 2 were probably locals.

Black Redstart

Black Redstart at Walshaw Dean today digi scoped. Found by Mark Fanshawe. Mark also had a Red Kite, probably the same bird we had the day before. Sorry to grape vine members but no signal at Walshaw.

Mytholmroyd

Redacre Wood & water works

Nuthatch 1

Treecreeper 2

Green woodpecker 1

Grey wagtail 3

Pied wagtail 5

Moorhen 1 

Over the garden

Raven 2

Mallard 4

Peregrine 1 

Curlew 1 

Cold Edge etc Sunday

AM Cold Edge

10 curlew
8 lapwing
1 goldeneye f
2 pairs tufted duck
2 redshank
2 oystercatcher
1 reed bunting m
1 red grouse seen
1 kestrel
3 heron
2 snipe chipping
1 snipe drumming
1 pied wagtail
lots of meadow pipits
plus usual species & peacock butterfly

PM Mytholmroyd
Redacre Wood

Greenwoodpecker yaffling
GS woodpecker drumming

Mytholmroyd garden

Sparrowhawk taking a blue tit
Curlew over

Walshaw and environs

Late am, early pm.

Good to be out on a fine Spring day.

9 greylag geese.
2 oystercatchers.
15 lapwings.
13 curlews.
2 reed buntings. (1m, 1f.)
2 snipe drumming repeatedly. 3 snipe chipping.
5 red grouse.
1 skylark.
1 grey wagtail.
2 pied wagtail.

Plus usual species.

1 common frog + lots of dead ones.

Blake Dean and Widdop, 4th April 2015

On a late morning/early afternoon stroll and general potter about, I saw/heard the following:
grey wagtail, Blake Dean,
lapwings, stock doves and snipe (chipping), The Ridge,
oystercatcher pair and cormorant, by Widdop Res',
meadow pipits and red grouse in abundance above The Scout and on Greave Dike Flat and a curlew over,
peregrine, high over and
stonechat, male, below The Scout.
I also saw a common lizard and wimberry bumblebee (Bombus monticola).  Disappointingly, no wheatears.

Regards, C. Jepson-Brown

Mixenden etc

It was just a quick look out this morning before the family arrive!
Mixenden - pair of Tufted Duck, 4 Goldeneye (1drake). Movers 1 ad Common Gull, 1 ad L b B Gull and 3 Herring Gull >N

Cold Edge - c190 Fieldfare high >NW at 11:30
Apologies HC - saw you from a distance at Fly Flatts but I ran out of time!!

Today, in Halifax Town centre in the bright sunshine, I watched the stream as I often do. Grey wagtails are common there , Mallard and Heron also visit, once trout were a common sight in the water, on one occasion a roe deer!
What I often see are the dippers and again I saw one this morning as I parked for work.
This lunchtime I saw it or another yet again, this time with nesting material in it's beak. I moved carefully so only the top of my head showed above the parapet, and waited.
The bird bobbed up and down on it's rock, looking around, then it flew to another stone nearer to me , it paused longer this time, bobbing all the time, looking all around, the sun was hot on my back, then it flew again, a rock out of my sight, but moments later I saw it fly upward to the large hole in the bank, way above the water level, that I had noticed earlier.
I waited and in a few moments it emerged without the grass moustache it entered with, later I saw it fly downstream, zipping past my new watching place.
I have observed the dippers in the past flying upstream into a tunnel, I wonder if tuesday's rain flushed that nest away and they are now trying a less flood prone site.
I will spend more lunchtimes watching!

Fly Flatts

14 Herring Gulls came through from the east and loafed about on the Res'r for half hour before heading off >NW.
1 ad L B B Gull
2 Oystercatchers, 6 Lapwings and 2 Curlew
A Kestrel and that was it in the atrocious conditions - again!

Nothing doing at Mixenden Res'r today.