Yesterday

Juvenile Bullfinch in the garden yesterday with the adult male in the feeder

 Bullfinch

 

 

Male Stonechat with at least one juvenile nearby at Cold Edge earlier this week

Male Stonechat

 

Other news from yesterday evening an adult Black-tailed Godwit at Ringstone on the shoreline early evening but it soon moved on (JB). 1 Curlew and c20 Sand Martins also there along with Swallows and a few Swifts.

Fly Flatts and Cold Edge

Rained and fogged off this morning at Fly Flatts so tried Cold Edge where things improved bird wise but not the weather - other than the fog lifted lower down
Cold Edge
4+ Reed Buntings
1 m Stonechat with a juvenile
1 S E O distant
1 Curlew
1 Snipe
Little Grebe pair +1 juv
45 Lapwing
1 Tufted Duck
Plenty Swifts and Swallows over the dams

Fly Flatts later on - fog lifted but still heavy rain
2 Wheatear
30+ Swifts >N
2 Common Sandpipers
1 Barnacle Goose + the usuals !
Not a sign of any terns moving

Fly Flatts

I tried up there earlier on thinking maybe something would turn up after/during the rain and mist - not much doing though.
2 Common Sandpipers
1 Lapwing
1 Barnacle Goose with 4 Greylags and the usual Canadas
1 f Tufted Duck
c50 Swifts
5 Swallows >NW
No Wheatears
Still no Twite - I have a bit of seed left so will carry on another week or two to use it up then give it up as a bad job same as BS is thinking.! No Twite recorded there for 2 years now.

Soil Hill

Did not expect much on the hill given the weather but was pleasantly surprised when a Common Tern drifted over going north. Thats my 70th species on the hill, quickly followed by number 71 when an Oystercatcher flew past me going south.

Species List: Linnet (9), Feral Pigeon (2), Common Tern (1), Lesser Black-Backed Gull (~20 Blogging), Blackbird (1), Swift (7), Meadow Pipit (~20-30), Skylark (9), Black-Headed Gull (1), Lapwing (~40), Mistle Thrush (2), Stock Dove (1), Carrion Crow (5), Wheatear (1 Juv), Woodpigeon (3), Swallow (2), Oystercatcher (1), Common Gull (1), Starling (~60), Pheasant (3), Kestrel (1), Dunnock (1),

Claremount Buzzard

             Buzzard soaring around Claremount on Saturday.
             2 Kestrel hovering same area later on and 2 Bullfinch,
             Green, Gold and Chaffinch in garden.

Birdfair?

Any Calderdale birders going to the Birdfair this year? Be good to catch up with old friends.

Ogden and Bradshaw areas

I had a check around in the rain for feeding gull flocks which were taking advantage of the worms coming to the surface in the various wet fields
No med Gulls !
200+ B H Gulls
50+ L B B Gulls
60+ Common Gulls
All gulls mostly full adults with just a very small number of juveniles or sub adults. Early returners from the breeding grounds I guess.

High Royd

Sewage works upstream from Sowerby Bridge early afternoon in the heavy rain
10+ Carrion Crows on the filter beds
c50 House Martins
c60 Swallows
A few Pied Wagtails and 1 Grey Wagtail
The rest of the site is impossible to check !

Fly Flatts

Nothing new at all this morning. the whole area was pretty dead apart from 2 Common Sandpipers, 48 Lapwings and c10 Kestrels.
Not a Swift in sight either !

Blackbirds feeding young at Withens Head and met Dave B up there having taken some very good photo's.

Fly Flatts

Yesterday morning before the drizzle and mist crept in.
Thank's to Nick from last night the Green Sandpiper was still there until at least 10:00 at the NW end but kept hiding away !
At least 8 Common Sandpipers
100+ Swifts
2 Swallows
1 Sand Martin
Barnacle Goose with 4 Greylags and 200+ Canadas
6 Kestrels
1 distant SEO
3 B H Gulls and 15 L B B Gulls >W

Green Sandpiper

On the way to Walshaw Dean last night we stoped off at Fly Flats, viewing from the road when a Green Sand flew in to the north east corner. No time to go and look for it but its still there today.

Upland burning

An interesting article on RSPB.org.uk media centre.
10 year RSPB lead study reveals the extent of Upland burning across Britain !
Link is
 http://t.co/zMrOCTpEd9

Fly Flatts

Still blustery and drizzle up there this morning.
Distant SEO and C Buzzard
3 Common Sands, one left high >NE
1 Sand Martin and a few Swifts >SW
1 Wheatear
12+ Kestrels
Barnacle Goose still with the Canada's and 4 Greylag Geese
1 Little Owl at Withens Head

Fly Flatts

An hour there this afternoon didn't produce a lot with drizzle in the air
3+ Kestrels
4 Lapwings
2 Common Sandpipers
2 Redshank
Barnacle Goose still with the Canada's
1 Wheatear

Jumble Hole

An adult and juvenile  green woodpecker have been around a lot the last few days, and this morning sat on the garden wall for a while. Picture quality is poor as it was taken on a camera phone.

The two whitethroat are still singing like mad, and appear incredibly tame, giving views sometimes down to 5 feet. A buzzard drifted over at the weekend with crows in attendance.

Wainstalls

This afternoon a pair of Little Owls with at least 3 juvs just flying maybe some photos later if they are any good ! Another pair nearby but no juvs found.
Not a lot else other than a few mipits and 2 Skylark
Plenty Kestrels around, 1 Willow Warbler and a few Linnets, Swallows and Swifts though just 1 House Martin.

Juvenile Little Owl

Shelducks

13 Shelducks Over Walshaw Dean at Dusk on Friday night were followed by 24 at dusk on Saturday. 1 juv Wheatear at High Road Well Moor today.

New to Calderdale/SEO

Hello
Just moved to calderdale(sowerby bridge/friendly) to be precise.I am a keen birder and cant wait to get exploring the area.Would be greatful if anybody could suggest areas for me to go out birding? My first trip out was up to wainstalls last night,was lucky enough to see this Short Eared Owl perched on a post the hunting for a good 20 minutes.Pretty good first evening out so ive high hopes for my birding in calderdale.Cant wait to get posting.Thanks Matt

Fly Flatts

Late morning with a strong >SW checking the northern end with just 2 Common Sandpipers and 1 Redshank present though still plenty shoreline
c10 Kestrels
10 Swifts >NE

Movers  >SW
5 Sand Martins
1 Raven
13 L B B Gulls
1 Common Gull
3 Black Headed Gulls
Good to meet up with NK and DW doing the rounds !

Fly Flatts

A check of the north end yesterday aftenoon produced - not much - even  less than usual!
1 Common Sandpiper was the only wader
1 juv Wheatear
5 Stock Doves >NE
1 Swallow and just a few Swifts all high >NE
8 Kestrels

Withens Head
1 Little Owl

Fly Flatts

Very quiet last two mornings up there. Poor weather yesterday and some mist and light drizzle today with plenty of shoreline for waders but still no migrants.
A few Swifts 40+ feeding over the res'r
Barnacle Goose still with the Canadas (now nearly with the juvs 400 !!!) and a pair of Greylags with juvs
Plenty of Kestrels 10+ with fledged juveniles and 1 distant SEO this morning

Juvenile Heron out of nest.

A young heron had come out of it's nest in Triangle over the weekend. Apparently it survived overnight but died the next evening.

Whimbrel.

One flew north over the house at Skircoat Green this morning at 6.20. It called several times recalling a Little Grebe. A new "garden" tick for me!!

short eared owls

A pair of short eared owls were hunting over the moor above Cragg Vale on Turvin Road today at about 7:30 pm

Leo chicks

Out checking on long eared owl nest last night. 1-2 fledged young hunger calling from a site that's known about but new this year. If you go out looking (listening) for them, this is what to listen out for. Nick D is co-ordinating a survey to try determine how many nesting pairs we have in Calderdale (no owls to be seen on the video by the way, just there for the audio!).

Cold Edge etc

1 male Stonechat near the top dam
Little Grebe adult + 1 on the top pond
1 Kestrel
Hardly any waders about other than a few Lapwings
2 Tufted Duck
A  few Skylarks and Meadow Pipits still feeding young
1 pair Little Owls

Juvenile Swallows at 'The Withens'

We were doing the Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey in fairly good and improving conditions and found 2 Common Blues near Moorlands Farm. A few Small Heaths and Small Tortoiseshells scattered about, 1 Red Admiral and just one White and 1 Meadow Brown. Just out of the survey area there were quite a few Ringlets near the plantation just below the lower dam

Fly Flatts

Stoodley Pike from Fly Flatts

A similar day to yesterday with heavy showers rushing through.
Not a lot different up there this morning, about the same as yesterday, though Swifts were even morel in evidence with c80 mainly feeding over the res'r and not deterred even in the heavy showers
1 Reed Bunting singing in the juncas
4 Raven >S
3 L B B Gulls >NW
2 Kestrels

No sign of yesterdays Golden Plover flock at 'Nolstar'
c25 Black Headed Gulls resting on Cold Edge dams

Fly Flatts etc

Late morning check with very heavy showers coming through thick and fast...
8+ Common Sandpipers
2+ Redshank
2+ Curlew
35 Lapwing on the shoreline
100+ Canadas and the Barnacle Goose still with them
Blackbird feeding young !
2 Kestrels
Meadow Pipits still feeding young
c40 Swifts

Withens Head
1 juv Curlew with an adult
1 Snipe 'drumming'
Pair of Linnet

'Nolstar'
17 Golden Plover
38 Lapwings including fledged juveniles

Soil Hill

Couple of bits and pieces from Soil Hill late morning/early afternoon. Highlights included:

-3 Twite that flew round from the East, banked and then flew back that way. I could not see if they went down at all, as I was in a dell when they came over.

-One Goldcrest in the small patch of trees at the base of the main track, calling frequently but only seen once

-One Red Kite which drifted down from the north, over the top of the hill high up, before looping off NE direction. 

-Red Kite

Other species included 2 Juvenile Blue Tits, Blackbird, Magpie, Linnet, Woodpigeon, Skylark, Carrion Crow, Meadow Pipit, Swift (18 in total), Whitethroat (3 including a singing male), Goldfinch, Swallow,

Osprey

Hi, first post and pretty good! Yesterday June 30th at around 9.30 am an Osprey flew over my house in Triangle. I watched it for a couple of minutes as it headed SW. Thought it was a seagull at first, then a buzzard but in binoculars it was clearly an Osprey (I've seen dozens in the US).
Is this a regular migration route or have I just been incredibly lucky?