Ringstone

Up at the hide doing some repairs this morning with Geoff S so not a lot of time for birding though at least 5 single Curlews went west along with a few Swifts. We were alerted by other wader calls around 10:50 and 2 Black - tailed Godwits came through, briefly flying around the reservoir obviously looking towards the possibility of dropping in to rest and feed. They looked fantastic in flight, still in summer plumage. With little shoreline to tempt them in they soon left going high to the west.
6 Tufted Duck
A few Swallows
 Meadow Pipits feeding young
1 Moorhen
1 Kestrel
Also with the help of Steve D we finished the task in hand and the hide is up and running again with just one or two minor jobs to finish off sometime.

house sparrows

For us house sparrows are a very occasional visitor (about once/twice a year) but this year they have nested nearby and I have seen about 11 regularly, including recently fledged.  Maybe not very exciting to most people but very unusual for us!
Two dippers and a grey wagtail at Mill Bank this morning.

Mytholmroyd

One of two juvenile grey wagtails regularly seen from the bridge onto New Road seems not to have any long tail feathers. Rather the outline of a robin!

Buzzards

2 buzzards over Erringden this afternoon. Also 3 whitethroat holding territories around Jumble Hole this year

Breeding Dipper

An adult and a juvenile were in the Calder at Todmorden Bus Station this evening at about 6pm, although I have no idea of the actual nest site. It is possible there might have been other juveniles further downstream, unfortunately I was not able to hang about to check.

Fly Flats

Weather was hot and humid, not often like this up there. There was even a bloke 'skinny dipping'!!
Also met up with Alan T having done the rounds at Cold Edge.
1 + Common Sandpiper
8 + Curlew
c30 Lapwings
c60 Rooks came in briefly to feed in the top fields but soon left towards Ovenden Moor or Thornton Moor.
2 Starlings (not often seen up here)!
1 Sand Martin went though >NE
2 Kestrel
No sign of any returning juvenile Wheatears yet and no Swifts feeding over the reservoir today.

Raptor Persecution - update !

https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2016/06/22/hands-off-our-hen-harriers-picnic-at-grimwith-reservoir-yorkshire-dales-national-park/



https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2016/06/18/henrys-picnic-sat-25-june-yorkshire-dales-national-park/

Colnebridge area

Sand Martins in and out of two holes under the Leeds/Brighouse railway bridge, overlooking the canal. Same site as previous years. Female Goosander and 4 juvs at the junction of the Calder and Colne rivers. About a dozen Swallows nearby, including juvs being fed. Grey Wagtail by the canal, Cormorant over the river, and Blackcaps calling in the undergrowth.

Ringstone

A report from Alan T earlier on today 10:00 ish prompted a call up there this afternoon in the rain for the 8 Common Scoters - which are right on queue for this time of year in our area ! They were still there at least up till 18:00 (Vicki J)

Distant shot 6 males and 2 immature/female type Common Scoters

Luddenden Dean

Yesterday afternoon - very quiet in the upper dean with hardly anything doing.
1 Chiff-chaff
1 Blackcap
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Grey Heron
4 Willow Warblers
2 Mistle Thrush
and a few other usual species

Mistle Thrush

Little owl

At least one newly fledged little owl chick near Jack Bridge. Colden. This has always been a reliable site, but nice to get proof of breeding this year.

Withens Clough and reservoir circuit

Overcast today though it did stay dry while we were up there. We were maybe hoping for one or more of these species - Stonechat, Whinchat, Tree Pipit, Grasshopper Warbler and Cuckoo but we drew a blank on all 5... That's how it goes sometimes ! Other birds made up for it though.
2 Siskin
4 Lesser Redpoll
1 Garden Warbler
3+ Blackcaps
2 Common Sandpiper (just a little shoreline showing)
1 Green Woodpecker
2 Curlew
7 Lapwings >W
104 Canada Geese
Distant common Buzzard but no Kestrels
Grey Wagtails seem to have had a good year for breeding success with 2 pairs and several independent juveniles seen.
Several Meadow Pipits, Swallows, Swifts, Reed Buntings, Linnets and Willow Warblers and a bonus with some nesting House Martins.

Male Linnet

Fly Flats

Nothing much new there from yesterday morning other than..
1 Herring Gull >N
c60 Lapwing
1 Dunlin
Still around 50+ Swifts feeding over the water though I guess numbers will increase dramaticacly in the right weather conditions over the next few weeks
The reservoir is now overflowing with all the recent rain
35 Rooks (including juveniles) came in from Ovenden Moor direction again to feed on the in-bye with the Lapwings and Curlew

Rooks

Jumble Hole

Cuckoo still calling this evening. 2 whitethroat calling. Newly fledged nuthatch in the woods. Green woodpecker heard, but not seen.

Fly Flats

Late morning with the reservoir filling up rapidly with all the recent rain and no shoreline left.
Still the usual waders showing but not a lot else other than c30 Rooks (an uncommon bird at this location) foraging in the in-bye with their newly fledged youngsters.
c60 Swifts - now building in numbers along with 8 Swallows making the most of hatching insects.
1 Red-legged Partridge
2 L B B Gulls

Oystercatcher

Calderdale Species Audit List

Has any one got a list of species in Calderdale with the relevant amber green and red codes on it ..??

Hardcastle Crags and Crimsworth Dean

Mist on the tops so had a go at Crimsworth Dean first but not a lot doing throughout the woodland so I gave from Midgehole to Gibson Mill a go -and was lucky enough to locate the  3 singing Wood Warblers  (all found yesterday by Roger R.).
I managed to get a few shots of one individual below.

Weekend !

Male Redstart and a Cuckoo in Luddenden Dean on Saturday and 3 Wood Warblers singing in Hardcastle Crags yesterday (RR)
Also Cuckoo (first report from Ogden this year) (BS)

Hen Harrier Rally

Anyone interested in this?  More details to follow

https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2016/06/12/hands-off-our-hen-harriers-picnic-rally-25-june-2016-north-yorkshire/

Baitings

Was just passing Baitings this lunchtime, and stopped the car for a 2 minute look. A male common scoter on the water made me glad I did.

Elsewhere, 2 avocet were reported this morning at Higher Chelburn Reservoir, just  out of our area our side of Hollingworth Lake (thanks to Nick Wilkinson). Could turn up at Whiteholme, which is a very short distance from there?
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?hl=en&mid=14SBlMNttRi-g95Ri42MSfoMID5Q

Well done the National Trust!

https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2016/06/10/national-trust-pulls-grouse-shooting-lease-in-peak-district-national-park/

Can I suggest people e mail them to congratulate them on this welcome move (as suggested in the article).

Hen Harriers

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/en-gb/169/787/736/stop-the-illegal-persecution-of-rare-hen-harriers-in-england/?taf=1

Pied Flycatchers

We have had some breeding success in a nestbox supplied by the bird group in woodland near Hebden Bridge. A pair have raised 6 young, who are now on the verge of fledging. The male is suspected of being a first summer, but is being a very attentive parent, which young males aren't always great at.

Steve Downing and Mike Denton ringed the chicks (both licensed to do so) so with some luck we may find out a little about their future, or at least whether they return next year to the same area.

Photos are 'record shots' - my camera and its operator are pretty poor.

Red Kite

1 north over midgley moor yesterday 

Wood warbler audio

A short audio clip of the wood warbler calling at Jumble Hole. Just phone recording, so obviously the bird cannot be seen.

Shibden Mute Swans

8 cygnets in the boating lake.

Jumble Hole

Wood warbler in full song today at lunchtime. Spotted flycatcher still present this evening, along with a cuckoo.

Broadhead clough

Lovely evening walk through the wood up to the moor and back home via daisy bank 

Wood warbler singing and a cuckoo no tree pipits 

RSPB Community

Thanks to BL for this link below

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/ourwork/b/investigations/archive/2016/06/01/proceed-with-caution.aspx

Migratory Birds

https://www.change.org/p/save-europes-migratory-birds-stop-the-wind-turbine-farm-in-eilot-now

This link is worth looking at and signing
Thanks to Nick Carter for the post link