Friday, June 29, 2018

Lumbutts

Just had a quick look on my way back from the tip.

Lee Dam.
No waterfowl seen on main dam, did not check upper due to work being done on footpath.
Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Chaffinch most notable singing.

Longfield Dam.
3M 1F Tufted Duck on dam.
1 adult Canada Goose just visible on far bank, may have been others present, the banks are very overgrown these days.
3F Mallard.
Nothing visible on fields opposite apart from a couple of Woodpigeon, again very overgrown compared with past years.

Also, I normally park opposite the Shepherds Rest and walk to Longfield Dam, but there were over a dozen cars there and along the road. I believe at weekends it has become a major issue, with large numbers parking to walk up to the "beach" at Gaddings Dam. What effect all this might be having on the wildlife is up for debate, I suppose.

Finally, in Todmorden I saw the first of no doubt many juvenile Jackdaws today. I haven't seen any obvious juvenile Grey Wagtail again, although regular adult sightings, and as far as I've seen there have not been any Mallard chicks on the Calder in the town centre this year.
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2 comments:

David Sutcliffe said...

Interesting report Phil. Shame about potential disturbance on upland waters. This seems to happen on several reservoirs now even though there are footpaths away from shorelines

10:01 pm
Steve Blacksmith said...

Mallards- I have seen broods about in Tod, Phil. On the canal, though these are often hybrids.
Moorhens reared three young at the Tod marina, the nest being in a tyre hung vertically on the side of a boat!

I failed to find any juvenile Grey Wagtails until I walked along the Hebble Beck below Halifax Railway Station where a pair was feeding at least one flying young.

Breeding season has been very odd. One site in Halifax where I have four boxes had no attempts, (usually Tit sp.) but in Tod in a large garden Kestrels reared 5 chicks which were ringed by Steve Downing.

Great Tits in a box near my kitchen in Halifax had 8 young doing well until a young cat climbed up, put its paw in, pulling the nest up whereupon the chicks died underneath. It seems to be just young cats that do this kind of atrocity.

A birder at Gorpley Clough last Sunday had seen flying Dipper juvs there earlier on.

A Kingfisher caught a fish below Hollas Bridge (Copley New Development) this morning and flew off along the river with it. Probably breeding. Moorhens bred there, but a pair of Goosanders seemed as if they had failed this year. A female was photographed with 9 young, apparently all the same clutch, at Cromwell Bottom. The picture is a charmer; the ducklings in a ring on a part-submerged tyre. Recommend a view on Cromwell Bottom Wildlife Group's blog.

11:07 pm

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