Ogden

We had a look this afternoon and found a drake Mandarin Duck, looking very smart, near the duck feeding area hiding away near the willows. Never seen one here before though they are regularly seen in the Ryburn Valley.
Kingfisher briefly near the outflow
1 adult Herring Gull among the Black-headed and Common Gulls

Mixenden Reservoir

Right in queue for the time of year and this cold spell turned up 2 female type Goldeneye. One arrived as I was there.
1 Lapwing in the reservoir banking was unusual.
3 Tufted Duck (female with a large pure white blaze like a Scaup) but it's definitely a Tufted.
A few B H Gulls and just 4 Common Gulls and a single Cormorant.

Also checked the passerine tree belt alongside the west side but nothing doing there probably as there was no shelter from the easterly wind.

Gorple, Walshaw Dean & Blake Dean

We went to see if we could re-find the recent Water Pipit but we drew a blank after quite an extended time looking for it. No matter, it was a fantastic afternoon to be out despite the coolness after this mornings frost.
Birds not easy to find today though masses of Woodpigeons in the area and a good number of Red Grouse as well as a flock of c60 Redwings and another flock of c130 Fieldfare all >W. No Ring Ouzels though we heard from BS that he had one at Fly Flatts mid afternoon. Nice one Bri.

Walshaw plantation was well worth a check with a nice mixed flock of small birds in the tops of the spruce trees - maybe 40+ Siskin, 15+ Coal Tits, 20+ Lesser Redpoll and  a few Goldfinch with them along with a Great Spotted Woodpecker flyover.

Water Pipit

Water Pipit at Lower Gorple tonight.NCD,DF

Lee Mount and Ogden

First thing this morning - lots of Blackbirds about in the park and along St George's Road, maybe 25+ with a few Mistle Thrush's and Song Thrush's. Probably overnight arrivals.

We took an afternoon walk on Cow Hill Gate Lane this afternoon and then down to the reservoir and back along Rocks Lane. We didn't find a lot but at least it wasn't raining after 24 hrs of it !
15 Greenfinch was quite exceptional near the farms not far from 'The Moorlands'. It's a long time since we managed more than just one or two in our area.
1 Kingfisher on the reservoir
1 Kestrel along Rocks Lane

Swales Moor etc..

An interesting morning once the mist cleared from the top with a good movement of some species including...
Westerly movers
44 alba Wagtails
135 Woodpigeons
240 Meadow Pipits
9 Fieldfare
1 each of Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Skylark
+ a few other sp. from the Calder Valley including 65 and 40 Pink-footed Geese (CS and RB)

Easterly
5 Raven
3 Goosander
1 Sparrowhawk
45 Lapwings
2 Jays

1 Greenfinch near the top - an increasingly scarce bird locally nowadays !

Also a Black Redstart near Bradshaw this afternoon - a gem from JJL with photo's on his Bradshaw Birding blog.  Certainly a different bird form the one we had recently at Withens Head though it's not been reported there since around 1st October.

Copley
1 drake Teal on the long pond near Hollas Bridge
1 Moorhen - half-grown chick with an adult

Unnamed site

Barn Owl

Ring-necked Parakeets - 15th October

2 reports from yesterday - with one over Ovenden towards Shroggs Park at around 08:20 (SC) and another, or the same bird in Skircoat around 09:00 (WG).

We have had reports over recent years from around Sowerby Bridge, Warley, Greetland and Bradshaw, as well as a few other places. Anyone else seen any recently at these or other Calderdale locations ?

Mixenden Reservoir etc

Checked early afternoon including a walk around the plantation (that's a wet, soggy job)!
2 Cormorant
1 Tufted Duck
1 Green Woodpecker
2 Raven
100+ Woodpigeons - making the most of this years beech mast

Withens Head
Still no sign of the recent Black Redstart
13 Magpies, and a Raven had a serious go at one but it just escaped in time !

More “Pinks” !

This morning another good move of Pink- footed Geese

First report from BS of a skein over Fly Flatts heading towards Halifax at around 08:45. I think I saw the same flock over Lee Mount with 67 >SE at 08:56. Thanks for the E W S Bri.
c150 > SE over Beacon Hill at 09:30 (PJWS).
c80 >NW over Hipperholme at 09:30.
Massive flock of 2 skeins >SE over Lee Mount at 10:13 - the count from phone photos is 245 - update from computer later. !
Also from SB c150 >E over Halifax at 10:15.

Might be some more today !!

Cold Edge ad Withens Head

Cold Edge
1 Little Grebe
1 Grey Heron
2 Tufted Duck
2 Barnacle Geese
c120 Canada Geese
2 Greylag Geese
1 Little Owl
5 Stonechat together near the top dam
c25 Goldfinch
2 Kestrel
2 Raven

Withens Head
1 Little Owl
2 Kestrels

No sign of the Black Redstart today - but it could still be around that area !

Pink-footed Geese

Plenty 'pinks' moving west and sw over Fly Flatts earlier on this morning (BS)

Also around 30 Redwings >SE followed by 2 skeins of 'pinks' totalling around 190 birds over Lee Mount >W around 10:20 closely followed by reports of c. 300 in 3 skeins west over Skircoat Green 10.44 (SB) and c200 over Cromwell Bottom around the same time (GWH).

Various

Reports of Pink-footed Geese this morning, first from JJL of a flock heard over Bradshaw around 09:15 but unseen in the mist. Also from AvH and SB c100 >E over Holywell Green area at 11:15.

Over Lee Mount this morning - 5 Swallows over the park and earlier I called in at Jay House Lane. Nice to meet up with DF and enjoy the Tree and House Sparrows, both with lots of chirping in the shrubbery and on the building.. A lot of birds in that area. It's a shame that some of those very productive fields will probably be lost to housing development. Let's hope not !!!

Around and about late morning.

Withens Head - looking immaculate, adult male Black Redstart still, showing well on walls around Farm with at least 4 Stonechats at around 11:45

38 Mallard, 2 Tufted Duck on Fly Flatts.

3 Goosander and 3 Cormorant on Mixenden Reservoir

Hunter Hill

This afternoon I tried the east side of the hill overlooking Ogden golf course and Mixenden - mainly to get out of the blustery wind and to check the hill for Ring Ouzels. It used to be a favoured place for them and in the light of several reports in the last few days I thought there might be chance though I didn't score !
1 Swallow >W along with several Meadow Pipits
c80 Goldfinch - a nice flock on thistle heads (no Linnets with them)
2 Red-legged Partridge

Shibden Park

Wigeon male moulting out of eclipse

Ring Ouzels

1 of 4 Ring Ouzels found at Blake Dean today.
Also in the same area ,70 + Mistle Thrush , (must be a calderdale record?) Fieldfare , Redwing, Blackbird  and a single Song Thrush . Buzzard , displaying Raven , Goldfinch , Chaffinch , 3 Stonechats , Merlin , Barn Owl and Great spotted Woodpecker.

Mixenden Reservoir

Tried Fly Flatts and Withens Head first - heavy drizzle and fogged off....go home !! No.... I'll call at Mixi....
2 Swallows
1 Little Grebe
2 Cormorant
1 Moorhen
1 Common Gull
1 Fieldfare flyover >W
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel

Plenty Redwings over Shroggs Park earlier in the day - very flighty - mostly >W

Ogden golf course and Withens Head

Had an hour at the lower end of the golf course mid afternoon but it rained heavy and I gave it up as a bad job after 2 Bullfinch, 2 Chaffinch and c20 Goldfinch down in Carrs Beck area.

Called at Withens Head for 40 minutes or so just in case the Black Redstart was still about - drew a blank with that one as well. Wondering if it's gone now ?  It's been  there at least since 2nd September and possibly even longer. I'll give it another try at some point this next week.

A Redwing Day

A few Redwings about today with c18 over Shroggs Park mid-morning and later on in the day we had 14 over Jerusalem Farm in Luddenden Dean.
Also earlier from AC with c120 Redwings over Northowram and a massive day from the Oxenhope watch-point with over 2,600 >W (DCB HC).

Also we had 3 Stonechats along Castle Carr Road late afternoon though not a lot else in the dean but it was most enjoyable to call in at Bob's Tea Room !!

BTO Train the Trainer - Hollingworth Lake Wed Oct 16th

Nick Moran (BTO Training Manager) has sent the following email which may be of interest to anyone involved with training volunteers for bird and other wildlife surveys.

Dear all

I'm writing to you as BTO Regional Reps, Assistant RRs, BBS Regional Organisers, WeBS and Heronries Census Local Organisers and GBW Ambassadors to invite you to a free 1-day Train the Trainers event at Hollingworth Lake Country Park, near Rochdale, on Wednesday 16 October. This is part of a wider programme of similar events that has been made possible by a generous donation from the late Pamela Rhodes.

Travel expenses will be covered and refreshments provided, though participants will need to supply their own lunch. Further information about the day, including the topics to be covered, can be found here: https://www.bto.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=651

We're keen to make the most of this opportunity so if you are not in a position to attend yourself, we will welcome recommendations of others from your region who might benefit, including those involved in delivering Nest Record Scheme and Ringing training / demonstrations.

If you'd like to register for the event, please visit the following link: https://www.bto.org/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&id=651

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any queries or suggestions of others from within your local BTO community who might be interested in this opportunity.

Kind regards,
Nick Moran
BTO Training Manager

Gorple and Blake Dean

Gorple - 2 hrs of not much at all. ! No sign of the Rock Pipit.
1 male Stonechat
c80 Mallard
3 Greylag Geese and a Canada
17 Lapwing high. >Nw
2 alba wagtails
2 Red-legged Partridge

In contrast Blake Dean was 'buzzing'
Male Ring Ouzel with c15 Mistle Thrush all in the field, near Widdop Gate pull in, got 'spooked' by a Peregrine
2 Sparrowhawks
6 Redwing
c10 Reed Buntings
6 House Martins
c20 Swallows
Plenty Meadow Pipits

Rock Pipit

A few more photos

Rock Pipit still at Lower Gorple

Me and DF refound the Rock Pipit today at Lower Gorple feeding in the inflow for 30 minutes before flying in to the outflow where AM and SBP also had great views.

Withens Clough Reservoir

We had a mid-morning visit in glorious sunshine and a cool wind, very pleasant and great to be outside and staying dry after all the rain the last few days.

Bracken area opposite the car park
1 Whinchat
4+ Stonechats
8+ Reed Buntings
20+ Goldfinch
Plenty of Meadow Pipits moving through and 'blogging'

Reservoir circuit
1 alba wagtail
1 Tufted Duck
2 Canada Geese

Moving birds - all >W
4 Swallows
1 Skylark
1 Merlin
2 Reed Buntings
8 Chaffinch
260+ Meadow Pipits - but they were moving on a very broad front so there were many more not counted

Rock Pipit

Rock Pipit tonight at Lower Gorple, NCD, AC..It  was seen for about 10 minutes by to drain at the Keepers cottage side of the dam. It may still be present tomorrow morning....

Withens Head

Black Redstart still present in grim conditions, showed briefly around 4 pm around the farm.

Mixenden Reservoir

3 'Commic' Terns there at 09:45 but distant so went home for the scope. They'd gone by the time I got back there around 10:40 with BS soaked to the skin looking for them in the meantime.

A small flock of c30 B H Gulls dropped in while we there and 15+ House Martins and 30+ Swallows were there feeding low over the water.

Merlin

Seen yesterday, not too far from where DF had his bird Saturday

Well done Lynn for getting on the bird with her camera and taking a couple of distant record shots, looks like a different bird to Dave's? Cheers