Roller accepted

The Roller at Crimsworth Dean on 2nd June 2019 as been accepted by the BBRC, so well done to everyone involved. The 2018 bird report as now sold out, so don't bother at the shop. I am now starting to put together the next Bird Report so can I please have your records in asap, before the end of January at the latest, thanks.

Mixenden Reservoir and plantation

Mid/late morning - plenty of activity
5 Goldeneye (2 drakes and some displaying)
1 Goosander
2 Cormorant
2 Moorhen
16 Mallard
1 Great Black-backed Gull adult
7 Herring Gulls
c130 Black-headed Gulls
c60 Common Gulls

The woodland is a bog so if anyone goes there make sure you have wellies on !
Plenty of activity from smaller birds in the plantation including Goldcrests, Blue,Great and Coal Tits, Chaff's and Goldfinches, Nuthatch x 2 and 2 x Great Spotted Woodpeckers as well as corvids, 120+ Woodpigeons and 2 Raven >W.

Mixenden Reservoir

Early afternoon
3 Goldeneye (1 drake)
1 Cormorant
1 red-head Goosander
c500 Woodpigeons  disturbed in the roost, many flew off towards Ogden
c45 B H Gulls
10 Common Gulls

Elsewhere - 80 Canada Geese at Cold Edge but no sign of the Barnacle Geese - not much else.

Mixenden Reservoir

I had  a check, always in the hope of something new arriving in inclement weather conditions. Nothing new this morning.
1 female Goldeneye
3 adult Herring Gulls
1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gull
A few Black-headed and a Common Gulls
No sign of the recent Chiffchaff despite a careful search of the scrub areas

Halifax

Not a lot to report recently though I did check Sainsbury's car park in Halifax this morning. Plenty of Redwings (maybe 40+) all very flighty with regular disturbance from the traffic and shoppers. Quite a few Blackbirds, Mistle Thrushes and a Song Thrush plus a few Chaffinch in among. The berried trees are rapidly being stripped !

Also from Steve C this last couple of days, lots of Redwings around Lee Mount / Shroggs Park with a good supply of holly berries in the area. Also a small family group of very confiding Goldcrests by Wheatley Close this morning.

Mixenden Reservoir

A nice surprise was a Chiffchaff which appeared four times in the hedge near the top gate this morning along with a Robin, 2 Chaffinch and a Blue Tit. No chance of a photo with it skipping about after the few insects on the leeward side of the hedge. Checked for the other sub sp. possibilities but I couldn't be sure of anything different from collybita though photographs might help if it stays around. Hardly any green on the bird, mostly brownish above, black legs, very pale buff supercilium and buff face , chest  and belly looking slightly paler towards the vent.
2 Goldeneye present - 1 female type and the other a juvenile drake
11 Mallard
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Stock Dove
100+ Woodpigeons
1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, 5 adult Herring Gulls and a good mix of Black-headed and Common Gulls

Also reported on BirdGuides on 3rd December - a Waxwing near St Peters Church, Sowerby. Could be worth a check if anyone's nearby !

Byron Edge

Stonechat - 30x optical zoom - taken ('point and shoot') with Lumix TZ80 pocket camera

Shibden Park

Goosander. 

First winter: white line through lores from eye to bill.

Cold Edge Dams

1st winter goldeneye (brown iris, fairly tame).
I think it is a male because of the amount of white on the breast. There's some sort of mark on the bill, -

nearer to the face than the yellow band on an adult female's bill - ? mud.

Snow bunting

Thanks to Dave F for the text saying he'd re-located the elusive Snow bunting up at Whiteholme on Saturday.

It was still showing well when I got there, a great bird to see despite the thick fog, a lifer for me.