Mixenden Reservoir and Soil Hill

Reservoir checked several times today till last light. No sign of the recent Smew - just a female type Goldeneye there all day and that was it.

One flyover Lapwing at Mixenden mid-day. Elsewhere - at least 3 skeins of Pink-footed Geese between 12:50 and 2:40 reported today heading west - 109, 200 and 150.

Snow Bunting found and photographed on Soil Hill on 1st January - a great find JJL.

Mixenden Reservoir

The site turned up another 'belter' late afternoon yesterday (28th Dec) from BS with a red-head Smew. It's been a long time since this species was recorded in Calderdale, maybe even as far back as 1999 though I will have to check the records since then. 

Pictures from BS on his West Yorkshire Birding blog along with a drake Common Scoter there at the same time for good measure. Well done Bri. 

What an end to the year - unless you find something else in the next couple of days.

Several of us checked the site in the fog this morning but it had gone. Just 4 Goldeneye present along with a Goosander and a Cormorant. Still, it's worth checking other waters in Calderdale in case it's moved to another nearby reservoir.

Extract on Smew - post 1950 - from 'The Birds Of Halifax' compiled by our Recorder N C Dawtrey.

Double checked the reports since 1999 - no further records until this one yesterday at Mixenden. Almost 23 years to the day - if I can count !!

Cromwell Bottom

Took an hour or so down there late morning in view of 'the clag' up on the hills especially when I checked Mixenden reservoir earlier. Perhaps just short of 400 gulls at Mixenden but nothing out of the ordinary amongst them other than a smart looking drake Goosander.

The river and the ski-lake were the most productive but the latter is difficult to scan successfully and it's easy to miss anything out of the ordinary.

River - 5 Little Grebe and 10 Goosander

Ski-lake - 2 Whooper Swans arrived soon after 12:00 (maybe the same two reported at Ringstone Reservoir earlier. They left there at 11:37 (GS, RR)

2+ Teal

3+ Tufted Duck

Pair of Goldeneye

Thanks for the attached photos of the Whoopers taken later on by M St.

Beacon Hill

1 male Siskin

 Also (in Long Lane) 2 Tree Sparrows

Mixenden Reservoir

Second winter Iceland Gull turned up there mid morning around 11:00 and stayed at least till 11:50 when I left the site. Not checked my photos as yet but it was a fair way off  for the range of the Panasonic Lumix bridge camera. The bird seemed to have left the site early afternoon. NK and BS et al. Hopefully it will turn up again in the coming days (?)

This is the best I could do (on the shoreline just left f the Cormorant) looks darker zoomed in ! 

Thought at first second winter but not sure now after looking at the photos ?

It was probably attracted in by the number of gulls that use the reservoir to rest, preen and bathe. Around 120+ B H gulls, 150+Common Gulls, 10+ Herring Gulls and one L B B Gull (the latter looked very dark like intermedius). Impossible to get an accurate count of gulls as they were coming and going all the time.

Also present Grey Heron (flyover), Cormorant and Sparrowhawk

Shibden Valley

 Blackbird

Report 2019

I have had a few people wanting the 2019 report so I have dropped 10 copies off at Woodlesford News, GO LOCAL shop at Pellon- Mount tabor price £6. I am still working on the next one which will hopefully be out sometime next year.

Bird Reports

Nick still has around 20 copies of the 2019 Bird Reports as yet unsold so please let him know if you would like to purchase one. It will help cover the costs of publication

The next report will be Nick's 30th consecutive one and is likely to be a combined one for 2020 and  2021 so publication will be in 2022. Any outstanding records for this year then please send them in by this year end. Thank you.

Shibden Valley

 Redwing