Mixenden Reservoir etc....

Heavy showers today - maybe something would drop in ! Not to be but it was interesting to see a few hirundines and Swifts feeding in the south-west corner. After watching them for a while I noticed May Flies emerging from the water - as soon as they took flight they were immediately 'scoffed'. So interesting to watch the Swifts zooming in on them - and they were gone - a very short adult life indeed !! Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch and House Sparrow also joined in the fly-catching feast.

Sparrowhawk and Grey Heron also about there and I also found a Coal Tit nesting in the wall right next to the main road.

Also scoped Fly Flatts from the top road for a while as the heavy showers came in. Usual species at a distance but a male Wheatear was nice to see close by.

Peregrine Falcon

      A few pics of the Piece Hall Peregrines

Soil Hill; Updates from the week

Soil Hill

-1 Shelduck flew north on the 19th, distantly over Thornton Moor Reservoir. This is a patch tick for me, number 116

-On the 16th, in the evening, a Cuckoo was mobile around the North Slope area

-On the 16th and 17th a pair of Grey Partridge was observed on Taylor Lane

Migrant numbers seem to be up to their usual contingent, with at least 5 Whitethroat and 8 Willow Warblers holding territory, although still no sign of any Sedge Warblers. A Grasshopper Warbler has been reeling on and off below Taylor Lane. A few Swifts have been around but not as many as would be hoped for. House Martins have been seen on two dates during the week, both flybys.

An impressive performance from the local Snipe population, with at least 5 birds displaying and no doubt numerous others tucked away in the sedges. Quite the spectacle. 

-Common Shelduck

-Grey Partridge

-Common Cuckoo

Ogden and Soil Hill

    A few pics from Ogden and Soil Hill today, a day that started off slow but picked up later.

   Barn Owl, Oystercatcher flyby, Mistle Thrush, Meadow Pipit, Kestrel, Skylark, Willow Warbler,

   also seen were Whitethroat, Grasshopper Warbler, Cuckoo, Curlew, Lapwing, Greylag Geese.

    

    

Kingfisher busy at Cromwell

 Kingfishers being very active and great to see them flourishing down there.

 Also nice to see the Reed Warbler at the reserve sounded to be plenty of them there.

Redstart

              Redstart seen this morning 14/05/22 at Ogden Water, well chuffed as its a first for me,

               what a beautiful little bird.

Shibden Park

 3 young Coots

Cold Edge

male Grey Wagtail

Wainstalls

Whitethroat, perched and in song flight

Swifts at last....!

We usually expect Swifts to arrive towards the end of April / into May. I think our first ones reported this year were 2 over Cromwell Bottom this last Tuesday 3rd May (MH) and on the same day one over Hebden Bridge. A few more today from Hardcastle Crags x 1, Claremount x 1, Mytholmroyd x 2 and Hebden Bridge (Mytholm) x 3.  

Hopefully a few more in the next few days for a bird that has been in decline locally, and nationally, over the last few years.

Cold Edge

2 Red-legged Partridges. And 3 female Wheatears.

Swales Moor and Mixenden

Ringby Lane this morning - not a lot..

Male Whitethroat in song was about the best bird for the morning

Curlew came over very high calling - and chasing a Buzzard

c70 Carrion Crows on the top must be feeding at the processing plant ?

Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 2 Swallows, 4 Skylarks and 8+ Meadow Pipits, 2 Linnet.

Mixenden Reservoir

2 Sand Martins, 3 Swallows - still no House Martins here.

2 adult B H gulls >W

2 Linnets on the dandelion clocks

Sparrowhawk over as well as 4 L B-b Gulls >N

Cold Edge

1 male Whinchat

'Continental' Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis.  Rear edge of yellow gular patch drops vertically from the gape.

Also 1 female Wheatear.

Cold Edge

1 Common Sandpiper

2 female Wheatears

 Ringstone and Dean Head in the last 10 days.

A few photos from my visits to Ringstone and Dean Head area on a few occasions in the last ten days.

The Bar Tailed Godwit was a pleasant surprise as were the male and female Ring Ouzel. albeit distant views of the latter. Plenty of Wheatear.

Cold Edge

Yesterdays Whimbrel still there this morning, thought it would have moved on. Thanks to BS for this mornings update.

I managed a couple of half-decent shots yesterday with the Panasonic Lumix. A scarce bird locally, being a spring passage bird here that winters in Africa and breeds in Northern Europe.

Click on the shots to enlarge to show the dark eye-stripe and dark top to the head with a pale crown stripe. Much shorter bill and slightly smaller than our local Curlews, with a few other subtle differences.