January 2023 update to 12th.....

 Plenty of wet weather so far this month has definitely curtailed activities on the birding front. Not for some, the lack of getting out there. It just makes finding things a lot trickier !

1st Jan - A Shelduck at Ringstone  Res'r (AC PD). A Goldeneye on Dean Head in the Scammonden valley (PD). Flock of c170 Fieldfare in Walshaw Dean (MB). Kingfisher at Salterhebble (WG).

2nd Jan - Pair of Stonechats on Castle Carr Road near Wainstalls and c180 Fieldfare nearby. Shelduck and Barn Owl at Gorple (AC Ncd et al) and a Kingfisher on the canal at Mytholmroyd (DW)

3rd Jan - A Woodcock was flying low over Todmorden station car park (CMS)

4th Jan - male and female Goosander on Withens Clough res'r (NG)

5th Jan - Pink-footed Geese went over Ogden in the mist unseen with 30 over Todmorden shortly after (JR) and c180 over Lee Mount across mid-day with possibly the latter over Todmorden half-hour later (SB). Another 88 'pinks' >W over Green Withens at 13:20, 40 over Northowram at 15:09 then over and Lee Mount at 15:15. Another 218 >W over Jumble Hole at 16:20. Two Goldeneye were on Cromwell Bottom ski-lake with 7 Tufted Duck and 5 Mute Swan, 10 Cormorant,6 Goosander and a Kingfisher in that area (JJL)

6th Jan - 44 Pink-footed Geese >W over Swales Moor at 09:45 (DJS) were also seen over Wainstalls at 09:50 (MM) and probably the same lot over Hebden Bridge shortly after (SD).

7th Jan - 5 Shelduck on Ringstone (PD). Kingfisher on Shibden Park lake (IS). Dipper, 2 Teal and 16 Moorhens at Sunny Vale (MSt). Barn Owl near Heptonstall (NG). Cromwell ski-lake held 24 Goosander, 8 Tufted and 4 Goldeneye (MH). A Water rail was photographed at Cromwell Bottom (AW).

8th Jan - 3 Whooper Swans briefly on Fly Flats (BS) had moved on by early afternoon. 60+ Redwing on the moor just above Manor Heath (S).  Flocks of 60 'pinks' went >W over Slack Top at 13:20 (SiB) and another flock over Pellon at 14:30.

A real bonus bird for Calderdale was a Hawfinch in Withens Clough feeding on beech-mast at around 09:40 - thanks to WG and JG for reporting this sighting and promptly sending in a description of the birds location and circumstances. Further checks at the site have drawn blanks though there is always a possibility it's still in the area.

9th Jan - 55 'pinks <W over Lightcliffe at 10:45 (WG) and 3 Shelduck on Ringstone (AC). 

12th Jan- 32 'pinks' >W over Northowram at 11:55 (AC). Withens Clough produced a male Brambling in with the Chaffinch flock in beech trees at the top of Withens Lane with a Green Woodpecker and Reed Buntings near the reservoir outfall (DJS).