HUMMING BIRD HAWK MOTH

 A beautiful humming bird hawk moth seen from our window in Walsden yesterday, flapping furiously round our car.  (Well, I know it's not a bird but it was the size of a small bird!) It didn't linger long though.

Sandra

Whiteholme Reservoir

Had a couple of visits to Whiteholme this week. The reservoir is full to the brim, with gallons flowing out of the overflow. However, the center 'island' is still showing so that alone should be enough to bring a few birds in over the Autumn.

• At around 10:15 three Common Tern flew slowly SW across the reservoir, before disappearing over the hillside. At 10:21 they returned, this time much higher up and calling, before heading off NW. Please excuse the sloppy photo editing, I did it on my phone. 

• On the 24th a Whimbrel flew over heading SWish. Calls were heard four times, but the bird was not seen.

• On the 24th a juvenile Little Ringed Plover was present on the island. Today an adult was present on the remnant shoreline in the NE corner. 

In total managed 13 species this morning, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S145730000

-Common Terns

On the 24th I also called in a Ryburn Reservoir to check out the recent Little Egret seen there. It arrived while I was there but was lost behind the trees and I couldn't find it again.

-Little Egret

Cold Edge

Juvenile Tufted Duck. (Thanks Dave S for pointing out that the bill size and shape are wrong for Little Grebe)

Juvenile Skylark

Barnacle Goose

Copley area.

This afternoon, despite the threat of rain it did stay just about dry. 

Walking alongside the River Calder, looking up above North Dean Wood it was really good to see loads of Swifts (maybe 60+ or possibly double that number - they are impossible to count in those feeding frenzies) all feeding high over the trees. Just further up river, near the viaduct 40++ House Martins were also busy along with just a few Swallows though we didn't locate any Sand Martins with them.

A Buzzard went high overhead carrying prey and 2 female Goosander were on the river with two Chiffchaffs still in song.

Late afternoon a drake Common Scoter turned up at Ogden Reservoir. A nice find JJL.

Whiteholme

Juvenile Wheatear

 

Whiteholme

21 of 23 Greylags

1 Wheatear

And a stoat at Blackstone Edge. The black tip to the tail (as well as its size) shows it is not a weasel

Ringstone

 Three Black-Tailed Godwit in the field at Ringstone this morning

 

Hardcastle Crags

 Not many birds found in the crags today but did manage a couple of 'gems'.

Target bird was Spotted Flycatcher - we found a pair - just before we returned to the car park.

Best I could do with my Panasonic Lumix.

Spotted Flycatcher

Also a Woodcock flushed as we walked through the woodland. It did two circuits then disappeared into the bracken. 

Warley Moor / Ovenden Moor

 A single Drake Common Scoter 'sleeping' on Fly Flats res'r this morning which I scoped from the top road. Tricky at a distance in the rain but it did keep popping it's head up to secure identification. Distant waders too far away in the conditions though there were still a few Curlew about. Lots of Swifts feeding over the water and the upwind on the west facing hillside.

Sad to see a fully fledged juvenile Lapwing with a broken wing - maybe flew into a fence line. Adult was still in attendance. It was sad to leave them to it though the injured bird was still feeding well but chances of survival are probably nil.

An Oystercatcher on Ogden this afternoon, 2 Grey Herons, 6 LBB Gulls, 1 adult Herring Gull and 7 Black-headed Gulls. Not a lot else.

Shibden Park

sinensis Cormorant juvenile. Another shot which shows very clearly how, in this subspecies, the rear edge of the yellow gular patch drops vertically from the gape