Slavonian Grebe

 Some more pictures today from  P B - thanks Paul

Yesterday - 5th Nov

Couldn't post yesterday - of course the highlight for me was heading down to Cromwell Bottom ski-lake mainly on the track of the recent Slavonian Grebe just in case it was drawn down to this site. It wasn't there but I did manage to find 2 Scaup, 9 Tufted Duck, 1 Goldeneye and 2 Goosander on the lake. From today's news the grebe has been showing well, still in the Todmorden area. Well done to PB for the early morning find and photos and to DJB and MJB for this afternoons update and photos of the grebe and the two Scaup.

Brian Leecy sent me a very nice shot of the 'Slav' on the canal at Todmorden seen over the weekend.  Thanks Bri for being happy for me to post on here.

Grateful thanks too to, as far as I know, the original finder Bo M - well done.

Slavonian Grebe (BL)

Where might it turn up next ?

Lumbutts Lee Dam & Cromwell Bottom

  Soil Hill was fairly steady this morning, as the VizMig season slowly dries up. The highlight was 538 Fieldfare south, including one without a tail, and 297 Redwing south. The best of the rest were 35 Chaffinch south and 5 Lesser Redpoll. There were still seven Teal on the NK pond, which seem settled in for now, having been present since the last week of October.

  As autumn winds to a close, MJB and I spent the day checking different sites around the Calderdale area. Our first port of call was Lee Dam in the Lumbutts valley, where PB relocated the Slavonian Grebe that had been seen on the Todmorden Canal two days ago. It showed fantastically well at times, catching a few perch in the shallows but spending much of its time in the middle of the reservoir.

  Leaving Lee Dam, we checked New Mill Dam just down the valley and had a drake Mandarin. Next we checked Whiteholme in case something interesting was visiting, but it was not. A quick check of Ringstone brought us a drake Gadwall, which is presumably the same bird originally found by PD on the 3rd November. A Little Grebe was also on the reservoir here. 

  We ended the day checking out the Ski Lake at Cromwell Bottom, to see if the two Scaup found by DJS the previous evening were still present. Initially it looked like they might have moved on, as we could only see seven Tufted Ducks and three Goldeneye from the restaurant viewpoint. It was not all lost however, as MJB spotted a pair of Shoveler sleeping at the very far end of the lake. 

  Walking along the canal to get another perspective, we were able to refind the Scaup. They showed well but it was difficult viewing from the towpath and we eventually went back to the restaurant, from which they were now viewable. With clear views, we decided that the birds were a 1st winter female and a 1st winter male. 

A thoroughly enjoyable day of inland birding!

-Slavonian Grebe

-Greater Scaup

-Gadwall

-Shoveler

In total managed 44 species at Soil Hill, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S201550604

In total managed 22 species at Lee Dam, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S201584281

In total managed 16 species at Ringstone Edge, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S201584345

In total managed 27 species at Cromwell Bottom, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S201584373

Shibden Park

Newly arrived Mute Swan

Tufted Duck: 2 males

Ringstone Edge

  At 15:50 PD messaged out that there was an excellent assemblage of Wildfowl on Ringstone, including Gadwall which would be a Calderdale tick for me, and Pochard which would have been a yeartick. Given that the light was already fading, I decided to race up there and arrived with just enough time to scan the reservoir. 

  The bulk of the ducks were easy to pick out, with the water calm their shapes stood out conspicuously. The drake Gadwall and Shoveler were very easy, nestled into a flock of 8 Wigeon. There was also an Athya sp. in the flock, but it wasn't a drake (like PDs Pochards) and with the bird remaining asleep almost the entire time, and struggling with the light, I could not confidently ID it. From what I could make out it was probably just a Tufted Duck. I was unable to pick out the Pochard, but they could easily still be there somewhere in the gloom. 

  A brilliant selection from PD. Hopefully more Wildfowl will come in the following days. 

-Gadwall & Shoveler

-Wigeon, Gadwall, Shoveler & Athya sp.

In total managed 10 species this evening, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S201285207

Soil Hill & Ogden

  At lunchtime I went down to Ogden to have a look at the drake Shoveler found in the morning by BS, on the way picking up JJL, also on his way to see the bird. We quickly picked up the Shoveler on the east bank, but as we were making our way towards it I was distracted by one of the gulls in the middle of the reservoir. 

  Helpfully it was not particularly distant and it took no time at all to confirm my suspicions that the bird was a Mediterranean Gull. It was bathing in the middle of the reservoir, occasionally flying around, for around 15 minutes before it flew to join the gulls roosting on the west bank. We headed round and had very close views of the bird preening, before after around 20 minutes it flew off south towards Mixenden Reservoir, and did not return whilst we were there. 

-Mediterranean Gull

-Shoveler

In total managed 23 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S201112759

  The morning on Soil Hill was very frustrating, with the fog only beginning to lift at around 09:00 and even then not clearing fully until after 10:00. Fortunately there were good numbers of thrushes still to be observed with 574 Redwing and 580 Fieldfare, but many others heard only in the fog. The only other bird moving in any numbers were Starling with 226 heading southwest. 

  Additionally of interest were three Teal on the NK Pond and four Grey Partridge on Perseverance Road. 

-Fieldfare

In total managed 42 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S201091557

Trektellen count here; https://www.trektellen.org/count/view/767/20241102