Walshaw Dean etc

Checked Cromwell Bottom first thing to see if Mikes 3 Egyptian Geese were still about from yesterday - but no show, so probably moved on. The 4 Scaup are still there along with 1 Tufted Duck and 7 Goldeneye including 4 female types.

We headed up to Walshaw Dean, with a few 'sarnies' and stayed most of the afternoon including a walk up to the lower end of the middle res'r. Our main target bird was the Crossbills that keep appearing in the plantation given the amount of spruce cones. Failed miserably to locate any Crossbills, as did others there, some of whom spent nearly all day waiting for the chance of some photos. Several sightings there of a mix of  a few Redpolls, Siskins, Coal Tits, Goldcrests and Great-spotted Woodpecker as well as a singing Song Thrush.

Plenty of activity in the dean with one flock of 60+ Curlew, around 140+ Lapwings and 200+ Starlings all making the most of feeding in the sheep pasture. Two Ravens went over high, briefly mobbing  a lone Buzzard. Only 1 Kestrel seen. A distinct lack of thrushes other than 2 Song and a Mistle Thrush and 2 Stonechats running the fence lines. 

27 species altogether and enjoyed in the continuous sunshine.

Egyptian Geese

 Mike Sharpe found 3 Egyptian Geese  yesterday at Cromwell Bottom Ski Lake , 4 Scaup still present .

Around and about !

Mixenden res'r - nothing doing at all there other than a few Common and Black-headed Gulls and 3 Herring Gulls.

Elsewhere - c200 Starlings, 1 Red Grouse and 2 Skylarks in the field at Withens Head and 4 Skylarks off Cold Edge Road.

17 species at Ogden this afternoon but certainly a lack of small birds ! 56 Pink-footed Geese went very high >W at 3pm.

Also c140 Pink-footed Geese went >W over Skircoat late morning (WG)

A surprise report this afternoon from MS at Cromwell Bottom - 3 Egyptian Geese there and photographed. The 4 Scaup are still there on the ski-lake - wonder if they will move off soon ??

Withens Clough - 25th February

An interesting afternoon despite the stiff breeze there was plenty to keep our interest with 16 species.

On the water - 1 drake Goldeneye, 9 Mallard and a pair each of Goosander and Canada Geese. 

4 Curlew flew straight through >E above the water, a very welcome sight.

Elsewhere around the site 5 Reed Buntings and Chaffinch's around the lodge feeders with 11 Stock Doves nearby, 2 Pied Wagtails and 2 Mistle Thrush

The banking below the res'r had 4 Stonechats feeding together along the fence line. Two more Stonechats  were down in the clough below the car park.

Mixenden res'r and 'the moor'.

In comparison with a count of over 200 gulls on Mixenden res'r on Saturday it was a a bit different today. Gulls only just into double figures. Nothing much else around the site other than an Oystercatcher with  a few of the Black-headed Gulls. In the woodland a Great-spotted Woodpecker 'drumming' and Mistle and Song Thrush's singing.

Fly Flats was a brief visit only, picking out a good number of Canada Geese already paired up, 4 Oystercatchers, 15 Lapwings and an adult L B B Gull >NW. Sad to see a pair of Carrion Crows feeding on the carcass of a roadkill, Brown Hare.

Withens Head was quite productive given the strong gusty westerly. 2 Stonechats working the wall tops, 20+ Fieldfare feeding in among the field juncus made it difficult for an accurate count, but up to 200 Starlings were a bit more visible but always keeeping together, on the move on the ground and in the air !!

Just about to leave and noticed some movement amongst the sheep - 6 Skylarks - well chuffed with that. 

Further down towards Wainstall 4 more Skylarks made the morning outing very worthwhile.

Whiteholme

18 of 20 Greylags flying SW

Whiteholme

Female Curlew

Lee Mount and Hunter Hill

Not much to report but 3 Common Buzzards over Lee Mount across mid-day were a welcome sight - and sound from one bird constantly calling.

Long-tailed Tits are daily visitors to the 'fat' feeder. Up to 11 at times. They come and feed then move off and return soon for more, that goes on most of the day. Also Blue, Great and Coal Tits as well as a Nuthatch are also welcome visitors.

Tawny Owl singing in Shroggs Park in an evening and most mornings a Song Thrush singing first thing.

Stodfold and Hunter Hill were quite devoid of birds this afternoon though a single distant Common Buzzard was a welcome sight and a Green Woodpecker 'yaffling'. There seem to be plenty Jackdaws wherever you go !

Whiteholme

4 Mallards

Mixenden and Soil Hill

Paid a visit again to Mixenden res'r this morning. It has been a struggle to find anything there recently though during the morning and early afternoon in the winter months, lots of gulls come in to bathe and preen. There are lots of comings and goings and it's always worth a check. 

This morning was no exception with over 200 gulls on the water, mainly Black-headed along with Common Gulls, 6 Herring Gulls and a Lesser Black-backed Gull. I kept scanning through them and came across a 'different' one. The water was quite choppy at times and with some difficultly wondered if the individual could be a Mediterranean Gull as the bird was around the same size as the B H Gulls around it but showing no black at all on the wing tips, a smudgy dark patch around the eye and a red bill. Watched it for a good while but kept losing it in among the others. Eventually, it flew up. Adult Mediterranean Gull in winter plumage and showing completely white flight feathers and pale grey mantle. It landed with other gulls on the embankment and after a while lost track of it. It was always distant so didn't manage any decent photos. I came away well pleased though.

It seems it didn't stay around as BS gave it a try later in the day and it appears to have moved on.

Also around the site - 1 Common Buzzard, 2 Greylag Geese >SW and 2 Mistle Thrush landed in the plantation.

Short visit onto the summit of Soil Hill. Almost devoid of birds but 2 Skylarks were singing on the top despite the cool, windy conditions.

Cromwell Bottom

 Late morning..

Ski-lake - 4 Scaup still present associating with 8 Tufted Ducks and 5 Goldeneye nearby (3 drakes) and a pair of Goosander. 2 Little Grebes were foraging together just at the waters edge near the Scaup.

A pair of Teal were partially hidden among some of the reeds on the lagoon.

Very few small birds about other than 4 Bullfinch and a few 'tits' around the bird feeders

Song Thrush singing along the river-bank.

Recent news !

Not a lot to report but interesting to see that the 4 Scaup at Cromwell Bottom ski-lake are still there today. This is certainly not a common bird in Calderdale. When they do occur it's usually single individuals so to have this number of 'stayers' is quite unprecedented ! 

Maybe not long before they move on towards their breeding areas in Iceland, Scandinavia and northern Russia.

3 Whooper Swans were also on the lake on Tuesday along with 5 Goldeneye. (AC JJL). Oystercatchers , Curlew and Ringed Plovers have been seen returning to upland reservoirs and a cracking female Merlin on the tops as well..(PD , MH , BS)

I had a look at Cold Edge this morning. Plenty of birds around the site included 2 drake Goldeneye on the top dam were nice to see. Also there 2 Lapwings. 155 Canada Geese and 12 Greylags, c140 Starlings, 6 Herring Gulls and c150 mixed Black-headed and Common Gulls as well as 60+ Jackdaws.

Shibden Park

 Long-staying Muscovy Duck

Soil Hill

  A delightful frosty morning on Soil Hill today, with clear skies and still conditions. A few interesting birds on offer as well.

  The highlight was not one but two Red Kites which both went southwest. The first passed high over Ogden at 08:30, circling high over the old Withens pub and continuing down the valley. The second came southwest over Keelham at 09:30, keeping very low and seemingly dropping into the fields at one point, although out of sight. It eventually continued straight southwest low and directly over the Hill. I have never had more than a single Red Kite on a given day at this site.

  Additionally flushed a Jack Snipe and had a distant skein of 109 Pink-footed Geese, which flew northwest over Ilkley Moor, far to the north of the Calderdale area.

-Red Kite 08:30

-Red Kite 09:30

-Jack Snipe

In total managed 34 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S212155093

Cromwell Bottom

 Visited Cromwell Bottom yesterday to check out the wintering Scaups, now up to three individuals. They were always on the far side of the Ski Lake from the canal towpath but through the fence was able to get some nice views as they moved around with the small group of Tufted Ducks. Also a few Goldeneye on the lake as well. 

The male Scaup is looking quite dapper now!

-Scaup

Around and about....

Checked on a few spots today starting at Mixenden Res'r - always in the hope that something will turn up there. It does seem to have gone off a bit from some recent years. Still no sign of wintering Goldeneye.

1 Lapwing was a little surprising as it dropped in with the preening gull flock together with 3 Cormorants and 2 Mallard..

Gulls were disturbed several times usually landing back on the water before returning to the embankment.

60+ Black-headed Gulls, 25+ Common Gulls, 13 Herring Gulls included 6 adults, 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls included 5 adults.

Fly Flats - 1 Oystercatcher on the small spit at the bottom of the fence line was a welcome returner but the weather up there might move it on. That was the only bird other than 10 Carrion Crows loafing along the top road.

Ogden - p m in the drizzle. Not a lot better for birds than Fly Flats though a Kingfisher was darting about at the north end. Just a few gulls on the water, mostly Black-headed with a few Commons and 5 Herring Gulls.

Very few passerines other than on the feeders and a pair of Bullfinch in trees near the car park

Also interesting news from the ski-lake at Cromwell Bottom with 3 Scaup, 1 drake and 2 female types, photographed on Sunday (JJL) and again this morning from DJB.