Soil Hill

   A couple of visits to Soil Hill to round out 2025 have seen good numbers of snipe on offer. Both yesterday and this morning I flushed a Woodcock, this morning's individual eventually being flushed three times. And there has been an excellent count of six Jack Snipe yesterday, with five again today.

-Jack Snipe

-Woodcock

In total managed 27 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S291155425

Cold Edge - 29th December

 Second visit this week to check on the geese - just in case of anything unexpected.

Always nice to find a Pink-footed Goose associating with 68 Greylags and 112 Canadas.

Little else this afternoon other than 1 Grey Heron, 2 Kestrels and  a Cormorant on the lower dam. 

Others included 32 B h Gulls, 22 Common Gulls and 2 Herring Gulls, 

Rochdale Canal at Todmorden

  The Todmorden Shag did the polite thing and waited two weeks for me to return to Halifax, allowing me to see it. Fortunately, it did not take too long to find yesterday morning, sat on the nearside canal bank below Lock 16, adjacent to the Haugh Road Bridge. The bird seemed completely unconcerned by people passing by, giving excellent views. 

-Shag

In total managed 33 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S290492324

Cold Edge - 19th December

Two additions to Pete's recent Greylag Goose count with 34 now and a Pink-footed Goose.

Little else other than 3 Red Grouse, c60 Starlings, a Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and a few Black-headed and Common Gulls.

Also a welcome update from SB today (20th) with the Shag still present and looking good along the Rochdale Canal near Todmorden. (still there on 21st)

Cold Edge

Some of 33 Greylag Geese

Reed Bunting

Roe Deer

BTO - Ringing Recovery Report

The recent reported ring number (1713684) of the Shag on the Rochdale Canal near Todmorden has been replied to by the BTO.

It was ringed by Scan R.g as an age nestling, sex unknown, on 18th June 2025 at Puffin Island, Isle of Anglesey.

It was found 170 days after it was ringed, 136 km from the ringing site, direction ENE. 

It would be interesting to know if the bird is still around as no reports have been received this week as yet.

Special thanks to AvH for first reporting this bird to the group. Well done Annie.

Ryburn Reservoir

Dipper

Rochdale Canal ...

Managed to get to see the Shag recently reported near Todmorden. Thankfully, still there this morning and I managed a few shots including information off the metal ring - details of which are now reported to the BTO with hopefully an update in due course.

A very confiding bird but not sure that's a good thing.!! Hopefully it is managing to feed and perhaps return to it's normal habitat as a coastal bird. Plenty of activity nearby from at least 2 Kingfishers, Grey Heron and a number of Goosander, all suggesting there is plenty of food there for the taking.

Beacon Hill

Kestrel pair

Also, 135 Pinkfeet west at 1055

Around and about - 2nd December

News in today of a Shag near Todmorden. Well done and thanks to AvH for posting a photo on the birding group raising awareness to this rare bird for us. Later news advised us that it has been present since 25th November. Very few records for Calderdale. A fantastic inland find.

I managed a brief look at Cromwell Bottom to check the ski-lake which is never an easy place to view but generally the birds are undisturbed. It is a place where scarce water-fowl, can and do turn up on occasions. Not today, but 2 drake Goldeneye and 11 Tufted Duck (7 drakes) were nice to see along with 7 red-head Goosander, 2 Mute Swans, 4 Grey Herons, 14+ Cormorants.

Also present, with some gulls moving through, were 25+ Common Gulls,  6 adult Herring Gulls,  11 LB-b Gulls and 40+ Black-headed Gulls.

A gem of a Kingfisher along the canal.

Pepper Hill, the  hillside above Claremount  turned up a Buzzard earlier in the day then this afternoon - a Kestrel and a  Little Owl.  Among the berries of hawthorn and  holly were feeding thrushes including 20+ Redwings, 1 Fieldfare and 12 Blackbirds.