Grapevine down

The grapevine is down as the phone got wet through as we were trying to identify two terns at Ogden. I have received a message to say that those there have come to the conclusion that one is a common tern and the other one is a suspected roseate tern.

London Road and Lee Dam this morning

2 Ravens flew past Stoodley Pike along the ridge towards Warland res
A male Stonechat was a nice find, the first this year along here following two strong years when they were present almost every time I walked along London Road
1 male Kestrel
14 Mistle Thrushes landed on the power lines then flew off towards Mankinholes
2 female Goosander at Lee Dam
2 Goldcrests
c. 15 Long Tailed Tits with other tits at Lee Dam
1 Chiff Chaff singing half-heartedly at Lee Dam (I heard a Chiff Chaff just over the road in Lumbutts churchyard on Thursday morning)
1 Peregrine over Mankinholes Tops
Redpolls have returned to the garden feeders - haven't seen them in the garden for a month or so.

Jumble Hole - 2:00PM

A quick walk round found 2 goldcrests moving with a tit flock, a treecreeper in my garden with another tit flock (another new garden tick), a bullfinch, a flock of 35 goldfinches, a male kestrel, sparrowhawk, and a raven over Erringden being harrassed by jackdaws.

A real 'treat' was an almightly battle between a smallish rabbit and a stoat on the pennine way on Underbank. It lasted for some 30 noisy seconds, but the rabbit finally escaped and the stoat ran into brambles.

A neighbour claims there are black rats around - is that possible?

Quail at Cold Edge

Sorry for delay. I took notes and made a sketch at time (Wednesday afternoon - sunny,calm.)
I flushed a small game-type bird from long grass and rushes to right of track just after Moorlands Farm going towards Cold Edge Res. Before the shelter belt which is on right. Much smaller than grouse or partridges.

First time it flushed it flew c.10m, second time c.500m. It flew on flickering down-curved wings reminiscent of a common sand's action. Very short tail. The general colour was light brown with feint dark striations, with no black or white flashes or other colours. It was silent. These were the notes I made on the spot.

Dave Sutcliffe was in area so when I texted it out he came along but together we couldn't flush it from the long grass/rushes where it had gone down, which was over toward the fields with bare soil. You would need permission to search these rushy fields from the elderly gent who lives in the farm with the scrap cars outside. He will probably be OK about it if you explain.

I am saying quail after looking it (and corncrake) up. The latter has chestnut wing patches and its legs dangle in flight, neither of which I saw. I have experience of both species but not recently, and not seen corncrake fly. There is possibility of escaped quail. Dave has had possible quail running at this site in the past.

Ogden

Despite the heavy rain early afternoon we headed off to Ogden. We walked up the east side of the res'r and scanned the group of gulls on the shore across on the far bank. We located a very pale winged gull in among c35 B H Gulls, 8 LBB Gulls and 6 Common Gulls at around 1:15. The gull was bathing and flying around the group and we strongly suspected an adult Mediterranean Gull. The heavy rain limited decent views so we legged it round to the far shore.

Sure enough the birds i d was confirmed - an adult Med Gull in winter plumage as it flew around with the other gulls, landing with them on the water and the rocky shoreline. It was still raining heavily and not good for taking any digiscope shots (no scope with me). As the rain stopped it went to the middle of the res'r and then took off with other B H Gulls not to return but flew off towards Mixenden Res at 1:45.

1 juv G C Grebe there along with 1 f Tufted Duck

8th September

Migrants today were a Redstart at Roils Head and a Whinchat at Tower Hill, Norton Tower.

Black Tern at EGP 07/09/10

Went out early evening specifically to look for this species as a number had been reported across the country yesterday including decent numbers at some sites in West Yorkshire.

Elland Gravel Pits was my last port of call having drawn a blank at a few other local sites therefore I didn't arrive until around 19:25hrs as the light was beginning to fade.


The only bird around was unbelievably a Black Tern. I phoned Nick Dawtrey but no answer, then I texted Dave Sutcliffe with the news. I watched the bird for around half an hour until the light had faded completely and managed to photograph it although the quality is poor for a number of reasons, primarily poor light, distance from the subject and difficulty in actually following the bird as it gracefully hawked for insects up and down and over the water, at no time coming to rest.



A great bird which the attached photos sadly don't do it justice. I have observed this species on quite a few occasions previously, as recently as a month ago in huge numbers but the adult plumage then bore no resemblance to this, therefore I suspect that this bird is an adult moulting into winter plumage.



Any comments with regard to my assumption of the age of this bird will be very welcome.

Withens Clough/Stoodley Pike

Stoodley Pike - beautiful afternoon up there
Just 4 Wheatears and a few Meadow Pipits on the top

Withens Clough
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Whinchat
1 juv Stonechat
1 Grey Wagtail
3 Teal
21 Canada Geese
All that mud and no waders!

Hunter Hill (watchpoint)

Vis Mig for 2 and 1/2 hours this morning until 10.15
262 individuals moving (mainly south) of 12 species including 182 Meadow Pipits, 39 Swallows, 1 Lapwing >N, 5 Snipe, 1 Cormorant and 1 Skylark.

Also present around the site
2 Red-legged Partridge
1 Green Woodpecker
25 Lapwings
2 Sparrowhawks
6 Stock Doves
25 Swallows

Whiteholme

11 Teal
1 Curlew
1 Snipe
3 Ringed Plover
1 Dunlin
2 Peregrine
2 Raven
6 Wheatear
many mippits
Widgeon reported earlier in the day
Black Darter loads with pairs ovipositing in tandem along drain
Common Hawker several males patrolling ponds plus 1 female ovipositing
Common Darter 1 on drain
Blue-tailed Damselfly several around ponds
Brown Hawker - 1 female ovipositing

Cold Edge and Fly Flats

Friday 3rd September;
Cold Edge;
4 Snipe
4 Lapwings
c200 each Meadow Pipits and Swallows feeding on loads of insects either side of Cold Edge Road on a very misty morning up there with no sign of visible migration.
c30 Linnet
6 Pied Wagtails

Fly Flats;
2 Twite - both flyovers by the feeding station but did not land there
6 Red Grouse
2 Wheatears
c6 Kestrels
1 f Tufted Duck at Dean Head Res'r
1 Raven

Whiteholme

Whilst out chasing dragons at Whiteholme........
0 Waders
0 Peregrine
2 Wheatear
1 Raven
Flock o' Mippits...20 or so
3 Mallard
Loadsa Dragons

4th September

Local watch point, 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Peregrine and several sightings of Kestrel.
Yesterday, 1 Raven, 2 Sparrowhawks and 6 sightings of Kestrel.
Yesterday at Whiteholme, 2 Ringed Plovers and 1 Peregrine.

Whiteholme this evening

Went up to Whiteholme with AH tonight in the vain hope of a wader (dare we hope for a curlew sandpiper maybe??) but very quiet - 1 juv' ringed plover, 2 wheatear, 1 curlew, 30+ meadow pipits.

However, we were treated to a family party of peregrines devouring a fresh unidentified kill on the 'beach'. The group consisted of 2 juv' females (one of which appeared to have a badly damaged leg), 1 juv' male, and an adult male watching over. As the birds were so distracted by the meal, views were had down to under 10 metres (hence the photos below). A real treat.

Photos from Whiteholme this evening

Luddenden Dean

This afternoon;
1 Redstart near Spa Wood - probably a migrant as none found there this summer
1 Common Buzzard over >N
3 Kestrels
2 Willow Warblers
1 Treecreeper
3 Goldcrests (small influx recently)
1 female Sparrowhawk
Plenty of Swallows and several House Martins in the dean
+8lb Blackberries!

Coal Tits, Goldcrests and Sparrowhawk

Walked from home to Strait Hey, up the Pennine Way and over to Withens Clough, then back over to Lee Dam. There seemed to be Coal Tits and Goldcrests all over.

Strait Hey
Coal Tit - 3
Green Woodpecker
Swallow - 7
Wheatear
Mipit - 5
Sunderland Pasture Plantation
Coal Tit - 2
Mipit - 2
Withens Clough res
nothing on the water apart from Canada Geese and a Mallard
c. 40 Mipits along the dam wall
Swallow - 5
no chats visible as I came down the hill to the res
in the small wood at end of the res:
Goldcrest - 3
Coal Tit - 4
Jay
Willow Warbler
Lee Dam
Coal Tit - 2
Goldcrest - 2
Moorhen

When I got back home I spotted a bird in the field behind our house - a female Sparrowhawk with a feral pigeon:

More Gulls

Dave's excellent post has got me going and
generated lots of intrest so here's some more
photo's taken by a freind of mine - go have a go

Other news today

An unconfirmed report of a Red Kite at Fly Flatts this afternoon - no further details
6 Wigeon at Ringstone Edge Res'r this morning (TM)
Several Dunlin and Ringed Plover at Whiteholme (TM)
1 Spotted Flycatcher and Whinchats/Stonechats in Withens Clough (TM)

Well done to NK for finding a cream crown Marsh Harrier passing through near the old Withens Pub on Cold Edge Road around 1.45 this afternoon >SE

Cold Edge/Hunter Hill

Some of todays birds (and a bull)!

Meadow Pipit

Whinchat

Reed Bunting (looking a bit ragged)

Wheatear

Cormorants

Green Woodpecker (wouldn't come out in the open!)

Big Boy