Luddenden dean (yesterday)

Not a lot doing in the dean however there are loads of Blue (35+) and Great Tits and Long-tailed Tits around the lower lodge area at Castle Carr. Also a few Coal Tits and Goldcrests seem to be coming through as well now.

A male Peregrine was unusually quartering the rabbit warren hillside between the lower lodge and the top lodge. I've never seen one take a rabbit but it was definately showing interest! No Twite today on Castle Carr Road just a Wheatear at the old railway cabins.

Soil Hill

09/09/2007 1700-1800hrs Strong W>5
Good flock of Linnets, 42 + NK earlier had 70.
5 Goldfinch
8 Mipits
1 Wheatear
1 Kestrel swooping amongst the Linnets
BS

mistle thrush

heard in my back yard today. also a small flock in back feild near soil hill (infact probably visable from soil hill) also 3 wild greylags flew over bradshaw cricket ground last night thses were greylag because of their yellow bills but when you get a flock high in the sky how do you tell if its greylag or pinkfoot (or bean or greenland white fronted or lesser white fronted, fat chance of that though)? collard doves on lawn today as well. and thats about it realy.

Fly Flatts

Spot the odd one out. Mother and 4 nearly full grown now
09/09/2007 0715-1000hrs. Bright sunshine then fog banks rolling over the moor from the west. W>1 inc.4
VIS MIG :-
SWALLOW................................121 >S
MIPIT......................................261 >S
SKYLARK..................................5 >W
ALBA WAG................................7 >W
GREY WAG................................1 >W

Other :-
2 WHINCHAT
1pr + 1 juv STONECHAT all in seed area
Not a Twite in sight

DCB had a count of over 1000 Swallows >S to the east of his watchpoint.
BS

Goldcrest

This bird was a window hit brought round by a neighbour in Ogden. Lovely to see it close up. It flew from the safety of our ground feeder cover within half an hour. SED.

Cold Edge/Withens Gap

Tried again today to check for the Black Redstart at the farm ruin without success.

The area seemed very quiet this afternoon (apart from the jet ski's on the top res'r)! Still a lot of Swallows about and 2 Kestrels. Also checked out the lower dam - just a drake Tufted Duck, 22 Mallard and a Stonechat - and that was about it.

Swifts

Anybody had a September Swift yet ?
BS

scaupe???

ok this sounds daft but i think there is a ist winter male scaupe up at cold edge dams. i cant decide wheather it is scaupe or tufted duck sorry i dont have any pics. it has grey sides instead of white but has a gold eye and a purple tinged head. i cant see a crest, please help me

also a quick visit to ringstone and guess what i dont have a hide key. still got veiws of 2 shelducks, a female tufted duck and 1 great creasted greabe

Recent Press coverage

A couple of Courier articles featuring Conservation Group issues

http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/local-news/Disturb-these-birds-and-you.3177833.jp

http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/local-news/Mission-to-save-the-Maltese.3172790.jp

Ringstone and Roils Head yesterday

First posting for a while and hopefully first of many more to follow now, as I aim to get out locally Monday and Friday mornings due to a change in work commitments.

So first stop was Ringstone sat in the hide for an hour, not much about but 3 good sized passages of House Martins totalling 100+ birds all stopped to feed briefly over the res. Shame no Hobbies in close attendance.

Also 1 Grey Heron, 3 Snipe, 2 LBB Gulls (1juv), Swallow, several Lapwings and B H Gulls (exact counts in log book), 1 GC Grebe.

Moved onto Roils Head again spent about an hour, no sign of Redstarts but c20 Pied Wagtails similar number of Meadow Pipits (no rings Sean but wasn't aware of your project so not paying close attention)
Goldcrest calling, Greenfinch and 4 Willow Warblers pics are all of the same bird.

Elland Gravel Pits - yesterday 4:00pm

A quick visit whilst passing

1 chiffchaff
1 GS woodpecker
1 little grebe
1 moorhen
2 kingfisher in reedbed, 2 on canal (same birds?)
3 mallard
2 very bold mink on towpath (which could explain the general lack of birds!)

Soil Hill

Checked for Black Redstart yesterday and today without success. Has anyone else seen it? Just a wheatear there this afternoon in the fields down Taylor Lane.

mipit

mipit on bradshaw lane, ok so its not 30 common scoters but its out of place and a lovely bird. could be worth a look, in feild opposite tavern. only presumed it would be a mipit but never know. dont carry binoculars to school (probably get them convascated) so no proper ID available sos.

Roils Head

Posting for Nick Dawtrey - still at least one Redstart this afternoon.

Underbank, Hebden Bridge

5 blackcap - one of which was gracefully plucked from the elderberry tree by a male sparrowhawk
2 green woodpecker
1 gs woodpecker
3 jays
3 bullfinch
7 mistle thrush
1 goldcrest
1 willow warbler
Peregrine over
120 swallows on the wires near a farm on the tops.

green withens

1 greenshank over the res calling this evening,never saw it as i was talking to 5 lawyers!
i new the call but for some reason i could not put a name to it!! only until i got home was i positive it was a greenshank,

CJ Wildbirdfoods

Since we have ordered quite a considerable amount of bird food from CJ (both as a Group and individually) I thought I'd try and negotiate a discount, got a reply saying they were prepared to offer 5% when our total purchases reached £5000!! What do they think we're feeding for God's sake?

Withens Gap/Cold edge

Black Redstart again today at 11 am and again 3 pm on the farm ruin - very elusive and disappears for long periods for some reason! Also Whinchat there and Willow Warbler.

2 Tufted and 3 Snipe at Cold Edge and Whimbrel through >SE at 09.50. 6 Twite heading up towards Fly Flats and well over 100 Linnets on the bare landfill site (on the right on the way up).

Also 1 Redshank at Fly Flats and a lot of Meadow Pipits going through today.

Lower Gorple

6 stonechat (4 of which were juv's)
1 whinchat
95 canada geese
17 meadow pipits
Possible tree pipit about 200 yds up the path from the 'road gate' towards res', though I'd want a better look to be 100%
1 kestrel
2 stock dove
3 mallard
2 swallows through

Todays reports

Whinchat at Cold Edge on fence north of Haigh Cote this a m (PJWS)
3 Shelduck at Rinstone (ND) - (no reports today of Lesser Whitethroat from yesterday)
Spotted Flycatcher at Roils Head NCD

Possible Hobby shot over the M62 then went high (Lancashire side!) - not an easy ID especially when driving! It's not far from Green Withens Darrell!

Gordon Denison

Im sure I speak for everyone when I wish Gordon a speedy recovery after his recent stroke.Hurry up and get well soon,the birders of Halifax need you.

little owl (s)

heard a little owl at soil hill tonight (not directly at soil hill at the bottom but very close bradshaw to be exact) 2 were around which is odd because there is only 1 normaly. have only seen it once but will report if i do see it

Roils Head

Posting for Nick Dawtrey - after an exceptional afternoon at Withens Gap just a Redstart this evening at Roils Head.

Jane Green Ogden

Female blackcap and Spotted Flycatcher in a garden at 8.30a.m today

Welcome Dishfish!

Just noticed we have a new poster on the Blog, goes by the name of "Dishfish" from what I know he is one of our younger birders so just wanted to extend a warm welcome, birding needs as many youngsters as it can get. The warm welcome also extends to other new posters or those thinking of posting, please feel free to get involved!

Cold Edge/Withens Gap (Fly Flats)

Black Redstart still there this afternoon but elusive. Location is the farm ruin on the track leading from Cold Edge to Withens Gap (easiest way is from the former Withens pub and walk down the track towards Cold Edge) The bird is very elusive. Please be aware that someone lives there! so don't venture in the grounds - or the buildings!!!

Spotted Flycatcher there in the little garden along with Reed Bunting. Also seen was a Merlin (f) across the moor and a juv Hobby came over high chasing a Meadow Pipit at 13.45 failing to catch it over several attempts. It then soared over the Wainstalls Road and headed off down towards the Calder Valley.

Several Whinchats, Wheatears and Stonechats in the area including Fly Flatts where there were 14 Twite at the feeding station.

Todmorden

I'm sure I've heard Swifts calling over the house this evening, just before 7pm and again about ten minutes later. I did go out and have a look, but no sign either time. I haven't had any since returning from holiday on the 17th August. Perhaps I subconsciously want to be in Spain...

Cold Edge

Posting for Nick Dawtery 7 pm (another) male Black Redstart above Cold Edge near the ruined farm down the track from Withens Gap. Trying to get some photos!

Luddenden Dean

Yesterday afternoon - 2 Nuthatches at Wade Wood along with lots of Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits and a few Coal Tits, Goldcrests and Great-spotted Woodpecker.

Also in the dean Green Woodpecker and 2 Kestrels. No Twite on Castle Carr Road today but the weather was bad! Quite a lot of Meadow Pipits about.

Soil Hill/Ogden

Black Redstart seen in the usual spot this morning at Sun Farm paddock but the Robins were giving it some aggravation!

Around the radio mast site a male Sparrowhawk went over >N putting up c60 Linnets. Also Skylark there and a Common Buzzard scoped soaring above Ogden around Thornton Moor and the wind farm area mobbed by 2 Kestrels. Wheatear down the road towards Ogden and a female Sparrowhawk over mobbed by lots of Swallows.

black redstart

showed well on perseverence lane this morning at 12.o clock. chased by robin in farm garden leaving fab views on the fence post (chased out from the hedge). still around farm but heading into the feilds

Whiteholme, Monday first thing

Not much on the reservoirs - 1 LRP, 1 Ringed Plover, 2 Wheatear.

Interested to see that there were no Twite at the feeding stations, but there was a flock of about 30 feeding naturally on the bottom of the (Blackstone Edge) reservoir embankment close to the road, just above the White House pub. Although they weren't on it as such when I was watching, there's quite an area of waste ground (thistles etc) between the pub and the embankment.

Yesterday I did the rounds of Roils Head, Deanhead and Ryburn Res. Saw very little indeed and got very wet in the process.

Baitings

Four Shelduck there tonight, very little at Ringstone apart from a Teal on the west pool and a Snipe on the shore.

Fly Flatts

02/09/2007 0800-1000 Early rain, W>6-7 clear till 0930 then heavy horizontal drizzle and mist.
VIS MIG :-
SWALLOW...............................28 NW
MIPIT.....................................82 >W
SKYLARK..................................1 >W
ALBA WAG................................3 >W
GREY WAG................................1 >W
Other :-
3m 2f Tufted on water
13 Red Grouse
1 Kestrel
f Mallard + 4juv inc. 1 white job.
BS

Roils Head

Posting for Nick Dawtrey. Female type Black Redstart there yesterday evening on the field walls between Roils Head and Mount Tabor. Nick tried again today to relocate the bird but it couldn't be found.

Common Redstart at Roils Head today along with a lot of Pied Wagtails (being hunted by Sparrowhawk - see Ian Scotts posting).

Roils Head

Met Nick D and Steve C at Roils Head this afternoon in attempt to see the Black Redstart. Strong winds kept most things down. Large numbers of pied wagtails and meadow pipits on the football pitch proved irresistable to a sparrowhawk. It made several attempts to catch one, resting on the pitch between attempts. The above picture was the best I could get in the poor light and with manual focus.

Black Redstart

Black Redstart site looking towards Queensbury
1700hrs 1/9/07
A result at last but only distant quick sightings as the bird flittered from the wall into the field constantly well below the pylon.
Also present
11 Mistle Thrush
5 Blackbirds
2 Mipits
1 Little Owl
Several Starlings
BS

Osprey Over Halifax

Seen from Beacon Hill (Southowram) heading north along the edge towards Queensbury at around 12:30 pm today. Probably going to Soil Hill!

Roils Head

Nick Dawtrey posting - 1 female type Black Redstart found this evening just after 6 p m on the walls between Roils Head and Mount Tabor.

Castle Carr Road

Poor weather this afternoon in the drizzle but managed to binscope one of 2 Whinchats. 4 Stonechats there along with c25 Meadow Pipits and 6 Linnets. Also near the old railway cabins 23 Twite feeding again on Ragwort but not able to see if any were ringed.

Roils Head

Posting for Nick Dawtery - 1 Yellow Wagtail there this afternoon.

Withens Gap/Cold edge

No Twite today but 2 Wheatears at Withens Gap and 1 Whinchat, 4 Stonechats and c12 Linnets at Cold Edge.

Soil Hill

Black Redstart still at the Sun Farm paddock today at 11.25 a m.

Roils Head

Posting for Nick Dawtrey. This afternoons fall of migrants at this site included 5 Redstarts, 3 Spotted Flycatchers, c40 Willow Warblers and a similar number of Pied Wagtails.

Black Redstart

Blackred found again this evening in pylon field Perseverence Rd at 1930hrs but only showed briefly. Unfortunately I arrived at 1940 to achieve my double dip. BS

Female Pintail Ringstone 2PM

Underbank, Hebden Bridge

A quick 20 minutes this afternoon:
- 2 garden warbler
- 2 blackcap
- 15 house martin over > s
- 3 bullfinch
- green woodpecker
- 2 jay
- numerous juv robins
- 1 willow warbler

Feeding station Elland GP

At a recent CBCG meeting it was suggested we should set up feeding stations at Elland GP, one aimed at Yellowhammers and another at general bird feeding, if anyone has any spare feeders they no longer use and would like to donate them to this project please get in touch.

We are also looking at setting up a feeding station at Bradley Hall again for Yellowhammers.

Thanks

Cold Edge

Juvenile Carrion Crow earlier this week.

This afternoon 1 Whitethroat, 2 Whinchat and 4 Stonechats all together on the small island at Cold Edge. Also a Snipe nearby

2 Twite and c60 Meadow Pipits at Withens Gap.

Black Redstart

Well done Nigel - such a good find today. Sorry Sean my pics are not up to your standard but will put my digiscope one on just the same!

Black Redstart

Showing in garden and paddock of Perseverance lane just down from soil hill, if you turned down Taylor Lane and look back up the hill you got some better views.

Good find Nigel

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?&t=l&map=53.77529,-1.87393174&loc=GB:53.77529:-1.87393:17#t=l&map=53.77529,-1.87393174&loc=GB:53.77529:-1.87393:17

Ringstone

Three Dunlin there this afternoon plus a couple of juvvy Great Crested Grebes feeding on small fish.

Roils Head

Posting for Nick Dawtrey. Redstart still there along with a Spotted Flycatcher this afternoon. Still a few Willow Warblers about as well.

Garden Birds (rishworth)

1 Sparow hawk early this morning

2 Nuthatch coming and going all day

1 Willow warbler ( i think) top pic

2 Great spotted woodpecker

1 Kestrel

2 Jay

6 Jack daw

1 Collared dove

6 Green finch

4 Chaffinch

along with many dunnocks,Robins,great tit,blue tit and coal tits

Shibden Valley

Checked the upper valley area this afternoon. Not a lot about other than a famale Sparrowhawk and 2 Kestrels. Also a female Blackcap gorging itself on Blackberries. Several Bullfinch about and also a Little Owl.

Also had a look at Swales Moor landfill areas where the Shorelark stayed earlier in the year till about 26th March (my last sighting). There is quite a lot of excavation work going on but the area where the Shorelark was most regularly seen looks good again for wild flowers etc. Lets hope the Skylarks return later in the year along with any other interesting birds! Just a few Goldfinch and a Meadow Pipit this afternoon.

Shibden

Report received of a redstart in the valley 2pm

Twite summer summary

I have just completed a summary of the records I have for twite for this last breeding season ready to pass onto Hugh Firman (our representative on the South Pennines Twite Group), if anyone thinks they may have records I have missed please get in touch and I'll E mail a copy of the summary to update. Everyone who has contributed should have received a copy by now for approval, many thanks to those who got involved. Although we were unable to locate many breeding birds there are quite good post breeding flocks around at the moment, ringing work is ongoing in the hope that we may be able to discover the origins of these birds.

FLY FLATTS

Rough seas at Fly Flatts
---------------------------
27/08/2007 0715-1000hrs Freezing cold NW>6 easing to 4 and warming up mid a.m. Sunshine.
VIS MIG :-
SWALLOW......................................................42 >WNW
MIPIT.............................................................55 >WNW
ALBA WAG.....................................................6 >W
MISTLE THRUSH............................................9 >W
SNIPE.............................................................3 >W

Other :-
2 Grey Partridge
8 Twite.... Unringed
4 Common Gulls very high >S
All Canada geese gone.
BS

Underbank - 10am

4 blackcap (all female type)
3 willow warbler
2 chiffchaff (still calling)
2 Green woodpecker
Kestrel
2 bullfinch
Nuthatch still calling in Jumble Hole woods

Roils Head

Posting for Nick Dawtrey for 26th August 2007. One possibly two redstarts still there plus several willow warblers and great spotted woodpecker.

Wainstalls - Castle Carr Road

2 Whinchat there this afternoon along with a female Merlin over the moor into Luddenden Dean and 4 Twite near the railway cabins.

FLY FLATTS

26/08/2007 0730-1000hrs Sunny, cloud to W, WNW>2 inc >4.
VIS MIG :-
SWALLOW......................................91 >W
HOUSE MARTIN............................3 >W
MIPIT............................................65 >W
TREE PIPIT.....................................1 >W
SKYLARK........................................1W
ALBA WAG......................................2 >W
WHEATEAR.....................................1 on deck
WHINCHAT.....................................1 on deck, nw corner

Other :-
8 Red Grouse
1 Kestrel
1f Mallard + 7 very young
1f Mallard + 4 half grown,1 being white.
No Twite all morning.
BS

Shibden

8 House Martins still visiting the nest sites at Godley Gardens.
Usual ducks, adult and well grown juvenile moorhens in the park.
3 Willow warblers in Cunnery Wood.
1 spotted flycatcher.




Heard bullfinch and saw what I took to be a juvenile though it looked pretty scruffy.
Heard GS Woodpecker drumming and a couple of jays.

Cock Hill, nr. Hebden Bridge

2 raven, 5 red grouse, 1 kestrel, all seen from car.

Tree Pipit

1 over Midgley today.

Swift

One swift 25/8/07 @ 1300 hrs >N ! Over Holmfield. (It looked confused).
Bruce

Jumble Hole

2 nuthatch this morning - the first I've had here since winter. Adult and well grown young roe deer.

Lee Mount

A Redpoll went over by the park this morning.

Ogden

Couldn't find much there this afternoon - just a Whinchat at the top end of Ogden Clough on the edge of the moor. Quite a lot of Meadow Pipits and Swallows there too. Also a Chiff-chaff around the reservoir.

Roils Head

Posting for Nick Dawtrey - 2 Tree Pipits there this afternoon.

Cold Edge/Fly Flatts etc

23/08/07 Cold Edge - 1 Moorhen, 4 Linnet and 2 Red Grouse.

Withens Gap - c30 Twite feeding on the landfill area between Withens Gap and Cold Edge, also 1 young Snipe there, 5 Wheatear and 40 Meadow Pipit and 35 Starling.

Fly Flatts - pair of Stonechat with at least 2 fledged young, 4 Twite at the feeding station and a Whitethroat in the gully below the Twite feeding area. Not a bad bird at 1,300 ft - and out in the open to digiscope!

3 Kestrel over the moor and 3 Curlew >NE, 60 Meadow Pipits and 3 Wheatears.

Castle Carr Road 10 Twite feeding on Ragwort along with several Goldfinch, also c8 Wheatears along the road to Wainstalls.

green withens

1 teal flew through in bad light thought it may have been a gadwall but alas no!!!!!
1 peregrine
1 kestrel
2 wheatears
2 stonechats

House martins

130 house martins (plus one swallow) on the wires outside my house (Jumble Hole) this morning, and we don't usually get house martins around here.

High Royd - 18:45 - 19:30 21 Aug.

Very little about on dry beds, but coot was heard from the back of the area, so there must be some water there. + 16 magpies, 30 carrion crows.

Wainstalls/Cold Edge/Fly Flatts etc

This afternoon - Cold Edge - 1 Cormorant >W, 5 Wheatear, 2 Grey Partridge and 3 Stonechats.

Fly Flatts - c14 Twite on and off at the feeding station. Peregrine over and 2 Wheatear around the res'r.

High Brown Knoll - 6 Red Grouse.

Castle Carr Road - c28 Twite in the field after the old railway cabins and also on the roadside verges. 1 Wheatear also there and c20 Meadow Pipit .

Luddenden Dean - 2 Kestrel and 2 Green Woodpeckers near the lower lodge

Dean Clough

Juvenile Peregrine circling the big chimney this afternoon at 3.15 pm and calling a lot - then flew off towards the town centre.

Roils Head

Posting for Nick Dawtery. This afternoon still at least 2 Redstart there along with 2 Wheatear and 4 Willow Warbler and lots of Pied Wagtail.

Help for newbies

I often take out people who are becoming or have shown an interest in moths or other insects on short field trips to point out how to find and record them. Having been helped out in this way myself when I first started recording moths and finding it much quicker way to becoming more competent in my identifications and probably more importantly in the case of insects, how to find the early stages which are sometimes the easiest way to confirm species. I wonder if anyone in the bird group is willing to take out newbies on field trips with the same view in mind? This need not be anything special as it could simply take the form of a trip out to a local area they would be visiting anyway. I have often seen birders whilst out cycling etc and most seem only too willing to have a chat about what is around at the moment, this would be just taking it a stage further.

I also wonder if someone could do a brief description with salient features illustrated of similar or difficult species ? Having had trouble sorting out various very similar looking LBJ moths in my early days I can see the pitfalls of this with birds. Often in moth guides ones sees two species that are very similar but once you have seen both (or had the differences pointed out in the field) they become very easy to separate and you wonder why you thought it difficult in the first place.

I realise that most of us are very busy with work and family life and don't want to squander what little free time we have for our hobbies on dragging other people around, but the occasional half hour would help people becoming interested in birds to speed up the learning curve

Birds at Cromwell Bottom

Goosander numbers are starting to build up already at CB this season. We spotted at least eight individuals last week and this morning spotted a group (Flock ?) of 18. All redheads so presumably females or immatures ? Also spotted (or heard) Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Tree Creeper, Wren, Robin, Tit spp, Sparrowhawk, Heron, Hedge Sparrow (or whatever its now called), Blackbird, Mistle Thrush,Magpie, Jay, Crow and various little brown jobs I could not ID safely. Nothing particularly exciting but at least plenty to view in a one hour walk round with the dog. I assume Tree Creeper is rather under recorded rather than scarce in Calderdale ? I see them regularly enough on my morning walks (one of my favorite birds) but cannot recall any other mentions on this blog.

Swifts

Further to recent postings on Swifts I have just returned from topping up the feeding station on the Midgley side of the Luddenden Valley where there were three Swifts overhead.

Fieldfares at Lowfields

Sue and I spotted a small flock of Fieldfares feeding on Rowan Berries on the Lowfields Industrial Estate this morning. We got good views of a few of the birds (around 12 or so in the flock) as we ran past whilst out jogging but I am not sure if Redwings were mixed in with them as they took off as we got nearer. Another newbie question, is this not early in the season for Fieldfares as I usually see them in Winter or early Spring ?

Fly Flatts

Scud over the moor
_________________
19/08/2007 0730-0930 bright start,with mist patches,heavy rain and fog by 0900hrs NNE>3

Vis Mig:-
34 Swallows ...........>SW
8 House Martins.....>SW
8 Alba Wags...........>W
3 Wheatear on deck
27 Mipits..............>W
200 + Grounded Mipits

Other :-
22 Twite, all seemed to be unringed.
+ usual sp. BS

roils head

from nick d

drizzle this evening dropped 5 tree pipits onto roils head, the purple patch continues!!!!
tree pipit 'digibinned' also the juv redstart still present

Ogden

Visit this morning to check the woodland and reservoir. 120 Mallard (including oddities!) , 40+ Black-headed Gull and 30+ Common Gulls and 1 Grey Wagtail.

Not much in the woodland other than Blue, Great, Coal and Long-tailed Tits, Goldcrest and Treecreeper. Also a Green Woodpecker on Ogden Lane and a few Swallows around - that was about it! Not a sign of any Swifts since 2 last Saturday over Lee Mount - anyone else had any?

Roils Head

Posting for Nick Dawtery - 2 Redstart, 11+ Willow Warblers, 19 Pied Wagtail, 2 Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk over today.

Roils Head

Redstart still there this afternoon along with several Willow Warblers -per Nick Dawtrey.

Norland Moor

Sue & I spotted what we believe was a Snipe today on a pool on Norland Moor. The dog flushed it from some Juncus by a pool on the moor. We didn't get the bins on it but it had the usual zig-zag flight and general "Jizz" of Snipe I have see at Cromwell Bottom. We also got brief views of a Redstart in a Sycamore in a field immediately adjacent to the moor before it departed into the distance. Both birds are firsts for Norland and the Redstart was a first for Calderdale for us both as we have only ever seen these in the dales.

Roils Head

Posting for Nick Dawtrey from this afternoon. 1 Redstart still there along with 4 Willow Warbler, 8 Pied Wagtail and 2 Kestrels.

Cold Edge

Posting for Nick Dawtery from yesterday. 6 Stonechat, 3 Wheatear and 1 Peregrine over. Also albino wild rabbit there.

Roils Head 15th August

Seems like Im back blogging again.

Roils Head PM
Just 1 Redstart today, 14 Willow Warblers, 35 Pied Wagtails, 2 Bullfinch, 6 Greenfinch, 2 Coal Tits, several Meadow Pipits, 2 Kestrels and a couple of Wrens and Blackbirds.

Roils Head

Nick Dawtrey posting - 4 Redstart still there this afternoon (in the pouring rain) along with c100 Starling and 8+! Willow Warblers. Lesser Whitethroat could still be there but elusive unless you can pick up its call first.

SWIFTS

Anyone still getting any Swifts, just getting an odd 1 or 2 now >S over Queensbury down the Calder Valley.

Roils Head

Posting for Nick Dawtery. Lesser Whitethroat again this afternoon in the scrub area to the rear of Shacks House (the house in the middle of the playing fields). Also 4 Redstart on the site and Willow Warblers and Pied Wagtails in good numbers.

Underbank, Hebden Bridge

A small amount of migrants around, including 5 blackcap (4 female type, 1 male) and 2 willow warblers all crammed into the same small hawthorne! 45 house martins low over SW.

Grapevine update

Following discussions with Dave Sutcliffe we have agreed that it is better if messages for the grapevine are sent to me (Nick C) in a morning and to Dave in an afternoon, this will prevent any problems being caused by me not having a mobile signal at home. Please therefore disregard David's earlier post.

Feeding Stations & Nestboxes

I have been surveying the Lowfields Business park for several years now, mainly looking for moths, but in recent times noting down the birds seen. I have made an approach to the management who run the site about doing more work on site and improving the habitat for wildlife where possible. With this in mind my next approach will be to Marshall's who have offices on site and a large display garden. I hope to persuade them to install some bat boxes on their office (bats use the canal adjacent to the office to hunt at dusk) and a feeding station for birds. My idea is that if I can persuade Marshall's to set up this equipment and fund the running of it I might then be in a stronger position to encourage other companies to follow suit.

From the Bird Group; I would like a bit of moral support when asked for and also advice as to local suppliers of nest boxes and feeding station equipment.....in fact any help or suggestions gratefully received ! I will in return keep the group updated on developments and get a piece in the local press about the positive conservation the bird group carries out locally.

Roils Head

Posting request from Nick Dawtrey from this afternoon at Roils Head.

1 Tree Pipit, 2 Redstart, 10 Willow Warblers, 20 Long-tailed Tits and 8 Pied Wagtails. Also on Heath Hill Road - 3 Kestrels and several Willow Warblers

Whiteholme Lighthazzles and Warland

Visit this am and as expected the Avocet had gone, but a few Twite and Wheatears there.

Still, and interesting 2 hrs there with a Green Sandpiper on Lighthazzles which was flushed by an early morning back-packer. It flew off into one of the drains below the res'r and there was a Willow Warbler on the embankment wall along with several Wheatears.

Warland produced several Wheatears and a Mallard duck with 10 fairly small ducklings but no waders.

However on my return to Lighthazzles I heard a drawn out, continuous panick alarm from what I am almost sure was the Green Sandpiper clutched by a Peregrine which was flying over the res'r holding a small wader which continued calling its death alarm until the Peregrine was out of sight somewhere on the moor. I used to like Peregrines but have suddenly gone off them!!!!!!!!!

Well done to those who ticked the Avocet yesterday afternoon.

Fly Flatts

12/08/2007 Early sun then cloudy,heavy rain and
fog by 0915. SW>3-4
Vis Mig:-
Fall of Wheatear... 17 by boathouse
5 on rocks on moor
3 by feeding station
6 NW corner
Total.... 31
46 Swallow............>SW
9 House Martins....>SW
Other :-
2 ad Pied Wags + 4 juvs
1 Tufted in eclipse
Twite back to none.
Few blogging Mipits
+ usual sp. BS

White Holme Avocet - Gone

Sunday 6:45 am

No sign of the avocet. 5 mallard on the island.
Counted 10 wheatear on the shore.
Flock of about 30 twite - all the ones I checked were unringed.
Peregrine perched in one of the electricity pylons.
At least it didn't start raining until I was back at the car!

Ringed Plover/LRP BTO Survey

Yesterday I spent some time with Mike Denton our BTO Regional Rep and took the opportunity to pass on the completed RP/LRP survey forms from our area. Mike asked me to pass on his thanks to those who carried out the survey work so a public thank you from the BTO to Dave Sutcliffe, Andy Cockroft and Tim Walker.