Ringstone Res'r etc

From Steve L this morning 3 Shelduck at Ringstone but not a lot else.
2 Stonechat between Scammonden Dam and Dean Head Res'r earlier in the week.

New local bird for me this year with 3 Lesser Redpoll in trees just by the entrance to Manor Heath Park from Manor Heath Road. A few Redwing also in the park there mid morning.

Early arrivals?

Might be worth getting out and about this weekend. Here are a sample of arrival dates in Calderdale for migrants over recent years:

Osprey - 28 March ('12)
Little ringed plover - 22 March ('00)
Sand martin - 16 March ('08)
Wheatear - 12 March ('07)
Ring ouzel - 17 March ('02)
Chiffchaff - 2 March ('09)

And with the mild weather of late and forecast for the next few days, something could easily turn up around the weekend?

Fly Flatts and Cold Edge area

Fly Flatts
1 Oystercatcher
4 Curlew
95 Lapwings resting on the edge of the res'r
70 Canada Geese
c20 Mallard
c20 Red Grouse

Ovenden Moor
28+ Carrion Crows around a sheep carcass
6+ Red Grouse

Cold Edge
2 Curlew
45 Canada Geese
4 Greylag Geese
40+ Wodpigeons
6+ Red Grouse

Wainstalls
1 Little Owl

Castle Carr Road
1 Little Owl
30+ Lapwings
2 Curlew
1 Stock Dove
c30 Woodpigeons

Recent news

Eider  at the same location on the Rochdale canal this morning. (BL)

200+ Brambling still in Crimsworth Dean over the weekend (NCD DF)

Mistle Thrush on a nest near Burdock Way in Halifax seen yesterday also a single Siskin over Lee Mount yesterday ( DJS)

Curlews, lapwings and Oystercatchers all been  seen in increasing numbers over the weekend as well (MH NCD DF et al.. And 2 Ringed Plovers at Whiteholme Res'r on Saturday (PG) along with 2 Stonechat in Withens Clough.

More Eider photos

          That's a Golden Balls Award I'll be passing it on.Great find Brian.

Eider at Walsden - Rochdale Canal

It was still between bridge 31 and 32  at 17.15 (AC). We saw it earlier but light not good hence blurry pics from my compact camera. Well done Brian Leecy for finding it ! Must be a candidate for the Golden Balls Award. I can't remember any earlier Calderdale records for this species.

Bridge 31 is the one at the Bacup Rd junction. The Mason's Arms is there - the turn off for Gorpley Clough. 32 is upstream - Littleborough direction.

We had been at Withens Clough Res. No sign of HH to be seen here but  two Goldeneye females on res left while we were there.

Eider at Walsden - 02/03/14

Thanks to Brian and the grapevine, I was able to catch up with the drake eider at Walsden. Here are a couple of photos taken in the rather poor light.

First kittiwake and now eider. What's the betting on puffin in People's Park?

Short walk around Stainland this morning

1 Buzzard
1Kestrel
M+F Teal on Bowers Mill pond
3 Nuthatch
Green Woodpecker near Fall Spring Wood
GSW in woods near Scar Wood
GSW in wood near Golf course

Eider Duck

There's a report on Bird Guides today posted at 2.45pm - male eider on canal near Hollins Road/Rochdale Road junction.  Just been to look and there's no sign of it on the two lengths of canal there.  i.e. from Cross Keys down to next long length which goes under Hollins Bridge.  Maybe it was scared off by 4 noisy Canada geese setting up territory there.

Sandra

Sightings from the kids

My son saw 2 buzzards near Cock Hill yesterday, and my 11 year old daughter saw 2 birds on the canal near Stubbing Wharf in Hebden, and couldn't ID them so took a photo on her phone. Turned out it was a pair of goosander.

Crow Hill Sowerby

Crow Hill near Sowerby late am, early pm.

2 curlew.
2 lapwing.
4 golden plover flew in. Flighty.
9 skylarks seen.
35 meadow pipits. 30 in a flock.
32 redwing.
6 fieldfare.
1 pied wagtail.

Plus usual species.

1 weasel.

From Gordon Denison

A message from Gordon on the annual species championship trophy

Ringstone

From Steve L this morning - 2 Shelduck flew in to rest but not sure how long they stayed!

Tester !!

A little tester from David Crawshaw at Orford Ness this last weekend - anyone like to have a go?

Other news today

All from Steve L - Ringstone Res'r this afternoon
1 Oystercatcher
1 Curlew
c300 Redwings in surrounding fields

Cromwell Bottom
Drake Scaup still showing on the ski-lake (but it can be difficult to find)

Hardcastle Crags/Crimsworth Dean

Had a few hours up there this afternoon with Nick D mainly in Crimsworth Dean but it was pretty quiet.
1 Kestrel
2 Sparrowhawk sightings
1 Jay - mimicking a very convincing buzzard call! that was a new one on me.
2 Treecreepers
c20 Lapwings high over >W
2 Nuthatch
2+ Grey Heron
70+ Jackdaws
A few finch sp.. mainly Chaffs and Goldfinch but no Brambling found
And in the crags 300+ Woodpigeons

Yesterday

No news on the adult Kittiwake at Shibden Park yesterday but it could still be there?

200 or more Bramblings in Crimsworth Dean - the have been there several weeks now in the beech woodland. Also a Woodcock nearby. (Ncd and DF)

Red Kite over Cromwell Bottom early afternoon >N (JU)

No further news on the Waxwings around Skircoat Green , but they could still be there?

Other news today

Adult Kittiwake still present today at Shibden Park boating lake.

c70 Pink-footed Geese over Lightcliffe area >NW  around 11.20 from M St probably went over towards Queensbury as I couldn't pick them out over Lee Mount or Swales Moor. (AC and PG)

Skircoat Green

We got a report across lunchtime from Jeff C to say Gus R had seen some Waxwings in the same general area as yesterday behind the hospital. We had a trip down and drive round in the pouring rain trying to find them. We eventually did, 9 Waxwings in the top of a berrying sorbus right at the bottom end of St Albans Road. They were all having a good preen after the downpour.
Many thanks for the message passed on. I gather Nigel and others saw them later on in the same spot.

Ogden Garden

A male brambling in part breeding plumage on a cotoneaster bush with two chaffinches this afternoon

Shibden Park & Elland GP

 
Kittiwake still at Shibden Park this afternoon.
Drake Scaup still on the ski lake at Elland GP-Ncd/DF

Ogden Water

Wednesday afternoon. A number of black headed gulls some in breeding plumage and a few common gulls. One male goldeneye.

WAXWINGS.

At least eight, very vocal birds in a large Ash tree in the upper corner of the hospital grounds on Godfrey Road at 11.00am today - next to the allotments.

Other news today

Another Curlew this morning over Stainland (Nick Dawson) so looks like they are filtering back now after one yesterday over Soil Hill (NK)

Shibden Park

An interesting message via the BS hub at Queensbury this afternoon of a possible Kittiwake on Shibden Park lake. PS confirmed the birds identity shortly afterwards and we managed to get down late afternoon along with Ian S - his local patch!
The bird is an adult coming out of winter plumage and was very confiding as it paddled around on the lake next to the footpath. It was not seen to feed though it was alert but we were not sure whether or not it was exhausted though it showed no apparent damage to plumage. It was not seen to fly but did flap its wings a couple of times.  See what tomorrow brings!
Some photos later.
A very good find for our local area. Well done to the person who passed the info on to Brian.

Yesterday!

No time for blogging last night so it's a catch up from yesterday!
c20 Redwings were in Shroggs Park yesterday morning still feeding on holly berries and last night, just on dark, a Tawny Owl was singing from the same holly bushes!

Checked some Calderdale Heronries yesterday for the BTO long running census and found 3 occupied nests each at 2 colonies. A lot of activity and squabbling at the nest sites which I guess is a very good sign.

I paid a visit to Hardcastle Crags later on in the afternoon but it was very quiet other than 1 Dipper and 70+ Jackdaws. Also Nuthatches and a Song Thrush singing near Midgehole car park and a few small tit flocks.
Crimsworth Dean was quiet as well with just 2 Kestrels, 2 Treecreepers, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and 2 Stock Doves. I couldn't find any sign of the recent Brambling flocks in the beech woodland but I guess there is a possibility they are still around with so much beech woodland to go at between there and the crags.

Elsewhere a Red Kite was over the former gravel pits at Elland/ Cromwell Bottom early afternoon briefly but drifted of >SW. A nice surprise for DF.

Oops nearly forgot! - an early Curlew over Soil Hill for NK yesterday.

Barn Owls

 I'm sure you will all wish to sign this petition

http://www.avaaz.org/save_britains_barn_owls

Jumble Hole area - 16 Feb

A pair of goosander were on the canal right by the sewage works. On the filter beds there was around 20 smart looking pied wagtails. A dipper was on the usual spot on the Calder nearby.

In Jumble Hole, nuthatch are as vocal as ever, as are green woodpecker. A single fieldfare was squaring up to a mistle thrush defending a berry bush. A raven flew over very low, cronking away.

Ringstone and Scammonden

Ringstone with Nick D this afternoon but not a sign of the Med Gull from yesterday though there were a decent number of smaller gulls in the fields plus around c40 Lapwings and 9 Goosander (7 drakes) displaying later on in the afternoon in the middleof the res'r..

Scammonden
1 Kestrel
9 Grey Herons
1 Cormorant
2 Pink-footed Geese with the Canada Goose flock of c65 birds

What a day !

Some fine weather and a few birders doing the rounds turned up some very good birds today.

Ringstone Res'r - c40 Snipe and 2 Jack Snipe on the north shore late morning (GS) and later in the afternoon an adult Mediterranean Gull (black hood almost complete) with a large gull flock feeding in the fields near the res'r followed by a winter Dunlin with the Lapwing flock (NCD and DF)

Whiteholme Res'r turned up an early Ringed Plover this afternoon (PGr)

Soil Hill produced  a Woodcock this afternoon (BS)

Elsewhere I found 5 Little Owls (2 and 2 and 1) in the upper Ludenden Dean area. Also 9 Stock Doves and 2 Kestrels but no sign of the recent Stonechat.

It's really good to get some good local birds after all the bad weather in recent weeks didn't seem to turn up much!

Bins for Sale

I have a pair of Leica Ultravid 8x42 BR's for sale

They are showing signs of wear but then after 12years of use in the field around the world nothing out of the ordinary and optically they are as good as the day I bought them.

Come with case, strap and eye-cup guard.

£800 ovno

Update!

Not a lot to report in the last day or so - the stormy weather hasn't helped, though several sites have been checked in the hope of something storm blown inland.
Ringstone and Scammonden checked and Cromwell Bottom where the 1st winter Scaup was showing again this morning. (SL). The few Golden Plover at Ringstone earlier in the week seem to have moved on but it will be good to look forward to numbers building in the coming weeks.

Ogden and Mixenden also checked this afternoon.  
At Mixenden there were 5 female type Goldeneye and the dead drake is still floating about in the middle of the water. Only 6 B H Gulls was an unusually low count for this site. 5 Canada Geese flew over towards Stodfold with the usual Jackdaws nearby.

Ogden was deadly in a prolonged hail storm and I gave it up as a bad job with just around 120 B H Gulls and a few Common Gulls braving it out in the middle and 3 Canada Geese with the Mallards at the feeding area.

More pinks!

138 over Northowran at 15:40 (AC) were over towards Swales Moor/Ploughcroft at 15:55. They were very high and only seemed to be making slow, but determined progress and changing direction though generally >W to NW.

Other news today

c300 Pink-footed Geese reported >W over Barkisland soon after 11:00 (SB) and another skein over Soil Hill around 11:30 (via NK)
Also from Soil Hill today (NK) 7 Skylark and some singing!

Lee Mount

Not a lot about today but  a nice surprise was a Common Buzzard drifting high overhead around 14:30  >SW closely followed by 4 Carrion Crows giving it some rough close encounters!

Hardcastle Crags

c.70 Brambling up the path 100 yards from Gibson Mill on the way towards Widdop Road this lunchtime. Plus a grey heron on the mill pond, 4 nuthatch near the mill,  and c.90 fieldfare battling strong winds up near the Widdop Road car park.

Shibden Park - 08/02/14

The 2 mute swans are still on Shibden Mere.
Also present were:
4 coots
6 moorhen
4 canada geese
A large selection of mallard and other domestic type ducks.

Mistle thrush singing
Also a few calling nuthatch

Not much up on Beacon Hill but it was very windy.

Nuthatch

Since moving to mytholmroyd I have noticed there is a lot of nuthatch in the area. Today I counted 7 in various parts Of the area 2 brearley by the canal 2 redacre wood 1 broadhead clough 1 Stubbs (singing) 1 near the nest estate Very nice to see so many in the area they are doing very well. Not that long ago I think todmorden was the only place to see them.

Bewick swans over mytholmroyd

4 Bewick's swans just (18:49) flown east over mytholmroyd quite low and calling

Buzzard

One feeding on worms in a field just within Calderdale this morning.

Great News for Swifts in Halifax Town Centre

I suggested to LDN Architects that while they were building a new library, they might as well incorporate some Swift nest boxes in the structure. This was last year, and yesterday I found out that they are going in !
I had support from Andrew Pitts and Carole Knowles, senior managers with the Council. I also got them to consult Hugh Firman, Conservation Officer with the Council.

Alex Liddell has consulted www.swift-conservation.org and intends to source their nesting blocks. He had taken on that there should be more than one at a site to satisfy the Swifts communal nesting habit.

The building is due to be ready in 2016.

I've mentioned a Peregrine tray and it has been speculated that one could be fitted later; maybe in the Square Chapel spire, though the loss of Kestrels from there would have to be thought about, as Peregrines would probably drive them away.

I've been attending meetings as representative of Halifax Scientific Society, and let them know about Calderdale Bird Conservation Group. The project affects HSS because we meet and have our books/archives in the current library.

View looking across Winding Road with the Square Chapel Centre for the Arts on the left and Industrial Museum on the right. The new library will be wrapped round the unused spire that stands there now. The main access will be through the re-paved Piece Hall. You can see more design projections in the current library, if you enquire.

Mixenden Res'r

24 Whooper Swans still there this morning at 8.15. Quite a bit of wing flapping going on and the birds looked very alert so maybe they will be on their way this morning?
3 female Goldeneye still there along with what looks like the dead male still floating about in the middle of the Res'r upside down.

Whoopers in the gloom this morning

Mixenden Res'r

Photo's of part of a group of 24 Whooper Swans at Mixenden Res'r this afternoon including 2 juveniles (lower picture - right hand bird shows one of the juv's).
All thanks to BS who earlier had a conversation with someone who had visited the res'r earlier and seen these yellow-billed swans. A great find, they are probably on a stage of heading back to Iceland in readiness for the next breeding season.
Also present at least 3 female Goldeneye and what looked like a dead male floating upside down in the middle.
A pair of goosander also present as well as BS and NK on a flying visit - like us!
Well done to the finder.

Ogden

This afternoon
A single Woodcock flushed in the woodland late afternoon flew off at speed towards the golf course. I nearly trod on it before it flushed and it was in more or less in the same area I have had them occasionally before.

It was very quiet for birds in the woodland areas but I did find a flock of around 10 Goldcrests in an area of small pines, birch and hazel in the NW woodland. No other species with them which was unusual though they were also feeding at ground level in bilberry bushes.
1 drake Goldeneye on the res'r
1 adult Cormorant
1 Canada Goose
c70 Mallard
c250 B H Gulls
c20 Common Gulls
2 Sparrowhawks
2 Stock Doves along Back lane and c60 Woodpigeons

Luddenden Dean

This afternoon I managed a good 2hrs or more in the upper dean area from Booth to Jerusalem Farm then on to Castle Carr lower lodge then up the hillside to top lodge then back to Wainstalls via Castle Carr Road. A nice afternoon out with some sunshine thrown in!
A single Brambling was the highlight, feeding in the beech woodland just before Jerusalem Farm
There were also lots of Blue, Great and Coal Tits on the feeders at J Farm - thanks Ted!
Elsewhere a Nuthatch was on other feeders at The Lowe
Plenty corvids about including c60 Rooks
13 Common Gulls >W
15 Pheasants at one spot
2 Kestrels were the only raptors
2 pairs of Little Owls
Plenty Woodpigeons and the usual finch sp.. going to roost towards Castle Carr woodland

This great spotted woodpecker is a regular to my feeders at Jumble Hole. Seems like there's less greenfinches this winter though? Could be because it's milder.
Elsewhere, and long walk at an area in the north of our region provided just one common buzzard, and around 18 red grouse. Nothing on the water at all.

Badger Culling in Calderdale

http://Www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-calderdale-councils-badgers-from-culling

Badger culling could come to Calderdale!

If you would like this to be avoided please sign the petition and give your opinion to the council.

The culling of badgers is cruel. There are other ways to do this if badgers must be controlled. Science has proved that this is not the way to go. 

The Scientific Society feel that individuals should have the chance to voice their opposition.  Members may have varying views on the cull and by posting this the Society is not voicing the opinion of the Society as a whole.

Cromwell Bottom etc.

5 Shoveler this morning on the ski-lake at Cromwell Bottom from Steve L was a very good find. Not a common bird locally. They were also seen later from Tony M and I managed to get down there later on and they were still on the ski-lake at 2 pm with the drake looking very smart!
No sign of the Scaup on the fishing lake unless it's hiding away on the ski-lake?
1 f Tufted Duck
1 Cormoramt >E

Earlier I picked out a singing Dipper in the stream at Dean Clough, Halifax - just by the car park where the culvert exits under the mills. It's really encouraging to find Dippers so close to the town centre, though this is a regular spot for them.

Mixenden Res'r held 5 Goldeneye still this afternoon 1 drake and 4 female type but the weather was terrible so I didn't stay long!

No sign of any Waxwings at King Cross !

Quite a few Redwings around this morning but not seen later in the day so perhaps they had been roosting nearby.

Licencing of upland grouse moors and gamekeepers.

Responsible department: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Given the continuing levels of illegal persecution of birds of prey the Government is called upon to introduce a system of operating licences for upland grouse shoots. Following any proven offence

Read More of this post ...

Jayhouse Lane

Jayhouse Lane this dinner time
C400 Lapwings
C150 Golden Plover
Hundreds of Common and BH Gulls
1 Little Owl

17 Comorants on the pylon behind Sainsburys Brighouse this morning.

Fieldfares and Redwings

Had over 100 Fieldfares in the field behind the house this afternoon, feeding with 150+ Starlings. Tried to count them but they were very flighty so hard to get accurate number. Also picked out just 4 Redwings and a single Mistle Thrush on the wall trying to look superior to the flock.

3 Goosander on Longfield Dam as we drove past.

King Cross

A good find this morning with 3 Waxwings at 12 noon just by bottom of Warley Road (RH)
3 still there at 13.00 (NCD) and 10 >W over Tesco's at 13.10 (AC).
In between - we missed the lot !!!!- might have another try this afternoon.

There are still quite a lot of berries around King Cross on the small trees so the birds could stay around for a day or two. Easterly winds forecast in the next day or so - maybe a few more will turn up ?

Update! we tried again this afternoon tramping around King Cross for an hour but we couldn't track any Waxwings down though we did have a male Peregrine over heading towards Peoples Park from Wainhouse Tower direction. Also 3 male Bullfinch feeding on rowan berries, 20 Starlings and 2 adult L B B Gulls over >E.

Swales Moor

This afternoon the Linnet flock was about 20 strong but I couldn't get anywhere near them to check for possible Twite
2 adult L B B Gulls >N
1 Sparrowhawk >N
1 Kestrel
2 Grey Partridge
8 Red-legged Partridge
A few Common Gulls around

Mixenden and Cold Edge

Mixenden Res'r this morning
4 f Goldeneye
100+ B H Gulls adn c40 Common Gulls and that was it !

Cold Edge (and it was cold up there!!)
14 Canada Geese
4 Greylag Geese
2 Meadow Pipits
30+ Common Gull
c50 Carrion Crows
c30 Jackdaws
1 Pheasant
c20 Red Grouse
1 female Sparrowhawk, sitting the cold wind out behind a hedge near Balkram Edge but no sign of the usual pair of Little Owls - I guess they were seeking better shelter somewhere nearby instead of on a stone wall.

Waxwings

c15 briefly in a tree on Crowtrees Lane near Rastrick Library at 13:36hrs this afternoon. They flew off in the direction of Carr Green J&I School after a Mistle Thrush disturbed them.

High Royd and River Calder

High Royd this afternoon
2 Teal
12+ Mallard
1 Grey Heron
2 Grey Wagtail
14+ Pied Wagtail
120+ Carrion Crows on the filter beds
2 Nuthatch

I tried for Water Rail but viewing the beds is almost impossible now - I guess there would be a chance of hearing them though! No Coot or Moorhens.

Luddenden Foot
1 Kingfisher on the Calder

Brearley
3 Goosander
1 Goldcrest (first of the year for me)
1 Jay
17 Canada Geese
Black-headed Gulls c100 on Brearley Fields
29 Herring Gulls >W late afternoon (17 and 11) following the calder and quite low down they looked really interesting - mostly adults.

Today's news!

The day started off well with 2 Shelduck at Ringstone Res'r followed this afternoon with the 1st winter Scaup still on the fishing lake at Brookfoot and a Water Rail on the River Calder - all thanks to JB.

This afternoon from NCD and DF a large flock of Brambling in the woodlands in Crimsworth Dean with probably 150 or so though they were flighty and difficult to pin down. They were in and around the woodland near the 'house in the dell' about a mile upstream from Midgehole car park. There is quite a lot of beech woodland up there so there is a good chance they could stay around for a while. (?)
And from NCD yesterday 3 Greylag Geese at Cold Edge but not a lot else.

2013 Bird Records

Our recorder Nick Dawtrey thanks all those who have sent in their records and would welcome any further Calderdale records for last year - by the end of January please.

Nick is especially after any Water Rail records as so far it looks like we have none for last year!

Thanks to Nick too for his diligence and care as our local recorder.

Swales Moor

Pretty dead up there this morning with nothing moving at all. The usual corvids were on the top in good numbers but the best I could find was 18 Meadow Pipits, 2 Bullfinch and 3 Greylag Geese over.

Fly Flatts, Withens Head and Mixenden Res'r

Nothing at all moving this morning but a lot of Red Grouse visible and flying about near the wind farm and across the moor.
The only other bird seen was a Golden Plover and calling on the moor, this is early though I have had them before in January up there even when snow has been on the ground.

Just 3 female Goldeneye on Mixenden along with 6 Mallard

Red Grouse

1st winter male Scaup

Photographed distantly yesterday (20 January) from the road as access is a problem here but interesting to notice the marked difference in plumage of this individual in comparison to the photographs taken on 5 January by DF.
Assuming it is the same bird it is rapidly moulting into adult plumage, it will be interesting to observe how its moult progresses providing it hangs around of course.

Brookfoot

The Scaup was still there today on the fishing lake (DF)

Ogden

This afternoon
1 very red fox asleep and sunning itself on a wall.
1 Goldeneye drake
1 adult Cormorant in breeding plumage flew over
Red Grouse up by 'The Giants Tooth'
The woodland was very quiet

Woodcock

 Check out Nigel's - Queensbury Birder blog for some great shots of a Woodcock picked up in a Queensbury garden today after flying into a window! Thankfully the bird was alive, though stunned and later released.

Swales Moor

A very interesting 2 hrs this morning up there picking up a light movement of big gulls and a skein of Pink-footed Geese (eventually)!!!
1 Common Buzzard over and another reported heading down the Wheatley Valley from Ogden late morning thanks to Nigel, but I couldn't pick it up!
54 'pinks' >NW  changed to >W as they got over Mt Tabor at 11.05
28 Herring Gulls >W mostly singles though two groups of 9
5 Great Black- backed Gulls (2 and 3) >SW
10 Common Gulls >NE
230 Woodpigeons >NE
1 Pied Wagtail >SW

Around the site
1 Green Woodpecker heard
17 Linnets but no Twite
10 Meadow Pipits
c40 Lapwings over the fields toward Shelf
1 Kestrel
Masses of corvids

Great visibility high today though haze in the valleys - The Red Arrows were giving the sky a going over towards Lincolnshire too. I couldn't pick out the aircraft but the vapour trails gave it away!

Wainstalls area

A very good afternoon, especially for Little Owls with 2 at Balkram Edge, another 2 along Castle Carr Road and yet another 2 in the upper dean.
1 Sparrowhawk female
1 Common Buzzard over > SW
1 male Kestrel
2 Raven 'cronking' over very high >NW
1 male Stonechat
c180 Fieldfares off to roost
3 Goosander flyovers towards Cold Edge late afternoon
Also of interest were a few small groups of big gulls heading up the Calder Valley late afternoon but they were too far away for identification though they were probably Herring Gulls with Gt B Backs!
No sign of any 'pinkies'. !!

Starlings II

Went to look for the starling flock in Bacup Road.  We were too early for the fly-past so we drove up Sourhall Road.  Saw c200-300 birds on wires and in field then they gradually joined up in a huge flock - more birds joining all the time and flew onto one of the pylons on opposite side of the main road.  By now we'd driven down to the main road and across it onto a track.  After 10 mins or so they took off in a flock from the pylon and swirled above us for 10 mins before settling into long grass/reeds on the hillside.  Bob estimated c2,000 birds in total.   20 fieldfare in field at the side of Sourhall Road.

Sandra

Shelduck for Ogden

                                                Out in the gloom

      Fog lifts, birds away >SW down Calder Valley

A nice surprise at Ogden this morning with 3 Shelduck on the water in thick fog.
As soon as the fog lifted so did the birds flying a full circuit then off >SW down the Calder Valley.
A site first for me, any more records of Shelduck for Ogden ?
Also present was an ad Cormorant in breeding plumage and a male Goldeneye.
BS

Other news today

Lee Mount - 2 skeins of Pink-footed Geese, both very close together >W over Lee Mount across lunch - time totalling c200 birds (JS and KS) I was elsewhere!!! so missed another lot.

This is an unprecedented year for such a regular occurances in this New Year over Calderdale (though we are likely to miss a lot - especially at night). I have checked coastal reports and they don't appear to be coming in off the sea at east coast sites so they are unlikely from the continent. It is more likely they are movements from Norfolk and Linc's/Humberside and probably moving towards Southport, Ribble or perhaps The Solway Firth (or Ireland maybe)?
Please keep the reports coming in!

Also today - the 1st winter Scaup was still on the fishing lake at Brookfoot this afternoon (NCD and DF)

Amazing migration!!

I see on the BirdGuides web site, a report of a Red-necked Phalarope from the Hebrides was fitted there with a geo-locater in 2012 and returned to the same site in 2013. The amazing bit is that it was tracked in the mean time to the Pacific coast of South America - Peru. A round trip of 16,000 miles.
I've not been able to copy the link but the full story is on the BirdGuides and probably the RSPB site?.

Managed to copy part of the report thanks to Bird Guides and RSPB
A tracking device, which weighs less than a paperclip, has helped scientists uncover one of the world's great bird migrations. It revealed that a Scottish Red-necked Phalarope migrated thousands of miles west across the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, a journey never recorded for any other European breeding bird. In 2012, the RSPB, working in collaboration with the Swiss Ornithological Institute and Dave Okill of the Shetland Ringing Group, fitted individual geolocators to ten phalaropes nesting on Fetlar (Shetland), in the hope of learning where they spend the winter.
After successfully recapturing one of the tagged birds when it returned to Fetlar last spring, experts discovered it had made an epic 16,000-mile round trip during its annual migration — flying from Shetland across the Atlantic, south down the eastern seaboard of the US, across the Caribbean, and Mexico, ending up off the coast of Peru. After wintering in the Pacific, it returned to Fetlar, following a similar route.

Wheatley Valley and Swales Moor

I checked the former landfill site this morning but it was a bit quieter than the last visit. The large grass area was soaked and didn't have the 'wellies' on ! So, I stuck to the tree belt areas.
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Song Thrush
10+ Bullfinch - they must love this area
10+ Redwing
3 Jays
A few other usual finch sp. and a few tits around but no sign of Goldcrests

Without the car today so I legged it up to the top of Swales this afternoon in the hope of some 'pinkies' on the move - just my luck recently !!!! too late for Andy's 70 over Northowram about 11:00  and too early for Sheila D's (via NK) c200 over towards Ogden around 15:30

18 Linnet and 1 Twite - just in the weedy area at the top of the lane from Ploughcroft but they were soon off and I couldn't re-locate them.
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Pied Wagtail
A few Common Gulls roaming around the tops and the usual multitude of corvids
c40 Lapwings were circling over towards Beacon Hill area. They must be feeding in the fields somewhere up Southowram area as they settled back down having probably been spooked by a raptor (?)

Starlings

Our nephew tells me that there's a starling roost just off Bacup Road, Todmorden not far from the junction with Sourhall Road.  Can't go and see today but will look tomorrow and report back.  But perhaps local birdwatchers are already aware.  My nephew isn't a birder but he says it's a huge flock and has been coming to roost for a few weeks.

Know anything about this Jeff?

Sandra

Pink-footed Geese still going over

There were about 150 Pinks west over Skircoat during the morning and about 120 west over Brighouse in the afternoon.
It was nice to hear birdsong today as well:
Mistle Thrush at Savile Park
Dunnock at Skircoat
Wren at the Calder/Hebble confluence.
Cormorant (obviously not singing) coming in to the river here saw me and decided to perch half way up a pylon.
Earlier in the week I alarmed a female Goosander under the bank and it swam away giving a croaking noise. Something I'd never heard before.

Other news today

The first winter Scaup was still on the fishing lake at Brookfoot this afternoon from yesterday (GD and SL)

The solitary Pink-footed Goose is still with Canada Geese at Scammonden Water (GS)
A drake Goldeneye on Ogden Water as well today from Chris S.

Cold Edge

This morning - it was cold up there! (probably not as cold as Soil Hill though!!)
There was a lot of activity with birds feeding in very wet fields, obviously picking up earthworms and having a feast!!
c280 Fieldfare
c200 Starlings
c200 B H Gulls
c100 Common Gulls
3 adult Herring Gulls was unusual as they are usually seen passing through rather than staying to feed
2 Kestrels
4 Red Grouse
11 Canada Geese
And to crown it off - a female Merlin sitting on a rock took off soon after I got it on the scope it and it pursued a Meadow Pipit trying to strike it around 10+ times before they were lost from view so not sure what the outcome would be. The mipit had to be very agile!!

2 Little Owls together at Balkram Edge (getting cosy)

Mixenden and Ogden area

A Sunday afternoon in the area between Ogden golf course and Mixenden Res'r turned up a few interesting birds despite the low cloud, gloom and poor light.
c60 Lapwings went high over the golf course towards Cold Edge direction but lost from view over the hill so they may have come down there or perhaps moving towards the west coast?
1 bonus bird was a Green Woodpecker at Lower Brockholes
4 bullfinch feeding in the hawthorns at the lower end of the golf course

Stodfold area produced c120 Fieldfare and 2 Redwings and 4 Moorhen on the former trout farm pond.

Mixenden Res'r was pretty dead - just 4 Mallard!

Other news today

Pinkies again - what a good few days for them passing over our area!
98 over Northowram at 10.10 Andy C - (possibly the same ones as described below from Muxy)
130 over Northowram at 10.45 (AC)
A massive skein over Queensbury  with 257 >W at 11.20 (NK and BS) see West Yorkshire Birding blog for some great pictures and Queensbury Birders blog for details.
I missed the lot again!!!!

Pink Footed Geese

Could well be a good day to see them moving.  Big skein just over Mount Tabor(10.15ish) going West.

Other news today

Barkisland - I had a quick look at Bowers Mill pond early on. Lots of potential for some good birds in and around the streamside and woodland there as well.
8+ Teal displaying
1 Dipper
1 Moorhen
10 Mallard
1 Grey Wagtail

Ringstone Res'r
Didn't have long there and good to have had a chat with DF 'on the early shift'!
1 Goosander flew in
c15 Stock Doves headed over towards the north fields
Quite a few Fieldfares and Starlings up there but didn't have time to do a count, similarly a lot of B H Gulls in the surrounding fields and a few Common Gulls

Also a report of
c50 Pink-footed Geese heading over towards Halifax Town Centre at around 10:10 (AC)
Another group of c100 over Cromwell Bottom >NW at 12.35 ish (BH) - perhaps the same group as DJP had over Stoodley Pike - see below Erringden Moor report.
Also a single 'pinkie' with Canadas at Scammonden Res'r this morning (JB)

Erringden Moor

pink footed goose 100apx nw over stoodley pike fieldfare 60 starling 200 raven 2 gbb gull 3 west Broadhead clough nuthatch 1

Mixenden Res'r

5 Canada Geese there today with no sign of the recent Goldeneye or Tufted Duck
Gull numbers down with only 30 B H Gulls and 20 Common Gulls late morning

Pink-footed Geese

Pinkies on the move across lunchtime today mostly >W and > NW
c200 over Ovenden at 11.35 (AH)
c120 over Cromwell Bottom at 11.55 (BH)
c150 over Jay House Lane near Clifton at 12.15 (DF)
c300 over Sowerby Bridge at 12.25 (SB)
c50 over Jay House Lane at 12.30 (DF)
and I missed the lot !! Might be some more yet.
Thanks for all the reports. We are very fortunate in West Yorkshire to witness these migrations and winter movements. Keep them coming!

1 straggler over Soil Hill area this afternoon (NK) and another 11 over Northowram (AC)

832 for the day!

Swales Moor

This morning
11 Red-legged Partridge near the top
18+ Meadow Pipits on the top
No sign of the Linnet flock today

1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel at Ploughcroft
2 Stock Dove
2 Common Gulls
Usual lots of corvids
Fieldfare 4>W
Woodpigeons 220 >NE
Bullfinch 4 >W
Chaffinch 4 >W
Starling 2 >NW
1 Cormorant >W

Elland area

I tried a quick look at Brookfoot - the ski-lake and the fisherman's pool this afternoon but was unable to locate the weekend's Scaup - or any other diving duck for that matter! Just a decent flock of B H Gulls and a few Common Gulls with 2 adult L B B Gulls.

On the way back we got stuck in traffic on the by-pass - it was worth it though as a Common Buzzard flew over, flapping hard in poor conditions for a raptor, over from Salterhebble area towards West Vale.

Bramblings at Sowerby Bridge

Peachy Steve is one of our newer members at Halifax Scientific Society. He got these superb shots of a male Brambling in Dodge Royd Wood on 5th Jan. The flock was feeding on Beech mast on towards Triangle.

You can see how the head feathers are black closer to its skin. When the grey tips wear off  the black will be revealed ready for breeding in spring. This is a common way of changing colour among birds. It avoids the heavy investment of moulting and growing a new set. 

Wheatley Valley

I gave the former landfill site a go this morning - been thinking about going down there for a while but its a welly job especially over the large grass flat area which is very wet (even in summer)!!
I had in mind  a possible Jack Snipe or Common Snipe but was unable to flush anything, though I guess there are both species there in winter. A bonus bird turned up trumps though, with a Woodcock flushed just as I was about to give up. A new bird for this site.

I then tried the planted area (young mixed woodland with a lot of Alder, Rowan, Willow, Birch, Hazel, Cherry etc ..) which was alive with birds including
10+ Bullfinch
30+ Redwings
1 Song Thrush singing
25+ Chaffinch
8 Greenfinch
20+ Goldfinch
Lots of Blue and Great Tits though just 2 L T Tits but no Coal Tits or Goldcrests
1 Jay
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
3 Herring Gulls over >NW
Altogether 27 sp.. in 2 hrs
Also a Red Fox - looked like a big male in superb condition and not so much red but more black than red. All in all a very enjoyable and productive  morning!

Swales Moor and Mixenden Res'r

At least 1 Twite positive i d  (possibly another?) in with the Linnet flock of 28 this morning along Ringby Lane. They are a tricky lot, very flighty and difficult to approach as well as finding the flock in the first place!
1 Skylark on the top
Little else other than the usual corvids and a few Common Gulls in the fields
1 female Sparrowhawk nearby

Mixenden Res'r
4 Goldeneye including 1 drake
Also a drake Tufted Duck
c 100 B H Gulls and a few Common Gulls

 

Elland GP

No luck this morning with the scaup sadly. The conditions were not great, with terrible glare and the wind making it difficult to hold the scope steady, but I could not find the bird.
There were plenty of other things though:
-6 Tufted duck: 4 male, 2 female
-3 Goosander: 1 male, 2 female
-5 Cormorant
-Coot
-Moorhen
-Black Headed and Common Gulls
-1 Little Grebe
-At least 7 Bullfinches on the feeding station
-Long-tailed tit, blue tit, great tit, chaffinch, robin and dunnock on the feeding station
-1 Greater Spotted Woodpecker

However, the Mirfield Great Northern Diver made for great compensation after dipping on the scaup

Mixenden and Ogden Res'rs

Mixenden this afternoon - terrible conditions!
5 Goldeneye ( 1 drake)
1 Tufted Duck (drake)
25 Woodpigeons
11 Stock Doves

Ogden
32 Lapwings over >W then they turned round back east so they were probably the flock from the north slope of Soil Hill
1 Sparrowhawk hunting the woodland
c60 Woodpigeons
c120 B H Gulls and 20+ Commons >N towards Thornton Moor Res'r
c80 Mallard but no sign of the recent Little Grebe

More Scaup pics

A couple more of the Scaup from DF (much better than mine).

Other news today

Pink-footed Geese on the move today across lunchtime 4 skeins totalling 785 heading west seen from Northowram. See details on the link to Northowram Wildlife (AC)
Apologies for the earlier error in reporting pinkies over Oxenhope - I must have dreamt that!!!!!
2 skeins over Lee Mount heard tonight in the dark sounded to be heading west at 6.0 pm followed closely by another group heard at 6.20 pm. Some more tomorrow with a bit of luck!

Cold Edge and Brookfoot

Gave it a try this afternoon but the weather was foul with driving rain. I did manage 3 new sp. for the year with 1 Grey Heron, 3 Red Grouse and 7 Pheasants but that was about it other than c15 B H Gulls. Some of the latter are already advanced in plumage with well pronounced black heads nearly complete though the majority are still in winter plumage.

Following the soaking up there I decided to try for the 1st winter Scaup at Brookfoot fishing lake. Though the light was fading it was still feeding along with 4 Coot so that was a bonus bird for the new year.

First winter Scaup at Elland GP

Found JBs first winter Scaup on the fishing lake at 2.30 this afternoon.It had obviously been spooked off the ski lake by speed boats. Fortunatly for me and DF it had come down right in front of us on the fishing lake, where it gave good close views in poor light.Also Kingfiher and Dipper present.DF probably has better photos???

Today

Mytholmroyd 2.15pm.

A peregrine falcon and a raven over.

Stainland

Walk round stainland this morning

Castle carr -
Nuthatch heard
GSW heard

Stainland Dean
2 Jay
Sparrowhawk
M + F Bullfinch
Greenfinch heard
50 Redwing

Along Blackbrook
2 Grey heron
3 Dipper
2 Kestrel

Other news

From John B yesterday,  a first winter Scaup on the ski lake at Brookfoot yesterday though no news as to whether or not its still there today. Scaup are not often recorded in Calderdale in recent years so that's a good find.

A good number of Pink-footed Geese >W across lunchtime today reported from Andy at Northowram.  Thanks, I did manage to pick out one skein through the trees of Shroggs Park in Lee Mount. Details of numbers will I guess be on Northowram Wildlife blog later today.

Home to Mankinholes to Walsden

A mild morning for a wander - hat, gloves, scarf and jumper removed before I'd gone 200 yards :)

150+ Fieldfare in fields at Cross Lane, Mankinholes
1 Little owl by Pennine Bridleway by Top Brink
7 Goosander (2 drakes) at Lee Dam
1 Little Owl at Lee Dam
5 Lapwing at Longfield Dam
1 f. Goldeneye at Longfield Dam
106 Redwing at Knowl Wood in birch trees
1 Kestrel over at Knowl Wood

Out and about!

Wheatley Valley - male Sparrowhawk this morning hunting among the trees on the former landfill site along Shroggs Road. Also a few Redwings about first thing over Shroggs Park

Mixenden Res'r - drake Tufted Duck along with 3 female Goldeneye. 2 adult L B B Gulls, c100 B H Gulls and c40 Common Gulls. 1 Pied Wagtail

Balkram Edge - pair of Little Owls on a wall

Fly Flats - not even a Red Grouse!!

Withens Head - 11 Fieldfares and 9 Starlings in the field by the wind farm car park

Recent bits

A dipper was on the river at Callis Bridge on New Years Day. A goosander flew over Walkley Clogs, and a male sparrowhawk narrowly missed taking a blackbird at Mytholmroyd station.

Several nuthatch were seen and heard on the lane up to Hebden Hey in the Crags yesterday, including 4 in one tree! A few siskin were also about.

New Year Bird Count

Halifax Scientific Society New Year Walk and Bird Count North Dean Wood, Norland Clough and Norland Moor.RESULT:
We didn't see the Stonechat, Reed Bunting or winter thrushes seen on Boxing Day, but we did get 18 species, four more than last year on 1st Jan 2013.
Some were in the home garden before setting off, and on the way to the meet, but all countable for a day list. These lists just give an idea of bird diversity on a rainy day in winter 2013-2014, and may be interesting in the future.
Five people who attended saw:
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Dunnock
Chaffinch
Blackbird
Carrion Crow
Magpie
Feral Pigeon
Black-headed Gull
Woodpigeon
Jay
Robin
Grey Wagtail
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Treecreeper
Common Gull
Jackdaw
Mammals: Grey Squirrel(1) Roe Deer(3 together) Rabbit signs.

We completed the planned route, then enjoyed drinks including pints of Wainwright Ale in the Star at Lindwell (Greetland).