Upland area..

I decided to take a walk up to an Upland area this morning to see what was about. I arrived quite late in the morning but the first thing I spotted was a large falcon, which was difficult to identify because of the sun, but was a peregrine.

-Peregrine

I also spotted quite a few kestrels along the road, one of which was much smaller. Again, it was difficult to judge because of the sun, but I thought it was a Merlin. I took some photos to check when I got back and it seems pretty good to me, the photo below clearly showing a lack of black bar on the end of the tail. Its only the second time I have ever seen one, so i'm not familiar enough to confidently identify one in the field.

-Merlin

Other notable birds included; Wheatear on the walls, a pair of redshank, 2 Sand Martins, a Swallow and my first Red-Legged Partridge and Stonechat of the year.

Species Lists: 
Upalnd area: Starling, Carrion Crow, Mallard, Kestrel, Pied Wagtail, Jackdaw, Meadow Pipit, Red Grouse, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Skylark, Wheatear, Sand Martin, Swallow, Red-Legged Partridge, Peregrine, Merlin, Canada Goose, Lapwing, Stonechat, Graylag Goose,

Ogden/Golf Course: Sparrowhawk, Curlew, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Reed Bunting, Red Grouse, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin, Wren, Dunnock, Mallard, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Canada Goose,

Soil Hill: Wheatear, Lapwing, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Mallard,

Ryburn Valley and Ryburn Res'r

Checking a few Rookeries today - AND - found a new one for the list though it looked a long established site in among a large newish housing development. Thank goodness the developers left the trees in the middle of the site - or perhaps thanks go to the Planners - I wonder ? At least 24 active nests so that was a real bonus.
1 Dipper
2 Grey Wagtails
2 Cormorants (juveniles)
2 Nuthatch
1 Canada Goose on a nest on top of a small cliff - precarious!
1 Willow Warbler singing
2 Chiff-chaff
1 Treecreeper
2 Small Tortoiseshell butterfly's

Ploughcroft and Pepper Hill

A nice walk from the top of Ploughcroft from Hag Lane and round the top of Claremount
1 Little Owl seemed to favour trees rather than dry stone walls
1 Kestrel carrying prey
Pair of Sparrowhawks
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Jay
1 Chiff-chaff - they are everywhere !!
1 Linnet flyover and a few mipits >N
1 L B B Gull >W
2 Roe Deer

Soil Hill

So after a family trip to Bolton Abbey I decided to see if I could get any Ring Ouzel on soil hill. I was rewarded by at least 3, but probably more birds, mainly in and around the young hedge on the Bradford side of the hill, but also around the mounds on the top. Its only the second time I have seen these birds, so I was well excited, though the photos are not much.

Another bird of note was 2 feildfares that I flushed on the top, it seems rather late for them?

Species List: Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Blackbird, Ring Ouzel, Grey Heron, Pheasant, Lapwing, Reed Bunting, Common Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Mallard, Fieldfare, Jackdaw,

Also just a quick plea, I spotted the bird below at Bolton Abbey and due to not having exceptional binoculars I was unable to properly tell what it was at the time. I know the photo is not great, but its the best I managed. There were plenty of buzzards in the sky at the time, but the wings and tail just seem the wrong shape for buzzard. I know its not brilliant but thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

Elland GP yesterday

Took a trip down to EGP yesterday for the scaup. It was still on the fishing lake and looking lovely. I got about an hours watching before being turfed out by the bailiffs. It was a great Lifer for me.

Also on site I managed my first swallow of the year, that became four swallows over the canal. Also a male blackcap calling along the canal towpath

Species List: Scaup*, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Swallow, Blackbird, Blackcap, Great Tit, Robin, Wren, Mallard, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Woodpigeon, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Goosander, Treecreeper, Cormorant, Long-Tailed Tit, Coot, Great-Crested Grebe, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Chiffchaff,

Wheatley Valley

On the former landfill site first thing searching for Willow Warbler which would make it 99 for the year so far in Calderdale.  Success, with 2 singing and showing well near the Brackenbed end of the site.
4 Chiff-chaff
1 Blackcap
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Stock Dove
c35 Woodpigeons
Several Song Thrush in full song and in one instance sounding exactly like a Nuthatch!
1 Grey Heron flyover >S
11 Meadow Pipits >N was unusual for this site though it should be coming up to peak movement for this species in the next week or two.

Withens Clough Res'r

The reservoir is still full to overflowing so no chance of any waders, in fact none on the moor either, not even any Curlews for some reason.
A pair of Stonechats at the top end of the res'r was a bit special
4 pairs Ganada Geese
2 Stock Doves
A few Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails
Not a lot else!

 Canada Goose

 Meadow Pipit

Looking West

Coming back down towards Cragg Vale
2 Pied Wagtails with 2 Grey Wagtails
1 buck Roe Deer
4 Siskin - flyovers
1 Common Buzzard heading down the valley

Lee Mount

A Nuthatch entering a neighbours garden nest box late afternoon - I didn't think it would get in as Blue Tits usually occupy this box - but it did! See what happens next?

Lee Bridge

This morning at the transfer station a Dipper flew over calling several times. A nice surprise when clearing the rubbish!

Fly Flatts and Withens Head

Thick mist on and off this afternoon at Fly Flatts in awful conditions - didn't get out of the car!
Then the tops cleared a bit when the rain stopped.

Fly Flatts

 Stoodley Pike from Cold Edge over Midgley Moor

Withens Head

Withens Head was the most productive spot
1 male Wheatear
4 Curlew
2 Redshank
2 Oystercatchers
2+ Snipe
10+ Lapwing
A few mipits
2 Pied Wagtails
c80 Starlings
A pair of Tufted Duck on Cold edge

Then I got a call from NK with news of a male Ring Ouzel on Soil Hill, on the mounds, but it had disappeared down the north slope and not relocated. He also flushed some Golden Plover on the top and co-incidentally 6 appeared over Cold Edge heading over the moor >W a minute or so later!

Other news

Male Redstart on Saturday 6th April in a garden at  Skircoat (Steve B)
4 Ringed Plover at Whiteholme Sunday 7th (DF)
Wheatear, 2 Ravens and + 3 unidentified hirundines through Ringstone Sunday 7th (Steve L)
Also yesterday afternoon our first reported Willow Warbler singing in a garden at Luddenden (MH)
A single late Pink-footed Goose >N over Ogden yesterday (BS)
A couple of Short-eared Owls also reported moving through over the last few days.

Out of area, but only just

A great grey shrike is at Watergrove reservoir (nr Littleborough) for the second day. It's actually not that much more than a few miles (3-4?) as the 'crow' flies from Walsden.

Tawny owl casualty

A tawny owl was dead next to the railway line by the pedestrian bridge at Eastwood.

Shibden

I've currently got a pair of pied wagtail and a pair of grey wagtail building nests in the wall next to the house. The pied wagtails have selected a hole and the male is busy taking in nesting material. 

The female is more interesting in attacking reflections of herself in car windscreens.

The grey wagtails are much better behaved but haven't picked a hole that they like yet.

Rookery

I checked out the rookeries in Shibden Park and there are just 3 nests now in the section by the railway line. Two at least had rooks in them, the other is a new nest but I didn't see anything visit. I'll check again later this week. 

All of the other spots are devoid of nests.

Castle Carr Road and Luddenden Dean

Castle Carr Road
1 Little Owl in the usual spot
1 Wheatear along the road
A few Curlew over but not many Lapwings
1 female Merlin over Saltonstall seen chasing about and then stooping at something unknown and out of site.
9 Skylark together feeding in one field were all carefully checked!

Luddenden Dean
2 pairs of Kestrels + another one lower down then dean
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Nuthatch
1 Little Owl
1 Grey Heron over
4 Jays
1 Grey Wagtail on the roof of Jerusalem Farm
1 Chiff-chaff singing
1 Goldcrest
8 Stock Dove

Cold Edge

Plenty small stuff moving about first thing including Meadow Pipits, Chaff's, Greenfinch, Goldfinch and a few Linnets and a Reed Bunting.
Plenty Canada's (c60) and 6 Greylag's
2 Wheatears near Moorlands Farm
10+ Snipe drumming
3 Curlew high >W + others on the moor
A few Lapwing
2 Oystercatchers
40 Fieldfare
c160 Starlings
6 ad L B B Gulls >W
A single Raven over
1 Kestrel

oh and nearly forgot - a Weasel - in a dry stone wall was nice to see!

Jumble Hole

A pair of buzzards were over the house this morning, but one went west and one went east. Two swallows were feeding here yesterday.

Golden Balls

Passed the Golden Balls award on to Brian Leecy  Friday night for the drake Eider find at Todmorden on the 2nd of March.

Lower Gorple and Blake Dean area

Plenty of waders up towards Lower Gorple on the moor there including Lapwings, Redshank, Curlews, Oystercatchers, Snipe and 12 Golden Plover in one field earlier today when the fog lifted. The res'r is full to overflowing so not much chance of migrant waders. No sign of migrant Ring Ouzel either.
2 drake Tufted Duck
100+ Canada Geese and 1 Greylag Goose
2 Grey Partridge
3 Sand Martins through >NW
1 Wheatear
1 Stonechat
1 Reed Bunting
1 Kestrel
1 female Merlin straight through >NW
1 Grey Wagtail
30+ Pied Wagtails scattered about but not a sign of any White wag's
Lots of Meadow Pipits on territory and others on the move
6+ Skylark
2 Stock Dove
4 Black-headed Gulls looking really smart
2 L B B Gulls >W
Plenty Red Grouse

 Pied Wagtail on the move

 Lower Gorple


Clough Foot - Widdop Road

Local patch

Walked my local patch around Mankinholes today and found 2 Swallows at Lee Dam - I think this is the earliest Swallow I've had in Calderdale. When I saw the first one it was in a tree so reckoned I'd got it wrong but then it flew off and voila - Swallow.

Also at Lee Dam were 2 Goldcrest, a Moorhen, 6 Teal and the usual Little Owl. 2 further Little Owls were at Mankinholes.

Back home 3 Linnet on the nyjer seeds were my first this year and a single Brambling was with the many other finches. The Redpoll flock visiting the garden has grown to over 20 birds now but it's hard to count them accurately as they are so active.

Ogden

8 Whooper Swans there this afternoon and still there at 6pm. Earlier this afternoon 8 Goosander were with them and a drake Goldeneye on the Res'r as well. 1 Chiff-chaff singing
Many thanks to John for reporting them and the message passed on to us via BS.

2 of the 8 Whooper Swans in the gloom

Not quite Calderdale but......

http://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/news/appeal-witnesses-buzzard-fatally-injured-winscar-reservoir

Meadow Pipit race ?

Meadow Pipit at Castle Carr Road on 19th March. In the field appeared a very bright peachy orange on the breast, remember talking to DJS about it at the time but thought nothing more of it until I saw Andys link to Icelandic Meadow Pipit. Any thoughts !

EGP 2nd april

Blackcap singing this evening + the drake Scaup now looking splendid, also 2 Great Crested Grebes and 3 Herring Gulls over. Interesting Andys link to Icelandic Meadow Pipit, reminds me of a bird I saw at Castle Carr on 19th March, will try to dig out the photos.

Icelandic Meadow Pipits...??

http://birdingfrontiers.com/2014/04/01/icelandic-meadow-pipits/


Another interesting article ,Interesting to note that the first Meadow Pipits I had at Northowram were noticeably pale. Then over the last weekend they were bright and bold in colouration.

ELLAND GP

Drake Scaup still on the fishing lake this tea time and two Great Crested Grebes.

Staups Moor

I stopped the car on the way back from school run this morning, on a road I think is called Eastwood Road, linking the top of Cross Stone Road and Kebs. So effectively looking out across the upper end of Staups Moor.

In just 5 minutes, I counted

- 3 displaying snipe, right above my head
- 32 meadow pipits
- 13 singing skylarks
- 16 red grouse (including some impressive looking males with very red eyebrows)
- 14 curlew
- 1 golden plover
- 21 lapwing, mostly paired up and displaying

And then I just stopped counting, and enjoyed the sounds and sights. I was never more than 2 feet from the side of my car. I can highly recommend this spot to anyone wanting a quick fix of easy, satisfying birding.

And what cracking habitat. We must continue to guard this and similar habitats against drainage, development and well meaning but entirely misplaced tree planting programmes.

 

 

Withens Clough etc.

I started off this morning checking some local Rookeries but the mist took some time to clear.
1 male Blackcap singing and seen at Luddenden Foot along with several Chiff-Chaff's alongside the river Calder and the railway line. Also Grey Wagtail and Great-spotted Woodpecker.

Withens Clough Res'r
4 Goldeneye (1 drake)
4 Goosander (1drake)
Lots of mipits on territory but little sign of any 'movers' and a scattering of Pied Wagtails. Also nearby were 4 Curlew and some Snipe were 'drumming'
6 Fieldfare in the plantation
3 unid large gulls over high >SE
1 BH Gull >W
Also a Chiff-chaff singing in the Res'r cottage shrubbery. By then the mist had cleared and the temperature rising nicely.

 Goldeneye - 1st winter male

Pied Wagtail

Res'r full to the brim !

Around Colden Clough

A very pleasant and quiet late morning stroll around Colden Clough.

A grey wagtail at Hebble Hole.

About 60 Fieldfare on the sheep fields above the woods and a very beautiful treecreeper above Lumb Bank.

Woodcock

The woodcock have started their spring roding at Jumble Hole this evening. Two displaying tonight.

SEO

Short eared owl seen yesterday by the weather station at Cock Hill. The first one up there for ages

Ogden Garden

A pair of lesser redpoll on the feeders this pm.

30th March

Out and about, Red Kite over Hardcastle Crags, 2 Whooper Swans at Walshaw Dean and Long-eared Owl at undisclosed site put me on 98 for the year,DJS on 96 and DF now on 101.

Mount Tabor, Wainstalls, and Cold Edge

Mount Tabor
At the top of Gibb Lane c20 Linnets feeding on an old allotment site

Wainstalls
Early afternoon 4 Herring Gulls >E
6 L B B Gulls 'loafing'

Cold Edge
2 Oystercatchers
Pair of Tufted Duck

Yellow-hammer

Withens Head

2 male Wheatears early afternoon on the piles of stones at Slade - for me they have taken some finding this last 2 weeks but eventually they turned up in one of there usual migrant spots.
Not much else about but I was more than happy to find the Wheatears !

Bradley and Clifton

An interesting morning checking the area on Calderdale's lower reaches of the River Calder behond Brighouse
1 Yellow-hammer is a real bonus for Calderdale in recent years
Several Stock Doves including nesting pairs
1 Grey Heron
1 Grey Wagtail

 River Calder (no I was not in a canoe!!)

  Yellow-hammer

Jay House Lane
20+ Tree Sparrows all looking really good
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
1 Curlew

Tree Sparrows

Other news today

2 male Brambling seen at Mill Bank and 3 Lesser Redpoll (Steve B)

From HC at Oxenhope just out of our area - a nice early Swallow through there this morning

Pair of Wheatear at Raggalds across mid-day (BS)

Luddenden Dean

Late morning/early afternoon around the dean - very pleasant out of the wind.
1 Green Woodpecker singing
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Kestrel
1 pair of Little Owls + another single bird higher up the dean
8 Stock Dove
Meadow Pipits moving through in small numbers along with a few Pied Wagtails
2 Sparrowhawks
1 Kestrel
c60 Fieldfare
20+ Starlings

Castle Carr Road
Another pair of Little Owls
Curlews and Lapwings
2 Grey Wagtail - flyovers
No Wheatears !
c40 unidentified geese very high >NW over Midgley Moor at 13.15 - don't think they were Canadas and they were just too far away for I D.

We went up to Raggalds Flood for Brians Wheatears that turned up across lunchtime but they were gone when we got there!!!

Osprey - Cromwell Bottom

An osprey was reported flying over Cromwell Bottom today at c.1pm. The link to photos on the Cromwell Bottom blog is here

High Royd

This morning in the drizzle
1 Little Grebe singing but not seen
2 Goosander
1 Coot
2 Moorhen
2 Teal
1 Grey Heron
c135 Carrion Crows on the filter beds
c10 Pied Wagtails
2 Grey Wagtails
3 Chiff-chaff
1 Reed Bunting
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
2 Nuthatch
1 Treecreeper

Bird Quiz

Identify this bird, link. To Quiz

Answer will be posted later

Walshaw Dean

Thanks to a call from KM we headed off up to Walshaw from Crimsworth dean to see if the 64 Whooper Swans he found earlier were still on the middle reservoir. Thankfully they were still there. Thanks Keith!

The water level was really low whereas the lower res'r was full to overflowing. Still, the middle res'r looks good for maybe some passage waders.
1 pair Tufted duck
2 Oystercatchers
and a few Pied Wagtails, mipits, Lapwing, Curlew and Snipe on the way up there.

On the way back we located a female Stonechat near Clough Foot car park and a flock of c40 Curlew, which are probably migrants rather than local breeders.

Chiffchaffs

Near the old Walkley Clogs building Hebden Bridge AM

Two chiffchaffs singing by the river.

Also, two grey wagtails and one grey heron.

Crimsworth Dean

This afternoon with NCD
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Great-spotted Woodpecker
1 Nuthatch
3 Kestrels together (2 females and a male mating with at least one of the females)
1 Tawny Owl singing
Sparrowhawk
Buzzard distant - fully feathered !
Lots of corvids
2 Stock Doves
c20 B H Gulls, 6+ Common Gulls, 1 Herring Gull and several L B B Gulls over

A lovely afternoon up there in the sunshine but with a cold SE wind.

 

Golden Plovers

Two Golden Plovers flying together over Flints Moor crossed Turvin Clough in the direction of Whiteholme Res area.
Also 1 Skylark
         1 Meadow Pipit
          1 Snipe
           2 Red Grouse all on Flints Moor.
Earlier in the day a Little Owl on the usual wall at below Ringstone Res for 6th year in a row in spring.

Ringstone etc

From yesterday 22nd - 6 Wheatear in fields opposite the Res'r keepers cottage at Ringstone in the morning (DF) with another at Northowram (AC)

Derby Bar, Rishworth, 22nd March 2014

Two twite at the aforementioned location this morning, in cold and windy conditions.  Whilst watching them I was wondering if any of this population have been ringed and subsequently picked up anywhere on their wintering grounds?

Regards, Chris

Local Valley Raptors

Just beat the showers with a late morning walk round a local valley.  Was hoping for Brambling in the woods or Wheatear on the moor edges.  Failed on both counts but did get Nuthatch, Treecreeper, GSW x 2 in the woods.  Then out in the open the female Kestrel was hunting.  3 Buzzards were up together when a Merlin came amongst them.  We were then treated to an aerial display of speed for a good couple of minutes. It skimmed along the moorland on the South facing side before finally crossing the valley towards the moor on the opposite side.  My favourite bird and it made my day.

Sand Martin

Had my first Sand Martin today heading low north west at 7.10, also 9 Meadow Pipit, 32 Redwing and 6 Fieldfare  north

Fly Flatts and Cold Edge

This morning in a very strong and gusting south westerly but the morning was bright sunshine with cloud increasing.
Fly Flatts
2 Redshank
2 Oystercatchers
At least 3 pairs Curlew
c60 Canada's and 3 Greylag Geese
1 Kestrel
2 Stock Doves
A few mipits but no Wheatear

Cold Edge
2 drake Tufted Duck
2 Oystercatchers
2 pairs Curlew
2 pairs Lapwing
c70 Canada's and 2 Greylag Geese
1 Reed Bunting and a few mipits
No Wheatear!

Castle Carr Road
2 pairs Little Owls
No Wheatear!

Wheatears

See West Yorkshire Birding blog - ref BS with 2 Wheatears on Soil Hill yesterday and another today on Brighouse/Denholme Gate Road between Shelf and Queensbury.
The first locally was from TW - with one at Rishworth - think it was Monday 17th (?) must check!!

Chiffchaff

Heard my first Chiffchaff of the year this morning as I walked along the Rochdale Canal at Eastwood. First day of Spring and a Chiffy singing - great stuff.

Bramblings

Found at least 14 Bramblings feeding on beech mast down Shaw Wood Road today (that's one of the roads leading up to Mankinholes). As with the other flocks of Brambling reported they were flighty but I managed one or two photos.
Here's one of them and just for fun can you count how many Bramblings there are here?

I'll post the same pic later with the birds highlighted. Clue - there's more than half the number stated above.

Also around were 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, both drumming and a Nuthatch singing.

Well done everyone for the guesses - Matt was correct with 8:

Cold Edge area

Mid afternoon in the heavy rain - not good !
Fly Flatts - nothing except a few Canadas
Withens Head - nothing

Cold Edge
110 Canada Geese
3 Greylag Geese
1 Tufted Duck
c12 Mallard
2 Oystercatchers
2 Curlew
3 Meadow Pipits
c200 Starlings - was nice to see !

Castle Carr Road
1 pair of Little Owls

Buzzards

This is a photo of the other buzzard which has been shot showing damage to primary feathers including pellet holes in the primaries as well !

Common Buzzards

We have recieved these photos taken in the last few days at a local site showing what we can only surmise as gunshot damage. How fortunate was this bird to escape! This is a very distinct bird and in recent weeks was fully feathered.

Other news

A pair of Redshank back at Ringstone Res'r this morning and a Great Black-backed Gull there briefly. (SL)

200 or so Brambling still in and around the beech woodland in Crimsworth Dean yesterday. (NCD DF)

60+ Twite at Rishworth earlier today. Nearby our first reported Wheatear this year and a Stonechat (TW)

Mixenden and Stodfold

Not a lot about in the valley between Mixenden Res'r and Ogden golf course this afternoon but the weather was pleasant out of the cool westerley
2 Curlew
19 Canada's on Mixenden Res'r but nothing else!
A pair of Stock Dove nesting in an owl box
The totally white Carrion Crow is still at the top end of Lane Head Lane
Not much else!

Swales Moor

Late morning with a few large gulls moving west in one's and two's
11 Herring Gulls
8 L B B Gulls
5 Common Gulls
The highlight was 2 Ravens along the ridge tumbling and calling >N
2 Skylark singing
15 Meadow Pipits >NW
1 Kestrel >S
Usual glut of corvids on the top

Erringden Moor

I also went out looking for early wheatear - without success. Just 2 curlew and a pair of sparrowhawk, and a pair of dippers on the river at Callis.

Castle Carr Road and Caty' area and Cold Edge

This afternoon still on a search for that early Wheatear without success in the dreadful windy and drizzly conditions. I think the WNW wind will need to ease before we start to pick them up.
1 Green Woodpecker singing
c65 Fieldfares went down towards Jerusalem Farm
c10 Stock Dove
2 Red Grouse
A pair of Little Owls on Castle Carr Road and another pair together at Balkram Edge near Wainstalls

Fogged off at Fly Flatts and Withens Head !

Cold Edge
160 Canada Geese
Pair of Tufted Duck
1 Little Grebe
2 Oystercatchers
12+ Lapwings
2 Curlew

Brambling

For the last 5 years we have had a single Brambling in the back garden at some time during Jan/Feb/Mar but I was beginning to think we weren't going to see one this year - until this lunchtime when one appeared with 9 Chaffinch and joined the Goldfinches, Greenfinches and Redpolls on and under the feeders. Saw it (I assume just the one bird) twice more during the afternoon. Sort of makes up for the couple of times I've gone after the Luddenden Dean and Crimsworth Dean flocks and not seen them!

HX4 again

5 Lapwing flying SE above fields near Jagger Green

Along Blackbrook from Bradley Farm to Sonoco

4 Nuthatch
1 Treecreeper
2 Dipper
1 Kingfisher
1 Green Woodpecker calling
1 Chiffchaff calling
9 Teal on Bowers Mill Pond (5F 4M)

GSW and Jay in Beestons Wood
Kestrel in hovering above field above Beestons Wood

Bowers Mill Pond

6 Teal - 5M, 1F
2 Pied Wagtail

Further downstream on Black Brook

2 Grey Wagtail
1 Dipper

Redwing

There were about 20 Redwing in the trees at Lumbutts church yard this afternoon.

Swales Moor

I tried along Ringby Lane this morning. Despite the hazy sunshine the wind was cold and strengthening from the west with little or no movement of birds though 3 Small Tortoiseshell butterflies was interesting.
5 Linnets
6 Meadow Pipits
1 Skylark singing
Little else other than the usual corvids

Today's news!

A pair of Gadwall on Ringstone this morning - a good record from Steve and Tony as we don't get many Gadwall in Calderdale. They were still there this afternoon. NCD and DF.

The drake Scaup is still on the ski-lake at Cromwell Bottom. Chiff chaff also singing there along the canal near the lagoon. NCD and DF

A report from Craig via BS of 2 Great Crested Grebes on Mixenden Res'r yesterday - maybe still there?

Also a report from Bradford Ornithological Group via AC of 7 Shoveler on Fly Flatts yesterday. That is another really good record for our area.
Doing well for duck sp... Recently!

Mount Tabor Garden

My 5yr old son informed me this morning there was an owl in the garden.  It turned out to be this robust looking Sparrowhawk.  She is constantly around.
The last few days have been good from the garden with a Kestrel and a Buzzard over the field behind. A Little Owl was also calling yesterday evening.
The Skylarks and Lapwings have also been displaying at the top of the field for several days now.

Mankinholes and Gaddings Dam this morning

It was a fine morning but the early morning mist was still rolling in and at times Stoodley Pike was obscurred by clouds.

Walking through Mankinholes the mist descended so visibility was very poor, although a Mistle Thrush singing from a tree top brightened things up.

Along towards Langfield there were Meadow Pipits singing and parachuting at last, and a Skylark could be heard from above Langfield Edge. Up to Gaddings Dam and 3 more Skylarks singing. At Gaddings it was clear for all of 2 minutes then the mist came in again and didn't look like clearing for a while so I set off along the dam wall rather than walking along the Western shore, not expecting to see much as there is very little shoreline. I put up 2 Ringed Plovers almost straight away and they flew off into the grey morning mist.

The lovely views from Gaddings are being changed by these things, just about visible through the murk:

Going down to Jail Hole to look for Wheatear, a Red Grouse took off into the mist - calling after me as it landed about 30 yards away.

Back through Lumbutts and Mankinholes the mist had gone and visibility was good. A Pied Wagtail flew over and a pair of Little Owls were in their usual place with a third also seen in its normal location at Cross Lane.

 

The final sighting for the walk was a pair of Stock Doves also at Cross Lane, we don't get many of them here so it was a good record.

Other news today

Chiff-chaff singing along the canal at Cromwell Bottom today. ( GS)

Raven flight path

It appears I'm working right underneath a Raven flight path with a pair yesterday around 3pm flying north towards Ogden and another pair (presumably the same pair) today flying east towards Ploughcroft around 1pm.

Burning Issue

See below for a link to an RSPB  article about the burning of  moorland. The lower part of the article, which has been updated recently, refers to the issues at Walshaw Moor and the RSPB's actions.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/365565-a-burning-issue-for-englands-upland-wildlife

Migrants

Chiffchaff and sand martin already being reported in the Bradford area.

Crimsworth Dean

Almost a full day walking the dean today with an interesting mix of birds etc with 1 Roe Deer and 2 Small Tortoiseshell butterflies.
30+ Brambling still in the beech woodland on the eastern side of the dean
2 Sparrowhawks
1 Kestrel
2 Common Buzzards
1 Grey Partridge
1 Gt spotted Woodpecker drumming
3 Nuthatch
c20 Curlew
c40 Lapwing
2 Oystercatchers
Song Thrushes in full song
2 pairs of Mistle Thrush
1 L B B Gull over >E
Lots of Jackdaws and Woodpigeons in the dean
2 pairs of Pied Wagtails
The usual tits were in the woodlands but hardly any finches other than the Brambling
11 Jays together was unusual making a right racket over something - I couldn't discover what unless it was a dispute over a female. !

I also checked Grain Water bridge area for early Ring Ouzel or Wheatear but nothing doing yet. Not a single mipit either!

Murder puzzle - answer

Yes, the unfortunate victim was a great spotted woodpecker. Well done Jeff

Murder puzzle

I came across this grizzly scene at Jumble Hole today. I have the answer, but any guesses at what species the victim was?

Lee Mount

An interesting afternoon in the garden with the weather perfect for birds using thermals!
I got a call from BS to say 4 Buzzards were drifting over Queensbury >SW about 13.15 so out in the garden with bins and scope to see if I could pick them up, maybe over Swales, but I couldn't find them in the bright blue sky. I did pick out a couple of female Sparrowhawks really high circling then a real belter of a bird with a single Raven over, quite high >N giving its customary cronking call. Only the second record over the house. Thanks Bri for the prompt!

Wainstalls and Castle Carr Road

From yesterday
2 Little Owls in different areas
1 Green Woodpecker heard in Luddenden Dean
c10 Curlew
3 pairs Lapwing + others using over towards Cold Edge
38 Fieldfares at Cold Edge
A few mipits and Skylarks
c10 Stock Dove

1 Small Tortoiseshell butterfly for good measure.

Out and About

Spent the weekend on a wild frog hunt, trying to find locations that don't suffer from to much noise pollution in an attempt to get some clean sound recordings. I managed a few recordings but none were free of background noise.

Yesterday,

Cromwell Bottom had the water boiling with frogs at Tag Cut with 13 clumps of spawn and some additional spawn in the wet woodland.
A pair of Little Grebes were calling on the lagoon
Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming
Bullfinches on the feeders

No frog activity at Roils Head.

Today, there were a small number of frogs at Shibden,

Sunny Vale had;
No frogs
Nuthatches calling,
a Grey Heron,
3 Black-headed Gulls,
Coot,
4 Moorhen and
2 Little Grebe.
Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming

Rishworth Mill also had;
Nuthatches calling
and no frogs.

Bowers Mill;
had no frogs but
8 Teal,
3 Buzzards displaying,
Kestrel circling
Moorhen
a pair of Pied Wagtails displaying,
a Grey Wagtail
pair of Long Tailed Tits nest building
Great, Blue and Coal Tits also present but no sign of any other tit species
Usual Dunnocks, Robin, Wren, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush

Wheatley;
Lots of Male frogs in a local garden, all busy croaking away, plus 4 clumps of spawn

Jay House Lane Yesterday Whilst feeding the tree sparrows I had a walk round the area. there are about 15 - 20 tree sparrows; the curlew are back and were calling. There seem to be quite a lot of rooks but not much sign of nest building yet. In the wood there was GSP drumming, chiff chaff singing,lots of blue and great tits, wren. robin 2 blackbirds Chaffinch singing, 3 red wings, gold finches, starlings ( but not the numbers seen recently) jackdaws and crows.