Fly Flatts

Eclipse of the sun this morning 09:23 and 09:47 on Warley Moor. I think I was just fortunate to get it through thin cloud taking away the brightness and glare.

2 Oystercatchers

6 Lapwings

2 Redshank

c10 Curlew
1 Snipe
12 Golden Plover >NE
1 Stock Dove

2 Skylark, 1 Pied Wagtail and a few mipits but no Twite at the feeding station with more Niger seed put down

2 Common Gulls >SW

Several adult L B B Gulls
Usual - c50 canadas and 2 Greylag Geese

A Common Buzzard heading >NE over Cold Edge

Tour of my Area's

                  Cromwell Bottom today lots of Finch & Tit family,
                  quite a few Chiff Chaffs about and the ones i didn't
                  see could clearly heard, 3 Jays GSW seen and others
                  heard drumming, 1 Dipper, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Nuthatch,
                  3 Herons and huggings of Canada's.
                  Soil Hill and Swalesmoor quiet with just a couple of
                  Skylarks and Meadow Pipit's but big flocks of Bull,
                  Chaff and Goldfinches at bottom of Ringby Lane,
                  Oh and a Kestrel at Soil Hill.
                  Garden lots of Green, Chaff and Goldfinch.

Sunny Vale

Green Woodpecker calling, and Song Thrush nearby.
On the lake -
3 Little Grebes -in aggressive mode !
2 Teal
2 Mallard
7 Moorhen
4 Coot
2 Grey Wagtails
7 Canada Geese
Heron
Tawny Owl calling loudly near the lakeside was a nice surprise
Coach Road - Lesser'Pecker was drumming regularly from trees on the golf course.

Mytholmroyd

3 peregrines over the house at midday 

Nuthatches building. Chiff-chaff singing

Pair of nuthatches building near Cromwell Bottom (EGP) - over canal at site of new timber houses.
They're in an old sycamore they've used before I think.

Chiff-chaff singing along there this morning.

Quite a few moorhens about generally down there. Council contractors have been destroying mink I believe, but a big one swam past me in the river - thought it was an otter for a moment!

Ogden

Back Lane area this morning - we couldn't find a lot but we spotted NK on the skyline then met him shortly afterwards near Foreside then we headed off for a bacon buttie at Nicholson's Tea Rooms  !!
2 Reed Bunting
c20 Skylarks first thing but no sign of them on our return
c20 Meadow Pipits
c15 Curlew together
2 Lapwings
1 Grey Heron
1 adult Cormorant flyover
1 Kestrel
No Wheatear
oh... nearly forgot - c70 Fieldfare heading >NW (back across the North Sea anytime now I guess)

Buzzard

Seen high over Jumble Hole this morning, soaring on thermals.

Today's news

Drake Gadwall today with Mallard at Dean Head above Scammonden. 2 Stonechat there yesterday. SL.
2  Ringed Plover at Whiteholme Res'r this morning PG

Fly Flatts and Withens Head etc

Fly Flatts this morning. I went to put Niger seed down at the feeding station for any returning Twite. I wish I was more optimistic about them returning for the summer but with BS we are giving it a go again this year.
2 Redshank arrived from Oxenhope direction
2 Oystercatchers
1 Snipe 'chippin'
2 Lapwings
6+ Curlew
50+ CanadaGeese
2 Greylag Geese
2 Meadow Pipits
1 Skylark
1 Common Gull >SW

Withens Head
1 female Wheatear was on the walls at the back of the former Withens pub as I drove past but it was off down the fields before I could get a photo
1 Pied Wagtail
200+ Starlings
1 Snipe 'chippin'
2 Curlew

Coach Road, Hove Edge - we had a look there this afternoon - just 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a Nuthatch, 2 Jays, a Song Thrush singing and a Mistle Thrush giving anxiety calls as the Jays passed by.

Yesterday

The 4 Whooper Swans at Ogden earlier had gone by late afternoon. (BS)
Chiff- chaff  at Cromwell Bottom (PG)

Shibden Park

The 3 mute swans are still on the lake, and have been resident for at least 5 months now.

The grey wagtails are looking at nesting on the lane again (photographed through the window so not the best quality). Hopefully the female won't be obsessed with attacking her reflection in the car windows this year.

Ogden Water

Four whooper swans on the water at 2.00pm

Dipper

One Dipper seen in Walsden Water by the side of Morrisons store, Todmorden.

Herring gulls

East bound herring gulls are almost daily at the moment. 29 Saturday morning, 11 yesterday, 22 this morning. And oddly, they're always 9:15-9:30am, so I would reckon that's some equation of leaving the Lancashire coast at daybreak and flying east at x miles an hour, arriving in Calderdale at 9:30.

They go down the valley towards Hebden, and look to go over towards Fly Flatts.

Cold Edge

Late afternoon - hec that was a biting cold easterly up there !
2 pr Tufted Duck
1f Goldeneye
c70 Canada's, 8 Greylags but no sign of the 'pinkie' today
c12 Curlew
c25 Lapwing
6 Oystercatchers
2 Meadow Pipits
c230 Starlings
Red Grouse
No Wheatears

I also did Castle Carr Road looking for Wheatear but again drew a blank.
2 pr Little Owls
c50 Fieldfare with c25 Starlings

Widdop

A short visit this evening 

Kestrel 1

Red grouse 4

Pied wagtail 2

Mistle thrush 3 

Cloudy Soil Hill & Fly Flatts

                   Went up to Soil Hill to try find the Snow Bunting
                   again but no sign of it, but other birds there were,
                   20+ Meadow Pipits, Skylarks, 2 Curlew, 6 Lapwing,
                   1 Pheasant, 1 what looked like a Golden Plover and
                   one unknown with the light being so bad.
                                    Left there to go to Ogden Water but decided
                  to drive up to Fly Flatts instead where it was cold and
                  windy, 2 Golden Plover flyovers, 4 Curlew, 20+ Canada's
                  also a flock of what looked like 20+ Redwing opposite Travellers
                  Rest but not certain as was driving and 1 Red Grouse.
                                  Garden- 10 Goldfinch, 4 Greenfinch, 4 Chaffinch,
                  2 Blue Tits, 2 Collared Dove, 2 Dunnock, 2 Blackbird and best
                  bit of the day a Short-Eared Owl in back field looking a me then
                  flew off over Shibden before i could get my camera.
     

                                            Unknown ?

Red Kite

Yesterday's Red Kite from Mike Henshaw. Nice one Mike, keep them coming!

Goldcrest

Goldcrest singing in my garden last weekend.  It was flitting about in an evergreen singing away to itself. Not a song Im familar with so took me a while to locate and ID the bird which luckily didnt seem to mind me dancing about underneath it like a crazy person

Bramblings are still about with 12 seen in the garden today

Other news today

Mixenden Res'r - just 3 Great Crested Grebes this morning (PS)
Jay House Lane near Clifton - Wheatear still present from yesterday (DF)
Ringstone Edge - up to 400 Golden Plover in the nearby fields yesterday (SL)
Lesser pecker Hove Edge this morning (DF SL)
Red Kite over Brighouse heading towards Kirklees at 8:30 (MH)
It's all happening today!!!

Fly Flatts

BS taking in the comforts of Fly Flatts !! and watching the Whoopers at 07:30.

Can't beat it Bri, glad you found a soft spot.

Fly Flatts

I decided an early start was on the cards as there was a possibility Nick's 42 Whooper Swans found at Cold Edge yesterday might be present at Fly Flatts this morning. They duly obliged with all 42 present including 6 juveniles, all  looking very relaxed, preening and resting on the banking at the far end. I walked down the track part way but decided against disturbing them so hence the distant photo's.

 

A few Canadas were present with 2 Oystercatchers and Curlews were calling on the moor and 2 Golden Plover flyovers. 10  medium sized waders were seen arriving from SW and at first I wasn't sure what they were, then they came around the reservoir looking for a place to drop in. 10 Bar-tailed Godwits - that was a surprise. They were not impressed with the high water level and no muddy edge and circled round a couple of times before heading off east towards the wind farm at 06:45.

 

The Whoopers left >NW at 07:47 a great sight flying over the moor.


 

Other news today

From Dave F - the first report of a Wheatear this year for Calderdale on Jay House Lane, Clifton around mid-day. Well done Dave.

Whoopers

42 Whooper Swans at Cold Edge Dams today was a nice surprise. Unfortunately they flew off towards Fly Flats soon after these pics were taken. Found out later from a local that they were present the previous day.

Whooper Swan flyover

              Low flyover of 3 Whooper Swans over Claremount going
              towards Northowram, could've been on there way to
              Oakenshaw where they've been congregating in Caldene
              fields, 12 Linnet and 4 Meadow Pipit up Swalesmoor and
              1 hovering Kestrel over ski slope, garden had 10 Goldfinch,
              4 Greenfinch,2 Dunnock, 2 Blackbirds and 1 Blue Tit.
             

Mount Tabor

Went to look for early migrants but no luck.  Had the usual pair of Little Owls.  I have never been to the spot and at least one not be visible. 1 Skylark in display flight and song and Cormorant over pass.

  Yesterday 3 Golden Plover landed by The Withens just before dusk.

Other wildlife pretty good at the moment.  There is a herd of 6 Roe Deer about with at least one buck.  I couldn't get the camera to focus from the car through the branches though.  Also we have seen another Badger in the last couple of weeks in a different location to our first local one last year.

Shoveler

Met Pete S up there following Steves report of a pair of Shoveler at Ogden this morning - record shot !

Ogden and Mixenden

A pair of Shoveler there this morning from Steve L - they left about 10:30 leaving just a drake Goldeneye there and an adult summer Herring Gull with just a few B H Gulls and Common Gulls.
Also a drake Goldeneye at Mixenden Res'r but nothing else there

Tawny Owl possible nest

A Tawny Owl occupying a hole in an old Ash tree in Centre Vale Park reported by Philip Marshall on the Calderdale-wildlife.blogspot

I have his contact details.

While in Todmorden one winter night in about 2005 I remember a large number of hooting owls. (c.12)

WALSDEN

This is my first for Calderdale, though I know they have been reported regularly down the valley. A BUZZARD over Walsden. Low enough for OH to identify it immediately. So though I can't add it to my list, I'm confident it might be back! Sandra

Swales Moor and Soil Hill

Late morning not a lot doing at Swales along Ringby Lane other than a female Stonechat on the top and 13 Linnets and near the quarry and 6 + Skylarks and c20 Meadow Pipits
Little Owl at Ploughcroft

20+ Skylarks on Soil Hill, 20+ Meadow Pipits and 15 Filedfare but if the Snow Bunting is still there I wasn't able to find it. !  UPDATE.... NK found it around 12:45 so it's still there.

Eastwood sewage works

A total of 8 grey wagtails present. 5 on the filter beds, 2 on the river and 1 on the canal. Pied wagtail numbers around 33, but will probably build up further in the next few weeks.

Ogden Water

One whooper swan on the water at 8.30 am.

Fly Flatts and other news today

I only managed a brief outing today, late afternoon though Fly Flatts is not easy later in the day with the  glare of the sun.
4 Oystercatchers
4 Curlew
c10 Lapwings
No shoreline for passage waders yet and that's not looking too hopeful with the forecasts
c70 Canada Geese
4 Greylag Geese
1 Raven high >N
1 very distant Common Buzzard
2 Kestrels
Plenty Red Grouse
No sign of any Wheatears yet but they could turn up anytime now with a bit of luck (?)
No sign of yesterdays Stonechats at Fly

From NK - the Snow Bunting on Soil Hill was showing again there this afternoon. also plenty of Skylarks about up there and a big bonus with a Red Kite overhead - well done Nigel and from yesterday afternoon a single flyover Shelduck >S
Common Buzzard over Elland area as well this afternoon (SL).
No shoreline at Ringstone. We can but hope !

Buzzards

Common Buzzards seem to be everywhere at the moment, took these pics at a local watch point today. Its probably time we surveyed this species, so can birders make note of occupied territories and let me have the results at the end of the year or sooner.

Mytholmroyd buzzard

Common buzzard over the garden around 4pm drifted from hebden then up cragg vale 

Late post - Saturday

2 buzzards over the house at Jumble Hole on Saturday, including one whilst I was having a cup of tea in bed! A peregrine later in the day, plus male sparrowhawk and kestrel made for a a decent day.

Short Eared Owl at Soil Hill Sunday 8/3/15

We went up to look for the Snow Bunting on Sunday afternoon after the rain stopped. My partner Kathy has never seen one. She still hasn't, but we were lucky enough to flush this Short Eared Owl right in front of us on the east of the mounds, which flew a little way off and perched on a wall.   Time approx 16.45.

It was clear enough to see the White Horse of Kilburn way off across the Vale of York, but it came and went as light changed on the Howardian Hills.

Fly Flatts

Late morning surprise!
With a deterioration in the weather it was a a shock to find 4 Stonechats together feeding on the edge of a drain along the top road and then in fields perching on the stone walls - 3 adult males and a female. A Carrion Crow had a go at catching one several times but failed miserably (thank goodness)
1 f Goldeneye on the water
3 Mallard
2 Curlew
Most of the Canada's had deserted to either Cold Edge or Dean Head

Wild & Wet Soil Hill

                    Soil Hill late morning,no sign of Snow Bunting
                    or anything else for that matter,the wind was wild
                    and it was pouring down so don't blame em for
                    the no-show, but seen a nice Stonechat on the way
                    back down to the road.

                    Garden-:
                                 6 Goldfinch
                                 2 Greenfinch
                                 2 Chaffinch
                                 2 Collared Dove
                                 2 Blackbird
                                 1 Dunnock
                                 2 Blue Tits checking the nest boxes.
                     

Mixenden and Soil Hill

No sign this morning of yesterday's drake Gadwall
  The Barnacle Goose is there with 14 Canada's

Soil Hill - I found the Snow Bunting again briefly this morning with 2 Skylarks on the mounds to the east of the track. They were flighty and I wasn't  able to relocate, somewhere on the north slope!?

Migrants !

Whooper Swans should be coming through our area anytime between now and early/mid April as they travel north to breed in Iceland and the northern tundra - so its well worth checking local reservoirs (and the sky)!!

Not long now for Northern Wheatears - they are already being reported on the south coast.

Mixenden Gadwall

                   Mixendens Gadwall   Photos BS.

BS, DJS.

Cold Edge

This afternoon, blustery up there but fine and dry
4 Oystercatchers
10+ Curlew
30+ Lapwing
2 f Goldeneye
Pair of Tufted Duck
The single Pink Footed Goose was back with 4 Greylag Geese
60+ Canada Geese
1 Raven >N
1 Grey Wagtail
4 Meadow Pipits

Then I called back at Mixenden Res'r to see BS's single Gadwall - another good find for our area. Well done Bri.

Soil Hill Delight

                Visited Soil Hill this morning to try & spot the
                Snow Bunting that was reported by Brian and
                was well chuffed as I've not seen one before, so
                a big 1st for me, look for it I nearly stood on it I
                couldn't believe how friendly it was.
                                                    Kestrel, 2 Pheasant, Skylarks
                & Meadow Pipits also seen up there along with plenty
                of visitor's in search of the Snow Bunting, so hope
                they all got lucky.
             

               
 

Soil Hill

Snow bunt still on Soil Hill at 08:30 message via BS from BH,NK,DF

Lee Mount

Nearly forgot !! - before I set off up Swales this afternoon a nice surprise with a bat flying to and fro along the tree line at the back of Shroggs Park. Probably a Pipistrelle (?) It was there for at least half an hour with plenty insects around in the shelter of the trees and I tried to get some photo's (not good enough for the blog) - they just don't stay still !!

Swales Moor and Soil Hill

I was in two minds this afternoon - Swales or Soil Hill - and went for Swales! Just 12 Linnets up there.

 

It's a good job BS went to Soil Hill, coming up trumps with a Snow Bunting. I abandoned Swales and headed off up to meet Bri. Thankfully the bird was still there at the far end of the track in the short grasses. I found it tricky getting some decents shots being in the shade then later in the bright sunshine but I got a couple of record shots. This is, as far as I can recall, only the second Snow B this year and BS also found the first at Fly Flatts on 1st January.

Well done Bri - I owe you again !!

Check out the link for Brian's blog West Yorkshire Birding for more photo's etc....

Is it Spring already?

There was a flock of about 50 curlew flying over Blake Dean this morning.

Luddenden Dean

This morning from Wainstalls we walked down to Booth then up to Jerusalem Farm and did both sides of the upper dean.
2 pairs of Little Owls in the usual spots
Green Woodpeckers very vocal
2+ Great Spotted Woodpeckers
1 pair Kestrels defending territory
2 Sparrowhawk sightings
1 Grey Heron
1 Dipper
Red Grouse in Midgley Moor
Very few thrushes or other small birds about other than where there are feeders at Jerusalem Farm and The Lowe
Plenty Jackdaws, a few Woodpigeons and Stock Doves.
It was nice to see the sunshine today!

Crimsworth Dean

This morning in the lower dean from the crags Midgehole car park checking the woodlands both sides of the valley
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Green Woodpecker
Several Nuthatch
1 Goldcrest singing
3 Song Thrush singing
1 pair Mistle Thrush at a probable nest site
3 Jays
A lot of Jackdaws
2 Goosander flyovers
c20 Redwings
Curlew 1 >NE
Buzzard and Sparrowhawk >S
Not a lot else - but that was enough to keep me going !

Mixenden and Cold Edge

This morning.
Mixenden - 3 Goldeneye, 1 L B B Gull

Cold Edge - a strong blustery >NW wind and rain made birding tricky!
4 Lapwing
2 Curlew
1 Oystercatcher
3 Greylags but no sign of the 'pinkie'
c130 Canada Geese
25 Mallard
2 drake Tufted Duck
1 Little Grebe on the top small pond
4 Meadow Pipits
c90 Starlings
4 Mistle Thrush

Wintery Day

                    CBNR area fairly busy today on a cold & windy day.

                     8 Bullfinch, 4 Chaffinch
                     8 Canada's  3 Mute Swans
                     20+ Greats & Blues
                     3 Coal Tits, 2 LTT
                     4 Grey Heron, 7 Blackbirds
                     1 Grey Wagtail, 6 Robins
                     5 Cormorant, 4 Wren
                     4 Wood Pigeon, 4 Mallard
                     1 female Greenfinch, not seen one there before

                     Garden-:

                      10 Goldfinch, 8 Chaffinch
                       1 Great Tit, 1 Blue Tit
                       2 Collared Dove
                       3 Greenfinch,  1 Wren
                       4 Blackbird 2 Robins
                       2 Mistle Thrush ? or song
             

                                          Mistle or Song Thrush ?
                   
                   
                 
                   

Jayhouse Lane

Large flock of Redwing and Fieldfare
C200 Golden Plover
C20 Meadow Pipits
4 Skylark
4 Curlew
50+ Common Gulls

                            Visited Cromwell Bottom NR today for an hour
                             just the usual visitors today but in small numbers,
                             Great, Blue & Coal Tits, 2 LTT, 2 Robins, 2 Chaffinch
                             couple of Blackbirds in the viewing area.
                             1 Wren on the riverbank, 4 Canada's and a juvenile
                             Mute Swan playing about with an old rag on the canal.
                             Car Park feeders busy with the tit family & robins but no sign of the
                             Nuthatch today.
                             4 Herons up in the Heronry 2 doing naughty's so
                             eggs in the nests soon and a few flyovers with branches in their beaks.
                       

                                     
                              Garden-:
                                           10 Goldfinch
                                            2  Chaffinch
                                            2 Greenfinch
                                            1 Backbird
                                            1 Robin
                                            Crows & Gulls flying over back field.