Blackstone Edge Reservoir

 Brilliant find by JJL this afternoon of Wood Sandpiper on Blackstone Edge. Showed well at times, and was still present when we left at 18:30

-Wood Sandpiper

Beacon Hill

Redstart

 

Soil Hill

 An overcast and then foggy morning on Soil Hill today. Absolutely brilliant birding, however, with a few species of note.

• A YELLOW WAGTAIL flew west towards Ogden at c.07:35, seen from the bottom of the North Slope. Managed a couple of appalling record shots. Sadly LNK was elsewhere recording a reeling Grasshopper Warbler, which was a shame as she would have got a brilliant audio recording. 
• A juvenile Sedge Warbler and male Blackcap were present, plus a reeling Grasshopper Warbler.
• The Spotted Flycatcher which was in the garden of Rabbit Dell off Taylor Lane yesterday afternoon was still present this morning.
• No less than four Tree Pipit flew south during the morning.
• Still 10 Grey Partridge distributed in the fields along Taylor Lane and Perseverance Road.

In total managed 47 species, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S117425904

-Yellow Wagtail

-Sedge Warbler

Swifts ....... etc.

One Swift  >W over Lee Mount for me this morning was a treat and another this morning from Northowram (AC). Hope for one or two more if we're lucky but they are well on their way back to Africa now. 

Marsh Tit still showing well at Cromwell Bottom again today - such a great find. 

Cuckoo Oxenhope Moor

Saw a juvenile Cuckoo this morning on the Calderdale side of Long Dike, which runs westwards from the northern end of Fly Flatts.

Cromwell Bottom

  After a morning on Soil Hill, LNK and I headed down to Cromwell Bottom to check for the Marsh Tit that had been reported on Facebook the previous day. We spent an hour at the feeding station and the bird made three visits, using the feeders and often showing well. Nice to see JM, DF and DJS there as well.

  The bird did not call at all during the time we spent watching it, although others may have heard it after we left. However, the consensus by those present was that the small bib and pale spot on the base of the bill rule out Willow Tit, even without the voice confirmation. 

-Marsh Tit

Complete species list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S117251115

Soil Hill

Very pleasant morning birding around Soil Hill before the wind picked up. A few different bits of note. 

• At the bottom of the North Slope a group of 3 Whinchat were moving around together.
• 2 seperate Tree Pipit flew south calling, one over Ned Hill Track and another over Taylor Lane.
• One Sedge Warbler and a juvenile Grasshopper Warbler still present, as well as a male Blackcap. 

In total managed 45 species today, the full list below

-Whinchat

Complete species list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S117194556

Soil Hill

Outstanding day on the Hill this morning, possibly the best of the Autumn so far:

• A GREEN SANDPIPER flew south over the North Slope. First picked it up on call before it flew into view. Then continued flying south. Difficult to photograph but fortunately LNK was able to get a brilliant recording of the bird, which is uploaded here.
• Three Spotted Flycatchers; 1 top of the North Slope, 1 Ned Hill Track & 1 Koi Farm Copse
• One Tree Pipit flew south. Audio recording here; https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/475394911
• One Grasshopper Warbler seen and heard 'tacking' 
• 15 Willow Warbler counted in total, as well as 14 Whitethroat. A female/immture Blackcap was also present

In total managed 44 species this morning, the full list below

-Green Sandpiper recording

-Green Sandpiper

-Spotted Flycatcher

 Complete species list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S116962062

Soil Hill

Been a very lively week for migrants on Soil Hill, and today was no different: 

• Two Tree Pipit flew south, both calling loudly. LNK was able to get fantastic recordings of both individuals; here is a recording of the first individual which flew right overhead
• One Sedge Warbler was still present, although there have been two in recent days. Photo below from the 11th, thanks to JJL for use of his spare camera
• 13 Willow Warblers were counted around the area today
• Two separate Great Spotted Woodpecker flew north 
• Three Swifts were flying high over Ogden, won't be long now

Also a Snipe flew over the Summit and appeared to be dropping as if to land on the Bottom Cattle Fields, my first of the Autumn.

In total managed 44 species this morning, the full list below

-Tree Pipit recording

-Sedge Warbler

Complete species list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S116826694

Soil Hill

Exciting morning on Soil Hill with my 117th species for the patch; Lesser Whitethroat. One showed very well in the Koi Farm Copse just off Taylor Lane, but frustratingly I still don't have a camera so can only provide extremely poor record shots. It became more elusive as the morning drew on, traveling into the garden along Taylor Lane as well.

In addition, there was also a Spotted Flycatcher in the same area which showed well for a few seconds but did not reappear during the hour and a half we spent searching for the Lesser Whitethroat. Also 11 Willow Warblers in total, 2 Blackcap, c.8 Common Whitethroat, 1 Tree Pipit flew south calling (Audio recorded) & 10 Grey Partridge still on the summit.

-Lesser Whitethroat

-Spotted Flycatcher

Complete species list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S116651269

Soil Hill

 A very pleasant morning on Soil Hill today with my first Short-eared Owl here in just under two years hunting the fields along Ned Hill Track. Still no camera, so have to make do with photos through the binoculars.

 A pleasantly lively morning with 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Wheatear, 1 Blackcap, 17 Willow Warbler, 1 Jay and 3 Swift all present, as well as the family party of 10 Grey Partridge encountered for the fourth day straight. 

In total 45 species were recorded in just over 3 hours.

-Short-eared Owl

Complete species list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S116590350

Hunter Hill and Ogden

This was the best I could get of one of the two Redstarts this morning though my pics of the Spotted Fly are not good so I'll stick with Pete's ! 

Redstarts were NK's find yesterday so it was nice to see they were still there this morning, as was Nigel.

Not a lot else at the site other than a Kestrel fly-through, distant Common Buzzard, 2 Jays and a juv Willow Warbler.

Also checked Slaughter Gap earlier for signs of any migrants. 5 Wheatears at the top near the quarry and a flock of c30 Linnets with c 30 Swallows. mostly juveniles, and c20 House Martins. One adult Common Gull over Mixenden Reservoir but nothing much else there.

Ogden

Spotted Flycatcher, and the male of a pair of Redstarts. All found by DJS. I think the Redstart is 1st winter, because it has no white on the forehead.

 

Ogden

Juvenile Meadow Pipit

Juvenile Grey Wagtail.

I have yet to find a modern bird guide that gives full descriptions of juvenile Passerines, with pictures. None of my three has a pic of a juvenile Grey Wagtail, and descriptions are brief and sometimes questionable.

The remains of the gape flange and the pink bill (black in adult) age this bird as juvenile. None of my guides mentions the upperparts, which here are paler grey than on adults, and brownish grey on the crown. Kightley et al says these juvs have "more uniform peachy-buff underparts and buff-yellow vent", while Hume et al (Britain's Birds) say "pink-buff beneath with whiter flank; yellow vent". Svensson et al (Collins Bird Guide) does not mention juvs. This bird has a yellow (not buff-yellow) vent (and rump), but I can see nothing peachy or pink: the flanks are white, and the breast looks faintly yellowish white.

I wonder what the pre-war Witherby et al volume says?

Ogden

 Tufted Duck: female with 3 young

Withens Head

I went late afternoon to check the site of the recent Back Redstart but failed to find it either at Withens Head or Cold Edge though I suspect it could still be about.

3 Wheatears was the best I could do - but I enjoyed a good show of butterflies until the sunshine disappeared. !!

Swallows still feeding young in the local farms. Lets hope they can recover their numbers.

Ogden

1 of 3 juvenile Pheasants. The white and orange close to the eye, and the Us and Vs on the back, show that it is not a Partridge.

Withens Head

Best I could do at distance with the Panasonic Lumix late morning.

Juvenile Black Redstart 

(I'm sure someone will get better photos if it stays around - they usually do)!

Also  Wheatear nearby.

Whiteholme

 Stonechat adult with juvenile

Whiteholme Reservoir

 Distant but absolutely fabulous adult Turnstone at Whiteholme this morning. Bird was calling and dropped in at 10:20, sat for three minutes and then flew off NE vocalising. 

 Also 5 Teal present on the reservoir, and an adult LRP on the shore

-Turnstone

Ogden area

I tried the reservoir and surrounding area today.

This morning the reservoir was very quiet apart from c25 L B B Gulls, 20 B H Gulls and 5 Cormorants. No sign of yesterdays Herring Gulls or Yellow-legged Gull (from BS).

The woodland was also really quiet apart from one area towards White Wall End where a mix of species seemed to be sticking together. This included Coal, Blue and Great Tits. 6 Goldcrests (including juveniles), Nuthatch, and several adult and juvenile Willow Warblers and a Blackcap still having a sing. Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers were also heard nearby.

This afternoon was more productive with a very elusive Common Redstart near the golf course. Flock of c70 Linnets, 2 Oystercatchers, Buzzard, Kestrel, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers and Willow Warblers, adults and juvs scattered all over the place suggesting they had come in with the overnight drizzle and low cloud. 

Swallows seem to be in very short supply this year so a flock of 40+ (mostly juveniles) below Hunter Hill was encouraging but less so with only 2 House Martins and 2 Sand Martins.

Ringstone Edge

2 Cormorants. The right hand bird is definitely Continental, p. c. sinensis, with the rear edge of the yellow gular patch dropping vertically from the gape. The left bird is probably also sinensis. Both birds gave the impression of being less bulky than some Cormorants one sees. 

Mixenden Reservoir

50+ all adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls were

there when I checked this morning. With some coming and going. 

c20 Black- headed Gulls went >W 
5 Swallows, 1 House Martin over the water and a few Swifts high. 
One each Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail and Grey Heron juv 6 Canada Geese. 

Chiffchaff and Blackcap still singing. 
Not a lot else other than 6 Curlew dropped on to Hunter Hill and a Cormorant went high towards Ogden. 

Soil Hill

 Lively morning on Soil Hill today. Grasshopper Warbler was reeling early AM but had stopped by 06:30, also two Sand Martins over the NK Pond. In total managed 43 species.

 Was a fantastic morning for Grey Partridge. A small covey of one female and three medium-sized chicks were around, as well as another pair feeding in the open on Taylor Lane, making the most of the recently cut fields.

-Grey Partridge

https://ebird.org/checklist/S114693245

Ringstone Edge

Greenfinch:  2 adults, 4 juveniles, (plus Blue Tit and Goldfinch).

  The underparts of the Greenfinch juveniles are off-white, and have thin dark streaks. Some (? females) have little yellow on the primary edges.

Juvenile Meadow Pipit: scruffy, lacks the clearly defined flank streaks of an adult, long hind claw.

Ringstone Edge

Juvenile Oystercatcher:  back brownish-black, bill dark distally, grey legs

Whiteholme

Little Ringed Plover

Teal. I think that the orange at the bill base makes this a female, rather than an eclipse male?

33 Swifts SW

 

Blackstone Edge

1 of 2 juvenile Wheatears

Whiteholme

Has anyone any thoughts about this, (apart from "useless photo!"). ?? juvenile Kittiwake

Ringby Lane and Castle Carr Road

 Ringby Lane this morning.

70+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls, mostly adults, around the processing plant along with one adult Herring Gull (suspected Y L Gull but unable to get a decent view of it). 70+ Carrion Crows.

Whitethroat, along with 4 Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Goldfinch, 3 Stock Doves, 2 Swallows and a Kestrel with a few Swifts >W. 

Castle Carr Road this afternoon.

Adult male Stonechat with at least two juveniles.

Juvenile Wheatear working the stone walls

Family group of Linnets

6 Lapwing included 3 fledged juveniles

Shibden Park

2 of 3 newly hatched Coots (second brood)

Whiteholme

Common Sandpiper: 3 adults, with one (photographed) performing distraction display.

AND: 423 Swifts flying SW

BLACKSTONE EDGE:  Wheatear 3;  Grey Heron 1 flying NE across the Pennine watershed

Shibden Park

There are still 5 Mute Swans here. One adult has ring 628Y, as noted on 4 June. It looks as if she has been joined by a male and 3 one year old offspring.

 Ringstone Sunday 19th June 2022.

Yellow Legged Gull found in the morning by JB. In moult with P5 missing.

Very distant on the north shore. Heavily cropped images.

Beacon Hill

Whitethroat 2 singing,  Willow Warbler 1 singing

Soil Hill

Two Grasshopper Warblers were seen on Soil Hill this morning, flushed from long grass as I was passing, an adult and juvenile. Adult perched briefly before dropping back into the vegetation. Sedge Warbler is also still present and singing almost constantly. In total five species of warbler were present on the site this morning.

-Grasshopper Warbler

https://ebird.org/checklist/S113332544