Cold Edge

Grey Heron 2 adults. Both birds have some grey at bill tip and base - more on the right bird.

Moorhen with Mallards

Rochdale Canal.

Took a walk along the canal from Luddenden Foot towards Brearley this afternoon.

14 Siskin were feeding high up in canal-side alders along with a Buzzard over. Not a lot else other than 2 Dippers close together from the bridge over the Calder at Luddenden Foot.

One red-head Goosander, 2 Cormorants and plenty of Mallard about along the canal and on the lagoon at Brearley.

86 Canada Geese and a single, very noisy, unringed Barnacle Goose in the fields.

Cold Edge

Stonechat male

3 of 4 Stock Doves

Pair of Rooks touching bills

The 1941 Witherby handbook says that the male presenting food to the female is a common feature of Rook display. Also, fondling of bills is often observed in mated birds.

New Year

Going into 2026, I still think some of the most satisfying birding comes from marking out a patch on a map, and then trying to build a lengthy patch life list.

The patch needs to be not too far from home if you're not a regular driver, and it needs to be big enough to have a few different habitats. Water is a must, (unless you're an early riser who can catch early morning flyovers!).

Advantages of inland birding are that most patch lifers will not be scarce nationally, and most will not be too difficult to identify.

Year after year Nick comments that he does not receive enough records of common birds: for example in 2023 he had just 10 of Blackbird, 7 of Magpie, and 22 of Chaffinch. A regular patch watcher is more likely to record common birds, as well as scarcer ones.

Undisclosed location

Chinese Geese

Wainstalls

2cy (1st winter) Common Gull

Ryburn - 9 January

2cy Cormorant. I was a bit thrown by the whiteness of the underparts, (and by the difficulty seeing the pale bill in this long shot). But the Collins Bird Guide says "1st year birds can look very white beneath".

Ogden etc

This morning around the res'r at Ogden was more about watching the floor rather than the sky ! The ice was still well in evidence around the perimeter footpath and suspected I was on the earlier trail of BS !. 

Best of the small birds was at least 2 very confiding flocks of Long-tailed Tits, maybe around 25 in total.

A Raven went over high,  'cronkin' and a Kingfisher was down in the sluice below the embankment.

10 Tufted Duck were on the water with  a few Black-headed and Common Gulls along with 1 juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull

Headed off to Booth Wood res'r early afternoon. After a short while searching with JB and BK the Black Redstart showed well feeding along the fissure cracks in the quarry face. A pretty special bird for this time of year. No camera with me. Also 4 Lapwing flyovers and on my way home a single Buzzard went high over the dam wall.

Shibden Valley

Redwing

Mistle Thrush

Shroggs Park - 6th Jan

 Didn't venture far today but I did manage a check of the woodland in Shroggs Park this afternoon.

3 Lesser Redpoll feeding high up in birch and a single Goldcrest skulking around in a  large privet bush were the best of, not  a lot other than a Nuthatch, 5 Redwings, a few Blackbirds and Magpies and c50 Woodpigeons feeding in the oak woodland.

Also a flock of c70 P-f Geese over Halifax / Calder Valley >W around 11:20 (D Br and PD)

7th and 8th January - a Black Redstart, photographed supplied, near Booth Wood  Res'r from (RJ) was a big surprise though there are other January records in Calderdale (must check). 

Still showing well today - 9th January.

Shroggs Park - 3rd Jan

 Birch and Oak hillside opposite B & Q and Shroggs landfill site in the sunshine late morning.

7 Lesser Redpoll feeding in the top of tall birch was a welcome surprise. Elsewhere in the woodland 

5 Siskin, Goldcrest, Treecreeper and a Nuthatch along with 4 sp of 'Tit'. Just the 1 each Mistle Thrush and Redwing along with several Blackbirds.

Nuthatch

Cold Edge - 2nd January

Single Pink-footed Goose still with the geese - 72 Geylags and 70 Canadas this afternoon.

2 Kestrel and 2 very distant Buzzards, 1 x 3rd w Herring Gull and 2 adults but little else of note other than corvids, c20 Starlings, 2 Stock Doves, 1 Collared Dove and a few B h Gulls and Common Gulls. 

Castle Carr Road - 1st January

Bitterly cold wind along the road this afternoon. A pair of Stonechats running the fence line adjacent to the patch of heathland was a welcome sight but one wonders how they manage to survive, and find food in those conditions.

Not  a lot else, but around 15 Meadow Pipits feeding in a patch of long grasses and 2 adult Herring Gulls over >W

Soil Hill

   A couple of visits to Soil Hill to round out 2025 have seen good numbers of snipe on offer. Both yesterday and this morning I flushed a Woodcock, this morning's individual eventually being flushed three times. And there has been an excellent count of six Jack Snipe yesterday, with five again today.

-Jack Snipe

-Woodcock

In total managed 27 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S291155425

Cold Edge - 29th December

 Second visit this week to check on the geese - just in case of anything unexpected.

Always nice to find a Pink-footed Goose associating with 68 Greylags and 112 Canadas.

Little else this afternoon other than 1 Grey Heron, 2 Kestrels and  a Cormorant on the lower dam. 

Others included 32 B h Gulls, 22 Common Gulls and 2 Herring Gulls, 

Rochdale Canal at Todmorden

  The Todmorden Shag did the polite thing and waited two weeks for me to return to Halifax, allowing me to see it. Fortunately, it did not take too long to find yesterday morning, sat on the nearside canal bank below Lock 16, adjacent to the Haugh Road Bridge. The bird seemed completely unconcerned by people passing by, giving excellent views. 

-Shag

In total managed 33 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S290492324

Cold Edge - 19th December

Two additions to Pete's recent Greylag Goose count with 34 now and a Pink-footed Goose.

Little else other than 3 Red Grouse, c60 Starlings, a Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and a few Black-headed and Common Gulls.

Also a welcome update from SB today (20th) with the Shag still present and looking good along the Rochdale Canal near Todmorden. (still there on 21st)

Cold Edge

Some of 33 Greylag Geese

Reed Bunting

Roe Deer

BTO - Ringing Recovery Report

The recent reported ring number (1713684) of the Shag on the Rochdale Canal near Todmorden has been replied to by the BTO.

It was ringed by Scan R.g as an age nestling, sex unknown, on 18th June 2025 at Puffin Island, Isle of Anglesey.

It was found 170 days after it was ringed, 136 km from the ringing site, direction ENE. 

It would be interesting to know if the bird is still around as no reports have been received this week as yet.

Special thanks to AvH for first reporting this bird to the group. Well done Annie.

Ryburn Reservoir

Dipper

Rochdale Canal ...

Managed to get to see the Shag recently reported near Todmorden. Thankfully, still there this morning and I managed a few shots including information off the metal ring - details of which are now reported to the BTO with hopefully an update in due course.

A very confiding bird but not sure that's a good thing.!! Hopefully it is managing to feed and perhaps return to it's normal habitat as a coastal bird. Plenty of activity nearby from at least 2 Kingfishers, Grey Heron and a number of Goosander, all suggesting there is plenty of food there for the taking.

Beacon Hill

Kestrel pair

Also, 135 Pinkfeet west at 1055

Around and about - 2nd December

News in today of a Shag near Todmorden. Well done and thanks to AvH for posting a photo on the birding group raising awareness to this rare bird for us. Later news advised us that it has been present since 25th November. Very few records for Calderdale. A fantastic inland find.

I managed a brief look at Cromwell Bottom to check the ski-lake which is never an easy place to view but generally the birds are undisturbed. It is a place where scarce water-fowl, can and do turn up on occasions. Not today, but 2 drake Goldeneye and 11 Tufted Duck (7 drakes) were nice to see along with 7 red-head Goosander, 2 Mute Swans, 4 Grey Herons, 14+ Cormorants.

Also present, with some gulls moving through, were 25+ Common Gulls,  6 adult Herring Gulls,  11 LB-b Gulls and 40+ Black-headed Gulls.

A gem of a Kingfisher along the canal.

Pepper Hill, the  hillside above Claremount  turned up a Buzzard earlier in the day then this afternoon - a Kestrel and a  Little Owl.  Among the berries of hawthorn and  holly were feeding thrushes including 20+ Redwings, 1 Fieldfare and 12 Blackbirds.

Mixenden and Fly Flats

Poor drizzly conditions and a strong wind. This site has been really hard with this year even though in the recent past it has turned up some pretty special birds.! Nothing on Mixenden res'r other than gulls with much coming and going...

50+ Back-headed Gulls, 40+ Common Gulls, 6 Herring Gulls and 3 Lesser Black Black-backed Gulls.

Fly Flats was very choppy water in the strong south westerly and the site was almost devoid of birds other than 1 each Raven and Kestrel.

Ogden

Late afternoon visit was the best I could do today.

A very smart looking drake Goldeneye and a red head Goosander were the best of, not a lot.

I checked some of the woodland in the hope of a Woodcock but failed on that score.

A Woodcock from CS today was flushed on the reclaimed landfill site adjacent Shroggs Road.

Sadly, there have been a couple of reports this month of predated Woodcock - possible  suspected Sparrowhawks. 

Castle Carr Road

A very unexpected flock of 70 + Meadow Pipits arrived to feed in a field towards the end of the road. They looked to be finding plenty of food as the sunshine was melting snow and exposed tufted grass. Nothing unexpected with them though a pair of Stonechats was nearby running the fence line.

1 Kestrel and a flyover Cormorant heading towards the Calder Valley.

Soil Hill

Pretty well devoid of birds on the summit this morning. A few passing gulls and corvids with a lone Kestrel - and that was about it. JJLwas on the same mission so we had a chat !

Looking from the summit towards Ogden, The Withens and the wind-farm

(click to enlarge)

Beacon Hill

2 x 1cy Long-tailed Tit

Swales Moor - 20th November...

I had a 'stab' at Ringby Lane top mid morning. In these conditions its always worth checking for Snow Buntings on the tops. Its been a place in winter where over the years we have recorded occasional Snow and Lapland Buntings, Linnets, Twite, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits as well as a Shore Lark that stayed for 3 winter months (26th December 2006 until last seen on 26th March 2007). The site has gone off in recent years which is unfortunate. Farming methods appear to have changed and several fields are managed in a different way. Even so, feel it's still worth a check.

Very little up there this morning, mainly corvids and a few gulls passing through along with 2 Stock Doves - that was about it - though the views were stunning !

Wednesday 19th November

Braved the conditions at Cold Edge - more than living up to its name in the cold wind, snow and ice. Never know what birds might turn up !!

3 Stonechats - how do they survive in these conditions ? A Pied Wagtail was on a manure pile. Also 72 Canada Geese. 1 each Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Raven, Stock Dove, Kestrel and 3 each Redwings and Fieldfares.

Lower dam area

Haighcote Dam, towards Ovenden wind-farm

Adult Common Gull

Pied Wagtail

Then a check of the ski-lake at Cromwell Bottom this pm.

9 Tufted Duck, 1 Red-head Goosander, 3 Goldeneye (1 drake), 2 Coot and at least 30 Cormorants.

6 adult Herring Gulls and a Lesser Black-back flyover. A few Redwings near the car park shrubberies.

Tuesday 18th November

A Tuesday morning check at Mixenden res'r - more or less drew a blank there other than smaller gulls, 2 adult Lesser Black-backs and a juvenile Herring Gull alongside a Cormorant. I then made a trip up to Fly Flats but as I arrived, the fog came in and it snowed sideways so I made an exit just managing a Red Grouse along the top road.

Ogden yesterday afternoon just avoiding the torrential downpour. Not a lot on or around the res'r but a Little Grebe at the north west corner in the water under the willows was about the best of the afternoon along with 4 Mistle Thrush in the clough.

Shibden Park

Little Grebe (1 of 2), Tufted Duck pair, Mallard

Tufteds

Cold Edge

Some of 18 feeding Pinkfeet

Whiteholme...

 A morning at Whiteholme with MH this morning. Stayed fine with a cool wind after some early fog. 

40 Golden Plover on the island were the highlight especially as the sunshine appeared highlighting their striking plumage. Always a job for the 'scope up there. Just enough to keep us interested but always in the hope of something a bit special turning up there.

Starlings were moving through >W at times, often low and in close proximity to one another across the water. 12 flocks went through with a count of 279. 

Also distant Peregrine, Buzzard and a Kestrel with a Merlin looking to chase down a lone Starling. 

1 Reed Bunting, 5 Red Grouse, 2 Raven and 4 Carrion Crows and a single adult Herring Gull went through >W.

Weather does not look good for tomorrow but something might turn up somewhere, hopefully coming in with a strong north-easterly forecast.

c60 Goldfinch late afternoon from near the lodge at Shroggs Park (SC)

The recent Whooper Swan at Mixenden seems to have moved on now (NK)

89 Common Gulls today on Savile Park. Also along the river at Copley, Kingfisher and a Dipper (WG)

Hardcastle Crags - 7th Nov

Oh so quiet in the woodlands, hardly anything of note, it was even difficult to find the expected commoner species. One small flock of 'tits' along with at least 2 Goldcrests was as exciting as it got for birds. Soup etc in Gibson Mill cafe was a treat.

We returned along the top road, hoping for some thrushes but nothing doing at all. Passing Shackleton Knoll, just in one field were c60 Common Gulls, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 5 Herring Gulls as well as c20 Black-headed Gulls.

Today (from NK) - 8th Nov turned up 2 Shelduck on Mixenden Reservoir -they got spooked by a motorbike doing circuits around the reservoir embankment. The juv Whooper is still braving it out there.

From Whiteholme today (MH) 1 Wigeon, 31 and c60 Pink-footed Geeese >W plus others heard in the fog. 7 then 24 Golden Plover went through. Also a suspected move of Starlings was difficult to assess given the banks of fog. Unusual up there to see a Song Thrush and a Blackbird. 

10 Whoopers reported from Green Withens (TW) and another 8 at Gorple (SiB and JS)

At Ryburn dam 70 Fieldfare, a Chiffcaff and 18 Pinks went >W at 11:02 PGr

We managed a single Mandarin drake there mid afternoon.

Cold Edge

1cy Common Gull, with Black-headed Gull and 2 of 20 2+cy Common Gulls

6th November

 A different Grey Plover from yesterday turned up today at Whiteholme. Always a special find - from AC and MH.

A drake Gadwall reported from Withens Clough, another good find in Calderdale (DJP)

Ogden Water produced 3 Mandarin Ducks, maybe arrived overnight and held there till the mist cleared this morning. Drake and 2 females (BS). I called there later in the morning but looked like they had gone. I also checked Soil Hill, as did NK who managed one more species than I did, a Kestrel. The fog came down as soon as I got up there and didn't clear ! 

Juvenile Whooper still on Mixenden Res'r.

News for 5th November

Grey Plover this morning at Whiteholme  but it left late morning. Also a decent move of Pink-footed Geese and Starlings and 3 flyover Great Black-backed Gulls and a 1st winter Caspian Gull. (AC and MH) Also later, a small flock of c20 Golden Plover this afternoon (JJL).

Cromwell Bottom - 3 Goldeneye earlier today (M Sh)

I tried Soil Hill late morning but generally drew a blank all round ! No sign of the Black Redstarts but who knows, they could still be in the vicinity.

Cold Edge

1cy Continental Cormorant, P c sinensis. Rear edge of yellow gular patch drops vertically from the gape

Mixenden and Ogden reservoirs

Mixenden - Whooper Swan - juvenile still present this afternoon and a single Cormorant.

Ogden - At least 16 Teal present late morning, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Wigeon alongside the numerous Mallard. Also a Dipper down in the sluice.

Ryburn

4 Mandarin