Soil Hill

Yesterday, Sunday afternoon
1 Grey Wagtail over>E
c2 Fieldfare over calling but unseen
7 Meadow Pipits on the top
1 Kestrel
5 Herring Gulls >SW
52 Lapwing down on the North slope fields
1 Moorhen on the north slope pond
Masses of gulls heading up from Bradford area to roost at Thornton Moor Res'r
On the way down from Soil Hill were some fascinating clouds from Bradshaw looking west.

Blackbirds

There were 13 blackbirds in the shrubs adjacent to the terrace at work (The Hatchery) in Mytholmroyd yesterday morning.  We've never had more than 2 in the past.  Where would these have come from?  Some were eating from a tree with orange/yellow berries on.

Sandra

Fly Flatts and Withens Head

6+ Red Grouse and 2 Carrion Crows at Fly this afternoon - I went up there in the hope of a returning Goldeneye but the res'r was dead - and full to the brim now!
We usually get returning Goldeneye in October !! - has anyone had any yet?

3 Starlings >NW at Withens Head
2 Carrion Crows

On my way home, 23 Lapwings came over Cold Edge Road >W but guess they were probably heading for Cold Edge dams.

Fieldfares

At least 189 Fieldfare in the field behind our house just below Stoodley Pike this afternoon. There were more than this but this is the count from the photos I managed. They came into the garden onto the rowan trees, fir trees and the apple tree for a while before they flew off to the South West.

Buzzard

A common buzzard has been up and down the Calder Valley in front of Jumble Hole over the past few days, usually accompanied by a flock of crows. The raven was over again earlier in the week.

Lee Mount

c 40 Fieldfares went west mid morning, straight through closely followed by a female Sparrowhawk

Ogden

Did the rounds again this afternoon, part of the time with Nigel. We found quite a few Goldcrest in the Firecrest spot but not a lot else other than Blue and Great Tits, a few L T Tits and an occasional Coal Tit, Chaffinch and a Treecreeper.
Later on I found a decent LT Tit flock near Ogden Clough bridge, along with a few Goldcrests and 2 Bullfinch but by then the light was fading. A few Blackbirds about today as well.
Little Grebe still there.

Ogden

I tried in vain all afternoon searching for the Firecrest ! Everything was so quiet around the res'r that I even tried some of the woodland areas searching for the 'tit' flock. I only found an od Chaffinch and a few Blue and Great Tits.
Then right on dusk, 16.15, I came across 'the flock' near the bridge at the lower end of Ogden Clough - Blue, Great, Coal and L T Tits, Robins, Dunnock, Wrens, 2 Treecreepers, Bullfinch and 15 + Goldcrests. The fading light made it almost impossible with the Goldcrests to find anything different as they were all feeding up in the Sycamores (still with leaves on) and  nearly all silhouetted - so finding a Firecrest was almost impossible.
The flock was also surprisingly quiet so calls were not much help either.

I guess that if the flock could be located in good light then there might be a reasonable chance of re-finding the Firecrest ?? I know several other local birders (NK, BH, PS et al) also checked the site am and pm without success but lets hope between us we can re-locate the bird in the next few days !

Good to meet up with Bruce and Emma and thanks for pointing out the very, very rare fungus - forgotten what it's called if you can remind me Bruce !

Ogden

No reports today of any sightings of yesterday's Firecrest - though I tried up there late afternoon and good to meet Bri and Denise there and gather Dave ('the finder') had searched earlier without success.
We were wondering if the bird has moved on after all that terrible weather last night but felt maybe there is a chance it could stay around for a while if the weather stays mild - though they are birds that tend to like a milder and warmer climate than in West Yorkshire!
Lets hope someone can turn it up again this week.

I also gather Dave also found a very late Wheatear on Soil Hill yesterday - another good record for our area.

Firecrest

Firecrest at Ogden today showing on and off till about 3:30.
SE 06186 30728

EGP - an appropriate Pink-footed Flypast

The Cromwell Bottom Local Nature Reserve celebrated its 10th anniversary as an official reserve last Saturday. Forever to be known as EGP (Elland Gravel Pits) to birders in texts!

A large fly-past of Pink-footed Geese over the two marquees (about 300 in one large group, then 500-600 in another 10 minutes later) lent a great atmosphere to the event. Couldn't have been arranged better. They were going East at approximately 10.30 - 10.45.

It was a great day, with all the members of the CB Wildlife Group and Robin Dalton from the Countryside Service working hard to bring local Nature to a wider audience. There were perfect home-baked edibles, drinks, sales tables and crafts to take part in, as well as guided walks around the reserve.

As good if not better than the British Birdwatching Fair at Rutland Water. (If a little smaller.)

Jumble Hole

Over the house:

Buzzard > west towards Todmorden
f. peregrine > south towards Stoodley Pike
Raven high over > North

+ loads of siskins flitting about.
Nuthatch is back as a regular on the feeders, but no sign of gs woodpecker on them yet

Ogden - Back Lane and Hunter Hill

Back Lane
1 male Crossbill flyover  mid afternoon, heard calling before I saw it - looking like it was coming into the plantation but then went straight through >E (to the north of Soil Hill)
2 Sparrowhawks
1 Kestrel
3 Siskin >S
1 Green Woodpecker

Hunter Hill
5 L B B Gulls  >SW
190 Fieldfares  >W

Swales Moor

Vis mig - later on due to thick fog on the tops!
Moving birds  10.30 to 12.15
136 Fieldfare >W
10 Redwing >N
56 Woodpigeon >W
20 unidentified finch sp.. high up >W
2 Common Gull >S
1 Sparrowhawk >W
9 Chaffinch >SW
13 Herring Gull (1,9,2,1) >W
14 Jackdaw >S
2 Meadow Pipit >W
1 Linnet >N
12 Starling >W
1 Grey Wagtail >SW

Other birds nearby
1 Green Woodpecker
30 jackdaw
40 Carrion Crow
c20 Linnet
c30 Goldfinch
4 Pied Wagtail

Sparrowhawk

This beautiful male Sparrowhawk was in the garden today..

American Plover??

Last night in fading light and horrendous conditions at times I picked up on a very grey/buff looking plover amongst the goldies. Looking on the internet all images of american golden plover showed a super which this bird didn't appear to have but I only had my bins with me.

I rang Nick Dawtry who later asked me to check the picture of the shoveler from the previous day and sure enough there on the right hand side stood the bird I'd been looking at.

Thoughts as to its ID please.

Fly Flatts and Cold Edge area

This afternoon
Fly Flatts
1 Red Grouse
2 B H Gulls
2 Kestrel

Withens Head
Nothing!

Cold Edge
1 Little Grebe on top small pond
35 Mallard
28 Canada Geese
1 Moorhen
1 Kestrel
4 Grey Partridge feeding in a field near Nolstar kennels was nice to see. I nearly always flush them and get a rear view only so it was nice to see them feeding undisturbed !

Wheatear

A Wheatear on a wall just off Heath Hill Road this afternoon, I assume this is pretty late.

High Royd

Visited this site this morning with Howard. The lagoons and filter beds were so difficult to see through the tree cover and vegetation. Very little open water and the entire site is thick with vegetation including some phragmites and reed mace beds but the willows will soon take over the site by the look of it!
1 Swallow over the trees >W was a nice surprise
Lots of Jays
1 Kestrel
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Cormorant
1 Kingfisher calling but not seen along the canal
A few Grey and Pied Wagtails on the filter bed areas
A few moving Redwings, Fieldfares and Starlings
Several calls from Nuthatches
1 Grey Heron
Plus a few other local sp..

Ringstone

                        One Drake Shoveler at Ringstone today.