Canal, Charlestown

No sign of the mute swan for a couple of days, but a kingfisher at Callis was a nice surprise.

Swales Moor

Poor day today with constant rain this morning and not brightening up much so got a few jobs done at home !!!
I ventured up Swales late on for a bit of fresh air and it was a bonus to see a nice sunset.
1 Little Owl calling
4 Grey Partridge on the top
1 Kestrel
c80 Lapwings flying over the fields at Shelf Moor in the distance
Lots of corvids going to roost >E and a few Pied Wagtails heading over the top towards Halifax  - I guess to roost in the town centre.

Jumble Hole

A common buzzard flew low south over Jumble Hole at 3:15pm, and turned towards Hebden Bridge. It was moving pretty swiftly, as a corvid was giving it some stick.
Just 3 redpoll today, and 2 goldcrests. Green and GS woodpecker still very apparent at the moment, with the GS just started to re-visit the feeders after a summer break.

Swan, Hebden Bridge

A mute swan was reported by Paul Knights, having been told by a neighbour of his. It's on the canal by the Stubbing Wharf pub. It has a metal ring on its right leg (BTO?), and was still there this evening. Not a common bird in Calderdale! And it has been said before, probably statistically not our most 'common' swan either!

Other recent bits - a raven was over the house today, calling. Small flocks of 10-25 siskin are bouncing around Jumble Hole in recent days, feeding briefly but usually moving on quickly. 11 redpoll were at Callis Wood (opposite Jumble Hole) last Friday.

Bradshaw/Oats Royd and Swales Moor

Thanks to the help of NK this morning I was able to see the Black Redsart without any difficulty once I found the track down to Oats Royd from Bradshaw. A great bird thanks to John finding it yesterday. It was a bit too distant for photos but was showing well on the stone walls.
Also 3 Ravens over >NW
c50 Goldfinch nearby

Swales
1 Twite still present on the top
1 Skylark
c20 Meadow Pipits
And on the way down c20 Linnets

Bradshaw

A very good find near Bradshaw yesterday by John, with a Black Redstart on the walls on the track leading to Oats Royd. Some nice pictures on Bradshaw Birder blog. Hopefully it may stay around for a day or two?

Swales Moor

The single Twite was still there this morning but really elusive creeping about in the weeds
Not much else there other than c 20 Meadow Pipits and 2 Kestrels along with the usual glut of corvids.

Fly Flatts and Cold Edge

 Fly Flatts
28 Mallard
10 Teal
Red Grouse
2 Kestrels

Cold Edge
12 Canada Geese
30 Mallard
1 Tufted Duck
1 drake Wigeon
2 Kestrels
and a nice flyover with a Green Woodpecker

Swales Moor

No sign of the Twite today though dogs charging about on the top didn't help!
35 Fieldfare >NW with c20 Starlings
4 Reed Bunting on the top and c 40 mipits
2 Kestrels
2 Jays

Swales Moor and Soil Hill

The single Twite was still there this morning but can be very tricky to find skulking among the weeds on its own on the top.
1 Fieldfare also on the top along with a female Stonechat near the quarry and c30 Meadow Pipits, 4 Reed Buntings and 7 Linnets.
I ventured up Soil Hill but the rain and mist had set in so I didn't manage a proper check and in the conditions soon gave it up. c 20 mipits that was all.

Fly Flatts

After a call from Martyn H across lunchtime of 2 Whooper Swans on the res'r I called up later but they had gone. Not surprised either in those conditions with wind and driving rain !! I also checked Cold Edge Dams and Mixenden Res'r to see if they had moved on there but nothing doing.

Swales Moor

I had an hour up there this afternoon.
Hardly anything moving (late in the day I know) other than 5 Woodpigeons,  28 Fieldfares and 1 Redwing >NW and a Great Spotted Woodpecker >NE

c6 Meadow Pipits about but a bonus bird was a Twite on the top (unringed). I guess its a female/juvenile with no sign of any pink on the rump.
I thought afterwards - I go with Nyger seed for the Twite to Fly Flatts without success then find one this afternoon at Swales. Better start taking some Nyger seed up there !

Fly Flatts

This morning. How unusual to get a southerly wind that was so cold and blowing F4 to 5. At least it was dry with good visibility but nothing moving and birds were hard to find.
26 Mallard
1 Carrion Crow
1 Kestrel
2 B H Gulls
Plenty Red Grouse

I went round to check the Twite feeding station and put niger seed down probably for a final time? !! By the look of things they have gone from there. Not one Twite record there this year for me.  If anyone has please let me know.

Fly Flatts and Ringstone

Fly Flatts (still plenty shoreline)
1 winter plumage Dunlin on the shore
16 Mallard
1 Kestrel

Ringstone (no shoreline at all)
1 female type Goldeneye
6 mallard
1 Little Grebe

I also checked Buckstones area mid afternoon which is just out of our area but nothing doing !

Swales Moor

Movers >W between 08:20 and 10:00
493 Fieldfare
1,340 Woodpigeons
1 Redwing

Local birds on the top
6 Reed Buntings
15 Meadow Pipits
1 Jay
2 Pied Wagtail

Rough-legged Buzzards

Nice article and pictures here about Rough-legged Buzzard at Grindale (4 mile west of Bridlington)

http://birdingfrontiers.com/2014/11/04/rough-legged-buzzard-juvenile-at-grindale/

Swales Moor

A very decent move of Woodpigeons this morning during a 2 hr watch with a count of 4,279 >W
Other movers >W or >SW
c180 Pink-footed Geese
226 Fieldfare
35 Redwing
2 Song Thrush
2 Mistle Thrush
23 Starling
Plus a few others including >N or >NE
1 Jay, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and 2 Ravens

Other birds on the top besides the corvids-
16 Meadow Pipits
1 Grey Wagtail
6 Reed Buntings

Jumble Hole

A short dog walk this afternoon produced over 25 different species. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but the highlight was a mixed feeding flock in birch trees that included c.30 redpoll, 2 siskin, 4 bullfinch, treecreeper and nuthatch. Small numbers of redwing were feeding up on berries.

Rough legged buzzard sighting, Hardcastle Crags 2nd Nov'.

I've just noticed on Birdguides that a RLB was reported at the Crags yesterday and was wondering if anyone had any more details.? After enjoying the RLB spectacle on Saddleworth Moor at weekend, I've become quite fixated with this species!

Regards, Chris

Swales Moor and Soil Hill

Swales
1 male Stonechat on the top
2 Meadow Pipits
4 Red-legged Partridge

Soil Hill
After a report from NK of a Snow Bunting on the mounds this morning I gave it a try, but without success unfortunately. There is much more vegetation on the top after this last summer and not a lot of bare ground, making it more difficult to find anything.
c18 Meadow Pipits
1 Common Snipe
1 adult Herring Gull >W

Mixenden Stodfold yesterday - 2 Barnacle Geese there now, along with 5 Canadas

Also a report from PG of 10 Brambling in Withens Clough this morning