Black Redstart

Update from the previous post. It's still there around the farm at the top of Taylor Lane, Bradshaw.

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Bradshaw - Black Redstart

Black Redstart yesterday afternoon seen at the top end of Taylor Lane mid afternoon (AvH from a Halifax Scientific Society walk). A really good find - perfect timing this time of year and after easterly winds last week.

Seen later in the day (CK and JJL) but so far not re-found this morning (NK). Quite a bit of decent habitat up there around the Soil Hill and Ned Hill farms and stone walls so there's still a possibility it's still there - somewhere....

Mixenden Res'r and Hunter Hill watch-point

Nothing at all on the reservoir this morning and I failed to find hardly anything moving at all from Hunter Hill watchpoint in the cold >NE wind and clear sky.

Most interesting event - I was watching a Common Buzzard reasonably close by for quite a while till it dived speed with legs down - it had definitely seen something. It dropped out of site but came up again a minute later with a full grown Weasel dangling from it's talons. Looks like it got it head first. It carried it off out of site. I've never witnessed one take a Weasel before though I think BS had one a year or two back at Fly Flatts - this time, of course. with a photo (am I correct Bri?)

Otherwise it was down to a green Woodpecker,  Kestrel, c grounded Meadow Pipits,  Stock Dove, 2 Feral Pigeons and a Starling.

Elsewhere a Shoveler at Ringstone Edge reservoir (AT),

Soil Hill - north slope this morning.

Following in DJB's footmarks from this summer I set up the scope for a couple of hours in the hope of some migrants. Not a lot doing but enjoyable just the same. Brisk >NE wind, cool but bright and dry (apart from underfoot !)

6 Skylarks came in from distance to land on the hill

2 Buzzards headed high >E while 2 others were to the north of the watch-point

2 Snipe >E

c30 Swallows >SW

Lots of Meadow Pipits high >SW with lots of others on the top

c50 Goldfinch >E

2 Kestrel

Plenty of gulls in distant fields but a bit too distant for scrutiny.

Cold Edge yesterday (17th)

30 Pink-footed Geese high over Midgley Moor >SE at 08:45 was a decent start. Around the same time was a slightly larger flock over Fly Flatts heading >SE (see West Yorkshire Birding)

Otherwise - 2 Little Grebe, 11 Moorhen, 1 Buzzard, 3 Stonechats, 2 Teal, 3 Snipe, 2 Raven, 3 Red Grouse, 2 Chiffchaff and lots of Meadow Pipits blogging and >W on a broad front along with a few Swallows.

39 species in total was not a bad return for up there but the best was a flock of 25 Greenfinch near Moorlands Farm in the small copse and then on the overhead wires. Scarce birds for us nowadays but a welcome sight indeed.

Mixenden and Hunter Hill

This morning. Little sign of anything much moving though conditions at high level were poor with mist hanging on. Hunter Hill - 40 +Swallows and c10 Hs Martins high >Sw
1 Green Woodpecker, c20 Linnets, a few Meadow Pipits, 1 Kestrel and 3 Jays

Mixenden Reservoir
One each - Teal, Cormorant, Mallard and Grey Wagtail.

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Luddenden Dean

This afternoon with mist still clutching the tops.

Fairly quiet in the Dean.
One group of 5 Stonechats and a Whinchat along Catherine House Lane and a Green Woodpecker calling nearby.

Chiffchchaff in Wade Wood.

Elsewhere - 2 Nuthatch, 3 Buzzards distant, 8 Bullfinch, 2 Kestrel, 12+ Swallows plus not much else.

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Swales Moor

First thing - very warm and no breeze and very little movement overhead, unless birds were very high, other than a few Meadow Pipits and 3 alba wagtails.

The rest were grounded along Ringby Lane - the best were...
2 Stonechats
4 Skylark
3 Chiffchaff
1 Green Woodpecker

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Wainstalls area

Castle Carr Road this afternoon

Family group of 5 Stonechats with a single Whinchat

2 Buzzards distant

1 Little Owl

A few Swallows

Out of area Franklin's Gull

Franklin's Gull at Redcar Tarn Keighley today, well worth the trip, only the second in Yorkshire for 29 years I think.

Ploughcroft and Pepper Hill

Yesterday afternoon
A single Swift high over Shibden Valley was a big plus for September.

Still plenty of Swallows and House Martins in the valley. It's a good place in autumn especially with insects to feed on where there's shelter from a westerly wind.

1 Whinchat feeding from a fence line perch over a freshly cut hayfield was a bit unexpected but really nice birds to come across.

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Ogden / Ovenden Moor

Yesterday morning a very quiet walk over the moor apart from Red Grouse starting to make plenty of territorial noise and a family group of 5 Stonechats! 2 Kestrels near the wind-farm. Plenty of Meadow Pipits >W on a broad front and a few Swallows and a brief view of a Sparrowhawk.

Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch and 2 Great Crested Grebes on the water and a Common Buzzard flyover >E


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Pepper Hill Kestrel Family

    Enjoyed watching a family of Kestrels hunting

    Pepper Hill every couple of hours today, they never

    gave up even after being pestered by Crows & 

    Magpies, there were 3 hunting together to be exact.

  

      

Pule Hill

Wheatear 

Around and about - 7th September

 I checked the Wryneck site yesterday - no sightings as far as we know since Sunday morning, first thing. Green Woodpecker nearby. 2 Raven fly-overs >SW along with a few Meadow Pipits and Swallows.

Garden birds -female Blackcap briefly along with a Chiffchaff at the same time. Plenty of Coal Tits along with Blue, Great and 2 Long-tailed Tits.

Fly Flats and Withens Head - late afternoon - conditions not good at the reservoir with a strong westerly and heavy drizzle - I only found one Mallard ! Withens Head was slightly more sheltered -  1 Kestrel and 2 Wheatears by the farm with 2 Swallows still in and out of the farm building probably feeding young.

This Mornings Birds

  Birds seen while looking for Wryneck at Wainstalls, shame I didn't get a pic

 of the bird but I did get to see it early doors and hear it calling a couple of times.

 

Teal

 Spotted two this morning, seems early?

Wainstalls....Wryneck

 After yesterdays great find by Ashley, and thankfully reporting the bird with a great description I was thinking we might have missed the bird after looking in the wrong location yesterday evening.

I tried the right location late afternoon and came up with a beauty.

Wryneck - Jynx torquilla

It was a struggle to find the bird after a few fleeting glimpses of it, enough for identification, thankfully. The wind was pretty blustery so it was probably hiding away in shelter most of the time. Disappointment for BS and PB but at the last gasp JJL spotted it hiding in the shelter at the back of a wall and then on  top of a post as we headed for home. Then it was off and we left it to it's own devices hoping that the Sparrowhawk, a second or two later, didn't spot it.

What a bird for Calderdale. !

Hopefully others will be fortunate enough to see it before it heads south on it's migration back to Africa.

'Bits ad pieces'

 Some items from this last few days

A nice Hobby was photographed by Mike H over Brighouse on 1st September. Well done Mike. A scarce bird in Calderdale. This summer visitor usually 'whizzes' past so well done to get the photo Mike. Checked with Nick, its a first summer bird (one of last years fledglings).

Also this week a few encouraging reports of Whinchat's returning from their breeding areas. Unfortunatley they are a scarce breeding bird in Calderdale nowadays. Also a good show of returning Wheatears in the upland areas - Fly Flatts, Warley Moor, Ogden area, Cold Edge, Gorple and Walshaw.

Swifts have just about gone now though September ones could be seen as they travel from more northerly sites. Just a few reports of ones or two's this week but maybe a chance for more.

Yesterday late afternoon a Wryneck was reported from the Wainstalls area. Several have been seen on the east coast this last week and from some inland sites. We have very few records for Calderdale over the years so it would be a bit special to re-find this one though it may well have moved on with a clear sky opportunity overnight. (?)

Fly Flats

This morning - bright  clear conditions with a brisk westerly. It was nice to get back up there (with permit and hi-vis jacket) now the works have been completed and the water levels rising.

A decent show of birds but no real movement. 20+ Wheatears on the mud and stone walls, 2 Whinchat, 6+ Stonechat, 3 Raven >NE, 1 Red-legged Partridge,  Red Grouse calling on the moor, 80+ Meadow Pipits (blogging), 1 Pied Wagtail, a few Swallows >SW, 3 Kestrels, a Sparrowhawk that whizzed past me from behind, so close it made me jump ! Waters edge - 7 L B-b Gulls with an adult Herring Gull. Shortly afterwards, the rain came in.

Pied Wagtail

Whinchat - looks like  a juvenile