Calderdale Birds

Cons Comm

For those involved please note that the next meeting of the Conservation Committee will be Tuesday 5th July 8pm at the usual location. Please make every effort to attend as there are several issues to discuss.

Telescope wanted

If anybody as a telescope for sale could they please let me know, as I have a friend interested in buying one.

Crimsworth Dean

Hello everyone, I've met some of you already and look forward to meeting the rest of you in due course. Here is my first report from a fly/midge & Rabbit infested Crimsworth Dean.
Very quiet this evening 4 Curlews, Female Kestrel, Tawny Owl possibly young one showing briefly it looked to still have some downy feathers underneath. 2 Swifts passing through, 6 Swallow's incl at least 1 young, Singing Song thrush and 3 Adult Pheasants incl 1 female with 7 young. I think that was all Matt sure you'll add to it if I missed anything.

Badger Lane, above Jumble Hole

2 grey partridge in hay meadow (not seen these here before, but have been around according to locals), 2 woodcock seemingly chasing each other, + usual stuff. No sign of the ever-calling wood warbler.

Nightjar search

Following Nick C's email, is anyone up for a co-ordinated nightjar search this coming Friday evening? We need an idea of numbers (the more the merrier) then we can prioritise and designate sites etc. Judging by the light, I'd say it'd be from 9:00pm-11:00pm or so.

Contact me on mattbell1000@hotmail.com

Cold Edge Dams 26/06/05 a.m. 2Common Sand with 1 young. 1 Moorhen with 1 chick. 3pr Greylag with 6 young. 1 Grey Wag. 38 Lapwing by water. 1 Redshank 2m 1f Tufted . 2 Lbb Gull + Stonechats and usual. BS  

Peregrine Falcons

Hi all
In 1986 we were lucky to have 1 breeding pair of Peregrine Falcons a very rare bird at that time.The pair raised 3 young.In 2005 we have 8 adults 11 juveniles and at least 7 non breeding adults.Truely a great succsess story.I would like to thank all those who over the years have helped protect these superb raptors.
Thanks Andy

Buzzard

23/06/05
Report from reliable source :- 1 Buzzard drifting slowly >N over Queensbury from direction of Shibden valley, constantly being mobbed by corvids. 1030hrs. BS

Co-ordinated Nightjar search

The Nightjar is not known to breed in our area but then again how many possible sites have been checked? With the general increase in this species comes the possibility that it may now occur in Calderdale in some underwatched location. It has been suggested that if enough of us were prepared to put in the effort we could check potential areas in a co-ordinated search one evening perhaps then all meeting together (in a pub?) afterwards to compare findings. Friday 1st July has been put forward as a date, anyone interested contact either myself or Matt Bell, please bear in mind I shall be out of Calderdale from tommorrow until Monday evening so initial contact with Matt might be advisable.

Undisclosed moorland site

hi all
2 Teal with 2chicks
5 pairs displaying Dunlin
5 twite
1 pair golden plover
1 Male Merlin

Green Sandpiper - Ringstone Edge R.

First heard calling at 21.10 (probably arrived then) picked up preening and bathing on North shore after two minutes flew to West Pool. The first passage wader of the autumn, early but almost certainly a returning bird which has failed to breed.
Also 2 com Sands
2 Oystercatchers

Young Common Sand at Cold Edge.19/06/05 

Cold Edge Dams

Sunday 19/06/05 am
1pr Common Sand + 1 young 3 Teal 1 Dunlin 2 W.Warbs
2 Oyks 2 Snipe 1 Cuckoo calling from Lud Dean area 3 Goldies.
Stonechat family + usual. Also 32 BH gull 18 Lapwing 6 LBB gull >W. BS

Ringstone Edge Res.

6 adult Common Terns arrived from west fished over res for 10 mins then flew south south-east mid morning.

Jumble Hole

Great views of wood warbler, down to less than 10 feet. Also, 2 willow warb's, whitethroat on underbank, green and gs woodpecker, + usual stuff.

Roils Head 15th June

Redpolls proven to have bred. 4 birds present including male in song flight and a female with 1 juvenile begging for food with another probable juvenile present. Also Whitethroat still in song flight.

Roils Head 14th June

3 Redpolls calling to each other for a good 5 minutes. 2 females and 1 male present. The planting of Silver Birch some 5 or 6 years ago as probably helped this species move into this area. Also noted juvenile Skylark and 2 Willow Warblers still in song.

Wheatears

Hi Brian et al
Just seen your note. Rather than say my own bit, I cant do any better than to point in the direction of the BTO. Dawn Balmer, the BirdTrack Organiser summed the situation up quite nicely last month, with a graph to back it up see:

http://www.bto.org/birdtrack/news_archive.htm

This takes you to the old BirdTrack notes. Look for the note written on 05-05-2005 about Wheatears and click where it says. This goes straight to the graph.

Dawn confirms everything said so far about the twin peaks of passage, which is what we also have been saying for some while with the Greenlands in the second peak. On 02-05-2005, I too had the largest count I have ever had with 44 spread about and around our watchpoint. With regard to our birds becoming less common, I tend to agree as here where there were usually three pairs in the in-bye c15 years ago, there is now only in some years a single pair. I cant however speak for other sites. Here out of interest are Mick Cunninghams thoughts:

http://vismig.blogspot.com/2005/04/greenlanders.html

Hope these links work ok.
Best wishes, Dave.

In reply to DJS Wheatear,the peak time for Wheatear during Spring vis mig watch is mid to late April when good numbers show but by early May they are mostly gone,where to I dont know but they remain absent until their return journey during autumn vis mig.Early arriving birds are usually Northern and the later May birds can be mainly Greenland. Dave Barker will probably elaborate on this. BS 

Cold Edge Dams & Fly Flatts

12/06/05 a.m.
Cold Edge 2pr Stonechat +5 Young 2 Common Sand + usual
Fly Flatts 1 m Stonechat 2 Redshank + usual
North of area Leeshaw reservoir 1040hrs 4 Common Tern >N from Calderdale area. BS