Sparrowhawk

Goldcrests

My neighbour has been getting two goldcrests throughout the winter frequently visiting the two conifers located in planters at the edge their patio.

Pink Footed Goose yesterday

Posted on behalf of Gus Robin:
A pink foot with the Canada's on elland ski lake and a goldcrest fly catching under the bridge next to the Cromwell bottom car park.

Killer Sparrowhawk

Hen Harrier programme

The issue of Hen Harrier persecution was addressed by the BBC on their Inside Out program yesterday following the death of Bowland Betty in the Dales. It was only broadcast in the north, even more north than Yorkshire, so you may have missed it. There are some very interesting comments, especially from the Moorland Association, which you may find informative. The article is at the start of the program. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01qzftc/Inside_Out_North_East_and_Cumbria_25_02_2013/

Owl pellets wanted

                                                               Field Vole lower jaw

Common/Pygmy  Shrew lower Jaw bone

 

 

A selection of Tawny Owl pellets at a roost site in Queensbury top photo(thanks BS).If anyone knows of any other sites for Owl pellets or finds any this year.I would be more than grateful to take them off there hands.

Lower Gorple

 5 Crossbills at Lower Gorple plantation this aft plus 4 Curlew >E.
Upper Gorple and Lower Walshaw reservoirs nearly empty of water.
C200 Waxwings still in Brighouse this morning.

Redpolls & Siskins

The first Siskins of the winter turned up on the feeders a couple of weeks ago, followed by the Redpolls this weekend.

Ogden

Not much doing up there this afternoon
1 Moorhen
c80 Mallard
2 Canada Geese
1 drake Goldeneye
1 Kestrel
2 Redwing calls
8 Greenfinch
6 Goldfinch
Nothing found in the woodland other than an odd Coal Tit and Great Tit
c50 B H Gulls
2 Common Gulls

Jayhouse lane

Jayhouse lane this dinnertime.
Curlew 1,Golden Plover 67,Lapwing c50,Common Gull 58,Starling c 200,Fieldfare 4,Redwing 33.

Colour ringed Waxwing

Tracy C photographed a flock of Waxwings at Brighouse on 9th Feb, which included a colour ringed bird. We have recieved this information back from the ringers.

Many thanks for the details and photos of the colour-ringed Waxwing Orange/Red right, BTO left which was ringed as an adult female on 6th December 2012 in the grounds of Newtown College, Powys. She has previously been photographed on 16th December near Seaforth Station Sefton/Merseyside by Steve Young.

This was one of exactly 100 birds we caught in Mid Wales in the run-up to Christmas (99 unringed and 1 Fair Isle bird!). Thanks to Raymond we managed to colour-ring most of them and the results have been amazing - birds have dispersed in all directions, mostly S and E but we have also just had one killed by a cat in Co. Wicklow! :-(

With thanks to Sean Grey, Raymond Duncan and Tony Cross for all the information and to others. Well done Tracy and the ringers.
Keep those digi shots coming!!

Waxwings

     Waxwings Brighouse town center early morning about 120

Whooper 'tastic'

See Andy's Northowram Wildlife blog for the fantastic Whooper flock this morning - I owe you another one. ! Yes 2 minutes I clocked them too from Northowram to Lee Mount. Went right over the house at 11.53 going like the clappers. They were on a mission. Just a few calls heard and perfect V formation and no deviation.
Amazing a few weeks ago the pinkies took 8 minutes between the same points!
Thanks Andy - I got the message out as fast as I could but they would be off over Fly Flatts or Oxenhope by then. Jen tried to get some shots but camera couldn't focus on them being white in the sky!

Other news today

A varying number of Waxwings (from 5 to 20 then up to 60 reported were on Birdguides) being reported today from the Brighouse area - mainly town centre and near the post office site.
Also this afternoon c200 Pink-footed Geese heading west over Ossett and heading our way around 13.30(JW) but they were not reported from any of the local birders so we probably all missed them !!

Local site

Headed out with Nick this afternoon to a local site but not a lot happening. Only had 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel and 1 Peregrine, also 1 Jay, 2 Nuthatch, a few Pheasants and heard a few Siskin flyovers which were probably local birds. Also a Great Spotted Woodpecker 'drumming' briefly.
Grey Herons are also on the nest sites at local colonies

Swales Moor

Late morning I went up there in the hope of catching a Skylark movement but only managed one call overhead, bird out of sight, probably heading east. Three other Skylarks were on the top feeding.
2 Grey Partridge was a first for me this year.
1 distant Peregrine over >N
Not many corvids up there today - unusual!
1 Little Owl on the wall by Ploghcroft

Lesser Redpoll ring

Hi all

Barry has posted on the CBWG blog a bird with a ring. The ring is partly readable. Can any info be gleaned from this?  LINK to post

Kirklees Hall & Coach Road

2 Yellowhammers near Kirklees Hall this am too ! Same birds ? The first I've seen all winter at this site.
Also a Buzzard in the area, a Kestrel and a Little Owl.

This pm at Coach Road- 3 Nuthatches; one looked to be clearing out a hole on tree trunk -maybe for a future nest hole ? 2 G S Peckers, a Treecreeper and a Kestrel as well.

Bradley Hall & Soil Hill

                            Two Yellowhammers at Bradley Hall this am.

                             18 Golden Plover Soil Hill this aft.

RINGSTONE

a 2hr. stnt in the hide today produced the following> c.160 b.h.gulls-75 common gulls- 71 canada's-     84 crow- 1 rook-22 starling- 1 heron- 1pr. mallard- 54 lapwing- 11 golden plover- 1 oystercatcher-  12 snipe..best for the year up there! farmer is muck spreading in north and west fields so that is attracting the birds!