Out of area

Osprey recorded at Cant Clough reservoir today, which is due north of Todmorden, and not more than a mile or so out of our recording area.

Today

Jumble Hole -
1 chiffchaff
21 fieldfare
Green woodpecker
GS woodpecker

Eastwood Sewage Works -
2 chiffchaff
5 grey wagtails
Sparrowhawk

Dean Head

3 male Wheatears,  at last :)
20+ Meadow Pipits
1 Stonechat
Pair of Reed bunting
3 Goosander still there
2 Goldcrest in the Spruce Trees

Took a couple of photos, both heavy crops, Wheatear and MP.
Looking at the MP back home on the monitor, I was surprised by the reddy brown coloured chest, is that down to it being last years young? Cheers

Colnebridge

Yesterday (30th)there were 3 Sand Martins over the Calder between Colnebridge and Bradley Hall Farm; but no activity around last year's nest site as yet. Also 2 Chiffchaffs there and a Buzzard high over Kirklees Hall. No sign of any Yellowhammers around B H Farm.

Crimsworth Dean and Withens Head

At last some Wheatears have arrived!
Early afternoon a single male Wheatear just near Grain Water bridge in Crimsworth Dean. Loads of Curlew and Lapwing plus 2 oystercatchers.

3 Wheatears (2 males and a female) at Withens Head in fields opposite the wind farm ex car park ! Also a Stonechat there on the broken wall near the farm.

Soil Hill

Finally got a Wheatear this year with a superb male at Soil Hill, down by the ponds at the bottom.

Other birds of note: 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Siskin, Also Redshank calling but couldn't get eyes on it for the life of me!

Couple of other things from previous visits

29.03: 8 Golden Plover South

25.03: 10 Fieldfare in fields around the top

Wheatear was my 50th point for Patchwork Challenge this year, and with Siskin and Mistle Thrush afterwards its now looking rosy on 52 points from 48 species!

Wheatear

1 male Wheatear at Cromwell Bottom 29/3/16. (Allan Wolfenden)

Out and about

Went round a number of sites this morning checking on some Rookeries and Heronries.
I also tied in  looking for Wheatears (where are they)!!!? Not a sign of any at Mankinholes and Longfield, Crimsworth Dean, Fly Flats or Ovenden Moor etc. with the usual traditional early spots checked.

Plenty of Meadow Pipits about - all over the place along with a few alba wagtails - I guess they are 'movers' brought down in the heavy showers and snow on the tops earlier on today. Also good numbers of Curlew about on the moors and in-bye. 2 Oystercatchers at the head of Crimsworth Dean along with 3 Kestrels, a distant Common Buzzard and 2 Redwing.

High Royd etc

The strong blustery wind put me off doing the tops so went down High Royd, Luddenden Foot and Brearley in the hope of - maybe Sand Martin passing through but no joy on that score.
High Royd with the usual restricted viewing !
1 Teal
1 Coot
1 Moorhen
1 Grey Heron
1 Reed Bunting
1 Chiff-chaff singing along the canal
Nothing at all on the filter beds as loads of construction work in progress.

1 Kingfisher along the River Calder between Luddenden Foot and Brearley and 15 or more Redwings in the fields near Brearley.

Dean Head / Ryburn Dam

A walk along Dean Head top yesterday 25/03/16
1 Kestrel
8 Meadow Pipit, one very obligingly posed for a photo :)
A pair of Reed Bunting
3 Stonechat
Pair of Goosanders had been joined by another male
12 + Pairs of Canada's 
Another local first for us, although not a bird, a Common Lizard. I can't take credit for spotting it though, that was down to my wife :)
It was basking in the sun and scuttled off to hide in the grass but it kept its beady eye on us!

Ryburn Dam to Baitings
Numerous Blue, Great & Coal Tits
2 Thrushes, probably song
2 Wren
1 Goldcrest, no idea where the rest have gone!
1 Grey Wagtail
2 Treecreepers
And a very quick glimpse of the Green Woodpecker 
No Dippers this time which was unusual, the last few visits they've always been in the same spot

mytholmroyd

1 goshawk flew south over the house good long views of it circling then hunting along the ridge 2 kestrels green woodpecker

Fly Flats

Things getting desperate up there today... Nothing doing other than - what's a domestic hen/cockerel doing up there!!!

Coach Road, Hove Edge

We had a careful look along Coach Road this afternoon but didn't find a lot.
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Nuthatch
A few L T Tits etc
1 Sparrowhawk
c50 Starlings
2 Jays

Soil Hill - my 80th species

Clocked my 80th species for Soil Hill this afternoon when a nice Redshank dropped in for about 5 mins.

-Redshank

Also of note this afternoon, 3 Oystercatcher which came South, then banked round and headed off East. Also a solitary Grey Partridge on the top of the hill.

-Oystercatcher

Other usual species were also present. The 4 additional patch year-ticks today puts me on a nice 47 points from 43 species for Patchwork Challenge 2016. Its ticking over nicely. 

Dean Head

A walk along the top of Dean Head wasn't very productive yesterday

8 Meadow Pipit
1 Wren
1 Stonechat
Pair of Goosander still on but couldn't spot anything else
No Wheatear up there yet either

Highlight of the day (different location) was seeing my first Calderdale Barn Owl, not one but two, very pleased :)

Out and About

Few things out and about today. The highlight was watching a Peregrine and Long-eared Owl lock talons briefly around 6ft away from me...

-Golden Plover

-Red Kite

-Long-eared Owl

Couple of other things, 2 Little Owls and 2 Teal on Soil Hill.

Fly Flats

Not a lot new up there this morning other than a female Teal. Meadow Pipits moving high >N on on a broad front so they were impossible to count. 6 single alba wagtails also >N.
13 Carrion Crows hassling the sheep giving birth.
2 Golden Plover heard but distant.
1 male Stonechat at top end of res'r
No Wheatears and no Twite.

Cold Edge rtc

A steady move of Meadow Pipits >N this morning with 240 counted in 2 hrs at Cold Edge late morning though they were on the move on a broad front so I will have missed a lot.
Still not a 'sniff' of  Wheatear !
1 Grey Heron
2 Little Grebe
2 Oystercatchers
1 Redshank
30+ Lapwings
6+  Curlew
1 Snipe
1 pair Tufted Duck
1 male Stonechat near Haigh Cote
3 Reed Bunting
1 Skylark
c280 Starlings
c80 Canada's, 1 Barnacle Goose and 3 Greylag Geese

Withens Head
1 Little Owl

Fly Flats
3 Herring Gulls and one Common Gull >N but nothing else new.

Sowerby Crow Hill

Crow Hill area am

Sunny and still conditions. A bit quiet.
Hoped to see golden plover.  No luck.

5 skylarks seen
Lots of meadow pipits
8 curlews seen... plenty of distant calls
15 lapwing
1 m reed bunting
1 snipe
1 pied wagtail

Plus usual corvids, titmice, finches & thrushes.

1 large lagomorph
Frogspawn

It's sad to see the decline of this habitat, with the drainage of the meadows, the intensive use of fertilisers etc and the creation of large fields.

Colden

A walk from Mays shop, past Egypt Farm to Lower Gorple this afternoon
- red kite flew over Edge Lane, gaining lots of height and heading SW over Blackshaw Head
- a peregrine spooked the curlew whilst passing through
- 14 curlew
- 2 oystercatcher
- common buzzard
- a flock of just under 100 lapwing flew over Lower Gorple, then split into smaller groups
- 11 skylark
- 9 meadow pipits
- 2 kestrel
- 7 red grouse
- 6 mistle thrush
- 2 Siskin over