Ogden

 Domesticated Mallard: Khaki Campbell breed. This bird has "defects" - white at base of bill and on neck, and white primaries.

SEE  domestic-waterfowl.co.uk

Brighouse / Cromwell Bottom

 A couple of shots from Mike Henshaw from Monday 15th Nov. Thanks Mike.

150 Pink-footed Geese (click on photo to enlarge)

25 (of 26) Stock Doves - a good count there !

Walsden Winter Swans

 A rare drop in at walsden, ramsden wood fishing pond two whooper swans 

Tree Sparrows.............!!

 Prompted by last weeks finding of  a Tree Sparrow at a garden feeder at Slack (SiB). I thought it worth checking on any other reported sightings of Tree Sparrows in the last ten years. Specifically at locations that are away from the eastern end of Calderdale where we have a small number throughout the year.

Away from the east of Calderdale these are the records from the Halifax Birdwatchers Club Reports from 2010. - -

2010 - Lee Mount -3 turned up on my garden feeder - 14 and 15th Nov with 1 remaining on 16th Nov.

2011 - Lee Mount - 1 on garden feeder from 15th to 21st March

2012 - -

2013 - Cromwell Bottom - 3 on 22nd January

2014 - Northowram (garden feeders?) 3 on 23rd Nov, 5 on 28th Nov, 3 on 7th Dec and 2 on 27th Dec

2015 - Northowram 2 on 3rd January

2016 - Shelf  3 on 26th and 4 on 28th February. 1 at Walshaw Dean on 9th Oct.

2017 - -

2018 - -

2019 - -

2020 - - (still to check)

2021 - 1 on garden feeder at Slack

A  scarce bird always one worth watching out for - especially on garden feeders during the late autumn and winter period. Photos are a great help to identification if anyone suspects getting any on their garden feeders. 

Brown crown - white cheek with a black spot are some of the more noticeable identification pointers.

Photo courtesy of John M

Recent reports

Just a bit of an update from recent weeks of reports across Calderdale. I might not recall everything (!!) but maybe  just a flavour of the autumn birds now the summer visitors are gone other than the occasional Chiffchaff or Blackcap.

October started off pretty well at Fly Flatts (BS then DJS)). On 9th October 44 Wigeon with 2 Pintail, 1 Teal on the water and 2 Black Redstarts nearby as well as Red Kite flyover heading >S.

The main Redwing arrival seemed to occur from around the middle to the end of October with Fieldfares shortly afterwards at the end of October and into November. Some big flocks, several hundred strong have been in the Walshaw / Blake Dean area as well as Luddenden Dean and Crimsworth Dean. A decent count of Bramblings (40+) were also in the Gorple area mid October and 30+ in Luddenden Dean by 23rd plus a few other single birds at Lightcliffe, Hardcastle Crags and Slack Top. Always a nice bird to look out for in winter, beech woodland and possibly garden feeders.

Wintering flocks of Redpolls and Siskins have been found in alders/birch and spruce at Ogden and other sites. A flock of c20 Redpoll were feeding in birch trees yesterday at Ewood Lane, Todmorden (RS).

The pick of the month so far seems to be 2 Great White Egret - a single flyover over Ringstone on 9th October(PD, DF, JM, AT) and another, heading west over Baitings Reservoir on 5th November (PGr). Also been a couple of sightings of Little Egret at Ringstone Reservoir recently.

Movement across our area of the Pennines of Pink-footed Geese and Whooper Swans was observed in late September and October though this main influx seems to have settled down now. Even so, 2 skeins of 'pinkies' have been reported today. Maybe of commuting flocks between Norfolk/ Linc's/ the Humber and Ribble/Southport/Merseyside/ Lanc's and Cumbria. Selecting the favoured feeding areas ?

Other notable sightings include a few scattered Woodcock, 

A Yellow-legged Gull on Cromwell Bottom ski-lake on 4th Nov (JJL)

A Tree Sparrow with the House Sparrow flock yesterday at Slack Top was a really good find on a garden feeder (SiB)

3 male and 2 female Mandarin Ducks on the Ryburn earlier today (AT)

With thanks to all for the ongoing reports. Please add anything obvious I might have missed !

Guardian Twite article

  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/06/twite-or-pennine-finch-on-brink-of-extinction-in-england

 Sad reading.  

Horley Green

 Kestrel

Shibden Park

 Mute Swan and 1 of 8 Coots

Bank Top

Mistle Thrush

Common Gull

Beacon Hill

 Little Owl

Blackstone Edge

 Is this a Siberian Stonechat?   NO - thanks Brian S - Sibe would have a full white throat. And if rump were visible it would be unstreaked orange in Sibe.

Blackstone Edge

 17 Twite

Whiteholme

 A late Wheatear

This week the track alongside the SE and NE banks of the reservoir was smoothed and resurfaced. It's much better for walking now.

Ringstone

                        Little Egret at Ringstone this Morning.PD,DF

Whiteholme

 14 'Golden' Plovers here. Looking at photos after leaving, I am puzzled by the bird with grey wing coverts and a prominent supercilium. I don't think it has the structure of a rare plover, but am not sure whether it is just a different-looking Golden, or possibly a Grey? I'd be grateful for any comments.

Whooper Swans

61 Whoopers on the move over this morning >E and >SE 11, 36, 5, 9, viewed over Northowran, Wainstalls, Swales Moor and Ringstone plus others over Fly Flatts.

Also 48 Pink-footed Geese >W over Northowram and a Little Egret on the shoreline at Ringstone mid-morning. 

Not a bad start to the day for several local birders !

Another 23 Whoopers  >E late afternoon (AC)

Blackstone Edge

 Female Reed Bunting

Also 12 Redwing west

Swales Moor

Earlier this week there were three Skylarks up there. This one sat up and posed for a moment - they don't often do that.

Saturday 9th October 2021

In dull weather in the late morning at Ringstone a Great White Egret flew West over the reservoir. 

Stonechat Day

 Local Walk today along Hag Lane and Ringby Lane.

 Stonechat were in abundance with 8 being seen, 2 

Meadow Pipits, 6 Linnet, 2 Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel 

being pestered by Crows, Buzzards making lots of noise

but only one seen, House Sparrows, Starlings, Wrens, and

regular stuff seen.