Saturday 9 March 2024

Whooper Swans......


A message on the local grapevine of Pink Footed Geese S/W at 17.50 got me straight out looking , amazingly the loud call of Whooper Swans could be heard as soon as I got out of the house, 158 heading N/W ....great to see and hear....takes my garden count to around 650...!!!!!!

 6 Widgeon due west on the 14th was a good sighting .Lots of Buzzard and Sparrowhawk  display this week and very vocal Tawny Owls, 

Friday 8 March 2024

Thailand..2024


 















A family holiday at a friends house in Railay Beach , Not much birding done and the highlights around the House on the morning walk there  were singing Gibbons , Dusky Lagunas , Dark Thighed Falconet , Crested Goshawk , White Collared Kingfisher , Blue -eared and Red -throated Barbet , Pied Hornbill in small flocks of around 6 birds, Green billed Malkoha , House Swift , Asian Palm Swift , Pied Imperial Pigeon a small flock of 4 one morning was a real treat , singing Spotted Doves , Peaceful Pigeon , Pale Capped Pigeon was also unexpected , Whimbrel , Curlew ,Common Sandpiper ,  Brown Flycatcher and Artic Warbler in the garden..Good numbers of Pacific Reef Egret patrolled the shorelines,  Brahminy Kite and White Bellied Sea Eagle (magnificent),Osprey , Peregrine Falcon , Shirka ,were all pretty common . Large Billed Crows , Common Iora , Blue Rock Thrush ,Blue Whistling Thrush , Brown Flycatcher and Artic Warbler in the garden most days . Common Myna .The skies and cliffs were full of swallows mainly Pacific Swallows with young birds seen leaving the nest , Red - rumped Swallow and Straited Swallows the latter of the badia brick red form. Stripe-throated , Yellow Vented and Grey Eyed Bulbul , Common and Dark-necked Tailorbird , Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker , Brown throated and Olive backed Sunbird and Little Spiderhunter. Grey Wag ,  Tree Sparrow  and Plain Backed Sparrow .Apox 10,000 Fruit Bats flew over every night to feed in nearby forest.
   A couple of hours birding at Phatthalung saw , Pied Harrier , Easter Marsh Harrier , Blue Tailed Bee Eater , Painted Stork , Lesser Whistling Duck , Cotton Pygmy Goose , Oriental Pratincole , Bronze -Winged Jacana , Asian Open billed Stork , Little Cormorant , Little Grebe , White -throated and Common Kingfisher , Greater Coucal , Brown Backed Needle tail , Purple Swamphen , White breasted Water hen and Black Headed Munia
   

Sunday 21 January 2024

Mid - January







 Its a pretty grim January so far with strong winds and heavy rain...Tree Sparrows , Siskin and a few Teal on Jay House lane...Plenty of Pink footed geese heading west . Hen Harriers  have been seen over and around Walshaw Dean . Goldeneye , at Cromwell and Little else.....

Thursday 18 January 2024


 Watched this Hen Harrier yesterday up beyond Lower Gorple. It was sat out in the sun preening for about 30 minutes . Started on the right wing primary's each individual one cleaned and polished, then the left wing and then all the tail feathers left to right..,,when it had done them all it gave its self an almighty shake from top to toe...at this point a dog walker flushed it from its post...!!! 6 Crossbills , 1 female Merlin , Kestrel , Red Grouse , 3 Greenfinch , 2 Meadow Pipit and 2 Reed Buntings.....

Thursday 11 January 2024

Sparrowhawk feathers and Glossy Ibis



 Found this dead female Sparrowhawk the other day , may have been taken by a Fox, or died and was then picked up by a Fox

             


Dropped into Swilly for the Glossy Ibis , GW Egret , Little Egret , Water Rail , Red Kites....etc....

Friday 5 January 2024

Black Throated Thrush



Finally caught up with the Black throatrd Thrush at Top Hill Low...a beauty showed really well. Pics are poor but hey ho...,Gadwall , Whooper Swans , Bullfinch .....
 

Wednesday 3 January 2024

Bridestones

 A really excellent trip to Bridestones , A adult female Hen Harrier was watched hunting low over the fields just to the south of the stones. It landed in some juncuss and was flushed out by two Carrion Crows 

It then flew low over the Bridestone , hunted for a minute then headed off towards Egypt , 1 Fieldfare , 2 Snipe , 8 Red Grouse , 20 Lapwing , 2 Magpie , 4 Carrion Crow and 10 Pheasants. 1 dead Common Shrew and 3 Roe Deer...Golden Plover , Grey heron was a surprise ,Kestrel took vole off a Barn Owl

Tuesday 2 January 2024

New Years Day........






Northowram first thing , Jackdaw ,Carion Crow , Rook ,Magpie , BH Gull , Wren , Blue Tit ,Robin ,Mistle Thrush ,Redwing , Fieldfare , Blackbird , Sparrowhawk , Collared Dove , Woodpigeon , Feral Pigeon , Stock Dove , Common Gull , Great Tit, Starling and Dunnock ,

 Bridestones ..Stonechat , Golden Plover , Lapwing , Red Grouse , Starling , Fieldfare ,100 + Pink footed Geese and the star of the day 4 differnet Barn Owls hunting in the afternoon sunshine,,,,beauty

Wednesday 13 December 2023

Waxwings





Stopped at the JET garage in Gainsborough for some petrol...I know that call...20  Waxwings.....nice one
 

Monday 11 December 2023

Short toed Snake Eagle






 Without doubt the best bird to be seen in Calderdale .....Short toed Snake Eagle , 29th April 2022 pity no local birders saw it................

Saturday 9 December 2023

London by train for the Day


                                                             Blue Whale
                                                                  Lion

 Carion Crow , Ring necked Parakeet , Magpie , Feral Pigeon and Herring Gull.......

National History Museum