March 31st

Well a busy day with 2 Sand Martin over the house first thing , a walk round Soil hill was different as it is now covered in grass not a piece of bare ground anywhere , plenty of Skylarks , Mipits , Buzzard (1) and a couple of Curlew.....Then down to Cromwell bottom for a Swallow ( my first ever March Swallow in Calderdale) and a Kingfisher which was my 100th local species for the year, then home and another Sand Martin over 5 Buzzards  and a Sparrowhawk....Leo and Ring necked Parakeet............and  early returning waders  , good Waxwing and Whooper numbers  made for a great start to the year with 101 species  at the end of March ..  ...........

2nd Red Kite

Another Red Kite today up at Walshaw Dean , it was busy with birds 5 SEO , 2 Barn Owl , 1 Merlin , 7 Buzzards , 1 HH ,1 Sparrowhawk ,20 + Oystercatcher , displaying Snipe , 50 + Golden Plover , Lapwing ,5 Redshank ,3 Raven and a Kestrel taking a vole from a Short eared Owl ....Photo NCD

Yellowhammer and Red Kite

A cracking day with Yellowhammer showing well in the Heartshead area , 4 Linnets and Curlew at Jay House Lane and a stunning Adult Red Kite over the cricket pitch and house at Northowram....15 Mipits and 2 Curlew north over the house  this morning.......................

Pintail

                                              Pintail (photo NCD)
Great to see a pair of  Pintail at Lower Gorple , the surrounding area was alive with birds after the last 2 weeks of rain , Snipe , Redshank , Golden Plover , Oystercatcher , Curlew , Lapwing all displaying ans calling. 14 Short -eared Owls ( at least 14 !!!) , 4 BArn Owls , Merlin , Buzzard , Kestrel and Hen Harrier . Skylarks , Siskin , Raven , Starlings(800+)Fieldfare , Song Thrush ,Greenfinch , Green Woodpecker calling from the Valley.
   At home at least 6 Buzzards were up displaying in the morning sunshine...

At last a break in the weather

Made it to the tops today , had a juv/female Merlin  shoot across the road at Cock Hill about 10.15. Loads of Lapwing , Curlew , Skylarks , Oystercatcher , Siskin , Nuthatch , Reed Buntings , Meadow Pipits , Song Thrush , SEO , Buzzards and the first displaying Snipe.............good to be out..

Hard going in the wind......at Ringstone

Ringstone edge was busy but the wind was a real hindrance , 6 Teal , 1 Goldeneye , 1 Great Crested Grebe , 3 Mallard ,  260 Golden Plover , 2 Oystercatcher  , 27 Curlew feeding just to the east in field full of juncuss, 1 Cormorant , 1 Buzzard , 200 + Lapwing and 200 + Starling a few Common and Black Headed Gulls.. A distant Raven was  about it......9 Twite at DD...........

Barnacle Geese

Had a drive round today , 3 Barnacle Geese , 1 Curlew and a couple of Greylags. No Chiffchaff  at Cromwell and up at Jay house lane Tree Sparrow , Red legged Partridge and displaying Sparrowhawk.