Red Kites

 Top Withens , 2 Red Kites , 5 Buzzards , 3 Kestrel , 2 SEOs..............

Lapwings

 

Merlin and Wheatear

 Found these on the moor the other day , Wheatear tail feathers and female Merlin Primary....I flushed the Merlin by accident and then found the feathers on the ground........

Redshanks and Wood Tiger (cat)

 First Juv Stonechats(3) and Redshanks (3) today. Plenty SEO activity and Green Hairstreaks again..So pleased to find a local Wood Tiger caterpillar today been looking for years....

                                                    Short eared Owl

                                                        Green Hairstreak

                                                  Various Northern Eggars

                                 Masses of Common Heath on the wing this morning..500 + , Green Hairstreaks 50 + Green Veined White 10 + and Oak Eggar Cats 20 + ..the bottom cat is a Oak Eggar that had been stung by parasitic wasp.....!!!                      
 

Ringstone Little Egret

 

Bingley St Ives

                                                                  Alder Moth

                                                    Least Black Arches

                                                   Broken Barred Carpet

Scorched Wing

Had a trip over to Bingley St Ives to meet the Bradford Moffers over the weekend..Only a few miles from Calderdale and great to see some scarce species which are heading our way....Least Black Arches must be on the way to a Calderdale trap soon and more Scorched Wings for sure. We also had a great catch of 28 Pale Tussocks , Oak Nycteoline , Alder Moth , Barred Hooktip (one dark form) , Broken Barred Carpet ,Water Carpet and 2 White Pinion Spotted.A total of 38 species and great to meet up with the Bradford group..Cheers Mark Pearson for organising...and Ian Haregreaves for the photos..

  

                                                        Excellent night for pale Tussock

 

Laggs.......

                                                      Oak Eggar

Watched 3 Herons up on the moor today , hunting Greylag Goose young.....found four batches of Vapourer eggs...

                                                           Common Dog Violets
 

First Swift today

 

Had my first Swift of the year today low over the moors , also Curlew , Cormorant , 2 male Teal , Wheatear , 2 Herring Gulls and loads of Dunlin..

3 Whitethroat , 1 Blackcap and 1 Chiffchaff  singing in Northowram and a Pair of House Martins nest building....On the 11th a late afternoon move of Swifts saw at least 45 - 50 , the sky was grey and forced the Swifts to a low level so they could easily be counted...A Ringtail  Harrier being mobbed by 3/4 Carrion Crows was brief but long enough to see the white rump as it battled with the crows, too distant to say what species........

The With

 An adult summer Sanderling was stunning but always distant , Dunlin 8 + , LRP 6 + , Oystercatcher 2 , Golden Plover 3 , Lapwing 5 , 1 Ringed Plover , 1 Wheatear , 1 Buzzard , 1 Kestrel ,2 Common Sandpiper , 2 Linnet , 4 Skylark , 14 Meadow Pipit , Reed Bunting , 8 Herring Gull , 25 LBBGull , 6 BH Gull , Swift , Sand Martin and Short eared Owl ............

Dunlin

 A big influx of Dunlin over the last few days on our local reservoirs  ,  I had my first pair on breeding territory on the 13th April....Also LRP's , Golden Plover , Common Sandpipers , Redshanks displaying and a few Wheatear . 
 

On the tops

Plenty Owls about with at least 10 SEO's , 2 BO , Peregeine , Woodcock , 8 Snipe drumming , Wheatear,,,LRP , Dunlin , Redshanks , Curlew , Lapwing ,Oystercatcher , ,Common Sandpiper ,Siskin ,Teal , Tufted Duck ,