Got round to sending in all my local moth records this week to the YNU...highlights for the year at Northowram were..Clay triple lines , Double striped Tabby , Vines Rustic , Scarce footman , Red necked Footman ,and Box tree Moth
New to VC63 – Northern Belle Phiaris palustrana ( gen det CF) Walshaw Moor
Went to look for a reported Green Sandpiper at Jay House lane ponds , when I got out of the car I could see a dark wader bobbing up and down in the steam , had to be it , got scope on it Jack Snipe a real bonus..Then onto Walshaw Dean Plantation where I flushed 2 Woodcock and a party of 8 Crossbills were high in the tops eating pine cones..An excellent crop this year....Also 1 Barn Owl and a cracking male Sparrowhawk hunting a small flock of 20 Siskin......
It was nice to find a single Waxwing today , I was driving up Pellon Lane and in the corner of my eye I saw a Waxwing in the top of a tree in Kick fit car Park , just managed to stop and get a couple of photos .. Not seen any locally for a few years so fingers crossed a few more turn up. A Woodcock was flushed from the path up at fly flats ...little else on a very cold day....................
Frozen all round the reservoir and the reservoir its self. A single Common Gull , 4 distant skeins of Pink footed geese , 2 Stonechats , 12 Meadow Pipits , 2 Kestrels , 2 Carrion Crow , 1 Magpie and 11 Herring Gulls,. I was lucky to briefly seen a Snow Bunting on the way up and on the way back it showed really well feeding in the grass next to the road . Thick fog should keep it grounded till tomorrow
