White Storks ,

 2 White Storks flew west at aprox 17.15 .Only poor views but just managed to get them in the scope before they dropped below the horizon..These are my 5th and 6th White Storks from the house , the first two were from a European release scheme , the 3rd and 4th were from Harewood house and one of these ended up in Luddunden Foot  and the ring could easily be seen . No idea on these two but nice to see. Anyway next week they will be everywhere....YAY

Ned Hill track

 Had a quick walk on to the trees ,Willow Warbler , Robin,  Wren ,Skylark , Meadow Pipit , Linnet , Barn Owls , Curlew , Lapwing , Oystercatcher 2 over to Ogden , Swallows , LBBGulls , Starling , Blackbird, Greylag Goose , Jackdaw , Carion Crow , Magpie , Woodpigeon , Stock Dove , Collared Dove , Pheasants , BH Gulls 6 north , Heron , 6 Roe Deer....

River Trent , Gainsbrough

 A week in Nottingham doing some survey work , so this morning I had a walk on the River Trent  3 Lesser Whitethroat (such a shame we dont get these in Calderdale anymore) 4 Whitethroat , Widgeon , Gadwall , Shoveler , Little Egret , Teal , Shelduck , Willow Warbler , Blackcap , Yellow Wag , House Martin , Sand Martin , Swallow, Curlew , Lapwing  , and them BOOM..2 Common Crane south along the river. Could do with them in Calderdale as well......

Bridestones ..

 An excellent fall of  16 Wheatear at Bridestone's on the 11th ,with some stunning males in with them, full orange front and deep slate grey back with jet black masks , some looked Greenland types but did'nt seem that big .? A pair of Ravens were causing chaos with the Lapwings and  Curlews and its always nice to see proper breeding  Red Grouse such a beautiful red eye cover and that call is iconic. The first two Emperor Moth and a Northern Eggar caterpillar was also the first of the year. Skylarks , Snipe, Meadow Pipit , Kestrel and a distant House Sparrow could be heard calling...and a Woodpigeon kill looked like Peregrine

Bridestones

 An early morning visit produced 23 species including a pair of Wheatear ,Raven ,Curlew , Snipe , Oyks , Lapwing , Meadow Pipits , Skylark , 90 + Golden Plover , Barn Owl  and a Sand Martin north(last night)..roll on some good weather with light winds....

2024 so far....

Red Grouse , Fieldfare , Starling , Golden Plover , Snipe ,Oystercatcher , Curlew , Lapwing , Barn Owl, Hen Harrier , Buzzard ,Kestrel , Merlin , Stonechat , Rook , Carrion Crow , Magpie , Jackdaw , Raven, Common Pheasant , Mallard , Pink-footed Goose , Stonechat , Wren ,Woodpigeon , Stock Dove , Feral Pigeon ,Collared Dove ,  ,Robin , Mistle Thrush , Crossbill , Greenfinch , Chaffinch ,Reed Bunting , Meadow Pipit , Grey Heron , Pink-footed Goose , Canada Goose , Pied Wagtail , Wheatear , Black -headed Gull , Lesser Black backed Gull , Common Gull , Herring Gull  Sand Martin., House Sparrow 

 

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, 

24th March ,3 singing Chiffchaffs today and a steady trickle of LBBGulls west with a few Herrring Gulls and Meadow Pipits N/W.

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

   

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.....

 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.....

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....

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 .....
 

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

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