Hell Fog

Today I walked from Holme village to Holme Moss,it was steep and unforgiving,I carried my scope,bins large flask of coffee and packed lunch.it was good to see Red Grouse in there natural habitat of billberry slopes just off the moors edge ( a beautiful species when in its own).Short eared owl,Curlew,Golden plover and lapwing were all observed in good light.I reached the top and set up my scope ,I could hear Golden Plover overhead but could not locate them.I could easily see Ovenden moor wind farm in the distance and a small whisp of cloud on the nearby hill.Within 20 minutes of reaching the cloudless top,it was covered in thick fog from nowhere,it covered the whole area.the bottom of my tripod was covered,i dont recall ever seeing such thick fog in JUNE visibility was down to 10 feet.I had to stumble down the track to the car and away , the fog stll thick at Blackmoor foot but had lifted by the time I got home..................????

Last of the summer wine Country

A party of 20 Crossbills was a great site and sound as were 3 differnt Cuckoos.A male whinchat was my first of the year,plenty of singing Redpolls and a few Charms of goldfinch(9+7).Plenty of drumming Snipe and alarming Curlews in and around the moors edge.I was suprised to see so many lapwing chicks with at least 40 seen of varying sizes from 4/5 different large fields continually wary of the ever present carrion Crows.A flock of 10 Curlew foraging in a field must have been failed breeders.Wheatear are thin on the ground now with one late female the only one seen.

North Yorkshire

Golden Plover clutch Its nice when you can away and a few days in North Yorkshire produced 20+ Tree Pipit 7 Cuckoo 1 Male redstart 2 Willow tit 3 spotted fly 1 male goshawk 1 pair Merlin 17 Whitethroat 1 lesser whitethroat 9 Garden warbler 6 Blackcap Lapwibg,Curlew,Golden Plove,Siskin,lesser redpoll and Crossbills were common.

Swift mega move and a few breeders

Got my first young starlings ,magpies, and green Woodpeckers this morning along with Great spots feeing young at the nest site,2 Chiffs ,3 Blackcaps and 4 willow warblers in good song . Vis 4.00 - 5 ,30 Swift 491 nn/e LBBGull 2 nn/e House martin 9 north Swallow 5 north

Sat Vis mig

1 Curlew west 3 Lapwing south 2 Sand Martin north 2 House Martin north 35 Swift north 22 Swallow north 1 Buzzard south 2 alba wags north 1 Grey wag north 1 Song Thrush north 25 LBBGulls various directions female Sparrowhawk and Kestrel out hunting , linnets in the garden eating dandilions and the House Sparrows copulation for second brood

Wheatear and Grasshopper warbler Bonanza

well what a year for wheatears,today I counted 17 in one field and all of them look like 'greenlands' to me .So far this spring I have had over 60 individulas which is better than the last 5 years put together and also 6 Grasshopper warblersso far.The other species doing well are short eared owl with 13 sightins to press.Also today a lesser whitethroat at the crem with 2 Buzzards low overhead.Ravens with 3 young and Lesser repolls displaying at an upland site.Also had 2 pairs of stonechats this week which have become pretty scarce.

Sunday

Not a bad morning to be out ,but the first hour produced nothing of note,Thena pair of lapwing calling overhead was a nice suprise,2 Willow warblers,1 Blackcap ,2 Chiffchaffs and the best birds of the day 2 singing Whitethroat. Evening visit to an upland site produced 1 Ringed Plover,1 Common Sandpiper,2 SE Owl and a Raven.

Wheatear at last

A cracking male wheatear today on local walk 1st this year here and Willow warblers singing as well. Hudderfield area last few days 6 + SE Owls 4 male Ring Ouzel 1 osprey 1 female redstart 1 Cuckoo Lapwings with young calderdale area today at least 7 sightings of SEOwl indicating at least 3 pairs,Male Merlin food pass,20 + Wheatear,lots of displaying Snipe Golden Plover and Curlew in good numbers

The local Swallows have returned and have taken up residence in the local barn,a few mipits om the move yesterday along with a few swallows and 1 herring Gull.Linnets seem to be everwhere feeding on dandilions.

Brambling

Went to pick the kids up from me dads today and on the bird table a worn female Brambling was a great suprise.
2 Shoveler at Cupwith res and 4 Short eared owls at a upland moorland site.

Round up

last sunday saw a female Merlin,Buzzard ,sprwks displaying and kestrel.wednesday I refound 2 Grey Partridge..?? and last night I am sure a Moorhen was herd calling in the night sky.??

Cold edge Dams

At last 4 Wheatear,2 redshank,3 Oycks , Snipe,Reed Bunts,Lapwings,Curlew,1 LBBGull north and 1 very vocal Raven.

North York Moors

Short eared Owl 7 +
Crossbill 46 +(including males feeding newly fledge young just out of the nest)
Siskin displaying 10+
Goshawk 2
Merlin 2
Willow Tit 2
Wheatear 4
Redshank 3
White wagtail 1
Pied Wagtail 10 +
Chiffchaff 30 +
Blackcap 2
Redpoll 6
Snipe 8
Hare 10.
Yellowhammer 5
Willow Warbler 2
Fieldfare 2000 + north in one flock
Redwing 5

Monday,monday

6 Canada Geese n/e
2 GBBGull west
1 Herring Gull west
40+ Linnets
2 Chiffchaff
1 Green woodpecker

Monday

1 greylag south
1 Chiffchaff(first migrant here)
17 Golfinch north(7+3 +1+2+4)
4 Mipits north
2 Great black backed west
3 Common gull west
2 BHGull north
1 LBBGull north
1 redwing north
3 fieldfare north
1 sparrowhawk display
2 mallards

Winter ..October 2011 - March 2012

Spring is with us at last...I must admit that i do like the winter months and some good local birding was had...
Whooper swan 22 (20 + 2 )
Pink footed Goose 968 west
Herring Gull 451
Herring Gull sp argentatus 2
GBBGull 52
LBBGull 10
Linnets 33(daily max)
Stock dove 32 (daily max)
Ring necked Parakeet 1 north
Nordic jacdaw 1 present 3st Jan - March
Buzzards 4 (2 +1+1)
Buzzard sp 1
Woodcock 1
Jack snipe 1
Snipe 2
Curlew 5 (4+1)
Lapwing 320 (daily max)
Golden Plover 11 (daily max)
Skylark 9 (daily max)
Peregine 1
Dipper 2
Twite 1
Woodpigeon 16,500 (daily max
Grey partridge 2
Mipits 140 (3rd week of March)
Alba wagtail 30+ (3rd week of march)

Also in Calderdale Rough legged Buzzard,White fronted Geese,Northern Long tailed tits,Great Northern Diver and up to 9 Snow Buntings..a very good winter

Faith and Despondency - Poem by Emily Bronte

"The winter wind is loud and wild,
Come close to me, my darling child;
Forsake thy books, and mateless play;
And, while the night is gathering gray,
We'll talk its pensive hours away;--

"Ierne, round our sheltered hall
November's gusts unheeded call;
Not one faint breath can enter here
Enough to wave my daughter's hair,
And I am glad to watch the blaze
Glance from her eyes, with mimic rays;
To feel her cheek, so softly pressed,
In happy quiet on my breast,

"But, yet, even this tranquillity
Brings bitter, restless thoughts to me;
And, in the red fire's cheerful glow,
I think of deep glens, blocked with snow;
I dream of moor, and misty hill,
Where evening closes dark and chill;
For, lone, among the mountains cold,
Lie those that I have loved of old.
And my heart aches, in hopeless pain,
Exhausted with repinings vain,
That I shall greet them ne'er again!"

Black Rook in rainy weather

Honestly, this might sound strange but this is the kind of day I wish I could have. A dreary, wet, rainy, gray day. The sunshine is starting to get on my nerves. Not to mention, the 100 degree heat. I love this poem, it’s one of my all-time favorites.
Black Rook in Rainy Weather

On the stiff twig up there
Hunches a wet black rook
Arranging and rearranging its feathers in the rain-
I do not expect a miracle
Or an accident
To set the sight on fire
In my eye, nor seek
Any more in the desultory weather some design,
But let spotted leaves fall as they fall
Without ceremony, or portent.
Although, I admit, I desire,
Occasionally, some backtalk
From the mute sky, I can’t honestly complain:
A certain minor light may still
Lean incandescent
Out of kitchen table or chair
As if a celestial burning took
Possession of the most obtuse objects now and then —
Thus hallowing an interval
Otherwise inconsequent
By bestowing largesse, honor
One might say love. At any rate, I now walk
Wary (for it could happen
Even in this dull, ruinous landscape); sceptical
Yet politic, ignorant
Of whatever angel any choose to flare
Suddenly at my elbow. I only know that a rook
Ordering its black feathers can so shine
As to seize my senses, haul
My eyelids up, and grant
A brief respite from fear
Of total neutrality. With luck,
Trekking stubborn through this season
Of fatigue, I shall
Patch together a content
Of sorts. Miracles occur.
If you care to call those spasmodic
Tricks of radiance
Miracles. The wait’s begun again,
The long wait for the angel,
For that rare, random descent.

Sylvia Plath

afternoon

26,linnets, 19 Fieldfare ,10 Goldfinch and 15 Stock Doves around the fields this aft.

Good Vis

Mipits 48 n/w
Alba wags 11 n/w
Redpoll 5 n/w
Goldfinch 15 n/w
Chaffinch 6 n/w
Lapwing 3 north
Grey Heron 3 north
Finch sp 40+ n/w
Buzzard 1 west
Common Gull 35 west
BHGull 4 west
Herring Gull 3 west
Fieldfare 2 north
Linnets 9 n/w
41 rook nests in Northowram ,2 singing Song thrush and 7 pairs of displaying Greenfinch,1 displaying Sparrowhawk at least 3 Jays also.

Sence at last.............

“ THE BADGER TRUST welcomes the Welsh Government’s science-based decision to vaccinate badgers against bovine tuberculosis (bTB). This is the only sensible, practical way forward; culling would have made matters worse at great cost to the Welsh taxpayer.

A culling proposal by the last Welsh Assembly Government was quashed in 2010 following judicial review proceedings brought by Badger Trust. WAG then produced in 2011 a new, even more risky culling proposal including free-shooting, which Badger Trust challenged alongside 4 co-claimants in the affected area. The Welsh Government’s revised plan was paused after last year’s election when the new Government agreed to conduct a comprehensive review of the science. “

Mips and wags

Over the last few days,a good move of mipits(10 + 30 + 40) and increasing
numbers of alba wags(5 + today),they all seem to be calling like Pieds to me at the moment.Grey Herons,Jays and Mallards are all showing well and the numbers of displaying Greenfinches is the best for a few years.Still getting Gulls in small numbers with BHeads and Commons all moving west yesterday.

Curlew's

The first Curlew for many years over the house calling this morning,also 6 Mipits(4+1+1)4 Goldfinch,30 BH Gulls and 2 alba,5 lapwing north,22 Fieldfare,1 redwing and 2 canadas.
Monday...4 Curlew n/w 25 Mipits north 27 common Gull west and 6 goldfinch north,a small flock of 16 finches could not be id'd high north,

Ring - necked parakeet

A ring necked parakeet flew high north at 7.15 this morning called once which drew my attention to the bird.2 Canadas east and 1 mipit north.

Mipits in the Fog and sad news

Grey Partridge 3 tail feathers

At least 10 mipits moving north in the fog this morning along with 2 albas,1 redwing,22 Fieldfare,3 lapwing,3 LBBGulls,3 BH Gulls,9 common Gulls and 1 skylark.I woundered yesterday when i saw only 1 grey partridge what had happened to the other one now I know it came to a sticky end...1 magnificent male Roe deer today as well.

Stock Doves

32 Stock doves today was an excellent count in with 57 woodpigeons,11 linnets,1 Grey partridge,2 alba wags high north (call only)and 2 sining Song thrush.

Monday

2 Skylarks
4 Mipits north
16 Linnets
2 grey Partridge
22 fieldfare
3 Goldfinch
1 alba wag high north
10 herring gulls west

Friday

A good count of 13 greenfinch today along with 22 Fieldfare ,3 Mipits north,4 Skylarks (one singing its heart out)45 Woodpigeon,10 stock Doves and 2 Grey partridge .Should be getting migrants any day now....

Windy

Loads of Herring Gulls about todat with 4 in the fields and 20 + heading west throughout the day.2 Skylarks, 2 Meadow Pipits,14 stock doves flushed 5 Chaffinches from the field which must have been movers.3 Song thrushes singing,Starlings carrying nesting material and still 5 fieldfares.Saw jackdaw again briefly

1st March

an afternoon walk in a warm light s/w 2 .One Small tortoiseshell,1 alba wag high and fast north,1 common Snipe,1 Skylark,1 Meadow Pipit flitting along the wire fence,44 Woodpigeons in the field,45 Fieldfares hanging in there,1 grey Heron north and a Common Buzzard first seen over Coley Church went right over my head at about 20 feet and headed off towads shibden valley.3 Buzzards in a week lets hope it stays that way every week.Also saw the Nordic Jackdaw very briefly yesterday