Spring is in the air

Whooper 'tastic'

After a long walk and very little to report with a cold east wind keeping everything down , I had just put my empty camera battery on charge and looked out the window...geese in v formation was ny first thought...grabbed the bins...Whoopers..loads of um  ...46 in total,,,quick call to DJS who was luckily in his back garden and 2 minutes later they went right over his house,,,,,made my day...

Shibden park

Sunday

3 Skylarks in full song at Soil Hill , 15 Golden Plover,2 Skylarks , and 30+BHGulld at pellon

back garden blackbird

Pied wagtail at Shelf moor

55 lapwing,10 starling and 2 Pied Wagtails...this female shows all the classic features.

Pied Wags

4/5 Pied Wags,5 lapwing 4 carrion Crow at Shelf moor today

Rook and Bullfinch

mistle Thrush

last few days

a few groups of Fieldfare nand Redwing have been on the move along with one Song thrush,2 mistle thrush and 6/7 Balckbirds around the local fields.lots of chaffinch and a treat with one Brambling ,1 Nuthatch in the robin hood  garden at cragg vale and a Goosander north over the house...

Turkey tails

On the way to Queensbury

1 Common Snipe,2 Stock Dove ,194 Starling , 40 Lapwing,4 Jackdaw,5  Common Gull  at Shelf Moor

Shelf Moor..again

29 Lapwings ,2 Common Snipe ,40 Starling,3 Common Gull ,7 BHgull, and 2 Mistle Thrush...

Shelf Moor

Quick look at tea time produced,1 BS,10 Snipe,18 Mipits, 60 Lapwing and a host of Starlings...

shelf moor

40 lapwing,50 Starling(one with white tail again) 1 Common snipe ,6 fieldfare and 3 Redwing...Also 40+ Golden plover at Clifton/////Its the first year in the last 10 that I didnt record Snipe and GP then i get um both on the 1st feb..........funny old game   ....

Foot It January

Well ended up on 70 species for january all on foot.Harold park was a big suprise as Mute swan is a rare bird in calderdale but here they are common along with a host of tufties and other common ducks .I may carry on for the year and see how many species I can see on foot from the house....100+ is possible...

Round trip and one for the Ogden locals to look for

http://calderdale-fungi.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/an-amazing-historical-discovery.html

Ogden regulars keep an eye out for this one(follow link)the best area is over the prom and turn right and look through the OLD   x mas trees they stand out a mile and are pretty common.???/A potential first for GB since it became EXTINCT IN THE LATE 1800'S

 
Pithya vulgaris or Fir Disco 

also today 14 heralds in bare Head tunnel , 29 lapwing and the white tailed starling at shelf moor,1 male Goldeneye and 1 male goosander at ogden.

                                                Dead mans fingers

                                     Turkey Tails above and below

Waxwings from the garden.......Get in....

Doing a bit of vis from the house today I noticed a small flock of birds coming up the valley distant at first...must be Starlings ??....look a bit pale ??...coming closer ???..... bloody waxwings trilling calls get in......ran round to back garden 12 Waxwings at the top of next doors trees...all calling together...brilliant ..then they flew off north not to be seen again....the ups and downs of birding...no photos ..dammmm.

Jay House lane

popped up Jay House lane today,plenty tree Sparrows  about also jays,lapwings,Goldfinch,greenfinch the odd Meadow pipits and a Nice Dipper on the stream..Now all I need are GP and Snipe....;;
1.Great Crested Grebe 2. Little Grebe 3 Cormorant.4 Grey heron, 5 Canada Goose,6 Mallard,7 Tufted duck ,8 Goosander,9 Sparrowhawk,10 Kestrel.11 Coot , 12 Moorhen ,13 Golden Plover 14 Lapwing , 15 Snipe ,16 Black headed gull ,17 Common Gull , 18 Herring Gull ,19 LBBGull , 20 GBBGull , 21 Stock Dove ,22 Woodpigeon , 23 Collared Dove ,24Feral Pigeon ,25 Little Owl, 26 Tawny Owl ,27 Green Woodpecker ,28Great Spotted woodpecker , 29 Skylark ,30 Meadow Pipit.31 Grey wagtail 32 Pied wagtail ,33 Dipper ,34Wren ,35 Dunnock 36 Robin , 37 Blackbird ,38 Fieldfare,39 Song Thrush, 40 Redwing, 41 Mistle Thrush , 42 Goldcrest , 43 Long tailed Tit , 44 Blue Tit, 45 Cole Tit , 46 Great Tit, 47 Nuthatch , 48 Treecreeper , 49 Jay , 50 Magpie ,51 Carrion Crow , 52 Rook, 53 Starling , 54 House Sparrow ,55 Tree Sparrow , 56 Chaffinch,57 Greenfinch, 58 Goldfinch ,59 Siskin ,60 Redpoll,61 Bullfinch, 62 Linnet.+ 3 unknowns,hopefully Snow Bunt,Whooper Swan and Lesser
+ Teal, PFGoose,Woodcock , Goldeneye , Kingfisher , Buzzard,Mute Swan ...68 so far.....

Harold Park...that makes 65...for the foot it challenge

My first trip to harold park today produced Mute Swan 5 ,Tufted Duck 40+,great Crested grebe 1 and a host of coots,mallards,canada geese and moorhens,there are more of these here than in the whole of Calderdale..?????Also one Cormorant. 1.Great Crested Grebe 2. Little Grebe 3 Cormorant.4 Grey heron, 5 Canada Goose,6 Mallard,7 Tufted duck ,8 Goosander,9 Sparrowhawk,10 Kestrel.11 Coot , 12 Moorhen ,13 Golden Plover 14 Lapwing , 15 Snipe ,16 Black headed gull ,17 Common Gull , 18 Herring Gull ,19 LBBGull , 20 GBBGull , 21 Stock Dove ,22 Woodpigeon , 23 Collared Dove ,24Feral Pigeon ,25 Little Owl, 26 Tawny Owl ,27 Green Woodpecker ,28Great Spotted woodpecker , 29 Skylark ,30 Meadow Pipit.31 Grey wagtail 32 Pied wagtail ,33 Dipper ,34Wren ,35 Dunnock 36 Robin , 37 Blackbird ,38 Fieldfare,39 Song Thrush, 40 Redwing, 41 Mistle Thrush , 42 Goldcrest , 43 Long tailed Tit , 44 Blue Tit, 45 Cole Tit , 46 Great Tit, 47 Nuthatch , 48 Treecreeper , 49 Jay , 50 Magpie ,51 Carrion Crow , 52 Rook, 53 Starling , 54 House Sparrow ,55 Tree Sparrow , 56 Chaffinch,57 Greenfinch, 58 Goldfinch ,59 Siskin ,60 Redpoll,61 Bullfinch, 62 Linnet.+ 3 unknowns,hopefully Snow Bunt,Whooper Swan and Lesser
+ Teal, PFGoose,Woodcock , Goldeneye , Kingfisher , Buzzard,Mute Swan ...65 so far.....

SNOW

|A Rare Moth for Calderdale in January,,ah Tissue...

A walk round the village,shibden valley and bare head Tuinnel on thursday produced this Tissue moth hibernating in Bare head Tunnel,its a rare moth in Yorkshire and a first this century for Calderdale.It hibernates as an adult and will fly in the spring and summer.Also my first Green woodpecker of the year,Little owl,Redwings and 13 canada geese.Top day

More Pinks on the move

Noticed 10 herring Gulls going north at 3.10  so had an hour to spare so headed to the field with the dog in tow..A few Stock dove flushed from the dilapidated barn and 4 Fieldfare headed north.I could hear Pinks but could not see um , about 2 mins later I picked um up over Hx town center(aprox) there were 165 due west.about 100 Redwing headed northLoads of BHgulls were going south.A flock of 100+Pinks soon followed and then a massive skein way to the south of aprox 250....At 6.15 in total darkness another 100 or so went right over the house sending the dog crazy...Pink heaven again.....

50 up then upto 61

First thingtoday was a cormorant high west which  was   my 50th species within 1 mile of the house.With that i set off to Cromwell Bottom along the old red beck past Sunny bunsers round the lake then back over Southowram.I added  11species,Buzzard ,Kingfisher ,Teal and Nuthatch all in splendid plumage.6 Grey heron,little Grebe,Goldeneye,Redpoll,35 Siskin,5 skylark and a treecreeper good stuff...That makes 61 in total of the 65 I was expecting. Missing Tufted  duck, Tawny owl and Green woodpecker is woeful but still time to get them..
1.Great Crested Grebe 2. Little Grebe 3 Cormorant.4 Grey heron, 5 Canada Goose,6 Mallard,7 Tufted duck ,8 Goosander,9 Sparrowhawk,10 Kestrel.11 Coot , 12 Moorhen ,13 Golden Plover 14 Lapwing , 15 Snipe ,16 Black headed gull ,17 Common Gull , 18 Herring Gull ,19 LBBGull , 20 GBBGull , 21 Stock Dove ,22 Woodpigeon , 23 Collared Dove ,24Feral Pigeon ,25 Little Owl, 26 Tawny Owl ,27 Green Woodpecker ,28Great Spotted woodpecker , 29 Skylark ,30 Meadow Pipit.31 Grey wagtail 32 Pied wagtail ,33 Dipper ,34Wren ,35 Dunnock 36 Robin , 37 Blackbird ,38 Fieldfare,39 Song Thrush, 40 Redwing, 41 Mistle Thrush , 42 Goldcrest , 43 Long tailed Tit , 44 Blue Tit, 45 Cole Tit , 46 Great Tit, 47 Nuthatch , 48 Treecreeper , 49 Jay , 50 Magpie ,51 Carrion Crow , 52 Rook, 53 Starling , 54 House Sparrow ,55 Tree Sparrow , 56 Chaffinch,57 Greenfinch, 58 Goldfinch ,59 Siskin ,60 Redpoll,61 Bullfinch, 62 Linnet.+ 3 unknowns,hopefully Snow Bunt,Whooper Swan and Lesser
+ Teal, PFGoose,Woodcock , Goldeneye , Kingfisher , Buzzard...

Creeping towards 50

Added a  few more  this  weekend  with two goosander over the house this evening thats 49.There are some terrible omissions Nuthatch ,treecreeper,green wood and Tawny Owl are just nowhere to be seen,very strange.... as last year/month they were easy ,with Tawny owl calling from the roof of the house.??all species have been seen within 1 mile of my house as the crow flies there have been a few flyovers pink feet,Goosander and Gulls mainly.I am very pleased with so many species so close to home...


1.Great Crested Grebe 2. Little Grebe 3 Cormorant.4 Grey heron, 5 Canada Goose,6 Mallard,7 Tufted duck ,8 Goosander,9 Sparrowhawk,10 Kestrel.11 Coot , 12 Moorhen ,13 Golden Plover 14 Lapwing , 15 Snipe ,16 Black headed gull ,17 Common Gull , 18 Herring Gull ,19 LBBGull , 20 GBBGull , 21 Stock Dove ,22 Woodpigeon , 23 Collared Dove ,24Feral Pigeon ,25 Little Owl, 26 Tawny Owl ,27 Green Woodpecker ,28Great Spotted woodpecker , 29 Skylark ,30 Meadow Pipit.31 Grey wagtail 32 Pied wagtail ,33 Dipper ,34Wren ,35 Dunnock 36 Robin , 37 Blackbird ,38 Fieldfare,39 Song Thrush, 40 Redwing, 41 Mistle Thrush , 42 Goldcrest , 43 Long tailed Tit , 44 Blue Tit, 45 Cole Tit , 46 Great Tit, 47 Nuthatch , 48 Treecreeper , 49 Jay , 50 Magpie ,51 Carrion Crow , 52 Rook, 53 Starling , 54 House Sparrow ,55 Tree Sparrow , 56 Chaffinch,57 Greenfinch, 58 Goldfinch ,59 Siskin ,60 Redpoll,61 Bullfinch, 62 Linnet.+ 3 unknowns,hopefully Snow Bunt,Whooper Swan and Lesser pecker (we live in hope)
Plus...... Pink footed goose + Woodcock .total so far 49 .target 65

In the Pink

Well what a day for pinks,started with a 155 low and noisy flock at 9.20 then a 51 soon after both heading due west.A few groups of Wood pigeons a 53,27 and a 9 heading wnw and a lesser BBGull north.Fieldfare and Redwing heading west in small mixed groups.
Then a 125 skein way out over Castle Hill about 12ish,mid afternoon saw a 321 and then closely followed by a 204.What a great day......Pity i had to go out as more came over as dusk approached.

More Pinks

Pinks on the move again today with a 45,60 and 120 all west, also good moves of 350 Redwing and 100 + Fieldfare west .150+ lapwing at shelf Moor,14 stock Doves,1 Pied Wag and a small flock of Chaffinch 30~ south made for a interesting morning walk.

Local walk

 

Not a bad afternoon walk but i did miss all the Pinkies going over??.Great spot , pied wag ,meadow pipit , 11 greenfinch 2 linnet and a Woodcock all added to the footit year list.

FOOT IT update..

1.Great Crested Grebe 2. Little Grebe 3 Cormorant.4 Grey heron, 5 Canada Goose,6 Mallard,7 Tufted duck ,8 Goosander,9 Sparrowhawk,10 Kestrel.11 Coot , 12 Moorhen ,13 Golden Plover 14 Lapwing , 15 Snipe ,16 Black headed gull ,17 Common Gull , 18 Herring Gull ,19 LBBGull , 20 GBBGull , 21 Stock Dove ,22 Woodpigeon , 23 Collared Dove ,24Feral Pigeon ,25 Little Owl, 26 Tawny Owl ,27 Green Woodpecker ,28Great Spotted woodpecker , 29 Skylark ,30 Meadow Pipit.31 Grey wagtail 32 Pied wagtail ,33 Dipper ,34Wren ,35 Dunnock 36 Robin , 37 Blackbird ,38 Fieldfare,39 Song Thrush, 40 Redwing, 41 Mistle Thrush , 42 Goldcrest , 43 Long tailed Tit , 44 Blue Tit, 45 Cole Tit , 46 Great Tit, 47 Nuthatch , 48 Treecreeper , 49 Jay , 50 Magpie ,51 Carrion Crow , 52 Rook, 53 Starling , 54 House Sparrow ,55 Tree Sparrow , 56 Chaffinch,57 Greenfinch, 58 Goldfinch ,59 Siskin ,60 Redpoll,61 Bullfinch, 62 Linnet.+ 3 unknowns,hopefully Snow Bunt,Whooper Swan and Lesser pecker (we live in hope)
Plus...... Pink footed goose + Woodcock  .total so far 41.target 65

Northowram to shibden valley

A steady walk to start off the year , down the valley to shibden park then off to shibden valley return route.A total of 34 species the highlight 48 Pinkies heading wnw seen by Bri , Dave and Nick as they headed west over calderdale.a Little Owl, grey wag,10 fieldfare,7 Redwing and a nice flock of 35 Goldfinch.