Vapourer caterpillar

Found this on bramble today.

Sunday

12 Curlew flew west at 8.00
3 LBB Gull west at 8.15
Green woodpecker and Great spot over the garden as well.

Last nights Moths

Dusky brocade

White Ermine
At least 30+ species on tuesday night with Dark Spectacle,Spectacle,Beautiful Golden Y,Small fanfoot being the best of the haul(100+moths) and also the first Dark Arches and Large Yellow Underwings.

Crowle moor

Ringlet

Large Heath(davus)
2 woodlark,1Turtle Dove,Hobby,Gropper,Marsh tit, grass Snake,Cuckoo,3 Ringlet,Small Copper and loads of small / large skippers and 10+ Large Heath

Bits and Bobbs

Loads of good moths about at the moment with this Mother Shipton,Small Yellow Underwing(another first for Calderdale),Small and Large Elephant Hawkmoths and poplar hawkmoth and the first migrant Silver Y.Mallard raised 7 young in next doors pond and the House sparrows are on with there second brood after having a bumper first brood.Managed Duke of Burgandy,Dingy skipper and Pearl bordered Fritillary at Silverdale.

Donna Nook

A walk from Donna Nook to Pyes Hall produced this beauty found and photographed also Barn owl,Lesser whitethroat,4 Grey plover,8 Dunlin,2 Little egret,6 cuckoo and 4 Yellow Wags

Linconshire

Barn Owl

Marsh Fritillary

2 Black necked Grebe

Centre Parcs..Whinfell Forest

6 Crossbill
2 redpoll
2 blackcap
plenty of Red Squirrel(nice to see ,shoot them Grey's)
Buzzards
And a White Stork flying west being mobbed by 2 carrion Crows and 3 Swallows(an escape ???)

Last Nights moths

Yellow Barred Brindle,V-Pug,Clouded Drab,Double Striped Pug,Hebrew Character,Early Grey,Common Quaker and eriocrania sup

Last week

Large numbers of Swift and Swallows have been seen this week along with Blackcap and the garden species are well into the breeding season

Covenham area Linconshire

2 Black Tern,2 Common Tern ,Little Egret,Lesser/Common Whitethroat,15 + Sedge Warbler,10 +Yellow wag,6 Common Sand,Cuckoo ,Wheatear and Yellowhammer

Moths so far this Year

This first for calderdale is a Tawny Pinion(above)caught at light on the 23rd April
Early Grey
Hebrew Character
Common Quaker
Small Quaker
Dotted Border
Twin-spot quaker
Clouded drab
Brindled Pug
double -striped pug

Whimbrel + Whitethroat

2 whimbrel flew noth east at 6.50 this evening infront of a very dark black cloud,excellent to see two flying together.Also one whitethroat back in.good numbers of Swallows over the last few days and up to 8 Linnets

The Locals

6 Linnets,5 goldfinch,Sparrowhawk (m+f)Swallow and Blackcap today 28th april

Collared Dove

Favorite prey of our local sparrowhawk

first Swallows

The first swallows have been seen this week ,1 on Monday nad 10 today, you can see the peak districk in the distance coverd in Snow.Also Blackcap and Chiff-Chaff singing around Shibden Park.

last week

2 Goosander north
2 snipe west
8 GBBGull west
50 + mipit N/w
M + F Sparrowhawk most days around the garden
Greenfinch display daily

Last few Days

A first for the garden today in the form of a female Bullfinch,green Woodpecker herd calling from the vally below and a Sparrowhawk in full display.Grenfich and House Sparrow seemed to be everywhere also.

Bio fuels......??????????

Bio Fules destroy large areas of natural habitat.
Click on link below or g
o to whitby birding

Last few Days

Still very windy and little about, the last few mornings a very smart male Sparrowhawk has bee on the prowl,it sat in the garden for a good 20mins yesterday.Greenfinch have started displaying with four together this morning.6 unidentified geese flew n/e yesterday first thing and a few Herring gulls and 1 first winter GBBGull have been moving s/w.

Bali Starling

The critcally endagered Bali Starling has a strange call......

Identification 25 cm. Medium-large, stocky starling. Almost wholly white with long, drooping crest, black wing-tips and tail tip. Blue bare skin around eye and legs, yellow bill. Similar spp. Black-winged Starling Sturnus melanopterus has shorter crest, much larger area of black on wings and tail and yellow eyering and legs. VOICE -Variety of sharp chattering calls and an emphatic twat.

Somtimes you just have to LOL

Lapwings

137 Lapwings today between Shelf roundabout and Queensbury,if we get a cold snap they usually move down to the warmer climate of Northowram.1 female Sparrowhawk was causing chaos in the back garden this morning chasing starlings and Sparrows with no luck today.At least 6 pairs of House Sparrows were nest building this morning around the village.

Proposed revision of Schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

The Department for the Environment (DEFRA) are proposing to revise Schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. They intend to reduce the number of species listed from 46 to just 7. Crucially they intend to remove Peregrine Falcon from the list. Peregrine Falcon is highly susceptible to criminality, not only from the shooting lobby but also from some disreputable falconers. The species has a high monetary value. Please write to Joan Ruddock the minister of state responsible and ask her to reconsider.Calderdale Birdwatchers have spent countless hours protecting this species and it would be unforgiveable to give in now.

Joan Ruddock's email address is..... ruddockj@parliament.uk

It is important to include your name and address in the.email.
There is a copy oF a letter on Alistairs Whity Birding that you could use.

Thanks for your support in this matter.

Pink Footed Geese

Pink Footed Geese have been seen heading west this week over Northowram.Look and listen out for high flying geese over the next few weeks.

RSPB,Garden Birdwatch Weekend

http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/index.asp
What a week it started with torrential rain then gales and then today at least we had some sunshine,and not many birds locally.Fieldfares and redwings seem to be gathering for there return flights to the north .It was the RSPB's big garden Birdwatch weekend with high winds it was difficult to get a decent count.-2 Blue Tit ,1 Great Tit ,2 Cole Tit,1 Robin,2 Dunnock,17 House Sparrows,14 Collared Dove,10 Starling,2 Greenfinch,5 Chaffinch,5 Blackbird,12 magpie ,4 jackdaw,3 Rook,4 Carrion crow and 3 Goldfinch.

Tuesday

A much better day than of late with House Sparrows starting to build a nest in the eaves,Sparrowhawk looking for dinner with no success,and 2 first winter Common Gulls in front field.I have also got this Bee House for the spring .The queens emerge in Spring from hibernation, they first search out nectar bearing flowers from which they feed on nectar and pollen at the same time pollinating those flowers causing seed to be set. When nice and plump and feeling the time is right they search out a suitable nest and hopefully will choose this box I have purchased.

Nordic Jackdaw

It may well be a shot in the dark but we defiantly get European birds moving through our area in autumn.This picture show what to look out for.2 have been seen in Linconshire recently

Northowram BTO atlas

Braved the very poor weather and did the first square today(second time)Started with an excellent Scandinavian Herring Gull (argentatus)in with 30 BH Gull and 25 Common Gull,loads of Magpies ,Jackdaws,C,Crows and Rooks kicking around the Cricket pitch and about 25 Collared Doves.2 Meadow Pipit and a Snipe flushed ouy of the field and a Little Owl was seen in the local barn.1 female Sparrowhawk,1 Green woodpecker,2 Bullfinch,30 House Sparrows and a calling Treecreeper was about the best of it.Robin Blue,Great Tit , Chaffinch,2 Goldfich on the feeder

A grey day

Tawny Owl calling at the back of the Arboratum and a Redwing herd calling overhead.

A bit of snow

Filled the feeders up yesterday as it was getting very cold.
1 Song Thrush(first for nearly a year)
2 Goldfinch
2 Greenfinch
2 Cole Tit
4 Blue Tit
2 Great Tit
6 Blackbirds
32 Starling
10 collared Dove
2 Dunnock
1 Robin
1 Wren
6 Chaffinch
11 House sparrow
7 Magpie
1 Mistle Thrush
2 Rook
7 Jackdaw
1 Carrion Crow
10 Lapwing high s/w
3 Common Gull high s/w
2 BH Gull High s/w