South Cumbria

Been surveying in South Cumbria recently and its a beautiful part of the world , under watched by birdwatchers for sure..Highlights so far have been Snow Bunting , wintering Greenshank (7), Little Egrets are common and Great White Egrets have been seen twice. Large flocks of duck 500 + Pintail , 400 + widgeon and 100 + teal along with large flocks of Curlew (450 +) Oystercatcher (200+) Shelduck (150 + ) .Purple Sandpiper , Twite , Marsh Tit ,  Water Pipit and Rock Pipit have all been seen.
   Raptors are always in evidence Peregrine , Buzzard , Kestrel and Sparrowhawk are common/very common. Red Kite (4) , Goshawk(2) , Merlin (10) ,Hen (1) and Marsh harrier (3) have all been seen.

TREE SPARROWS

Woke up this morning went down stairs ...thick fog out the back window..3 small sparrows on the back garden step flew up ......looked pale...???? 2 minutes later 3 adult tree Sparrows on the back garden steps...I have looked high and low for tree sparrows in Northowram for 12 tears and then 3 in the back garden..amazing...Went outside and to my astonishment there were 5 adults and 3 juv/types in next doors tree. There were still there at 12 .15 but not seen since.??

Barrow Vis south cumbria

All heading North /North / East.
Redwing        783
Chaffinch        69
Tree Sparrow    29
Skylark              3
Linnet               45
Pied Wagtail       3
Snipe                  3
Pink Footed Goose  67
Curlew                      5
Meadow Pipit           1


A cracking adult Med Gull was found in a large flock of mixed gulls in a recently ploughed field

Duddon vis mig south Cumbria 7.30 - 10.30

All south


Swallow          39
House martin    1
Chaffinch         42
Mipit                34
Alba Wag         14
Pinks                88
Present ,Raven, Merlin (3), Peregrine , Buzzard, Kes , Sprawk ,100' Eider , curlew , Oycs and Redshank.

Morecambe Bay

A quick look this morning produced a flock of Oystercatcher which must have been at least 750 + thought they were pinkies when they came over the horizon. 50 + Brent geese,80 pinks , 400 + Eider , female Merlin , 200+ Shelduck , 100+Curlew , nice flock of 22 Ringed Plover, 10 Turnstone.220 Goldies and plenty of linnets and Goldfinch.Makes a real change to see so many birds.

Leighton Moss

A couple of hours at Leighton Moss today produced.......2 Great White Egret ( I thought 1 was good as it flew around the main lagoon but the sight of 2 was fantastic,15 Little egret ,1 Swallow , 8 Red brested Merganser , 2 Goosander , 5 Ruff , 650 + Black Tailed Godwit , 2 Little Stint , 2 Greenshank , 1 Knot , 10 Snipe , 15 Dunlin ,40 +Redshank ,2 Pintail , 30 Shovler , 60 + Widgeon , 10 Gadwall ,1 Marsh harrier ,Buzzard , Raven ,Peregrine ,Kes and Sprawk......

Fly flatts

A quick walk round fly.12 Teal all female types , 12 BHGull .165 Lapwing , 2 Snipe , 14 Mipits , 2 Pied Wags ,lots of Red Grouse calling from the moor , 3 Red legged Partridge , 2 Kestrel  and a Female Greenland type Wheatear...............the flock of Lapwing flew to TM at 11.10 another wader was with them but lost in the bright sunshine................

Dotterel and Buff Breasted Sandpiper

Right place right time...Whilst having crippling views of BBS , a flock of  Golden Plover circled the reservoir and then headed south as they went south a smaller wader flew to join them from the west .I alerted JB to this and as the flock returned some 5 minutes later the small wader was picked out, JB was taking photos frantically,,,where is it ??? ..he kept saying... top left,..top right.... middle bottom the flock headed west....and two Common Buzzards came over the hill .Some great photos on the Calderdale birders blog...the best couple of hours birding for a long time.........

BUFF BREASTED SANDPIPER

A Buff breasted Sandpiper at Ringstone Edge today was a great find by John Beaumont..it takes my Calderdale total to 200 species..........at last....beaten to it by NCD by 3 weeks ............highlights over the years have been , Red , Black and GN Divers , Slavs and red necked grebes , Gannet, Kittiwake , Honey and Rough Legged Buzzards , Ring necked Duck , Spotted  and Wood sandpipers , Little and Black terns ,Iceland and Glaucous Gulls , Firecrest , Lapland Bunting ,Little and temminck's Stint , Little egret , Dotterel , Shore lark and Great Grey shrike.....  also remember when YL GULLs were un -herd of and also when Nuthatch was a MEGA.......................LOL and good birding,,,,,,,,,,

Recent records

6 Chiff Chaffs , 5 Goldcrest today in the long hedge and wood , 10 + Pieds and 1 White wagtail and 87 Meadow Pipits on the cricket pitch and 2 Jays very high south were the first of the autumn and not seen a Swallow for a couple of days...............

Sedge Warbler

Its been a good spell for migrants at Northowram with a new area found that seems to hold a few migrants..so far Spotted flycatcher (1) , Whinchat (2) Redstart (2) Chiffs (10+) Willow Warbler (8+)Whitethroat (6) , Blackcap (2) and the star so far a Sedge warbler today it was tacking low to the ground (thought it was a reed warbler till it showed its face) finally came into view ..very nice

Ringstone

A few visits to Ringstone this week produced...2 juv peregrine Falcon , 1 Whinchat ,2 Sedge Warbler , 3 Willow Warbler  , 3 Chiffchaff , 7 Whitethroat , 10 Pied Wags , 100 + Mipits , 15 Swallow , 3 Grey Partridge , 50 + Linnet , 30 + Goldfinch , 88 lapwing , 1 Curlew , 3 Dunlin , 1 GC Grebe , 2 Cormorant , 40 Mallard , 7 Reed Bunting , 6 Wren and 2 Robins,,500 + BH Gull , 10 LBBGull and 20 Commons................

Redstart

A juv Redstart in the horse paddock field today was a first for my area, loads of Swift ,Swallows and House martins every time the rain started.An adult Whitethroat was a good find as well.....

Ogden

A calling Nuthatch as I got out of the car was a good omen as I think this is my first Nuthatch here, plenty of Curlew , Skylark , Red Grouse , Golden Plover and Meadow Pipits on the Moor around the wind farm. Kestrel and Reed Bunting on the Golf course and a Tree Pipit calling here which again I have not seen here before...A very early Swift on Thursday Blackcap , Willow Warbler  , Chiff chaff ,Swallows  , 8 Linnets , 2 Great spotted Woodpecker and a Green Woody at Northowram.

Migrants,,

My first local Swallow today over the cricket pitch and 2 Chiffs by the horse fields , followed by 50 + Swallows ,30 Sand Martin , 3 Willow Warbler , 1 Blackcap , 2 chiffs at EGP,
   Another Dip on the Hoopoe but you got to try..............................................

Golden Plover calls..??

Took the dog out for it nightly stroll , was amazed to hear a Golden Plover overhead , it was;nt the alarm call or flight calls but the breeding display call >??

Chiff - chaff

My first Chiff Chaff today singing from near Shelf School, another Wheatear over the weekend which make 3 already. Good move of Meadow Pipits started last Friday with many groups seen and herd  , a group of 18 was good for here.Green  and Great spotted Woodpeckers have been herd calling as well as Nuthatch in local wood. Tawny Owls again very vocal.....

First Wheatear

First Wheatear today and a cracking male catching flies and searching for grubs on dry stone wall...its always great to see your first one of the year.................5 + 2 +1+1 +2 meadow pipits and 2 Grey Heron south.......

First Sand Martin

...First Sand martin today heading north west at 7.10

Steady away

22  Mipits on Friday was the first real move of the spring, 2 Pied Wagatils ,1 Skylak and 1 male Reed Bunting the same morning was a bonus. The male Scaup at EGP was another good local bird and the Eider at Todmorden moves me ever closer to the magical 200 in Calderdale, agood spring and autumn should do it.......

Last few Days

Nice to catch up with the Kittiwake this morning and a good patch tick to boot...I have set up a feeding station in the long hedge and after a slow start I have had 5 Reed Buntings, 8 House Sparrows,4 LTTits, Great and Blue Tits, Greenfinch,jay and Song thrush all happily feeding away.

A good dooo........................

Went to Bare Head Tunnel to have a look for some Herald Moths and found 25 (a local record)and 5 Peacock Butterflies hibernating  in the nooks and crannies, A flock of 40+ finches flew over and landed in the tops of some Larch,21 Greenfinch,10 Chaffinch, 10 Goldfinch and 2 Bullfinch. Then went to shelf moor ,last time I went there was 1 Snipe and it was pi**ing it down. Today there were 43 Snipe another great local record. Then off round my local fields 2 Great spots and a reed bunt...a good doooo....................

Pink Footed Goose

A Pink Footed Goose today feeding in the flooded horse field next to the cricket pitch.....

Weekend

5 Reed Bunts,11 Blackbird,3 Song Thrush,2 Mistle Thrush mixed flock 0f 50+ redwing & fieldfare ,Sparrowhawk ,Buzzard, Kestrel,Lots of Jackdaw activity with flocks of up to 50in display mode...................55 Lapwing north up to Shelf Moor,Little and tawny owl,14 Stock Dove,distant flock of Golden Plover and a goosander over made... Foot it.... total 59....

27th Northowram fields

Along the tall hedge today, 8 Blackbird , 11 Chaffinch ,4 Golfinch,2 Dunnock , 3 Blue and 2 Great Tits.20 Rooks and 107 Jackdaws feeing in the fields.1 Herring gull over s/w followed by 64 BH Gulls.Now these Reed Buntings are starting to annoy me, I just car'nt pin um down.there are now 5 and 4 are deffo reeds the other one I just carnt get on to confirm it as a reed..They are very flighty will have to try again tomorrow.........................

25 Jan

3 Redwing and a Mistle Thrush in the first tree in the field was a good start followed by 6 Stock Dove, 15 Goldfinch,2 Dunnock and 5 Reed Bunting (a record count),The horse field held 30 Common and 26 BH Gulls and 3 LBBgulls flew west. Shibden held 11 Moorhen,4 Coot,2 Mute Swan 4 Canada Goose and a Great Spot.

22nd Jan

First time out this week due to fog over the weekend and rain, 4 reed Buntings still in the field first time Ive all four for a while,2 LBBGulls west and 202 Jackdaws went over to roost.

Magical Merlin and Half way

Well its been a bit of a slog(wind and rain ) so far but I should not complain as the birding has been pretty good. Today I picked up a raptor very high in the sky it was a falcon, it stooped (perry ??)very fast (too small)gulls and thrushes every where.I lost it somewhere down near old brods as it stooped behind the trees. Defo falcon but not enough to id it,kept watching and before long it took to the air again heading west a female Merlin beautiful..with Buzzards diplaying ,2 Mute Swans , 4 Reed Bunts , 3 Nuthatch and 1000 + Pink Footed Geese its turning out to be a bit of a good start. now will I make 61 species on foot in January,,,,its still maybe..

Buzzards

2 Buzzards displays to the n/e on Saturday, with one over the house later in the day.Canada Goose and LTTit make it to 53 for the foot it.........................

Brighter day

Managed the last hour before dark an influx of Blackbirds at least 10 along the hawthorn hedge.28 lapwing west and then 11 Pinks drifted high west,35 Redwing north.1 bunting species gave me the run around and I was unable to say it was a definate reed... ''' .??