Happy new year

Happy new year to one and all,lets hope its better than the last 12 months of crap.
Honey Buzzard ,Snow Bunting,Crosbills and Bewicks were the highlights of a poor year,

Calderdale Purple patch

Well with 2 Great Northern Divers,lapland Bunting and Ducks and Raptors it a real good time for local birders(pity I missed um all).Anyway today I looked out the window and noticed 5 white birds flying south they had to be small geese/snow???!!!!!then they flew west showing them to be short necked YBSwans.I have had loads of Whoopers over the house so texted them out as Whoopers,only to realise as I sent the text that they were far too small and flighty and could only have been Bewick's.Dohhhh,1 Sparrowhawk,55 Lapwing 30+ Common Gulls and 20 Fieldfare.

First trip out in December

Managed a quick look at EGP today with Sprwk,Buzzard,Scaup,Goldeneye,Great crested and little Grebes and a load of Tufted ducks,Back home 5 Bullfinch was a real treat.Also good numbers of Herring and Great BB Gulls on the move west.Peregrines at Whiteholme and Wainhouse Tower.

Merry X-mas

lapwings

You can tell its winter when the Lapwing flock from Queensbur moves to Northowram ,12 over the house today and a Little Owl sunning itself.
A town tick with 30 Lapwings low over the town centre and a female Sparowhawk having a tussle with a Carrion crow

Town

Working in HX1 at the moment with little birdwise to get pulse going,------
Long Tailed Tits 30 +,Carrion Crow,Pied Wagtail,Black Headed Gull,House Sparrow(8),Collared Dove, Blackbird,Dunnock,Wren,Fieldare(4)Redwing(14)and 4 Chaffinch,goldfinch.
Mistle Thrush,Cole ,Blue, Great Tit ,Grey wag and Common Gull added on Fridy.
Wenesday saw the best so far in a male Peregrine above the piece Hall.

Record count

Today there were 47 Collared doves in back garden ..a record count,I reckon there is a roost some where in Chelsea valley of over 100.?????

Wind of Change

Its been 9 years at Northowram and there have been some great birds mostly seen from the house,Honey Buzzard,White Stork(the 2 that tried to breed in West yorks)Snow Buntings(2),Jack Snipe,Whooper and Bewicks Swans,Ruff,Whimbrel etc and I have learned the beauty of Vis mig an amazing aspect of real birding.(not switching on the computer and then getting in your car and hey ho bingo a real rare bird id'd by someone else..pointless on a regular basis)Well over 200 moth species(with at least 8 new for Calderdale) in the back garden and the largest gatering of Ghost Moths in Yorkshire viewed out of the bedroom window.Ringlet,Gatekeeper, White letter and Purple Hairstreaks only a walk to the local wood .

A bit of Vis

Woodpigeon 457 west
Starling 154 west/n/west
Redwing 54 west/n/west
Fieldfare 30 west
snipe 1 west and 1 blogger
female sparrowhawk displaying for 25 mins with full stoops and fluffed out undertail coverts and Collared Doves copulating in back garden.???

Weekend in the lakes

December Moth and feathered Thorn

Sprawler
A great weekend in the lakes with a couple of nights trapping produced
Sprawler x2
December Moth x 4
Pine Carpet x 1
Merville du Jour x 2
Silver Y x 1
November Moth agg x 30+
Feathered Thorn x 3
Yellow Line Quaker x 3
Brick x 2
Chestnut x 3
Dark sword Grass x 1
Loads of Buzzards,perrys,Sparrowhawks,Bar wits,Oyks,and ranvens over the house and a few RED SQUIRELS(always nice to see)They have a hot line to ring if you see a Grey sq ,they come out an exterminate the problem pity we dont have one in Calderdale.

Streak

Another good night in Northowram despite the torrential rain,ngle Shades,Red the Streak one of my favorite moths at this time of year was joined by 3 Yellow Line Quaker,2 brick,Angle shades,red green,Spruce,autumn green. and Common Marbled carpets,Blairs Sh Knot,Silver Y ,Light Brown apple moth,Garden rose tort and acleris sparsana

Last few Days

Little to report on the vis front except for the continued movment of Starlings w/n/w there must have been about 2000 since last thursday.Mostly in small squadrons of about 50+.The local starlings seem to wheel about between the buildings and the movers are direct,low and fast.
Made it to Ringstone today 175 Goldies,20 lapwing,1 Snipe,6 Grey parrtridge and 2 moorhen,and at EGP 20 Tufted Duck,Kingfisher,GCGrebe and a Shoveler.

No vis but lots of moths

No vis this morning except 123 + 14 + 20 Starlings west,10 Mipits south and 1 SISKIN south,I could hear Redwings but didnt see any. A bumper night in the moth trap,produced my latest snout by 3 weeks....
998 Epiphyas postvittana Light Brown Apple Moth 8
1041 Acleris sparsana 1
1048 Acleris variegana Garden Rose Tortrix 2
1760 Chloroclysta siterata Red-green Carpet 2
1764 Chloroclysta truncata Common Marbled Carpet 4
1769 Thera britannica Spruce Carpet 3
1795x Epirrita dilutata agg. November Moth agg. 4
2232 Aporophyla nigra Black Rustic 3
2240 Lithophane leautieri Blair's Shoulder-knot 6
2262 Agrochola circellaris Brick 1
2264 Agrochola macilenta Yellow-line Quaker 2
2272 Xanthia aurago Barred Sallow 1
2361 Hydraecia micacea Rosy Rustic 1
2441 Autographa gamma Silver Y 2
2477 Hypena proboscidalis Snout 1

What a difference a day makes.....

Same counting period as yesterday
Starling 5 small squadrons = 102west
Redwing 7 small groups = 117 s/w
Bullfinch 1 male very high south
GS woodpecker 2 together very high south
Grey wag 1 very high south
Fieldfare 4 west
Jay 1 low south
1 male Sparrowhawk ,10 Golfinch and 5 mipits blogging.1 red admiarl also.Tomorrow may be big vis.??

And so they came.............(about 2000 an hour)

Emley Moor to the s/s/e

A distant Holme moss radio mast

Perfect Vis Mig conditions looking s/s/e

Redwings were every where from first light,7.30 -8.30 at least 2000 were heading s/w... from 8.30 - 9,15 ...another 1875 were counted,700 + Starlings west,550 woodpigeon west.2 Great spotted woodpecker north,a flock of 20 Chaffinch n/w,20+ Mipits s/w ,1 field fare north,8 blackbirds west.Amazing ....33 a minute or 1 every 2 seconds for nearly 2 hours thats a lot of counting and i missed loads cos of the sheer numbers of birds moving.

Redwings and Starlings

The first thing I noticed this morning were small groups of stalings on the move low west from 8.00 till 10.00 along with the first big move of Redwings.A few waders are allways nice to see at this waterless site.
Starlings 458 all low west
Redwing 550 s/s/w
Golen plover 10+7 (17)west
Snipe 6 together west
Great sopt wood 1 south
Jay 2 south
Woodpigeon 70 west
Blackbid 2 south(high and calling)

More Pinkies

90 west at about 1.15 today along with 4 TEAL heading east 5 minutes later a new garden tick.The goldfinch flock is now at 50 + and there was an influx of Jackdaws and Starlings all heading west.Redwings should be in evidence over the weekend.

Are these the last

3 swallows north ? today,2 Little Owls in the field , 30 magpies,and 20 Golfinch.The only birds of note today.

Sallow Kittens Pupate

Of the 70 or so Sallow Kitten cats that hatched five have reached pupation.The pic shows two side by side.I wonder how they would have done in the wild.

Woodpigeons on the move

The first move of woodpigs today with a 20+44+12+11 + single figure flocks =120 west
Snipe 3 + 1+1 = 5
Grey wag 1
Alba wag 2
Mipit 2
Common gull 1
LBBgull all s/w
Looked perfect for Pinkfeet today but not 1.maybe this evening.

MOON

All for One snipe (Dross - over)

Terrible morning , although Mipits 120 w/s/w were on the move very little else materialised,40 magpies,50 Jackdaw,38 Collared dove N/w ??,8 Blackbirds,25 Feral Pigeon,100+ racing pigeon,2jays,1Kestrel,10 chaffinch s/w, and just as I d had enough 1 Common Snipe flew east.

One by One they came

A real cracker of a morning started with a steady stream of meadow pipits going s/w the largest flock of 35(70 + in all),1 lBBGull n/w then 1 Pink footed Goose n/w,1 Great spotted Woodpecker south,1 Blackbird high s/w,2 swallows s/w,1 Redwing s/w and then an amazing Snow Bunting which flew in from the n/w flew round the field twice before heading off s/w.Thats my second snow Bunt in 9 years at this site.

Crossover

Its always good to reach the crossover time ,this is when you get the last of the summer migrants in the form of 2 Swallows s/w today and 17 Pink footed geesewest last night ( the start of the winter migrants coming to us for the winter).October should see the invasion of redwings ,fieldfares and pinKfeet and by the end of the month Woodpigeons

Fieldfare

I herd my first fieldfare this morning heading south followed closely by 2 +1 +1 Jays a Great spotted woodpecker,12 Meadow pipits,42 Golfinch and then a male Sparrowhawk.

The one that got away......

In the early morning gloom a raptor appeared over the local wood,my initial thought was a buzzard the visibility was terrible with misted binns,but it was clearly an accipiter with very broad wings it stooped and dissapeared never to be seen again.It had to be a Goshawk but with not enough to clinch it ,it will have to be 'THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY'drattttttt.The local Goldfinch flock now stands at 38,a Cormorant flew low s/w,40 Meadow pipits s/w and a Song thrush in the back garden made for a very interesting morning.

FOGGED OFF

Thick fog and drizzle put paid to any early vis,only managed a Chaffinch,1Swallow.LBBGul and 2 Meadow pipits in the gloom.Then had to take the kids to footie in todmorden which still had House Martins feeding young on the sports hall.On the way back had to dodge Godley cutting cos of ongoing roadworks and had to go over Shibden 1 Raven was a real bonus flying towards shibden Head.

Tuesday morning

5 swallows and 14 Pied wagtails s/w at 9.05.

First Pink Feet and Sallow Kitten Update

Had my first skien of Pinkfeet over this evening with 56 west at about 6.30.Very quiet on the vis front this week with 38 Mipits on Friday , Grey Wag over on Thursday21 Goldfinch,Common Gull a small influx of Goldcrests and Blackbirds over the weekend. A femal Sparrowhawk flushed 34 magpies and 26 Collared Doves from next door which was a bit of a suprise .Looks better this week with the wind going s/w.
Out of the 30 Sallow Kitten cats that hatched I have 12 left this one photo'd is the largest and looking well.Gonna let um go down at Ellend soon.

When is a canal tow Path not a canal Tow path.????

When its a ROAD....???? I went for a run today along my favorite bit of canal ,long tailed Tits,floating around,Tree creeper,Kingfisher,Grey Heron Jays etc beautiful autumn sunshine and then turned the corner into roadworks.???Why are they building a road on the Canal towpath,has the world gone MAD, how have they got permission to build a road next to a LNR,I can only concluded peoples shoes are so expensive that the council have decided to get rid of all footpaths and build roads,the off road bikers will be over the moon about this ,a tarmack race course around the local nature reserve.Dear O Dear O dear.This is the end as we know it......................ahhhhhhhh....dont forget to tarmac those horrible old cobbled bits they are so uneven... our new pram form Next/harvy Nicks might buckle its wheels....tarmac our heritage....w*****s.

Jays

5 Jays drifted south this morning the largest group Ive seen for some time 2 swallows the only birds of note.A cracking week on the Moth frount with Frosted orange,Black rustic,Rosy Rustic,Lunar Underwing,Angle Shades and a Silver Y feeding on Lavendar in the front garden

Honey Buzzard......!!!!!

A very quiet start to the morning with clear skies and only a distant flock of 5 large finches(poss Crossbills).At about 8.30 cloud moved over from the n/w,immediatly things picked up 10 LBBGull moved west 15 Swallows s/w,3 House Martin west,Meadow Pipits s/w, 1 Mistle thrush high south , 4 chaffinch and then a large raptor moveing south over coley garden Centre as soon as I got it in the scope i knew it was a Honey its head sticking out and looking like a cukcoo.gliding on flat wings with a couple of powerfull beats and then back to a glide.as it got above EGPits it turned giving excellent views of buldging secondries and long narrow tail with central kink..It then fanned its tail an turned as it was now being mobbed by swallows.Then glided and dissapeared low towards the gravel pits not to be seen again...Very very nice.

Weekly round - up

A round up of casual observations this week started on Monday with a good movement of Swallows and Meadow Pipits and a single Common Gull,Tuesday was the same but a House Martin stood out as the bird of the day.On Wenesday Chaffinchs seem to be every where moving south /west and a influx into the garden ,with alba wags and 1 Geat Spotted Woodpecker.Thursday was Chaffinchs again and a single Tree Pipit heading south at 8.25 and another Great spot s/w . The bird of the week(so far) was a Spotted Flycatcher herd calling from next doors rowan,It gave reasonable views before dissapearing down the valley

Back garden Vis

An excellent morning with a real mipit push s/w.
Meadow pipit 248 S/w
Swallow 109 s/w
Cormorant 1 west then east
Canada goose 19 low s/w
Sparrowhawk 3 hunting(2 f & 1 m)
Stock dove 8 s/w
alba wag 3 s/w(1 poss white on call)+ 10 blogers
Mistle Thrush 4 s/w
Blackbird high 1 s/w
GBB Gull 3 west
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 local
Steady trickle of Woodpigeons west 40+
Goldfinch 20+ local
Chaffinch 3 high s/w
BHGull 61 s/w

Sallow Kitten

This sallow kitten larvae hatched from some eggs I was given a couple of weeks ago.They are feeding on ......yes sallow.I have also found a load of Common lutstering larvae in folded leaves of birch which I let go just before I went away to Ireland,glad to see they survived.

Back garden Vis

7 till 8,an excellent morning ,with a real autumn feel.
5 Cormorant west
51 Meadow Pipit s/w
80+ Swallows s/w
71 BHGull s/w
7 LBBGull south
2 common Gull south
1 alba wag south(5 bloggers)
1 Oystercatcher south
2 Stock dove s/w
50 + Goldfinch and 5 Linnet over (local flock)local Sparrowhawk between the houses.

Sand martin

Found a Sand martin today in the middle of a group of swallows feeding frantically over a small patch of mud/water.Also 8 Linnets,2 Goldfinch,1 Greenfinch and 1 Cole Tit flying directly s/e about 50ft up calling.

Back garden Vis

7- 8 bad conditions with the wind and rain but hey - ho.
1 House martin
3 Swallows
1 Meadow Pipit (first of the autumn here)
1 Common Gull
1 LBBGull
8 BH GUll
1 Stock Dove
1 alba wag
all s/w

Tree Pipit

One Tree Pipit over the house calling loudly this morning heading due south at 8ish,a few swallows s/w,one Goldcrest calling from next doors garden (the first of the autumn)1 LBBGull west and 20 BHGull s/w.

Co- ordinated Vis mig dates

September Meadow Pipits and Swallows (Sunday 27th September)

October Redwings (Sunday 18th October)

November Starlings, Fieldfares and Woodpigeons (Sunday 1st November)

Swallows on the move

Today I was in the garden most of the day a continual movement of swallows was noted all day with a massive increase around 7ish.there must have been well inexess of 1000 birds all going south west.A few small groups of House martins and the odd LBBGull were the only other birds of note.

Ireland

All records of this rare species have been since 2004. Its upland heath and grass habitats are varied and apparently not very specialised, so more colonies might yet be found.

Bordered Grey male(national scarce A) This was found at a new site in the S/W of Donegal.Thanks to Donegal Moths for the map and very usefull info.

Swifts

65 Swifts low north moving very fast today at 9.50and the first congreation of BHGulls on the cricket pitch 30 BH and 1 Common.

Crossbills

25 Crossbills calling loudly over the house this morning at 8.50 heading due south.30BHGull west and 10 swifts west.

On the move

Things have started to move at last with BHGull,LBBGull and good numbers of Swifts and House Martins on the move this week.Also the garage door has been closed for the first time in 7 weeks when the 2 Blackbird chicks finally fledged on Monday.They used the old nest to roost next to for the first 2 nights and then gone.I have seen both feeing well on the back lawn today.

Ha Ha

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION ==

You have two cows.

You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.

Later, you hire a consultant to analyse why the cow has dropped dead

Last few Days in Northowram

Last friday I had 2 Small groups of Canada Geese a 6 and a 7 heading high north in the middle of the 7 was a Greylag which is a first for me here.1 Oystercatcher over the house yesterday morning calling louldly and a few swifts on the move yesterday evening.On the 10th a WHITETHROAT could be herd calling from the front garden,now that a garden tick.

Bee

I think this is a Andrena cineraria.A very hansom Bee.Also if anyone could id the plant its on I would be most grateful.

Scotland

Lunar Brown

Pale Prominent

Chequered Skipper
To say it rained Sat - Wens and one car with 3 Kids in the back scrapping all the time it didnt turn out bad.
Moths,Pale Prominent,Small Argent and sable,Scorched Wing,Nut tree tussock,May Highflyer,Lunar Brown,Nut tree tussock and Least Black Arches.
Birds...Osprey(loads)Golden Eagle(1),White Tailed Eagle(1)Black Thraoated Dive(2adults)Black Guillimot(loads)Wood warbler,Pied Fly,
Mammals....Pine Martin(a beauty)Otter(2)Red Squirel (3)
Butterflies....Chequered Skipper(12)Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary,Small Copper,Orange Tip and Green Veined White.

Its Grim up Notrh

The strong wind and rain seem to have besieged Northowram for the last week with little chance of getting out.From the house today
20 Swifts N/w
3 LBBGull West
4 GBBGull west
10 Swallows N/w
4 Linnets

More Swifts

Loads more Swifts going north today along with Swallows and the odd H.Martin.Also Whitethroat singing its heart outback for its 3rd year.

Swifts

With the November weather kicking in, it has forced the moving swifts low over the village today with small parties on the mopve all day.House Martins and 2 LBBGull west as well,Sparrowhawks have been seen this week carrying food(house Sparrow and Collared Dove)to as yet an unfound nest site.Linnets again feeding in the front garden.

Just out of interest

No-one yet knows whether swine flu will become a global pandemic, but it is becoming clear where it came from – most likely a giant pig factory farm run by an American multinational corporation in Veracruz, Mexico.
These factory farms are disgusting and dangerous, and they're rapidly multiplying. Thousands of pigs are brutally crammed into dirty warehouses and sprayed with a cocktail of drugs -- posing a health risk to more than just our food -- they and their manure lagoons create the perfect conditions to breed dangerous new viruses like swine flu. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) must investigate and develop regulations for these farms to protect global health.

Another Buzzard

Another Buzzard today over the house,sent the local corvid population a bit crazy.Sparrowhawk,Linnets in the garden,Swallows,Chiff and Bcaps.

A 'TRIP' out

Click on Pics for a half decent view
Always nice to see a Dotterel locally and 3 today 1 Female and 2 males was no exception.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Yesterday I went to see this pair of Lesser peckers Just down the road.The male was watched excavating the nest site for about 10 mins before the female turned up.The male then turned his attentions immediately to the female.they both flew of to a nearby branch copulated and then chased each other around the tree for another five minutes.A very rare sight to have witnessed.They are very illusive at the beat of times.

Mallard chicks.

First brood of mallard chicks today with 8young swimming around the bottom pond.Speckled Wood,Small white,Peacock, Small tortoiseshell and swarms of eriocrania subpurpurella.Swallows are well in now as well as Blackcap and Chiffchaff.

A Cold and quiet Week

The cold north easterly has put an end to the spring like conditions.3 Swallows and 3 Lapwing north the highlight of today.This Phyllonorycter maestingella(thanks for the pic Charlie) emerged from a blister mine found on the beech tree in the back garden,its a very pale individual.Loads of caterpillers found this week while doing the allotment and recycling the composter.A willow warbler sang briefly while at the allotment.

Migrants and moths at last

10th April better late than never,1 swallow,1 Chiffchaff and 1 Blackcap.also still mipits over the house and 2 Swallows on Sunday heading north.Loads of moths this week including this Purple Thorn one of my favourites.

Spring and first early Thorn

(Early Thorn)
I was stood in the local wood today and could hear Nuthatch calling ,2 great spotted woodpecker drumming and a Green woodpecker Yaffling away, at the same time the sun was shining and all was good with the world.2 linnets took the year list to a massive 52 and still no migrants.

Stigmella aurella/emerges

The Leaf mine that I found on the 18th february emerged today.i am well pleased with this result.The middle photo shows the small case spun by the larvae in which the adult emerged from today.

Last weeks moths

Been a good week for Moths for march still hav'nt seen a butterfly yet.
Acleris Hyemana x1
Pale Pinion x1
Small quaker x2
clouded drab x3
Common Quaker x32
Hebrew Character x25
Early Grey x6
Mottled Grey x1
Chestnut x2
Sattellite x1

Buzzard

A Common Buzzard circled above Only House wood today and was last seen heading towards Shibden Valley at 11.20.Green woodpecker in the back garden and 11 Meadow Pipits n/w.

Lapwing and Mipits

Looks like Lapwing are on territory locally and seen displaying on wenesday
A good movement of Mipits N/W this week
Sunday Mipits 24(11+4+ 1+1+1 +6)4 alba wags and 18 Redwing also GSW,Jay and Song thrush over the Garden
Monday Mipits 89(2+44 +11 +17 +10)
Tuesday Mipits 30(14 +1+1 +4+6+4)
Wenesday Mipits 10(6+4)
Casual obsevations from the garden.

Monday morning

39 Herring Gull and 2 LBBGull west

First Skylark

First Skylark today makes it to the dizzy heights of 51 for the year.30 Common Gull,20 woodpigs,LTTits nest building,1 Grey wagtail,Kestrel and 1 Song Thrush.

EGP today

A quick look round today produced 2 gooseander,5 Cormorants,1 Goldeneye very little else.

Allways nice to see.

3 Song thrush n full voice today and this one above feeding on the back lawn.37 Woodpigeon ,and 44 Fieldfare n/w and 4 each of mallard and Canada goose over the house north.

Stigmella aurella

(pic by C.street,cheers)spot the caterpiller
Found loads of these leaf mines today on bramble.also 14 and 3 Herring Gulls west and Sparrowhawk displaying again today.14 Fieldfare flew north at dusk.

46 and 50 sort of A WEEK

Birthday week also2 Mallard and calling Goldcrest finally made it on to the list now at 48,then on Friday 4 skiens of Pinkfeet heading west totalled 400 +also 2 herring Gull,11 lapwing 30 redwing ,1 Cormorant and a Grey Heron.Greenfinch have been seen displaying for the first time this week and also Little Owl and grey wag seen a couple of times.

Monday morning walk

3,Canada geese over the house,2 Bullfinch,7 House sparrow,2 Stock dove,1 Green woodpecker,7 Goldfinch and 10 Blackbirds.

Saturday Morning walk

1 little Owl
1 Grey wagtail
1 Sparrowhawk(female)
1 Song Thrush
9 lapwing
3 Stock dove
An excellent mornings walk.

Birds Bins and Bullets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlIigrVcjcQ

2 4 Joy(more snow please)

Lamp Post outside the house

Fungi in Lime Green Slime

Jews Ear

Soil Hill the leaders in Field work(Get stuck In)

i have taken this from the soil Hill Blogg(i hope you dont mind Nigel)
Just to clarify a few issues that have recently cropped up:
This is a local website for local people.

It has no heirarchy other than for admin purposes.

It is no affiliations with people who want to organize how you're life is run.

It does not want to be included in consultations, forums or committees.

It will do the utmost to provide information to people who flog their guts out in the field to record data.

Long Live NK and BS..leaders in the field
Keep Birding Local

Angle shades

Adult emerged 31.Jan 2009

wrapped intself in silk and turned into pupa 19th Dec 2008

Fed well on Dandilion leafs

Found on outside wall on the 26th Nov 2008

Snow

9 Herring Gulls(argenteus)flew north east low over the frount field today 7 adults and 2 1st winters .29 Lapwings and a 'murder 'of crows circled high above the house.

this Week

A pretty quiet week with calling Tawny Owl on tuesday and Song Thrushon Friday being the highlights.Today and yesterday the lapwings are back about 30/40 so we must be in for another cold snap again.Also a few winter thrushes on the move with 45 Fieldfare and a handful of Redwing heading n/e.Numbers of BHGull and Common Gull have started to increase again.

Pink Footed Geese

At least 200 Pink-footed Geese headed wast at 11.00 today and then 150 at 11.15,30 lapwing in the field and a Sparrowhawk displaying.44 species might make at least 50 odd by the time of the first migrant.??

Nuthatch x 2

A walk from Shibden park(usuall MA,CG,MH and BH Gull + Corvids)to Northowram was pretty quiet except for 2 Nuthatch,2 Mistle Thrush,8 BB,BT + GT and 1 Cole Tit.

N/W vis

An hours vis this morning between 9 and 10 all N/W
4 Fieldfare
2 Stock Doves
2 Bullfinch(M+F)
30 Woodpigeon
4 Goldfinch
8 Stcok dove blogging and little else

Mild Tuesday Morning

Very mild today with a light warm s/westerly blowing up the valley.2 Stock Dove and a few Corvids in the fields but down by the stream another Woodcock was flushed,a large tit flock contained 12 LTTT,2 Cole T,8 BT , 6 GT,5 Bullfinch and 3 Goldfinch.At last Treecreeper made an apperance and 1 LBBGull drifted low to the west.3 Great Spotted Woodpecker in the wood.

It was a grey day

It was a grey day,with s/w 4/5 wind ,Pied wagtail blogging, 4Canada Geese low s/w,1 Fieldfare and 3 1st winter Herring Gull s/w takes me to 41 for the year.Also today 88 Lapwing,1 Snipe,10 Goldfinch,1 Great Spot,200 + mixed Corvids(JD,RK,MP and CC)100+ mixed Gulls BH and CM 20+ Collared Dove and 11 House Sparrow.

Greenfinch at last

3 Greenfinch today and then a flock of 17 dropped in to next door but 4, the cold snap must have moved um down the valley but now back to where they should be.. 37 species and counting.10 Goldfinch,1 Great spot and little else.

Woodcock

After reading the soil Hill blogg,I decided to go out this evening looking for Woodcock and with all the luck in the world one flew within 10 feet of my head in the local wood at about 5'oclock this was only my 3rd local Woodcock so I was well chuffed.No calling Tawnys yet but I was a bit early.

The big Thaw

At last its not freezing during the day and with the wind turning s/w we might get a bit of winter movement..Male and Female sparrowhawk displaying this morning and 75 Lapwing in the field.2 Meadow Pipits and a Grey wagtail makes 35 species for the year.Also Jays and Great spots crashing around the wood . Great Tits display and terretorial scraps.

Goldfinch

A flock of 33in the village today next to Town gate stores.

Nuthatch on monday morning walk

Started well with Cole Titon the garen feeders and as I entered the field 32 lapwing took flight with 50 starling.Little else till i made it to the stream which heads off to Shibden Park, Nuthatchand Long Tailed Titup in the trees and 45 redwing feeding on the ground.Only two other observations 1.there were at least 40 Blackbirds around .2 No Greenfinch.??This time last year I would have seen at least 30 Greenfinch a day and this year so far none.?....33 species so far.( a target of 70 should be obtainable?)

Nice to see

It was nice to see 2 Little Owls today as I havent seen them since the autumn and thought they had bee moved out of the old barn by the new herd of cattle that have moved in.Green woodpecker,Wren,Jay 2 Bullfinch and 2 snipe made for a cold but pleasant local walk.

A few more

Great Tit on the feeders,Snipe,Lapwing,Mistle Thrush and 4 Stock Dove in the front field makes 25.Its a long way to 50.

Sparrowhawk display

Watched a Sparrowhawk for 5 minutes in full display this morning over the local wood,wing flapping ,swooping and looping very impressive.7 Great Black backed Gull ,20 Common Gulls west and 15 Woodpigeons.The list so far.1.Blackbird,2Goldfinch,3 Blue Tit,4 House sparrow,5 Black Headed Gull,6 Dunnock,7 Bullfinch,8 Carrion Crow,9Rook,10 Jackdaw,11 Great Spotted Woodpecker,12 Starling,13 Magpie,14 Chaffinch,15 Collared dove,16 Kestrel + the four above makes 20 species.(not very impressive but this is the Pennines and all species are recorded within 1 mile of my house)

Calls of Geese

Last night as i was doing the firework display(it was only 2 bangers and a catherine wheel which got stuck) for the kids I herd Pink footed Geese flying overhead about 8.00.3 cracking Bullfinch in the hawthorn in the front field was a good start to the year 2 Males and a female.Also of note 13 Goldfinch 30 House Sparrow, Great spotted woodpecker and 3 Chaffinch.16 species

Nuthatch

Saw 2 Nuthatch near Hipperholme and lightcliffe school on New years eve,they could be seen and herd from the car park at school flying over the road into someones garden.What a great success story this species is in Calderdale ,way back in the 1990's you couldn't buy one ,I had to twitch my first Calderdale Nuthatch...!!!!!!Anyway I wish you all the success of the Nuthatch in 2009.....