Garden Birdwatch

Very dull with little about in the garden,but it kept the kids quiet for 10 mins.
33 House Sparrow
41 Collared Dove
18 Starling
1 Goldcrest
3 Chaffinch
10 Magpie
4 Blckbird
1 Great tit
2 Blue tit
2 Dunnock
1 Robin
1 Wren
11 Jackdaw
6 Carrion Crow
4 Rooks
thats it...............

Spring is in the air.

The first singing Song Thrush,Dunnock,Chaffinch and Mistle thrush today ,along with collared doves copulating in the back garden these were the first sign's of spring here.70 + Pink footed geese headed s/e today about 11ish and a big movment of Gulls at about 3.45 all west contained Herring,GBB,BH and Common.

Greylag Goose

1 Greylag goose in and amongst the sheep today was a bit of a surprise ,6 stock Dove,2 Herring Gull,3 GBBGull and loads of BH and Common Guls on the move west/north /west,1 GS Woodpecker and 30 Collared dove were the only birds of note one Ladybird was also a surprise as I searched in vain for coleophora cases on the local gorse bush.
21 Redpoll(yes normal redpoll )at EGP.

Last night

Last night I was woken up by a fox making a right din.I looked out the window and it was chasing its tail round and round then jumping from right to left it looked as if it were going crazy.It then ran off up next doors drive.??2 Roe Deer walked across the field this morning and 1 Snipe flew round the field this morning a couple of times which makes 60 for the very slow new yesr list.

Not again

In the evening light ,again I saw the raptor that keeps eluding me.I am convinced it is a male Goshawk ,but its always flying away in dim light,Its just too large to be a sprwk as I see them every day around the house and fields,this is a Gos but is it an escapee from a local falconer or is the cold snap forcing it into pastures new there are some big woodpigs in the local wood.?? One decent view is all I need...............

EGP

It was well cold today at EGP and little birdwise on the lake as it was 98% frozen and the canal totally frozen,Managed 50+ lapwing,10 coot ,8 teal,10 gooseander,5Little Grebe,2 Song Thrush.9 herring Gull,2 GBBGull and a few Moorhen in and around the river.Total so far in Calderdale 56.....

SCRAP........!!!!!!!

Things are getting hungry with all this snow about.Today I watched a Carrion Crow attack a single Magpie it pinned it to the ground and started ripping it feathers out and wacking it in the head about 10 times.At this point 5 magpies started to surround the crow then 4 carrion crows turned up to back up there man.Then one magpie went for the crow which was still ripping feathers out of the magpie pinned on the deck.The Magpie broke free but the crow again caught it and pinned it down all the magpies and crows went for each other at this point and all hell broke loose,eventually all the magpies and Crows went off in different directions.I was amazed to see the initiall magpie fly off with little wrong with it except a missing tail feather.???....Corvids are hard but Wrens are really hard how do they survive in all this snow.??

In to the Valley

Took a walk down chelsea valley today in the deep snow(8inc must have fallen yesterday)60 Pinkfeet flew low east followed by my first GBBGull of the year.3 Great spotted woodpeckers,4 Bullfinch,1 Redpoll and 6 Greenfinch.Loads of common Gulls n/e and plenty of blackbirs on show.

Winter vis..??

Very little on the move this morning ..is this winter vis or just birds moving between valleys looking for food.?
Redwing 20 n/w
Fieldfare 8 west
Woodpigeon 25 east
Bullfinch 3 north
GS Woodpecker 1 east & 1 north
Collared doves 40 from valley roost to back garden
100+ Common & BH Gulls all directions mainly north

The one that got away......2

Another raptor today about 4.00ish (feeling in very good spirts after beating the Reds 1-0)was watched heading west above the local wood,grey above and white below with dark face could only have been an male Gos but I was'nt 100% so will have to leave it and hope to get a better views next time.........The two local Sparrowhawks were watched this morning huting in the valley and 2 Lapwings flew west.

A Good Start

Started off with two Great Northern Divers at scammonden,5 Bullfinch 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and 3 Goldeneye,Walshaw Dean produced nowt except 2 red Grouse.Managed another 20 species around and about.
Scaup Tufted duck, GCGrebe at EGP.Although everyone calls it Cromwell Bottom these days it will allways be Elland Gravel Pits to me.
70 species were seen last year from in and around the house,pretty good i reckon Honey Buzzard,Bewick's swans ,Common Buzzard,Tree Pipit,Crossbills,Snow Bunting,Spotted Flycatcher ,Teal,Pink Footed Goose ,Whitethroat but the bird/s of last year were the breeding Lesser spotted Woodpeckers at Lightcliffe it was the first time Id watched this elucive species at such close quarters a real treat.all the best for the new year......