Monday

1 greylag south
1 Chiffchaff(first migrant here)
17 Golfinch north(7+3 +1+2+4)
4 Mipits north
2 Great black backed west
3 Common gull west
2 BHGull north
1 LBBGull north
1 redwing north
3 fieldfare north
1 sparrowhawk display
2 mallards

Winter ..October 2011 - March 2012

Spring is with us at last...I must admit that i do like the winter months and some good local birding was had...
Whooper swan 22 (20 + 2 )
Pink footed Goose 968 west
Herring Gull 451
Herring Gull sp argentatus 2
GBBGull 52
LBBGull 10
Linnets 33(daily max)
Stock dove 32 (daily max)
Ring necked Parakeet 1 north
Nordic jacdaw 1 present 3st Jan - March
Buzzards 4 (2 +1+1)
Buzzard sp 1
Woodcock 1
Jack snipe 1
Snipe 2
Curlew 5 (4+1)
Lapwing 320 (daily max)
Golden Plover 11 (daily max)
Skylark 9 (daily max)
Peregine 1
Dipper 2
Twite 1
Woodpigeon 16,500 (daily max
Grey partridge 2
Mipits 140 (3rd week of March)
Alba wagtail 30+ (3rd week of march)

Also in Calderdale Rough legged Buzzard,White fronted Geese,Northern Long tailed tits,Great Northern Diver and up to 9 Snow Buntings..a very good winter

Faith and Despondency - Poem by Emily Bronte

"The winter wind is loud and wild,
Come close to me, my darling child;
Forsake thy books, and mateless play;
And, while the night is gathering gray,
We'll talk its pensive hours away;--

"Ierne, round our sheltered hall
November's gusts unheeded call;
Not one faint breath can enter here
Enough to wave my daughter's hair,
And I am glad to watch the blaze
Glance from her eyes, with mimic rays;
To feel her cheek, so softly pressed,
In happy quiet on my breast,

"But, yet, even this tranquillity
Brings bitter, restless thoughts to me;
And, in the red fire's cheerful glow,
I think of deep glens, blocked with snow;
I dream of moor, and misty hill,
Where evening closes dark and chill;
For, lone, among the mountains cold,
Lie those that I have loved of old.
And my heart aches, in hopeless pain,
Exhausted with repinings vain,
That I shall greet them ne'er again!"

Black Rook in rainy weather

Honestly, this might sound strange but this is the kind of day I wish I could have. A dreary, wet, rainy, gray day. The sunshine is starting to get on my nerves. Not to mention, the 100 degree heat. I love this poem, it’s one of my all-time favorites.
Black Rook in Rainy Weather

On the stiff twig up there
Hunches a wet black rook
Arranging and rearranging its feathers in the rain-
I do not expect a miracle
Or an accident
To set the sight on fire
In my eye, nor seek
Any more in the desultory weather some design,
But let spotted leaves fall as they fall
Without ceremony, or portent.
Although, I admit, I desire,
Occasionally, some backtalk
From the mute sky, I can’t honestly complain:
A certain minor light may still
Lean incandescent
Out of kitchen table or chair
As if a celestial burning took
Possession of the most obtuse objects now and then —
Thus hallowing an interval
Otherwise inconsequent
By bestowing largesse, honor
One might say love. At any rate, I now walk
Wary (for it could happen
Even in this dull, ruinous landscape); sceptical
Yet politic, ignorant
Of whatever angel any choose to flare
Suddenly at my elbow. I only know that a rook
Ordering its black feathers can so shine
As to seize my senses, haul
My eyelids up, and grant
A brief respite from fear
Of total neutrality. With luck,
Trekking stubborn through this season
Of fatigue, I shall
Patch together a content
Of sorts. Miracles occur.
If you care to call those spasmodic
Tricks of radiance
Miracles. The wait’s begun again,
The long wait for the angel,
For that rare, random descent.

Sylvia Plath

afternoon

26,linnets, 19 Fieldfare ,10 Goldfinch and 15 Stock Doves around the fields this aft.

Good Vis

Mipits 48 n/w
Alba wags 11 n/w
Redpoll 5 n/w
Goldfinch 15 n/w
Chaffinch 6 n/w
Lapwing 3 north
Grey Heron 3 north
Finch sp 40+ n/w
Buzzard 1 west
Common Gull 35 west
BHGull 4 west
Herring Gull 3 west
Fieldfare 2 north
Linnets 9 n/w
41 rook nests in Northowram ,2 singing Song thrush and 7 pairs of displaying Greenfinch,1 displaying Sparrowhawk at least 3 Jays also.

Sence at last.............

“ THE BADGER TRUST welcomes the Welsh Government’s science-based decision to vaccinate badgers against bovine tuberculosis (bTB). This is the only sensible, practical way forward; culling would have made matters worse at great cost to the Welsh taxpayer.

A culling proposal by the last Welsh Assembly Government was quashed in 2010 following judicial review proceedings brought by Badger Trust. WAG then produced in 2011 a new, even more risky culling proposal including free-shooting, which Badger Trust challenged alongside 4 co-claimants in the affected area. The Welsh Government’s revised plan was paused after last year’s election when the new Government agreed to conduct a comprehensive review of the science. “

Mips and wags

Over the last few days,a good move of mipits(10 + 30 + 40) and increasing
numbers of alba wags(5 + today),they all seem to be calling like Pieds to me at the moment.Grey Herons,Jays and Mallards are all showing well and the numbers of displaying Greenfinches is the best for a few years.Still getting Gulls in small numbers with BHeads and Commons all moving west yesterday.

Curlew's

The first Curlew for many years over the house calling this morning,also 6 Mipits(4+1+1)4 Goldfinch,30 BH Gulls and 2 alba,5 lapwing north,22 Fieldfare,1 redwing and 2 canadas.
Monday...4 Curlew n/w 25 Mipits north 27 common Gull west and 6 goldfinch north,a small flock of 16 finches could not be id'd high north,

Ring - necked parakeet

A ring necked parakeet flew high north at 7.15 this morning called once which drew my attention to the bird.2 Canadas east and 1 mipit north.

Mipits in the Fog and sad news

Grey Partridge 3 tail feathers

At least 10 mipits moving north in the fog this morning along with 2 albas,1 redwing,22 Fieldfare,3 lapwing,3 LBBGulls,3 BH Gulls,9 common Gulls and 1 skylark.I woundered yesterday when i saw only 1 grey partridge what had happened to the other one now I know it came to a sticky end...1 magnificent male Roe deer today as well.

Stock Doves

32 Stock doves today was an excellent count in with 57 woodpigeons,11 linnets,1 Grey partridge,2 alba wags high north (call only)and 2 sining Song thrush.

Monday

2 Skylarks
4 Mipits north
16 Linnets
2 grey Partridge
22 fieldfare
3 Goldfinch
1 alba wag high north
10 herring gulls west

Friday

A good count of 13 greenfinch today along with 22 Fieldfare ,3 Mipits north,4 Skylarks (one singing its heart out)45 Woodpigeon,10 stock Doves and 2 Grey partridge .Should be getting migrants any day now....

Windy

Loads of Herring Gulls about todat with 4 in the fields and 20 + heading west throughout the day.2 Skylarks, 2 Meadow Pipits,14 stock doves flushed 5 Chaffinches from the field which must have been movers.3 Song thrushes singing,Starlings carrying nesting material and still 5 fieldfares.Saw jackdaw again briefly

1st March

an afternoon walk in a warm light s/w 2 .One Small tortoiseshell,1 alba wag high and fast north,1 common Snipe,1 Skylark,1 Meadow Pipit flitting along the wire fence,44 Woodpigeons in the field,45 Fieldfares hanging in there,1 grey Heron north and a Common Buzzard first seen over Coley Church went right over my head at about 20 feet and headed off towads shibden valley.3 Buzzards in a week lets hope it stays that way every week.Also saw the Nordic Jackdaw very briefly yesterday