Snow Bunting Swales Moor

                                                      Barny 1 and  2

                                                  Distant Whoopers on Mixi.....

Little Egrets

  On friday 17th Feb , I had 2 little Egrets in flooded fields between Silsden and Kegly....not a bad local record.
  Today the 23rd there were my first 3 Skylarks of the spring  in the local fields , along with displaying Stock Doves and 2 singing Mistle Thrush..100's of Gulls moving west 20 Herrings , 250 BH Gulls and 50 Commons....

Greenfinch

Had a flock of 14 Greenfinch this week which is the most I have seen for a long time. 111 Pinks today heading west , which takes it to 808 from Northowram so far this year. Plenty Herring Gulls west , and a few flocks of Redwings and Fieldfares north....A Chiff chaff type was seen very briefly disapperaing  into next doors holly bush , it was not relocated.....(yet)......Tawny owls were very vocal the last few nights..

Jackdaws...................

324 Jackdaws  went over Northowram today between  4.45 and 5.00 ( one had a white rump like a Wheatear ) to Roost.  . Two Tawny owls were very vocal in the woods tonight and a distant calling Green Woodpecker went to roost.Pink Footed geese on the move n/w as well on Sunday morning

Buzzards

 The local Buzzards have been very busy this week.. When the sun has been out 2 / 3 have been up displaying and re - claiming there territory . At 7,30 on Friday morning I could here them calling from the local wood  and by 8.00 there were 2 Buzzards in full display , talon grappling , aerial stooping and close level flights through the upper branches of the local wood.
Sparrowhawks have been up soaring but no displays have been seen yet. 7 Stock Doves and plenty of thrushes still about..

Twitching Dusky Thrush...

Well its a very long time since i twitched owt,,, But went to have a look for the Dusky Thrush in Beeley today , when we got there a few birders said it had not been seen since Sunday morning so we had a good look through the Redwings ,Blackbirds and Song Thrush s  and after  10 mins  Nick D (with new mega scope) picked it up feeding in the open fields.Watched it for 20 mins feeding and scurrying on the ground,Then id disappeared and was not seen again......A very smart Thrush..well worth having a look if you get the time.....

Now i always say Im not a twitcher but I have seen over the years ,Bee -eater , Snowy Egret , King Eider, Eastern and Western  sub -alpine Warbler , Redhead , Lesser Scaup ,  Black -faced Bunting ,Dark eyed Junco , White throated Sparrow, Laughing Gull , Black winged Pratincole , Black Duck ,Wilsons Storm Petrel , American Robin , Black throated Thrush , Citrine Wagtail , Bairds Sandpiper , Least Sandpiper , Great Spotted Cuckoo (spurn) Little Bunting ,Green Heron and many more....LOL