The Moors

Oooooo it was cold up there today with  a lazy northern wind blowing right at us...beautiful golden moors in the sunlight . 4 Hen Harriers on the Yorkshire moors 2 fem , 1 young male and a distant ringtail. 1 Kestrel , Mallards , a flock of Red Grouse (20+)  , 15 Starlings , 1 BH Gull , Chaffinch , Blackbird and a few corvids.....

Green Shieldbug

Found this rubbish pic on my phone from 30th October this year. Turns out to be a new species for me locally to add to , Birch , Hawthorn , Forest (Red legged ) and Hairy Shieldbugs.. Well pleased as it was in the garden...

Hawfinch

 With the largest invasion of Hawfinch into the UK in living memory going on in late October and early November. I was lucky enough to catch up with 2. There had been reports from Oxenhope 3+ , Low Moor 4 , Paul Clough 1 , Bury 25  ,  Winter Hill 83 , a flock of 60 + at Castle Howard near York  and 2 from the Todmorden area .With the main influx down south where they have had flocks of over 100 . The last record in Calderdale was of some feathers in a Peregrine larder in 1990 and the last known sighting at Hardcastle Craggs sometime in 1978....????

Donna Nook................

Rare roost in England

On Wednesday 1st November I headed for an undisclosed site on the Yorkshire  moors with NCD we watched a Hen Harrier roost .from 15.30 till dusk.5 Whooper Swans flew from the west and landed on the nearby reservoir,  We watched at least 5 birds over the moors , an adult Male , 1 juv male and  3 female types , an adult Merlin came in at one point and bombed the male . Such a shame that people want to harm these birds in England.

                                            (.Great photo from D. Franz )

Agama , Common Cyprus Lizard

Epaulet Skimmer Cyprus (male and female)