Wader dash..

 A couple of days rushing around looking for waders as there are lots inland at the moment. Firstly a Greenshank at Ringstone along with 1 Common Sandpiper , back for an evening visit to Ringstone 3 Curlew and 2 flyover Whimbrel + Greenshank and Common Sand. 2 visits to Blackstone Edge produced nothing.Then a message from Dave Sut , so up to fly for Turnstone , 5 Ringed Plover , 2 Dunlin and 3 Golden Plover.Then they all got flushed by a juv female Peregrine Falcon.....Many thanks to Dave and Brian Sumner for the info on the Turnstone ,makes 141 species in Calderdale this year........crazy

                                                      Greenshank at Ringstone

Spurn....

 Great day out at Spurn..White -rumped Sandpiper , Ruff , Knot , Grey Plover , Golden Pover , Curlew , Redshank , Avocet , Bar and Black-tailed Godwits , Whimbrel (8 +) Ringed Plover (500 +) Dunlin (500 +)Sanderling , Snipe and Oystercatcher , Black Redstart , Little Terns , Common Scoter , Yellow Wagtails , Marsh Harrier , Med Gulls , and Artic Terns ,Peregrine and a barrel of laughs.....

https://ebird.org/checklist/S267998782

Scammonden Reservoir...

 Up early and out , headed for Blackstone Edge , Pea Soup , Ringstone shooters blasting Woodpigeons.

   Dropped into Scammonden Valley , it was busy with passerines straight away with 2 Willow Warblers and 1 Chiffchaff in and around the car park. Meadow Pipits were all over the track and a couple of juv Stonechats , the overflow was full of wagtails 35 + Pied Wags mainly juvs and a family of 6 Grey Wagtails , two juv Whitethroats were in the small tree and 1 Grasshopper Warbler . More Meadow Pipits on the walls and posts and Willow Warblers were in most trees and bushes gorgeous bright yellow and a few light brown Chiffchaff .

   At the top of the embankment there were 3 juv and 2 adult Whitethroat ,  2 juv and 1 male Stonechat , 2 Willow Warblers and 10 + Meadow Pipits all in and around the fence posts and gate up onto the moor. The walk onto the road was alive with Meadow Pipits and more juv Whitethroats a small flock of 35 House Martins dropped into the valley and 3 Cormorants flew high west. 

   AS i got to the road 1 adult male Blackcap and 2 brown capped juv's ,  4 juv Whitethroat and more Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff , 1 male Redstart , male Sparrowhawk , Buzzards , Kestrel and  various Blue, Great ,  Long -tailed Tits great morning.....

  

Walshaw Dean....

A distant Whinchat 

 Spot Fly

                                                                    Sparrowhawk
 

Roe Deer.....

 

Scammonden ..a great morning to be out...

 11 Shelduck flew over the road on my way up to Ringstone and landed on the shoreline  but little else.1 adult and 10 juvs

Headed over to Scammonden to see if there was any vis-mig to be had but the wind was cold and little was moving.  Bumped into JB and John was of the same mind set quiet although he had had Groppers and Sedge Warbler in the usual spot. I had managed 2 Willow Warbler and John the same..

  We headed out of the wind and were lucky to catch a male Redstart flip out of one of the hawthorns and a smaller warbler flew low and out of sight , we followed it for the next 10 minutes getting very brief views but both mentioned a possible Lesser Whitethroat. We sat down and watched the area it was last seen ,  10 minutes later a cracking Lesser whitethroat came into view .a great species locally. 

   Next Willow Warblers and Chiff chaffs stated popping out of the hawthorns and then a Spot Fly . Very pleased with ourselves we headed in different directions , I then came across 2 juv Redstarts , 2 more Spot fly's  a handful of Willow Warblers , Whitethroat  and 1 Chiff. Great Spot , Jay , Kestrel (2 juvs) , Buzzard , Stonechats , Cole Tits  , Bullfinch , Meadow Pipit and Swallows made for a great morning....  

                                          JB great photo of Lesser  Whitethroat

                                                                        

Cromwell Bottom Moths..

 Its been  a bumper moth year at Cromwell Bottom , a record night of 168 species !!! ,  Clearwings ,Rollers , Pugs and Plumes  and I finally got a Barred Yellow..,,a really excellent year so far. Many thanks to my two mates Charlie Streets and Anthony Arak....for there enthusiasm and amazing knowledge...

(new to Calderdale)

                                            Yellow-legged Clearwing (new to Calderdale)

                                         Olive Roller (2nd record for Yorkshire)

                                                        

                                                          Bilberry Pug   (new to Cromwell )           

                                          Wood sage Plume (new to Cromwell)       

                                       Barred Yellow  one I have looked for many years

          

                                         Acrobasis consociella (new to Calderdale)

                                                                               

                                                    Acleris asperana (new to Calderdale)

Walshaw Dean..and Cromwell

 A blustery evening at Walshaw with loads of Kestrels about , the most I have seen up there with  at least 6 pairs been successful this year . A CC Marsh Harrier and 4 Buzzards were on the ridge and 2 Spot Flys at Middle Walshaw still kicking around.  Chiffchaff  , Willow Warbler , Stonechats and loads of young Red Grouse about.... 

  Little Egret , Kingfisher , Grey Wagtail and House Martins at Cromwell Bottom ..

Blackstone Edge Res..

 Still looking good for a wader , with great shoreline , 5 LRPs were on the shoreline yesterday , 2 sets of Mallard Chicks and a handful of Canada geese. Plenty Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits . 3 Wheatear were on the far banking and as I got the scope on them a Black Redstart popped into view its brick red tail catching the sun as it flew , no sooner than I had seen it  2 dogs flushed it into cover....It took me a good half hour to re-locate it and as soon I got the camera out it vanished again and I did not see it again..Luckily it was seen by others but no decent pics yet ,  its still there today....One Stonechat as well.

A male Black Red for sure , but did'nt get enough on it age it correctly..

Middle Walshaw Dean and a bit of luck

Busy with Willow Warblers 15 + , Stonechats 10 +  Greenfinch  10 + , Spotted Flycatcher 4 , juv Song Thrush , Chiff-chaff 2 , juv fem Peregrine hunting the moor , 8 + Kestrel , SEO x 2 , 50 + Goldfinch , 6 Linnet , Oycks and Pied Wagtails.. 
  I bumped into Phil Dyson today and had a look round Scammonden whilst driving up the road a Redstart flew in front of the car , we both shouted REDSTART , stopped the car... 2 Spot fly , loads of Willow Warbler , Whitethroat and eventually tracked the Redstart down,,,,,

late July 2025

 A Black -tailed Godwit was a good one to catch up with at Ringstone and a lot of Willow Warblers about. 

A Common Scoter at Ringstone today was the only bird of note as the shooters were blasting Woodpigeons in the top field. Another Common Scoter at Dean Head was a surprise along with Little Grebe , 35 Lapwing , 2 Golden Plover , a couple of Sedge Warblers showed very well , 14 Mistle Thrush , 4 Bullfinch , 10 +Willow Warblers , Stonechats , Mipits and Reed Buntings had a real autumn feel to it.

2 Greenshank , 6 LRP , 2 juv Wheatear , 3 Common Sand and s few BH gulls at Blackstone Edge,,

Anderby Creek

 

                                                        Dunlin , Ruff and Pectoral Sandpiper

 An excellent evening at Anderby Creek Lincs , Ruff x 4 , Green Sands x 5 , Dunlin 15 , Wood Sand x 1 , LRP x 3 , RP x 2 , Avocet , Marsh Harrier , Knot x 4 , Curlew x 6 , Pec Sand x 1 , Black -tailed Godwit 30+ , + Sedge , Reed , Lesser W , Whitethroat nad Cetti's Warblers....

Red Kite

Peregrine

                                                                  Marsh Harrier

Red letter day

 What a day in Calderdale..Nightjar x 1 , Quail x 2 , Yellow Wagtail x 3 , Common Tern x 2  , Cuckoo x 1 , LRP  x 1, Woodcock x 2 and a Massive Badger...19th June

Walshaw Dean

 

Brown Hare

 

Sanderling , Dunlin and Ringed Plover

A good move of waders this week.....high winds , driving rain and thick fog at Blackstone Edge all week until Friday evening when it was calm clear and sunny , 17 Ringed Plover , 9 Dunlin , 15 Sanderling ,  5 Common Sandpiper , 2 Curlew and 2 Little Ringed Plover ,we will never know how many waders moved through Blackstone Edge , but Friday ,Sat and Sunday were a great spectacle...

...LEO , Reed Warbler and Yellow Wagtail made for a great week locally.......