EGPits

A walk round this morning was a real treat because of one thing , I did not see any people at all not 1.......Chiffchaff x 8 , Blackcap x 6 , Willow Warbler x 3 , Song Thrush x 6 , Bullfinch x 5 , LTTit carrying nesting material , Buzzard x 2 , Kingfisher entering nest hole..and a Grey Wagtail nest..

Ringstone and Mosselden

Had a walk round Mosselden with Phil D (thanks Phil) ,looking for Ring Ouzel no luck today but lots of Skylark , lapwing , Curlew , Wheatear , Stock Dove and one Kestrel.
   Onto Ringstone 1 Goldeneye , 2 Great Crested Grebe , 1 Willow Warbler , 2 Little Ringed Plover , 1 Common Sandpiper , 20 + House Martin , 5 Swallow , 3 Oystercatcher , 4 Moorhen (displaying0  , 1 Buzzard , 80 + Golden Plover , 1 juv female Peregrine landed on the shoreline , and plenty of Mipits.....

Northowram

Had my first flock of linnets (8) feeding on dandilion heads this morning along with 3 male Pied Wagtails on the cricket pitch , first birds here for ages. Orange Tip , Small Tortoiseshell and Peacocks all around the house this afternoon...Found a Nuthatch nest and could here another calling across the valley where a Green Woodpecker  was yaffling away..............

Black Redstart..

Black Redstart at Greenwood Clough today followed it up the gully then it disappeared into the old House conversion..Thanks Pete Grrrrba ,,,not seen one locally  for ages

Beastly east wind

3 LRP , 10 Redshank ,1 Snipe , 15 Oystercatcher plenty of Lapwings and Curlew , 4 SEO , ,2 Raven (1 flying around with some intestine dangling from its bill) , 5 Pied Wagtail and a few Buzzards..

First Swallows

2011......1st April
2012.....21st April
2013....10th April
2014....12th April
2015....13th April
2016......4th April
2017.....21st April
2018.....7th April
2019.....31st March

Cromwell Bottom

                                              Shoulder Stripe at Cromwell Bottom 6.04.19
A nice pair of Northern Shoveler on Lagoon No1 and a singing Blackcap there also , 5 Goosander on the river and Buzzard , Sparrowhawk(alarming) ,Cormorant ,House martin . Sand Martin , Swallows , Chiffchaff (6) , Grey heron (10) and a pair of Bullfinch ,Long -tailed tits and Grey Wagtails  nest building.

8th
Blackcap (5) , Willow Warbler (1) and Chiffchaff (9)

Mixi and Fly

Had a walk round Mixenden reservoir yesterday , 1 Shelduck , 1Redshank , 1 Curlew over , 6 Tufted Duck , 1 Treecreeper , 1 Nuthatch in the willows and 2 Moorhen..(thanks dave)
  Fly Flatts in the snow blizzard today produced my first 4 Wheatear  , 2 Stonechat , 1 Snipe  and little else.

March 31st

Well a busy day with 2 Sand Martin over the house first thing , a walk round Soil hill was different as it is now covered in grass not a piece of bare ground anywhere , plenty of Skylarks , Mipits , Buzzard (1) and a couple of Curlew.....Then down to Cromwell bottom for a Swallow ( my first ever March Swallow in Calderdale) and a Kingfisher which was my 100th local species for the year, then home and another Sand Martin over 5 Buzzards  and a Sparrowhawk....Leo and Ring necked Parakeet............and  early returning waders  , good Waxwing and Whooper numbers  made for a great start to the year with 101 species  at the end of March ..  ...........

2nd Red Kite

Another Red Kite today up at Walshaw Dean , it was busy with birds 5 SEO , 2 Barn Owl , 1 Merlin , 7 Buzzards , 1 HH ,1 Sparrowhawk ,20 + Oystercatcher , displaying Snipe , 50 + Golden Plover , Lapwing ,5 Redshank ,3 Raven and a Kestrel taking a vole from a Short eared Owl ....Photo NCD

Yellowhammer and Red Kite

A cracking day with Yellowhammer showing well in the Heartshead area , 4 Linnets and Curlew at Jay House Lane and a stunning Adult Red Kite over the cricket pitch and house at Northowram....15 Mipits and 2 Curlew north over the house  this morning.......................

Pintail

                                              Pintail (photo NCD)
Great to see a pair of  Pintail at Lower Gorple , the surrounding area was alive with birds after the last 2 weeks of rain , Snipe , Redshank , Golden Plover , Oystercatcher , Curlew , Lapwing all displaying ans calling. 14 Short -eared Owls ( at least 14 !!!) , 4 BArn Owls , Merlin , Buzzard , Kestrel and Hen Harrier . Skylarks , Siskin , Raven , Starlings(800+)Fieldfare , Song Thrush ,Greenfinch , Green Woodpecker calling from the Valley.
   At home at least 6 Buzzards were up displaying in the morning sunshine...

At last a break in the weather

Made it to the tops today , had a juv/female Merlin  shoot across the road at Cock Hill about 10.15. Loads of Lapwing , Curlew , Skylarks , Oystercatcher , Siskin , Nuthatch , Reed Buntings , Meadow Pipits , Song Thrush , SEO , Buzzards and the first displaying Snipe.............good to be out..

Hard going in the wind......at Ringstone

Ringstone edge was busy but the wind was a real hindrance , 6 Teal , 1 Goldeneye , 1 Great Crested Grebe , 3 Mallard ,  260 Golden Plover , 2 Oystercatcher  , 27 Curlew feeding just to the east in field full of juncuss, 1 Cormorant , 1 Buzzard , 200 + Lapwing and 200 + Starling a few Common and Black Headed Gulls.. A distant Raven was  about it......9 Twite at DD...........

Barnacle Geese

Had a drive round today , 3 Barnacle Geese , 1 Curlew and a couple of Greylags. No Chiffchaff  at Cromwell and up at Jay house lane Tree Sparrow , Red legged Partridge and displaying Sparrowhawk.

Lower Gorple Ringed Plover

Lower Gorple

25 Whooper Swan , 1 Ringed Plover , singing Skylarks , 300 + Lapwing , 80 Golden Plover , 2 Snipe , 30 Oystercatcher , one flock of 70 Curlew flew in from the east (impressive) , Buzzards , Kestrel , BH Gulls , Stonechat , Brambling , Siskin , Crossbills , Fieldfare , Redwing , Song Thrush , Mistle Thrush and a good move of Herring Gulls west....

Out on the tops

A great day to be out with 2 lots of pinks west (78 +64), Skylarks and Lapwings heading back to the hills/breeding grounds , Lots of  Buzzards, Kestrels  and  a male  Sparrowhawk  displaying , 1 Hen Harrier ., first Curlew and Thunderbird 2..... 

Hard Going in the wind and freezing Cold..

Feb has been tough so far , freezing (-5) and then high winds and rain....still SEO , Barn Owl , the odd Hen Harrier , Crossbills , Oystercatcher , Lapwing , Fieldfare , Grey Partridge , Raven , 2 Peregrines , Goldfinch and Greenfinch...The mild night on the 6th had a few moths about....

The road to Nowhere is stopped again

https://markavery.info/2019/01/30/wuthering-moors-16/

Buzzards

Watched 2 Buzzards for most of the morning in display mode , fantastic playing in the wind and occasionally joined by a female Sparrowhawk..The first Meadow Pipit returning and the gulls were aprox 100 Common , 20 BH , 3 LBBGull (1 adult and 2 first winters) 2 Herring , 1 adult and 1 first winter. Rooks , GS and Green  Woodpecker  and a few Stock Doves...............

Waxwings

Around 60 at Lane Head today....................

Back on the hills 18TH AND 21ST

A cold and snowy visit to Walshaw Dean , 3 Barn Owls  , 3 Short -eared Owl , 2 Hen Harriers , 6 Stock Dove , Fieldfare , Redwing , 28 Pink - footed Goose , Buzzards , Kestrel , Meadow Pipit , Pied Wagtail , + usual...

 

Raven ( photo NCD)from last week

A walk through Blake Dean saw my first Nuthatch in this area along with 8 + Cole Tit , Robin and Blackbird. Walshaw Plantation held a decent sized flock of 20 + Crossbills and a Barn Owl hunting out in the day at 12.10..A noisy Raven was mobbing a Buzzard and 2 Carion Crows were mobbing a Hen harrier above middle Walshaw. A beautiful male Stonechat was my bird of the day and as I was watching it feeding along a dry stone wall a flock of 85 +  Pink- footed Geese headed high west. Mallards and Greylag Goose on the reservoir and a flock of 200 + Fieldfare were feeding on the ground.The odd Meadow Pipit are now being seen...........

Acleris logiana 

Only the second  local record of this species..

Early jan

                                                  'Pied Jackdaw'

                                           Pheasant display at the top of Larch...

                                                               Woodpigeon at home..
Barn Owls , SEOwls , HH , Waxwings , Crossbill , Mealy Redpoll , Sparrowhawk , Raven , Teal , Tawny Owl , Little Owl..The bird of the month so far was a Dark Backed LBBGull a definate 'intermedius type' not dark enough for Baltic but dark enough to rule out our usual LBB's..
Great to see 4 Buzzards up in the air over the house this week and a couple of Sparrowhawks....

2019..1st and 2nd

Dawn at Lower Gorple ,first birds herd were Red Grouse and  first birds seen were Mallards about 50 + , 3 Red Grouse , 2 Mistle Thrush , 2 Kestrel , 1 Meadow Pipit , 4  Barn Owl , 2 Carrion Crow , 10 Lapwing , 1 Oystercatcher , 3 Chaffinch , 1 Blue Tit , 7 Greenfinch , 5 Pheasant , 2 female Hen Harrier and the highlight of the morning 7 Ravens cronking away high over Lower Gorple towards Widdop and  7 Crossbills in Walshaw plantation , at least 8 SEO around , 1 Little Owl ........A steady 50 species to start the year......

2018 the most fantastic year.........

No rares , no year list , no big  twitches and no organised moth nights (by me) but what a fantastic year .
Simple local birding and lots of it with 10 species of local raptor , the best year ever for Owls you could see all 5 British owls in a day in August no problem   the most fantastic year for butterfly's in my lifetime with 23 species seen by me in  Calderdale and 18 species seen within a mile radius of my house . A few beautiful local rare moths......Red Carpet , Grey -shoulder knot and Pale Prominent....and endless sunshine..................
Happy new year and lets hope 2019 is half as good.......

Red Carpet (so good)

  Finally after predicting this 10 years ago it turned up at hedge top lane , a first for Calderdale...

Lower Gorple

Dawn at lower gorple with a stunning sunrise and full moon still out.....3 Barn Owl , 2 Common Buzzards , 7 Kestrel , 1 first winter  male Sparrowhawk , 7 herring Gull , 10 Mallard , 1 Grey Wagtail , 1 Meadow pipit , 1 Jay , 1 Greylag Goose , 2 Canada Geese , 50 + Red Grouse being very vocal and territorial , 4 Carion Crow , 1 Redwing , 1 Oystercatcher , 2 Redwing , 4 Starling and 11 Pheasants...

Walshaw........17th and 19th

Got to Widdop gate at 12.00 , there were 3 Buzzards  a Peregrine and 2 Kestrel  above New laith pasture playing in the bright sunshine , 12.15 an adult male  Goshawk ( best view for a long time up there black mask , fine barring and bulky as hell , broad arm and short hand)  came out of the craggs Fieldfare and Redwings everywhere . it headed straight for the Buzzards above New laith pasture it was in with them briefly before diving into new laith and was not seen again it was only just smaller  than the Buzzards . At 12 .30 the juv HH also joined the Buzzards and had a bit of a tussle with one before heading off towards Walshaw Plantation. 

    Arriving at Walshaw plantation at 13.30 the HH was scrapping with a SEO it then drifted back towards New laith the 3 Buzzards were still in the air. A pair of Raven were in full display mode above Walshaw plantation , they drifted off towards Widdop. Another 2 SEO were seen behind the plantation.

   At 15 50 Mirlander was seen to go to roost at Lower Gorple , I did not see it come in , it was just there and went straight into roost...Other birds in the area , 7 Golden Plover , 9 LBBgull , 1 BH gull (rare at this time of year), 10 House SpaRROW AND 1  Stock Dove , 2 Barn Owl , 1 Little Owl , 1 Cormorant ,4 Stock Dove , and another 3 SEOwls.....Much the same on the 19th 

Raven

Blake Dean , Walshaw plantation and Gorple area

Hen Harrier (2 juv females) , 8 Short -eared Owl , 1 Little Owl , 3 Barn Owl ,5 Raven (very vocal today ) , 1  Merlin having a tussle with HH , 72 Mallard, 8 Golden Plover , 1 Oystercatcher ,1 Mistle Thrush , 4 Buzzard , 9 Kestrel , 7 Starling 20 + Pheasant , 6 Herring Gull , 2 Common Gull, Robin , Dunnock , Chaffinch , Great Spotted Woodpecker , Woodpigeon , RL partridge , Magpie , Jackdaw , Carrion Crow , Blackbird , Fieldfare , Redwing , Lapwing , Blue Tit ,Collared Dove , 4 Crossbill (1 male and 3 female|) and 1 Canada Goose..nice winter birding..........The highlight was a SEOwl catching a vole ,  it took the vole in its talons out of the tall grass , in a spilt second a HH was on it talons pointing forward , the SEO dropped the vole , as it fell the HH took it in mid air and flew off with it to eat it on the ground, the Owl was stooping at the Harrier on the ground relentlessly..,,
 Also another annoying Goshawk sighting as well today with an accipiter seen stooping towards the main plantation , about 20 seconds later , there were flocks of Fieldfare , Redwing ,Woodpigeon ,Finches and Pheasants heading in all directions all low to the ground and chaotic alarm calls ringing through the air......Sparrowhawks , Buzzards etc dont have this effect on other birds...............??

Cold Edge and Gorple

                                                               ( Pic NCD ,,,thanks)
An adult male Red Crested Pochard at Cold edge dams was a surprise today  and a real beauty in beautiful  adult plumage. If it turns out to be be ok (not a dodgy duck)that will be 204 species in Calderdale......
For..
1. Fully winged
2. Diving and  Feeding
3. Time of year
4.  No visable rings or bands
Against...
Cold edge dams
Its a fancy looking duck (escape?)
  On to lower Gorple sometimes the light is just perfect and this was one of those magical evenings ...10 SEO (yes 10 in December) , 4 Barn Owl , 2 Hen Harrier , Mallards , Carrion Crow , 1 LBBGull , Oystercatcher , Greylag Goose and a Woodcock running across the road in the car headlights on the way home ....Merry X- mas everyone...................