Tuesday 30 April 2024
Liverpool
A stunning male Wheatear above this to me is a Greenland so bright and Orange almost like a different species to the one below which is a classic fem local type , Fox and Shelduck , a few Whimbrel overhead..9+1+1+2..quick dash to Liverpool...!!!!!
Thursday 25 April 2024
White Storks ,
2 White Storks flew west at aprox 17.15 .Only poor views but just managed to get them in the scope before they dropped below the horizon..These are my 5th and 6th White Storks from the house , the first two were from a European release scheme , the 3rd and 4th were from Harewood house and one of these ended up in Luddunden Foot and the ring could easily be seen . No idea on these two but nice to see. Anyway next week they will be everywhere....YAY
Note****there were a few other records of two White Storks in and around the country , including 2 at Burton Mere on the 27th..*****
*******And 2 over Ulverston on the 28th*******
and 3 at Burton Mere on the 30th..will be interesting to see where they came from....
Tuesday 23 April 2024
Ned Hill track
Had a quick walk on to the trees ,Willow Warbler , Robin, Wren ,Skylark , Meadow Pipit , Linnet , Barn Owls , Curlew , Lapwing , Oystercatcher 2 over to Ogden , Swallows , LBBGulls , Starling , Blackbird, Greylag Goose , Jackdaw , Carion Crow , Magpie , Woodpigeon , Stock Dove , Collared Dove , Pheasants , BH Gulls 6 north , Heron , 6 Roe Deer....
Thursday 18 April 2024
River Trent , Gainsbrough
A week in Nottingham doing some survey work , so this morning I had a walk on the River Trent 3 Lesser Whitethroat (such a shame we dont get these in Calderdale anymore) 4 Whitethroat , Widgeon , Gadwall , Shoveler , Little Egret , Teal , Shelduck , Willow Warbler , Blackcap , Yellow Wag , House Martin , Sand Martin , Swallow, Curlew , Lapwing , and them BOOM..2 Common Crane south along the river. Could do with them in Calderdale as well......
Saturday 13 April 2024
Bridestones ..
An excellent fall of 16 Wheatear at Bridestone's on the 11th ,with some stunning males in with them, full orange front and deep slate grey back with jet black masks , some looked Greenland types but did'nt seem that big .? A pair of Ravens were causing chaos with the Lapwings and Curlews and its always nice to see proper breeding Red Grouse such a beautiful red eye cover and that call is iconic. The first two Emperor Moth and a Northern Eggar caterpillar was also the first of the year. Skylarks , Snipe, Meadow Pipit , Kestrel and a distant House Sparrow could be heard calling...and a Woodpigeon kill looked like Peregrine
Saturday 6 April 2024
Bridestones
An early morning visit produced 23 species including a pair of Wheatear ,Raven ,Curlew , Snipe , Oyks , Lapwing , Meadow Pipits , Skylark , 90 + Golden Plover , Barn Owl and a Sand Martin north(last night)..roll on some good weather with light winds....
2024 so far....
Red Grouse , Fieldfare , Starling , Golden Plover , Snipe ,Oystercatcher , Curlew , Lapwing , Barn Owl, Hen Harrier , Buzzard ,Kestrel , Merlin , Stonechat , Rook , Carrion Crow , Magpie , Jackdaw , Raven, Common Pheasant , Mallard , Pink-footed Goose , Stonechat , Wren ,Woodpigeon , Stock Dove , Feral Pigeon ,Collared Dove , ,Robin , Mistle Thrush , Crossbill , Greenfinch , Chaffinch ,Reed Bunting , Meadow Pipit , Grey Heron , Pink-footed Goose , Canada Goose , Pied Wagtail , Wheatear , Black -headed Gull , Lesser Black backed Gull , Common Gull , Herring Gull Sand Martin., House Sparrow
Saturday 9 March 2024
Whooper Swans......
A message on the local grapevine of Pink Footed Geese S/W at 17.50 got me straight out looking , amazingly the loud call of Whooper Swans could be heard as soon as I got out of the house, 158 heading N/W ....great to see and hear....takes my garden count to around 650...!!!!!!
Friday 8 March 2024
Thailand..2024
Sunday 21 January 2024
Mid - January
Its a pretty grim January so far with strong winds and heavy rain...Tree Sparrows , Siskin and a few Teal on Jay House lane...Plenty of Pink footed geese heading west . Hen Harriers have been seen over and around Walshaw Dean . Goldeneye , at Cromwell and Little else.....
Thursday 18 January 2024
Watched this Hen Harrier yesterday up beyond Lower Gorple. It was sat out in the sun preening for about 30 minutes . Started on the right wing primary's each individual one cleaned and polished, then the left wing and then all the tail feathers left to right..,,when it had done them all it gave its self an almighty shake from top to toe...at this point a dog walker flushed it from its post...!!! 6 Crossbills , 1 female Merlin , Kestrel , Red Grouse , 3 Greenfinch , 2 Meadow Pipit and 2 Reed Buntings.....
Thursday 11 January 2024
Sparrowhawk feathers and Glossy Ibis
Friday 5 January 2024
Black Throated Thrush
Finally caught up with the Black throatrd Thrush at Top Hill Low...a beauty showed really well. Pics are poor but hey ho...,Gadwall , Whooper Swans , Bullfinch .....
Wednesday 3 January 2024
Bridestones
A really excellent trip to Bridestones , A adult female Hen Harrier was watched hunting low over the fields just to the south of the stones. It landed in some juncuss and was flushed out by two Carrion Crows
It then flew low over the Bridestone , hunted for a minute then headed off towards Egypt , 1 Fieldfare , 2 Snipe , 8 Red Grouse , 20 Lapwing , 2 Magpie , 4 Carrion Crow and 10 Pheasants. 1 dead Common Shrew and 3 Roe Deer...Golden Plover , Grey heron was a surprise ,Kestrel took vole off a Barn Owl
Tuesday 2 January 2024
New Years Day........
Northowram first thing , Jackdaw ,Carion Crow , Rook ,Magpie , BH Gull , Wren , Blue Tit ,Robin ,Mistle Thrush ,Redwing , Fieldfare , Blackbird , Sparrowhawk , Collared Dove , Woodpigeon , Feral Pigeon , Stock Dove , Common Gull , Great Tit, Starling and Dunnock ,
Bridestones ..Stonechat , Golden Plover , Lapwing , Red Grouse , Starling , Fieldfare ,100 + Pink footed Geese and the star of the day 4 differnet Barn Owls hunting in the afternoon sunshine,,,,beauty
Sunday 17 December 2023
Wednesday 13 December 2023
Waxwings
Stopped at the JET garage in Gainsborough for some petrol...I know that call...20 Waxwings.....nice one