Thursday 24 May 2018

Calderdale Grand Tour

Departed Queensbury 0840 hours; arrived Luddenden Foot 1425 hours. After that yomp I proudly claim to have Luddenden Feet. Visited Oats Royd, Bradshaw, Ogden Res, Withens, Fly Flatts, Luddenden Dean, Booth & Midgley.

Once again the birds were in patches with a mind numbing stretch over moorland that held only a few Mipits and surprisingly a pr Swift. However the scenery and good weather combined with what I did see made it worthwhile.
Oats Royd & Ogden: not much just a few WW, couple Chiffchaff. Withens turned up zilch but things got livelier at FF: 4 Redshank, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Dunlin, 6 Lapwing, 3 Snipe, 4 Curlew plus the Canadas and Greylags.






The top of Luddenden Dean produced another Snipe but also a minor tragedy given that nature is a law unto itself. About two thirds of the way down what must be one of the steepest slopes in England I found a pile of freshly plucked feathers. The carcass had gone but among the many brown feathers was a longer one colored russet/rusty brown indicative of F Redstart. I really hope I'm wrong as there were no live ones at all in the valley.

A Cuckoo called thrice and a Red-legged Partridge showed well enough for a photograph. GSW & Green Woodpecker were heard.

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A few WW, couple of Chiffchaff & Blackcaps were present also a pr Swift. Swallows were floating around throughout the session but not in numbers.
At last House Martins were seen: one in Booth at a nest site and 3 in Midgley.