Soil Hill to Mixenden

Not a great day especially when the rain pain came.

Soil Hill: Pr Red-legged Partridge, couple Goldfinch & Meadow Pipit.

Ogden Res: 1 each Kestrel & GC Grebe. Pr Swallow, 6 LBB & a few BH Gulls, Moorhen. 

Finally I got a Dipper for the year (trumpet fanfare) on the stream by the golf course sheds. Also here another Jay & a Blackbird.

A Green Woodpecker flew into the single large Sycamore at Hunter Hill bottom. A Cormorant and 4 BHG were on the boat slipway on Mixenden Res and a brief call from a Nuthatch heard.

Local Habitat Loss

I ventured from Queensbury Sth to Horton Bank CP this am. With considerable regret I have to report that the boggy and scrubby field at the corner of Cross Lane has been managed at a level I wouldn't have thought possible 😭. Two thirds have had bushes and scrub removed and the ground levelled and ploughed, leaving a third with some shallow water and reeds still standing. I don't hold out any hope that this will last however. I decided not to search it as a piece of machinery is still present and I'm not up to upsetting the landowner who gave us permission to bird it some 7 years back.

The place was a stronghold for Snipe from late September into early March and holds 2 if not 3 records of Jack Snipe also. The crowning glory for me personally was on December 9th 2018 when I got 3 views and  heard calls from a Ruff.

Birds were scarce in the whole area: few BHG, Meadow Pipit, 1 Linnet ditto Pied Wagtail.

Horton Bank CP: 1 each Mute Swan & Grey Heron. 

Usual Coots & Moorhen and several BHG. A few large gulls were upstairs with 3 on the water incl. 1 Herring mercifully out of juvenile or 1CY plumage.

The only other bird worth a mention was a Phylloscopus warbler calling faintly from a tree top. Gone are the days when I could differentiate between the two common visitors unless the volume is up.

Queensbury to Mixenden Res

The fields around Old Guy Rd turned up c20 Common Gull, 1 each Skylark & Pied Wagtail and Meadow Pipits. These were thinly spread throughout the site and this pattern was replicated everywhere on the walk.

Soil Hill: The Black Redstart appears to have departed; I checked the farm in good light and calm conditions with no visuals. A Green Woodpecker flew over. 

Ned Hill track turned up 3 Stonechat, 1 Great Tit, 5 Swallow, 2 Blackbird & Meadow Pipits.

Ogden Res: 2 LBBG, 1 Common & c17 BH Gulls.

Woodland birds were lively: 1 each GSW & Chiffchaff a good old brown bird which sang briefly. 7 Goldcrest, c9 Coal Tit, 6 LTT.

The golf course just had 2 Jay & Meadow Pipits.

Hunter Hill bottom: 8 Goldfinch, 14 Canada & yes you guessed it, Meadow Pipits.

Mixenden Res: 1 Pied & 3 Grey Wagtail. A Teal that didn't like my company and eventually flew off. 1 Cormorant ditto BHG. 1 GSW ditto Jay & Nuthatch.

Ogden Res to Mixenden

Today was a good example of how one variable can both reduce and produce birds in differing sites. The variable being a growling N'ly wind which scoured Ogden almost clean while topping up the Mixenden area's avian activity.

Ogden Res 1055 hrs. 1 GC Grebe, c30 Small gulls. The woodland silence was vast, the visual blinding; 1 Dunnock.

The golf course was deserted but irony of ironies, Hunter Hill bottom turned up the birdies!

7/8 Meadow Pipit, c18 Linnet, 1 Jay and 3 most welcome Stonechat.

Mixenden Res was also getting a reet paggerin but it did have 1 Cormorant and a pr Goosander. These two were in departure flight sadly.

Soil Hill and Queensbury North

SH 1145 hrs. The Black Redstart showed within a minute of my arrival at the farm and a couple of minutes later it was perched alongside a Wheatear on a wall.

A birder from Gildersome arrived and eventually saw the bird after I'd pointed out it's favoured spots.

The hill was covered in a patchy mist so I didn't stay for long, spending just enough time to see 1 each Kestrel, Skylark & Grey Squirrel. A couple of Meadow Pipit were meandering also.

Queensbury N: Common Gull outnumbered BH's by a fair proportion in a field off Roper Lane with c24 Goldfinch not too far away.

c22 Common Gull were in Old Guy Road and another Wheatear flitting from wall to earth and back.

A flock of Meadow Pipit numbered around 45 birds and a slightly smaller number of Starling were present. 2 Pied Wagtail were on the cricket pitch and yet again this area has proven to be a stronghold for House Sparrow.

A Field Vole gave good views as it hopped and ran around quite unconcerned or unaware just a few yards in front of me.

Soil Hill to Ogden Res

Soil Hill approx 0900 hrs. Thanks DP for the lift up. We had to wait a fair while for the mist to clear before the Black Redstart put in appearance. It was never close up and very active but we all got reasonable views as it moved around different spots.

 

Also present: 1 Stonechat, 2 Wheatear, 1 each Skylark, Blackbird, Robin, DJS, JL, DW & a few Meadow Pipit.

I moved onto Ogden Res which was very quiet especially on the drink, just 1 LBBG and a smattering of small gulls. 

4/5 Swallow, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Nuthatch.

The golf course rough area around the stile was crawling with birds. There were 8/9 Stonechat, several Meadow Pipit, 2 Goldfinch, 1 Reed Bunting ditto Jay and whatever I missed.

It all collapsed into a pile of nothing en route to Mixenden but still a very enjoyable day even if the Green Woodpecker yet again had a snigger at my passing figger 😁.

Halifax Golf Course Mystery

HELP! I'm ripping my hair out and can only pin this down to a rare flycatcher (white eyerings) or warbler (clueless).

Seen at 1251 hrs today and I'm bearing in mind the recent fresh and gusting E'ly winds (Black Redstart's origin perhaps?)

Anyone interested email comments to birdnut49@gmail.com or those that have it ring my mobile.

PS I had it pointed out by a renowned birder MC that this is simply a CHIFFCHAFF. I will wriggle away and die consoling myself that I didn't know that the Eastern or Scandinavian species do have grey backs.  

Queensbury to Mixen...

Thursday 17th. The Tawny Owl out back was calling at the same time as previous i.e 2050 hrs but on this occasion it was testing the alarm system for a while.

Saturday 19th Queensbury North. Fleet Lane fields: 3 Common & 8 BH Gulls & a few Meadow Pipit. I was happy to get a Snipe in flight for about 7/8 seconds relatively close by.

Soil Hill top produced just 1 Skylark and a couple of Meadow Pipit. However in Coal Lane there were 3 Stonechat, a couple Meadow Pipit & c16 Linnet.

Ogden Res was really quiet: 1 each GC Grebe & Cormorant. 4 large gulls were present and at first I thought I'd got Michaelis but it turned out to be a Herring. Also a few BHG.

The only arboreal type to stand out was a briefly singing Chiffchaff.

The golf course rough area was feeling the force of the brisk SE'ly wind and birds were being blown all over the joint.

I got 4 Stonechat but feel there may have been a couple more. Plenty of Meadow Pipit and one Kestrel were also present.

...den Reservoir - forget it 😭👎

The Owl and the Stonechats

Sunday 16th evening 2050 hrs Tawny Owl calling for approx 10 minutes from trees at back of both mine and DP's gardens.

Monday 17th Wainstalls to Mixenden Res via HX golf course 1020-1235 hrs. The Stonechat transportation lorry that goes up the back road toward Oxenhope suffered a considerable spillage. Fortunately there were no casualities among the Eleven individuals involved.

Cold Edge: 1 each Kestrel, Little Grebe & DJS. Handful of BHG, 2 Tufted Duck ditto Reed Bunting & Goldfinch. 3 very flighty Stonechat, 1 Chiffchaff & several Meadow Pipit. Also 4 Moorhen & 1 Pied Wagtail.

Then followed a long quiet slog from the Withens down to the golf course with another Kestrel and a Raven to break the monotony.

Six Stonechat were in the favored spot near the stile to Mixenden along with a handful of Meadow Pipit.

The walk along Hunter Hill bottom proved uneventful until yet another 2 Stonechat were seen followed shortly by the giggling Green Woodpecker.

Mixenden Res is not worth mentioning, so I won't. 😜.

Soil Hill to Mixenden Res

A very warm day with blue skies and no wind so it was pleasant walking but minimal birding, especially on the final stage.

Soil Hill 1035 hrs. 1 LBBG, 5 Skylark, c14 Meadow Pipit, 2 Swallow, one of which was harassed by a Pied Wagtail perched near it on a wire. Also a pr Goldfinch & a Linnet.

A good number of LTT were in the top section of the plantation at Ogden with a few more at the Back Lane trees. 2 Moorhen by the adventure area pond.

Ogden Res: Quiet in the woodland; 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 GSW & a WW. There was just a bit more activity on the water. 7 LBBG, 1 Common Gull & c27 BHG. I perused the latter very carefully as I couldn't face the horror of missing Frankenstein's Gull 😱. 1 each GC Grebe & Cormorant.

Matters dropped like a stone after leaving the promenade. 1 singing Chiffchaff on the golf course & another Green Woodpecker.

Mixenden Res: 1 Cormorant, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Jay and another, or perhaps the previously mentioned Green Woody 'avin a laff.

Redcar Tarn

Many thanks to DP again. It's one of life's quirks that despite having lived in Belize for 9 months and having been to Cuba thrice, I should get Franklin's Gull so close to home.

The bird was in a crowd of BHG at first sight so thanks a bunch to the gent who asked me to look through his scope.

Then things improved greatly when it started flying and circled above our head's several times giving very good views.

Good to bump into AC after an absence of a couple of years and to finally meet and chat with IH.

Swillington Ings

Courtesy of DP on a pleasant and productive day which raised my annual list by another 5 species.

  

In no particular order: 2 Spoonbill, ditto Pintail & Cetti's Warbler. 1 Great White Egret and also a Marsh Harrier which was over generous in it's flight display. Shame about the inadequate photographer.

Also c17 Dunlin, 5 Ringed Plover, numerous Lapwing. 5 Grey Heron and probably the same number of Little Egret.

1 Goosander, c19 Cormorant. Good numbers of Gadwall, Shoveler & Tufted Duck with a few Teal and a handful of Pochard thrown in. Plus the expected water fowl.