Delivering to one of our mobile pizza customers units in Hebden Bridge Tuesday lunchtime.
I could hear a Dipper singing and I looked over the wall down on to the Hebden Beck river near where it meets the River Calder.
Nice to watch it going about its business swimming from rock to rock, but suddenly I could hear another bird calling and it flew downriver towards the Calder.

Redcar Tarn, Near Keighley

Visited yesterday morning to hopefully see the two main attractions. A juvenile Iceland Gull and a 1st Winter Caspian Gull. The tarn is situated a mile at the most west of Keighley high up on the tops. Not very big and a bit of a spot for the locals to walk their dogs. Other locals seem to come and throw bread for the birds. This had been done as we arrived and parked up right at the side of the tarn. Consequently, all the gulls were still on the tarn, rather than on the adjacent fields. Saw the Caspian Gull straight away, close in and in typical pose but couldn't connect with the Iceland Gull. We tried the fields nearby as most of the gulls had by now moved there. It was blowing an absolute hooley, was bitterly cold and showers of sleet and hail were coming at us horizontally. We moved back to the main parking area by the tarn as more locals were again on a feeding mission. Now saw the Iceland Gull with great close in and flight views.

Saturday 10th August.

Early morning visit to Mickletown Ings.

- Little Bustard (Lifer)
A cracking bird that was on show when I arrived at 6.20am.
The bird shows well albeit a little bit distant as it is in the 2nd field from the footpath. Well worth the effort as we didnt have a single drop of rain despite the bad forecast.
A Curlew with a short bill was also in the same field, some observers thought it was a Whimbrel but it was a Curlew.

The hedges opposite the footpath were very productive and alive with small birds all in the same area including...
- 1 very showy Lesser Whitethroat
- 1 adult + 2 young Common Whitethroat
- 4 Chiffchaff - 3 were very small, possible young
- 1m 1f Blackcap (or possible young male)
- 3 Reed Bunting
- 4 Blue Tits
- 1 Robin
- mixed Greenfinch and Goldfinch with young
- 1 female Sparrowhawk hanging around

Also something a bit special on my way home... a Goshawk gliding fairly low over the M62 near Tingley. Brilliant!

Arrived at Mickletown at c.08.15 after a busy journey on the M62 and immediately found the Little Bustard . The bird gave excellent scope views for the hour and a half or so I was there. Despite the initially wet weather there was a good number of birders and very friendly local folk from the Swillington Ings bird group who had organised the collection bucket: £1000 + donated up to yesterday evening.

It was a last minute decision yesterday evening to go over today so thanks Doc for convincing me that I would definitely see the bird to add to my UK list 

BMale Little Bustard still showing well but distantly at Mickletown mid day today,

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 7th of August 2019 05:05:22 PM

Late report from Saturday due to computer problems.
My wife,my daughters Labrador,and myself walked from Addingham
to Ilkley along the river Wharfe in beautiful sunshine.Birds seen as follows:
Wood Pigeon x9
House Sparrow x20
Collared Dove x3
Feral Pigeon x8
Carrion Crow x4
Jackdaw x 22
Mallard x12
Black Headed Gull x30
Swift x10
Swallow x6
Sand Martin x14
House Martin x1
Magpie x5
Grey Wagtail x10
Blue Tit x2
Blackbird x6
Wren x2
Chaffinch x2
Dipperx2
Common Sandpiper x1
Grey Heron x1
Kingfisher x2

Great Reed Warbler still present at Wintersett Reservoir, midday today. Very brief view of the bird that was making a right racket in the reedbed at the top end of the reservoir, adjacent to the sailing club.

With three days off work this week I looked at the weather and chose the best one to head out for  a bit of birding further afield. Today I headed over to the Wakefield area, to Anglers CP and Wintersett Reservoir.

Since my last visit they have instigated parking charges, so take some pound coins if you are visiting. The Anglers CP car park costs £1 for 2 hours and £2 for up to 4 hours, this applies 9am-6pm, 7 days a week. Being optimistic I popped a pound in and headed round to Wintersett Reservoir first. There were plenty of birders around to direct me to the correct small cutting in the hedge to view the reedbed. As soon as I started walking along towards it I could hear my quarry and on arriving it was showing well, perched up on the reeds straight out from our position - a Great Reed Warbler. The bird sat up giving scope views and belting out its staccato deafening song. Just as I set up my digiscoping camera it dropped down and despite a wait of 50mins it didn't show again, it just carried on singing. To be honest the wind had got up and this was probably keeping it low in the reeds. This was either my 4th or 5th in the UK but I'm still to get decent digiscoped shots of one! Reed Buntings and Reed Warblers showed in the reedbed and Sedge Warblers sang nearby. Early on in my visit there were lots of Swifts over the water, at least 20, my biggest group yet this summer. Also over the reservoir were plenty of Common Terns. Just down the patch a Cetti's Warbler kept shouting out its song too and as I stood quietly it flew across in front of me and perched in the open showing really well.

Not wanting to hit any traffic and having seen my target bird I headed home and was rewarded with a clear, easy run.

Monday 29th April

Carr Lane in South Kirkby near Pontefract.

- Ferruginous Duck ... Drake (Lifer)
General consensus on this one that has turned up at South Kirkby Marsh pond is that its a genuine one, its unringed and the wings are not clipped, as well as a few plumage features.
Took Mum with me and before long we were watching the Ferruginous Duck. Its a belting looking bird, Ive only ever seen the one at Helston Lake in Cornwall last year that turned out to be an escape.

- No sign of the Iberian Chiffchaff about 500yds down the lane.
- A nice bonus was a Cuckoo that was heard near the pond and then flew over the lane towards the heath.

Snakes & Ladders. Sunday 24^th March 2019

  With a full team aboard we headed up the A19 to visit a nice little village church that`s graveyard is full of wild Daffodils at this part of spring, very nice! A male Sparrowhawk showed really nicely whilst sat on top of a hedge, so along with Buzzards and Kestrels it made it a nice place to stop at.

  Its that time of year again when our reptilian friends wake from there slumbers and we visit Skipwith Common, Yorkshire to see if we can glance either, Grass Snake or an Adder. With us all searching around the place for about 40 minutes, Chris managed to locate a Grass Snake. He picked it up and we all managed to marvel at the beauty of this not seen very often reptile. I then held the snake for a short while, whilst the lads took the various pictures of it. After carefully placing it on the ground the snake headed off into cover, a nice experience. It was a little smelly though! We did not manage to see or hear any Woodlark, that are usually around but it was a little windy. A singing Chiff-Chaff was nice to hear.

    We headed towards Swillington and called in at Lemonroyd WTW but failed to locate any Water Pipits, after all its time for them to leave and head for their breeding grounds. At RSPB St Aidan`s we managed to meet up with Dave W and his pal from Huddersfield (I have an aunty in Huddersfield) who gave us some information as to what they had seen. Firstly, we managed to locate the Tundra Bean Goose that was happily walking around feeding with a few Pink Footed Geese, secondly about 12 Black Necked Grebe`s were now present on the reserve. We saw about 4 of them as they were slowly moulting into full breeding plumage. A Bittern was booming deep in the reed beds, but we didn`t manage to see any hirundines. Our final call was at the dragger to hopefully manage to find the Little Owl that resides there. After a little search our friends from the RSPB set up a telescope on a Little Owl that was sat just below the ladders at the side of the huge jib of the dragger. A good end to a nice days birding.

Dave O.

Weds 6th Feb.

Working over in Leeds area again today and having Gull withdrawal symptoms!!!

- 21 Waxwings
Saw the report of these at Morrisons in Morley early week and realised this morning that its literally 2 minutes from a customer. Well that wouldve been rude not to stop and have a cheeky look.
I pulled up on the road and could see the Waxwings in a small tree near the petrol station, I was literally 10yds from the van and the birds flew down towards me and landed on the petrol station roof.

Obviously they were fuelling up.

Cuckoo calling and showing well at Broad Head Clough YWT, near Mytholmroyd today. Plenty of willow warbler and meadow pipit, and a singing skylark around here too. Curlew heard on the walk here from Mytholmroyd.

Also 2 grey wagtail, 2 dipper (collecting food) and a kingfisher on the Calder where it runs past Hebden Bridge railway station later on.

Friday, 27th October 11:45 - 16:30 hrs. Sunny and dry.

Gargrave to Skipton via Leeds/Liverpool Canal

Fieldfare x 20
Redwing x 1
Kingfisher x 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker x 1
Lapwing x 4
Teal x 2
Mistle Thrush x 1
House Sparrow x 1
Goldfinch x 1
Chaffinch x 1
Dunnock x 2
Twite (Juvenile) x 1
Pied Wagtail x 1
Grey Heron x 1
Rook x 35
Jackdaw x 30
Carrion Crow x 15
Long Tailed Tit x 5
Mute Swan x 40
Canada Geese x 10
Greylag Goose (Hybrid) x 1
Cormorant x 1
Blue Tit x 3
Great Tit x 2
Wren x 1
Mallard x 20
Black-Headed Gull x 30
Collared Dove x 20
Woodpigeon x 5
Feral Pigeon x 3
Magpie x 3
Robin x 4
Blackbird x 5
Pheasant x 3
Starling x 30

Went to the next reservoir up the valley yesterday,Swinsty.The weather was dull and damp
As with Fewston the pathways are very good and shaded by large trees.
Birds seen as follows:
Carrion Crow 16
Magpie 2
Great Crested Grebe 4
Black Headed Gull 8
Mallard 30
Swallow 6
Robin 2
Swift 4
Greylag Goose 35
Canada Goose 28
Red Legged Partridge 1
Arctic tern 2
House Martin 6
Blackbird 2
Grey Heron 1
Sand Martin 2

Forget to say previous post for Wednesday the seventeenth

Roger Baker 3 wrote:

---

Tuesday 9th May (we're not in April anymore Roger).
.............................................................................................................

There's a lot of people who say I don't know what day of week it is ... never mind month !

Roger.

---

I agree with that Roger and often I can't remember where I didn't go yesterday 

Tuesday 9th May (we're not in April anymore Roger).

Blackmoorfoot Reservoir.

- Stone Curlew 1
Showed really well in field up Potato Lane, arrived at 6.50pm and it was still present at 9pm when I left in fading light. Well worth a visit if still there today (not seen any reports though) and as Roger suggests it's a relatively easy journey, only 48 minutes from Dane Bank for me.

Also...
- Golden Plover 6
- Wheatear 2, 1 of which looked good for Greenland race Leucorhoa
It was a female that was marginally bigger than a male Northern that was present, long legs, dark ear coverts, very pale eye brow, a pale browny grey back and fairly extensive orangey buff to the breast area.
A first for me if it was that.

Tuesday 2nd April.

Nolstar Fields. Cold Edge Road. Wainstalls nr Halifax.

With Ian Lyth.

3 Dotterel. M & F and what (looking at Collins) is a still winter plumaged bird ?? Possible non-breeder ??.
In the field at R/side of road heading from Hebden Bridge ...... middle of field, there is an area of rough dry grass with a black bag in it .... the birds hunker down in that out of the wind.

also

Golden Plover. 20+
Wheatear.

Viewable from roadside. For sat-nav postcode HX2 7UA is for Nolstar Kennels will get you there.
Took 1hr 10 mins from Stalybridge.

Roger.



-- Edited by Roger Baker 3 on Tuesday 2nd of May 2017 06:41:49 PM

-- Edited by Roger Baker 3 on Tuesday 2nd of May 2017 06:44:07 PM

Wednesday, 8th March 2017. 11:00 - 17:00 hrs.

Gargrave to Skipton via Leeds/Liverpool Canal

Great Spotted Woodpecker x 1
Fieldfare x 40
Curlew x 20
Oystercatcher x 100
Lapwing x 40
Goosander x 3 (2F and 1M)
Mistle Thrush x 2
Song Thrush x 1
Buzzard x 1
Kestrel x 1
Nuthatch x 1
House Sparrow x 20
Greenfinch x 1
Goldfinch x 5
Chaffinch x 2
Pied Wagtail x 1
Grey Heron x 1
Moorhen x 2
Rook x 40
Jackdaw x 25
Carrion Crow x 10
Long Tailed Tit x 3
Mute Swan x 30
Canada Geese x 45
Cormorant x 2
Blue Tit x 5
Great Tit x 7
Wren x 3
Mallard x 30
Black-Headed Gull x 100
Collared Dove x 3
Woodpigeon x 10
Feral Pigeon x 15
Magpie x 3
Robin x 3

28 Pink Footed Geese over my daughters house in Silsden travelling SE

a walk along the river Wharfe from Bardon Bridge to Bolton Abbey in glorious sunshine
blackbird x 7
starling x5
wood pigeon x10
blue tit x4
black headed gull x16
chaffinch x4
magpie x4
greylag goose x14
mallard x32
common buzzard x 2
oystercatcher x1
kingfisher x 1
sand martin x19
swallow x8
house martin x 10
grey wagtail x 4
pied wagtail x 4
white wagtail
dipper x 3
grasshopper warbler x 1
pied flycatcher x 6
spotted flycatcher x3
jackdaw x 9
house sparrow x 10

Early am to 1pm visit with Steve Burke and Simon Gough.

A cracking few hours with some 72 species seen both on the reserve and surrounds, and nice to meet Paul Coates from the Swillington Bird Group.

- no sign of the 'present all week' Glaucous Gull, I don't expect anything less now from this species which has learned quickly to detect my presence and totally disappear.
- Great Black-backed Gull 2 adult + 2 juv unknown age
- Grasshopper Warbler 1 showed well for scope views, no photo opps
- Sedge Warbler 3, more heard
- Reed Warbler 2, more heard
- Chiffchaff 2, more heard
- Willow Warbler 2, more heard
- Common Whitethroat 4
- Blackcap 4
- Meadow Pipit lots
- Skylark at least 3
- Pink-footed Goose 2
- Shelduck
- Gadwall
- Shoveler
- Teal
- Pochard
- Goldeneye 1m
- Tufted Duck
- Black-necked Grebe 8
- Little Grebe 4
- Great Crested Grebe
- Whimbrel 1 feeding near disused visitor centre
- Avocet 3
- Oystercatcher 4
- Lapwing
- Dunlin 2
- Redshank
- Common Sandpiper 2
- Little Egret 1
- Red Kite 1
- Common Buzzard 1
- Kestrel 3
- Hobby 1 through over 'the hillside' ... picked up speed and kept going through
- Stock Dove 2
- Jay 1
- Swift lots
- Sand Martin lots
- Swallow and House Martin more reduced numbers
- Long-tailed Tit 4
- House Sparrow 1
- Bullfinch 2
- Reed Bunting all over reserve
- Linnet 5

Always produces a good array of birds here, pity the target species didn't show, still debating a trip here again tomorrow!


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 1st of May 2016 09:24:31 PM

-- Edited by Rob Creek on Sunday 1st of May 2016 09:30:34 PM

A trip over to Swillington Ings again with Simon Gough ... lunchtime until dark

Quick stop at Pontefract Lane overlooking the landfill site near Swillington village.

Literally 100's of Gulls including...
-lots of the main 5 species and 1 large Gull of interest that closely resembled the young Ainsdale Caspian Gull, very distant though and constantly being put up by the site vehicles so we were unable to further the identification.


Swillington Ings. (Nice to bump into Ian Lyth)

- Richard's Pipit 1
Only had brief views (but essentially good enough ones with calling) in Cornwall 2015, so getting this one today was most welcome.
The bird showed very well near the new sluice area between the perimeter of the the flashes and the Caroline bridge, it stood tall on the ground, did a few flights, it even hovered for us and started calling. A long hind claw was very evident as were the pointy edged dark centres to the median coverts.

Other birds of note...
- Meadow Pipit 1 (was with the Richard's Pipit at one point)
- no sign of Water Pipits for us
- Skylark 2
- Pied Wagtail 2
- Rook 1
- Golden Plover 100-150
- Lapwing approx the same
- Curlew 5
- Oystercatcher 2
- Kestrel 1
- Sparrowhawk 1
- Common Buzzard 1
- Goldeneye
- Shoveler
- Tufted Duck
- Wigeon
- Teal
- Great Black-backed Gull
- Common Gull
- Plus usuals

Stopped in at Anglers CP for the Gull roost on way home.
- Caspian Gull 4th winter (On reaching the main hide a birder pointed out this Gull)
A Lifer for me (in near adult plumage) if indeed it was a Caspian
- Kumlien's Gull had just left and apparently had flown to Wintersett Res across the way
- Pochard few Drakes around
- Lapwings
- Oystercatcher 1
- Plus usuals


-- Edited by Rob Creek on Monday 11th of January 2016 01:13:44 AM

A trip over to Swillington Ings today with Simon Gough
(A brief stop at Ingbirchworth fields en-route but no sign of the Greenland White-fronted Goose)

Swillington -
Looks as though it was badly affected by the floods as there's a tide line of rubbish surrounding the area, many paths still inaccessible and completely underwater, the rain soon started and didn't stop, we were drenched.
Of note...
- Bittern 1 dead one on main path near waters edge
- Grey Heron everywhere
- Great Crested Grebe 1
- Golden Plover 2 flocks of approx 100
- Lapwing lots
- Wigeon
- Teal
- Shoveler
- Gadwall
- Tufted Duck
- Great Black-backed Gull 1
- Meadow Pipit 1 over
- Pied Wagtail 4
- Reed Bunting 2
- Skylark few over
- Stonechat 2
- Common Buzzard 3 together
- Kestrel 1
- flock of birds seen feeding on floor near car park on Fleet Lane entrance consisting of roughly...
- Bullfinch 10+ (at least 5 males, more females)
- Reed Bunting 8
- Chaffinch
- Greenfinch
- Robin
- Great Tit


Normanton.
Adult Caspian Gull was reported in a field near Loscoe Lake and we think we located it after a walk through mud and pools down the footpath opposite the West Yorksire Police headquarters (American Wigeon location last year).
The Gull in question stood out with a massive bill and the sloping forehead in comparison to the Herring Gull next to it. Simon had the Bible with him and we checked one of my photos with the book, as yet we are not fully convinced.
1 Common Gull was with them, and the rest of the 20 or so birds were Black-headed Gulls.
Lots of other Gulls were located in another field but we couldn't get close to scan them and the rain was still pouring.


Silkstone Waterworks.
Firecrest was reported today so being in the area we drove down to take a look, we heard it alright but with fading light and drenching rain still, we just couldn't see it.
Lots of other small birds in the immediate area including...
- Treecreeper 1
- Long Tailed Tits approx 15-20
- Coal Tit 2
- Great Tit 1
- Robin 2
- Wren 1

A poor day weather wise, but we made the most of it and saw some good birds.




-- Edited by Rob Creek on Sunday 3rd of January 2016 06:14:21 PM