Ollie, Showed brilliantly this morning and not at all troubled by the anglers, who showed a genuine interest in what I was there to see - great looking bird

Ollie Wright wrote:

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A Great Northern Diver is at Ladywood Lakes, Mirfield. It's an adult and still pretty much in breeding plumage.

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A Great Northern Diver is at Ladywood Lakes, Mirfield. It's an adult and still pretty much in breeding plumage.

I know we shouldn't make derogatory remarks about others but in this case I think they showed a total lack of respect for both the wildlife and other hide users.
Cheers
Rob

Whilst staying in West Yorkshire, we visited St.Ives Estate yesterday at Harden near Bingley.

Species of note included :

3 Raven over.
2 groups of 40+ Redwing over.
1 group of approx 25 Fieldfares over.
A pair of Goosander at Coppice Pond amongst usuals.
Cuckoo Nest Wood- single Redwing feeding on berries with a Blackbird, a Nuthatch, a small flock of mixed Tits (mainly Blue and Great Tits with what I'm sure was a Treecreeper in there)
I heard what I'm sure was a Redstart but couldn't locate it and I thought it would've been very late in the year if it was, but it certainly sounded like it.

One thing I was a bit annoyed at...a fantastic feeding station at the main hide, or at least it could've been had it not been for a man and woman with about 5 kids in there with toys and stuff allover, and a dog just constantly barking. They had to move some stuff so me and Michelle could sit down. Not a single bird on any of the feeders and we weren't surprised.

Went on a National Trust walk around Marsden this morning, starting at 5am. Highlight was undoubtedly two Ravens on Marsden Moor. Good closish views of the remarkable 'backflip' display.

Other species noted since moving here include Rook, Red Grouse, Dipper and Curlew.

-- Edited by Ollie Wright on Sunday 5th of May 2013 09:37:26 PM

A stonking female Dotterel showing well just over the border near Holmfirth at Cartworth Moor from the junction of Cartworth Moor Road/Copthurst Road junction (SE133055).

-- Edited by Mark Rigby on Sunday 5th of May 2013 02:36:00 PM

Seacroft, north east Leeds

Not birding as such but really never knowingly not birding.

Strange sight of a Red Kite slowly drifting over what is basically an urban area with busy shopping centres, housing estates and dual carriageways.
Thought it was going to land on a tower block at one point. Another seen a little more distant at the same time.
The area is not that far from Harewood House so not quite as shocking as seeing one for the first time along the M40 in the 1990s when I had not heard about the reintroduction programme but still fabulous to see.

Stockport Birdwatching Society Field Trip to Anglers Country Park & Old Moor RSPB 08.12.12

31 Members travelled over the Pennines in good weather and arrived at Anglers Country Park shortly after 9.00am. If ducks are your thing this was a trip not to be missed! 13 Species of duck in all including Long-Tailed Duck (Female), American Wigeon (Drake) and Scaup (female) all present. As we were watching the Long-Tailed Duck a Green Woodpecker flew over the lake. 3 Egyptian Geese were spotted in a nearby field and there was plenty of activity at the feeding station. Willow Tit, Reed Bunting, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Tree Sparrow all seen here.

Next stop was Old Moor RSPB, much quieter here birdwise, but full of people! A few Brambling could be seen from the Tree Sparrow Garden hide, but the only other birds of note were a Sparrowhawk seen on a number of occasions, a single Redshank and two or three Common Snipe 'bobbing' like Jack Snipe!

A good day in good weather (the only rain as per usual as we crossed the Pennines on the way home)

Tony Mossman

Anglers Country Park
1 American Wigeon (drake)
1 Long-tailed Duck (female)
c10 Goosander
c70 Greylag Goose


Wintersett Reservoir
1 Smew (drake)
2 Scaup (adult & first-winter drake)
3 Egyptian Goose
9 Goosander

10th March.

Fairburn Ings - 7.10 to 8.45 am.

A large and vocal flock of c160 Wigeon were trying to feed on the wet grassland when they weren't being disturbed by a posse of frisky stampeding Highland Cattle!! A feeding flock of 19 Curlew were close by - it was interesting to see how easily and how many earthworms individual birds were able to pick off in a short space of time - rich pickings.

There is always something to watch here - today I watched a pair of Gadwall mating on the water. The female just about kept her head above water and maintained her dignity during the brief event! A Pair of Long-tailed Tits were nest building.

6 Redshank, 2 Snipe, 2 Shelduck, 2 Oystercatcher, at least 7 singing Reed Bunting and a Willow Tit was also singing. 1 Little Egret was showing off its yellow and red leg rings and 1 Green Woodpecker flew over. Also uncounted numbers of Lapwing, Shoveler, Pochard, Gadwall, Teal, Goldeneye, Goosander and Tufted Duck.

Didn't meet another person - either birder or dogwalker - in the whole time I was there!

Cheers,

Bill.

'tis the radiation from those Buxton hills pal

Sorry Ian, didn't see this thread!

Posted today by Tom McKinney at 4pm

Some good birds just over the border at the moment, making a pretty decent day of twitchy birding.

adult Ring-billed Gull near Mirfield
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=421750&y=419650&z=0&sv=SE217196&st=5&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf

drake Ring-necked Duck, Red-necked Grebe and Smew at Pugneys country park
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=432550&y=418050&z=0&sv=SE325180&st=5&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf

2 Smew, 2 Scaup and Lesser Pecker at Anglers country park
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=437550&y=415350&z=0&sv=SE375153&st=5&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf

Glaucous Gull intermittently visiting Swillington Ings
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=438000&Y=428000&ar=N&z=120

There was a TV programme a few years back, seem to recall, that showed how opportunistic Rooks were, by working out how to get edible rubbish out of Service Stations bins. Food probably the major attraction. Pied Wagtails probably the (comparable) warmth & light generated.

Steve Suttill wrote:

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Has anyone ever done a study of Rooks and motorway service stations? They do seem to go together in my experience - but why? Do Rooks thrive on diesel fumes? Do service stations plant the right sort of trees?

Any ideas?

Steve

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And does whatever makes service stations so attractive to rooks also work on pied wagtails?

Paul

Has anyone ever done a study of Rooks and motorway service stations? They do seem to go together in my experience - but why? Do Rooks thrive on diesel fumes? Do service stations plant the right sort of trees?

Any ideas?

Steve

31st January.

Driving over to Castleford this morning noticed that Rooks were back in good numbers at the rookery at Hartshead Moor services on the M62. Not fantastically exciting I know but this is my first post via my new phone so a bit of an experiment - so fingers crossed the post comes out OK?

Cheers Bill.

popped in to pugneys myself on way back from doncaster. Not much on the main lake, but 100 pochard, 12 GC Grebe, kingfisher, lots of tufties, a few shoveller and the ring-necked duck showing well too on the smaller reed fringed nature reserve lake. A cracking bird artist was also at work in the hide with a few locals. Had a couple of siskin fly over on way back to car too. Nice stop off on route home to be fair!

We went to Pugney's today. Apart from a fantastic view of a kingfisher flying with the sun reflecting, nothing else really. Coot,Mallard,Goldeneye,Pochard,two GCG's, and the bittern did not show.
General opinion was fine, if it is your local patch, but not worth an 80mile round trip.

We were over there again today, with the promise of the two excellent ducks, the Ferruginous having moved onto Pugneys boating lake since we last saw it, plus a walk to the river to see an excellent if awkward male Smew complete with RB Merganser, a good selection of ducks generally and a nice Kingfisher.

We then moved onto Old Moor where the Barn Owl showed well for us and with 20+ Red Grouse over Woodhead in the fading light on the way home a great NYD!

Also popped to the lake myself on the way back from bird survey work i was completing in doncaster area. Both ferruginous and ring-necked chilling with the more local tufties and pochard. Also had a kingfisher fly into a tree on the far side of the lake, picked out a few wigeon, gadwall & little grebe with the pochard. Lots of great crested grebe on the water too. Local birder told me a bittern can be seen on the nature reserve lake most mornings and a pair of smew and a red-breasted merganser are on the river calder locally, so lots about there if you have a spare half day!!

Visited Pugney's CP this a.m. with P&N Johnson, easy to get to and had good views of 2 lifers for me Ferruginous Duck and Ring Necked Duck, also large numbers of Pochard, fewer Tufted with Wigeon and Goldeneye also nice to meet Mike Baron once again, sorry I didn't recognise you at first.
Happy New Year to all,Cheers Ian

I was tempted over there this morning as well - given that the Wigan wetlands were rather fog bound when I called for a second search for the green winged!

Has a really enjoyable four hours with excellent views of both the Ring Necked and the Ferringous along with a pair of Goldeneye, good views of Widgeon, Tufties and Pochard and three Goosander on the river. Called at Wigan again on the way back still enshrouded in fog!

We were tempted to return to the wetland opposite Pugneys this morning, as our first visit prior to Christmas was rather a wet affair. The light was perfect and we soon found ourselves watching both the Ferruginous Duck and Ring Necked Duck Two stunners.

I received this link last week from me old mate and ex Manc, now Halifax based, birder Steve Cummings

http://training-to-ring-birds.blogspot.com/2009/12/rishworth-twite-seen-at-cley-today.html

http://www.stephencummings.co.uk

-- Edited by Pete Hines on Sunday 20th of December 2009 01:01:34 PM

...as I live within Greater Manchester but on the border with West Yorkshire. A visit to Pugney's CP (Wakefield) on 15th December produced Cetti's warbler, Water rail, Kingfisher, lots of Reedbunting, Redpoll flying over much of the time...& numerous duck species (although the Ferruginous duck that I went to find had moved elsewhere). The following day (16th Dec), following reported sightings of the duck on some wetland opposite the country park, I tracked down the duck & managed to get some good close-up views. Then, moved on to Angler's CP nearby, to see Scaup, another northern diver (they're everywhere at the moment it seems) & quite a few tree sparrows & redpoll. All in all a good couple of days birding.