Spent a hour up to six o'clock pm yesterday in our Silsden back garden watching 30 to40 House Martins
and a few Swallows hawking for insects .Presumably fattening up for their migration .

A Common Buzzard very high over our back garden b eing mobbed by 5 crows/>

For the last month 2 Oystercatchers have been flying over our Silsden garden calling loudly.Flying north in the morning south in the afternoon.They are probably commuting between the river Wharfe in the North and the river Aire in the south

An evening at Holme Valley campsite near Holmfirth yesterday and a short walk around this morning. Highlights:

Hobby, Dipper,  Garden Warbler, 20+Swift, 10+ House Martin, Grey Wagtail, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Nuthatch, 2 Stock Dove, 6 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Common Buzzard, 6 Swallow.

Marsh Tit on my garden feeders in Silsden this morning

Pheasant wandering around Asda carpark last Friday morning

A Dipper on the beck running through Silsden this
Morning

[A circular walk from Silsden duck pond. Up to the hills and down to the Leeds Liverpool canal About 4.5 miles Birds seen as follows
Starling x 44
Woodpigeon x25
Jackdaw x30
Blackbird x6
House Sparrow x21
Carrion Crowx 47
Feral Pigeon x8
Herring Gull x50
Mallard x52
Blue Tit x12
Coal Tit x
Black Headed Gull x25
Magpie x10
Lesser Black Backed Gull x2
Great Black Backed Gull x1
Great Tit x8
Greenfinch x 1
Pheasant x1
Song Thrush x1
Rookx1
Pink footed geese x150+ heading NW
Goosander x2 (m+f)
Mute Swan x6
Robin x2
Wren x1
Cayuga Duck x2

After a 2 and a half hour wait, managed a 20 second view of the first winter male Scarlet Tanager at Northowran near Brighouse this afternoon. Showed at 14:20. Very busy there, probably better parking along Halifax Road and a few minutes walk. 

Couple of shots attached. Courtesy of Vicky 

-- Edited by Chris Harper on Monday 11th of November 2024 04:16:21 PM

A walk along the river Wharfe from Addingham to Ilkley .
Birds seen as follows
Starling x10
House Sparrow x4
Blue Tit x2
Woodpigeon x8
Jackdaw x11
Mallard x12
Carrion Crowx8
Black Headed Gull x6
Little Egretx2
Kingfisher x1
Goosander (f)x1
Pheasant x1
Common Buzzard x1
Blackbird x3
Oystercatcher x2

A Robin has been flying around our lounge for the last 2 days. Yesterday it spent about 10 minutes before it flew out of the back door. Today it just flew around once and out through the back door.A few years ago we went into a small shop in Colwyn Bay and they had one who flew around the shop most of the day

Walked up the Pinnacle at Kildwick yesterday. A pair of Cuckoo's did a flypast over the meadows at the bottom. Other birds seen as follows .
Blackbird x10
Starling x6
Jackdaw x12
Swift x3
Robin x2
House Sparrow x8
Woodpigeon x17
Magpie x6
Carrion Crow x10
Blackcap x 1
Wren x 1
Chaffinch x 2

A pair of pintails(m+f) on the duck pond in Silsden this afternoon.

A walk along the river Wharfe from Barden Bridge to Bolton Abbey
and return.
Starling x4
House Sparrow x4
Coal Tit x1
Carrion Crowx7
Sand Martin x20
House Martin x4
Mallard x50+
Woodpigeon x5
Oystercatcher x8
Swallow x5
Greylag Goose x6
Moorhen x6
Spotted Flycatcher x1
Goosander x2
Dipper x1
Great Black Backed Gull x1
Blackbird x1
Common Buzzard x4
Grey Partridge x1

Over the last 2 months a pair of Woodpigeons have tried unsuccessfully to rear a chicken.They have built a nest on a beam of our pergola. The first one they built consisted of about 8 twigs and the egg rolled off and smashed on the floor.They then made the nest a lot more substantial and she laid again. Unfortunately we awoke to find the egg on the floor once more. This time though it appears that the chick was attempting to break out.

A walk from Addingham to Ilkley along the banks of the river Wharfe.
Birds seen.
Jackdaw x35
Woodpigeon x21
Blue Tit c4
Blackbird x16
Starling x4
House Sparrow x20
Rook x2
Goosander x 1(m)
Mallard x15
Mandarin c2(m)
Magpie x4
Robin x4
Great Tit x 2
Sand Martin x23
House Martin x3
Mistle Thrush x1
Red Kite x1
Lesser Black Backed Gull x1
Oystercatcher x 2
Herring Gull x1
Dipper x1
Greenfinch x1

Weds 12th April.

Had an appointment cancelled at last minute .. gave me an opportunity to nip up to Ossett for these B-C Night Herons. Left at 11.00 hrs.
From home I had the obvious option of M62 or M1 but decided on an extra 10 min more scenic route via Holmfirth ... when I left Stalybridge it just started to rain ... just before I hit the county border at Kirklees on the Isle of Skye road (A635) it really had a blow on and had started to snow !! "Dear Me" I thought .... or words to that effect !!
Got there in good time and began to limber up ... ready for the assault on the bowser that Mr Ousey mentioned ..... me being built more for comfort than speed and the realisation that I've had too many birthdays didn't make for good viewing !
Both birds were present but were huddled up in deep cover in the hawthorns at the back of the willows and took a bit of picking out .... fortunately at 14.30 one flew down onto the bank and proceeded to do a bit of hunting/fishing.
Around a dozen other birders present .... some had left disappointed before the bird flew down but others were just arriving as I left at 15.15 hrs.
Also had a female Sparrowhawk being chased by the male as I walked back to car-park.

Roger.

Good day for a Night Heron. Sunday 9^th April 2023

    When two adult Night Herons were found on the 6^th of April by the River Calder, Ossett, Yorkshire it meant a trip to see these overshooting migrants was planned. I have not seen one in this country for about 25 years, so an early start leaving Kevin C`s house at 7am along with Craig B was arranged. At around 7-30am the news was good that the birds were still present, a nice drive through Mirfield and Dewsbury followed until we reached the River Calder, near Healey Mills Ind.Est. The sign brought back a few memories about my train spotting days, visiting one of the largest freight yards in Great Britain, mainly supplying all the coal trains from the Yorkshire pits to the power stations, its abandoned and nature has reclaimed it. We parked up and walked over the River Calder via a footbridge, we followed the river west until we reached a large metal bowser (placed there to stop quads, motorbikes etc) the climb over this obstacle was good fun! In the distance we could see 20 + birders, but as we arrived one of the Night Herons, that are smartly attired birds, was feeding on the edge of the river, result! The other bird had nipped off for a sleep I was told! Also seen here: - Kingfisher, Swallow, Grey Wagtail, Sand Martin, real tales of the riverbank stuff. I nice catch up with the Rochdale birding crew also. As it was cold and a little misty we decided to move along, by now the Night Heron had clambered up the bank into a tree for a well-earned rest.

   News of a juvenile Great Northern Diver at Skelton Lake (near the services of the same name) had us going to see it, if we could. After a walk all the way around the lake, it was apparent that the bird had flown, prior to our arrival. Other birds there: -Little Ringed Plover, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, House Martin, Sand Martin and various ducks, a new place to visit and quite nice.

   We headed back to RSPB St Aidans/ Swillington and managed to see the sleeping Little Owl sat in a bush behind the Dragging Machine that used to drag coal from the ground at open cast mines. Much the same as last weeks visit with a few Black-necked Grebe`s showing a little better, the weather had really turned good with the sun trying to show itself. An early start meant an early finish as we headed home by 4pm.

Dave O.

   

A morning trip over to Ossett to see the 2 Black-crowned Night Herons on the R.Calder. When I arrived just one bird was present which was fast asleep for most of the time in a tree on the opposite side of the river but showing clearly. There was no sign of the second bird and eventually I decided to leave as the bird in tree seemed settled for a long sleep. Just as I was about to walk off the second bird flew in and landed on the opposite bank and started fishing giving fantastic views as it crept down a branch to the waters edge. It caught a couple of small fish and gave a stunning display. Both birds still present when I left. Stunning looking birds. UK lifer.

Also:
1 Kingfisher
1 Goosander - male
2 Grey Wagtail
1 Blackcap and lots of Chiffchaff singing
Numerous Sand Martins over
A flock of about 80 Fieldfare over heading east


-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Sunday 9th of April 2023 02:03:08 PM

Marsden Moor. Sadly after their return post moorland fires a dead Short Eared Owl on Saddleworth Rd. Presumably road kill. 

Sarfraz Hayat wrote:

---

 

 

Hi Doc,

 

A cut and paste from their twitter feed.  

Ref No 9238 Accepted-Brown Shrike 1ct-20 Johnny Brown's Common, South Kirkby, Yorks

---

 cheers, don't do Twitter so grateful for that

Doc Brewster wrote:

---

.......and I agreed with those on site that a bright end of the spectrum Brown Shike was a wee bit more 'best-fit' for this individual than Turkestan.

---

 Glad my gut feelings were correct Thanks for that info Sarfraz, I missed that announcement

That Shrike (again)

John Rayner went to see the bird latterly and very kindly sent to me two photos which are very convincing (in Johns view as well as mine) for this to be a Brown Shrike, - (likely an adult, in view of lack of scaling on the underparts, strength and sharpness of the mask, and head pattern); - overall a really smart bird.

Structurally, the primary projection (wing point) only seems to reach the upper tail coverts, the tail appears long, and in flight it clearly shows the short outer feather and fairly even graduation of five feathers on the tails left side.

Plumage wise, any of the Isabelline group should show an obvious white patch at the base of the primaries, lacking on this otherwise well marked beast. Johns photos cover the basic diagnostic features to underpin the identification.

When, (and IF!) I ever get back to Thailand, I shall particularly study both Taiga Flycatchers and Brown Shrikes with extra critical scrutiny and also spend time working on aging them in the field, for both these species are to be seen on the farm fields/garden areas daily through the winter months.

I am not a photographer but what I have learned from the various photos posted here and online is how easily shades of brown/grey and degrees of pallor on the same individual bird can vary so much according to light and exposure variables.

Sooner or later might one turn up in Manchester...........?

Regards,

Mike P.

 

 

 

 

 

Yes Rob, doesnt surprise me that it has departed. A friend of mine told me that on Thursday, whilst everyone was well away from the bird, a group of three photographers insisted on approaching to within ten yards of it. As such, the shrike was being flushed along the hedge line and, in short, being disturbed. I actually spoke to the farmer on Monday and he seemed an amiable sort, asking what the bird was. Seems like his patience (and that of the shrike) got pushed to the limit.