Huddsbirder

Todays plan was to head down to Old Moor to catch up on some Dragonfly action, Old Moor seemed to be having a good start. An early start it was with a stop off around Langsett Reservoir, a local site within the HBW recording area, arrived at about 6am to the sound of Blackbirds, Robin, Blackcaps, and Song Thrush. Out of the car park and on down to the dam wall, picking up on Canada Goose and Mallards on route. Along the dam wall I found, a couple of Pied Wagtails and four Common Sandpipers, a photo stop off, a few Black headed Gulls were about and a distant call of a Cuckoo on the moors.

Down at my first site, Chaffinch were noisy, along with a couple of Chiffchaff, took a while to find a Spotted Flycatcher, Blue Tits were the ones using the various nest boxes, not the birds i was looking for. Great Tits were seen, Oystercatcher at this point was a heard only, and a Roe Deer was a nice encounter.

On the way back to the car Blackbirds, Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush were looking for food in one of the fields, a nice opportunity to see them together. Back along the dam wall, Common Sandpipers were still about along with the Pied Wagtails, nearer to the car park Dunnock and Greenfinch were in the surrounding tress, with a Collard Dove flying around and a Wren bursting out its song in a nearby bush, a Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpecker in the car park. A three hour visit, it was time for breakfast at the nearby Bank View café, before my journey down to Old Moor, to chase the Dragons.

It was 10am when I arrived at Old Moor. It was still a bit chilly, I was hoping for it to get a bit warmer for me to be able to find the quarry I’d come for today.

It took a while to find what I was looking for, but eventually, I found a few Damselflies near the Bittern Shelter. Common Blue, Azure, Blue tailed and Large Red Damselflies, all in one area. Around the pools, there was no action at all, so I came around and down to the Bittern hide, finding a pair of Azure Damselfly on the approach path, photo stop. There was a small area of teed just off the path , here, there were a couple of Four spotted Chasers , doing what Chasers do, a photo opportunity, they were close in, around here there was also an obliging male Holly Blue Butterfly.

I had another look around the pools, I drew a blank. I then decided to move on down to Wath Ings to see the Black winged Stilts. On my way down, I stopped off at the Toyota platform to look for Red eyed Damselfly. They were easy to find, resting on the nearby lily pads.

I moved on, then took in the new pathway down to Wath Ings, hoping for Hairy Dragonfly on route. Sadly, no Dragonfly about, I did find a Garden Warbler.

Plenty of birds from the Wath Ings hide, including the pair of Black winged Stilts, but at a distance.

After Wath Ings, I was soon back on the pools looking for dragonflies again. I found somemore Four Spotted Chasers on a different pool, along with very brief views of Hairy Dragonfly and a female Broad Bodied Chaser.

A successful day with my Dragonfly targets meet, let down early morning with the target bird species

Langsett List : Blackbird, Blackcap, Black headed Gull, Blue Tit, Canada Goose , Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collard Dove, Common Sandpiper, Cuckoo, Curlew, Dunnock, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Long tailed Tit, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Nuthatch, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Song Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher, Treecreeper, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren

Old Moor Bird List :- Avocet, Bittern, Blackbird, Black winged Stilt, Canada Goose, Crow, Cettis Warbler, Common Tern, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Gadwall, Garden Warbler, Goldfinch, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Jay, Kestrel, Lapwing, Lesser Black backed Gull, Little Grebe, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pochard, Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, Robin, Shelduck, Shoveler, Starling, Tufted Duck, Woodpigen

Butterflies :- Brimstone, Common Blue, Dingy Skipper, Holly Blue, Small Heath, Speckled Wood

Dragonflies :- Azure Damselfly, Blue tailed Damselfly, Broad bodied Chaser, Common Blue Damselfly, Hairy Dragonfly, Large Red Damselfly, Red eyed Damselfly

The end of May usually sees me starting to have a visit out to Bullcliffe nature reserve to find various butterfly species, a good place for Dingy Skipper.

My first impression was how overthrown things had become, and was nothing near the reserve I remember so many years back, I know nobody sends to take responsibility for this tiny reserve anymore, think it used to be Wakefield Council at one time

I headed up to the favourite spot for butterflies and was soon onto my first Dingy Skipper and soon picked up a few more too, numbers looked good. No other butterflies were seen in this spot, but I did pick up a single Small Heath near the old car parking spot.

Other highlights were a single Common Blue Damselfly, something I hadn’t seen here for a number of years. The pond area was well overgrown.

Well, it was good to find good numbers of Dingy Skipper. I’m looking forward to my next visit.

Another fine day, so I another visit to the local ponds, hopefully to get some shots of Four Spotted Chaser.

Plenty of Large Red and Azure Damselfly on the first two ponds I visited, but no larger Dragonfly on the favourite second pond. So I tried the third pond where there isn’t usually any action, but it was cleared last year of ingrowing vegetation. A single Four Spotted Chaser was patrolling the pond and landing, and I was able to take a good selection of photos. Here also was a single Blue tailed Damselfly.

Other wildlife of note was very little. Birds noted were Willow Warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Green Woodpecker, and Common Whitethroat

Back out to the local ponds, and I could see at the first pond encountered that there was now a good showing of Azure Damselfly about, with these were a few Large Red Damselfly.

I was hoping now that I could find some larger Dragonfly about, so I moved on to the larger ponds, and as I was making my way thru the brambles, I inadvertently put up a Four Spotted Chaser, as it took flight I watched were it came down, and of course, it became inaccessible, and to far for the camera.

So I moved into the larger of the ponds, and here I found more Azure and Large Red Damselfly, no action over the water, so I looked in the surrounding vegetation, finally picking up a couple of Four Spotted Chaser, out of reach and in bad positions for the camera, but the season was underway.

Bird highlights included a Green Woodpecker, Whitethroat, Swallow, Blackcap, Long tailed Tit, and hearing Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff.

Butterfly highlights were Holly Blue and the first Small Heath of the year.

Other highlights included Hairy Shieldbugs and a few Helophilus pendulus hoverfly

A family holiday to Seahouses up on the Northumberland coast, 4 nights 5 days,  a chance to go around the Farne islands, but no landing this year, due to the bird flu.

Seahouses Harbour holds a good-sized flock of Eider at high tide, giving great photo opportunities, coming in really close.

Around the headland at Seahouses breeding Fulmar, Kittiwakes and Sand Martins could be seen, with plenty of Swallows, Starling, House Sparrow, and Herring Gull. On the rocky areas, I found a male and female Wheatear on one occasion, my first of the year. On another day, I found a small flock of Ringed Plover and a single Whimbrel as it took flick, giving off its distinctive whistle call as it flew overhead.

Sandwich Terns, Oystercatcher, Shag, Swifts, House Martins, Pied Wagtails, we’re just a few species I found around the Seahouses Harbour.

We had a boat trip around the Farne islands on one afternoon, an hour and a half in total, no landing, to see the usual seabirds and seals. Guillemots, Razorbill, Shag, Puffin, Arctic Terns, Kittiwakes, and seals were all easily seen from the boat.

Bird List:- Arctic Tern, Blackbird, Black headed Gull, Blue Tit, Canada Goose, Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collard Dove, Common Gull, Dunlin, Eider, Fulmar, Gannet, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black backed Gull, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Plover, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Kittiwake, Lesser Black backed Gull, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied wagtail, Puffin, Razorbill, Red legged Partridge, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Robin, Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Shag, Skylark, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Turnstone, Wheatear, Whimbrel, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon (57)

Another visit out to my local ponds, hopefully to get the Dragonfly season off to a start.

Birds of note today were Common Whitethroat, new in, Willow Warbler, a few House Martins going thru, with Blackcap and Chiffchaff.

A couple of butterfly species now with Holly Blue and Orange tip, alas no small health.

No large dragonflies about yet, and it took me a while to find my first Large Red Damselflies, now the season begins.

A quick visit to the local ponds, after a few days of sun, mainly for a recce and in the hope of finding a few Damselflies.

Sadly, none were found, but bird highlights inc. My first Reed Bunting on this site, Blackcaps and Willow Warbler, were now on site.

Gorse Shieldbugs were a nice find and also a first here, and another first for site was a Green Longhorn Moth.

Hoverflies about mainly Syrphus sp

Ossett today along the river Calder, attraction was a pair of Night Herons. Last time I saw these in the Huddersfield area was back in 2008 at Scout Dike reservoir, which I know believe was of dubious origin, so it would be good to get this firmly on the Huddersfield area list.

It was raining, there were few birds about, Mallards and Goosanders on the river, mermors from passing birders was that the one of the Night Herons had flown up river and the other was hiding somewhere in the bushes.

I didn’t find it on my first pad of the area, I was now the only one there, but I could see other birders arriving, I told them the news, and I was now wet.

I decided on another look-up river and to my relief someone had located the bird, happy days, twenty minutes of viewing the bird, a bit of video, before this one decided on flying up river too.

Other bird of note, my first Reed Bunting of the year, along with Willow Warbler and Blackcap

Video of Night Heron can be seen HERE

8th of April and members day at Cromwell Bottom, this takes in a guided walk around the site with a couple of people from the committee, also takes in the North loop, which is mainly a closed off area.

The guided walk was due to start at 10am, so I decided on a earlier start, before it got busy. Leaving the car park, the Heronry seemed very active this morning with quite a few Grey Herons around bringing in nesting material. Green Woodpecker was noticeable by its “Yaffling” call, but not seen. The feeders by the visitor centre were active with Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robins, and Chaffinch.

Down at the weir there was a single Grey Wagtail this morning, and nothing else, so onto the reserve. The main feeding station was a quiet today, only Robins seen with a nearby calling Chiffchaff.

A walk on down to the viewing platform were there was a male Teal and a Grey Heron. I came back via the river footpath hoping for that Kingfisher sighting, not today.

A Blackcap made itself known by its loud call around by the feeding station, a bit of a dull start, hope the walk is better.

The members walk started at 10am setting off down along the canal towpath with the aim of coming onto the reserve further down. we were off to a good start picking up a couple of Willow Warblers and three female Goldeneye, Oystercatchers and Goosanders (ski lake). Our next stop was the viewing platform where we heard a Little Grebe and found a male Reed Bunting, also a couple of Lesser Redpolls .Walking back along the river footpath a Kingfisher was heard but alas not seen.

After lunch we were allowed up onto the North Loop site, where we could see the plans being made for this area, a horseshoe shaped lagoon was was being made and eventually would be a good area for passing waders, with hopefully some stopping to breed. Meadow Pipit was up on this location with of course the breeding Barn Owls.

44 species seen or heard today

Bird List : Blackbird, Blackcap, Black headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Coot, Dunnock, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Tit, Green Woodpecker, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Jay, Kingfisher, Lesser Black backed Gull, Lesser redpoll. Little Grebe, Long tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Nuthatch, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Reed Bunting, Robin, Song Thrush, Stock Dove, Teal, Tufted Duck, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren

Well today’s plan was for Wombwell Ings early doors then on to Thorne Moors for Adders, when hopefully the day had heated up a bit for the adders.

Wombwell was quiet, a few Meadow Pipits along with Skylarks, the Water Pipit was a quick glimpse as it flew off.

Thorne Moors produced the said Adders, we managed five today, a couple of large dark females, a great experience. Birds we managed to see on site were, Stonchat ♂, a single Swallow, Marsh Harrier, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps,

We then decided on a visit up to St Aidans RSPB, as this site doesn’t shut early, like Blacktoft |Sands. Lots more to see at St Aidans, good start was the Little Owl, in its usual spot near the drag line. A long walk then to fin the Black necked Grebes, we managed to see four birds. Gorse bushes on a sunny day had me looking and finding Gorse Shieldbugs. Bittern was heard booming but not seen, another heard was Water Rail and Cetti’s Warblers.

A great day out with 68 species seen or heard, the Adders however stole the show today

Bird List : Bittern, Blackcap, Black headed Gull, Black necked Grebe, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Crow, Cetti’s Warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collard Dove, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jay, Lapwing, Lesser Black backed Gull, Linnet, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Little Owl, Long tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink footed Goose, Pochard, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Rook, Shoveler, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Stonechat, Swallow, Teal, Tufted Duck, Water Pipit, Water Rail, Wigeon, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren

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