Huddsbirder

It was Owl watch night one time of the year when I go out specially looking for the nocturnal dwellers. First call was around Whitley Common and Little Owl, this  individual was along the roadside which gave me good views and a chance for some photos there was little else of note around here except the one or two Lapwing. On then to the next site and a wait for the next one Tawny Owl and then lastly when it was nearly dark not to see a Long Eared Owl made it self known as it flew past the car

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Not very much to report this week things seem to have gone quiet, or the weather could be playing it’s part. I went around the Langsett area to try and find a site for Tree Pipit but didn’t succeed birds in the area that I did see were a very pale phase Buzzard a day flying Woodcock which took me a litte bit by surprise and of course the woodland species of birds in support mainly Siskin ♂, Blackcap ♂, Goldcrest, Jay, Garden Warbler, House Martin, Swift and Swallow to name a few

 The day started early once again this time 7:30am at Horbury Wyke and once again within the Huddersfield/Patch area after parking up and getting set to move off I was greeted to day by a singing Garden Warbler didn’t show himself after five minutes so I moved off. The birds on the river were Mute Swan, Mallard, Moorhen with a couple of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaff singing on the the other side.  I made it to the filter beds finding a stunning Male ♂ Pied Wagtail and then a Whitethroat, whilst watching the whitethroat the hoped for bird made itself known firstly by its song and then its flight display before settling on top of a bush Sedge Warbler (150), a new bird for the patch making it now 150, target meet. Afetr watching it and taking some very disappointing photos because of distance and poor light I left and moved off further down river to find more Whitethroat and a single Lesser Whitethroat, Common Swift, Sand Martin, House Martin and Swallow overhead. Just to stop there has anybody else noted a lack of Swallows this year? or is it just me? anyway more birds Oysetcatchers (2) Grey Heron and more Moorhens on the river

Oystercatcher > Horbury

Enough of Horbury and after taking to another HBW member and catching fleeting glimpses of Kingfisher I decided to go for new bird number 2 at Potteric Carr, this one would make to the British and Yorkshire list. Arrived at Potteric Carr an hour later to here the bird was still there but at the other end of the reserve, things are never easy so off I set set finding more Blackcaps, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff, Garden Warblers and a couple of Reed Warblers on the way thro to finally view the other new bird of the day Iberian Chiffchaff, if you want to know the in and outs of this Chiffchaff to Common Chiffchaff read this at Surfbirds., well that was about my day apart from a Male Reed Bunting on the way back and heres the attempt of taking a photo of it and then theres the Day List at the end :-

Male Reed Bunting > Potteric Carr

Day List

Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Great Crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Sparrowhawk, Kesterl, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Black headed Gull, Leseer Black Backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Collard Dove, Swift, Kingfisher, Sand martin, Swallow, House Martin, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Leseer Whitethroat, Whitethroat,Chiffchaff, Iberian Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Crow, Rook, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting

Well it didn’t quite go as planned but nothing never does what with a few days of rain when we got there and a sick family member things were changed. Thursday the 6th was Urban Birding day David Lindo style taking in a few parks and river side walks as we made our way to the hospital. Birds inclued my first lifer of the trip in Italian Sparrow other birds of note in Padova were plenty of Serins, Common Swifts, Grey Wagtail, Blackcap, Spotted Flycatcher and a Kingfisher.

Friday was our day off so we went to “The Caves of Gaggio” a LIPU reserve near Venice here I saw my second lifer of the trip Pygmy Cormorants these were easier to see than I expected but what I thought would be easy wasn’t and never did see that was Pendulie Tit but the beautiful Male Golden Oriole more than made up for it and along with Cettis Warblers and Reed Warblers it wasn’t such a bad day 🙂

A full report can be seen at the LINK

Yellow Legged Herring Gull

Started the day at 7am at Ingbirchworth Reservoir to the voice af a calling Whitethroat and watching a good size flock of Swift dashing to and fro over the dam wall with Swallows in and amongst careful scrutiny revealed a couple of Sand Martin and my first House Martin (148) of the year then the familiar “rattle” call of a Lesser Whitethroat in the dam wall hedge and then three Common Sandpiper feeding and calling on the dam wall itself, great start on then to Langsett.

Pulling up at the Langsett car park in pouring rain meant I had a 30 minute wait before it stopped but then it did stay clear for the rest of the day so I couldn’t complain. Birds were good at Langsett at the start of the walk a flock of Lesser Redpoll went overhead giving off their familiar flight call, amongst the trees Siskin, further in a Blackcap gave a quick burst giving itself away. Along the track Robins, Chaffinch and Blue Tits then I heard Redstart (149) calling it took some finding but ten minutes of being patient paid off a nice male with that tail flicking as well, beautiful one of my favourite birds well he moved on and so did I to find Meadow Pipt, Cuckoo (150), Red Grouse, Buzzard, Willow Warblers and Grey Wagtail. I had gone as far as I could so I made my way back finding a single Male Crossbill (151) , Dipper and a Garden Warbler (152) another couple of first’s for the year but I failed on Tree Pipt I’ll save that for next time because coffee and a bacon buttie beckoned. On the way home I called in again at Cheesegate Nab but only found Wheatear three in all so I now think the Ring Ouzel have moved on, thats it for this week next report might having something a little different  Todays Full Bird List

The day started early setting off at 6:30am with the 1st stop (stop 1 bird list) being the local cricket field for a hoped for Little Owl which didn’t show but Magpie, Woodpigeon, Crow, Blackbird did. Stop 2 (stop 2 bird list)  a local stream for a hoped for Dipper which didn’t show but Grey Wagtail did, not off to a good start two dips already travel to stop 3 (stop 3 bird list) ,Cheesegate Nab gave Skylark, Curlew, Rook, Pheasant and Wheatear ♂ on route. At Cheesegate Nab there were now plenty of Willow Warblers  proclaiming terrority and it was also good to see Ring Ouzel again, 2 birds today male (♂) and female (♀), along with these Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Fieldfare (1), Green Woodpecker “yaffling”, Jay (6), Wheatears (3), Pied Wagtail on checking these Pieds’ I found myself a White Wagtail (79) (Moticilla alba alba) subspecies of Pied first for me for the “Patch” and lastly a fly thru Sparrowhawk.

Ring Ouzel ♀

Stop 4 (stop 4 bird list) was Whitley Common adding Little Owl (2) to the day list, which goes to show birds don’t turn up in the places you planned they would, more Wheaters (6), Skylark and then on to Royd Moor stop 5 (stop 5 bird list). I was hoping for some warbler species here but when I arrived there were men at work signs everywhere so that put an end to the warblers apart from the Willow Warblers there was a good count here at about 12 singing birds , other birds included Song Thrush, Little Grebe, Yellowhammer, Red Bunting and my first Common Sandpiper (80) of the year on the dam wall.

Off again this time down to Ingbirchworth and stop 6 (stop 6 bird list) passing another Little Owl on the way out. I parked up on the dam wall near the pub and started to listen out for more warblers whilst waiting over the water were hawking Swallows and Sand Martins there were a good number of martins passing thru with around about 20 birds present then I caught sighht of a bird in the hedgerow giving off an alarm call my first Whitethroat (81) of the year. I watched this bird for a good 15 minutes singing, feeding and bringing nesting material into a nest site in amongst some brambles, one of the Whitethroats favoured places to nest, then I had a ‘rattle’ sound another call this time from a Lesser Whitethroat (82) once again in the hedgerow.

On then to stop 7 Old Moor RSPB (stop 7 bird list) reserve near Broomhill I arrived at about 11am ish hoping to walk on to the new ‘Bolton Ings’ hide along ‘Wablers Way’ for warblers but I was told NO because a Male Marsh Harrier had decided to nest build so the path had to be closed so it was Plan ‘B’  on to the reserve, feeders first I thought, hide was full so I decided on a walk down to ‘Wath Ings’ hide passing Mute Swan on the way

Mute Swan

The day was getting warmer Blackcap and Willow Warblers were singing beautiful days at the Wath Ings hide another warbler burst in to song Sedge Warbler another first for the year giving good views as well, from the hide Redshank, Common Tern, Little Grebe, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull and Little Ringed Plover (2). Moved on then to the Wader Hide with not many waders but I did see Oystercatcher, more Redshank and another Common Sandpiper wildfowl Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, Shoveler and Teal. Back at the feeders Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Tree Sparrow, Reed Bunting

Male (♂) Reed Bunting and Tree Sparrow

I moved on then to stop 8 Broomhill Flash (stop 8 bird list) just around the corner from Old Moor seeing another Common Sandpiper,  more Oystercatcher and Redshank, two Swallows dipped in and then off again, a few Stock Doves in the fields with a few wildfowl on the water Gadwall, Teal and Tufted Duck. Another move and a final stop of the day this time at Wombwell Ings (stop 9 bird list), this reserve is in between Broomhill and Old Moor but it was much of the same that I had seen all day with more Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Swallow, Skylark, Gadwall, Blackcap, Teal etc The day was over the final tally was 73 species with 4 “Patch” birds 1 being a first for the Patch and 6 year birds in total and a sunny day to boot 🙂 The Days Bird List

The first half of this week saw me laid up at home poorly with torn shoulder/arm muscles so I passed some of the time away with what was coming into the back garden and took a few photos, a rare treat, here’s a selection

Male ♂ Blackbird

Male ♂ House Sparrow

Woodpigeon

Starling

Goldfinch

An Ingbirchworth tour today with the first port of call being the reservoir with the dam wall being the first stop for passage waders but alas there was none, so I went round to the inlet side to bag my first patch Willow Warbler of the year along with Blue Tit, Goldfinch, Little Grebe, Coot and a few Mallards. On then to Whitley Common for a hoped for Wheatear but alas no Wheatears either but a few common stuff like Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Skylark, Linnet and Chaffinch

Male Chaffinch Whitley Common

 I moved on then back to Cheesegate Nab for Ring Ouzel I had seen from the HBW website that there was 1 bird still around so since I was passing I dropped in to find not 1 but 2 birds along with Jackdaws and a few more Willow Warblers [ 1 still present Sat 17th along with a Wheatear]

I was hoping then for a Redstrart from my last site but extensive searching didnt reveal 1 there was however plenty more Willow Warblers and a Goshawk [140], but due to the sensitivity of this bird I cant reveal where I was because there are still idiots among us.

“Then God said “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abound, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Dunnock taken Old Moor

Old Moor was the destination and the group was from the church I attend in Huddersfield. Just over twenty people with different skill levels in bird ID from the novice to those with numerous years under the belt, but all one in Christ. So 10am was the start time in the Old Moor car park with Black Headed Gull getting the list off to a start then Robin, Greenfinch, Wren, Blue Tit then my first Willow Warbler of the year followed shortly by Blackcap.

Out onto the reserve after the group intro from the RSPB staff, generally telling us about Old Moor and what was about this went down brilliantly well with the group, first port of call then being the feeders Great Tit, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Coal Tit, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Tree Sparrow, Reed Bunting, Pheasant and Mallard. Venturing futher in and towards the Family Hide Long Tailed Tit, and another Willow Warbler but this one was singing its heart out in full view giving great us a great opportunity to scope it for the group with also a Dunnock near by [view video]. Arriving at the family hide to view some wildfowl Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Tufted Duck with a few Oystercatchers thrown in. On then to the next hide to have a Green Woodpecker and a Ringed Plover shown to  us by one of the RSPB staff/Volunteer and with a few Redshank, Goosander ♀, Shoveler and a Wigeon ♀♂, thrown in the group was soon on the move again finally arriving at the Wath Ings hide to find 2-off Little Gulls, one being in its full summer dress, stunning and then to everyones delight a fly past Kingfisher taking in the full length of the hide and to within a couple of feet, thier are still talking about it today, it was bacon buttie and cappucino time.

After dinner we parted company some staying, some went shopping, my wife and I went to Wombwell Ings to have an hours reflect and to have a little bit of time out for ourselves adding Little Ringed Plover (2), Green Sandpiper and Whooper Swan(2)  to my day tally. Click for the Day List

I had a couple of hours to spare so I checked out Cheesegate Nab hoping for a pass thru migrant Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Crow and Linnets to wet the appetite first and then blackbird no there it was and then two and finally four in all, Ring Ouzels [75], a splendid migrant very much like a Blackbird with what they call a gorget on the breast this being white in colour and the beautiful silver shading in the wings always great to catch these birds on the way thru thay will probably hang about for a couple of days feeding up and then moving on to breeding grounds.

Broadstones Reservoir seven Oystercatchers, Tufted Duck ♂♀ and the Mallards. Whiteley Common Chaffinch, Reed Bunting, Lapwing, Curlew and Skylark