30th May

Had a walk over Roils Head this PM, yesterdays Whitethroat was still singing, also had an unidentified Falcon fly past me, views too brief to clinch ID. Not much else but Skylarks at High Road Well Moor.

27th May

Had a brief visit to two former Leo sites with SC this evening but didnt have enough time to really do it justice, best we could manage was 1 Short-eared Owl.

Yorkshire tick

Had a rare trip out of Calderdale today and headed for Spurn Point with Roy, where after a brief wait I finally caught up with Golden Oriole for Yorkshire. Supporting cast included 3 Little Terns, 3 Cuckoos, 22 Brent Geese, 1 Little Egret but not much else.

23rd May

An evening out with SC produced one LEO, 2 Grey Partridge and 1 Grasshopper Warbler.

22nd May

Out with DJS this evening checking another LEO site, unfortunatly without any luck, probably due to the fact that the land owner chopped down part of the nesting wood in March. Not much else apart from a drumming Snipe, Lapwing with chicks, male Sparrowhawk, 2 Hares and a Fox.

20th May

After a fruitless day looking for Wood Warbler and Flycatchers me and Steve ended up at a LEO site and found one sat out on a fence post for 20 minutes. Managed to digi scope it and here are the best 8 out of 80. A brilliant bird, one of my favorites, never tire of seeing them. Also had 2 Shorties, 1 reeling Grasshopper Warbler and a couple of Grey Partridge.

17th May

Out Owling with Roy last night, 2 Long-eareds and 1 Shortie showed well, also heard my first Grasshopper Warbler of the year. Not much else, 1 Kestrel and a couple of Curlews.

13th May

A poor day today was made worse with the finding of a dead Common Buzzard. TW came and collected the bird to send it to DEFRA for inspection.

12th May

 Grey Heron

 Hunting LEOs

Out with SC today at a usual site, not much happening, usual stuff Woodpeckers, Nuthatch etc, did manage a good shot of a Grey Heron. Moved on to a Long-eared Owl site to hopefully start this years LEO survey and 2 birds were out giving great close views from early on. Also had a Short-eared Owl and a couple of Kestrels at this site.

A long time ago far far away

 A younger heavy birder at Point Pelee Canada.

 Red headed Woodpecker

 Chestnut sided Warbler

 Turkey Vultures

 Great Blue Heron taken through a pair of binoculars.

 Ring Billed Gulls at Niagra Falls were a doddle

 Daily log for 10th and 12th May

This spring as just about been the worst I can remember, apart from an Osprey, a White Wagtail and finally a Whinchat at Roils Head today, thats been about it, so I had a look back in time to when myself, Tall Andy and big Adey spent 2 weeks in Canada, mostly around the famous migrant spot at Point Pelee on Lake Erie. We recorded 182 species in that time, 130 of which were lifers for me. The 10th of May was a particular good day with over night rain bringing lots of migrants down including some 28 species of Nort American Warblers. Looking through the daily log it looks like the 12th was even better. My personal best find was a Worm Eating Warbler found on the Woodland Trail on 10th. These were the days before digital cameras and Tall Andy took all the photos on what ever camera he had except the Woodpecker (I cheated with that one, its taken off a post card I bought).

8th May

Another poor showing at Cold Edge today. Speed Boat on the top dam and a bulldozer digging up half the hillside, both not good news. Very little bird life apart from 4 Wheatears, 5 Greylags, 1 Kestrel and the usual Curlews.

6th April

Out and about with Steve C today, not much doing except for 4 Short-eared Owls all at different locations. News broke of a possible Monties in one area but by the time we arrived it had long gone.

4th May

 Goosanders

Paid a visit to Elland Gravel Pits with Roy looking for warblers. 4 Garden Warblers singing + the usual Chiffs, Willows and Blackcaps but no Whitethroats or Reed Warblers in yet. Female Goosander with 3 small young on the river was nice. Nothing at Luddenden Dean and very little at a very cold Fly Flats.

3rd May

Not much at Cold Edge today, 4 Goosander, 3 Common Sands, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Snipe and a couple of Linnets was about it. Roils Head much the same apart from 3 Redpolls, two of which looked quite pale?