10th November

Ring-necked Parakeet over my house today, also Stonechat at Roils Head and Green Woodpecker at Tower Hill. fogged out at the weekend with only a Little Owl of note on the moors.

30th October

Finally got out on to the moors after all this weeks rain, a decent afternoon with 3 Barn Owls, 2 Hen Harriers, 5 Buzzards, 1 Peregrine, 1 Merlin, 1 Kestrel, 2 Ravens, Dipper, Grey Wagtail and Reed Bunting.

23rd October

Fridays highlights were 16 Whoopers south, 2 Hens, 1 Peregrine, 5 Buzzards, Kestrel, 2 Barn Owls and 1 Little Owl.

22nd October

Roils Head tick, 33 Whooper Swans south mid afternoon.

Last week

Another Green Woodpecker at Roils Head was a surprise this week, still 5 Stonechats and a Reed Bunting present. 14th October, 2 or 3 hens on the moors also 2 Merlins. 20th Oct, 3 female hens, 1 Barn Owl, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel.

16th October

 

                                     Kestrels at Roils Head yesterday. Just 3 Stonechats today.

Last week

Found two Water Pipits on 14th October with AC, also had the usual 2 hens on Sunday and Wednesday. 2 Merlins, Barn Owl, Buzzard, Kestrel, Fieldfares and Redwings. 8 Stonechats midweek at Roils Head are now down to just one.

EDDIE VAN HALEN

So sad to hear of the death of EVH one of the greatest rock guitar players of all time. The only time I saw him was in 1978 when Black Sabbath made the mistake of having them open for them, Van Halen blew one of my favourite bands off stage that night. Just a shame I never got to see him play again as Van Halen soon became global superstars and rarely came back to the UK only to do festivals which I had had enough of by 1982. Such a brilliant technique loads of guitar players probably quit playing after hearing him. I heard someone say "first there was Hendrix and then there was Eddie Van Halen" RIP.

 

Yesterday at Roils Head had 7 Stonechats, 5 today + a Chiffchaff.

1st October

Last gasp dash up on to the moors brought us 5 Barn Owls, 1 Hen, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel and a lone Goosander. Nice red moon and also Jupiter, Saturn and Mars showing well.

 

 

28th September

Had a walk up to my old stomping ground at Cold Edge today, nothing out of the ordinary but a nice Sparrowhawk sat in a tree. Then met up with Andy and headed up on to the moors where we found 2 Ring Ouzels feeding on the rowans, also 1 Hen, 4 Buzzards, Kestrels, a possible gos but no scope so will have to let that one go, 2 Barn Owls and a Tawny Owl sat on a roadside fence.

27th September

                                 Roils Head, still 4 Chiffchaffs, 3 Goldcrests etc.

26th September

On the moors, 3 Hens, 3 Barn Owls, 3 Buzzrds, 4 Kestrels, 1 Herring Gull, 2 Stonechats, 2 Ravens, 1 GSWP.

21st September

21st September

Local watch point, 4 Buzzards, 5 Kestrels and 9 sighings of Sparrowhawks, 2 Herring Gulls, 3 Swallows. Back On the moors and possible 3 Hen Harriers, Barn Owl etc. Buy the way this new blog set up is effing shit.

18th September

Out on the moors today and after a slow start things really picked up with Hen Harrier, Peregrine, 2 Buzzards, 4 Kestrels, Sparrowhawk, 3 Ravens, 4 Ring Ouzels, 40 Mistle Thrushes, 2 Song Thrushes, 20 Stonechars, 2 Wheateas a Hobby and a Wigeon.

15th September

Local watch point produced 1 Peregrine, 3 Sparrowhawks, 2 Kestrels, 2 Buzzards, 3 Goosanders, 1 Raven. Roils Head Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay and Goldcrest.

14th September

Local watch point today produced 1 Red Kite, 4 Buzzards, 5 Kestrels and 4 sightings of Sparrowhawks.

12th September

Trip over to Redcar Tarn at Keighley for only my second ever Franklin's Gull, my first was 29 year's ago at Catterick. This winter plumaged adult showed very well in the afternoon.

1st September

Local watch point today produced 1 Red Kite, 5 Buzzards, 5 Kestrels, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Ravens, 1 Swift, 14 Mistle Thrushes etc.

Last two days

30th August, on the moors and a superb juvenile Hen Harrier showed well, also another or the same Han lower down the valley, 1 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk, 6 Kestrels and 4 Stonechats. 31st August Roils Head, at last after slogging around for weeks finally got a good bird in the forn of an adult Yellow Wagtail feeding in the Horse Paddocks.

24th August

Had a walk up to my local view point in the hope of some raptors, nothing special today but 3 Buzzards, 4 Kestrels and 5 Sparrowhawk sightings. Also 3 swifts moving south. Nothing at Roils Head.

23rd August

At last finally got some migrants at Roils Head after weeks of nothing in the form of 5 Spotted Flycatchers, 1 Redstart and 2 Willow Warblers.

14th August

Evening out on the moors produced 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Peregrine, 1 Sparrowhawk, 6 Buzzards, 8 Kestrels and a small falcon either Merlin or Hobby but views to brief. Also Spotted Flycatcher, Goosander, Little Owl and Barn Owl.

10th August

A great evening out on the tops produced 1 Osprey, 2 Marsh Harriers, 1 Hen Harrier, 1 Merlin, 6 Buzzards, 4 Kestrels, 1 Shelduck and a Spotted Flycatcher, also several Wheatears and 2 Stonechats. I had a problem again with the camera so my picture of the Osprey wasn't great, perhaps in my excitement I pressed the shutter too soon ???

Bird Report 2019

Finally finished the 2019 Halifax report, it is now on sale at Woodesford News, GO Local store at Mount Tabor - Pellon, price £6.00. Hopefully when everything gets back to normal it will be also available at the Fox and Goose Hebden Bridge.

31st July

31st July, back on the moors and a lifer for me, not a bird but a Dark Green Fritillary feeding on thistles heads, also a very dark distant Marsh Harrier, 3 Kesies, 1 Buzzard a few waders and a Spotted Flycatcher.

Last few days

22nd July, nice juvenile Redstart found at Roils Head and a good selection of gulls in the newly cut fields nearby but nothing special. 24th July, back on the moors and a superb juvenile Merlin landed on a wall in front of us in poor lighting conditions, phone scoped it and took over 200 pictures but these were the best of the bunch, also 3 Buzzards, 7 Kestrels, Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Stonechats, Reed Bunting etc.