21st May

21st May, 7 reservoirs checked today, all the usual waders + 2 Shorties, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard and a corking adult male Merlin chasing a pipit. Two days ago had another Shortie in the same area as the Merlin. Looks like the vole population might be starting to recover from last years crash??????

19th May

All the usual waders on the reservoirs tonight + a female Common Scoter.

18th May

Had a quick trip over to Fairburn Ings with Roy, not much doing but a pair of Avocets which turned pink with the setting sun.

16th and 17th May

Reservoirs filling up after over night rain, bad news for waders. Nothing special on the tops so down for the Wood Warbler in the crags. Found in the said area the bird performed well singing and displaying late in the day, also a couple of Treecreepers there and a Red-legged Partridge at Fly Flats on the way back. 17th May, a Whitethroat was new in at Roils Head, not much else.

15th May

Roils Head 15th May. A nice Blackcap singing today is quite a scarce bird for this site. Goldcrest still singing at West End Golf Course, nothing much else doing.

13th and 14th May

13th May, back on our usual stomping grounds, me and Dave F had our first Marsh Harrier of the year, a cream crown which decided to bomb a local Peregrine. Also present all the usual moorland birds including more young Lapwings and Curlew chicks. 14th May, Goldcrest singing at West End Golf Course, 2 Reed Warblers, 4 Blaclcaps, 4 Chiffchaffs, 1 Mute Swan and a Common Tern at Elland GP. A car alarm hidden in the undergrowth at Roils Head had me going for a while, sounded just like a River Warbler, then Dave S found it and we tried to kill it but it wouldn't die ?????????

11th and 12th May

All the usual waders on the reservoirs + Grasshopper Warbler reeling and a migrant Chiffchaff on 11th. A Peregrine over Pellon on 11th. 12th May, usual waders + Peregrine and Raven.

10th May

10th May reservoir round up, 12 Ringed Plovers, 3 LRPs, 7 Dunlin, 15 Common Sands, 1 Curlew, 2 Lapwings,1 Raven, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff.

9th May Stone Curlew

News broke of a Stonecurlew at Blackmoorfoot, Huddersfield today, so me and Dave zipped over to see it, joined later by Roy. A Yorkshire tick for me and a lifer for Dave and Roy. The heat haze was bad so the photos aren't that great, unlike the bird.

8th May Turnstone

Another look at the reservoirs proved successful with a superb Turnstone found amongst the Dunlin, Ringed Plovers etc. Water levels dropping so looks good for May.

Whitby

Every so often the family goes to Whitby usually in May to pay respect to my late parents who's ashes we scattered in the sea. Each time we try to recreate a picture taken in the late 1960's of me and my younger brother taken in the same spot. Sadly he couldn't make it this year so my nephews Sam and Toby stood in. Not many birds at Whitby just Herring Gulls, Fulmars and the odd Cormorant. 3 Red Kites, 3 Buzzards, 2 Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk clocked on the way there and back.

6th May

6th May, another day looking for waders, this time 11 species recorded including 1 Knot and a probable alpina Dunlin. Totals 3 LRPs, 6 Ringed Plovers, 6 Dunlins, 2 Redshanks, 11 Common Sands, 1 Golden Plover, 1 Snipe, Oystercatchers, Curlews and Lapwings with 4 broods of 5 chicks. Also a couple of Stonechats, 2 Teal and 4 Tufties.

5th May Wader Day

Me and Dave had a look at a few reservoirs today and were rewarded with 2 superb summer plumaged Knot, also recorded were 4 Ringed Plovers, 1 LRP, 5 Dunlin, 2 Snipe, several Common Sandpipers, Oystercatchers, Lapwing, Curlew and several Golden Plovers. Also 2 Common Terns at Elland Gravel Pits and our first 4 Swifts at 2 sites.

4th May Whinchat

First Whinchat of the year today at Roils Head in the heather at Norton Tower end, a nice male. Common Buzzard with rabbit taken last week in the west of Calderdale.

Another pallid pic

Took this unusual shot of the Pallid Harrier displaying at Dunsop Bridge yesterday.

2nd May return to Dunsop Bridge

Returned to Dunsop Bridge today with Andy C and the Pallid Harrier again put on a great performance, displaying calling and nest building. Managed a few shots using the lumix, other people with better cameras were getting some unbelievable shots. Also in the area a few Common Buzzards, 2 Ring Ouzels, Cuckoo, Grey Wagtail, Blackcap etc.

1st May Dotterels

1st May Cold Edge Road, 3 Dotterels in the fields with 22 Goldies drew an admiring crowd of birders today. This field always gets Golden Plovers in the spring and it was only a matter of time before Dotterel were found here.