17th April

Short walk cut short due to continuing problem with feet, stil managed another or the same Ring Ouzel and a Red-legged Partridge. First 2 Willow Warblers singing at Roils Head.

16th April

This evening a nice surprise was a Ring Ouzel at Roils Head, it flushed out of the heather and flew towards Norton Tower but could not be relocated. Also a Wheatear and 4 Fieldfare at High Road Well Moor and 2 bullfinch at Dodgson Wood.

15th April

Local watch point today. 6 sightings of Sparrowhawk, 4 Kestrel, rusty the Common Buzzard and an immature Peregrine which flew strait past me. Also of note 2 Herring Gulls along with a handfull of Lesser black backs, Curlew, Lapwing, 4 Swallows + the usual Stock Doves, Red Grouse, Woodpigeons, Pheasants etc. House Martin at Heath Hill Road and 2 male Bullfinch near home.

12th April

First Wheatear seen on 10th April at Heath Hill Road, today had a surprise when a Jack Snipe flew strait past me at the same site. Also 100+ Fieldfare and a few Redwings at Roils Head + a male Redpoll singing there.

6th and 7th April

Out with SC yesterday. A pair of Peregrines circling together was the highlight, also had 40+ Lapwing, 2 Oystercatchers, several Curlews, Red Grouse etc etc. Today dropped in on an old friend pictured above, unfortunatly I had left the digi scope camera at home so had to make do with the lumix down the scope.She was just finishing off her dinner when we arrived. A Short-eared Owl at another site was the first of the year for me.

2nd April

On the way to town had 4 Waxwings on wires half way down Pellon Lane (no bins and no camera).

1st April

Had a look for the reported Firecrest at EGP today with no luck, all the usual suspects were on the feeders at the car park. The best sight however was 6 Common Buzzards soaring together over Elland Park Wood. Later on had a blinking Little Owl at Heath Hill Road.

19th March

Brother dropped me at Cold Edge, pretty quiet, 2 Greylag Geese, 1 Kestrel, 2 Oysercatchers, 2 Curlew, 1 Moorhen and a fly over Golden Plover was about it. Noted a few Meadow Pipits begining to move through.

17th March

Detour around Calderdale with SC didnt produce much today. 1 Grey Wagtail at Walsden, a pair of Little Owls at Mankinholes, then up to Walshaw Dean 8 Oysertcatchers, 16 Lapwings displaying and a handfull of Curlews was about it. Yesterday we had 1 Yellowhammer at Bradley Hall Farm and a total of 10 Goosanders there and at Elland GP. Not mush else at Elland 2 Coot and lots of Long-tailed Tits.

4th March

Got the bus up to local watch point this PM. Sparrowhawk mobbed by corvids on the way. Settled down for a couple of hours raptor watching, first a Sparrowhawk came out and started to display, did a very good immprestion of a Gos and had me going for a while. It finally ended its display by stooping at a passing Peregrine. The Peregrine then went off to hunt over the moors. Male Kestrel was the next to show followed by my first sighting this year at this site of a pair of Buzzards which started to talon grapple. The Sparrowhawk came out again and dashed behind the hillside puting up a few Magpies. Also in the area 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Red Grouse, 3 Mistle Thrushes. Had a stonking male Bullfinch near home when got off the bus.

3rd March

Went to Gorple today with DJS for the reported Water Pipit. Very flighty and very odd looking bird, didnt think it was one at first but better views and heard calling in flight later on had us both convinced it was one. The lack of obvious wing bars was puzzling but as MH pointed out that it was probably moulting prior to migration made sence. Also 1 Peregrine, 21 Golden Plovers, 20 Curlews, 3 Oystercatchers, 30+ Lapwing, 2 Red Grouse, 1 Dipper, 1 Common Gull, 3 Mistle Thrush and lots of Canada Geese.

Reunion booze up friday night

Todmorden Station mid-night left to right. Andy(5 basses)Smith, Mr Bink, Dave Junior(drums),Heavy Birder (Bass and guitar)Niggle(python guru), LA, Mark (Bass)and Paul (Ive got a Strat and a Gibson Les Paul) Turner.Brother Phil took the picture.Just about recovered from a rare great night out.

1st March

Cold Edge area today. 2 Curlews and 1 Oystercatcher at the dams, also 2 Goldeneye and 5 Greylag Geese present. At Cold Edge Road 5 Lapwing, 1 Golden Plover and 5 Goosanders flying north.

28th February

Inspired by yesterdays handfull of raptors I returned to the site with scope and tripod today. Not much doing though, only had rusty the local Common Buzzard and 10 Stock Doves. Had to wait 2 hours before the next raptors came along in the form of two Peregrines which set upon rusty and gave him a good kicking. 13 Lapwings and 6 Mistle Thrushes in nearby fields.

27th February

Had a walk up to a local watch point today in the hope of some raptors. Didnt take long before a Kestrel appeared followed by the local male Buzzard. A Peregrine then came down the valley and a distant accipiter got me going for a while but just couldnt clinch id, too distant.A Raven was a nice surprise as it flew up the valley calling, 24 Lapwings in the fields and lots of Mistle Thrushes kicking about. 1 or 2 Green Woodpeckers in the valley as well as lots of Green and Gold Finches. Also had a very distant flock of probable geese moving east.

24th February

10 Golden Plovers at High Road Well Moor today (29 yesterday)6 Lapwings also here. 2 Skylarks at Tower Hill (4 yesterday).

19th February

Looked like a good day for raptors, so me and DJS headed to a local site but very little was happening. Only had 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel and 1 Peregrine, also 1 Jay, 2 Nuthatch, a few Pheasants and heard a couple of Siskins

18th February

Usual walk today produced 20 Golden Plovers and 18 Lapwings at High Road Well Moor, 1 Kestrel at Roils Head and 1 Lesser Black Back at Pellon Reservoir earlier.

9th February

Only 4 Golden Plovers at High Road Well Moor today, Sparrowhawk over Pellon Lane, 5 Goldfinch and 2 Jays at Roils Head.

8th February

Walk to ASDA produced 80+ Jackdaws put up by a Sparrowhawk and 1 Lesser Black back over the car park.10 Golden Plovers at High Road Well Moor this afternoon were the first in a while.

2nd February

Not much happening today, 60 Common Gulls, 2 Lapwings and 1 Great black back thats all, roll on spring.

1st February

Walk over Roils Head today produced 9 Redwing, 4 Herring Gulls west, two flocks of Goldfinches, 25 and 15 and a male Bullfinch at Dodgson Wood.

29th January

A trip with DJS and JS to Scammonden for the Slavonian Grebe found yesterday made a welcome change to trudging around Roils Head. After drawing a blank at first I eventually found the bird further down the reservoir than it had been reported. No sooner had I found it then it took flight and flew back to the south end. We all had decent views but it proved very difficult to digi scope and I only managed 1 record shot. Also present 1 drake Goldeneye, 1 Kestrel a few Mallard and 6 Great Black Backs which flew south.

27th January

Only bird of note today was this Great Black Back which flew west at High Road Well Moor.

25th January

Usual walk late afternoon produced this lonely looking Little Owl at Heath Hill Road, a fair number of Common and Black-headed Gulls and a single Redwing at Pellon Lane.

15th January

First winter Common Gull taken today at Mout Tabor.

testing 3

Testing picture

13th January

Todays stroll over Roils Head, broght 1 Red-legged Partridge at Tower Hill, 1 Herring Gull south west and 8 Great Black backs north at Heath Hill Road. 25 Golden Plovers were at High Road Well Moor and a nice flock of winter thrushes there also mainly Redwings with a few Fieldfares and 2 Mistle Thrushes.

11th January

Usual walk over Roils produced, 25 House Sparrows at Norton Tower, 10 Redwing and 2 Fieldfare at Heath Hill Road, 5 Golden Plover, 2 Lapwing, 40 Carrion Crows, 18 Rooks and the usual BHGs and Common Gulls at High Road Well Moor.

5th Jan Goose Day

Lots of Pink feet moving through Calderdale today, so went up Roils Head and had two flocks go over, one of 200 - 300 birds and another of 104+ birds (for some reason I can not post pictures on the blog today,, blog problem?). Also lots of finches at Roils Head, mainly Gold Green and Chaffinches, also had first Kestrel of the year and bumped into Muxy and family.

1st Jan 2013

All I wanted for Christmas was a rubbish tip!!! gone are the days of the early 90s when Elland used to attrack regular Glaucous, Iceland and Yellow-legged Gulls in the winter months.

Year started off not bad with a small movement of large gulls passing west over Roils Head, 12 Herring and 3 Great Black backs. Message came through from DJS of a skien of pinkies heading my way and after a brief wait I managed to pick up 67 struggling to move slowly north west. First Sparrowhawk of the year was dashing about at Heath Hill Road and a Meadow Pipit was sheltering at Tower Hill.