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.