25th July

 Light Emerald

 Swallowtail

 Beautiful Golden Y

 Plain Golden Y

 Mottled Beauty

Early Thorn

Nobody going birding today so dug out the moth trap for 3 hours mothing. Above are the best catches of the night, nothing special but still some nice moths.

23rd July Gull fest

Out with DJS tonight at Ringstone Edge. There must have been somewhere in the region of 4000 gulls feeding in the fields, most were Black-headed with 100 Common and 30 or so Lesser Black Backs, there was also a large gull that we just couldnt get to grips with. We both thought there as to be a Med Gull in all that lot, but try as we might we just couldnt find one. Also present a very big Peregrine, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Common Sands, 2 Curlew, 2 Tufties and 2 Grey Herons.

Oh next day Dave returned in the afternoon and found an adult Med Gull

21st July

 Black-tailed Godwits at Ringstone Edge

Evening out with SC, a quick stop off at Ringstone proved to be very fruitfull. 4 Great Crested Grebes and 2 Tufties were on the reservoir and a Sedge Warbler was singing on the far side when I heard a Greenshank calling, the bird was picked up in flight and soon came down on the banking. Then DJS rang to tell me he was on the other side and had a field full of gulls but no scope with him, so we soon joined Dave and started to search through probably 1000 gulls. Most were Black-headed with a handful of Common and Lesser Black Backs but nothing else. Taking a quick break through scanning I suddenly picked up a group of waders flying fast and high above the reservoir, managed to get the scope on them, 7 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 carried on towards Elland but thankfully 6 came back and landed in the field with the Gulls. 1 of the birds appears to be ringed or tagged, white over red on the right leg and white over yellow on the left. Ive seen Black-tailed Godwit in Calderdale before but these are the first ones Ive actually found.
After Ringstone Edge we went to Elland GP to join the moth men for a spot of mothing but had to leave at 11.30, still a good nights birding in July.

20th July

Out this evening with SC, after visiting a Badger set to check Steves cameras we finally did some birding. The Little Owl was on the same post it was on the previous night and the Short-eared Owl was carrying prey to either a nest or young on the moor. Best bird though was a superb Hobby that flew over us, I only got on to it because I saw its reflection in the reservoir water and just turned round in time to watch it speed over the moor. Other birds included the reeling Grasshopper Warbler, 7 Greylags, 1 Tufted Duck, 4 Kestrels, 4 Oystercatchers, 4 Common Sands, 2 Curlews, 4 Stock Doves, 3 Grey Partridge and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

19th July

 Little Owl

Out with Roy this evening, tride an old LEO site with no luck, we did however have Tawny Owl, Short-eared Owl and a very tame Little Owl that allowed me to get a few shots from the car. Also 1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling, 5 Oystercathers, 1 Snipe, 3 Stock Doves and 2 Grey Partridge.

18th July

A couple of hours out this evening with SC produced 2 Short-eared Owls and 6 Kestrels but not much else.

14th July

Out with SC this evening, first stop produced a Common Buzzard being mobbed by a small falcon, too distant to id, also had a pair of Grey Wagtails feeding young out of the nest. Up at Fly had a nice male Peregrine go over, 1 Golden Plover, 1 Oystercatcher, 2 Common Sands, 8 Greylags and 300- 500 Swifts hawking over the water.

13th July

A few hours out today with Roy didnt produce much just more rain. Did have a fairly pale Common Buzzard over the Crags but not much else.

25th June

 Leo

 Hobby

After a truely dreadful month in more ways than one, I finaly got out last night with SC. First stop the Luddenden Valley to look for Redstarts with no luck, did however have a Cuckoo and a Buzzard. Then moved on to a LEO sight where two birds showed well, also 2 Shorties and a reeling Grasshopper Warbler. Best however was a Hobby which flew over the valley which I just managed to get on camera before it sped off over the moors.

Special thanks go to birders Roy and Gordon for attending my dads funeral last friday, thanks guys it meant a lot to me.

6th June

A brief visit to Elland GP with SC produced the usual species + 2 Reed Warblers singing, 1 Kingfisher heard, Whitethroat carrying food but not much else.

4th June

Pair of Redstarts observed at a local site this PM, then on to the Crags in the hope of Wood Warbler and Pied Fly but nothing, couldnt even find a Spotted Fly, did have a brief view of a LEO at a regular spot in the evening.

31st May

Mad dash over to Fairburn Ings this evening with Roy to see a Black-winged Stilt that had turned up. Found it feedinf at some distance and managed a few digi scope record shots. A lifer for Roy and only my second for Yorkshire (had one at Filey Dams many moons ago) still a nice bird to see. Not much doing at Swillington Ings later on.

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?