Common Scoter at Gaddings Dam

A dry day so out for a walk around the dams.

Mankinholes – a Little Owl  and a Kestrel on the ruined barn

Lee Dam

Goosander  –  1

Teal – 7

Moorhen  – 3

Dipper – 1

Jay – 1

Little Owl - 2

Longfield Dam

Lapwing – 15

Mistle Thrush – 1

Meadow Pipit – 1

Pied Wagtail – 2

Gaddings Dam

Goldeneye – 7 all females….and another bird that I took for a Great Crested Grebe at first, based on colouration and white cheeks. It was over the far side of the dam but I’d seen GCGs there in the past so even though it was a poor view, it was most likely another one. I texted Dave S to let him know. A few minutes passed and I looked again, got a better view and I wasn’t so sure so I waited to see if the birds would come any closer but they didn’t. I walked round the dam, out of sight, hoping to come up behind them and get a closer view but when I popped my head up they had gone over to the other side.This went on for a while! I took a few photos to try and get a better impression but they were inconclusive for me, although I was sure it wasn’t GCG now, so I rang Andy H for help.

Andy had a great idea to zoom in on one of the photos on my camera and take a snap of the screen with my phone, then send the photo to him. Meanwhile I told Dave S that the GCG id was being reviewed and I sent the same photo to him. It was poor quality to say the least but almost simultaneously both Andy and Dave came back with female Common Scoter. My first Common Scoter in Calderdale and my first female Scoter thanks to Andy and Dave.

I was able to get a few better photos a little later.

Waxwings

I managed to catch up with a small flock of Waxwing this morning over in Brighouse. As usual they were in a supermarket car park - Sainsburys this time.

Unfortunately the light was poor as it was overcast and pouring down so I had to change the camera settings to get half-decent images. Hopefully there will be further opportunities this year when the light is better and the birds come down from the tree tops.

Cragg Vale

I had a good long walk yesterday from home to Mytholmroyd, through Cragg Vale to Withens Clough reservoir then over the hill to Lee Dam and back home - about 11 miles so time to look around and wonder about stuff.

Going through Cragg Vale (which is the longest continuous incline in England, rising 968 feet over 5.5. miles, cyclists love it) I found a footpath that I hadn't used before in all the dozens of times I've walked through there. In most of the cloughs around Calderdale there are the remains of old mills which were water powered, so they were built in the steep cloughs to make use of the free power from the streams. However, I haven't come across an actual water wheel or even the remains of one before so this was a wonderful surprise:

 I think it's called Castle Gate Mill as just 100 yards further up I passed a small row of cottages and outside one of them was a post box:

 The stream was flowing normally for a change as we haven't had the torrential downpours recently that we've almost become accustomed to over the past year.

  Not many birds about which was very disappointing for such a long walk, but the usual Goosander and Teal were at Lee Dam and the ever-present Little Owl was in the barn at Mankinholes.

There was a Brambling in the garden yesterday morning though, which is my first of the Autumn.

Sanderling at Hornsea

There were 6 Sanderling and a Turnstone on the beach this morning.

A single Goldeneye was at the Mere and a possible Snow Bunting overhead on the cliff top.

Long-tailed Duck at Stocks Reservoir

Nipped over to see if the Long-tailed Duck was still at Stocks Reservoir this morning and it was. Showing well just below the first hide. A few Wigeon, Teal and Cormorant about but not a lot else unfortunately. It's a nice spot though and worthy of a longer visit at some time in the not-too-distant future.

The photos are naff as they were taken through the scope with my phone, very basic record shots and not worth saying any more about them.