Waxwings 41 Gulls 0

Caught up with the Waxwings around Warley Road/Halifax fire station at last. They didn't stay in one location very long so getting close to them for a decent photo was difficult and I was never lucky enough to be near a tree when they settled in it. These photos are cropped to give a reasonable sized image.

I quite like the one above as the red of the leaves adds to the overall effect but I'm still disappointed I couldn't get a close up of the birds.

Walk to Hebden Bridge

 It was a glorious morning so walked into Hebden via Strait Hey and London Road.

23 Fieldfare at Middle Stoodley
13 Long Tailed Tits and 2 Coal Tits in a mixed flock at Strait Hey
Male Kestrel at Swillington
Mistle Thrush and 2 Jay at Fairfield
3 Pied Wagtail at Eastwood WTW
2 Moorhen on River Calder

Autumn colours on Rochdale Canal     

Waxwings 0 - Gulls 87

I went into Halifax this morning to look for the Waxwings that have flown in but despite walking around for several hours in the area they were reported yesterday there was no sign of them.

Ah well, there's always tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after.....

There were 87 gulls on Saville Park, most of them Common Gulls but there were a few BH Gulls in there too.

People, Lapland Bunting and Fieldfares

A simply stunning day today so off for a walk over the hills to Warland reservoir and back on the Rochdale Canal. About 11 miles so a good work out.

Walking into Mankinholes it was clear that  something was afoot as there were loads of cars parking in the field and people milling about. It turns out that East Pennine Orienteering Club had an event running with around 400 people taking part.

Walked over to Lee Dam and the 3 Goldeneye that were here for the last 2 days had disappeared but a Goosander (f), 3 Teal, a Moorhen and a Little Grebe more than made up for their absence.

As I walked up the Long Causeway out of Mankinholes there were people all over the hills:

 It was good to see so many people, including youngsters, out on the hills enjoying themselves. The weather helped but they would have been there anyway as it was a well-organised event by the looks of it.

Over to Warland res on the Pennine Way I wasn't expecting to see much in the way of birds as this part of the moor is pretty quiet even in Spring, with Skylarks and Meadow Pipits most in evidence with the odd Red Grouse and Curlew.

I was very pleasantly surprised to see a Lapland Bunting then!

Great views of the bird which were only ended when some oik on a mountain bike came splashing through the mud on the Pennine Way and scared it off. Ay well, onwards and....onwards. Below Warland res there were loads of Fieldfare in the fields, at least 97 as this was how mnany I got in one photo, and probably more. They have been arriving in large numbers and I look forward to seeing more of them over the coming months.

Nearer home there were 3 Lapwing, a Tufted Duck, 5 Black Headed Gulls and numerous Canada Geese on Longfield Pond. I checked Lee Dam on the way past but there was nothing stirring. I was sorely tempted to stop in at the Top Brink for a well-earned pint but I pressed on and got home about 3 o'clock.

Lee Dam

Lee Dam was worth visiting today with 3 Goldeneye (see pics) 3 Teal and a Little Grebe. Mallards (4) were also around but no sign of Moorhens today.































The Goldeneyes looked to be females at first sight but one of them was in a slightly different plumage, overall darker than the other 2 (middle of 3 birds in pic above) and could have been a youngster.

5 Mistle Thrush flew off from the dam as I arrived and moved over to Lumbutts church yard, making a real racket, and landed on the berry-laden holly bushes.

Late afternoon - noticed several thrushes landing in the back field and once I got the bins on 'em they proved to be Fieldfares. A total of 29 eventually - the first flock I've seen this Autumn although they have been arriving in Calderdale for some time now in good numbers.

The squirrel turned up again in the garden this morning (assuming it's the same one each day) mooching about under the bird feeders. It didn't stay long and ran off along the wall. I've yet to see it on the feeders themselves but my (much) better half saw it perched on the top bracket of the feeders a few days ago.

Long Tailed Tits

A walk down the River Calder and Rochdale Canal this afternoon in the strong winds was accompanied by lots of Long tailed Tits, they seemed to be everywhere. It wasn't until I got home and looked at my photos that I noticed the insect at the centre of the spider's web on this pic:







































but it isn't on this photo taken just 2 seconds later........I've no idea what it was or where it went as I didn't see the LTT take it and eat it. (Click on the photos for a larger view then click on Back to come back here).

Other birds on the waterways were a Moorhen, lots of Mallards of course; 7 Pied Wagtails and 22 Black Headed Gulls at Eastwood Water Treatment Works, then lots more Long Tailed Tits in Shaw Wood along with a Treecreeper.

Walk To Withens Clough reservoir

It was a bright and sunny day but a chilly Westerly was blowing, which was felt more and more as I gained height over the hill to Withens Clough. Before that though there were eye catching reflections in the water at Lee Dam.

A good sized flock of 38 Redwing were feeding on Rowan trees at Sisley Lane, Mankinholes.

9 Meadow Pipits at Withens Gate and several birds (4 Coals Tits, 3 Blue Tits and a Siskin) were feeding on pine cones at the top of a fir tree in the wood at Withens Clough. A female Goldeneye was on the reservoir but apart from that there were surprisingly few birds about.

At home 8 Mistle Thrush flying around in the back field and a Pheasant came into the garden to feed on seeds dropped from the bird feeders by Goldfinches and Greenfinches.

Scarborough harbour at sunrise

A walk along the beach to the harbour on Sunday morning was just brilliant. Lots of juv. gulls around the harbour and 3 Redshank poking about in the mud between the boat hulls.