Gulls on the move

                       Foxhill Common Gull

                         Just missed the sunset on Roper Lane after work

                                          Withins Gap

                                  SW over Illingworth

A frosty start leaving a bright clear day though quiet overhead until I was coming out of work at 1715hrs when several gulls were moving over >W and >NW.
A quick drive around Roper Lane, unfortunately just missing the sunset, produced a count of 38 LBB gulls very high and >NW along with 17 Herring gulls equally as high but >W. All went over in twos and threes.
Four Common gulls were in Foxhill park at lunch time and 3 Black Headed, otherwise nowt doing.
A Buzzard mid day, reported by DJS, heading from Brighouse towards Southowram, never materialized over the village.
BS

Previous years March

                                     Red Kite over Shelf Moor, March 2012

                   Fly Flatts Twite   March 2012

                      Ogden Crossbills   March 2012

                 Ogden m Goldeneye,  March 2012

                               Ogden, Pr Goldeneye,  March 2012

                          Queensbury, Foxhill Waxwings   March  2013

                                  March 2013, year of the Waxwings.

With March on us again just a few tempters to watch out for from the previous 2 years.
March starts to see the cross over with winter birds leaving and summer birds arriving and with lighter nights on their way there,s more chance to get out there and see just whats happening.

A poor day today despite the bright skies and cold WNW>4 , with Raggalds Flood void of any bird life what so ever and only a few small gulls in surrounding fields.
Nice to meet Jean and Col at the garage today although they probably was,nt  too pleased to have to come and see me to have their car repaired.
BS

Raggalds Flood and nearby.

                                    New visitors to the flood field

      One of a pair of Lapwings holding territory

                                  New manure heaps, Old Guy Rd

Another bright spring like day although a cold breeze.

Raggalds Flood at lunch time held the now resident pair of Lapwings as well as 2pr Mallards and 3 Common gulls.
The nearby pylon field had another 5 Lapwing present along with around 40 small gulls and several corvids.
Old Guy Rd had the usual small gulls and corvids and again no Grey Partridge sightings.
Some good manure piles have been dumped in a field off Old Guy Rd to either be spread or left stored, either way it should attract something next month.
4 Herring gulls flew >W towards Fly Flatts but unlikely they,ll stop off.
A report from Roy Morris today of a Moorhen back on the ponds at Oats Royd and a close encounter he had with a Woodcock in the Gulf area, thanks for that Roy.
BS

Queensbury Today

All quiet up here in the gods today with another spring like day until rain late p.m.
Interesting to see Jays on the move with 2 over the garage early a.m. >N and 3 in trees at the bottom end of the Grimston field, an unusual sighting and obviously movers.
3 Pied Wagtails were on the top pitch at lunch time but the gulls seem to have mostly moved on now.
Getting reports of a new family in the Roper Lane area with a very aggressive Bull Mastiff type dog which is causing problems at Oats Royd chasing geese and it recently killed a Jack Russell dog down there. I believe the authorities have been informed of the incident so hopefully the owner will be put down.
BS

Something to think about

                                       2 male Teal   Raggalds Flood

                            May Dunlin and Redshank, Raggalds Flood

        May Record shots of Yellow Wagtail 2013  Raggalds Flood

A real spring like day today but no time for birding at lunch time with District nurse meeting so just a few pics from last year at the flood to wet your appetite.

Shibden Park/ Northowram/ Coley.

                                  All small gulls at Coley

                                          Coley church.

A grim late afternoon with a strong SSW>5 carrying horizontal drizzle and low scud.
A quick visit to Shibden Park to check on the health of the Kittiwake looked promising with the bird gone. Several BHGs were on the grassy hillside but no Kittiwake and the boatman told me only the one BH gull had been fished out dead  last week so sounds like a happy ending.

Northowram fields were poor with a few small gulls whilst Coley was alive with around 150 small gulls, 75% BHGs and 25% Common.
Several Fieldfare, Redwing and Mistle Thrushes were in and around the Hawthorns with a couple of Blackbirds and 9 Pied Wagtails in the horse field, watch this space for Yellow Wags in the spring.

Shelf Moor field held about 80 Lapwing and 100+ Starling.
BS

Ogden a.m.

A poor morning with a strong SW>5 and terrible light, everything seen in silhouette hence no photos.
The water just held the usual mallards and 3 Canada geese whilst a pair of Grey Wagtails were in the overflow. A quick glimpse of a Nuthatch at last which briefly flew from the feeders up into the large tree by the flagpole, as reported by John in the week, then away over the Rhododendrons  .
A Heron flew >SW, my first this year, and a Song Thrush was singing in the usual area.
Plenty Robins, Dunnocks, Wrens, Blackbirds, Chaffinch and tits singing.
A few Coal Tits around and a couple of Goldcrest.
BS

Soil Hill last light visit

                                  Lapwings now holding territory

                                       Bit of sun on Ringby Top from Soil Hill
1600-1700hrs

Due to the strong SW>6 and the lateness of the hour it was no surprise that Soil Hill was quiet to say the least.
Lapwings are now holding territory up there whilst 3 Skylarks kept close to the deck.
A single Moorhen was on the NK pond but no joy with the Woodcock after searching all the usual hot spots.
5 Herring gulls headed >W on their usual track over Ringby Top.

Raggalds Flood held 4 Lapwings and 6 Mallard at 0700hrs this morning.
BS

Raggalds Flood livening up

                        Gulls lining the banking

                Lapwings holding territory

An atrocious dinner time with a howling W>5 and heavy rain but a trip to the flood brightened things up a bit to find Common and Black Headed gulls lining the shoreline along with 2 Lapwings now holding territory.
2 pair of Mallard were on the water and several jackdaws in the field.
Although nothing spectacular birds attract birds so hopefully its only a matter of time before some goodies drop in.
Around 150 small gulls were in the pylon field at the other side of Travis house.

Meeting with the specialist today went down with mixed feelings. Lyndas op was successful although the cancer has 50% chance of return so a program of Radio Therapy cuts it down to 20 %.
A busy time ahead now with 5 visits to Leeds and 3 to Bradford to get the ball rolling then to Leeds St James for radiation every day for 6 weeks, sounds like fun.
Work and birding,s going to suffer as well as my nerves driving to Leeds every day but hopefully it will all be worthwhile in the end.
BS

Dinner time dash to see the celebrity Kittiwake

                    Shibden Park Kittiwake

            Found 19/02/2014 by Michael Nield

                                 Good size comparison with BHg

With just 20 minutes to spare at lunch time and armed only with the small camera I decided I had to get down to Shibden Park to get the Kittiwake before it hopefully recovered and moved on.
Breaking a new land speed record I arrived with 5 minutes to view and a quick dash back but on arrival the bird was nowhere to be seen until thankfully it appeared from out of the corner although keeping on the opposite side of the water to be. It appeared healthy and was seen to take bread.
A great record for 2014.
BS