A better afternoon when I attacked Ringby Top 1400-1515 hrs with a mild WNW> 5 and a mixture of grey skies and sunshine.
The area was heaving with birds but nothing out of the ordinary though enough to keep me active checking through them. A flock of around 30 Meadow Pipits were in a field near the summit but a good check through them failed to get me a Bunt or Lark. One of the Mipits stood out with a very bright supercillium but everything else on it checked out to be just a Mipit.
Around 100 Common gulls were moving around the fields and gliding over the ridge along with the usual high number of Corvids whilst a steady westward movement of Herring gulls was apparent. Otherwise it was down to decent flocks of Starling and Fieldfare also feeding in the fields. A check of the quarry failed to find a winter Linnet flock but a good mixed flock of Green and Goldfinch were in trees by the Swalesmoor swimming baths.
Another kerb crawl through Moorclose on the way home failed to produce the Waxwings and a text from CK who had given the area a good coat of looking at today found the same although he got a bonus with a Sparrowhawk. Thanks for the text Chris.
A report from blog watcher Adrian Barber reported 5 Waxwings in Tescos car park, Canal Rd Bradford today. Thanks for that Adrian. By 1600hrs tonight the numbers had risen to 70, Keith Moir.
BS
WEST YORKSHIRE BIRDING. BRIAN SUMNER. I am based at Queensbury and bird a patch within a 10 mile range of home incorporating 16 stretches of water, several plantations, a belt of woodland, stretches of river and canal and good areas of moorland. I specialize in upland birds, reservoir and sky watching. My local patch is Fly Flatts reservoir. Any reports can be sent by text or call to 07771 705024 or see profile for e mail address. All images on this blog are copyright.(2025).