More pics from yesterday and Soil Hill Visit.

                                  Reflections.

                                             A cracking bird

                                  More pics from yesterdays visit.

A bright clear warm evening even on Soil Hill so a quick half hour up there just to check the popular ponds with nothing showing as also reported by NK this morning, see Queensburybirder.
Several Skylark were up singing and 2 Grey Partridge flew across the top and into the field.
A single Wheatear was very mobile near the mast and then moved to the NE corner.
Another birder up there, BN.(BOG), reported 2 Pied Wagtails and a single White Wagtail near the track ponds.
BS

Swifts and Dunlin, Soil Hill.

An amazing hour on Soil Hill this evening in pleasant conditions for a change.
The Dunlin found by DF, Calderbirds, this morning was still present feeding well in a scrape and at one point 100+ Swifts were drifting >N overhead.
Several Skylark were up singing but no sign of the LRP and RPs.
BS

Fly Flatts

                                      2 of 3 Oystercatchers

           Jurys out on this, thought Herring but prob LBB. any comment.

                                       A solitary Wheatear

                                  At least 6 Common Sandpipers

Fly Flatts 0715- 1015hrs. A cold start with a strong NE>5-6 which dropped to 3 mid morn.
Perfect birding grey skies.
A Grasshopper Warbler was the bird of the morning briefley reeling near the boathouse at 0730hrs but failed to re locate it later on.
Nice to meet CK who confirmed that Crossbills have bred at Ogden.

1 Grasshopper Warbler
6 Common Sandpiper
3 Oystercatchers
1 Redshank
1 Wheatear
+ usual sp.
BS

Soil Hill

                                          Several Lapwings on the summit

                                               Curlew heading >N

An evening visit to Soil Hill with grey skies and a strong NE>5 but remaining dry.
A thorough search of the top of the hill found no sign of either Little or Ringed Plovers so they have either gone down to the bottom ,which is unlikely ,or more likely moved on.
I thought I might get you a nice Dotterel picture tonight but I also thought I might win the lottery, neither of which happened.
The hill held 7 Lapwing and 3 Curlew with another Curlew over >N, whilst 4 Grey Partridge and 2 Red Legged Partridge were present.
Otherwise it was just the usual Mipits and Skylarks with a Kestrel doing a low flypast.
BS

Passage birds

                                             Ringed Plover

                                    Poor photos in the conditions

                                   A fly past

Soil Hill  1900- 1945hrs
After and alert from NK of 3 LRPs on Soil Hill I thought Id better get myself up there and take a look. It was looking on the hill for LRPs a few years ago that I found Dotterel.
It was 1900hrs before I got up there by which time it was heavy rain , dark clouds and a strong NE>5 but as soon as I got to the summit I picked up 2 Ringed Plover by the scrapes. The birds were very fidigity and dashing about amongst the mounds. As they flew to another scrape a single Little Ringed Plover flew up and joined them. I hadnt time to search the full area for the other 2 LRPs but the RPs must have been fresh in since Nigels visit but the way they were acting they didnt look like staying. Well done Nigel, theres not much gets past you on the hill.
BS

Queensbury Today

A day of sunshine and showers clearing by late afternoon leaving a pleasant evening, shame its our Morrisons night.
Very little seen during the day other than the first batch of noisy young Starlings are out now and feeding on the football pitches in Foxhill park, about 30 were present at midday and the same this evening.
Dog walking this evening by the old covered reservoir at Mountain found :-
11 Goldfinch
1 distant Wheatear
4 Blackbirds
2 Pied Wagtails
14 Jackdaw
1 Curlew over very high >W.

Spoke to a Halifax firefighter at work and he said, thanks to Yorkshire Water helping them buy a moorland buggy with a water tank and spray on the back plus another same vehicle owned by the farmer they soon had the Cold Edge Dams fire under control although he said there were several broken eggs around the area.
BS

Queensbury old station.

                       Entrance to the old Holmefield tunnel

                           Looking up the Dailie Fields

                                    The old red bricked chimney

                                   Plenty Goldfinch flocks around

                                       Several Hares chasing rabbits.

A bright sunny day with a cool W >4 and very little cloud in the blue skies.
A quick visit after work this evening to the old Queensbury railway station checking on the state of the usually common Gt Spotted and Green Woodpeckers but as in several other areas this year none were found. Is anyone else finding a shortage?
The station was alive with Swallows, House Martins and a few Swifts whilst Willow Warblers were singing hidden in the dense foliage.
A single Blackcap was singing but proved very elusive and rabbits were everywhere being chased around by at least 3 Hares.
LBB gulls flew overhead >NW and a single Snipe was up drumming.

14 Goldfinch
c6 Willow Warbler
1 Blackcap
11 LBB gulls
1 Snipe
Swallows, House Martins and Swifts
+ usual sp.

Thanks today to the young lady that called in the garage, Im sorry, I never asked your name, to report a pair of Tawny Owls that have successfully bred in the Oakworth area.
Three young are out of the nest but unfortunately one fell down and was picked up by someone by the roadside but still alive. The bird was placed over the wall but was missing shortly afterwards, possibly victim to a fox ?
Many thanks for taking the time to call in and for watching the blog, look forward to hearing from you again and a progress report of the owls.
One thing I should have mentioned, when Tawnys have young they can get very protective and one or two birders I know have talons scars on their scalp to prove it.
BS

Hailstorms and sunshine

This little moth/ butterfly flew into the kitchen at midday to avoid a hail storm, as Im not genned up on moths and butterflies can someone tell me what it is and if its common or not.

A decent day with plenty sunshine and blue skies marred only by a few heavy showers, some being hail storms but dried up in time to leave a pleasant evening.
Again the bird of the day were Swifts moving >N with a few LBB gulls heading >SW whilst a single Common gull flew over Foxhill early evening.
Danny, Cullingworth birder, has again seen and photographed 2 Common Terns at Yeadon Tarn , where are ours this year, has anyone had any local sightings yet?
BS

Sunshine, Showers and Swifts

                                    Keelham farm shop this evening

 A day of sunshine and showers , the heaviest being early evening, then clearing to leave bright blue skies.
In amongst the showers Swifts were motoring through with c 40 during a 20 minute dog walk all N> along with a few Swallows and 6 House Martin.
At midday in the park a few young Starlings were out on the grass feeding whilst several adult birds were feeding and carrying food away.
No sign of smoke today over Cold Edge so hopefully the fire was sorted by the fire crews helped by overnight rain.
BS

Here we go again

Another spring breeding season and again a large moorland fire in the Fly Flatts area.
The fire, viewed from Ogden and Ned Hill, is concentrated just to the SW of the Withins possibly beyond Cold Edge Dams but with the strength of the wind it could spread rapidly.
Fire crews were in attendance and a fire officer was at Ned Hill taking photos.

Ogden itself was quiet due to the wind and partly unworkable due to the heavy smoke lying in the valley.
As reported by Denise, the long staying m Goldeneye has moved on.
4 House Martin
6 LBBs >N
4 Willow Warblers
+ usual sp.
BS

Fly Flatts/ Cold Edge Dams

Near gale force WSW >6 gusting >7 turning SW>6. Sunshine, some dark clouds. 0715-0930hrs.
One of those mornings where it was impossible to get out of the wind and birds were keeping their heads down. By 0900hrs I was wishing Id stayed at home and got on with the decorating.
Only birds in the sky were Curlews, Swallows and Swifts and the water at both venues held only the usual Canadas and Mallards.

Fly Flatts.
6 Swift
4 Swallows
2 f Wheatear
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Common Sandpiper
+ usual sp.

Cold Edge Dams.
1 Little Grebe
1 f Wheatear
2 Common Sandpipers
6 Reed Buntings
+ usual sp.
BS

Causeway Foot col

A flying 30 minute visit this evening to the Ned Hill watchpoint produced
2 Willow Warbler
1 Whitethroat briefly in the usual area
1pr Reed Buntings
1 Pied Wagtail
1 m Pheasant
2 Wheatear.

14 Swallow >N
5 Swift >N
4 LBBgull >NW
6 BH gull >N
1 Kestrel, various directions.
BS

Swifts on the move

A day of showers with a cold NW>4-5 but the skies were pleasantly active throughout the morning.
From 0630hrs Swifts were moving through >N in small groups of 3 to 5 and this continued until just after midday. Swallows were also sauntering through also >N feeding over trees as they went.
Two Canada geese came low over Foxhill at 0645hrs heading >S whilst a single Jay went >E at lunch time, which is an unusual sighting for here.
Lets hope we get a good weekend.
BS

Troubled Skies and singing Dunnocks.

                                                        Plenty Dunnocks up singing

                                     Storms approaching

A mixed day with a strong SSW>5 turning SW>4with light showers on and off all day. By early evening black storm clouds rolled in bringing a heavy hail storm moving across the area and disappearing to the east.

Gulls have been the bird of the day with a steady flow of LBBs moving most of the morning all >S along with a few Black Headed.
At lunchtime in Foxhill park Goldfinch, Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch and Blackbird were all up in full song.
BS