Soil Hill

Dredged the whole of the top of Soil Hill last light with absolutely nothing and it was just the sighting of a Carrion Crow that stopped me having a total dip.
Possible disturbance with dog walkers may have sent the Jack Snipe lower down the hill but no time to check in the fast fading light.
Whilst shopping this afternoon  checked the top end of Halifax Waxwing hotspots for Rowan berries inc, Pellon Lane, Gibbet St, Queens Rd etc with not a berry in sight , opposite to last year weve got plenty birds and no berries.
BS

Pinkie morning

                       Pink Footed Geese still on the move

                                        Several Tit flocks about

                                       Chaffinches but no Brambling

                                                     Dunnock

                          Is this your leg ringed gull Nigel

                                             1 of 2 Cormorant

Fly Flatts aborted due to thick fog and treacherous road conditions with black ice even on the main roads.
Ogden was clear but banks of fog kept rolling in over the tree tops.
Ogden  0730- 1015hrs.
At 0815 a skein of Pink Footed geese went overhead >SE but up in the mist  but shortly after a skein of 75 went over in the same direction but this time visible in clear blue skies.
Then at 0915 a third skein went over in the mist but was seen by NK at the Raggalds.
Otherwise things were quiet with the usual tit flocks etc and 2 Cormorants on the water.
BS

No wonder she didnt get Waxwings !

                                   Photos Tracy Collier

Tracy couldnt find Waxwings today but the second bird she found may explain why. Unfortunately this Harris Hawk had not been blown in from America on the westerlys but was with its owner.
Nice pics Tracy.
BS

Last hour on Soil Hill

                                 Rain heading for the hill

                                          Rain cloud moving away

                                           Sun going down

                                    Dropping down behind Stoodley Pike

By the time Id got the family bit done today I was left with less than 1 hours daylight so up to Soil Hill on a Snow Bunting check which proved fruitless. A heavy rain shower was dropped on me as I got up there but it soon passed leaving a good sunset.
Things were quiet up there with just 1 Skylark, 4 Grey Partridge and a Kestrel but worth the check as Snow Bunts should be through anytime now.
Disappointing around the bottom end of Halifax for Rowan berries with none around Sainsburys, Wickes, Parish church or bus station and no local Waxwing reports today as yet other than Wakefield.
Sorry to hear TC dipped twice this morning at Preston St where Im sure they,ll still be around the area somewhere but the flock down there can move between Thornton Rd, Girlington Morrisons area and Bfd University. Was hoping to get down this afternoon but ran out of time.
One interesting species in Sainsburys as we were on our way out this afternoon was Tracy who seemed more interested in looking up a tree than getting her shopping in the car, sorry I could,nt get to you to speak.
I,ll see if Fly Flatts is in a good mood for me in the morning.
BS

Yes, its more gulls.

                                              Commons

A good day with nice grey skies and little wind. Slight rain late p.m.
Although conditions looked good very little was moving today other than the usual Foxhill gulls, but much smaller numbers than yesterday , and still several large flocks of Starlings feeding around the village.
More Waxwings for Queensbury with 2 over Brighouse Rd a.m. see NKs blog, and these corresponded with the birds I got yesterday at approximately the same time,0845hrs showing that birds are probably roosting nearby.
No Waxwing reports on the Bradford birds today although I should think they will still be found around the Preston St area ? , dont blame me tomorrow if Im wrong Tracy.
No sign of the small gull today but most of the gull flock was in fields off Old Guy Rd although this bird seemed to kick up little interest.
BS.

Waxwings for Queensbury, ( briefly )

                Record number of small gulls for Foxhill

                                          Plenty Starlings about

A very bird active day with a record number of small gulls on the rugby field first light with a count of 170+ , 80% being Commons.  Also on the rugby field was c 100 Starling down on the ground feeding.
At work the sky was busy with small gulls and Starlings, some of the latter in migration mode moving >NW.
At 0850hrs I went out in the car park to fetch a car in and saw a flock of 7 birds which didnt look right for Starlings and as they flashed overhead they were Waxwings, a very rare sight for Queensbury. The birds were heading >NW towards Illingworth or DJS s garden just beyond.
Two Grey Wagtails were flying circuits over the garage before heading towards the mill.

Thanks for the call from NK with a massive skein of Pinkies over but unfortunately hidden to the west of me.
Tracy picked 2 reports up from her work today of Waxwings around Bradford and these were confirmed on Birdguides tonight with 30 by the Royal Oak on Sticker Lane and c50 near Tesco on Canal rd.
The Sticker Lane birds are getting close to your work Tracy, thanks for the info.
BS

Poss Mew Gull still around

Plenty small gull pics but not the one Im after.
                                                                    Commons and Black Headeds

The suspected Mew gull was in the park at lunchtime but soon flushed with dogs off the lead. The secret is to get in when its quiet but with a limited lunch break I have to take what comes. The bird stands out amongst the Commons like seeing BHG and Common together and the pure white head is a give away. The flock flew into the fields by Old Guy Rd but as I walked back to work they were heading for the rugby field.
Will try again tomorrow and NK is going to have a dabble.
BS

If it wasnt for bad luck Id have no luck at all !

                                          First Light.

A cracking sunrise but this was soon blanked with cloud leaving a good grey movers sky.

The saying goes, Some days are diamond, some days are stone, well Ive got enough stone lately to build a house. Recently marred by fog and missed chances today was a classic.
My dinner break dog walk in Foxhill Park found me loaded to the hilt with camera gear hoping to get some better photos of yesterdays odd gull and as I got up there I could see the bird with 3 Commons on the top pitch but as I got within range an off the lead dog scattered them and away they flew.
Next a walk down Chapel Lane to work watching the sky with nothing,then as I got in the garage and putting my overalls on, a frantic call from NK, " get in the car park quick, PINKIES ". Throwing down the phone and grabbing the camera, out in the car park, one leg in and one leg out of the overalls, nothing, missed then by seconds.
Apparently a large skein came directly over the garage, over Chapel Lane, over my house and over Foxhill Park, all the places Id been 5 minutes earlier.
Many thanks to Nigel for the quick call to which he missed a chance of a photo as he tried to get the birds for me.
At least I know not to bother with the lottery this week.
BS

Foxhill gulls

                                Common gulls through the mist

                                        This oddball Common in summer plumage turned up
                          and was much smaller than the others.

A bright red sunrise closely followed by drizzle turning to rain followed by fog.
Birds were active first thing with c60 Common gulls in Foxhill park and 20 + BHGs but by lunchtime only 2 BHGs and 7 Commons were left including 1 much smaller Common still in summer plumage, a real odd looking specimen.
Good to hear from NK that yesterdays Teal and Wigeon were still present on the Raggalds flood, not the best day for Nigel to be trudging Soil Hill but thats dedication for you.
BS

Nigel saves the day. Raggalds Flood

                                           Female Wigeon

                                          Drake Teal

A late morning call from Nigel telling of Teal on the Raggalds Flood was welcome but a second call reporting female Wigeon there was too tempting , especially after the morning Id just had, so it was in the car and shoot up there. Sure enough the 2 were showing though the area of the water only allows distant views which is bad for photographs but good that NK spotted them at that distance.
Another visit late pm found the Teal gone but the Wigeon hanging on in there. See Queensburybirder blog.
Soil Hill was again quiet with no goodies dropped in during the day so it was on to the Ned Hill watchpoint to see what was moving through the col .
LBBs , Common and BHG gulls were filtering through, some towards TMR and others towards Mixenden whilst 2 Kestrels were present and 1 Sparrowhawk.
Four Meadow Pipits look like staying for the winter and only 1 Skylark could be found.
I stayed on till last light but no Waxwings came in to the Ogden plantation to roost.
A look around Halifax Waxwing hotspots , in amongst shopping,  Pellon Lane, Hanson Lane, Queens Rd and Asda found very little signs of berries so we,ll just have to hope there are some fruit bearing trees elsewhere in the area and the Waxwings lead us to them.
Thanks again for the call Nigel.
BS