A trip down South.

                                           Fieldfares moving over Shelf Moor

                                   Footpath through to High Cross Lane

                                             Pepperhill Chapel

                                         Jackdaws over Green Lane

Down Shibden Valley from Green Lane

                                                Sun setting from Roper Lane

1430-1600hrs
An atrocious afternoon with heavy sleet and rain driven on by a W>5-6
The juncus field by Shelf Moor trailer park seems to be losing its grip of Snipe now with the count peaking at 48 at the beginning of the month and now down to 4 yesterday which was blamed on trial bikes in the next field but only a count of 3 today and no bikes present.
A small group of 20 Lapwings were in a nearby field along with 1 Mistle Thrush and around 40 Starling whilst 2 nice flocks of Fieldfares came up out of the fields and overhead >W totalling 44. A single LBB gull went over >W.
Good to have NK helping search again today at this venue, see his report also.

Northowram cricket field area.
Few small gulls

Trailer park area
20 Lapwing
44 Fieldfare
3 Snipe
1 LBB gull
1 Mistle Thrush
sev Starling

Green Lane area
8 Lapwing
Few small gulls
100+ Jackdaws
2 Chaffinch
15 Magpie at the holly bush roost
No Little Owl

Roper Lane
6 Fieldfare
2 Linnet
few small gulls

Old Guy Rd
2 Mistle Thrush on cricket pitch
6 Redwing by Micklemoss Farm
Plenty corvids and Starlings.
BS

Gale lashed Queensbury

           The wind up here plays havoc with Ollies hair.

A reet good soaking on the way to work this morning with gale force WSW>7 gusting 8 and lashing rain looking like sea spray across the road. The rain eased to showers but the wind continued until dark when it dropped to SW>5 but much milder temperatures.
A few LBB gulls battled against the wind > W whilst a flock of 34 Woodpigeon headed >S.
A better forecast for the weekend with maybe something stirred up after the bad weather.
Hope you all enjoyed your Christmas without putting on too many extra pounds.
BS

Leeshaw Med gull

Took some shots this morning of Herring gulls passing Leeshaw reservoir and saw the above gull which stood out though very distant and only managed the one half decent shot.
It was larger and plumper than a Black Headed but smaller than the juv Herring gull below it, with a near full black hood and a longer dark bill with slight black streaks on the ends of the primaries.
Only just gone through the pics but to me it looks good for a 2nd winter Med gull. Unfortunately this morning it appeared from nowhere , scope was packed up and one of those cases of try ID it or get a pic.
BS

Northowram/ Queensbury south, p.m. visit.

                                   NK searching the Juncus

                                             Coming up for air.

                Small break away Lapwing flock

                                           Big Bill

                                        1 of 4 Snipe
A visit to Sainsburys was on the cards this p.m.,where it was nice to bump into Bruce, but this then developed into the Range and Pound Stretcher so it was late in the afternoon when I got out although on the way home a Great Black Backed gull flew >W over Ringby.
First stop was Northowram cricket pitch area where once again the fields were near empty of gulls and Jackdaws although 3 Herring gulls went over >W.
The field beyond the cricket pitch with the line of trees down the private lane held 6 Blackbirds and 1 Mistle Thrush with a few Fieldfare in the trees.
Back at the trailer park it was good to meet NK, who had more sense than me and donned on wellies , so I was the one with wet feet.
Disappointingly as reported by NK, see his blog, motorcross bikes were on the quarry site next to the juncus field hence only 4 Snipe could be found along with 1 Reed Bunting whilst a small group of 50+ Lapwing were mobile overhead.
A Heron was moving around the various ponds in the area and Starlings were going to roost.
BS

Boxing day bash, Leeshaw

                                              Curlews still present

                                           Just like spring time

                                       Woodpigeons moving through

                                   Pheasant avoided the christmas pot.

An icy foggy start to Boxing day with dense fog on the tops later dropping in patches into the valleys with a freezing cold W>5 and hazy sunshine.
A treacherous drive to Oxenhope with icy roads and thick fog but clear on arrival making a pleasant but cold session.
Sounds of spring filled the air with 2 , possibly 3 Curlew flying around and calling briefly landing on the shoreline and in the fields.
Up to 200 Woodpigeons came over >S and several Herring and LBB gulls headed >NW.
The water was quiet apart from the usual small gulls and Mallards, and strangely geese are non existant.

c 200 Woodpigeons................................>S
2 poss 3 Curlew
1 Pied Wagtail
Sev Herring and LBB gulls.....................>NW
1 Meditteranean gull...................................NW
c60 Fieldfare
+ usual sp.
BS

Christmas Day Bash

                                  Oxenhope reservoir from Soil Hill

                                        Hazy sunshine over Wainhouse Tower

                                    Mixenden Reservoir from Soil Hill

                                   As good as the Snipe photos got

                                Shelf Moor juncus field

                                     Christmas morning sunrise

                                     Then up into the low cloud base

                                   Raggalds flood, water full, bird empty.

Took advantage of a quick hour out this p,m, permission of Lynda who was glad to get me out from under her feet for a while so off to Soil Hill.
A strong WSW>5 was blowing with hazy sunshine and very cold. A thorough search of the summits, top grass and mounds produced nothing other than 2 Fieldfare that launched out of the grass on the NW summit, which seemed like a strange place to find Fieldfare.
As I was leaving my attention was drawn to very noisy corvids near the mast obviously distressed at something but nothing showing until a Peregrine glided across with just an occasional flap of the wings and headed out over Ringby.
Next stop was Northowram cricket field to check the gulls but strangely not a gull or Jackdaw in sight around the usual fields so back up to the trailer park before last light.
As yesterday, not a Lapwing to be found but the juncus field held 15 Snipe which were very mobile and keeping low making photos near impossible with the speed they were moving at and the now poor light.
A Fox was also in the juncus very near to the Snipe but disappeared out of site before I had chance to snap in.
Next job, Boxing Day bash before back to work Friday.
BS

Gull watch in AC country

                            Common gull still summer plumage

                           Herring gull, argentatus, larger and darker mantle than others
                              Adult but still with dark bill.

                                             Plenty Jackdaws

                                       Ideal gull habitat

                                    Herring gull, 3rd winter argenteus.

                                            Herring gull amongst the Jackdaws

                                       Jackdaws fill the sky

A quick lunchtime dash to Andy C country, Northowram cricket club area, to check out the gulls there reported by AC yesterday, see his Northowram blog.
Up to 200 small gulls , 70% Commons and 30% Black Headeds with 4 Herring gulls present but quite a distance away with 3 being adults and one third winter still showing a hint of brown streaking.
The one I put as Argentatus had a real butch look about it and deep forehead making it look like a Yellow Legged, especially with the darker mantle, but luckily it walked up a mound in the grass showing me its pink legs.
Up to 200 Jackdaws were present along with  18 Stock Doves and c 100 Starling.
BS

My 7 wonders of the birding world

                            Watching the sun rise in the morning

                                       and set again in the evening

                                    An autumn plantation

                                          A calm clear reservoir

                      Peace and quiet, nothing and no one for miles.

                                         A sun kissed moorland.

                                   A flypast of Pink Footed geese.

Just a few of the things creating my ideal heaven,  and its all for free.

A gentle start to the day then a howling S>6-7 and heavy rain by midday calming after dark.

As you,ll probably be making merry tomorrow evening I,ll take this opportunity to say  a big thank you to all that watch this blog, whether every evening or just as and when, and I hope it,s given you as much pleasure viewing it as I get from writing it.
Many thanks also for all the photos , reports , comments and e mails I received from you throughout 2013 which all help me keep the blog going on a daily basis. Several people that write or ring reports in, along with people that send photos, I have never met but feel I know them as personal friends so please keep them coming in 2014.
Also thanks to the other local bloggers from which I watch with interest and gather information , these can be found from the links from my blog.

So here,s wishing you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY and HEALTHY 2014.
Lets see what we can turn up between us in the coming year.
BS