Tonights Outing

      Sorry I've not written on here for a while because of
      Illness but a call from JL got me to get off my butt and
      get out there and do something and I'm glad I did as I
      got to see my first Long Eared Owl of the year at a
      location I won't divulge but it was a fantastic sight
      seeing it flying about and passing by me as close as
      5 yards and that happened a few times, and then it
      got even better as another one flew by and then a Roe
      Deer ran in front of me about 20 yards away, it was just
      a shame it was so dark and my lens isn't that clever in the
      dark so pics are very grainy, but it was good to be out &
      about again so thanks again to hawk eye JL and the grapevine
      for getting me motivated.
      Birds and Animals seen were -:

      2 Long Eared Owl
      2 Kestrel
      6 Linnet
      10+ Meadow Pipit
      10+ Skylark
      1 Pheasant
      1 Stoat
      1 Roe Deer
      Rabbits galore.

     

      

Cromwell Stroll 2

   I thought I'd try Cromwell again today hoping for some
   better views but again it proved a disaster 27 species seen
   today and plenty more heard but it was a nightmare trying
   to get a photograph, Oh well I'll just have to keep trying.

   I bumped into a nice fella and birder Dave F who was on
   a search for the Sedge Warbler which appeared fleetingly
   but was making plenty of noise as also was the Water Rail
   but it was unwilling to show itself, Coot, Grey Heron, Jay,
   Canada's and Reed Bunting were more obliging though at
   a distance in the lagoon area.

   Plenty of Goosanders on the river along with their ducklings
   I counted 15 but could of been more, the Kingfisher was
   darting up and down and a Buzzard flew out of Tag Loop did
   a quick circle and then vanished, viewing area was quiet apart
   from the regulars popping in now and again.

   I then walked up to the weir hoping for Wagtails and Dipper
   but drew a blank and was hoping to see Whitethroat and Blackcap
   in the hedges but again drew a blank, so off to the cabin I went
   for a well earned coffee where I bumped into Dave L and had a
   nice chat it was nice to see him and also a lady called Val who
   was setting up her photography equipment and a Jay came down
   to the feeders in timely fashion, on the way back to my car I met
   a nice family of photographers who'd  also had trouble pinning
   anything down, and I couldn't locate the Terns from the canal path
   but they were still on the lake as DF had seen them earlier.

   I did spot a Peregrine yesterday on the way back from the football
   it was flying around the steeple of the Piece Hall church spooking
   all the pigeons.

                                          Unid'd

Cromwell Stroll

   Got out yesterday for the first time in a week due to
   Illness and hospital visits, so popped down to Cromwell
   Bottom NR for a gentle stroll in the nice weather.

   Lots of birds and birdsong about but photography wise
   it was a damp squib 0/10 as everything was distant or
   behind branches or very flighty, it was great to see 3
   Kingfishers or maybe the same one 3 times, Sedge Warbler
   was heard and also what I thought was a Water Rail but
   neither were seen, 34 species were seen and a few unid'd
   I didn't get to see the 2 Common Tern that have been seen
   on the skiing lake which would of been nice.

   Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Canada's, Crow, Chaffinch,
   Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Garden Warbler,
   Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail,
   House Martin, Jackdaw, Jay, Kingfisher, LTT's, Magpie,
   Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Mute Swan, Robin, Skylark,
   Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Willow Warbler,
   Wood Pigeon and a Wren and I've not included Gulls.
   Cuckoo was on telephone wires in Southowram on the way
   to the doctors.

Dotterel Twitch Again

     Woke up yesterday morning to the Linnet and a Greenfinch
     on the feeders, along with Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Robin,
     4 Long Tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Starling and
     Collared Dove  and a Skylark in the sky.

     I then decided to pay another visit to Cold Edge Road
     to see if the Dotterel were still there and so were the
     crowd of birders, I met some nice people up there too,
     John M, Bob from Brighouse, and a lovely couple
     Mick & Kath S also from Brighouse and all of them
     were chuffed to bits at having seen the birds.

     The birds seem to have a mad half hour of feeding and
     then hunker down for an hour or so and then start feeding
     again, they seemed quite tame compared to the Golden
     Plover which are soon in flight at every movement, even
     the sheep didn't seem to upset them.

     Also seen up that area were a couple of Curlew, 20 Golden
     Plover, 5 Wheatear ( well spotted Mick S ) as I'd only located
     3 until he showed me where the other two were, 2 Oystercatchers,
     8 Lapwing, 2 Meadow Pipit ?, question mark as they seemed a
     lot smaller than usual, and a Little Owl.