This Afternoon

              Had an hours garden watch late afternoon in the dull conditions,
              was pleased to have the Great & Blue Tits visiting again and the
              Goldfinch with there young.

               10+ Goldfinch, 2 Great Tits, 4 Blue Tits, 2 Wood Pigeon,
               3 Collared Dove, 20+ Starling, a few Magpie & Jackdaws.

Yesterday & This Morning

             I was busy yesterday gardening and shopping duties' but had Gold &
             Greenfinch in the garden and 3 Siskin which I was chuffed with but
             couldn't get a shot as they'd gone by the time I rushed in house for camera,
             20+ Swallow in back field and a raptor flew over being pestered by crows
             but couldn't confirm what it was, late evening a Field mouse came out to
             play and at night a Tawny Owl was letting itself be known.

             This morning in the poor weather Greenfinch were on feeders, Collared Dove
             and Wood Pigeon popped in for a feed and a Wren was bobbing about in the
             hedges, then had a visit by 10+ Goldfinch and a flypast by 10+ Starling. 1 Robin

August 27th

           Just had a garden watch today but nothing much
           happening apart from a very acrobatic Kestrel and
           30+ Swallows with a few House Martins in back
           field, Goldfinch and Greenfinch on feeders and Collared
           Doves making there daily visit along with the Wood Pigeon
           which one of them turned kamikaze and flew into a neighbours
           patio window and killed itself poor thing, lots of corvids about.

August 24th+25th Travels

        Started out Monday morning up to Fly Flatts with the intention
        of staying there for a while but it never happened as I got up there
        the moors were on fire and the fire brigade were all around the reservoir.
 
         10+ Swallows , 10+ Wheatear, 3 Red Grouse, 2 Pheasant ,
         Flock of Meadow Pipits, flock of Linnet.

       Next stop was up to Soil Hill but all I found was dog poop on the track,
       then on to Taylor lane in search for Spotted Flycatcher and Cuckoo but
       all I got was wishful thinking but I did see a black rabbit in the fields,
       wild or escapee its a mystery, so went down to Cromwell Bottom with
      more wishful thinking but all I got was Gnat bites and my arms are swollen
      to twice the size, bumped in to Mike Henshaw and Kath Gammell and had
      a nice chat and telling me the the open day was a success which was nice to
      hear, but no sign of the Little Egret.
                                                     
     Tuesday at work kept getting messages that the cuckoo was still being seen
     up at Taylor lane so had a venture up after work, parked the car opened the door
     and there it was on the telephone wires, I was well chuffed as its a first for me just
     a shame the lighting was so poor but at least I got a few shots of it and then John
     popped up and seen it as well so that was two of us that were happy and two farmers
     stopped in there jeep and told us that they'd seen a cuckoo on the wall earlier in the day.

Nice Visitor

                  Quiet today in the garden even the Goldfinch were in
                  low numbers, but had a nice visitor which had all the
                  birds panicking even the corvids were on edge, it was
                  a female Sparrowhawk on the hunt for my finches, she
                  didn't get one but might have had more luck a few gardens
                  away where she flew on to very low and quick.

Buzzards are back

         Two Buzzard soaring above Claremount moving towards
         Shibden, a large raptor flying from Halifax town centre towards
         Ogden but too far away to identify. 3 Swift and Swallows buzzing
         about in fields at Claremount. Lots of Goldfinch with young in the
         local gardens and 8 Linnet flying about but soon moved on. Gold,
         Green and Chaffinch in garden along with 4 House Sparrows, Jackdaws,
         Collared Dove, Magpies and Wood Pigeon.

       

Garden Watch

           Not been out since sunday due to decorating duties' but the
           garden is a busy spot, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Jackdaws,
           Collared Doves, Wood Pigeon, House Sparrows, Blue Tits, Bullfinch,
           all visiting garden, Swallows and House Martins flying about the garden
           and back field, Sparrowhawk flypast this evening and Roe Deer in field
           and local Weasel appeared dancing around the garden and nightly visits by
           Brock and Bats.

Wheatear Heaven

         Went up to Fly Flatts for a look early this morning with dark
         skies and mist rolling in and very windy, was gonna give it up as a bad job
         until I seen 4 Kestrel rolling about in the sky so I stayed and the weather
         Improved, then bumped in to Brian Sumner and had a natter and a laugh,
         he taught me which way was north haha.

         Lots of Wheatear on the rocks and down the hillside as I walked down
         there and also loads down the road towards Oxenhope, Kestrels were on
         form and then a merlin that Brian had told me about showed up, but too
         far away for a shot, Canada's and the adopted Barnacle goose were on the
         water and I spooked 4 grouse at north end of res and a Curlew also flew
         over heading towards Oxenhope and when I drove down the road I spotted
         another 4 along with Meadow Pipits and Swallows but the Black Redstart
         didn't show so went up to Withens and there were more Meadow Pipits and
         Goldfinch and also a couple of unknown juv birds, Linnet ? I think.

         Garden had Gold and Greenfinch, Jackdaws, Magpies, Wood Pigeon, and
         Collared Dove and 4 House Sparrows on the feeders, back field had 20+
         Swallows & House Martins.