Night Time Whoopers

   Didn't get out today with late finish at work, but last
   night I was in the garden having a smoke when there
   was lots of Honking coming from the sky so a quick dash
   inside for big torch and found there were 4 Whooper Swans
   coming from the way of Queensbury heading over Halifax
   Town centre.
    A Few more pics from yesterday-:
 

Fly Flatts Glory

   Woke up this morning to 6 Greenfinch, 8 Goldfinch, 1 Coal Tit,
   1 Wren, 1 Robin and 2 Blackbird. I was then undecided where to
   go for the morning, Rodley Mmmm Fly Flatts Mmmm Cromwell
   Bottom Mmmm then a text came through the grapevine from BS
   that a Ring Ouzel was still up there, so that made up my mind and
   off I went, BS gave me the location of the bird which I was greatful
   for or I would of been walking around like a headless chicken,
   anyway I decided to take the long way round the lake and at first
   wish that I hadn't after twice getting my boots lost in a bog, but
   then I spotted 2 small birds on the ground which turned out to Twite
   confirmation needed though, I was well chuffed as I haven't seen any
   for a few years in Calderdale, 10 minutes later up popped the Ring
   Ouzel and what a beautiful bird it is, hopping about and feeding well.
   4 Stonechat and 6 Meadow Pipits were seen up there and on Castle
   Carr Rd were 4 Fieldfare in a distant field.
   I bumped into DF who was skywatching up Fly Flatts but the sky
   was very quiet, we had a good natter about Gulls and Harriers but
   I really am poop at gull identification.

 

Lovely but quiet day

  On a beautiful morning I took a walk up Ringby Lane, Swalesmoor
  hoping for something special which I always do but it was to no avail,
  1 Jay flew past and that was it apart from the regular Crows & Gulls,
  no Redwing, Fieldfare or even a Ring Ouzel that BS had spotted up
  at Fly Flatts and no Raptors at all, the bottom end improved a little
  bit with 4 Meadow Pipit, Robin, Blue Tits, Goldfinch and 2 Dunnock.

  Back at home in the garden were Goldfinch, 2 Coal Tit, Great and Blue
  Tit, Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Jackdaw, Collared Dove, Pigeon, and high
  in the sky making quite a noise were 100's of Pink Footed Geese which
  was great to see, heading towards Mytholmroyd where they were seen
  and reported later.

  I then took a trip with the wife and the dog to Foster Park looking mainly
  Brambling but no joy again but did see Nuthatch, Jay and Goldfinch,
  we then drove down to Cromwell Bottom NR where we saw a couple
  of Goosander and a Moorhen on the river near where the new Sand Martin
  nest has been built, birding area had 2 Bullfinch, 1 Blue Tit, 2 Great Tit,
  and a Dunnock and that was it, oh and a Mallard on the canal, Ive never
  known it so quiet for birdlife or people for that matter.

  BS struck gold again with 2 Ring Ouzel and 2 Hawfinch have been
  seen in the Colden Valley by LJC a bird Ive never seen but wish I had,
  so well done to them fella's for spotting these rare birds.

Gardenwatch

    Had a hours garden watch today before I was dragged off
    to the shops, a Wren was singing well and darting around
    the garden with a Robin trying to outdo the Wren in the
    singing department, Goldfinch were here as regular along
    with a couple of Greenfinch and Chaffinch.
    Plenty of Redwing & Wood Pigeon were flying over and
    4 white doves were flying in the same direction and lots
    of Crows, Gulls, Jackdaws and Magpies were milling about
    in the sky, was chuffed to see a Jay and a Coal Tit in the
    garden as they've not been seen for quite a while.
    A Dunnock also kept popping in and out for scraps of food,
    it was just a shame the lighting was so poor and gloomy as
    its not the greatest for photography.

Smelly Swalesmoor

   I got off my backside this afternoon and took a walk up
    Ringby lane and then down Hag Lane, Ringby was a struggle
    with the horrible smell of dead animals drifting up my nostrils
    and gale force winds along the top, 100's of Crows & Magpies
    and a nice surprise of a Peregrine which flew into a crowd of
    Crows and then back out again and headed off over Halifax
    Town Centre it was too fast to photograph though and the wind
    made it fly even faster, I was on the lookout for Snow Bunting
    on the top field and I did disturb a bunting sized bird which flew
    up out of the tussocks of grass and away it went but too fast to
    identify  as it was blown away by the wind, a Robin sized bird
    was on the wall for about 2 seconds before that decided to
    disappear as well, at the bottom of the lane were 2 Goldfinch
    and a Chaffinch.

    Hag Lane--:
 
    Not much to be seen as I walked along the wet and muddy lane,
    4 Blackbirds, 10 Wood Pigeon, 2 Blue Tit, 1 Goldcrest and a
    Robin, feeling disappointed for a while but then I was cheered
   up by the sight of a Little Owl in a tree which is a new one for
    me as Ive always seen them on Dry Stone walls.
    A feral pigeon made me laugh as it decided to walk along the
    lane and back again with me and it walked all the way, the only
    time it took flight was when we got to the end of the lane and
    even then it wasn't a proper flight it was more like a hop.
    A lady I was talking to said she'd seen 2 Buzzard flying over
    the valley earlier in the day and said she see's them regular
    flying up from the woods, 2 rabbits were playing on the hill
    beneath the trees.
    Goldfinch, Collared Dove and a Wood Pigeon were in the
    garden along with a Robin and a Wren and a Kestrel was
    hunting over the back field.