Sunday 16 May 2010

Iberian Chiffchaff Potteric Carr

after seeing the parents this morning i headed down to Potteric Carr for the Iberian Chiffchaff thats been present the last few days.
got there about midday,and havent been to Potteric for a while,but its a good place to visit.

saw the bird easily but viewing was difficult in the dense scrubby hedgerow.the song is very distinctive once heard (link to the bird singing)
bumped into garry taylor,who looked to have some cracking photos of the bird.the bird showed briefly during our chat.

after a walk around i bumped into Nick D and Stephen C and walked back to try and get better views.
some birder had the call on his phone,the call was played and the bird landed in the sunlight on top of the hawthorn bush singing its little head off.





all in all a good day a lifer and yorkshire tick which makes my very poor yorkshire list to 316

Saturday 15 May 2010

a very pleasant 10 mile walk today around home, i was never more than 2 miles from my house!
i intended to try and find Brookfoot House but gave up when i saw how steep the location is :0(

birds today

whitethroat 1 still at siddal and 1 at southowram
garden warbler 1 at salterhebble
blackcap 1 at elland
grey wagtail 6 at various places along the canal (very common in these parts)
dipper 1 pair on the hebble at salterhebble



st anne in the grove
the church from
'wuthering heights'


the horse knows all


Friday 14 May 2010

work

a few pictures from work!!

despite the destruction the birds dont mind

kingfisher 1
grey wagtail 1
chiffchaff 3




Tuesday 11 May 2010

an evening round siddal

sunset from siddal


an hour around siddal this evening

garden warbler 1
blackcap 1 male
whitethroat 2
chiffchaff 4
willow warbler 8
linnet 3
goldfinch 4

Sunday 9 May 2010

more wanderings!!!

a bit of a trek today
the aim was to add some year ticks to my 'green' halifax year list!!!
quite a good day

tree sparrow 3 at jay house lane
reed warbler 1 egp
garden warbler 1 ashday
greylag 1 at lillands
sand martin 4 at egp

also

swift 2 egp
blackcap 6
whitethroat 8
lesser black backed gull 2
cormorant 1
tufted duck 1
'brewers duck'




Saturday 8 May 2010

siddal to shibden and back via bank top and southowram

did 12 miles today!
quite a cool day with the sun coming out at times.
headed from home to Horley Green via Old Bank then dropped down Horley green Lane to the Old Shibden Mill Inn was made up with the 2 grey partridge that flew from the track (a green list lifer!!)
at the junction of Whiskers Lane and Lee Lane i decided to go up Simm Carr Lane towards Limed House,very little though jay and green woodpecker are not to be sniffed at.
a Whitethroat at Bare Head Tunnel was the first of the year as were the swifts over Kell Lane.

shibden park had jays and green woodpeckers.

as i head back home from Southowram down Coal Pit Lane,lapwing,linnet,chiifchaff and another whitethroat were seen


horley green lane

Clipster Hall
path

Shibden

Saturday 1 May 2010

birding amongst the slums

yes halifax has slums always had always will!
not the best area to be birding but hey you never know what could turn up!

turns out very little

chiffchaff 4
willow warbler 2
pied wagtail 2
song thrush 1

214 empty flats

richmond road estate
a slum

321 empty flats and a slum