River Calder Steanard Lane Nr Mirfield and Fir Cottage

Today c1.45pm. Cold with snow and some sunshine and cloud

5 goosander. 2m, 3f.
4 cormorants
1 kingfisher
2 grey heron
2 grey wagtail
1 pied wagtail

Helvellyn- weekend jaunt

It beats a trip to Argos.

"Not a bad view what!"

"Must bring our speedos next time."
"Pity I left my snowboard in the car

boot."

Photographs by Miranda

Blacktoft Sands

Sunday 13 December Spot the harrier. X marks the spot.


Trip over to Blacktoft Sands with Veronica.
Decent weather, apart from a couple of short lived showers.

Not a huge number of birds about. Apparently this has been the case since the summer and it was very dry. Mind you, there was a damn site greater variety of species than you get in Pennine Yorkshire. The highlights were as follows:-


Ringtale hen harrier seen as dusk approached giving good views.
Barn owl seen off and on for 10 mins from 2.00pm.
4? marsh harriers.
Water rail giving good views.
Snipe.
Kestrel.
Great spotted woodpecker.
Tree sparrows.
Fieldfares and redwings in large nos.
Little grebe.
Shellduck;
Teal in large nos.
Wigeon.
Shoveller.
Mute swan.
Collared dove-don't see many of them round Blacktoft.
Redshank.
Lapwing in large nos.
A lone golden plover.
Plus finches, titmice, wren, finches, blackbird, song thrush, corvids, wood pigeons, gulls etc.


Veronica enjoyed it and produced another classic photograph; well, a photograph at least.

Small pleasures

2 grey wagtails, 1 grey heron and 2 dippers on Elphin Brook in Mytholmroyd.

Scammonden Circuit

Yesterday

Great to be out, as the Count of Monte Cristo used to say.


I did a leisurely circuit of Scammonden Reservoir, with Veronica, in fairly clement weather, with only a small fall of light rain.


Good views of the great northern diver. The diver was pretty mobile.; then again, an immobile diver wouldn't be up to much.


Also, 1 male kestrel, 1m and 1f brambling; 16 fieldfare, though possibly more present but impeded view; 12 redwing; 1 heron; plus usual species, incl corvids, gulls, canada geese, titmice, finches, medow pipits, dog walkers, walking dogs, etc..

River Calder

2 male and 1 female goosander on the river Calder at lower Hopton, near Mirfield, this am. Also, 1 kingfisher and 1 grey heron.

I'm hoping there are still some great northern divers about tomorrow. The forecast is good, unlike the forecast for Sunday.

Birders etc

One of the good things about birders, and wildlife enthusiasts in general, is that they come from a wide range of backgrounds, social classes etc. So, I intend to write a bit about some of the people I meet when I am out and about.

Here's a photograph of some birders and song birds I encountered near Todmorden a while ago.

Robin stroker's report

Plenty of birds in the garden this morning around the feeders and on the ground. The highlights were 1 mealy redpoll, 1 goldcrest, 2m and 1f bullfinch, 1 greater spotted woodpecker and a jay wrestling with a squirrel proof feeder. Plus the usual species.

As it is nearly Christmas a gratuitous photograph of a robin is de rigueur. Oxymoron alert!

One grey squirrel caching food at the bases of fruit bushes, plus two others on feeders; these blighters are costing me a lot of money.

Loons

And they're off......
Out and about to Blackmoorfoot Reservoir, Huddersfield and Scammonden Reservoir, to see great northern divers. Great to see these birds after such a dreary, miserable period of weather. There were two divers on Blackmoorfoot yesterday morning when I went with Daphne. Photograph by Veronica. I know it's not brilliant but she tries.

Distant views of the diver at Scammonden.
Some funny people hanging about at Scammonden. Dog enthusiasts, fresh air fiends, or lost souls?