Low Moor and Oakenshaw Wildlife

This morning at Low Moor Banks were 2 newly arrived Common Whitethroats in song. There was also some good new as well as another male Lesser Whitethroat has arrived. Thankfully one is singing near the Wyke end of the site and the other is near to the recycling centre.

Relating to the breeding Coots…Forgot to mention another obstacle the family has to cope with… X marks the spot!! A Grey Heron that is trying it’s best to get the eggs but the male Coot flew at the Heron and it moved away. THIS TIME!

I do not normally show birds on their nests on my website due to possible disturbance.

However, a pair of Coots for the first time ever have decided to nest at the pond at Raw Nook NR.

NOW SHE IS UP AGAINST IT….AND SHE NEEDS OUR HELP!

Firstly a plea to all dog walkers!!! Please, Please don’t let you dog swim in the pond and chase the nesting pair.

I stayed on the bank and took the photo opposite so please don’t go near the nest site.

Secondly…and I’m afraid this is out of all our hands… is the weather!

Because it’s been a very dry spring the pond is receding and the forecast is for dry weather with sadly no rain in prospect for the next week or so.

I just hope that SHE know nature better than we do and her family will survive and I/we are worrying for nothing.

A check this morning at Low Moor Banks revealed a newly arrived male Lesser Whitethroat (uncommon in the Bradford aera) in full song.

I then went to TH Beck to look for the warbler but as yet, nothing.

There were no Common Whitethroats found at either site but expect them in the next few days.

The slight S/W wind today has worked today. There has been an influx of Willow Warblers through our area with 4 ( all moving slightly S/W, suggesting passage birds ) at Raw Nook NR.

In addition a pair of Blackcaps were observed together at the site with an additional male in song at TH Beck.

I had a bit of a surprise the other morning at Toad Holes Beck when I came across this rather handsome semi albino male Blackbird.

I have never seen him before in the local area although there is an almost fully albino Blackbird that can be seen in and around Woodrow Drive in Low Moor.

In Raw Nook NR I glimpsed something white climbing up a Silver Birch tree by the pond.

I waited and out came a lovely Tree Creeper. Now I am not sure if this an off spring of the birds that bred at TH Beck last year or a new bird to the area.

There is however, plenty of suitable habitat on site for the species to breed so lets hope they find a mate.

I have also noted a stunning male Linnet in full song at the top end of TH Beck and now he has attracted a female so they should breed in our recording area again this year.

You may recall that Peter Gurney from YWT put some nesting boxes up in both Raw Nook NR & Toad Holes Beck in the autumn of last year.

This morning as well as looking for spring migrants I checked the boxes to see if any were occupied.

Well the box on the Silver Birch tree just to the left off the main path, after the kissing gate ( opposite ) has a pair of Blue tits.

I stood back on the path and they didn’t mind although the male chased off a Great Tit that came a bit too close!

In TH Beck I think…I saw a Blue tit coming out of one of the bat boxes…

Relating to spring migrants. There were 3 Chiffchaffs in Raw Nook NR and 5 + 2 Blackcaps in TH Beck.

A pair of Moorhen are at the pond at RN which is still holding water and the pair of Canada Geese that were there yesterday have moved to TH Beck.

A pair of Goldcrest, the male in song were at their old nesting site the large conifers which have sadly been cut down, ( The council have been informed) Hopefully they will nest somewhere else on the reserve but those trees was an ideal habitat for them.

This morning single Chiffchaffs were in song at Raw Nook Nr and Toad Holes Beck and 87 Redwing moved N over Caldene fields.