Low Moor and Oakenshaw Wildlife

Received some information from Stuart Tordoff who was working at the Woodlands cricket pitch when he observed a party of 40 Swans ( All most certainly Whoopers ) flying overhead to the N/E of the 18/3. This nicely coincides with a large movement of Whooper returning to their breeding grounds in areas Iceland and beyond.

So while the Whoopers are leaving the spring migrants are returning. The first ones usually is the Chiff-chaff and as of today there are two at Toad Holes Beck and singles at Raw Nook Nr and Low Moor Banks all males and in full song….just waiting for the females to arrive.

You may have noticed the Owl/Stock Dove nesting box which has been erected by the YWT in our area. Well yesterday I observed a pair of Stock Dove in courtship. Now given that the dove may have up to four broods in a season and rarely moves far from where they were hatched the nesting box could well be used. Although given that it has just been erected I suspect not this year….but when love is in the air …who knows!

Today I was on the lookout for any spring migrants despite the northerly airflow. Raw Nook NR held the usual suspects with Wrens, Robins and Blackbirds all in full song but no spring migrants.

However, as soon as I entered Toad Holes Beck I got the lovely warm feeling that spring was here. Yes not one but two male Chiffchaffs in full song…brilliant.

There was a pair of Grey Wagtail also at the site and at Caldene fields another pair were feeding in the stream which is excellent news. Also four Meadow pipits were observed heading north back to their breeding grounds.

Caldene fields has seen a bit of bird activity during the last few days with spring appearing around the corner. In fact 15 Fieldfare were seen moving N on 2/8/2021 also 2 Common Buzzards were circling and calling and 3 Lesser Black backed gull dropped down and fed by the stream before been chased off by the local Magpies.

A Great spotted woodpecker was drumming at Raw Nook Nr today

Yesterday the ground was frozen solid and the temperature was -3c with a wind chill of -6.2c as I set off to walk to Raw Nook Nr and TH Beck.

The pond at Raw Nook Nr was frozen and there were few birds about except for a flock of 29 Goldfinch feeding with a small number of Redwing.

At TH Beck the large pond was un-frozen and contained 27 Mallard. Most of the middle pond was also open and there was another 5 Mallard there too bringing the total to 32 in total which is a record count.

My gut feeling is these birds have come from the Woodland country park as many appeared rather tame.

The big freeze has forced perhaps non garden birds into the gardens as they look for food. In my own garden we have had a pair of Pied Wagtail feeding on seeds and up to 6 Stock Doves visiting daily.

I end on a sad note. I witnessed a Sparrow Hawk the other day in my garden that flew in very low and landed at the foot of a Firethorn bush. In amazement I watched as the Hawk crept up inside the bush….then in a split second it flew out with our local garden Robin! I was gutted but..that is nature.

This weekend I thought I would see what local birds were about in the Low Moor & Oakenshaw areas.

The sites I walked to were Raw Nook Nr, Caldene fields, Toad Holes Beck and Harold park lake. In total I recorded 33 different species. All the species I found were to be expected during the winter period in the areas covered.

What was interesting was the species I didn’t find. Whilst the Greenfinch is sadly now uncommon in these areas a few year ago I discovered a local breeding site just off Cleckheaton Road above Ciba. Now I searched this area but no birds were found suggesting that they may have moved ‘ somewhere’ for the winter with a view to return to breed in the spring.

There were however, some interesting points I noticed. A high count of 21 Magpies and 5 Stock dove were at Caldene fields. Bullfinches were very evident at TH Beck. Only one Chaffinch was found again suggesting some may have moved for the winter and a good count of 8 Blackbirds were at Caldene fields suggesting some were immigrants.

Today I walked up to Harold Park lake. Apart from my exercise the main reason was I knew the lake would be frozen thus forcing gulls to stand on the ice!

Therefore if any migrant gulls that had been ringed were about I would have a good chance of photographing the ring thus providing information about origin of the bird.

After a few slices of whole meal bread… It wasn’t long before a ringed Black-headed gull appeared with a white ring J7RR on it’s right leg and a small silver ring on it’s left leg.

It was then a walk home to do my research about the history of our winter visitor to good old Low Moor.

The gull was first ringed in Oslo Norway on the 18/4/2020 as an adult.

It was then recorded in Mistley in Essex on 2/8/2020 and stayed there until 12/12/20. And is now probably spending the winter here in Low Moor.

This is the second BHG that I have recorded at the site with a Norwegian connection. I have submitted my sighting to Colour Ringing website for it’s continuity.