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Local Patch Challenge…

Ornithologically it has been another poor day here on my local patch with a single House Martin in and a single passage Willow Warbler moving west through Caldene Fields.

So I have decided to put some more effort in and do a days birding on the patch to see how many species I can record.

So to any other local patch watchers out there, are you up for the challenge and a bit of fun ?  I am aiming for 45+ but with little movement here I could end up with EGG on my face!

PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOU RESULTS.

The guidelines are:

  1. 1 days birding starting at 05.00 till midnight on either the 11th, 12th or 13th of May
  2. Flyovers ‘over the patch’ are excepted
  3. Calls/songs excepted
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Smooth Newts doing really well…

I,ve noticed recently how well the Smooth Newt is doing in our recording area with 13 seen this morning at Caldene Fields.

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Smooth Newts mating at Caldene Fields

The only newly arrived migrant seen this morning was a single Swallow N/W over toad Holes Beck which is poor for this time of the year.

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The first 2 hebrew character moths were caught last night

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And a Long tailed Tit was busy feeding young at one of the site but in general it is fairly quiet at the moment.

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New migrants thin on the ground…

There has been no known new migrants passing through our area during the last few days. The weather this weekend and for the following few days look good with a warm front pushing up from europe so fingers crossed..

So this morning it was a time to watch our resident birds like the Blackbird, Wren and Song Thrush all busy at this time of the year.

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Male Blackbird protecting his territory

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One of possibly 5 Song Thrush within the local patch

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I hope I was right…

I was out early this morning due to the southerly aspect to the wind. When I was walking through Raw Nook Nr I glimpsed a fairly pale brown passerine dive for cover showing a warm reddish tail in low growing bramble.  I froze and stood back and waited and waited…but there was no further sightings of the bird and from my location I found it hard to understand how I did not see it again.

Now my first thought were of a female Common Redstart an uncommon passage bird here. But as I left the area my brain started to flash back to 9/8/1991 when at the ‘ same low bramble area ‘ at Raw Nook Nr a brownish passerine dived for cover showing a warm reddish brown tail but that time the bird reappeared…a wonderful Nightingale in full view and only a few yards away…

 

 

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Winter returns on the 29th of April…

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This was the weather this morning over Caldene Fields.  With overnight snow and a weather warning for West Yorkshire in place for sleet and snow and a wind chill of -5% you have got to be really concerned how this weather is affecting our wildlife. I witnessed this morning a Swallow flying in the snow showers searching for food which is probably not there.  Then there is the nesting birds who leave chicks exposed to the cold weather as they leave to search for food.  I am trying to be optimistic in that nature redresses it’s own issues and the weather this weekend is due to get milder but my heart go out to our struggling wildlife..

 

 

 

 

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Relief and Concerns…

For those who have stood at the pond at Raw Nook Nr and faced west you may or then again may not have noticed a Moorhen sitting on eggs.  Nothing unusual in that…but she choose to nest about 3 metres from the edge!!. and I was really concerned that she would not be successful due to disturbance.

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BUT WHO AM I…she knew best as yesterday I saw 4 chicks leave the nest and straight into cover..

My concerns are with the heavy frosts we are having at the moment affecting both nesting birds and the shortage of food for the summer migrants that have arrived.

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A frosty start to the day at Raw Nook Nr

No new migrants were recorded today but a male Goldcrest was in full song at Toad holes Beck which is unusual for that site as well as 3 Jays which is a good sign.

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He’s made it back…

Had my first Swallow sighting of the year this morning and fingers crossed it is the male of the pair that bred last year within the horses shed at Caldene Fields.

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Returning Swallow resting on nearby wire.

I then had a walk around the Dealburn Road woodland walk (formerly Low Moor Tip) and found a further single Swallow, several Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warblers and 4 Jays

 

 

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Is the Linnet on the increase…

There has been 3 Linnets feeding at Caldene Fields for most of the winter.  Nothing really unusual in that, is there? Well in the 80’s it was common to have breeding and feeding flocks of 70+ at the fields.  But those days have long gone.  However, 3 all winter and today I had a count of 9 both males and female, maybe the tide is changing…

Linnets at Caldene Fields

Also of note today was 2 additional Blackcaps one at Caldene Fields and the other at Toad Holes Beck.

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Bad and Good news…

Yes starting with the bad news.  I found a dead Shrew this morning by the pond at Toad Holes Beck.  I photographed it so I could positively ID it.  Research and measurements revealed the Shew to be a Common shrew.  Now the good news, I can now confirm that this common but hard to see mammal is living in our recording area.  This brings the mammal species list for our area to 13.

Further good news came with the arrival of single Blackcaps at Raw Nook Nr and Toad Holes Beck and a single Willow Warbler at the latter site.

A pair of Grey Wagtails at Caldene Fields were at the stream and a good count of at least 6 Dunnocks were noted at Toad Holes Beck.

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