Low Moor and Oakenshaw Wildlife

Found a returning Chiffchaff this morning singing from an old nest site at Toad Holes Beck…Spring has arrived!

Also at the site were 4 Song Thrushes which is a good count.  A pair of Coot have taken up residence at the middle pond which is recovering from recent pollution.

A pair of Canada Geese like every Spring are moving around the local area looking for a suitable nest site.

A Buzzard was calling east of Toad Holes Beck

And at last Frog spawn has appeared in the local ponds.

Pre – Frog Spawn…

As Spring gets ever nearer it has been rewarding noticing early nesting birds like the Jackdaws that are collecting mud for nest building at Caldene Fields and then leaving to the S/W.  Also a pair of Collard Doves have been observed nest building as well as a number of Magpies have been collecting nesting material.

A party of 48 Whooper Swans came in from the N/E at 10.40 this morning and left to the S/W over Caldene Fields. A record count for this species.

Yesterday I saw my first Queen Bumblebee at Caldene Fields looking for a nest site…

I also received an email from Phil who saw a single Buzzard 11.49am flying South East over Bailiffe Bridge towards Chain Bar Roundabout being buzzed by corvid.

This is quite interesting as the Common Buzzard bred for the first time last year in south Bradford and research suggests radio-tracked individuals do move away from their nest in the first autumn, and then come back to the nest in the following spring, seemingly to check for potential breeding sites.

Is this a young last years bird?

Numbers of Coots always increase during winter at nearby Harold Park and I suspect some of these birds are from Toad Holes Beck.  So it was interesting to note this morning that 5 Coots have now return to the latter site.  Also at Toad Holes Beck were a pair of Grey wagtail which hopefully will bred in the area.

A pair of Canada Geese appeared at the pond at Raw Nook as usual at this time of the year looking for a possible nest site.

Firstly been unable to update the site due to other circumstances.  However, received some up to date information from the Environmental Agency. The source of the pollution has been found to be a cross connection from one of the businesses on the Euroway Trading Estate; they had connected to a surface water sewer rather than to the foul sewer network.  They have carried out work to rectify this so all connections should now be correct and it should now only be clean rain water that is discharged down the surface water sewer.

Apparently there still maybe some discharge remaining in the pipe and they are waiting for some rain to flush through the system then will visit to check that it is running clear.

I went out this morning with the intention of beating my winter bird count of 31 species seen.  But whilst I was walking the area I became more aware, because of the start of a period of milder weather a number of species in song.  Members of the Tit family were evident as was a Dunnock at Toad Holes Beck.  Other species were Robin, a Mistle Thrush again at Toad Holes Beck and a surprise was a Chaffinch at Caldene Fields which was in full song although the song was a weaker version than the one heard in spring.

A dog walker told me his dog flushed 2 Woodcock around Christmas time one at Raw Nook NR…both of which I missed!  Oh and my species count was 30 species with nothing unusual found.

As reported in my last blog I contacted the Environment Agency about the seepage of a substance into Toad Holes Beck and I have to say within a few minutes the local Environment Agency contacted me and stated an officer was on route to the site.

Seepage into the S/E corner of the middle pond at Toad Holes Beck

A visit this morning shows the seepage has now turned from a reddish colour to white and there is now a strong sickly smell.  Sadly but perhaps thankfully there are no water birds on the pond.

Wildlife and Vegetation dying due to pollution !!!!

I traced the water course and the pollution damage is going into Oakenshaw and beyond….

This is a sad time for our conservation group, local wildlife and the people who care about the environment…but I remain hopeful that the company will be found named and shamed and are made to pay for the damage to OUR environment….

The morning started off really well with 3 Common Snipes flushed at Caldene Fields.  Also there were 2 male Coal Tits who were calling and singing at some distance to each other possibly in the very early stages of claiming territories.  At Toad Holes Beck there was a 1st winter Mute Swan and a good number of calling Bullfinches.

I then went to the middle pond to try and relocate the Water Rail with no joy but then I noticed no water birds were on the pond at all.  On closer inspection and I found a reddish liquid seeping into the pond and all the nearby vegetation was dead of dying and this was one of the feeding places of the Water Rail.

I have reported this pollution from a local company to the Environment Agency in the hope one it stops and two the company is fined as this is not the first time this has happened.

So what of the Jack Snipe… FAILED

A Common Buzzard flew south over Caldene Fields on 19/1/15.