Received an email from Mark a birder from Wibsey who told me some exciting news. On the 2/4/ he was in Raw Nook NR when he saw a Tree Creeper in the wet woodland area before it gradually moved off towards the pond area. This is a good sighting as the TCs I have seen have all been in autumn and have probably been birds from Odsal woods where the species is resident.
Then on the 3/4/ at around 6pm he was again in Raw Nook NR when he disturbed a Redshank from the dried up pond which flew off and landed in Caldene fields then sadly out of sight.
This is the second known record of this (rare to south Bradford) passage wader to this pond and interestingly my last sighting in 1990 was also in March.
So whilst I knew I wouldn’t be able to see the passage Redshank I thought I would work Raw Nook NR this morning to look for the Tree Creeper.
Unfortunately I had no joy. But there was a newly arrived Willow Warbler in full song as well as a single male Blackcap again in full song.
Four Chiff-chaffs were trying to claim territories and a bit of a surprise was a pair of Lesser Redpoll. However, I think these may have been passage birds as twice they flew from the Silver Birches only to return again to feed,
Found this female Blackbird who was so intent with finishing off her nest she never noticed how close I was to her.