News
04/07/2016 17:16
Looks like the Summer is over as the first small party of Green Sandpipers is found on the banks of the river Calder just below Mill Bank Thornhill opposite the local sewage works.2 birds(out of the 4 present) where in juvenile plumage.
Also on the swage works at Dewsbury today 17 Lapwings the...
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28/06/2016 18:44
After being otherwise engaged with my new baby daughter over the past 3/4 weeks it was nice to get back in the field this week to try and asses the fortunes of most of the breeding birds in my part of the Calder Valley.
Of partcular interest is the 3 colonies of Sand Martins we have on the river...
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11/05/2016 13:22
A Cuckoo has spent most of this morning calling from bushes overlooking Hotworks Mill in Earlsheaton.The bird flew a short distance to change vantage points before flying off towards Thornhill at around 09:45.
The prescence of breeding Reed Warblers on the nearby sewage works is a key factor in the...
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09/05/2016 09:50
There are 2 Common Sandpipers chasing each other on the banks of the River Calder near Earlsheaton this morning.Elsewhere there is much courtship behaviour amongst the Reed Warblers on Dewsbury Sewage Works where there are now 9 singing male birds.At least 5 of these have been busy chasing their...
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04/05/2016 20:48
It is only a small number of years ago that Little Ringed Plovers bred regulary in my part of the Calder Valley.Nowadays due to development of their former breeding site we have to be content with a brief flyover of the bird usualy of single individuals.Such was the case this morning when a bird...
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28/04/2016 11:47
tDespite a quiet start to the morning there was much activity on my patch mid morning.
4 Yellow Wagtails are on the filter beds of Dewsbury Sewage Works(this was after an initial single bird dropped in at 10:00.3 more folled in just a few minutes).
There was by 10:00 over 300 House Martins...
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27/04/2016 10:27
A Hobby flew with great speed through the plantation just below the Compost producing compound in Pildacre Chickenley this morning at 08:00.
It was again located above Mill Bank Thornhill diving periodicly in pursuit of Sand Martins which are busy at this time excevating nesting burrows on...
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26/04/2016 11:18
At 08:30 this morning I heard the unmistakeable shimmering song of a Wood Warbler as I was walking back from Pildacre just beflow Chickenley estate.
The bird was singing just in a small copse just aside of the public footpath that goes from the water treatment plant just below Earlsheaton to Healy...
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25/04/2016 11:05
There are now 3 Lesser Whitethroats singing in the area just below Pildacre Ossett.Once you are familiar with the short rattling outburst of song they are easily located.The easiest one is near the enclosed security gate just at the side of the car park at Kerries foods factory.
Also there are now...
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22/04/2016 19:10
Last year was a poor year for Lesser Whitethroat in this part of the Calder Valley with only one bird on my patch seen only on a couple of occassions.This Morning a second bird (as well as the first bird) was singing in the copse of Kerries Foods and it is hoped more will arrive soon.Also this...
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