Pinkies heading off home

      The supplier of ACs pellets, see Andy Cockrofts blog.

                                                 Enjoying the sunshine.

A report today from DP of c200 Pink Footed geese over Fly Flatts at midday heading  >NE towards Oxenhope. He says there were 2 skeins that circled over Fly Flatts before joining up and heading away.
Thanks for the call Dave, keep em coming.
He also reported no sign of Twite in the area.
A steady flow of Redwing was apparent today seen from the garage all heading >N up the Aire valley along with a small number of LBB gulls.
The local Tawny Owl was enjoying the sunshine midday and had left another supply of pellets for AC which are at the garage whenever Andy.
Possibly a big Pinkie movement over the weekend.
BS

LBB gulls on the move

     A while since there has been a red sky at night, Foxhill

After a grey start the sun soon broke through leaving a pleasant but cool day with blue skies and sunshine for a change.
Foxhill at midday was much livelier with Greenfinches around the edge of the park, and looking east over Thornton several LBB gulls were heading >N up the Aire valley.
On the way back to work a female Sparrowhawk skimmed low and fast across the front of me down Chapel Lane.
Up to 8 Blue Tits were on the front garden feeders this morning which is an unusually high count for here.
BS

This time last year

                   Red Kite, Shelf Moor  . 16/03/2012

                Buzzard Foxhill park,  28/02/2012

                              5 Twite, Fly Flatts   4/03/2012

             9 Crossbill, Back Lane   26/02/2012

            Curlew back at Fly Flatts,  4/03/2012

Just a few tasters from this time last year and things to expect once this dreaded NE wind has moved on.
Twite may be a problem at Fly Flatts after last years dismal numbers but I started putting the Nyger down again last Sunday so fingers crossed we get a better year.
Weather permitting we should be on our way by the weekend.
BS

Queensbury at its quietest.

                  Smile for the camera, Green Lane Little Owl.

   Flocks of Green, Chaff and Goldfinches near the owl site

                                           Mistle Thrushes

                                   Finches in the tree tops.
Pictures from yesterdays jaunt around Green Lane which got pushed aside due to the Brighouse Waxwings which have now increased in numbers to c 200, info courtesy DJS grapevine.
A real grey dark day with a NE>3 and drizzle from midday on bringing with it low cloud.
A few small gulls around Foxhill park at lunchtime and several noisy Blue Tits starting to get that excited spring call but otherwise quiet.
With February almost out we should soon start witnessing spring movement as we creep into March.
On the 4th March last year I was getting Curlew and Twite at Fly Flatts and Curlew and Crossbill at Back Lane so theres hope for the weekend.
BS.

Blizzards on Soil Hill, Brighouse saved the day

             Awesome sight, Brighouse Waxwings.

Lynda wanted the garden centre on West Vale and then the supermarket so I said the easiest supermarket from there was Brighouse, (snigger) so as we pulled up in Wilkinsons carpark where she wanted a look the Waxwings could be see up on the taxi rank aerials and at the same moment I got the text from DJS reporting c150.
Take as long as you want in Wilkinsons I kindly told her then scurried off, camera at the ready.
What an amazing sight to see them stacked up from top to bottom and on every available aerial and chimney although there was very little feeding going on due to the amount of people walking around. Looking at the berries there is another few days supply left yet so the birds should hang around much to the dismay of the taxi operators who are probably loosing their aerial signal and having cameras aimed at their office windows.
On the way back from Tescos there were several Waxwings near the bus station and across by the church but probably from the same flock.

Back home and up to Soil Hill at 1500hrs with nothing to report in the snow blizzards rolling down from the north but it cleared slightly as I headed for the trailer park .
The Lapwing field was quiet but I found the flock of 65 Lapwings briefly at the top of Corporal Hill before being flushed by a Fox.
One Little Owl was present on Green Lane along with 4 Mistle Thrush and a flock of around 20 Chaffinch which I need to check the photos yet for Brambling.
BS

Still winter at Fly Flatts

                                          Icy roads

                                     SE corner frozen over

                                        Snow covered bankings

                                              NW area frozen over

                                                    Bleak

                       Pheasant down at the Delvers

Fly Flatts  0700-1000hrs.  Icy cold NE>4, Snow showers.
No re-run on last weeks Whoopers this morning and quiet in the icy wind. Canada numbers are building now and several Carrion crows are back on the moor. By next weekend we should be hearing Curlew.
The Delvers was busy but no sign of Brambling this year.
Fly Flatts :-
7 Red Grouse
2 Meadow Pipit
9 Carrion Crow
23 Canadas
1 Golden Plover calling out on the moor
3 BH Gulls

Delvers
Several Chaffinch and Greenfinch
1 m Pheasant
3 Redwing
6 Blackbird
GT tits, Blue tits, Robins etc.
BS

Checking out the locals

  Ogden. 1 of 2 male Goldeneye

                                           Going under

                                                     Gone

                                        Look at the camera

                                             And wave.

Cold E>3 , very grey and snow flurries.   1500-1645hrs.

On the quiet side with plenty room for improvement.
Trailer park
3 Lapwing
Sev Starlings and corvids

Corporal Lane/ Green Lane
2 Little Owl
11 BH Gulls
14 Magpie

Soil Hill
1 Skylark
2 Fieldfare
3 Meadow Pipit

Ogden
2m Goldeneye
2 Canadas
16 Common gull
23 BH Gull
+ usual Mallards, tits and Robins.
BS