Rarely do I regret leaving Liverpool. However, I'd have been on the first ferry from the Pier Head on news of the Little Swift

Any news on the wwbt? Will go today if still about.

Just seen of Fairburn's Facebook page that the reserve is closed due to most of it being underwater :-C

I've not seen any reports since weds, whether at Fairburn or elsewhere.

Stop it, you're bringing a tear to my eye.

For the older ones among you.

Got this on a proper LP... shan't say when it was bought.

The bird will have shoved off as the weather front that brought all the rain crossed the area.
Fairburn wasn't flooded at 7.30am as I drove past, the road into Castleford between Allerton Bywater and the canal was flooded though.

Nice one James. That kind of blinkered sentimentality really gets my goat. It's a bit like a group of Irish singing Danny Boy. If you love the place so much why aren't living there? This could easily turn into an inappropriate rant that has nothing to do with birds or Yorkshire so I'll stop now.

Sounds like you just missed the flooding Keith. Birdguides report at 14.22 says the reserve is closed because all the roads are impassable.

Dunno about the water rising, at lunchtime I had a walk across to the canal and the water at Hickson's seemed to be roughly the same level as early doors. The Aire was full though, at least as much as I've ever seen flowing through Cas.

‎3cy Gannet that we managed to track near York and onto the local patch! Full write up and video on my blog

http://timsbirding.blogspot.co.uk/

Fairburn reserve still flooded..... the road in from C/ford still blocked at corner nr to Lindyke CP. So reserve can only be accessed via F/burn village or road in from Kippax.
Little Egret on Hicksons....... :t:
Joe

Still plenty of water flowing out of the main lake at St Aidan's yesterday evening. Sluice level at 55cm with water flowing freely (used to be just a trickle if anything) and approx 3m wide. Little egret on the lake edge too.

I'm new ... need help
 

I live in South Ilkley - near the Moors but between the heather and us there is a small mixed woodland. My wife & I have a suburban garden (with two ponds) and lots of roses, rotting wood etc. We have a good bird feeder, (they get better looked after then me!), and have seen the following so far
Barn Owl (Tyto alba) ... heard really - just a shape flying in deep dusk
Blackbird (Turdus merula) - quite a few - leave them apples etc on the ground.
Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) - lots
Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) - lots!
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) - lots
Coal Tit (Periparus ater) - lots
Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) - sadly lots
Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) - rare
Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) - rare
Great Tit (Parus major) - lots
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) - and a mother showing the baby where to get an easy meal!
Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) - often
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) - at the pond chasing my fish!
Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) - rare
House Martin (Delichon urbica) - rare
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) - plenty
Jackdaw (Coloeus monedula) - lots
Jay (Garrulus glandarius) - sometimes
Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus) - as a gang raiding the garden infrequently
Magpie (Pica pica) - always around
Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) - a few
Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) - lives in a willow nearby - my favourite
Raven (Corvus corax) - lots
Robin (Erithacus rubecula) - quite often
Rook (Corvus frugilegus) - lots
Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) - rarer
Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) . - loads
Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) - at night and unmissable 'song'
Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris) - rarer
Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) - a fair bit

Then .. today we saw either 2 linnets or (as we think) 2 lesser redpolls. How do you tell these two small finches apart? Help?

For the two finches can I refer you to the 2 articles in Opus on Linnet and redpoll...
Linnet HERE
Redpoll HERE

It's all going to depend on where the bulk of the red was on the birds you saw, on the chest then linnet, on the forehead then redpoll.

Can I just say I totally envy you the hawfinch as a garden tick.

Keith

Thanks ... I was impatient I guess ... but I now know about Opus! By the way - they were redpolls from your info and the photos. John

Nice one John.

Cracking stuff there Johnjo. Welcome to BF

Hi, welcome. You won't be getting lots of Raven - will be Carrion Crow. Raven's a rare bird in Yorkshire.

True enough Steve (unless you live in the northern or western dales). It's a puzzle why they haven't expanded eastwards. Think Buzzards at this point. Different genera but I see no reason why Ravens aren't nesting on the cliffs at Bempton for example.

Osprey east over South Marsh West at Tophill Low this morning.

Apologies for completely misquoting James' post. In my fevered imagination it read like a route march

The Alpine Swift put on a good show again at Buckton trig point today.

More photos on flickr (link below)

Alpine Swift, Buckton
 

One of my pics from this evening
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/a...1stJuly003.jpg

Very nice.

Was still around when I left at 19:35 this evening (in glorious weather), so may roost in the area again tonight.