The code for the hide is obtainable from the visitor centre, this policy was started after the last hide was burnt down by the local no-brainers.
I agree about the hedge by the car park, you used to be able to nip through the staff car park and through the gate at the side of the visitor centre until some b****y jobsworth put a padlock on the gate.

Hi Keith, will the code keep changing? It's going to be a nuisance for me when I'm on the bike (probably a nuisance for others having the bike) because I'm not leaving it unattended and you don't know that everyone is law abiding these days.

Brambling
 

Just back from seeing a flock of brambling on the moor (actually in Lancashire so I'm on the wrong thread - even only 15 mins. from home). Blowing a gale up there and we really must go again, this time with wellies so we can trek down to the wood where they seemed to be feeding under beech trees. A big flock.

Sandra

Hi Chris
Ideally the code should be changed frequently to stop the local oiks from learning it and thus gaining access but I don't know whether they plan to do that. It is a bind having to go to the visitor centre before you can use the hide, as that end of the reserve is normally my first stop when visiting Fairburn.

edit
Been down to Fairburn today and the code facility isn't operating as yet, the hide is opened when there are staff available to do it, so early mornings are pobably not the time to go. The lady at the desk in the visitor centre didn't know whether the code will be changed regularly or not.

Went to try and find it this morning, pretty windswept up there and no sign of anything other than the odd crow, assuming it was the tip just above the slope, cheers anyway.

Decided to have a walk through Elland Park woods on the way back, very empty bird-wise, saw a Roe Deer though. Anyway, when I got back to the road I was asked by an old couple walking their dog if I'd seen the woodpecker "you know, the little one". They said they'd often seen it there but not for ages. Tipping down I didn't have the sense to get my book out and make sure they were talking LSW or find out how long ages actually meant, anyone heard of them there before?

The lock at Fairburn makes sense I suppose but it would be nice if it were unlocked throughout the day when birders are likely to be around, like you I normally start at the Allerton end of the reserve and then walk to the centre round the back.

sorry you missed the shorelark is was still there at 2 on seed a mate has put down.

lesser spotted woodpeckers are in elland park wood

good birding in 2007

Shorelark
 

i can imagine (if anyone is interested) that the shorelark site can be hard to find so heres a map.directions m62-a58 to halifax then a647 to bradford after 2 miles turn right to the ski slope and park by the house and metal railings then follow the path at the top turn left and search the area to the right after the metal railings finish.

the bird is with a small group of skylarks,they can some time get onto the large grassy mound over the track please keep off this area,i met the owner to day and he is very keen on wildlife but the area is still a hazard it being an old asbestos tip!!!!!

thanks got you. I was searching between the skislope and "park here." back to work in halifax monday will look then.

thanks for the info. I'm so fed up with not managing any proper birding over the Christmas period - I just might trek over there tomorrow (in my car) from Allerton and take a peep - it would give a real lift to my 2007 list which is still only garden birds!

Went up Pule Hill today at 12.30 ish (yellow-coated person - for anyone who saw me). Saw the shorelark, feeding on the ground with a group of skylarks almost immediately on the flat- topped mound left of the quarry as you walk up Ringby Lane. Lovely sight but so windy it was hard to hold the bins still!
Then went for the double and drove over to Bingley to see the Firecrest reported at Dowley gap locks and with some help from other birders eventually saw it! They also kindly helped me find the reported chiffchaff in the same area. The tree where that was located was a magnet for all sorts and by the time I left I had got goldcrest, wren, long-tailed tit and meadow pipit all from the same tree...

Sounds like a good day and congrats on the Shore Lark. Not started any 2007 birding yet, although I should get out this weekend.

I was very disappointed to find a road-killed Tawny Owl outside my parents house yesterday. Probably the one I often see sat in a tree at the road side. Not a good start to the new year.

Aw, Mike, that's horrible. I've not heard my pair yesterday or today - I'd be gutted to lose them. Hope you have a good weekend. Where you headed?

I managed a stroll round Eccup Reservoir yesterday. I missed the Red-Throated Divers, which was disappointing, but I did manage to find 5 Redpoll near the footpath, which made up for it.

We've also had 3 Bullfinches in the garden every day this year, so all in all it's not been a bad start.

Well what do you know...went for and saw the shorelark by Halifax today and I could have been watching redpoll within walking distance of my house. As the shore lark was a life tick I think I made the right choice.

Nice to meet you again Keith. I'm glad you got to see the bird. It was a surprise to see you up on the hill but I thought you'd likely go for the bird being a Yorkshire lister.
Since my girlfriend and I discovered the Shore Lark late afternoon on Boxing day we have been amazed at the amount of people who have gone up for the bird. I've met people from all over the North practically. And all on my miniscule and modest patch. I'll never forget initally setting my eyes on the bird. We eventually had it to within 20 feet then we ran off downhill to inform other local birders.
It's certainly wild and exposed that hillside as Keith will testify. I hope you made it downhill voluntarily Keith!

Got down safely Ian, although almost got blown over when I got to the edge of the high ground.
Cracking bird and all the best to you for finding it and getting the news out. Shame I couldn't get up there before the new year, it would have been nice to have shore lark on my year list in two seperate years LOL

Not got any plans as of yet, although I'll only get a few hours so won't be going too far. Would love to take part in the bird race but can't spare the time at the moment (just moved house!). Hope those that take part have a great time. BTW Graham, where did you get the Black Redstart and BT Diver on New Years Day?

Isle of Purbeck, Dorset. They've got all the birds down there - had a cracking time. But didn't get House Sparrow or Starling! Which reminds me about the bird race, and who's doing it on the weekend? I asked this on the meet thread and not this one as I intended. I'm up for it if anyone wants to join me. Keith, you said you couldn't, right? James? Mike? Marcus? Anybody?

Need to start planning it to make sure we don't miss any doddle species like my New Year - my tip is to stake out a couple of productive sets of feeders early so you can stop worrying about not having Chaffinch, for example.

Graham

I went to Eccup again this morning, and again couldn't find the diver. My compensation this time was 2 Snow Geese amongst a gaggle of Canadas. They flew in from the direction of Harewood House - does anyone know if they have Snow Geese in the collection there?

I dont want to be a party pooper but snow geese without either brent geese or greenland whitefronts as their carriers are very likely to be escapes (which is why they are always seen on islay and in norfolk. I cant remember if they have sno geese at harewood but i know lotherton hall do and it wouldn't surprise me if harewood also did.

Harewood has both Snow geese and Red-Breasted geese, supposedly pinioned but I believe there are a couple of free flying individuals, so I'd take any sightings of these from Eccup as being 'plastic' rather than wild. It's the same with White stork sightings, all the Harewood birds are free flying so they muddy the picture when it comes to indivuals seen in Yorkshire.
There used to be a Bar-headed goose that hung around Fairburn Ings for a few years, and also a Barnacle goose that is still being seen. Both theese are almost guaranteed to be from Lotherton Hall's collection.

Back in the late 90's I'd seen a pair of Snow Geese two years running at Fairburn, do you think they were escapes too?

Sure were Chris, I can remember those, one was a blue phase type, the other the normal white type. Again I think they were from Lotherton, certainly the reserve warden at that time was sure that was their 'home base'.
It's like the black swans that are down there now, I've was asked what the chances are of them being wild birds, I told the fella that they'd less chance being wild than England have of retaining the Ashes.

Should be able to get down to Rodley for a couple of hours on Sunday Graham, so G S woodie should be ok and common gull, black-headed gull along with coot, waterhen and mallard. Could be pochard, tufties and gadwall also. Usually get sprawk there as well so might be able to rustle up a raptor.
Are we classing our selves as a team?

You're not kidding, Ian! It's a bit bleak up there, but the views do have a certain beauty. Looking west you can see all the way to the dark side, can't you? You deserve to find something inetresting birding a patch like that. What else do you get up there?

The lark took a while to find (actually over an hour) but was all the better for that. Twitching is too easy sometimes and I had the satisfaction of a successful hunt. It was two, maybe three hundred yards south of where your map showed, still with the Skylarks - ref is SE088278 by my reckoning. I carried the scope up so was able to watch it closely without flushing it - you need both hands to keep it steady, though.

Graham

Dunno, Keith. Rules were so vague and free and easy I don't know what is allowed? It depends on the weather whether I will have a proper go at it. I'd like to do it dawn to dusk and really go for it or not bother. Would want to be getting up around 80 species which I reckon means reaching the coast. Did one on October 1st and got to 84 but ballsed up on the tide times at Leighton Moss.

Can't manage dawn to dusk Graham, my dear lady wife would chuck a really wobbly with the Meet coming up next weekend. I'll do as much as possible.
See you in a week

Keith I agree they are definitely not wild. However....I must take issue. There is still more chance of them being wild than England had of retaining the Ashes. There's more chance of me waking up to Black Swan hanging off my seed feeder than that. I sat up again last night hoping for a Bothamesque 1981 type miracle. Ah well, we can "look forward" to the one day internationals.

Sorry Steve, I'd been such an avid follower of the games that I forgot we lost the Ashes on day one, match one, before a ball was bowled. I'd like to say the England snatched defeat from the jaws of victory but they weren't even that good.

Tomorrow I am making my first trip of the year and first trip for sometime to my patch - Loshpotts. Hoping to add a few species in what is my slowest year list start for years. I'm on a very unimpressive 6 species!

I'll also take in the RtD's on Eccup. Both are still present today. I've loads on at present so can't get away for long. The meet next week is looking doubtful.

Think I might just have a wander out to Eccup on Sunday, a local diver is always nice, last diver I had at Eccup was a GN in 83. It'll be a nice one for the bird race list as well

Im thinking about maybe goign to filey on sunday to do the birdrace. What did we get last time 60ish?

I think it was just 60 or so - problem is the lack of woodland and habitat variety. I got only low sixties last time I went to Filey as well. Although I agree reaching the coast is essential, for a good total you'd need to find some good woodland, parkland and shallow water before going. You might well miss out on Gadwall, Pochard, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Coal Tit and other 'essentials'.

This link may help your planning, James. They managed 97 just on your doorstep albeit at a different time of year. http://www.tka.co.uk/yoc/bird-race-2002.htm

I know I'm taking this far too seriously and sorry if I'm banging on. Thing is I did 3 races in 8 days with a friend at the end of September and went from 67 to 74 to 84 as we honed our skills. (He's so competitive he wouldn't come birding unless we added a 'challenge' element!) Of course we had four hours more daylight, too, but I do think the trick is to list the ones you must get and not to detour to any specialised habitats for one or two birds. I reckon we'd have got 90 if we hadn't fannied about on uplands for Dippers, Grey Wagtails, Hen Harriers etc.

I'm not planning a full day tomorrow but may go see the divers and if I'm scoring well early I could push on. I'll check the weather tomorrow for Sunday which may be a better bet. Part of me just wants to sit and watch the birds, though - I do remember the 84 day being extremely stressful and knackering and in the late afternoon I wanted to pack in and just watch the Kingfishers.

Graham

For small stuff, try Forge valley - only a mile or so north of Scarborough. Nailed on several tit species including Marsh, plus GSW, Nuthatch, finches, Jay, Siskin etc. There's loads of feeders in the woods. Also, don't forget Med. Gull at Holbeck Hall car park.

Some cracking birds just a little further up the coast, James. All 3 divers, Slavs, RNG, Velvet Scoter at Redcar. Thanks to the A1 it's not much further for me, and I am tempted. (Sorry - out of county and off topic)

That's all I did today. Was in the mood for watching and not racing and was rewarded with views of both divers together down to 40 yards so with the scope I could see every feather. The birds favour the western end and the south side and although well viewable from the footpath I was lucky enough to be escorted by a permit holder to get so close.

James, for the purposes of a combined total here's my miserable 46 but I've got a few which are not giveaways: Kingfisher, Brambling, Redpoll, Red Kite, RL Partridge, Goosander. And I've left you a lot of easy birds to get: Sparrow, Goldfinch, Herring Gull!

2 Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata A
5+ Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus A
8 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo A
5+ Grey Heron Ardea cinerea A
3 Mute Swan Cygnus olor AC
c200 Greylag Goose Anser anser AC
100+ Canada Goose Branta canadensis AC
100+ Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope A
50+ Eurasian Teal Anas crecca A
50+ Mallard Anas platyrhynchos AC
30 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula A
3 Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula A
13 Goosander Mergus merganser A
1 Red Kite Milvus milvus AC
3 Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa C
2 Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus C
20 Common Coot Fulica atra A
350+ Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus A
500+ Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus A
100+ Mew Gull Larus canus A
11 Stock Pigeon Columba oenas A
100+ Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus A
1 Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis A
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major A
1+ Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba A
1+ Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes A
1+ Hedge Accentor Prunella modularis A
3+ European Robin Erithacus rubecula A
>10 Common Blackbird Turdus merula A
>100 Fieldfare Turdus pilaris A
2 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos A
>20 Redwing Turdus iliacus A
1 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus A
20 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus A
>10 Coal Tit Parus ater A
>20 Blue Tit Parus caeruleus A
>10 Great Tit Parus major A
3+ Black-billed Magpie Pica pica A
20+ Eurasian Jackdaw Corvus monedula A
2+ Carrion Crow Corvus corone A
3 Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris A
50+ Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs A
1 Brambling Fringilla montifringilla A
1 European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris A
1 Lesser Redpoll Carduelis cabaret A
2 Common Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula A

There's also a report of 2 Ring Necked Parakeets from Eccup but I missed these.

The Firecrest hasn't been reported since Wednesday. Anyone know if it is still around? Another option I was considering was to combine this with an exploration of the St Ives estate in the hope of interesting finches among other things.

Thanks,
Graham

I'm probably going down tomorrow with my daughter (who didn't see it on Wednesday because she was revising for Uni exams) to check it out. Will report back!

Finally got up to the right place in Halifax, so thanks to all involved in publicising it, first lifer of the year heres hoping theres more to come.

Redcar isn't out of County. The Watsonian Counties , which both YNU and Yorkshire Birding still use are based on the old Yorkshire boundaries, ie before the county of Cleveland was formed. Therefore Redcar is in Yorkshire for our purposes.