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Yorkshire Birding (19 Viewers)

How do? Could anyone tell me the best area of langsett wood to spot crossbill? I,ve been a few times and keep missing, also been to wigtwizzle a couple of times aswell, turning into Quest now!! Noticed on sbsg that 8 at been seen at langsett wood

Looking forward to a reply to this myself as I,m off out there tomorrow ! I have been told that I stand half a chance of getting a Ring Ouzel in the area over the west end of Langsett Res.
 
How do? Could anyone tell me the best area of langsett wood to spot crossbill? I,ve been a few times and keep missing, also been to wigtwizzle a couple of times aswell, turning into Quest now!! Noticed on sbsg that 8 at been seen at langsett wood

Hi

I was there last month and saw 1, heard more, in the trees not too far from the dam. From the car park I walked over the dam and went around the corner following the road and took the track/path - first right, they were in the trees on the right. I think they tend to be flighty around this sight. I would recommend a circular walk around the reservoir, as I recall I saw some in the past as I came back down from the Moors. You may get a sore neck but although by no means guaranteed (what is?) you should, with patience, eventually connect with some. Keep an eye out for siskin and stonechat as well.

Good luck

John
 
Hi

I was there last month and saw 1, heard more, in the trees not too far from the dam. From the car park I walked over the dam and went around the corner following the road and took the track/path - first right, they were in the trees on the right. I think they tend to be flighty around this sight. I would recommend a circular walk around the reservoir, as I recall I saw some in the past as I came back down from the Moors. You may get a sore neck but although by no means guaranteed (what is?) you should, with patience, eventually connect with some. Keep an eye out for siskin and stonechat as well.

Good luck

John
Thanks John, hopefully be able to get in the next couple of days. I,ve been told that ring ouzel as been seen at cutthroat bridge Dave
 
Thanks John, hopefully be able to get in the next couple of days. I,ve been told that ring ouzel as been seen at cutthroat bridge Dave

Thanks for that .. It does at least give me another option. Is there anywhere in particular I should be looking as I have never been before ?
 
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Thanks for that .. It does at least give me another option.

we have heard then but failed to see them around derwent resser off the snake and also in the small wood on the opposite side of the road to the ladybower pub this year, though we did manage to see around 60 goldcrests in this wood on the same day.
 
Thanks John, hopefully be able to get in the next couple of days. I,ve been told that ring ouzel as been seen at cutthroat bridge Dave

There was one singing there this time last year when the GGS was present. It was north of the road across from the big lay-by. There was also a Ring Ouzel group doing a survey so assume it's a likely spot.
 
Thanks for that .. It does at least give me another option. Is there anywhere in particular I should be looking as I have never been before ?

After A57/strines junction from sheff theres a big layby on the left, after afew hundred yards thers a small layby, usually 1 or 2 cars there, park there and cross the road and go through a gate with a 14 iron weight for a closer, walk up the very uneven path and when you get to the top theres a sharp left hand bend, set up there and look up the clough to the right, ring ouzel have been in that area, also wheatear + whinchat. Good luck mate, hope you get em, cracking birds
 
Keith, I don't think the parking is brilliant at Skelton. I'm sure it's just the laybay on Newsam Green Road/Pontefract Lane and that there are/were concrete barriers stopping anyone taking a car to the lake. There is an old bridge near the canal but I'm not sure if it's crossable, looks ok on the googlemap so maybe it is worth trying. I usually go down on my bike so see it from a cyclist's point of view rather than a driver's or walker's.
One other problem can be motorbike scramblers using the area, though the police got rid of them the last time I was there.
 
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Keith, I don't think the parking is brilliant at Skelton. I'm sure it's just the laybay on Newsam Green Road/Pontefract Lane and that there are/were concrete barriers stopping anyone taking a car to the lake. There is an old bridge near the canal but I'm not sure if it's crossable, looks ok on the googlemap so maybe it is worth trying. I usually go down on my bike so see it from a cyclist's point of view rather than a driver's or walker's.

Strictly speaking the site is still privately owned, and a set of new 'Private- Keep Out' signs have just been put up, but I don't think they will stop most people from still accessing the lake. The local Bird Group are making contact with the site owners to find out what is going on.
If you are feeling very energetic you can walk to Skelton Lake, either from the hide or (easier) from Woodlesford Lock car park. Follow the canal towards Leeds on the river side (from the hide you need to cross the canal on the bridge that carries the A642 Wakefield-Garforth road to get to Woodlesford Lock) up beyond Fishpond Lock, go up onto, rather than under, the arched concrete bidge over the canal and cross the river on a similar concrete bridge, then scramble down to the spillway from the river leading to the lake. You can walk round the lake, then either retrace your route or head towards the tip (checking the gulls), past Leventhorpe Hall onto Bullerthorpe Lane and back to the A642. The longer route take a couple of hours.
Incidentally the flood on Fleet Lane heading to the hide is passable in most ordinary cars, but if you are at all worried you can park in the entrance to the Sewage Works and walk from there. The filter beds at the Sewage Works are worth checking this time of year for possibility of White or Yellow Wagtail.
 
Three Egyptian in LDV recently - been displaying and looking for nest sites but moved on recently with re-flooding of the site. Appeared fairly wary so probably feral but who knows. We did however catch one (a large male) with a whoosh net on grain and BTO ring it - it certainly didn't respond like a captive bird!- how well did you see the legs and worth looking at them again - its only a small metal BTO ring so doesn't always get picked up a first sight. The number and timing just seems interesting - one pair and a single bird which takes a bit of a rough time of it.

cheers

Still two present (the pair), last night from the platform (Bank Island) at around 16:00 hrs, distant views..
 
howell wood,south kirkby..

hi all, ive started going to howell wood quite a bit over the last few weeks..theres plenty of activity now and went up to see if i could nail a good photo of the nuthatch or treecreepers that are up there,over the last few weeks i must have taken over 500 photos of treecreepers and never got even a half decent one. but today i have finally got what i wanted and am over the moon i hope you dont mind me posting a couple of them i'm 44 years old and i was like a kid in a sweet shop..amazing thrill to be so close to such an unusual little bird , after an hour and half of me being around it just seemed to carry on its daily routine and didnt care if i was pointing my camera at it or just sat still watching its every move
 

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went for a walk round langsett today. anti clock wise from the barn.

about 6 canadas on the resser a couple of mallard and one very brightly coloured male wigeon.

up on the hills lots of meadow pippit and red grouse but no decent pics as we kept getting blown off the hillside.

one tree creeper mooching round a trunk at the bottom o the hill just as you turn back along the bank towards the dam. also at the dam end close to where you have to move onto the road a mixed flock of about 40 birds gold finch mainly but some siskin and one possible redpole but lost it before i got a good enough view to get positive id.
 
Love these pictures.
I've never been able to get a picture of treecreeper, the shutter on my little compact takes too long to fire, and they've always disappeared by the time it does.

hi all, ive started going to howell wood quite a bit over the last few weeks..theres plenty of activity now and went up to see if i could nail a good photo of the nuthatch or treecreepers that are up there,over the last few weeks i must have taken over 500 photos of treecreepers and never got even a half decent one. but today i have finally got what i wanted and am over the moon i hope you dont mind me posting a couple of them i'm 44 years old and i was like a kid in a sweet shop..amazing thrill to be so close to such an unusual little bird , after an hour and half of me being around it just seemed to carry on its daily routine and didnt care if i was pointing my camera at it or just sat still watching its every move
 
Patch tick on 27 Yay! - Wheatear.

Quiet though, chiffchaff the only migrant to make it back, the only other birds of note were the pair of grey partridge which I am pleased made it through winter. Flighty little beggars though.
 

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white tailed eagle

Certainly have; great views as it circled over my house! It was over Flamborough for 35 minutes from 1300hrs and was last seen flying low towards Bempton village.

the w t eagle in question was first seen at 1245 on sunday flying towards
flamborough head by awell known birder dawn to dusk , myself and two friends.
it circled for thirty minutes then flew towards bempton but turned and was last seen fying towards danes dyke
 
After A57/strines junction from sheff theres a big layby on the left, after afew hundred yards thers a small layby, usually 1 or 2 cars there, park there and cross the road and go through a gate with a 14 iron weight for a closer, walk up the very uneven path and when you get to the top theres a sharp left hand bend, set up there and look up the clough to the right, ring ouzel have been in that area, also wheatear + whinchat. Good luck mate, hope you get em, cracking birds

Cheers for that .. A likely trip for tomorrow methinks ..
 

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