prestdj green year list in mytholmroyd 2023 (1 Viewer)

[Prestdj]

decided to do a green birding list around my partner/ex wife village of mytholmroyd in west yorkshire, nice place with the river calder and rochdale canal along with a water works, lots of woodland and moorland within walking distance. some nice habitat

so far ive seen (not in order)

1 kingfisher
2 siskin
3 goosander
4 mallard
5 canada goose
6 black headed gull
7 common gull
8 grey heron
9 magpie
10 jackdaw
11 carrion crow
12 wood pigeon
13 blue tit
14 great tit
15 long tailed tit
16 dunnock
17 robin
18 blackbird
19 mistle thrush
20 starling
21 house sparrow
22 wren
23 nuthatch
24 great spotted woodpecker
25 pied wagtail
26 grey wagtail
27 chaffinch

id be happy with a list at the end of the year of around 60 species

 

[Prestdj]

saturday 21st jan

very foggy in the valley with it not clearing until 1500, but the dog needs walking, 930 we had a 5 mile walk up the rochdale canal to luddenden foot then back down the river calder.
much of the canal was frozen over, the water works pond also frozen.

a skien of pink foots heard in the fog heading west was the highlight of the walk

28 cormorant
29 pink footed goose
30 collared dove
31 coal tit
32 redwing
33 goldfinch

back for cheese on toast, a few hours rest then at 1500 set out again now the fog had cleared, id forgotten that given the steepness of the valley that surrounds mytholmroyd that the sunsets 1530!!!! oh well at least 30 minutes in the winter sun better than nothing

redacre wood was enjoyable with great spotted woodpecker drumming nuthatch calling but added the following

34 treecreeper
35 goldcrest
36 greenfinch
37 bullfinch

stubbs farm is great for bullfinch

sunday 22nd jan

first coffee of the morning at 0530 tawny owl calling

38 tawny owl

still a few winter birds to pick up and the odd common bird

im enjoying this so far just looking forward to longer days and spring when the valley comes alive.

 

[Prestdj]

saturday 28th jan

we decided friday night to head up to broadhead clough which is just over a mile from colettes house and one of the most stunning woods in the area all ways a favourite for us.

its very steep and narrow but its full of wildlife mostly mosses and fungi the higher up you climb everthing is covered in moss

siskin and nuthatch were common

though a few year ticks

39 pheasant
40 kestrel

we emerged at the top overlooking the moors looking wild and bleak at this time of year and headed to daisy bank

41 buzzard 1 pair displaying before heading over the valley to midgley moor

2 hours of walking and back into mytholmroyd

41 rook
42 rock (feral) dove

whilst chatting to a neighbour i heard the haunting sound of a raven heading over, not unusual here but nice to see

43 raven

home rest and coffee then out into hebden bridge, waiting for the bus a female sparrowhawk was circling over the church

44 sparrowhawk

sunday 29th jan

tawny owl calling at around 0430 siskin over the garden at 730 plus male goosander heading up the valley a few large gulls heading west but too far away to id

redacre woods and water works

great spotted woodpecker 3
nuthatch 2
goldcrest 1
siskin 8
redwing 2
grey wagtail 1

still need dipper which is usually common in the village also jay and fieldfare

good weekend

 

[Prestdj]

finally dipper well two on the river calder in luddendean foot whilst walking to work
so

45 dipper 2

also

grey wagtail
nuthatch
great spotted woodpecker

 

[Prestdj]

after a weekend in anglesey back to mytholmroyd this weekend

quite windy saturday so not surprised to see Herring gulls heading up the valley on saturday morning with a few common gulls from the kitchen window
short dog walk gave nothing of interest

sunday

dog walk along the canal and redacre wood, just the usual birds though a song thrush was a welcome sight as were 3 great spotted woodpeckers, a few grey wagtails on the filter beds siskin flew over and female goosander on the canal

so

46 herring gull
47 song thrush

 

[01101001]

How about joining Green Listing 2023 - Joint Thread (if not with the whole list, then perhaps only the first observations/highlights)?

 

[Prestdj]

weekend stuck in the garden dismantling shed and decking meant lots of time skywatching

48 peregrine overhead twice
49 green woodpecker yaffling
50 oystercatcher flew over calling
51 chiffchaff

also

grey wagtail
pied wagtail
canada goose
mallard
goosander
siskin
greenfinch
pheasant
great spotted woodpecker
buzzard
raven

also a very very small murmaration of starlings friday which numbered 21!

back to wales for easter weekend

 

[01101001]

I've just bookmarked the verb 'to yaffle', TFS!

 

[Prestdj]

back from another few days in mytholmroyd

friday the first 2 swallows of the year over the river calder,weather was just wet so nothing much else seen

saturday was brighter and slightly warmer , dog walk to brierley field, work is going well on the new wetland which will be interesting when finished. river was too high so not surprised the sand martins were not present.
a cormarant on the river 2 pied wagtails on the cricket pitch and grey wagtail riverbank lots of chiffchaff singing and male goosander on the river

then a quick trip to leeds resulted in us saying "ooo its busy, and thats new" so after new phone bought back to mytholmroyd on the train but had to get off at hebden bridge and walk the mile back no problem as its along the river so a few grey wagtails and again lots of chiffchaffs

the afternoon was spent in the garden.......nice sparrowhawk over twice plus a couple of swallows started to fly over followed by the first house martins of the year first 1 then 8 lovely to watch also a siskin flew over and raven

sunday dog walk through redacre wood resulted in the first blackcap of the year by the stream

52 swallow
53 house martin
54 blackcap

 

[Prestdj]

After week in Sussex it was nice to be back in 'happy valley'
spent most the weekend working on the garden

friday 12th may

first swifts over the garden always a pleasure to watch,house martins back in great numbers nesting, a few swallows around too

saturday 13th may

early dog walk

the village was covered in hirundines and swifts feeding over the river i estimated 40+ house martins 14+ swallows and the first 2 sand martins along with 24 swifts a fabulous sight
redacre wood was unusually quite with nothing of interest then along the canal to the still being made brearely wetlands which will be small but looks good so far



there was a single common sandpiper on the new pond before flying to the river, sand martins back on the riverbank and flying really close by

bit of shopping then back to work and some sky watching.....buzzard sparrowhawk and 2 jays for such a common bird here they where the first of the year

the evening drew on and we chilled out in the garden a cuckoo was calling from around daisy bank

so list total so far

55 swift
56 sand martin
57 common sandpiper
58 jay
59 cuckoo

 

[01101001]

Quite amusing how they have to build all the stuff on their own out there. Good for them, though.

 

[Prestdj]

saturday

finished work at 1pm so after a 60 hour week of hard physical labour i was tired but continued work on the garden, it was very hot but still managed to put 12 posts in the ground ready for the decking, and as usual one eye always on the sky!

buzzard 2
sparrowhawk 1
house martins
swifts

a quite chilled out evening in the sun listening to the blackbird singing and the house sparrow doing what sparrows do

sunday

dog walk to the new wetlands, an oystercatcher flew over the house whilst having a coffee, anyway dog walk

blackcap 1
sand martin 20+ on river bank
whitethroat 2
buzzard 1
sparrowhawk 1
grey heron 1

after watching the sand martins we headed back along side the railway track path

chiffchaff 4

best of all a wood warbler singing

so target reached!

60 whitethroat
61 wood warbler

pics

1 me 2 house sparrow 3-6 blackbird 7 garden view 8 grey heron 9 sand martin 10 house martin

 

[Prestdj]

a warm weekend lots of blue sky

saturday garden completed new decking bird feeders set up and lots of insect areas created...........also the house is amongst a house martin colony so much of the weekend was spent trying to get photographs the sound of them took me back to my childhood with lots where i grew up so saturday was work and house martins

sunday........up early 2 coffees then a walk up to broadhead clough which after a 1 mile walk is so beautiful and devoid of people at 0530 , though its a big wood only one path but a magical place.......deer a few around lots a birds giving alarm calls so a tawny owl was not unexpected its very steep here so as i got to the top near the moor i heard a grasshopper warbler singing very nice

what i love about broadhead clough is the contrast from walking through the woodland then entering the moors which is a total different world.......so leaving the wood i was on the tops curlews calling skylarks singing meadow pipits everywhere
a curlew flew spooking the lambs which spooked a snipe unfortunatley when you get to the top the only way is down

by 7am its getting warm so headed back


mid afternoon dogwalk through redacre wood very quiet in the heat apart from a black headed gull on the pool

after a bbq a hobby flew low over the house and headed up cragg valley

monday........ just sat on the new decking from 0500 till 1000 sparrowhawk over twice buzzard 6 lesser black backed gulls a tatty looking raven best bird was sand martin that actually sat on the wires above the garden dog walk to redacre wood 1 great spotted woodpecker

and a garden warbler singing on the canal side

62 grasshopper warbler
63 skylark
64 curlew
65 snipe
66 hobby
67 garden warbler

 

[Paul Chapman]

Some lovely pics

 

[Prestdj]

Some lovely pics

thankyou paul

good birding darrell

 

[Prestdj]

friday 2nd june too warm for me a born and bred yorkshire man so just rested and watched the house martins and swifts

saturday 3rd june

lazy day before heading out for a meal

what i love about birding a patch is the contrasts between species so raven is common over the garden good bird but common, usually they just fly over but today 2 circled for a few minutes they are always tatty looking birds, buzzard also very common so when 6 geese headed south i was interested quick photo........greylag geese year tick!! a common bird i dont even bother with usually but today wow then just house martins




68 greylag goose

not sure when im back in mytholmroyd next as working away in london for a few weeks with campervan trips inbetween

 

[Prestdj]

weekend in mytholmroyd after london just the same birdwise lots of house martins and sand martins the dullness of june i guess

a pair of siskins on the feeders yesterday evening i was on the decking and camera inside the house so a phone shot of the male had to do

best of all whilst using my new scope i saw a red grouse on midgley moor scoped from the garden a very welcome tick

sunday too warm non of us slept well apart from bear who wanted feeding at 5am , so off to brearley wetlands which has now nearly dried up, but nothing new common sandpiper seems to be breeding along the riverbank and sand martins are very active

69 red grouse

 

[Prestdj]

another hectic weekend with the ibiza classical at the piece hall on friday,saturday was relaxing after too much dancing friday though colette had described a bird she didnt recognise on a dog walk friday morning along the canal " fat grey with long legs and massive feet" so off we went looking for what could only be a young moorhen saturday nothing this morning 2 juvenile moorhens on the canal bank

so another weekend over but still lots of birds

buzzard 2
grey wagtail
sand martin 3
greenfinch 2
great spotted woodpecker 4

70 moorhen

6 months ago i would be happy with 60 species in the year now on 70 is 80 a possibillity?

 

[Prestdj]

8th july rain and more rain
9th july

a watch from the garden 0500-0800

2 raven over
large gull sp flew west
grey wagtail 2
around 6am i was in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil looking out of the window when a white blob was flying over redacre wood....dash out side for the binoculars a barn owl!! which is the first ive seen around the village. a few years ago it was a very rare bird in calderdale but over the years the population has spread so not unexpected but a great bird to see from the garden


just after 8 we headed to brearley fields for a dog walk

kingfisher 1
sand martins seem to be doing well with over 30 counted
whitethroat 2
the new wetlands are taking shape but work has stopped until breeding season is over

back to house for another watch from the garden

buzzard 1
oystercatcher 1
siskin 1

71 barn owl

 

[Prestdj]

been in mytholmroyd since tuesday 1st, back home now.
no year ticks but did record the following within a mile walk always along the canal or river

mallard nc
goosander 1 f
canada goose nc
grey heron 1
sparrowhawk 1f
buzzard 4
raven 1
black headed gull 1
lesser black backed gull singles heading west daily
tawny owl 2 calling
grey wagtail 3
pied wagtail 5
house martin the colony still has around 40 birds but over a 100 on somedays usually in the morning
swifts still daily over the garden with a group of 23 seen this morning
goldcrest 1
goldfinch 4
chaffinch 1
collared dove 2
wood pigeon nc
dunnock 1
robin 1
blue tit 6
house sparrow nc
chiffchaff 1
great spotted woodpecker 3
green woodpecker 1
dipper 1

recent rainfall meant during the week the river was very high and unfortunatley the bank the sand martins were nesting in is very low so i hope they fledged