Sunday 28 April 2019

Harold Park & Park Dam

Sunday 28th April a.m.
 Good to get out this morning after yesterdays washout with cloudy conditions and a temperature of 9°C. Fairly quiet at Harold Park, there were six House Martins flying above the trees and good to see a Grey Wagtail. Otherwise low numbers of birds including Canadas, Coots, Tufteds, Collared Dove, Mistle Thrush and GC Grebe.
 Down the road at Park Dam quiet again, here though two Swallows and two Sand Martins over the water. There was a flock of 25 Starlings, Goldfinch, Mute Swan, GC Grebe, Tufteds and two Linnets.
Starling

GC Grebe

Goldfinch

Grey Wagtail


Tufted Ducks

Monday 22 April 2019

Keighley Moor Reservoir

Monday 22nd April a.m.
 The sunshine keeps coming with a temperature of 9°C as I parked up at Slippery Ford where I started off with Grey Wagtail and a couple of Willow Warblers. I set off towards Keighley Moor Reservoir with plenty of Curlews and Mipits seen on the long slog to the Reservoir where I started off with a Wagtail which is possibly a White but I'm not sure.On the water were a pair of Tufteds with Mallards with chicks and Greylags with goslings. Good to catch up with the birding regulars on their home patch and even kinder of I.H. to show me a Dunlin through his scope and then pick out a Merlin for me. Others here with water levels dropping were Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Lapwing, LRP and fly pasts from Golden Plover. Also in the distance a Buzzard and SEO were seen, a Red Grouse came down to the water for a drink, at least four LBB Gulls were around, a single Wheatear was seen and a Cuckoo was calling in the distance.
 On my way back down a Reed Bunting was in a tree then a bird flashed past showing a flash of orange, which I would say was a Redstart, but I couldn't be 100 per cent so will have to let that one go. It was near to where Ring Ouzels have been seen in the past following the lower tree line, a Mistle Thrush was my last bird from an excellent morning.
Wheatear


Possible White Wagtail

Curlew


Grey Wagtail

LBB Gulls

LRP

LRP & LBB Gull

Mallard with chicks


Mistle Thrush

Red Grouse having a drink

Tufteds

Greylag with goslings

Keighley Moor Reservoir 22/4/2019

Sunday 21 April 2019

Dowley Gap & Hirst Wood

Sunday 21st April a.m.
 It had warmed up to 13°C by the time I got to Dowley Gap where it was good to see a pair of Greylags with ten goslings and another pair with two goslings the Pink-footed Goose was with them as well.On the canal a pair of Mallards had eight chicks and overhead there was a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Chiffchaff was in full voice.It was quiet at the water works with just a couple of Oystercatchers, moving to Hirst Wood where the Bluebells were stating to flower. Here another GSW, Treecreeper and Nuthatch were seen as were a couple of Speckled Wood Butterflies and a Kingfisher flew along the River.
GSW



Nuthatch

Oystercatcher

Pink-footed Goose

Pied Wagtail

Greylags with ten goslings

Greylag and two goslings

Mallards with chicks


Mallard chicks

Speckled Wood Butterfly

Bluebells in Hirst Wood

River Aire through Hirst Wood 21/4/2019

St Ives

Sunday 21st April a.m.
 Bright and sunny again with a temperature of 10°C when I arrived at the St.Ives Coppice Pond near Harden.Here there were three Goosanders, fourteen Tufteds, six Mute Swans and the usual mix of Canadas, Coots, Moorhen and Mallards. Further along from the Coppice Pond there was plenty of bird song led by Blackbird, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Robin and Wren.
Blackbird

Goosander



Mute Swan

Tufted

Willow Warbler

St Ives Coppice Pond 21/4/2019

Saturday 20 April 2019

Cullingworth & Hewenden Reservoir

Saturday 20th April a.m.
 Another bright sunny morning with a start temperature of 8°C as I made my way towards Hewenden Reservoir, it was good to see plenty Willow Warblers again.There were also plenty Swallows around but the reservoir was quiet with jut two each of Greylags and Tufteds and some Canadas. Others seen this morning were Pied Wagtail, Jay, LBB Gull, Collared Dove, Chaffinch, Grey Heron, Robin and Treecreeper. There were also several butterflies including Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell.
Swallow


Willow Warbler



Chaffinch

Collared Dove

Greylags

Pied Wagtail

Peacock Butterfly

Small Tortoiseshell

Hewenden Reservoir & Viaduct 20/4/2019