Dowley Gap

Sunday 30th November a.m.
 A much better day with the sun making an appearance at long last with a temperature of 9.5°C on our arrival at Dowley Gap in Bingley.We started off by checking out the hedgerows around the car park area which provided good numbers of Blackbirds after the berries on the trees.We also saw a distant bird thinking Redwing but looking at our snap I think more likely a Song Thrush among the berries.
 We waked down to the canal tow path seeing a couple of Mute Swans grazing & the usual Mallards on the canal. We walked on 1/2 a mile or so seeing a Goosander flypast & a Jay in the trees with a few nuts ready for a snack.We turned back & walked under the road bridge a soon after caught sight of a Kingfisher on a branch overhanging the canal.Its been a while since we last saw one so this was a real treat for us.After perching for a while it dived into the water & came up with a fish which was soon eaten.We were not able to get any snaps of this, it would take a really good camera & photographer to capture those images but we managed some decent snaps of it perched on a couple of different branches.The little gem was soon gone & so we walked on seeing several Pied Wagtails at the water works and getting a fly past of a Grey Wagtail as we passed over the aqueduct.The River was being used by rowing boats from the local club, we headed back pleased with an enjoyable walk & seeing some good birds.

female Kingfisher

Todays List

Jay with its nuts

Song Thrush

Plenty Grey Squirrels about today

Mute Swans

Always a treat to see a Kingfisher

Dowley Gap 30/11/14

Lister Park,Bradford

Saturday 29th November a.m.
 Another foggy day with a temperature of 8.5°C on our arrival at Lister Park in Bradford.Here there were numerous birds on the boating lake with the highlight being a male Goosander, which we got some good views of as it kept diving for food amongst the other birds.We also saw a couple of Wrens & Dunnocks as we walked round the lake.
 Away from the lake in the wooded garden area where a stream flows we had Nuthatch,Coal Tit & Robin along with other common species.

Wren

Today's List

Good to have the Wren stay long enough for a snap

Nuthatch

male Tufted

male Goosander

Canada,Goosander,Mallard & Tufteds

Gloomy skies but good visibility across the lake

Wooded garden area of the Park

Good numbers of birds

Lister Park 29/11/2014

Yeadon Tarn

Sunday 23rd November a.m.
 A clearer start to the day but still cloudy with a temperature of 6.5°C on our arrival at Yeadon Tarn.
We had a good start with four Bullfinch in a tree near the car park which were followed by Goldfinch. The water was full of birds with the highlights being Goosander,Gt C.Grebe,Cormorant & good to see four returning Pochard.
c100 - BH Gull
4 - Bullfinch
3 - Canadas
12 - Coot
6 - Cormorant
10 - Goldfinch
20 - Goosander
10 - Gt Crested Grebe
c75 - Mallard
5 - Moorhen
5 - Mute Swan
4 - Pochard
10 - Tufted Duck
plus other common species.

Goosander

one of four returning Pochard

Cormorant

Cormorants on the island

Pochard & Tufted Duck with BH Gulls in the background

Goosanders with a Moorhen at the back

Yeadon Tarn 23/11/14

Park Dam

Saturday 22nd November a.m.
 As the fog continued to clear we made our way down to Park Dam where the temperature had risen to 12°C.In the hedgerows near where we parked were House Sparrows & Blackbirds.As we made our way to the lake there were Canadas grazing in the field, on the water there were fewer Mute Swans with some of the Juvveniles missing.Others on the water were BH & Common Gulls,Mallards,Coots,
Moorhen,Gt C.Grebe & Tufted Duck. Its always great to see the Little Grebes at this location as they are not that common locally,today there were three of them.They came a bit closer than normal which gave us chance for some decent snaps.Normally when you get close they dive & come up 30m away.
Finally keeping a birds eye view on proceedings was a Cormorant on top of the electricity pylon.

Little Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Tufted Duck

Cormorant keeping an eye on the lake

Juvenile Mute Swan

Park Dam 22/11/14

Harold Park

Saturday 22nd November a.m.
 A foggy start to the day as we headed for Harold Park in the Low Moor area of Southern Bradford with a temperature of 10°C.The fog was clearing as we went through Denholme & by the time we reached Queensbury there was sunshine & blue skies, but as we went through Shelf moor we could see a bank of fog where we were heading.We carried on as the fog got thicker, but it was swirling around & there were glimpses of brightness which was the case at Harold Park.
 On the water were Coot,Moorhen,Mallard,BH Gull,Gt C. Grebe,Tufted Duck & a Juvenile Mute Swan which had some number rings on its legs.Walking around the park we saw Magpies,Blue Tits,Great Tits & good to hear & see a Robin in full song.

Juvenile Mute Swan

Number rings on Mute Swan

BH Gull in the swirling fog

Great Crested Grebe in the gloom

Magpies

Robin Singing

Coot

Tufted Duck

Moorhen

Contrasting scene

Harold Park 22/11/14