Cullingworth

 Thursday 31st July a.m.

A walk along the fringe of the village below Harden Moor with a temperature of 14°C and some good sunny spells.  Started off well with an Oystercatcher & Curlew, a bit further along a Red-legged Partridge  was keeping a low profile with it's chicks. A Jay was making some noise as was a juvenile Green Woodpecker, a small puddle on the path was attracting birds for a drink, including a Siskin.  Further along there were several birds including Willow Warblers with juveniles, Whitethroats, Coal Tit and a olive green bird which I got a couple of pictures of. After looking at them it turned out to be a Wood Warbler which is a lifer for me, plenty Butterflies to see as well.

Wood Warbler

Green Woodpecker juvenile

Jay

Oystercatcher 

Curlew

Red-legged Partridge

RL Partridge chicks

Siskin

Whitethroat

Willow Warbler

Small Copper

Speckled Wood

Wall Brown

Willow Warblers, Cullingworth 31/7/2025

Doe Park Reservoir

 Monday 28th July a.m.

Some sunny spells during my long walk with a set off temperature of 14°C as I went over Hewenden Viaduct there were six Swifts flying around. There were a couple of Mute Swans & Cormorants on the res with a mixture of Gulls.  When I reached Doe Park Res there was a Grey Wagtail & Cormorant.  At the top end of the res there was some Canadas grazing on the area left by the low level of water.  Towards Denholme Clough there was a Redstart, Whitethroats, Willow Warblers & Robin.  As I headed back there were a couple of Buzzards and c35 Swallows on overhead lines.

Redstart

Buzzard

Canadas

Cormorant

Whitethroat

Doe Park Res

Doe Park Res 28/7/2025

Swillington Ings

 Friday 25th July a.m.

A lovely sunny morning with a temperature of 14°C, plenty of birds here as usual with Astley Lake being the best spot.  Spoonbills, Little Egrets were distant and still in sleeping mode, several Common Terns and a Little Grebe.  There were half a dozen Swifts high up & c50 Lapwings on the new areas created last Autumn.  A walk round the Western Reed Bed added Cetti's Warbler, Kestrel, Reed Bunting, Buzzard, Gt Crested Grebe, Shoveler & Pochard.  On returning to Astley I spotted  a Common Sandpiper & there were four Avocets now visible.  Always good to chat with other birders and a couple of guys with scopes were able to put me on to very distant Black-tailed Godwitt & a Green Sandpiper.  The spoonbills were more active so I could get a distant picture to round off a good morning.

Avocet

Little Egret

Little Grebe

 

Spoonbill

Common Tern

GC Grebe

GC Grebe juvenile

Kestrel

Spoonbills at Swillington Ings 25/7/2025

Harold Park

 Thursday 24th July a.m.

A cloudy morning with some sunny spells starting off at 17°C at Harold Park where it was good to see six Mute Swans.  There were also two Great Crested Grebes which gave good close views as they were fishing with some success.  A Grey Wagtail arrived making most of the mud with still low water levels, others were Canadas, BH Gull, LBB Gull, Moorhen, Coot & Mallard.

 Over the road at Park Dam there was a pair of GC Grebes with four juveniles, others were Canadas, Tufteds, Coot, Swift, Swallow & Mallard.

GC Grebe

GC Grebe with a fish

 

Moorhen

Grey Wagtail

GC Grebes with 4 juveniles at Park Dam

 

Mute Swans & Canadas

BH Gulls

Harold Park 24/7/2025