Harden Moor

Sunday 10th April a.m.
 After a keen frost it was -1°C when we arrive on Harden Moor with some of the distant hills covered in snow & lower ground shrouded in mist but we were in the sunshine.We first stopped to pick out two Little Owls on top of a distant wall enjoying the early morning sun,there was a Curlew nearby & a couple of Pheasants.Further along we saw a male Wheatear on top of the heather plenty Mipits around as well.A Green Woodpecker was yaffling which we managed to see in a distant tree.
Good to see ten Sand Martins back at the quarry where we also saw two more Little Owls, we saw our first returning Willow Warbler which was not keen on a snap taking.We also picked up our first Redpoll of the year with others seen including Blackbird,Pied Wagtail,Robin,Wren & Song Thrush.

Redpoll

Wheatear

one of two Little Owls on top of a wall

Little Owls in the quarry

Willow Warbler

Wren

Blackbird

Curlew in the frosty field

Well camouflaged Green Woodpecker

Pied Wagtail

Song Thrush

Plenty mist in Bingley

Clear over Hewenden Viaduct & Soil Hill in the distance 10/4/2016

Slippery Ford to Keighley Moor Reservoir

Saturday 9th April a.m.
 We arrived at Slippery Ford with cloudy skies and a temperature of 3°C in a search for recently seen Ring Ouzels but we missed out this morning.We walked up to the Reservoir getting good views of Reed Bunting,Wheatear,Curlew,Snipe,Red Grouse & plenty Mipits on our way.At the Reservoir it was good to see IH & FD at their watch point, they had both got the Ring Ouzels in the last few days but no sign of them today.On the water were Canadas,Greylags,Goosander & Mallards with a Grey Heron at the edge, a pair of Oystercatchers also arrived. Whilst we were here we also saw a pair of Stonechats & a couple of Kestrels & Golden Plover in the distance & another Reed Bunting.After stopping for a while we headed back picking up Lapwing,Mistle Thrush,Pied Wagtail & Fieldfare among other common species on our way.

Wheatear

Stonechat

Red Grouse

Meadow Pipit

Greylag

Mistle Thrush

Pied Wagtail

male Wheatear

Slippery Ford

Cullingworth and Hewenden Reservoir

Tuesday 5th April p.m.
Another rainy morning put our birding off until this afternoon when the sun came out but with black clouds never far away but moving quickly in the blustery wind with a temperature of 8°C.We set off walking through the village on to the Great Northern Trail seeing very little in the form of bird life, the reservoir held five Cormorants.At the other side of the viaduct Station Road was also quiet with just Goldfinch and a Coal Tit spotted.The camera was still in its case and this carried on through the woods and it was beginning to look like a wasted walk as for pictures for my blog. A couple of distant Oystercatchers at the top end of the Reservoir brightened our spirits although they too were out of camera range.We went down the steep hill and across the beck that's one of the reservoir feeds and up the hill at the other side to get a view of the reservoir.A distant Goosander right at the cameras outer limits finally gave us a snap, others here were Cormorant,Grey Heron,Tufted Duck,Mallard & Coot.Then through the branches we spotted something different a male Teal & a second one, wow our spirits were now some what brighter as these were firsts for us on Hewenden Reservoir. While trying to get some decent snaps of these distant birds we noticed a big bird heading towards us over the tree tops.This was then mobbed by Carrion Crows and the five Cormorant sprang into action as they departed the scene, the bird finally came a bit closer for us to see it was a Buzzard another first for us here.We got some snaps always difficult with the bridge camera and the light was poor but we did get something.Whilst all this was going on we could hear a Green Woodpecker calling from where we saw them last year.Heading back we added Curlew,Great Crested Grebe,Pied & Grey Wagtail making for a successful afternoon in the end.

male Teal

Two for the price of one Teal

Buzzard

Cormorant

Cormorants exit right

male Goosander

GC Grebe

Hewenden Reservoir 5/4/2016

Leeshaw Reservoir

Monday 4th April p.m.
An afternoon visit to Leeshaw with some sunshine and a Temperature of 12°C started well with a distant Wheatear on the dam wall with an Oystercatcher close by and pied Wagtails near the waters edge below the wall.A walk on the track with Lapwings,Curlews and more Oystercatchers seen, plenty Mipits around now.At the end of the track a single Redshank was seen,on the water and the reservoir banking were Canadas and Greylags, one of the Geese had a darker head so we took a snap which looks to be a Pink-footed Goose.Back at the other end of the track another scan of the water revealed a solitary Swallow flying low.We then moved the short distance to Upper Marsh where we counted 205 Golden Plover and a male Pheasant which upset them for a while to give us chance of a couple of snaps, the Pheasant was dive bombed several times by a nearby Lapwing.

Lapwing

Pink-footed Goose

Redshank

Golden Plover

Pheasant

Pheasant upsetting the Golden Plover

Golden Plover near Leeshaw 4/4/2016

Yeadon Tarn

Sunday 3rd April a.m.
After yesterdays rain this morning started off with fog which was slow to clear, but we decided to take a trip out to Yeadon Tarn hoping it would clear.On our arrival the temperature was 6°C and the fog had lifted a bit so we had a view across the Tarn.Our first bird was a singing Chiffchaff which we located high in the trees but it kept moving making a snap difficult.Above the water it was good to see the return of Sand Martins which were feeding after their long journey.On the grassland near the airport we saw a Swallow, which later landed on a fence giving a good although distant view.Also on the water were Canadas,Mallards,Tufted Ducks & Mute Swans & a couple more Swallows joined the Sand Martins.There were also a number of Reed Buntings singing as were Dunnocks and a Robin.As we were leaving the sun was beginning to come out and by the time we reached home by late morning it was turning into a nice day.

male Reed Bunting

Chiffchaff in the tree tops

Blue Tit

Dunnock

male House Sparrow

female House Sparrow

singing Reed Bunting at Yeadon Tarn 3/4/16