Shelf twitching Scarlet Tanager

   Sunday night saw quite the development in the Halifax birding year, when a Scarlet Tanager was found in Shelf. At first the news broke as being at an undisclosed location somewhere in West Yorkshire, which was interesting enough on its own, but when it was confirmed as being in Halifax it suddenly gained new importance.

  I arrived on site just after 07:00 but spent the first hour looking in the wrong place, I had clearly missed out some of the information at some point. However, I only missed two brief showings of the Tanager. Once I had found myself in the right place, I joined the crowd that was in place, which was already around 70 people, including many familiar faces from across Yorkshire.

  At around 09:15 the bird finally came out of the garden it had been frequenting and perched in the top of a birch tree in full view. It sat here for a few minutes before flying into another garden where it remained in view. Once again it sat here for a few minutes, including trying to catch a November insect that flew too close. However, it then flew away and landed back out of sight. In the next three hours that I waited it did not show again.

  The bird was a 1^st winter male, meaning it did not have the striking red plumage on individuals that I had seen in Canada, but certainly does its credentials the world of good, as a wild bird as opposed to a fence-jumper. It was a shame that it did not show more consistently but it was nice to catch up with so many birders, some of who I have not seen for years, whilst we were waiting.

  Other birds in a Shelf suburb were obviously limited, but there were two skeins of Pink-footed Geese and two Whooper Swans flew southeast, as well as good numbers of common finches blogging around.

-Scarlet Tanager

Species List:
Shelf: Pink-footed Goose, Whooper Swan, Mallard, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Northern Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Eurasian Jay, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest, Eurasian Nuthatch, Eurasian Treecreeper, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Redwing, Common Blackbird, Fieldfare, European Robin, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Eurasian Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Greenfinch, Redpoll, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Scarlet Tanager,

Lee Dam, Ringstone Edge & Cromwell Bottom

   Today turned into an excellent day out birding across Halifax with Matt Broadbent. The day started off well with a pleasant morning of thrush migration over Soil Hill, but it only turned into a day out when news broke that the Salvonian Grebe which had been seen on the canal at Todmorden a couple of days previously, but had then gone AWOL, had been relocated on Lee Dam just above the town.

  I headed down there and upon arrival we had the grebe absolutely no problem at all. The reservoir is not large at all, and the Grebe was quite happy to come in close in shore in order to chase fish, sometimes feeding almost directly under us. In the hour we spent there we saw it catch at least two Perch, although it also spent a considerable amount of time asleep in the middle of the albeit small water body. Having seemingly missed out on this bird when it couldn’t be relocated on the Canal, it was a very pleasant surprise to bump into it again here.

  With the weather pleasant, and with no work on the horizon, we then headed off to check some of the other sites around Halifax. A check of Whiteholme for Water Pipit failed to yield any birds, at all, but Ringstone Edge was a little more exciting with a drake Gadwall feeding with the mallards under the trees on the south bank. Presumably this is the same bird that was originally found by PD two days earlier.

  It was already mid-afternoon, so we decided to head to Cromwell Bottom last thing to see if the Scaup found by DJS the previous evening were still on the Ski Lake. From the Italian restaurant we could not see anything except Tufted Ducks and a few Goldeneye, and a bonus pair of Shoveler right at the far end, but we decided to persevere with the Scaup and see what viewing we could get from the canal towpath.

  Once on the canal, and once we had found an opening through the vegetation, we had a another scan of the lake and this time easily picked out the two Scaup. They were now swimming with the group of Tufted Ducks that we had seen before, so where they had been lurking who knows. Viewing remained difficult from the towpath so we returned to the restaurant and from here we had excellent views of both birds showing nicely below us.

  A brilliant day out birding in Halifax, demonstrating the best that this area has to offer! 

-Slavonian Grebe

-Greater Scaup

Species List:

Lee Dam:  Mallard, Common Moorhen, Slavonian Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Kingfisher, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest, Eurasian Treecreeper, Eurasian Wren, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Pied Wagtail, Eurasian Chaffinch, Lesser Redpoll, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin,

Ringstone Edge: Gadwall, Mallard, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Little Grebe, Great Cormorant, Common Buzzard, Rook, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Wren, Mistle Thrush, Redwing, Fieldfare, European Robin, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit,

Cromwell Bottom: Northern Shoveler, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Goosander, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Moorhen, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Common Kingfisher, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch, Eurasian Treecreeper, Eurasian Wren, European Robin, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, 

Ringstone Edge

  At 15:50 PD messaged out that there was an excellent assemblage of Wildfowl on Ringstone, including Gadwall which would be a Calderdale tick for me, and Pochard which would have been a yeartick. Given that the light was already fading, I decided to race up there and arrived with just enough time to scan the reservoir. 

  The bulk of the ducks were easy to pick out, with the water calm their shapes stood out conspicuously. The drake Gadwall and Shoveler were very easy, nestled into a flock of 8 Wigeon. There was also an Athya sp. in the flock, but it wasn't a drake (like PDs Pochards) and with the bird remaining asleep almost the entire time, and struggling with the light, I could not confidently ID it. From what I could make out it was probably just a Tufted Duck. I was unable to pick out the Pochard, but they could easily still be there somewhere in the gloom. 

  A brilliant selection from PD, and Gadwall is my 130th species in Calderdale in 2024.

-Shoveler & Gadwall

-Wigeon, Gadwall, Shoveler & Athya sp.

Species List:
Ringstone Edge: Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, Mallard, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Eurasian Wren, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Dunnock, 

Ogden

   After an enjoyable but also frustrating morning on Soil Hill, with fog badly restricting my ability to count the rafts of thrushes coming through, I found myself at home for lunch when a WhatsApp message came through that BS had found a drake Shoveler at Ogden. Since it would be a yeartick, and I only have a week to consolidate my list, I jumped in the car and headed over. At the start of the road to Ogden I picked up JJL so we could search for the bird together.

  We parked up and headed down to the reservoir, where a quick scan picked up the Shoveler on the east side of the reservoir, so we headed down to get a closer view. On the way I was sifting through the various gulls present and picked out a bird in the middle of the reservoir which had the impression of a Black-headed Gull with no black in the wings. I remarked to JJL that I thought I might have a Mediterranean Gull, and then took a few record shots. Zooming in on these quickly confirmed that the bird was indeed a Med Gull. The bird was washing itself and occasionally receiving grief from other gull species, but generally drifting closer all the time, so JJL and I followed it and were able to get some nice views.

  After a short while it took off and flew to the west bank where the majority of the other gulls were roosting, so we walked round. Initially we couldn’t pick it out, only to then spot it right in front of us nestled among the Black-headed Gulls there. From here we got some excellent views and both got some nice photos. After about twenty minutes or so it took off and flew off south towards Mixenden Reservoir and did not return while I was there.

  After it left I decided to head back home, and JJL continued on his way. Hope you got something good John! 

-Mediterranean Gull

-Shoveler

Species List:
Ogden: Northern Shoveler, Mallard, Goosander, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Black-headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Eurasian Magpie, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest, Eurasian Nuthatch, Eurasian Wren, Common Blackbird, Fieldfare, European Robin, Eurasian Chaffinch, 

Soil Hill

   Something a bit different to post about. The morning on Soil Hill was good, with 1116 Woodpigeon flying south between first light and 10:30, along with 14 Swallows and 2 House Martins, my latest here. Otherwise, there was a single skein of Pink-footed Geese. A very enjoyable but cold morning!

  After dark, thanks to a tip-off from my brother, I returned to Soil Hill to get a better view of the apparent Aurora event that was taking place. Although for the most part, you could not see anything with the naked eye, it improved significantly through the camera with the sky appearing in shades of green and pink. It died down a little around 08:30 so I headed down but apparently, I should have persevered as it peaked again just after midnight and was more spectacular then. 

-Northern Lights

Species List:
Soil Hill: Greylag Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Eurasian Teal, Goosander, Grey Partridge, Common Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Moorhen, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Western House Martin, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Redwing, Common Blackbird, European Robin, European Stonechat, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Eurasian Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, European Goldfinch, Common Reed Bunting, 

Rounday Park twitching Red-necked Grebe

   I was away from home for a week, and on the first day of my absence a Red-necked Grebe was found on Waterloo Lake in Roundhay Park, Leeds. This is a bird I have only seen in the UK on a seawatch, and so even though my twitching days are pretty much behind me, I knew that this bird would have tempted me had I been in the UK when it was found. Alas, I was not and so I forgot about it. But as my return date drew nearer, and the bird remained in situ, it began to garner more of my attention until I finally got back.

  Once I got home early afternoon I immediately grabbed my optics and headed over to see the bird. The bird had already been reported in the morning and I was certain it would still be present during the afternoon. It did not take long to locate, and spent the next hour showing very nicely close to the footpath around the lake. The light conditions were challenging with quite a lot of glare on the surface for photos, and at times even making it a challenge to pick out the bird when it emerged from diving.

  Given how poor my last views of this species were in the UK, this was at the complete opposite end of the spectrum. A fantastic bird to see!

  On my drive back, since I already had the car out, I decided to call in at Jay House Lane to pick up Tree Sparrow for my Halifax year list. Having already dipped them twice this year, I wanted to get them seen. So I was extremely relieved when I rocked up to see a bird on the feeders there. It only had one eye which was a bit off, but otherwise it was good to get them seen. 

-Red-necked Grebe

-Tree Pipit

Species List:
Roundhay Park: Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Mandarin Duck, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Red-necked Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Feral Pigeon, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Eurasian Jay, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Great Tit, European Robin,
Jay House Lane: Common Wood Pigeon, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Common Blackbird, European Robin, House Sparrow, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, 

Soil Hill

Well today my greatest birding dream came to pass; a Soil Hill Yellow-browed Warbler!

From first light I found myself doing VizMig from my usual vantage point near the bottom of the North Slope. It was quite slow but the conditions were bright with a gentle SSE breeze, and there was a slow trickle of birds to keep the interest, despite the lack of serious numbers in what seemed like promising conditions.

At 08:05 I caught a couple of calls in the North Slope Tree-Line which I thought sounded like Yellow-browed Warbler. So certain was I of what I heard that I felt my hands shaking at the prospect of finding this species on my patch. I tried looking for the source of the call I had heard but my search found nothing except the species I had noticed earlier in the morning; Chiffchaffs, Blue Tit & a flock of Goldfinch of various ages, so I dismissed the calls I thought I had heard as an odd variation from one of the species above.

Then, at 08:20 I heard the call again and from my location I could see a Chiffchaff emerge from the bushes in pursuit of a smaller bird. The smaller bird was chased into an area of nettles and scrub away from the main Tree-Line, and I set off in pursuit. I was now confident that I had a Yellow-browed Warbler on my hands but as I walked down towards the vegetation where the bird had landed, it flew out and returned to the Tree-Line. On its flight back I managed to rattle off a few quick photos, which, although poor, showed the two wing bars and bright supercilium confirming the identification as Yellow-browed Warbler.

Once it had returned to the North Slope Tree-Line the bird became elusive and was difficult to track. For the first time I was able to locate it, the bird was feeding on the near edge of the Tree-Line and showing reasonably well, but was always mobile and once lost it could take some time to relocate. As the morning wore on, it spent more time on the far side of the North Slope Tree-Line where viewing was far more difficult. Despite occasionally disappearing for up to half an hour at a time, it would still show nicely at times, feeding in the mid-story and at the top of the bushes.

Strangely the bird was very quiet, only calling on its own accord once, otherwise calling only when receiving harassment from one of the three Chiffchaffs in the same area. It kept its own company, and despite the presence of a small tit-flock that would circulate the bottom of the North Slope area, it did not join them. Despite trying, I was not able to get an audio recording due to this infrequency of calls.

In total, I spent about two hours with the bird, although it was missing for at least half of this time. No other birders came to view the bird while I was with it, although I know of a few others who visited during the afternoon, finding it still in the same area.

This was the species I had most wanted to find on Soil Hill, but no matter how I imagined it, I still could not quite believe that it actually happened.

-Yellow-browed Warbler

Species List:

Soil Hill: Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Goosander, Common Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Moorhen, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Yellow-browed Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Eurasian Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Common Reed Bunting,

Soil Hill

   With the weather having been east for the best part of a week, it has been tough going in often murky and foggy conditions where motivation for birding has been hard to come by. But todays switch to northwesterly brought some much-needed optimism that some reasonable VizMig might be on the agenda for the day. Alas not, as when daylight broke it was with the same murk and gloom that I had become accustomed to over the last week.

  Still at 07:30 it had cleared enough for me to make my move up to Soil Hill, in the hope that at least some birds would be migrating. Unfortunately, there was absolutely no movement to speak of, the only species seemingly on the move in any real capacity being Common Snipe, an impressive 24 passing through or dropping in over the morning, including a flock of 16. A stomp around the JS Marsh corner also booted out my first Jack Snipe of the autumn, although I was too sluggish on the draw to get any photos.

  The morning continued to brighten up and at 09:10 I had my first notable bird of the morning with an immature Marsh Harrier heading southeast. From where I was it did not look like it entered Calderdale airspace but it was frustratingly close to the border if not. Still, from a Soil Hill perspective, it was a much-wanted yeartick for the site, and from a Halifax perspective hopefully not the last of the year!

  But the morning really peaked when at 09:40 I noticed a Soil Hill patch tick of Great Egret flying north up the Ogden valley. It continued on its way north the whole time I was watching it, until it was a white speck somewhere towards Keighley. This is a species I have long hoped to have on Soil Hill. Even though their numbers have increased so dramatically, it is still a rare bird in Halifax and my memory goes back to when I was a child and they were rare nationally. A great addition to my Soil Hill list, number 127. 

-Great Egret

-Marsh Harrier

-Common Snipe

Species List:

Soil Hill: Canada Goose, Mallard, Goosander, Common Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Moorhen, European Golden Plover, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Egret, Western Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Common Chiffchaff, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, European Robin, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Eurasian Chaffinch, European Goldfinch, Common Reed Bunting, 

Soil Hill

   An enjoyable few hours on Soil Hill this morning, with what was forecast to be the only good passage morning of the week, with easterlies until the weekend. Not masses of movement, but a few skeins of Pink-footed Geese kept things entertaining with five flocks heading SE between 07:50 and 08:30, and then two more flocks going back NW for some reason between 09:30 and 10:00. In total counted from photos 413 birds SE and 185 birds NW. In tandem with one of these flocks was a group of three Wigeon which is a full patch tick for me, putting me now on 126 for the Hill. This is a species I have been after for some time, but more expected a rouge individual on the pond rather than a flyby, I was thrilled with these!

  Other movement was more limited, with 195 Meadow Pipits and 55 Swallows making up the bulk of numbers. It was a Soil Hill record morning for me way Jays today, with eight heading NE, two heading SW and three heading SE, this latter group also dropping into the North Slope Tree-Line for a short while. Pretty steady with grounded birds. A Wheatear was the only migrant of note, with four Chiffchaff and a Whitethroat also present. Two Bullfinch were only my second here this year. 

-Wigeon

-Wigeon & Pink-footed Geese

-Jay

Species List:
Soil Hill: Greylag Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Canada Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, Mallard, Goosander, Common Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Moorhen, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Jay, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Western House Martin, Common Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Northern Wheatear, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Eurasian Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Common Reed Bunting, 

Soil Hill

  A delightful day up on Soil Hill. Although I had a few hours bush-bashing this morning, the highlight of the day came during an afternoon visit when at 14:35 an Osprey flew over high southwest, my second here this year, always a brilliant bird to see.

  During the morning there was very little in the way of VizMig but a Yellow Wagtail flew south calling which is my second of the autumn here, and a Tree Pipit went south, which given the forecast could be my last of the autumn after a fantastic August for this species. Two Snipe also flew west, a species I always enjoy seeing on VizMig and is a highlight of early to mid-September when their migration picks up.

  The bushes this morning were quite productive with a few grounded migrants. The highlight were two Sedge Warblers, which were also joined by a Grasshopper Warbler, three Chiffchaff and three Whitethroat. In the reservoir field there were two Wheatears this morning, and during the afternoon three Wheatears flew high southwest, which may have been the same birds

-Osprey

-Sedge Warbler

Species List:
Soil Hill: Canada Goose, Grey Partridge, Common Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Moorhen, Northern Lapwing, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Osprey, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Sedge Warbler, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Barn Swallow, Western House Martin, Common Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Northern Wheatear, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Western Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipit, Eurasian Chaffinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Common Reed Bunting,