ring billed gull mirfield

ring billed gull

mirfield

despite waking up with a hangover the size large universe at around mid morning i made my way to mirfield just a few miles down the road for the ring billed gull that has been presant for the last few days.

after about an hour i saw the bird fly in and land behind the island,shitty views through the bins but still a good yorkshire tick.

anyway the loafed on the lake for about 20mins before flying off north to where???? my guess is the retail park by the M62

kites,camera,action

common buzzard

gigrin farm

black kite

gigrin farm

red kite

gigrin farm

at last i managed to get to gigrin farm,blue skies and snow made for some excellent photos,if i do say so myself!!!

gigrin farm is the one place any birder should visit once,its not a reserve but just one persons vision to bring masses of red kites to the people.

a 3 hour drive for an hours worth of photography! worth it? YES

black kite

gigrin farm

the hidden halifax

well from the feedback i have recieved i have set up another blog!

yep its the HIDDEN HALIFAX i hope any local readers can add comments about the photos i will be posting.

i am going to try and post a 'then and now' kind of thing with what i know about about it.

if anyone has any knowledge or info of places to go they are most welcome

out and about

just my luck that the sun was out whilst i was at my parents in york!!!! after a few hours and a cracking bacon sarnie,i went to bubwith loads of water but very few birds!

gave up and went to north cave which was a bit better but everything is miles away.........which seems to be a common problem in yorkshire

faxfleet was the best of the day with distant barn owl and 2 marsh harriers,then to add to a crap day i went to fairburn....................................................................

teal

mallard

shoveler

hard going but not a bad day

well a nice walk today from siddal to salterhebble then elland gravel pits up through cromwell wood to southowram and down coal pit lane back home about 9 miles

very little between siddal and salterhebble except 2 jays,it was even worse from salterhebble to the gravel pits with nothing of note seen.

elland gp

with the lack of birds so far i was suprised to find it was quite good with 3 sinensis cormorants on the ski ramp 7 sinensis were present and 1 nominate carbo

the best of the rest included

goldeneye 2

goosander 6

tufted duck 7

siskin 27

green woodpecker 1

bullfinch 6

cromwell wood only had the pair of tawny owls 23 goldfinch,49 redwing

cormorants'sinensis'

elland gp

stoodly pike

from coal pit lane

wainhouse tower

from coal pit lane

grey heron

elland gp

mallard

elland gp

dunnock

elland gp

robin

salterhebble

10 miles 1 year tick

was hoping for early morning walk but it was chucking down with water!

at 10 headed for stoney royd cem no lesser spotted woodpecker but 15 goldfinch, 2 jays,2 redwings, then doubled back on myself towards siddal top lane then to coal pit lane which was quite good with 1 golden plover, 27 common gulls. northowram and bank top held nothing :(

beacon hill via green lane had 2 green woodpeckers which are a stunning bird in flight and definatley brightend up a misty walk.

from beacon hill to claremount 4 black headed gulls,23 house sparrows chulpping away was a great sound.

hollins greave lane and bradford old road held nothing just a mistle thrush

ploughcroft had 7 greenfinch and up at swalesmoor 1 reed bunting,1skylark,1 meadow pipit.

down ploughcroft lane to mill lane then old mill lane was devoid of birds apart from the lone mournful song of the robin.

the hebble brook below the railway station was too fast flowing for any grey wagtails or dippers shame

well my 'green' year list stands at 68

never been so scared in my life!!!!!

id noticed on google earth that the old tip at shroggs looked worth a visit.

so off i set

i found a way in from the back of halfords on pellon lane,going down angel road through snake hill wood,which in itself is scary enough,i suppose i wouldnt have been so scared if it was not for the snow (lots of footprints) who else uses this path/road? and the thick fog which even added to the impending doom.

with back to back houses rising above me from the walls and footpaths closed off with metal railings i felt trapped!

i had no idea where i would end up!

i have been so pleased to see B&Q in my life.

so onward through dean clough,charlestown and nestle and in to stoney cemetery no LSW which was a shame

sefton street

looming above

angel road/snake hill wood

and the birds?

very poor

grey wagtail 4

sparrowhawk 1 female over shroggs old tip

mallard 46 at peoples park

jay 1 stoney royd cemetery

RIP gran love you

well today i went to the funeral of my last grandparent,i got home at about 1ish got changed and went for a walk.
my mother has never really spoke about her mums life,and i do not know what my great grandparents were called.

my mum is 60 odd and even just hours after grans death my mum said to me 'she was 90 a long life but not a nice one' only in her last few years did she find true happiness.

life was rough in the 'city'

all gone now but at its height it had over 700 people crammed into the size of a supermarket carpark.

'the city'

halifax

6 hour walk and only 12 miles!!! boo

well the first day of my week off work.

as i live halifax which is not the best place to live for birds or birding.i took my friend Geraldine on a long walk,which basically was from town to old mill then ploughcroft,catherine slack,shibden valley,hipperholme,norcliffe,southowram,bank top,beacon hill then back to halifax.it was only 12 miles i thought it would be more,its the fucking hills that fuck it up!

law hill school plaque

we found a collared dove injured/stunned at the roadside a friendly workman put the little fella out of harms way (i was hoping for a mourning dove when i saw it)

lunch at the new cafe in shibden park was very nice

scout hall