Reservoir Reserve
Access only available to BOG Members
Specialities |
| The Reserve is predominately a site for visible migration specialists. Depending on the time of year, a very wide range of birds can pass through. |
In addition to, and in compliment to, our other reserves and access agreements, Bradford Ornithological Group has negotiated an access agreement to one of the areas high moorland reservoirs. Access is strictly limited to permit pass carrying B.O.G. members. Keys and pass (to be shown on demand) are available to all Group members. There is a hide, specifically designed for telescope watching, and a small car park, which all visitors must use. An area of newly established heath land is steadily developing. Over the last few years a migration watch-point has been maintained, when possible, throughout the seasons.
During the migration seasons there is a very low to none-existent background population of resident passerine and other birds at the site, which, together with the open aspect, make it ideal for observing and recording visible migration.
If you would like to visit, you are very welcome but in accordance with our agreement, please activate your membership of the Bradford Ornithological Group and complete the appropriate paperwork first. Our membership secretary will help in this respect and then an essential visit to one of our Group meetings will enable you to get your paperwork in place, obtain the keys and then you can visit!
And finally we must express our utmost gratitude to YORKSHIRE WATER for their assistance and allowing us to develop this invaluable facility at this important site.
| Black-headed Gull Roost - 2005 | ||
|---|---|---|
| January | 15th | 2000 |
| January | 31st | 3500 |
| February | 5th | 2200 |
| February | 27th | 3400 |
| November | 9th | 1260 |
| November | 21st | 2300 |
| November | 26th | 2500 |
| December | 3rd | 2000 |
| December | 10th | 4200 |
| December | 11th | 4500 |
| December | 17th | 2000 |
| December | 26th &27th | 1500 |
| Common Gull Roost - 2005 | ||
|---|---|---|
| February | 27th | 2100 |
| November | 21st | 1000 |
| November | 26th | 3500 |
| December | 3rd | 2500 |
| December | 10th | 1800 |
| December | 11th | 2400 |
| December | 17th | 1900 |
| December | 26th | 1000 |
| December | 27th | 1800 |
| Meadow Pipits on passage - 2005 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sep 21st |
Sep 25th |
Sep 28th |
Oct 2nd |
Oct 9th |
1078 |
1988 |
2026 |
1882 |
1578 |
Notable
Sightings 2005 |
| 1st January 2005 1820 Lapwing |
| 1st January 2005 384 Redwing (with 115 there two days later). |
| 1st January 2005 210 Jackdaws |
| 2nd January 2005 6130 Wood Pigeons - A staggering total of around 8040 birds passing the watch-point to the month-end, most of these were in the first two weeks. On the 16th 1050 Wood Pigeon were at the reserve. |
| 15th January 2005 734 Pink-footed Geese in various skeins. |
| 16th January 2005 2370 Pink-footed Geese in twelve skeins between 11.15 and 12.15. |
| 19th January 2005 150 Golden Plovers |
| January 2005 There was the year’s biggest count of 245 Rooks, there were 60 in May, and a good total of 155 in June. Counts of 70 in August and 53 in October were also of birds on the move. |
| 6th February 2005 12 Waxwing over. |
| 16th February 2005 5 Great Black-backed Gulls |
| 27th February 2005 45 Goosander |
| 12th March 2005 760 Starlings and 1070 there on 20th November. This location continued to produce large numbers of birds from the end of May throughout June (no doubt attributable to post-breeding dispersal), and in September and October, during the autumn influx. In the first of these periods, around 7000 birds were seen in total, with significant counts of 525 at the end of May, and 3500 and 1050 on two days in June. In the second period, numbers were somewhat lower, with the highest count 750 on 29th October, and an aggregate figure of some 2100 birds. |
| 19th March 2005 32 Skylark and 43 on 11th April. |
| 19th March 2005 An early Wheatear. |
| 20th March 2005 258 Golden Plover |
| 20th March 2005 12 Twite. |
| 21st March 2005 A Green Sandpiper |
| 26th March 2005 First recorded Willow Warbler. |
| 26th March 2005 and between that date and 26th June, Dunlin were recorded there on nine dates, with significant counts of six on 30th April and five on 2nd May. A single bird had returned by 26th July, and five were present five days later. However, the best totals were reserved for the end of August and beginning of September, as five birds were seen on 25th August, and fourteen flew past on 31st, with eight on the shoreline the following day. The year’s final record was of two birds on 11th September, following three in the preceding week. |
| 27th March 2005 A flock of 14 Goldcrests |
| 1st April 2005 10 Redshank |
| 9th April 2005 Two Whooper Swans |
| 24th April 2005 Four Ringed Plovers, following which up to three birds were noted on five dates to 5th June. Autumn passage produced birds on 16 dates between 31st July and 25th September, with notable counts of nine on the latter date and the 10th of the month, and five on 25th August. |
| 30th April 2005 Eight Common Sandpiper |
| 2nd May 2005 A Ruddy Turnstone. |
| 2nd May 2005 A Group record total of 44 Wheatears for any one location. The same day, also produced the amazing total of 90 birds counted within the recording area as a whole. |
| 2nd May 2005 23 Linnets. |
| 14th May 2005 Four Kittiwake. |
| May 2005 Swifts on three days during month totalled 117, 306 and 380. The last big inward movement was of 320 birds there on 5th June. Total numbers seen at here were somewhat down on those of the previous year, with a total count of about 2800 to the end of July, with significant counts of 297, 320, and 432 on three days, and 1491 on 3rd July. This was clearly a day of big movement generally, and 730 birds were seen over Cold Edge Dams. Numbers reduced in August, though there were records for 18 dates, and a count of 172 birds at Thornton Moor on 6th. |
May to August Around 2000 Lesser black-backed Gulls, compared with over 3000 in the corresponding period in 2004. However, this was offset to some extent by a reasonable passage of birds in the following two months. |
| 20th June 2005 A single Osprey passed the Reserve |
| 2nd July 2005 297 Swifts went SW |
| 3rd July 2005 A broad-fronted movement of Swifts with a minimum total of 1491 passing WSW. |
| 9th July 15 Sand Martins were noted in two groups feeding high above the north flank of the water-shed on the updraft |
| 9th July 2005 Eight Curlews passed through westwards. |
| 23rd July A single male Common Scoter. |
| 23rd July 2005 Post-breeding congregation of Curlews had increased to 46. |
| 29th July 2005 An adult Yellow-legged Gull was found at Thornton Moor, and this bird remained in the general area until 7th August. A further adult bird was there on 16th August, and what was presumably the same one was also seen at this location on the 21st and 29th of the month. The final record was of a 2nd-winter bird here on 7th October. |
31st July 2005 A single Greenshank was seen, and another on 8th August, with sightings of what was almost certainly the same bird until the 13th. After a short gap, another was there on 21st August, with the year’s final record a single on 29th September. |
| July 2005 Single Whimbrel were seen on 20th, 23rd and 31st. Another was there on 4th August, and one flew south-west with Curlews on the 19th. Two days later, four were seen, and on the 22nd one was heard in flight, followed by three more which spent a short time on the shoreline. |
| July 2005 132 Golden Plover. |
| July 2005 61 Jackdaws moved through the reserve. |
| 5th & 6th August 2005 Two Pintail |
| 11th August 2005 A Little Ringed Plover |
| 11th August 2005 A Green Sandpiper. |
| 19th August 2005 A juvenile Mediterranean Gull followed by an adult at this location five days later. What was considered the same bird was then present on three dates to 24th September . |
| 21st & 29th August 2005 Two Yellow Wagtails and on 4th September, with the final record one at this location on the 25th. |
| 21st August, and 28th and 30th September Grey Plover |
| 30th August 2005 An Osprey stopped off and bathed. |
| 30th August 2005 8 Black-tailed Godwits flew off westwards. |
| 31st August 2005 A Marsh Harrier moving eastwards. |
| 1st September Four Curlew Sandpipers and eight Dunlin, called briefly at the Reserve. Two Curlew Sandpipers and a Dunlin were present on the following day |
| 3rd September 2005 150 House Martins were recorded and 280 on the 26th September. |
| 4th September 2005 1633 Swallows, the biggest daily migration count on record. |
| 4th September 2005 A Hobby and 7th and 8th one was seen on nearby Ovenden Moor, chasing Meadow Pipits and Swallows. |
| 9th September 2005 A Wryreck three years almost to the day since the last record at nearby Paul Clough. Despite the weather, and its preference for feeding in dense heather, it gave satisfactory views to a handful of observers, but had gone by the following day. The fourth Group record. |
| 10th September Single Barnacle Goose went over |
| 10th September 2005 Four Ruddy Turnstone |
| 11th September 2005 787 Meadow Pipits |
| 11th September 2005 to 5th November, nearly 1100 birds were seen there, with many double-figure counts, and particularly notable ones of 581 on 10th October, and 111 on 22nd. |
| 12th September 2005 Adult Mediterranean Gull |
| 15th September 2005 Two Ruff flying east |
| 15th September 2005 36 Jays passed through during a period of large movements of these birds. |
| 17th September 2005 A roost of 36 Goosander |
| 18th September 2005 A flock of 15 Coal Tits. |
| 21st September over 100 Meadow Pipits |
| 25th September 2005 Four Snow Buntings and five on 10th October and one on the 13th. |
| 25th September 2005 nearly 2000 Meadow Pipits, 64 Golden Plover, nine Ringed Plover and fourteen Snipe |
| 28th September 2005 over 200 Meadow Pipits |
| 2nd October 2005 1900 Meadow Pipits and 82 Swallows. |
| 2nd October 2005 144 Greenfinch. |
| 9th October 2005 a maximum tally of 146 Goldfinch |
| 11th October 2005 56 Siskin passed through |
| 13th October 2005 150 Pink-footed Geese flew over. |
| 14th October 2005 610 Redwing passed through |
| 15th October 2005 866 Redwing passed through |
| 17th October 2005 Four Lapland Buntings |
| 22nd October 2005 Ring Ouzel |
| 26th October 2005 1400 Redwing and 1615 on 28th, with other counts of 866, 700 and 510 in the same month, followed by 600 on 1st November. |
| 26th October 2005 2700 Fieldfare flooded through and 1315 the following day with 500 on 29th, followed by 582 on 5th November and 533 on 20th. |
| 26th October 2005 and 28th October 150 Chaffinch. |
| 31st October 2005 Three Shoveler |
| October 2005 195 Canada Geese (maximum for year) |
| 1st November 2005 1190 Wood Pigeons and 1160 on 5th, as well as several three-figure counts of up to 520 birds during the month. |
| 6th November 2005 Red-brested Merganser, a female in the Goosander |
| 15th November 2005 30 Wigeon |
| Winter period 2005, between 23 and 35 Herring Gulls were noted on four occasions |