A dark-phase bird flew down the valley at Elland Gravel Pits on 8th June, veering off to the north when mobbed by two Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

An excellent year with two records coinciding with large numbers reported nationally. A single at Stockbridge Reserve on 29th August was followed by another in Wharfedale on 6th September. Good views were obtained and both birds were well described.

A juvenile was seen and photographed at Nan Scar above Leeming Reservoir on 22nd September. The bird was being mobbed by Carrion Crows, and perched in a tree briefly before flying off south-westwards over White Moor.

The unprecedented influx of Honey Buzzards into Britain in September and October was reflectedly locally in the five records submitted for that period. Initially, two birds were seen on Ilkley Moor on 26th September, followed by one over Halifax on 30th. On 1st October one was reported over Denholme Clough, and what was probably the same bird over Thornton Moor Reservoir. A further bird was seen at Beaverdyke Reservoir on 8th October, and the final bird flew south over Kex Gill the following day.

In addition, a bird which could have been this species, but not specifically identified, flew north-west over Mount Tabor on 6th October, and a report of a further bird at Thornton Moor Reservoir was not supported by a description.

A ‘cream-crown’ bird was seen firstly at Kex Gill and then at Thruscross on 30th August. Presumably the same bird was recorded again at Kex Gill the following day.

There were four records, all of ‘cream-crowns’. The first was a female seen from Barden Scale in Wharfedale on 16th May, but the bird was not picked up until it was stooped on by a Common Buzzard over the Hare Head moorlands. After several minutes of interplay between the two raptors, the harrier drifted over Barden Moor and disappeared to the west. Only a few days later, on 20th May, an observer searching for Dotterel in the vicinity of the Twelve Apostles stone circle on top of Ilkley Moor reported a bird flying north-west, mobbed at one stage by a Curlew.

Next came the first mid-summer record since 1991, when a single bird was seen hunting at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 29th July. Finally, a juvenile – aged on its full complement of wing and tail feathers – was watched from Barden Scale on 25th September, the latest date for the species so far. This bird quartered the fell top on the opposite side of the river before crossing the valley to Barden Moor and vanishing westwards.

There was five records, all of single birds and all from the Barden Scale area. The first sighting came from there on 23rd April, where what was considered a yong male bird was seen. What was almost certainly the same bird was present there the following day. The next records came over a period of some three months, with birds seen on 22nd May, 11th August and 29th August. Birds recorded from Barden on different dates (but without descriptions) could have referred to those mentioned above. Two other records, including one at Timble Ings, were also undescribed.

Another good year, with five verified sightings, all of which related to spring and autumn passage, and all were of ‘cream crown’ birds. The first was seen on Hanging Moor, Blubberhouses on 23rd April, followed by another relatively nearby on Kex Gill Moor on 30th May. The remaining sightings were in August, with singles at Barden Scale on 10th and at Kex Gill on 16th and 28th.

There were seven records, representing at least eight birds. In the spring, a male was seen at Timble Ings on 19th April, with a cream-crown at Barden on 26th May. Autumn passage commenced with a juvenile at Timble INgs on 16th August, and an excellent period around the month end produced three birds at Barden Scale on 31st, with singles also there on 1st and 2nd September. The final record was also at Barden, on 18th September.

A very poor showing this year, with only two authenticated records: one at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 19th April and another seen from the Barden watchpoint on 20th May.

Whilst an average year, it was a distinct improvement on 2004, with seven records, all single birds, and coming mainly from Barden Scale watch-point. This site had the only spring records, on 21st April and 1st May, and autumn passage produced birds there 22nd July, 21st August and 12th September. Nearby at Langbar, a hasty exit from his car enabled the observer to get good views of a cream-crown bird which flew across the road in front of him on 30th August. A rare record came from the south of the area, with a bird moving east at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 31st August.

The six accepted records this year are in line with 2005, and it is notable that half of them came from the south of the area. All the birds were ‘cream-crowns’, indicating either females or sub-adults, some of which were specifically designated by the observer.

Warley Moor Reservoir had the first of these, on 25th March, a probable juvenile, and another was seen here on 15th July. Of Barden Scale’s two reports, on 7th June and 25th August, the second was a juvenile, but the year’s final birds, both on 9th September, couldn’t be aged. These were seen at the opposite ends of the recording area, at Leeshaw Reservoir, and Sandwith Moor.

Only three reports represent a rather poor return these days, and it is particularly surprising that only one originated from Barden Scale, a juvenile bird seen on 29th August. The two other records were probably also of juveniles, and were from Oxenhope on 6th September, and Denholme Clough on the 16th.

During January a small but regular roost was discovered near to the one being used in 2002. At least four ringtails, two adult males and a second-winter male were observed in total, although between three and five birds were normally noted on any given evening. Probably one of the same adult males was observed intermittently roosting at another site a few kilometres away. Elsewhere, the usual moorland records were obtained, typically of ones and twos, with birds on passage seen in April and October.
As usual, things went quiet during the breeding season, but a bird seen in Wharfedale in July had been tagged in a nest in Bowland, Lancashire, a few weeks previously.

During the second winter period, the two previously mentioned roost sites held a ringtail and an adult male respectively, while up to five hunting birds were recorded in Wharfedale in November. Only single ringtails were observed in December.

Whilst an average year, it was a distinct improvement on 2004, with seven records, all single birds, and coming mainly from Barden Scale watch-point.

This site had the only spring records, on 21st April and 1st May, and autumn passage produced birds there 22nd July, 21st August and 12th September. Nearby at Langbar, a hasty exit from his car enabled the observer to get good views of a cream-crown bird which flew across the road in front of him on 30th August. A rare record came from the south of the area, with a bird moving east at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 31st August

The total of only 17 records received for this attractive raptor represents the lowest since 1991, and it is likely that no more than 13 different birds were involved, itself a low figure compared to many previous years. The situation is therefore quite concerning, particularly as the answer doesn’t lie in under-recording: indeed the main locations for the species are now considerably better watched than they were 15 years ago. This may be a temporary lull, but the position needs to be monitored.

There is a suspicion that birds are now wintering in only very small numbers, if at all. Only three birds were seen in the first three months: a juvenile at Barden Scale on 11th and 12th January, a ring-tail there on 19th March, and an adult male at Whetstone Gate ten days later, which fortuitously and obligingly flushed two Short-eared Owls for the observer. The third Barden Scale record illustrated the changing scene there as the bird was pursued by a Red Kite. The second winter period was totally devoid of records, and the remaining ones probably all relate to birds relocating.

In April, a bird was seen at Timble Ings on the 14th, and another on the moors near Oxenhope on the 16th, one of only three records from the south of the area. May produced a male at Barden Scale on the 16th, and records of what was presumably the same ring-tail bird on the moors adjoining Leeshaw Reservoir on the 29th and 30th. The lack of midsummer records was unsurprising, but there were only two for the early autumn period, a bird at Barden on 22nd August, which attracted the attentions of a Peregrine and a Kestrel, and a bird on Sandwith Moor on 9th September.

All the remaining records originated in October. A different bird was seen on Sandwith Moor on the 8th., and there were two reports on the 13th., of single birds at Kex Gill and Whetstone Gate. Ten days later a ring-tail was seen at Noska Brow and South Nab, and the following day one was over Barden Fell, the first sighting at the usually productive Barden Scale site for over two months. Given the proximity of these three locations, it is likely only one bird was involved.

Two of the sightings involved wing-tagged birds. The tag colours on the August bird couldn’t be made out, but the detail seen on the Sandwith Moor bird of early October identified it as having been fledged that year in Bowland.

The rather disquieting situation set out in the 2006 Report remains, and has actually worsened, as just eight records were received. Only the Group’s inception year of 1987 had fewer, and it will be noted five of the reports cover an eight day period. The dates involved confirm it is unlikely birds are now wintering in the area, and are suggestive of passage.

In the early months, singles were seen at Barden Scale on 6th February and 12th March, and at Blubberhouses on 2nd March. As indicated, all the remaining records covered just over a week, and came from Barden in November. Up to two birds were seen on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th, and three on the 6th, probably including one of the birds seen earlier. Three days later, two birds were seen, including at least one of those seen on the 6th. It is thus possible only seven birds were observed in the entire year.

Tags carried by one of the November birds indicated it had been raised during 2007 in Bowland.

After a couple of lean years, there was a welcome upturn in both the numbers of records and birds seen, which the pattern of sightings suggests was a minimum of 21 individuals. As usual, most of the reports came from Barden Scale, where birds were noted in all but May, June and July, and usually involved single ringtails, though two were seen in October and December. Other singles were seen on Hazlewood, Denton and Sandwith Moors, at Whetstone Gate and on Addingham High Moor (where an adult male was found on 1st September), and there were birds near Timble Ings in October.

In addition to these records, a displaying male was seen in early May, but quickly departed after failing to attract a mate

2008

A juvenile bird was watched from Barden Scale on 17th September, with further sightings of what may have been the same bird on the following two days, though only the one seen on the 19th could be definitely aged also as juvenile

Once again, notable by its absence for most of the year, although this was the best year for a while as regards displaying birds in spring. The regular sitting-out bird was visible from January to April at one site but was more erratic than in some years, with only brief display noted.A few miles away at another regular site a few records were received, including a pair on one day and a female being mobbed by two Carrion Crows two days later. A third site provided a record of a pair displaying and, on another occasion, a single being harried by a Peregrine. In a fourth general area, a handful of records included females and pairs together. Only one report, of a male, came from the south of the area.

In line with previous years, there was no indication of breeding despite regular coverage, and the masses of suitable habitat and vast abundance of prey available. One can only assume that persecution and possibly disturbance are playing a part in suppressing the local population.

Once again the sightings (or lack of them) for this species are as frustrating as ever. There were only eight records from five relatively proximate sites, and a co-ordinated watch of these and others in March produced a co-ordinated nil return. Yet again, there was no evidence of attempted breeding, and it is tempting to suppose the area contains no more than a handful (if that) of mobile birds.

At the first site, what was presumably the male seen in previous years, was observed sitting out on two occasions in spring, but with little display activity. Another bird, possibly a female, perched out at a second nearby location on two consecutive days in March.

In a third general area, single males were seen on three days (at different sites) and two on another day at one of them. There were no sightings after 3rd April.

This year’s records tend to indicate that the species continues to maintain its presence in the area, if only just, and there is still no indication of breeding activity, despite some display and the intermittent presence of an apparent pair.

Two principal locations were involved. At the first, a male was seen on 28th January, and a sub-adult female on 31st March, but neither observation indicated more than a transient presence in the area.

The other location has produced birds perched out prominently in the early months in previous years, and this year the first such male was seen on 16th February, with what was probably a different bird there on the 27th. This second bird was then seen on several more dates to 4th April, and was in the company of a probable female on the 1st and 3rd of that month, the female having also been seen individually a month earlier. The final authenticated record was of a male in the same general area on 24th June but two other reports weren’t supported by a description.

As in other recent years, most of the records came from two main areas, and probably involved three different birds. Another two birds were seen elsewhere. Once again, there was no suggestion of breeding, nor of paired birds, though display was seen at one of the locations.

An adult was noted perched out prominently at a regular site on 27th January, and there were further sightings here, including territorial display, during the next two months. At the other regular locality for this species, the month of March produced records of a 1st-winter female on the 12th and 13th, and a 1st-winter male on the 7th, with possibly the same bird being seen again on 12th April.

A few miles distant from the first location, an adult female was observed at close range on 21st March (RHP), and there was a rare Airedale record of another adult female, apparently relocating, on the previous day

Our area benefited from the large influx of this species into Britain in late October. The moorlands held probably three birds, possibly more, and provided some of the best bird-watching this area has seen. Many bird watchers came from outside the are and as a result some locally rare species were reported. All records relate to immatures and indeed this was the trend nationally.

The first arrival was at March Ghyll on 23rd October where a bird spent the whole afternoon hunting persistent hovering taking place. The following day two birds gave good views at the same date. A single was recorded here the following day. One of the ‘March Ghyll birds’ was thought to have moved to nearby Timble on 28th October where views down to 20m were obtained by one observer. One was also reported in Wharfedale on the same date. The Timble bird remained in a small open area at Ellercarr all the next day and at least all morning on 30th October. Also on this latter date at nearby Beamsley Moor two birds were observed for over an hour, one being mobbed by a Common Buzzard. Up to two birds were reported around Timble and Round Hill until 6th November. Sightings after this date until the year-end were patchy and involved just single birds. The remaining records were: Timble 11th and 19th November, Kex Gill 13th November, March Ghyll 20th and 21st November and 11th December, and Wharfedale between 16th and 20th December.

The year’s only sighting was of a bird which was well seen flying low over Barden Fell on 5th March. It was believed to be a first-winter bird, taking into consideration the amount of black on the belly and the very pale patches on the upper wings.

It was a welcome, if brief, return of a species not seen in the recording area since 1998. A juvenile bird provided the sole observer with excellent views on Denton Moor on 15th November.

An immature bird flew down Wharfedale on 1st March, mobbed for a time by an accipiter. The bird was probably the same individual which frequented the Gouthwaite area all winter.

An immature was observed on 6th March flying low on Blubberhouses Moor to the north of Round Hill, and shortly afterwards was watched for 20 minutes soaring high near Timble.