Rock
Dove |
Stock
Dove |
Wood
Pigeon |
ROCK
DOVE Columba livia
Resident feral breeder.
The scarcity of records belies the abundance of the birds. The only report was of 140 in Halifax Bus Station on 18th January.
STOCK
DOVE
Columba oenas
Resident breeder.
This species was quite well-recorded, with 40 reports originating from the south of the area, and 34 others elsewhere.
The main concentrations were around the Aire Valley, where there were 80 birds in fields on Lees Moor on 26th February (one of the Group’s highest totals), between 20 and 43 birds near Cullingworth in the final three months of the year, 40 at Sunnydale on 29th October and 30 there on 12th March. Outside this area, the highest counts were eighteen birds at Norwood Edge on 19th March, and 28 at Cold Edge on 15th. Garden records are rarely reported, so one in Baildon on Christmas Day was notable.
As in 2004, two pairs used nest boxes provided for Barn Owl, but with breeding success unreported, and two young were raised at a natural site in Luddenden Dean.
WOOD
PIGEON
Columba palumbus
Resident breeder and winter visitor.
In recent years, increasingly large numbers of birds have been seen moving through the area in the winter months, many of them at migration watch-points in the south. This trend continued in 2005, and produced the largest number of birds seen on any one day and probably in total.
The big movements of late 2004 continued into January, and produced a staggering total of around 8040 birds passing Thornton Moor Reservoir to the month-end. Most of these were in the first two weeks, and included a Group record day count of 6130 birds on 2nd (DCB). In the same period 1050 birds were at Thornton Moor on 16th January, whilst good numbers elsewhere comprised 1250 over Luddenden Dean on 19th, 650 near Blubberhouses, 600 in the Oxenhope area, 300 at Doe Park Reservoir and 230 at Kex Gill.
Between then and August, the highest count was 120 at Leeshaw in May, before numbers started to build up in late October. Again, Thornton Moor was the focal point, and, whilst numbers didn’t compare with the first winter period, nearly 4000 birds were seen to the end of November, including day totals of 1190 on 1st November and 1160 on 5th, as well as several three-figure counts of up to 520 birds.
In contrast, breeding data was, for a common species, almost non-existant, and the only report was of a bird carrying nest material in Sconce Lane, Baildon, in April.
COLLARED
DOVE
Streptopelia decaocto
Common resident breeder.
The first British record of this species was 50 years ago. It is now so common in the BOG area that it is clearly taken for granted, as indicated by the paltry 16 records received. These covered no more than 31 birds in all, of which 14 referred to garden records of seven birds each in Sconce Lane, Baildon and Slack Lane, Oakworth. Another garden record was received from Undercliffe.
Unsurprisingly, no breeding data was forthcoming.
COMMON
CUCKOO
Cuculus canorus
Migrant breeder.
The first arrival was at Coldstone Beck on 25th April, a fairly typical date. Further arrivals took place in the last few days of the month, but 70% of the year’s records came from May, when birds were widely reported.
Most records came from moorland and its edges. Birds were noted at seven locations around Rombald’s Moor and its subsidiaries, at three in the Blubberhouses/Denton Moor sector, and six in the moorland areas surrounding Oxenhope. There were many records of up to two birds in the Barden area, and a bird was present for over a month on the fringe of Baildon Moor.
Lowland reports came from Newsholme Dean, Oxenhope, Strid Wood, Low Wood (Keighley), Goit Stock, Oakworth, Baildon, Utley, Silsden and Stockbridge.
There were few records in June, and after the 19th, when a bird was heard at Cold Edge Dams, the only other record was of a bird there on 1st August.
No evidence of breeding
was observed, but the year’s last record
was of a juvenile.