2003 Report

2004 Report

2006 Report

SKY LARK Alauda arvensis
Resident/migrant breeder and passage migrant.

It is clear that the main concentrations of this species are in the south of the area, as almost all the records came from there, both for territorial birds and those on migration. There were many reports of singing birds and ones defending territory, most of which came from two main blocks : the area around Queensbury (primarily Soil Hill) and the moorland and adjacent areas north-west of Halifax.

The somewhat unprepossessing location of Soil Hill is clearly attractive to this species as birds were present in every month but June, with singing and courtship-chasing noted as early as 6th February, and a maximum of twenty birds there on 13th April, probably on passage. Consistently good counts came from Roils Head where between ten and twenty birds were regularly seen between early February and mid-March, the highest total being recorded on 8th February.

The biggest numbers, however, were reported from around Warley Moor Reservoir, which held at least 30 birds on 31st March, many of which were on territory, and Ovenden Moor, where there were 25 on 29th September. Despite all this activity, breeding was scarcely recorded, with the only evidence a bird seen food-carrying at Roils Head in June.

Birds clearly dispersing were noted in both spring and autumn. In the first period, about 110 were seen, including several double-figure day counts at Thornton Moor Reservoir, and particularly good totals of 32 on 19th March and 43 on 11th April. Twenty birds seen there in February were also probably relocating. The second period had a rather higher tally of 150, but no significant daily totals.

TREE PIPIT Anthus trivialis
Migrant breeder/passage visitor.

Whilst the 31 records for 2005 compare favourably, on the face of it, with the similar number submitted seven years earlier, it is worth noting that this year many of them refer to the same few locations, and 11 relate to visible-migration. It is probable, therefore, that the species is in decline in the area.

That said, there was a good percentage of reports of singing and displaying birds, and the year’s first record was one such, a bird at Timble Ings on 23rd April. There were many other records of singing birds here up to the end of July including at least five on 25th May, and song was also heard at St. Ives. However, despite this and related breeding activity at Hanging Wood, breeding was proved only at Timble, where food-carrying was noted in July.

Visible-migration was typically light, with only 16 birds noted between the end of August and 25th September, when the last bird was seen at Cold Edge Dams.

MEADOW PIPIT Anthus pratensis

Common resident/migrant breeder and passage visitor.

In recent years, the main feature associated with this species has been the recording of an often massive number of birds on migration, particularly in autumn, and usually over the watch-points in the south of the area. This year was no exception, and, whilst daily totals didn’t reach the heights of some previous years, there was a consistent flow of birds during September and October, producing a large aggregate figure.

Spring migration is usually on a more modest scale. In 2005 the total was around 3800, but half of it was recorded on one day, 11th April, and at Thornton Moor Reservoir. By the middle of July there was evidence of a modest amount of return migration, numbers built up in August, and movement was in full swing in September. The final birds trickled through in the first few days of November, and the overall period had by then produced an enormous total count of 22600. The key daily figures are shown. Such are the prodigious totals from Thornton Moor, that in their case significant counts are limited to four-figure ones!

Thornton Moor : September 21st - 1078, September 25th - 1988, September 28th - 2026, October 2nd - 1882, October 9th - 1578
Denholme Clough : September 25th - 661
Cold Edge Dams : September 25th - 487, October 2nd - 815, October 9th - 805
Paul Clough : September 21st - 628

Smaller numbers of birds were recorded at Leeshaw. It is worth remembering that observation at these locations is by no means on a daily basis during the peak months, so the likelihood is the true total is considerably higher.

Against the background of this wealth of information, it is disappointing to report a relatively modest number of records for other periods with scarcely any for the summer months, and an almost total absence of breeding data. Birds were around in both winter periods, and seemed to be on Soil Hill throughout January and February, and again in December. The maximum count there in the early months was 45. The other double-figure winter counts were 30 on Barden Fell in November, and 40 at Marley Sewage Works in December, well down on the sort of numbers that were formerly seen there.

That there were only four moorland records of this common breeder in the whole of June and July speaks for itself, as does the one breeding record : a bird seen food-carrying on Barden Moor in July (RP).

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WATER PIPIT Anthus spinoletta
Scarce but regular winter/passage visitor.

At Marley Sewage Works, the area’s most reliable site for these birds, one was seen on 17th, 20th and 25th November, but not located subsequently. (KM, BV)

YELLOW WAGTAIL Motacilla flava
Increasingly uncommon migrant breeder/passage visitor.

The dramatic decline of the Yellow Wagtail as a breeding species in many parts of Yorkshire has been well-documented, and this is reflected in the scant number of records of passage in the BOG area.

Birds were seen on only five dates, all but one in autumn. A pair was present at Otley Wetland on 1st May, and nearly four months elapsed before the next record of two at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 21st August. Two more were seen there eight days later and on 4th September, with the final record one at this location on the 25th.

The 1995 Report has records of well over 40 birds, and includes several of breeding. Thus, in ten years the species has gone from being relatively common in the area to extremely scarce.

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GREY WAGTAIL Motacilla cinerea.
Resident migrant breeder and winter visitor.

This species was again well-recorded, with reports coming from 38 widespread locations, including many in the south of the area. Whilst records covered every month, most were in the breeding season and during the passage periods. The latter period (from 13th August to 13th October) had most of the highest daily counts, and at Denholme Clough, which was a particularly productive site, there was the year’s highest total of ten birds, on the first of these dates. It shared this number, however, as Marley Sewage Works had the same count of wintering birds on 10th December.

Breeding success was also in evidence. Following a pair being seen at a regular nesting site near Barden on 14th March, they were proved to have again bred there, and fledged young were also seen at Leeshaw, Maple Grange, Cottingley, Bingley, West End, Lower Laithe Reservoir and Lob Wood, on the Wharfe.

PIED WAGTAIL Motacilla alba.
Resident/migrant breeder, passage migrant, and winter visitor.

As in 2004, the majority of the records and virtually all the high counts related to birds moving during the spring and autumn passage periods. Without these, there would have been no more than about twenty records of some fifty birds.

In contrast, many reports of visible migration came from the watch-points in the south of the area, the results of which can be summarised as follows:

As usual, birds wintered at Marley Sewage Works, from where there were counts of 40 and 30 at the beginning and end of the year, and in Halifax town centre, which had a roost of 60 birds on 30th November. Apart from these, the only other double-figure counts were recorded from Leeshaw, St. Ives and Baildon, which had the best of these, seventeen in late April.

Breeding was proved or strongly suspected at Queensbury, Denholme, Soil Hill, St. Ives and Fewston Reservoir, but, like the other data for the summer months, was probably under-recorded.

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