Common
Redstart |
Whinchat |
Stonechat |
COMMON
REDSTART
Phoenicurus phoenicurus.
Migrant breeder/passage visitor.
Although this species is reported from many sites throughout the recording area there seems to be a certain number of sites where it is particularly abundant. These include Strid Woods, Beaverdyke Reservoir and the stretch of river between Lindley Wood and Swinsty Reservoirs encompassing Folly Hall Wood and Dob Park Wood.
The first bird recorded was on 12th April at Lindley Wood whilst the last was at Denholme Clough on 31st August. Between these dates records came from many locations both on territory and on passage such as Timble Ings, Doe Park Reservoir and Paul Clough.
WHINCHAT
Saxicola rubetra.
Migrant breeder/passage visitor.
Over 50 records were received from a wide selection of sites after the first at Whetstone quarry on 5th May. Breeding was confirmed at Timble Ings and was suspected on Barden Moor.
Passage birds were noted at many locations including Otley Gravel Pits, Stockbridge, Beaverdyke and Fly Flatts Reservoirs, Cold Edge Dams, Windgate Nick, Trough Lane and Low Snowden. Most had departed by early September with the last record of a single at Beaverdyke Reservoir on 22nd.
COMMON
STONECHAT
Saxicola torquata
Increasingly common breeder and passage/winter visitor.
The annual increase continues with birds being seen in all months of the year. Records can come from almost any area of moorland or in-bye land but there appears to be a few core-regions. These include the Norwood Lane/Sandwith Moor area where up to four birds were regular, the Whetstone Gate/Bradup area, the Low Snowden/Askwith Moor area where at least two pairs bred, Harden Moor, Barden Moor where up to five birds were reported and the southern flank of Rombalds Moor including Hawksworth Moor, Weecher and Glovershaw.
Passage birds do turn up at most of the well watched migration sites from time to time including Denholme Clough, Thornton Moor Reservoir and Kex Gill. A pair was observed below Swinsty Dam in October and a single was noted at Fewston Reservoir in January. Seven were found at Cold Edge Dams in September and October.
NORTHERN
WHEATEAR. Oenanthe oenanthe
Migrant breeder/passage visitor.
A very well reported
species with records coming from most of the moorlands. The first was
at Trough Lane, Denholme on 17th March with further birds here and at
Whetstone Gate on 23rd March. The main arrival took place through April
and into early May with sightings comings from, for example, Beamsley
Moor, Dick Hudson’s, Timble Ings, Kex Gill and Thornton Moor Reservoir.
Although there were no definite breeding records it is probable that pairs
bred at various locations.
Return passage is when birds are most evident in the area and small congregations were noted at various sites with August being the peak month. During this month 12 were noted at both Trough Lane and Nab Water Lane with 13 being seen together at Fly Flatts Reservoir. A bird at the latter site was taken by a Sparrowhawk. The last sighting reported this year was of 4 at Soil Hill on 2nd October.
RING
OUZEL
Turdus torquatus.
Increasingly uncommon migrant breeder and regular passage migrant.
A poor year with no proof that breeding occurred in the recording area. The first to arrive were singles seen at Burley Wood Head and at Pennistone Hill on the typical date of 23rd March. A male was seen along Trough Lane on 26th March. Three birds were seen at Kex Gill in early April and two birds were seen throughout the summer on Burley Moor around Coldstone Beck. One record each came from Haworth Moor and Paul Clough in mid-summer with single autumn passage birds being located at Paul Clough in August and September, Sconce Lane on 2nd October, Kex Gill on 16th August and 17th October (the latter of which was caught and ringed) and Soil Hill on 26th October.
BLACKBIRD
Turdus merula
Very common resident breeder/winter visitor.
No change in breeding status was noted but numbers were augmented by arrivals during October coinciding with a mass arrival of Redwing and Fieldfare and smaller numbers of Song Thrush and Ring Ouzel. Four birds ringed at Kex Gill in October showed characteristics of continental origins.
FIELDFARE
Turdus pilaris
Winter visitor and passage migrant.
There were some good
counts in the first winter period with various sites attracting over 200
birds. Up to 1000 were at Trough Lane, Denholme in January whilst 400
were at Slippery Ford in April. The last of the spring were 18 over Sandwith
Moor on 27th April.
After a trickle of sightings starting with 1 at Stockbridge on 1st September,
the second winter influx continued with a bang with 745 over Denholme
Clough on 11th October. These were followed by 250 at Barden and 500 over
Timble Ings on 12th, 191 south over Paul Clough on 14th, 609 over Thornton
Moor Reservoir on 18th October with a further 643 the following day.
From this influx to the year-end flocks tended to number less than 100 and were encountered from sites spread right across the recording area. Back to top of page
SONG
THRUSH
Turdus philomelos
Resident breeder/winter visitor.
The song thrush is a widespread and well-reported species in the Group’s area. Many pairs will have bred and sites where this was confirmed included Stockbridge, Knotford Nook and Lyndhurst Woods. Up to ten singing birds were noted in St Ives during March and April.
Evidence of an Autumn influx was obvious from up to six birds at Denholme Clough in October and a bird of the race known as “continental Song Thrush” caught and ringed at Kex Gill Quarry on 17th October (AJ, TK), a day of heavy thrush movement through the area.
REDWING
Turdus iliacus
Winter visitor and passage migrant.
In the first winter period the highest congregations were 300 at Burley in January, 200 each at Hardisty Hill, Otley Gravel Pits and Oakworth in February and 150 at both Snowden Crags and Barden in April. The last spring migrants were at Sandwith Moor on 27th April.
The first returning birds were at Otley Gravel Pits on 2nd October. Highest totals of passage birds were recorded at Thornton Moor Reservoir (312), Denholme Clough (237) both on 12th October with 346 at Queensbury the following day. From then until the end of the year there were only groups of less than 100 birds reported from many sites throughout the area.
MISTLE
THRUSH
Turdus viscivorus
Resident breeder and passage migrant.
A very healthy group of records for this species with breeding confirmed from Knotford Nook, Otley Gravel Pits, Nell Bank, Stockbridge and Harden. Many sites provided double figure counts, particularly in the late summer and autumn months with the best being 108 going west over Thornton Moor Reservoir on 28th September and 75 here eight days earlier. Up to 70 at Oakworth in August was noteworthy as was 54 at Esholt in September.