2003 Report

2004 Report

2006 Report

LONG-TAILED TIT Aegithalus caudatus
Common resident breeder.

Birds were present throughout the year, but in the biggest numbers outside the summer months, when there were 13 specific reports of double-figure parties, and several more indicating unspecified abundance. The largest of these was a flock of at least 30 birds at Beaver Dyke Reservoir on 17th September. Only one garden record was received, from Baildon.

Based on behaviour, it was considered likely that breeding took place at Lindley Bridge and Strid Wood, and it certainly did at Otley Wetland, Thruscross, St. Ives, Marley Sewage Works, Harden Park and Luddenden Dean.

WILLOW TIT Parus Montanus
Scarce and decreasing resident

This bird has become very uncommon the recording area.

There were only five records backed up by the description required for this species. These consisted of two birds on 2nd and 16th January at a private site, where one had been present at the end of 2004 (AJ, RS), and one at Elland Gravel Pits on 28th March, 30th May and 30th December (HBC).

MARSH TIT Parus palustris
Scarce and decreasing resident

Whilst now rare in the area, at least birds reappeared after a blank year in 2004.

There were two records : singles were seen in Strid Wood on 19th April (CS), and at Timble Ings on 30th August (KL et al).

COAL TIT Parus ater.
Resident breeder.

The few records received do little to make possible an evaluation of status, although there is no reason to suppose the species is anything other than common in the area.

Birds visited gardens in Baildon, Otley and Bradford, and other reports came mainly from Wharfedale and the Washburn Valley. In the autumn, around twenty birds were seen on passage, of which fifteen were at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 18th September.

Breeding was reported only from Howgill Wood, where sixteen young were ringed from two nests.

BLUE TIT Parus caeruleus

Abundant resident breeder.

As with the following species, a considerable amount of breeding information was submitted, largely from the monitoring of woodland nest-boxes (PRo, MD). Details received for the principal locations were:

In addition, at St. Ives 33 of the installed boxes were used, and young birds were seen in July, six young were noted at Knotford Nook, and a box at Otley Wetland contained eight eggs. The only garden record of fledged young came from Queensbury.

The species was otherwise considerably under-recorded, and totals were boosted only by a few reports from the visible-migration watch-points at Thornton Moor and Paul Clough.

GREAT TIT Parus major.

Abundant resident breeder.

Much of the data submitted for this species relates to breeding success. As early as 14th January a bird was seen nest-building in Silsden, though there was no word of subsequent success, nor of the results of the same activity noted near Lindley Bridge.

Young birds were noted in a Baildon garden and at St. Ives, but the main information came from the monitoring of the many nest-boxes installed at several woodland locations, the results of which were:

In addition, ten eggs were located in a box at Otley Wetland, and three boxes were seen to be in use at St. Ives.

Records were otherwise generally limited to ones and twos, although at Paul Clough fifteen and eleven dispersing birds were seen on 2nd and 20th September.

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WOOD NUTHATCH Sitta europaea.
Resident breeder.

Birds were well-recorded from a number of widespread locations,and it is particularly pleasing that there were several records of breeding activity.

The species’ strongholds in the area are Strid Wood and St. Ives, both of which had six birds in May and March respectively, and produced many other records. In the latter month there was also a good count of five in Middleton Woods. Last year’s Report described this bird as being rare in the Washburn Valley, so records from Dob Park Bridge and Thuscross, as well as four breeding records elsewhere in the valley, were extremely welcome.

Birds are increasingly seen in gardens, and in 2005 records came from Ilkley, Baildon and Silsden, where bird tables and feeders were patronised, and, at the last location, up to three birds were present for the whole of August. Elsewhere, birds were seen at Cliffe Castle, Burley, Bingley Cemetery, Hirstwood, Otley Chevin, Bolton Abbey and Howgill.

The Burley and Howgill birds were at potential nest sites, but there was no further news of breeding. However, it took place in nest-boxes at Folly Hall Wood, where six young were ringed from one brood, and Swinsty, which produced this number from each of two nests, the young and an adult all being ringed.

There were also said to be at least three breeding pairs in Middleton Woods, and young were seen in Bingley Cemetery, St. Ives and at Lindley Bridge.

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EURASIAN TREECREEPER Certhia familiaris.
Resident breeder.

It is probable this species is under-recorded in the area, as reports came from only a limited number of the mainly woodland sites apparently suitable for Treecreeper, and nearly all the reports from the south originated in St. Ives. This location, as in some previous years, had the highest count : six birds on 19th March. Records were otherwise typically of one or two birds.

Evidence of breeding came from St. Ives, Low Wood and Strid Wood, where birds were seen entering nest cavities, and at Knotford Nook, where a bird was food-collecting.

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