Red
Kite |
Marsh
Harrier |
RED
KITE
Milvus milvus
Scarce, but now annual, passage visitor, and introduced locally.
There are now far too many records to enumerate. Birds were noted in all months from a variety of sites. All the tagged birds noted have originated from the Harewood release scheme and it is presumed that most if not all untagged birds are from this scheme as well. The highest count was of eight near the 12 Apostle Stones on Rombald’s Moor in early May and contained tagged Harewood birds and kites with no identifcation marks. Up to three were regularly seen in the Timble Ings/Blubberhouses area in April and birds were regularly reported in Wharfedale during the summer months.
MARSH
HARRIER
Circus aeruginosus
Scarce, but regular, passage visitor.
First up was BOG’s earliest ever record with a female flying through Barden on 22nd March (AGG) with probably the same bird flying east at Sandwith Moor later that day (PC). Following that another early record was of a single at Barden on 3rd April (AGG). A male was noted flying north-west at Blubberhouses on 16th April (AJ, PC). The next record was of one at Barden on 15th May (AGG) with an adult female there on 11th, 20th, 22nd and 29th June (AGG, MD, BS, SJT). This site also yielded a bird on 21st July and almost daily sightings between 14th and 29th August (AGG et al). The only records away from Barden were singles at Dob Park on 27th August (KM) and at Kex Gill on 4th September (AJ, TK).
HEN
HARRIER Circus cyaneus
Regular passage/winter visitor.
In the first winter
period up to two ringtails were seen fairly regularly sometimes four,
with possibly five ringtails coming into roost on 19th February. In addition
to this, records of second winter males came from two sites a considerable
distance apart between 4th March to 13th May but possibly still related
to the same bird.
A passage male was seen at Thornton Moor reservoir on 28th April.
A first summer male was observed at a moorland site between 25th May and
21st June and although skydancing was seen and two birds were present
on 16th June there was no suggestion that breeding took place. At another
site an adult male was observed hunting in the evening of the 31st May
before finally going to roost.
In the second winter period a minimum of two ringtails and a grey male
were present on the northern moorlands. In the south of the area single
ringtails were observed at Soil Hill on 10th November, Fly Flatts reservoir
on 30th November and Leeshaw Reservoir on 21st December and could possibly
relate to the same individual. Back to top of page
NORTHERN
GOSHAWK
Accipiter gentilis
Scarce resident/passage visitor.
Numbers seem to be
dwindling to a perilously low level and one can only assume that this
is due to suspicious circumstances. In fact this species has become so
uncommon in the area that it has been placed back on the rarity description
list.
At one location a single bird was regularly seen “sitting out”
between January and 7th April while another location provided a handful
of records during March.
At a third site, which used to be reliable for this species, only a single
bird was reported on the evenings of the 23rd and 26th May. On the latter
date the bird made a brief pass at a Long Eared Owl.
Elsewhere one bird was observed at a fourth site on a BOG coordinated
raptor watch on 22nd March and a single seen soaring between two of the
above sites on 13th April. Back to top of page
EURASIAN
SPARROWHAWK
Accipiter nisus
Common resident breeder/ passage visitor.
Regularly reported
throughout the recording area in all habitats and competes with Kestrel
as the most commonly seen raptor in the BOG area.
Many pairs will have bred and evidence of successful breeding came from
Middleton Woods, Weston, Farnley and St Ives.
In April up to six were displaying at Barden while Sunnydale Reservoir
also hosted the same number in the same month.
COMMON
BUZZARD
Buteo buteo
Increasingly common resident, and passage migrant/ winter visitor.
Two pairs bred in
one area rearing three and one young respectively with a pair in another
area rearing three young (PR).
The area surrounding the Barden watchpoint provided the lions share of
records of birds reported every month of the year with a bird seen carrying
food in June indicating that breeding is likely here also. Monthly maxima
at this site included six in May, eight in April and 11 in August.
Sporadic records came from sites in the Washburn Valley such as Kex Gill
Quarry, Timble Ings and Sword Point plantation and in the south of the
area singles were seen at Leeshaw Reservoir in April, Elland Gravel Pits
in May, Fly Flatts in June and Hollins Hill in December.
It doesn’t seem that long ago that this species was a rarity in
the recording area – long may this trend continue.
OSPREY
Pandion haliaetus
Uncommon but regular passage visitor.
A slightly disappointing
year with 10 records received, all of single birds. On 18th April birds
were noted at both Lindley Wood Reservoir and Barden (both AGG) with further
records from Barden on 9th May (AGG) and 1st June (MD). Elsewhere one
flew over Lippersley Pike, Timble Ings on 7th May (AJ) and one flew over
Oxenhope on 13th May (HC).
Autumn records came from Lindley Wood Reservoir 23rd August (AGG), Otley
Gravel Pits on 26th August (Pri) and Barden on 6th and 20th September
(both AGG).
COMMON
KESTREL
Falco tinnunculus
Common resident breeder/passage migrant.
One observer (PR)
located five nests containing 21 young (5:5:4:4:3). Another pair was
present nearby but no evidence of breeding was forthcoming.
This information only covers a relatively small area and no breeding records
were submitted for vast areas of suitable habitat where merlins are known
to breed and were seen during the summer this year. Away from the breeding
areas, only recorded at Denholme Clough, Cold Edge Dams, and Soil Hill
with three records coming from the Sandwith Moor/Norwood Lane area during
the winter months.
HOBBY
Falco subbuteo
Uncommon, but regular summer visitor/passage migrant.
A reasonable year owing to a good run of records from the Barden Watchpoint. A first-year bird was noted on the 31st May and then four birds throughout June and early July with the last there, a single on 9th September (AGG et al). Elsewhere singles were noted at Sword Point Plantation on 11th June (Pri), Hoodstorth on 15th June (TK), Haworth Moor on 22nd June and Otley Gravel Pits on 6th August (K+PL). Back to top of page
PEREGRINE
FALCON
Falco peregrinus
Resident and occasional breeder; passage/winter visitor.
This species was seen
at a wide selection of sites this year and the records showed that almost
anywhere, particularly the wilder moorland areas will turn up birds with
a little bit of effort. It is still disappointing and slightly suspicious
that so few breeding attempts are made. The only definite breeding record
concerned a pair in the south of the area and was unsuccessful.
The watchpoint at Barden Scale provided records from all months of the
year with up to three birds in August and September. All other records
were of singles or pairs and came from too many sites to mention but included
Thornton Moor and Leeming Reservoirs, Timble Ings, Kex Gill Quarry and
Sandwith Moor.