Red
Grouse |
Red-legged
Partridge |
Grey
Partridge |
Pheasant |
RED
GROUSE
Lagopus lagopus scoticus
Resident breeder.
Another apparently very poor breeding season was typified by little more than single-figure counts from the main moorland areas up to the end of July, and there was even a complete absence of birds during the four hours one observer spent on the moors north of Ilkley in late June.
The southern moors didn’t appear to be as badly hit, as 50 birds were seen on Ovenden Moor in mid-August, and 38 near Warley Moor Reservoir two weeks later, which number was also recorded on Barden Fell at the end of October, but the best Barden Moor could manage was a relatively paltry 21 birds on 22nd August. The Glorious Twelfth clearly wasn’t!
RED-LEGGED
PARTRIDGE
Alectoris rufa
Resident, possibly all from introduced stocks.
The increasing introduction of this species as a surrogate Red Grouse makes it impossible to assess just which reports refer to genuinely wild birds.
The biggest counts, up to 58 birds in the Bradup area, undoubtedly refer to releases, and smaller numbers near Barden, Timble, Scargill Reservoir, Cononley, and Thornton Moor probably have the same source. In relation to pairs seen at Kex Gill and near Norwood, the jury is still out!
GREY
PARTRIDGE Perdix perdix
Resident breeder.
Last year’s Report stated that this species was becoming increasingly uncommon in the area. Just how ill-judged this was, time will tell, but suffice it to say that in 2006 there were more reports from more areas and involving bigger numbers than for many years.
In all, there were 93 records covering 38 widespread locations, though, to put matters in some perspective, it should be stated that over 40% of the reports came from two main areas, Soil Hill and Glovershaw/Baildon Moor.
Away from here, birds were reported from nine locations in Wharfedale, seven in the Washburn Valley, six in the Worth Valley, five from Airedale, and the remainder from the moorland fringes south-west of Denholme, and from Baildon.
Double-figure counts came from Burley Moor, Chelker and Glovershaw, each of which had ten birds; there were records of 12 birds at Baildon and Sandwith Moor, and at Soil Hill there were counts of between 12 and 35 birds on 20 dates between July and November. The latter site is apparently now the main one for post-breeding parties, and the highest count there in 2006 is the biggest for 16 years, and the second highest aggregation on record.
Despite these bigger numbers, breeding records were only slightly up on 2005, and consisted of reports from Thornton Moor Reservoir, Eldwick, Glovershaw and Leeshaw. At least 26 young birds were seen.
COMMON
PHEASANT
Phasianus colchicus
Resident breeder.
For a species which is generally largely ignored, it is pleasing that this year nearly 40 records were submitted, most of them referable to birds unconnected with managed stocks. A varied range of 19 locations was involved, the most noteworthy of which were Soil Hill, Queensbury, a garden in Sconce Lane (Baildon), Sandbeds, and Warley Moor Reservoir.
Sightings were mainly of ones and twos, but there were more notable counts of five birds at Sconce Lane, six at Sandbeds and eight at Stockbridge. Various reports of up to 19 birds in the Strid Wood/Barden Bridge area probably refer to managed ones.
Three juveniles seen at Sconce Lane and four at Stockbridge were undoubtedly the result of breeding by non-keepered stock.