The population appears to be fairly stable. The first returning migrant was at Sword Point plantation on 15th April whilst the last was over the Thornton Moor vismig watchpoint on 14th September. Up to three singing birds were regularly seen at Timble Ings and breeding was confirmed here. Other sites, which held singing birds, included Hebers Ghyll, St Ives, Luddenden Dean, and Sword Point plantation.

Autumn passage birds were noted from the usual visible migration spots, for example Thornton Moor and Denholme Clough. A total of six birds flew over Kex Gill during July and August. Details of “vismig” are in separate article.

The first arrival was at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 21st April. Nest building was noted on Otley Chevin on 6th May, where breeding was subsequently proved, and two pairs were feeding young at Timble Ings in June.

One observer commented that numbers were well down on previous years between Norwood Edge and Sword Point Plantation. Singing birds were reported from Sandwith Moor Plantation, Sun Inn (Norwood) and St Ives.

The usual scattering of return migrants materialised, with between one and four birds at sites such as Allerton, Thornton Moor Reservoir, Denholme Clough, Doe Park and Cold Edge Dams. The last sighting was of four birds at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 3rd October.

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.

As indicated in last year’s Report, there is evidence of some decline of this species in the area, as evidenced by there being only 20 records in 2006, 11 less than in 2005. To put matters further in perspective, seven of these came from one location, and another eight were in respect of autumn migration, so Tree Pipit is by no means widespread.

The first arrivals, three birds on Barden Fell on 15th April, were slightly early, but these were soon followed by a bird at Sandwith Moor Plantation on the 20th, and two in song at Timble Ings nine days later. This latter site had a further six records up to 16th August, including two pairs on 10th May, three singing males on the 27th, and a bird seen carrying food on 30th June, an indication of breeding, no evidence of which came from elsewhere. Other spring and early summer sightings came from John o’ Gaunt’s Reservoir and St. Ives in May, and there was a singing male there on 24th June.

All the remaining records were of relocating birds, and some 22 in all were seen between 30th July and 16th September, at Warley Moor Reservoir, Kex Gill, Paul Clough, Timble, Soil Hill, Doe Park Reservoir and Thornton Moor Reservoir, including notable day totals of five at the last two locations.

This year’s 19 reports are almost identical to last year’s, so the species clearly isn’t staging a comeback in the area. The first sighting was of four birds in song at Timble Ings on 24th April, with another 11 records from here up to early August, and nearly all the other spring and early summer records came from another site in the Washburn Valley, Sandwith Moor Plantation. This had the year’s highest count of seven birds on 12th May, all singing males, and the only other report in this period was of a bird on Ilkley Moor about a week later.

There were five reports, all from the south of the area, of birds migrating in autumn, and the last of these came from Thornton Moor on 30th September. During the breeding season it is probable 12 birds were seen, almost all singing males, so the lack of breeding information is perhaps surprising. Only at Timble was there any possible evidence, when what was clearly a pair was seen in June.