Thrushes

NIGHTINGALE Luscinia megarhynchos    
Rare passage visitor

1991 A bird was seen briefly at Raw Nook, Low Moor, on 8th September.
BLUETHROAT    Luscinia svecia     
Rare passage visitor

1996   Conducting a distribution survey in a new area can be rewarding, with the observer perhaps finding the occasional surprise bird, but nothing prepared two members for the excellent female Bluethroat they found in Fish Beck Lane, Silsden on 8th May during the year’s survey! The bird stayed until 11th, delighting many birders (the number of birders on one occasion reached a maximum count of 27).

2008   A female found at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 23rd May was only the second Group record after a gap of twelve years
A male Black Redstart seen in June 2008 in the centre of Bradford.               Photo: David Barker.
(left) A female Bluethroat at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 23rd May 2008. Photo: Brian Vickers
Ring Ouzel                             photo: David Barker
REDSTART Phoenicurus phoenicurus      Migrant breeder/passage visitor. 


2015 - The first sighting was a male at Norwood Bottom on 14th April and throughout the rest of that month numbers increased at the traditional sites in the Washburn and Strid Wood. Four males sang at John O’Gaunt’s, three at Storiths and up to ten birds were identified between Norwood Bottom and Swinsty Reservoir on the 27th. Three days later, eight birds were identified in Strid Wood and along the back road to Cavendish Pavilion. Breeding was observed at these locations and at Folly Hall Wood, where one pair raised six young (CoH). Four young were ringed from three nests at Denton Moor, and four nests in the Dob Park Wood/Low Snowden areas produced 12 juveniles (PRo). Birds dispersing were reported at Glovershaw, Harden Moor, Denholme Clough and on Roper Lane, Queensbury. The final record was a male and two females at Ogden Reservoir on 8th September. 

2016 - The first returning bird was reported from Barden on 10th April and three days later birds turned up at Storiths Road, John o’Gaunt’s Reservoir, Snowden Moor and Lindley Wood Reservoir. From then reports increased with the greatest number of sightings from Bolton Abbey/Strid Wood although birds were widespread throughout the whole of our area. The final sighting came from Harden Moor on 14th September. 
Though several singing males were heard only six reports of breeding were submitted with two failed attempts where nests were found without eggs. Norwood Bottom produced 11 young all of which were ringed. Several, once common, Redstart sites have been lost over the years but birds showing up in new locations means this species keeps a good stronghold around our area in the summer months. 

2017 - Essentially a bird of Wharfedale and the Washburn Valley, and is reported to be doing well in both, with up to 10 birds around Strid Wood the best count. This is mirrored in better breeding successes, as at least 28 young were raised near Thruscross, and at Denton, Low Snowden and Otley. 

2018 - Wharfedale and the Washburn continue to monopolise the records though there were several from Airedale and Baildon Moor, but Strid Wood again had the maximum count of eight birds in May. Breeding again took place in the Barden area, and on Baildon Moor and at Norwood Bottom, Farnley and Thruscross.
BLACK REDSTART    Phoenicurus ochrurus    
Uncommon passage visitor, casual breeder

2010 -  An exceptionally good year, with nine identifiably different birds seen. A spring record of one on Rombalds Moor on 19th March, was followed by four July records. On the 23rd one was at Cold Edge, on the 25th a single was on Soil Hill and two were at Thornton Moor, and another was there three days later. Within a week, two more were seen: individuals near Glovershaw on 2nd August, and at Addingham Moorside on the 3rd. The final bird was again at Cold Edge on 23rd November. For the second year running, one of the birds was a very young juvenile, again prompting suspicions of possible local breeding.

2013 -   A female bird was seen and photographed outside Ilkley Lido on 1st May. This was the first record since 2010, when nine birds were reported.

2015 - It was a much better year for this species with four birds recorded. Two spring sightings involved singles, one at Oxenhope on 6th April  and the second in the area of Paul Clough two Days later (CB). The third one was noticed as it moved south accompanying three Wheatears on 1st August. On the penultimate day of that month an another single was watched at Leeshaw.

2017 - Just one report, of a single on Soil Hill on 8th April.
Black Redstart (female)   photo: Chris King
above: Redstart (juvenile)
Redstart (male)          photos: Roger Nelson
WHEATEAR Oenanthe oenanthe 
Very common passage visitor and occasional breeder.


2015 - Two very early males at Leeshaw Reservoir on 14th March set the scene for an influx that continued throughout the next two months. In that period reports indicated that 365 were seen, with the biggest concentration from 15th April to 8th May, when two-thirds of the birds passed through. 
A female on Pennythorn Hill (Baildon) on 4th June and two males and a female at Ogden Reservoir a week later, may have suggested local breeding. A much stronger case was in the form of 11 adults and juveniles at Warley Moor Reservoir on 12th July. 

The return migration figures showed that 345 birds were reported from a wide area of moorland. Double-figure counts were seen at Hazlewood Moor and Warley Moor Reservoir, where 100 were recorded during a 10 day period in August, 30 of them on the 20th. The final record was a bird on Keighley Moor on 19th October. 

2016 - There were interesting and pleasing statistics on this passage visitor with 536 birds reported moving through our area in the spring and 248 birds reported on the return journey in the autumn. The first spring arrival was seen at Glovershaw on 25th March closely followed by birds at Slippery Foord, Leeshaw Reservoir and Lower Laithe Reservoir. The final record was a single on Soil Hill on 16th October preceded by two on the 14th at Warley Moor Reservoir one of which was said to show the characteristics of Greenland Wheatear (O.o.leucorhoa). The spring total included double-figure counts at Glovershaw, Whetstone Gate and Warley Moor which location also had an excellent 19 birds in the autumn.

Over the years Wheatear has essentially been a passage migrant and there have been very few breeding records. It is therefore pleasing that eight pairs raised young in the Barden area part of some 26 birds which apparently summered.

2017 - Spring arrivals of Wheatear are enthusiastically sought, and this year’s first, near Draughton on 9th March, was the earliest on record (WNS). At 418 birds, the spring total was rather down on 2016, but was offset by an increase in autumn passage, which produced some 300 birds. These included day-counts of about 25 at Warley Moor and Trough Lane (Denholme) in April, and 23 at Leeshaw in September. Birds showing characteristics of Greenland Wheatear (O.o.leucorhoa) were seen in May at Alcomden Stones (10th), Thornton Moor Reservoir (11th, and two on 14th), Trough Lane (14th) (KM), and one was near Warley Moor Reservoir on 8th August (BS). Birds apparently bred again on Barden Moor, raising three young. 

2018 - A dramatic fall in the numbers seen on migration saw only 207 birds in spring and 151 in autumn, and the only double-figure counts were of four between 10 and 14 birds at Warley Moor Reservoir in August and September. Four fledged young seen near Storiths in June may have indicated local breeding.
WHINCHAT Saxicola rubetra                 
Migrant breeder/passage visitor 
               
2014 - A pair seen with Wheatears at Glovershaw on 24th April was the first reported in the area. Six other birds, all singles, were seen during the spring, and a male bird was seen on Barden Moor in June. A careful search of Keighley Moor in early August showed that two family parties were present, as was another on Snowden Moor, where two adults and their six juveniles were seen. In addition, reports from the moorland fringes in Airedale and the Worth Valley from 4th August to 21st September, produced records of 50 birds on passage. 

2015 - The first sighting, a bird at Nab Water Lane, was recorded on 24th April. A male on Barden Moor and another on Hazlewood Moor in spring gave strong hints of breeding, more conclusive in the case of the latter, when a family party was seen in August. A total of 26, mainly singles, dispersed across moorland during August and September, with adults accompanying juveniles at Slippery Ford, Snowden Moor, Ilkley Moor and Glovershaw, where the final birds were seen on 26th September. 

2016 - An elusive bird but still well reported with 50 submissions mainly from three sources, Slippery Ford, the Oxenhope area and Glovershaw, although birds were also reported from Barden Moor, John o’Gaunt’s Reservoir, Golcar Farm, Bland Hill, Pennythorn and Cullingworth. The first bird appeared on Barden Moor on 30th April whilst the final sightings were of passage birds on Nab Water Lane (Oxenhope) up to 20th September.

Most records were of birds in bracken with one at Slippery Ford in with a party of five Stonechats, two Reed Buntings and 12 Goldfinch. From the same location two adult and three juveniles were reported and across the recording area 13 juveniles were seen in all.

2017 - Most reports appear to concern migrants, particularly in the general area of Warley Moor Reservoir and Oxenhope, where up to 28 birds were recorded between late April and early September. The only suggestion of local breeding was juveniles near Warley Moor Reservoir in July. 

2018 - All the evidence is that the birds seen were largely transient, including a family party on Baildon Moor and a juvenile at Queensbury, both in September. The former provided the maximum count of six birds.
Male Whinchat & male Stonechat                  photos: Brian Vickers
Wheatear                         photo: keith Allen
STONECHAT Saxicola rubicola
Common passage/winter visitor and breeder          

2014 - Most of the 80 records, covering each month of the year, concerned pairs, giving rise to the feeling that the bird’s fortunes are beginning to improve, confirmed by several definite breeding reports. At Warley Moor Reservoir eight pairs were located in May, including three pairs attending nests, and juveniles were on the wing in June. A family party was located between Keighley Moor and Slippery Ford on 5th August. Breeding pairs were also reported at Trough Lane and at Bradup, Nab Water Lane and Sconce, where family parties were seen in September.

2015 - The improvement in this bird’s fortunes, referred to in last year’s Report, was maintained with records of at least nine breeding pairs. These were spread across the area, with two on Barden Moor, three on Rombald’s Moor, one at Kex Gill, one at Baildon, one in the Washburn and the ninth on Keighley Moor. At all these sites breeding activity was reported and a total of 15 juveniles were seen. Birds lingered on until the end of the year, the largest count being four at Whetstone Gate on 25th November.

2016 - The status of the Stonechat has been similar through the years with an influx one year and a lull the year after but over the last three years the position has changed and sightings are remaining constant year to year, so that this species has now become a common upland sighting. An amazing total of 106 submissions have been collected reporting 43 pairs as well as many singles and a minimum count of 31 juveniles. Reports came in from every month of the year with just six reports in January and four in February after which sightings increased over the spring and summer then dropping off to five in November and back up to 10 in December.

This hardy little bird overwintered in the highest, bleakest parts of the recording area with a pair at Whetstone Gate in January along with a female at Warley Moor Reservoir, whilst two birds endured Soil Hill through December in unbelievable conditions.

2017 - After several false dawns, Stonechat now seems to be well-established in the area, mainly, though not exclusively, at moorland sites. At a conservative estimate, well over 100 birds were seen throughout the year, and there were significant counts of around 11 birds on several dates near Warley Moor Reservoir. Successful breeding clearly took place on Barden, Burley, Ilkley, Baildon and Keighley Moors, and at several Washburn sites.

2018 - With around 124 birds seen, the species appears to be maintaining its status as well-established. There were several counts of up to eight birds, and a maximum 12 on Hazlewood Moor in January. However, probable breeding appeared to be slightly down, with records from Kex Gill, and Ilkley, Keighley, Barden, and Beamsley Moors, the only ones where there was definite evidence.
RING OUZEL    Turdus torquatus    
Migrant breeder/passage visitor


2015   It was another interesting year, with birds seen at seven locations, mainly on spring and autumn passage. There were two confirmed reports of breeding, the first since 2012. The first arrivals were two birds on Burley Moor on 9th April; this figure rose to ten a week later. During the period 16th to 25th April, up to six birds were watched on Soil Hill, a single was at Timble Ings and later, on 9th May, an individual was at Whetsone Gate.   Breeding took place on Barden Moor, where three young fledged in June, whilst at Kex Gill a male was seen carrying food to a nest. The final record was a solitary juvenile on Beamsley Beacon on 19th July.

2016 - Slightly more widespread than the previous year with reports from eleven locations though most of these were of passage birds moving through in the spring and autumn with only eight sightings during May, June and July. These records came from moorland in Upper Wharfedale and included two successful breeding attempts.  Spring passage sightings included the first back on 26th March at Paul Clough, several birds moving on Barden Moor and at least ten passing Slippery Ford up to 28th April, though only one bird was seen there in autumn, on 9th October. The last migrant was at Oxenhope Watchpoint on the 22nd.

2017 - Last year’s numbers weren’t repeated, and it is probable no more than 16 birds were involved. Passage at Withins Head, Slippery Ford and Warley Moor Reservoir accounted for eight of them, including four at the last site in October. The remainder concerned birds lingering on Wharfedale moorlands, and breeding was suspected at one of them.

2018 - Over the years, numbers have fluctuated markedly, as most of our birds are clearly on passage. This was a better one, with a total of around 46 birds, most on the Wharfedale moors, with six in and around Airedale. The Wharfedale total included seven near Hazlewood on 20th April, and a record 15 on Rombald’s Moor (Nab End), a traditional stopover, on the 24th (GL). Successful breeding occurred in Wharfedale.
AMERICAN ROBIN    Turdus migratorius    Vagrant
2007 -  On 5th January, the Group received an unauthenticated report from J. Crawshaw of this species being seen near Dowley Gap, but nothing was subsequently located. However, reports from P. Davison of a bird in a nearby Gilstead garden were fully verified on 24th January. The bird, a first-winter female, remained faithful to its favoured areas in Primrose Lane until 13th February, and was seen by many admirers from all over the country. Unsurprisingly, the first Group record.
The event of 2007.   A first-winter female American Robin spent January and some of February in Bingley.
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