Saturday at CB.

A sense of Spring today in the warm sunshine. Not as many birds at the viewing station but those that were there were as great as ever (Siskins and Redpolls are still around).

There are quite a number of birds on the Lagoon. I  spotted 6 Coots today, 1 Moorhen,  2 Mallard (m&f), 4 Tufted Ducks (2m+2f) 3 Mute Swans,( M&f +1 Juv) Keep your ears open for the call of Little Grebes and watch out for Teal. There were a male and female there this week.

Walking past the Wet Wooded area I found a number of frogs preparing to spawn. The warmer weather that is predicted may well mean that we have our 1st Frog Spawn on the reserve for 2013 in the coming week.

It's worth checking the nest boxes as you walk round the reserve to see which are being used and by what birds.

A little bit of bullfinch,, and a few others

Saturday morning brief visit bright and early.

thinking about breakfast,, and being watched from above,,,

can't wait any longer,,,,,

                                                            

,,,,,,, so the dawn chorus starts,,

Biodiversity Action Plan Priority Species

The next Biodiversity Action Plan Priority Species workshop will be held on Thursday 7^th March at the Mytholmroyd Countryside Office, above the library – please arrive at 7.15pm for drinks ready for a 7.30pm start.

The meeting is open to all with an interest in taking action to conserve Calderdale’s species of conservation concern and will include a round up of progress over the last year and discussion groups to agree plans for 2013.

Please pass on as appropriate.  If you intend to attend , it would be helpful if you would let me know your main interests to help plan the discussion groups.  

I hope to see you there,

Regards,

Hugh

Spring has sprung!

Another dry and mild day marks the official first day of spring, and it got off to an exciting start this lunchtime at Cromwell Bottom. 2 Herons passed over with nest building material and an attack on the car park feeders by a Sparrowhawk got the afternoon off to a good start!

                                                                 Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)

I was heading for the feeding station to try get Redpoll on my yearlist after my last unsuccessful attempt. On the way I noted 2 Canada Geese on the riverbank. It didnt look good but there were 8 Blue Tits, 7 Great Tits, 3 Bullfinch (2 males 1 female), Chaffinch, 2 Robin, & 2 Blackbirds. After a good 20 minutes a single and very obliging redpoll showed at last! 

                                                        Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis cabaret)

                                                               Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)

                                                                Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

                                                             Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)

                                                             Blackbird (Turdus merula)

                                                            Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)   

 I carried on around Tag Loop, picking up a singing Song Thrush and a few long tailed tits, 2 canada geese flying past the reserve and 6 carrion crow. Returning to the river a single domestic goose was by the weir. Another cracking hour at this ever changing reserve, I can see loads of changes and hard work paying off, well done to all the volunteers. 

                                                          Domestic Goose (Snow Goose!)

Notice of Annual General Meeting

Cromwell Bottom Wildlife Group

Will be holding its 2nd

Annual General Meeting

On Wednesday the 27^th of March

7:30pm

At the Mulberry Suite

Brighouse Sixth Form College

Off Parsonage Lane Brighouse HD6 1FG

The Group is formed from local people who are passionate about its Nature Reserve; the committee is holding an AGM to vote in a new committee. Positions for election are Chair; Vice Chair; Treasurer; Media/Fundraiser and Secretary PLUS 3 position’s for members without portfolio   

If you are interested in standing for election in any of the positions please contact me before the 13^th of March 2013 by e-mail/ post / or phone on gwhaigh@blueyonder.co.uk /07958163032

Or GWHAIGH, 16, ABBEY WALK, CORONATION RD HALIFAX HX30AJ

We need at least 15 members to be there to be able to run the meeting  if you can make it please come we try to make it fun and there is also a slide show and refreshments so please come along and find out what we have in store for the next year or so. yours Graham

Species Updates

Chris Sutcliffe, Calderdale Council's area countryside officer is currently updating species lists of all flora and fauna recorded at the sites listed below.

Ogden Water

Any info on any species in any of the following areas would be very helpful in shaping future management.

Beacon Hill

Beechwood Park

Brackenbed

Cunnery Wood

Long & Scarr Woods

Mixenden/Wheatley Valley

Ogden

Shelf Hall Wood

Snake Hill

Sun Wood, Shelf

Chris would be grateful for any information received.  A simple species only list will be good, but if you can supply dates as well, then that would be a real bonus.

Many thanks

Please reply to   chris.sutcliffe@calderdale.gov.uk

Chris Sutcliffe

Area Countryside Officer

Calderdale Countryside Service

Communities Directorate

Sunny Saturday!

It was a very nice day on Saturday - Lots of birds were doing their spring singing!

Siskin numbers were up at the feeders:

 

A few female Redpolls were about - No males at the feeders today?

 

These little things were about all day:

I also noticed a Lesser Redpoll female with ring:

Does anybody know how to read one of these?

& a visit to Cromwell will always have some of these:

waxwing sightings, brighouse near the post office, been there on and off for a couple of days

Some of this weekend's birds

Some of the birds seen in the last few days