Sunday, 8 February 2015
Some of the Birds from a quick visit to the reserve on Friday
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Thursday, 5 February 2015
Feeding area build up!
As we get into Feb - all the natural food starts to get very low, or even runs out. This is the month for big numbers at the feeders, & Sunday did not disappoint.
We now have 12 or more Bullfinch occasionally (I had 12 just on the logs & crossbeam) they seem to be hanging around in half dozen or so groups.
About a half dozen Coal Tits are hanging around there too, with similar numbers of Great Tits but Blue Tit numbers are difficult to keep up with, I think there are over 20 lurking around the feeding area.
Blackbirds seem to have moved in, 2-3 pairs bobbing about the undergrowth, Robins - I noticed 6 together at one point with 1 on the sidelines. A couple of robins were performing for the females on Sun + singing their little hearts out, & one cheeky individual had been in my bag twice looking at my dinner. At one point as I photographed Bullfinch I felt something sharpish at my ear & behold - It was a Robin on my shoulder pecking my ear? Then it sat on my head, & then dropped down to side of me on the shelf & sang at me? Not sure what to make of this - But I think I may have been sitting there too long!
No Siskin - But 2 Redpolls came down to the back table to feed with the Bullfinch - But the Male Sparrow hawk zipped through & cleared out the area. I notice that there have been 3 separate Redpolls at the Niger Seed of late. We had a couple of visits from Reed Buntings both Male & Females have been, a few chaffinch feeding on the ground, 4-5 Dunnock's are also zipping about & our resident 3 Jays were making new visitors very happy at weekend, with good close sightings. A few L.T.Tits are visiting the fatballs now - on a regular basis, Green Woodpeckers were Yaffling all around the site on Sun, Buzzard called from the hill opposite entrance, G.S. Woodpeckers were quite active, & Kingfishers were zipping about the river & calling a lot as they moved.
Some of the tits are inspecting the Boxes already, but unimpressed as we haven't cleaned them out yet!
I think that's it!
Just be careful when in the viewing area ....... Not to stand on the cheeky Robin running around your feet!
If you would like to see some shots of our Bullfinch in all their glory check out my profile http://www.birdguides.com/iris/profile.asp?u=73202
Due to unofficial borrowing of my pictures in the past - I tend not to put too many high quality pictures on Blogs anymore but you are welcome to check out the ones from Sun I put on Bird guides.
Come down to the viewing area & see them for yourself!
We now have 12 or more Bullfinch occasionally (I had 12 just on the logs & crossbeam) they seem to be hanging around in half dozen or so groups.
About a half dozen Coal Tits are hanging around there too, with similar numbers of Great Tits but Blue Tit numbers are difficult to keep up with, I think there are over 20 lurking around the feeding area.
Blackbirds seem to have moved in, 2-3 pairs bobbing about the undergrowth, Robins - I noticed 6 together at one point with 1 on the sidelines. A couple of robins were performing for the females on Sun + singing their little hearts out, & one cheeky individual had been in my bag twice looking at my dinner. At one point as I photographed Bullfinch I felt something sharpish at my ear & behold - It was a Robin on my shoulder pecking my ear? Then it sat on my head, & then dropped down to side of me on the shelf & sang at me? Not sure what to make of this - But I think I may have been sitting there too long!
No Siskin - But 2 Redpolls came down to the back table to feed with the Bullfinch - But the Male Sparrow hawk zipped through & cleared out the area. I notice that there have been 3 separate Redpolls at the Niger Seed of late. We had a couple of visits from Reed Buntings both Male & Females have been, a few chaffinch feeding on the ground, 4-5 Dunnock's are also zipping about & our resident 3 Jays were making new visitors very happy at weekend, with good close sightings. A few L.T.Tits are visiting the fatballs now - on a regular basis, Green Woodpeckers were Yaffling all around the site on Sun, Buzzard called from the hill opposite entrance, G.S. Woodpeckers were quite active, & Kingfishers were zipping about the river & calling a lot as they moved.
Some of the tits are inspecting the Boxes already, but unimpressed as we haven't cleaned them out yet!
I think that's it!
Just be careful when in the viewing area ....... Not to stand on the cheeky Robin running around your feet!
If you would like to see some shots of our Bullfinch in all their glory check out my profile http://www.birdguides.com/iris/profile.asp?u=73202
Due to unofficial borrowing of my pictures in the past - I tend not to put too many high quality pictures on Blogs anymore but you are welcome to check out the ones from Sun I put on Bird guides.
Come down to the viewing area & see them for yourself!
Monday, 2 February 2015
Some recent winter visitors to the Bird Viewing Area
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Saturday, 31 January 2015
Busy at Cromwell Today 30/01/15
Birds seen at the Bird Watching site today 30/01/15-:
Lots of Great, Blue and Coal tits
4 Chaffinch
6 Bullfinch
4 Blackbirds
2 Robins
1 Jay
4 Cormorants flying over
Flock of Lapwings and flock of geese but too high to see what type
1 Wren
8 Tufted Duck down on bottom lake
4 Moorhen and 3 Little Grebe up by the weir
2 Little Grebe by the bottom bridge
Lots of Great, Blue and Coal tits
4 Chaffinch
6 Bullfinch
4 Blackbirds
2 Robins
1 Jay
4 Cormorants flying over
Flock of Lapwings and flock of geese but too high to see what type
1 Wren
8 Tufted Duck down on bottom lake
4 Moorhen and 3 Little Grebe up by the weir
2 Little Grebe by the bottom bridge
Friday, 30 January 2015
Wednesday, 28 January 2015
Sunday, 25 January 2015
Saturday January 24th
Birdwatch Day with the Brownies.
12 Brownies plus adults from 4th Rastrick Brownies, Brighouse came along to the reserve. At 9:30 it was pouring down, but as the girls arrived at 10:00 am their smiling faces drove away the clouds and the day became bright and sunny. Bruce from the Brighouse Echo came along and took more photos so buy the "Brighouse Echo" later in the week for a report. The girls were ably led by Gail their Brown Owl.
The pictures below should tell their own story. Lots of birds came down to the feeders the Brownies brought and a Yellow Brain fungus was found on the nearby fence.
12 Brownies plus adults from 4th Rastrick Brownies, Brighouse came along to the reserve. At 9:30 it was pouring down, but as the girls arrived at 10:00 am their smiling faces drove away the clouds and the day became bright and sunny. Bruce from the Brighouse Echo came along and took more photos so buy the "Brighouse Echo" later in the week for a report. The girls were ably led by Gail their Brown Owl.
The pictures below should tell their own story. Lots of birds came down to the feeders the Brownies brought and a Yellow Brain fungus was found on the nearby fence.
Saturday, 24 January 2015
RSPB Take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch 2015
The world's biggest garden wildlife survey is happening again this year on 24th and 25th January
You can just take part for your own enjoyment on Saturday the 24th or Sunday the 25th at Cromwell Bottom Local Nature Reserve and meet like minded people and help each other to identify our resident and winter visitors to the feeders. There will be members of the Wildlife Group to assist and we will be joined by the 4th Rastrick Brownies, on the Saturday. Meet in the car park at 10:00 am
Thursday, 22 January 2015
Quiz: Spot the odd-one out
I've not been able to get out with my camera for quite a while, so these are from last year. The quiz isn't difficult - and, sorry, no prizes :(
Enjoy!
 |
| Male chaffinch |
 |
| Great Tit |
 |
| Female chaffinch |
 |
| Blue Tit |
 |
| Who? Me? Stealing the bird food? Must be mistaking me for someone else. |
Ric J
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
As promised this months Nature article in the Echo
A happy new year to all our members readers and followers
Events for 2015 will include Moth and Bat Nights, Pond
Dipping and an Open Day with displays and refreshments, walks
and talks plus other as yet to be arranged events.Keep an eye on the
Our first event of the new year is Meet the Birds (the feathered
variety) and will be held at Cromwell Bottom on the 10th of January this coming Saturday
Join members of the Cromwell Bottom Wildlife Group at the bird
feeding area for a morning watching and learning about the many
visitors to the feeders any time between 10.00 and 12.00.
Follow the bird signs from the car park opposite the pallet works.
Cromwell Bottom is signed from the main A6025 Elland – Brighouse
road, HD6 2RG.
Donations to the Cromwell Bottom Wildlife Group welcome.
We intend to expand our events program but if you are a member of
an organisation and want to visit or want a presentation, we will be
happy to arrange things for you.
The cold spell we have had has intensified the feeding at the feeding station
and has given photographers some great winter shots with the snow and frost
but it has made working on the reserve quite difficult.
Seven hardy individuals met on Saturday 13th of December
to complete the planting of the hedgerow we began to plant up in
December 2013. (Other members were completing the first aid course
they had been attending) A big thanks to Allan, David, Ben, Dominic,
Joe, Jane, Alan and Robin. They planted a total of one hundred and fifty
trees which consisted of, Hazel, Blackthorn and Hawthorn and had been
donated by the Woodland Trust. It was a cold and frosty day so thank
you for the hard and productive work
The year ended with the bird count at the Reserve standing at 86
species 4 more than last year, lets hope for 90 species in 2015.
Highlights of the year being Green Sandpiper, Pintail Duck, Lesser-
spotted Woodpecker, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Mandarin Duck and
the elusive Water Rail. Around Calderdale it was a bumper year for
rare species with sightings of an Eider Duck, Hoopoe, Montague's
Harrier, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Wryneck, Woodlark, Richard’s
Pipit, 2 Great Northern Divers, Rough-legged Buzzard and Icelandic
Gull. A total of 167 species recorded, this is a record year for the
keen out in all weather group from the Calderdale Birds, This is
another good web site worth looking at. Four of our group set off at 6
am on the 2nd of January to North Cave nature reserve. With high
winds blowing we thought it may be a wasted trip but at least we
could clear out the Christmas cobwebs but how wrong can you be.
Their were a large variety of Ducks on the lakes, two Little Egrets
and a flock of around eight hundred geese flew in and landed on the
lake. After three hours it was time for coffee and then off to Blacktoft
Sands in search of Marsh Harriers and we were not disappointed
Marsh Harriers flying all over reserve three and four at a time, what a
spectacle but this was not the highlight, suddenly a call of Hen
Harrier came from fellow watchers, what a magnificent bird and
extremely rare, then it was gone. It could not get better than this or
could it? what's that on the tree over the other side all scopes and
cameras turn and focus and the call comes it's a Merlin, yet another
of the rarest birds of prey in Britain it just goes to show you shouldn't
let the weather put you off getting out and about.
to complete the planting of the hedgerow we began to plant up in
December 2013. (Other members were completing the first aid course
they had been attending) A big thanks to Allan, David, Ben, Dominic,
Joe, Jane, Alan and Robin. They planted a total of one hundred and fifty
trees which consisted of, Hazel, Blackthorn and Hawthorn and had been
donated by the Woodland Trust. It was a cold and frosty day so thank
you for the hard and productive work
The year ended with the bird count at the Reserve standing at 86
species 4 more than last year, lets hope for 90 species in 2015.
Highlights of the year being Green Sandpiper, Pintail Duck, Lesser-
spotted Woodpecker, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Mandarin Duck and
the elusive Water Rail. Around Calderdale it was a bumper year for
rare species with sightings of an Eider Duck, Hoopoe, Montague's
Harrier, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Wryneck, Woodlark, Richard’s
Pipit, 2 Great Northern Divers, Rough-legged Buzzard and Icelandic
Gull. A total of 167 species recorded, this is a record year for the
keen out in all weather group from the Calderdale Birds, This is
another good web site worth looking at. Four of our group set off at 6
am on the 2nd of January to North Cave nature reserve. With high
winds blowing we thought it may be a wasted trip but at least we
could clear out the Christmas cobwebs but how wrong can you be.
Their were a large variety of Ducks on the lakes, two Little Egrets
and a flock of around eight hundred geese flew in and landed on the
lake. After three hours it was time for coffee and then off to Blacktoft
Sands in search of Marsh Harriers and we were not disappointed
Marsh Harriers flying all over reserve three and four at a time, what a
spectacle but this was not the highlight, suddenly a call of Hen
Harrier came from fellow watchers, what a magnificent bird and
extremely rare, then it was gone. It could not get better than this or
could it? what's that on the tree over the other side all scopes and
cameras turn and focus and the call comes it's a Merlin, yet another
of the rarest birds of prey in Britain it just goes to show you shouldn't
let the weather put you off getting out and about.
Things are now moving towards a small visitor centre and toilet facilities
and we hope to have these in place in the next few months after refurbishment
is completed , then we will be able to offer refreshments and comfort breaks
to all our visitors
to all our visitors
Events for 2015 will include Moth and Bat Nights, Pond
Dipping and an Open Day with displays and refreshments, walks
and talks plus other as yet to be arranged events.Keep an eye on the
web site for details.
Our first event of the new year is Meet the Birds (the feathered
variety) and will be held at Cromwell Bottom on the 10th of January this coming Saturday
Join members of the Cromwell Bottom Wildlife Group at the bird
feeding area for a morning watching and learning about the many
visitors to the feeders any time between 10.00 and 12.00.
Follow the bird signs from the car park opposite the pallet works.
Cromwell Bottom is signed from the main A6025 Elland – Brighouse
road, HD6 2RG.
Donations to the Cromwell Bottom Wildlife Group welcome.
We intend to expand our events program but if you are a member of
an organisation and want to visit or want a presentation, we will be
happy to arrange things for you.
Tuesday, 20 January 2015
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