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Yorkshire Birding (7 Viewers)
- Thread starter Hotspur
- Start date
The birds are descended from the relaease programs - but there are now a great many truly wild born birds in the county. A lot of the release program birds still hang around the Harewood Estate on the outskirts of Leeds. You can easily get double figures in the air in that area, not as many as when the program was running though, I can remember seeing almost 30 birds in the air from Eccup Dam wall. One of the Harewood birds turned up on Tyneside and bred with one of their release program birds.
ternaround
Active member
We have Kites flying over everyday, without fail, in Otley, about 7 miles from Harewood. They have spread out and now nest locally in and around the town. They are not shy when it comes to swooping into gardens these days if there is food available.
Steve Lister
Senior Birder, ex County Recorder, Garden Moths.
Rather disappointing to see just one male and one female Black Grouse at the usual Arkengarthdale spot this morning: have other visitors done any better or is the apparent big drop in numbers a reality?
Steve
Steve
Steve Lister
Senior Birder, ex County Recorder, Garden Moths.
A couple of hours at the west end of Fairburn Ings this aft, 50 years after I first visited, produced two site-ticks in Raven and Cetti's Warbler - amazing. Also a fine male Marsh Harrier and one of the Spoonbills.
Steve
Steve
Trystan
Well-known member
Haven't been this year but don't find the place very reliable. Have been known to completely dip, other times, just 1s and 2s.
Duckwoman
fledging new birdwatchers every year
the 4th Leeds Birdfair
Hi folks
Start Birding birdwatching classes and Rodley Nature Reserve Trust are celebrating the wildlife and green spaces of Leeds again at the 4th annual Leeds Birdfair at Rodley Nature Reserve on Saturday 22nd June. We'll be running our mammal survey from 9am and stalls and other events begin at 9:30am.
https://www.facebook.com/events/334938600456578/
Hope to see you there
Linda
Hi folks
Start Birding birdwatching classes and Rodley Nature Reserve Trust are celebrating the wildlife and green spaces of Leeds again at the 4th annual Leeds Birdfair at Rodley Nature Reserve on Saturday 22nd June. We'll be running our mammal survey from 9am and stalls and other events begin at 9:30am.
https://www.facebook.com/events/334938600456578/
Hope to see you there
Linda
barontan2418
Well-known member
Visited the Stridd today and along with both flycatchers and redstart I was lucky enough to come across a family group of woodwarbler. Not in the normal locations but on the top path (cafe side of river) right at the end close to the end of wood, LHS.
I have had singing wood warblers in that area in previous years. good to know that they have successfully bred again this year.
For anyone interested yesterday 22 ring-necked parakeets came into roost in Roundhay Park in Leeds. Park at the Lakeside cafe and watch the tree above the cafe as it gets towards dusk. The birds seem to have been coming in regularly for a little time.
barontan2418
Well-known member
Hi Keith, had them twice in trees behind my home, Easterly road. Have to admit it was the strange new call that put me on to them.
It seems that there is once again a lesser spotted woodpecker visiting Roundhay Park, usually seen in flight down below the Dam wall where the old open air pool was. Hopefully this time I can catch up with it
Good luck with that one then Keith.
Hi, the nearest place to me with any hides seems to be RSPB Fairburn Ings, maybe a 25 min drive. Myself and a friend went over last week, no chance of us identifying all we saw, but a guy with some expensive scope, pointed out a few for us, 3 Buzzards and a Red Kite round something dead by waters edge, plus a couple of marsh harriers anong all the normal residents. Scope was good, no chance of me getting one of those £2.500 jobs
You say you are 25 minutes away from Fairburn Ings, which direction? There is also RSPB St Aidan's on the outskirts of Allerton Bywater so only a short distance from Fairburn Ings, this is well worth a visit. If you are in or near Leeds then the YWT Adel Dam reserve is well worth a visit for the photographer, the new hide there has a low level area so shots from almost water level are possible. Things are settling down after the installation of the hide but next year it should be good. Rodley nature reserve is also a good venue but at the minute difficult to get to due to ongoing work with the swingbridge over the canal, you have to park in Rodley and walk back to the reserve. I am Leeds based and also retired so if ever you feel like meeting up for a trip then send me a pm through Bird Forum
I'm from near Heckmondwike, actually I spent one day working at St Aidens, when it was an opencast mine, just got sent from another site at Featherstone for the day, as they where short of drivers, two sites same firm working them. this was well before flooding.
I'm from near Heckmondwike, actually I spent one day working at St Aidens, when it was an opencast mine, just got sent from another site at Featherstone for the day, as they where short of drivers, two sites same firm working them. this was well before flooding. anther edit after reading what you said. Several times a year, myself and a friend go upto Redcar, started with photographing trains, then the industry, then just because with like watching the ships. It turns out it's pretty good for birds too and a paddle
Not too sure on sites closer to Heckmondwike than Fairburn as I am in NE Leeds and so I tend to go out Eastwards rather than cross the city.
Pugney's Country Park and the Calder Wetlands across the road near to junction 39 of the M1 get good birds but parking at both isn't easy or free.
The flooding at St Aidan's was an incredible sight, a huge lake where there should have been a river. I would love to have been there when the river broke through, I only visited after it had reached its final level.
