A few photos from Redcar Tarn, Keighley, Ferniehurst Dell, Baildon and Baildon Moor, plus one from Silsden Ings.
Gulls, Tufted Duck, Pied Wagtails, Canada Geese, Rook, Wigeon, Sheep, Coot, feet, House Sparrow, Meadow Pipit, Red Kite, Snipe, Starling, Lapwing, and Curlew.
Redcar Tarn
It’s a while since I went to Redcar Tarn. Checking my photo catalogue and website shows that it was back in March 2023, with similar subjects.
One of the reasons for going to Redcar Tarn was that the 2025 list of the Airedale & Bradford Local Group of the RSPB was missing a couple of birds that I thought I would see there. And they were there – Tufted Duck and Pied Wagtail, so I have submitted my sightings. I also got good sightings of a Wigeon that someone had reported as having seen one of 5th January but it had not been added to the list for some reason. Hopefully I can prompt them again. Rook was also missing from the list.
The second photo of a Pied Wagtail shows it about to leap and catch the fly.
Several times Coot chased across the water, I assume rival males rather than prospective mates. Their feet are not webbed but look as though parts of them will spread out to allow them to run along the water.
Across the other side of the road were several sheep and lambs. One of them looks happy as it jumps about.
The Dell
The Airedale RSPB list did not have House Sparrow so a five minute trip down to the hedge next to the Ferniehurst Crown Green Bowls club was in order. On the way I looked at the hedge along Cliffe Avenue playground but it has been recently trimmed so I didn’t expect any House Sparrows to be hiding in it. When I got to Temple Rhydding Drive I saw that the hedges there had been trimmed too. But I could hear Sparrows.
Like many birds, House Sparrows are quite good at keeping branches between themselves and the camera but males showed themselves on top of the hedge a couple of times.
Baildon Moor
Here we are with another trip up to Baildon Moor, with a biting cold wind coming from the North East too.
I had a bit of practice getting flying birds in the viewfinder and managed to get a distant Snipe. I will be going up to Baildon Moor a few more times to improve on it. It has its two tail feathers out but it did not dive and thrum. I hoping to see and hear that later when the light and weather improves.
There was a decent flock of Starlings. Hardly a murmuration but it was good to see.
I am hoping to see Golden Plover up there soon. They are not on the Airedale list yet.
Silsden Ings
After the visit to Redcar Tarn I walked along the river at Silsden Ings were there were Oystercatcher, Wood Pigeon, Rook, Goosander, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Black Headed Gulls and Buzzard, but all too far away or hiding in trees.
One sighting that did warrant a photo though was a hollow about three or four metres up a tree. It was packed with Snails.
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