27th October, Snow but not the sort I expected!!

The forecasted Arctic blast arrived, a covering of snow did not though and I set out on an early morning woodland walk at Low Wood near Riddlesden. It was certainly chilly and I was well wrapped against the freezing wind. My first circuit of the woods revealed little, a few birds were chirping invisibly in the treetops and well out of range for my camera.

I decided to check the canal to see if there was anything of interest, luckily the wind dropped to a gentle breeze.

As the photograph shows at least the sun was shining and it was much warmer here, the usual mallards were about.

We usually get an influx of canada geese and I soon encountered a large group, obviously newly arrived judging by their nervous and twitchy behaviour. A closer look revealed a stranger in their midst...a beautiful snow goose.

These birds have probably flown from Alaska or Canada to winter here, the snow goose often travels with other geese according to my books.

I returned to the woods for another circuit...

It was bright and pleasant now and devoid of photographic subjects! A  lengthy perusal through the binoculars brought me distant views of jay and great spotted woodpecker, attempts at getting near enough to photograph them were laughable, I had my clumsy feet on!

I was on the verge of packing it in for the morning when a jay appeared from the undergrowth, it was feeding on acorns on the ground.

A grey squirrel offered me another opportunity...this too was partially obscured by an offending twig!

Time for home now, our lovely grand-daughters were joining us for the afternoon and evening and we had decided to take them to the pumpkin hunt at Bolton Abbey.

I dropped them and Mrs Wildlife off at the turning to the Cavendish Pavilion and drove down to Barden Scale to park the car thus avoiding the dreaded and extortionate estate parking charges. The plan was for me to walk downstream to meet them and then we would walk together back to the car.

The autumnal shades on the mature trees were beautiful...

 

 

I soon found the team and they were enjoying the hunt, the witches were not too difficult to find!

 

The pumpkins were numerous and not too hard to locate, gaps in interest were filled with leaf kicking battles and lots of laughter:-)

 

What a grand way to spend an afternoon!

 

 

12th August, Canal and moor, cuckoo delight!!

A bit of a late start for our walk today as domestic duties took priority, our garden hedges were in serious need of a trim. Dunnocks nesting and producing two broods has meant leaving the hedges very strictly alone, any disturbance can mean parents flying away and then neglecting the nest afterwards.

One of the real delights of my concentration on wildlife has been an in increasing knowledge of what I am likely to see in particular areas of my local walks, today that paid off big time. We made our way to Low Wood first, really gloomy light made photography nigh on impossible and we had to content ourselves with some nice sightings through our binoculars, wren, robin and wood warbler were all in evidence.

The light by the canal was a little better in the open air and less tree cover. Moorhens, Gallinula Chloropus, are common and all too often ignored by many. This one had chicks, probably a second brood, one was pleading for food..the other tucked into the warmth of a parents wing popped its head out for a look at the world outside!

We then took a short drive up to the moor above Keighley, I have walked up here a lot and earlier this year the call of the cuckoo rang loud and on one memorable occasion I tracked one for a long time eventually getting a decent photograph:-
http://airedalewildlife.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/thursday-24th-may-2012-chasing-cuckoos.html

As we wandered along the faint path a bird flew across our sight line, from near the wall as I was I could not see where it had gone, Mrs Wildlife on a slightly wider line whispered that it had settled on the wall. Binocs raised I moved wider to take a look, one brief glance suggested a hawk of sort...an easy mistake to make with a cuckoo, cuculus canorus. A couple of photographs, which would have been more than acceptable, were taken but better was to follow. The cuckoo flew off and we celebrated our good fortune and wandered on a short distance to where a huge pile of rocks marks a crossroads for many of the paths up here.

We sat on the rocks scanning round for any more birds, truth to be told...there wasn't much! A couple of hikers passed and asked if we had seen much. "Juvenile cuckoo" I said, the looks on their faces were ones of "Yeah right..."

We took a different path back to the car, that was fortunate. Only a short distance away from where we had been sat but this would have been out of sight we found the cuckoo again, this time we saw it before it saw us and the wind was in our face, always helpful! Time to go into stalking mode again, taking photographs when I could to ensure I had some shots I eventually found cover behind a large rock. A juvenile cuckoo and posing nicely too!

My best shots yet of this hard to photograph bird, maybe next year I can get even better ones:-))

I hope readers enjoy my wildlife explorations, I try to get different things and I am really enjoying the memory bank of knowledge I am building up. I don't always give exact locations, if you want to know where these places are get in touch and I will pass on the information privately.

The other thing I try to do is post regularly, things lose relevance when they are posted several months after the event took place, well I think so anyway.

If you have any ideas as to how the blog could be improved, or if you have just enjoyed it leave a comment, feedback is good...and it is free!!

4th August 2012, Low Wood in the sunshine

The blog had a week off, apologies to regular readers and viewers, a painful infected leg from my tumble at Malham and my 60th birthday celebrations meant not much ourdoor activity last weekend. Rainy days and Olympics have meant evenings on the sofa too!

With a few days of penicillin inside me the leg is a bit better but not right yet for a full day on my feet, I chose a favourite local walk for today...Low Wood at Riddlesden, the route there is via some splendid tree lined and quiet lanes, sometimes the camera can be snapping away at the birds down here but today there was little to see. The weather forecast was for heavy thundery showers so the waterproofs were in the rucksack, a look back in the direction of the prevailing wind showed the forecast could be slightly wrong..in a good way for once!

Regulars will know of my love of herons, big and quirky they are full of interest for any wildlife lover with their stealth and sometimes downright funny poses. I caught this one in full hunting mode-

Reaching the nature reserve at Low Wood by the canal I took the main path westwards, usually a great place to see woodland birds normally but today there seemed to be little to see. I like to practice my fieldcraft as often as I can, having the ability to move quietly is so important if you want to see and photograph birds and animals at close quarter so I took the opportunity to go off path and venture deeper into the woods. Anyone who has watched Ray Mears will know how he stresses the importance of preparation, pack your rucksack so there are no unwanted noises, check the contents and distribution of your pockets, look ahead on your intended route and above all look where you are putting your feet!

Tracking quietly I heard a fairly loud mewly sound from the treetops, quite likely a buzzard and a young one by the slightly strident edge to the call. Time to go into silent mode, moving at a rate that would make a snail look like Usain Bolt I edged towards the location of the sound, fifteen minutes and about the same number of yards later I saw slight movement up in the canopy, definitely a young buzzard and I had seen where it landed. Right, this is where the practice pays off, lens cap quietly removed and camera switched on...eyes fixed firmly on the small gap in the canopy, move slowly...SNAP..an unseen twig and the noise sounded like thunder to my oh so disappointed ears! A flurry of wings and my intended subject flapped away indignantly:-((

I am at least learning the patience to sit and wait for things, choose a place and test your habitat skills, it is a fun game but not always rewarding. Today I found some wood warblers, flitting around and with juveniles spreading their wings in the sun and basking in the dusty woodland floor.

I think I have the identity correct but it is a tough time of the year to i.d. birds when many are in a tatty condition after breeding, please let me know if you have any other ideas about these.

I wandered back through the woods and to my delight found an emperor dragonfly that was quite willing to pose while I practised my macro shots...

Fascinating creatures and great to watch close up.  I had set out with hopes of seeing nuthatches and treecreepers, no sightings so far but I had enjoyed a lovely day and was happily heading for home, one last call off down a small track by the canal...habitat friendly for treecreepers..and..

Extremely low light for this one, I would have liked a sharper shot!

Wandering on through my grassy stroll I pondered just how many people walk along here and see nothing of the beautiful creatures I had encountered today, between two golf courses and next to the Leeds Liverpool canal it really is a splendid area.

As I passed Low Holden Farm a swallow chirped from an overhead wire, soon they will be preparing for their long journey and its a shame we cannot tell them just how much we love their presence here for a few precious months...

A grand day in the sun and as I head for a pint or three a few rain drops begin to fall, you know what? I didn't care!!!

23rd June 2012. The balance of nature

The dreadful weather of the last few weeks continued culminating in downpours on Friday which deposited a months worth of rain, about 4" or 100mm, in one day. Being quite close to the source of the river Aire means that the level of the water is affected quickly around here, I drove the short distance to Kildwick to see just how bad things were.

Pretty close to bursting the banks and I was grateful for the elevated path I was on, further downstream there was evidence of what I suspected may have happened, sadly the water level had risen above the sand martin nests. Adult birds were flying forlornly, the chicks were not mature enough to fly to safety and the whole colony would have perished.

Part of understanding nature and wildlife is having a grasp and appreciation of the balance of beauty and sadness it can bring, as hard as I tried I could feel nothing but a gut wrenching despair at the way these beautiful little birds had flown thousands of miles and done most of the hard work entailed in raising their new family only for this to happen.

It took me a while to find the enthusiasm to set out in the afternoon, the skies looked untrustworthy and there was a cold wind funnelling down the valley. Waterproofs were packed and use was expected!

Given the sodden state of the fields I stuck to the hard surface of the quiet lane that leads down the valley towards Keighley. The recent weather had obviously interrupted the effort to get this field mown as portrayed by the single mown strip.

I was leant on the gate leading into the field listening to the call of a curlew, the sound grew louder and said bird presented itself for a rare close up!

Further on I got a good view of the flooded fields, somewhere amongst this is the river.

This small and unidentified butterfly entertained me for a while as I followed its fluttering flight through long and wet grass, I emerged looking distinctly incontinent....waterproof trousers still in the rucksack!!

I entered Low Wood Nature Reserve more in hope than expectation, as reported recently the heavy foliage makes spotting difficult. The wet weather has done nothing to spoil the flowers, foxgloves proliferate in here.

Great spotted woodpeckers are seen regularly on bird feeders for some lucky people and that provides the best opportunity for photographs unless you are really fortunate. Today I was pleasantly surprised when a pair flew into close view as I scanned round with the binoculars. A couple of shots, one with a robin in the background, and a more distant view of the pair.

Wandering quietly on through the woods I spotted a young blackbird, a young male part way through the transition of its feathers from its juvenile brown to the black of a mature bird.

The raucous call of jays is unmistakeable, ears alerted I headed towards the commotion. Tracking carefully and as silently as I could I saw movement in the trees ahead, aware that they are very shy normally and hard to watch at close quarters I moved really slowly until I had a good view. A family with a couple of youngsters pleading for food, squawking loudly and moving around on a large branch.

The sorrow of the mornings sight will never leave me but to be privileged enough to witness the success of other birds certainly helps restore the balance in my mind.

Wandering back to Silsden I found this group of mallards, a female and three youngsters basking in the brief sunshine.

I was now hopeful of a completely rain free walk, hah silly me!! The skies darkened and a look up the valley confirmed it was time for a hasty addition of a waterproof covering, the rain blasted down for about fifteen minutes, the wind howled and I was heading straight into it! My face felt as if I was being pebble dashed for a while, it eased thankfully and I reached the outskirts of town as the sun came out again. Deciding to remove the waterproofs before I reached the pub I leant against a wall for a little support, reaching for the waistband of the trousers I glanced up to see a horrified lady who obviously thought there was a flasher at large!!! I don't know who was more relieved when the fabric of my trousers was revealed:-)) At least she had the grace and humour to smile "I really thought you were going to...." "I know, sorry" I offered and smiled back, lesson learned. Time for a well earned couple of pints now.

Saturday 3rd March 2012, Gloomy...hang on the sun is coming out!

For those of us who work Monday to Friday weekends are a treasured opportunity to get out, see things, generally enjoy ourselves. When you wake at seven o'clock on a Saturday morning and open the curtains to see a wall of grey, murky skies this person feels entitled to have a good grump about the weather!

A cup of tea and some breakfast later I checked the internet for a weather forecast, mmm interesting, the BBC forecast shows brightening skies and maybe some sunshine towards lunchtime and early afternoon.
A few jobs filled the time nicely, snacks and flask were prepared and as promised the sky began to clear and my mood lifted in similar levels to the pace of the improving weather.

We didn't fancy travelling far and there are plenty of things to see near home, our first visit was to Redcar Tarn near Keighley. A quite small sheet of water is home to a good array of birds, Embden geese were originally a domestic and captive species, now plentiful in the wild they have vibrant blue eyes and a feisty nature if you get too close!

Tufted ducks are one of the smaller members of the duck family, named for obvious reasons they dive frequently and are plentiful here.

Female tufted duck.

Male tufted duck.

A circuit of the tarn does not take long, a noticeboard informs visitors that three circuits are needed to complete a mile! A good few Canada geese were here too, I always find these one of the most approachable geese and they rarely seem to exhibit the aggression some geese show.

Coots are comical out of water, their feet may be great for paddling and propelling them swiftly through water but they look massive on dry land.

Black headed gulls are now gaining their mating colours and the "black" heads are becoming the recognisible chocolate colour.

Our circuit was now complete and the Embden geese were round our car seeking food.

As there was no evidence of any golden eggs we let the geese go hungry!

We took a short drive through Keighley and parked up by the canal and Low Wood at Riddlesden, a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust reserve the wood is rich in wildlife of all kinds. Birdsong was plentiful as we strolled through the trees and we watched a jay flitting from branch to branch, out of camera range though and we had to be satisfied with the view through binoculars.

A mighty racket emanated from the sky and we watched through the treetops as a buzzard flew past being continually harassed by some resident rooks, the buzzard seemed unpeturbed and kept its dignity!

Spring is not far away now, virtually all the birds we saw were carrying nest material and their songs were joyous. Approaching a small pond we witnessed several frogs diving out of view, their spring has already arrived by the look of the spawn in the pond!

Another jay sighting as we walked on after a brief period of shelter as a heavy shower fell, the sun returned and we headed for the canal bank and some scrub land. Plenty of great, blue and long tailed tits were in evidence here together with robins and wrens, I was having no luck with the camera though as none of the smaller birds were still for long enough!

Watching wildlife regularly has a fine tuning effect on the senses, an unusual noise or movement may be the sign of something just a bit different and each should be investigated. A bird flew from the trees on our left, the plumage was definitely out of the ordinary...a green woodpecker! Luckily for us it settled not too far away, across the canal but near enough to get a good view and a presentable photograph as a bonus too!

When the sun shines on Airedale it is a beautiful valley as this view over Low Holden Farm shows :-

That small patch of blue was the last we saw, the clouds returned and the rain began to fall as we reached the car, one blue tit at last stayed still for a while though.

What had looked like a very unpromising day turned out to be a good one!