Welcome

Welcome to the Blog of the Bradford Ornithological Group (BOG). Here you will find information about the latest sightings, an archive of information and a gallery photos of the birds of this area of West Yorkshire, England. We are an active group dedicated to the study and conservation of birds within this region which is situated amongst the Pennines of Northern England.

Send your recent sightings and photographs to us at this address: recorder@bradfordbirding.org Please add us to your contacts.


Please note that all images remain the property of the photographer.

SWIFTs IN AIREDALE AND WHARFEDALE - TELL US IF THEY ARE BREEDING IN YOUR AREA.

CONTACT - recorder@bradfordbirding.org

Sunday 29 April 2018

Saturday 28 April 2018

Barden Scale - single Swift, 6 House Martin, Swallows & Sand Martins, 2 Cuckoo
Storith Road - Wheatear, Willow Warbler, Chiff-Chaff, Blackcap
Brian Vickers

BOG walk from Bingley to Saltaire - Blackcaps, single willow Warbler, Grey Wagtail, Goldcrest, GSW, Nuthatch, Goosanders, Treecreeper, Sand Martins.
BOG et al.

Glovershaw
(7am) - Nine Wheatears feeding on the Golf Course and at the bottom of Birch Close Lane.
Paul King

Friday 27 April 2018

Friday 27th April 2018

Oxenhope Village - 2 Cuckoos flew through heading towards the moor.
Howard Creber

Apperley Bridge - pair of Mandarin, 5 Swift
Damian Pearson

Glovershaw
Seven Wheatears and a singing Common Whitethroat.
Paul King

Upper Wharfedale (photos by Roger Nelson)
Pied Flycatcher (female)      photo: Roger Nelson
Redstarts (pair)                                    photo: Roger Nelson
Common Sandpiper                      photo: Roger Nelson

Jay                                           photo: Roger Nelson

Mandarin Duck                             photo: Roger Nelson



Thursday 26 April 2018

Thursday 26 April 2018

Barden back road - pair of Redstarts, Green Woodpecker seen & heard, Tawny Owl, Chiff-Chaff, Blackcap.
Hazlewood garden- 2 Jays
Roger Nelson

Stockbridge Reserve (members only) - Sedge Warbler briefly calling from reed bed, Chiff-Chaff, Willow Warbler, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting.
John Preshaw, Shaun Radcliffe

Wednesday 25 April 2018

Wednesday 25 April 2018

Toad Holes Beck, South Bradford -  male Lesser Whitethroat
Martyn Priestley

Barden Bridge to Strid Woods - At least one House Martin among the Swallows & Sand Martins,  2 pair of Common Sandpiper, 4 Pied Flycatcher, Mandarin Ducks now perching in trees, Cuckoo heard but not seen.
Roger Nelson 
Sparrowhawk in an Ilkley garden                    photo: Keith Allen
Wheatear at Stainburn Plantation                    photo: Keith Allen


Sunday 22 April 2018

Sunday 22 April 2018

A Common Sandpiper on the River Wharfe.  Photo: Roger Nelson
Harold park, south Bradford - single Pochard was a first at the site for the observer.
Jamie Brass

Stockbridge Reserve (members only) - no new migrants. Singing Willow Warbler, Blackcap & Chiff Chaff. Also Kingfisher, Cormorant, Bullfinch, Swallows & Reed Bunting noted.
Shaun Radcliffe

Glovershaw
Five Wheatears in the Pennithorn and Golcar areas. A single Redshank had joined breeding Snipe, Lapwing and Curlew.
Paul King

Saturday 21 April 2018

Saturday 21st April 2018

Birch Close Lane - Cuckoo, Little Owl, Linnets, Willow Warblers & Wheatears
Jeremy Taylor

Thruscross - Cuckoo, 5 Sand Martin, 5 Common Sandpipers,  Lesser Redpoll, numerous Willow Warblers.
Roger Nelson

Glovershaw
Four Wheatears on the Golf Course.
Paul King

Friday 20 April 2018

Friday 20 April 2018

St Ives, Bingley - overlooking Heather Plantation, 5 Woodcock flyovers recorded late evening with at least two different birds involved.
Ian Skayman

Bromley Road, Bingley - single Swift at 20.00
Rex Holt

Strid Woods - pair of Common Sandpiper, 2 Pied Flycatcher,singing Blackcap,
Hazlewood - Cuckoo seen & heard, 7 Ring Ouzel, 2 Swallow, Skylark, pair of Stonechat plus Tree Sparrow in garden.
Roger Nelson

Hawksworth Moor/Reva Hill area - 60 Golden Plover, single Redshank, 4 Wheatear, 7 Snipe displaying.
Shaun Radcliffe   

Thursday 19 April 2018

Thursday 19th April 2018

Glovershaw
Four Wheatears on the golf course and five singing Willow Warblers in the area of Pennithorn Plantation.  Three pairs of Curlew, two pairs of Oystercatcher and numerous pairs of Snipe which were very active and vocal.  A Little Owl was sitting in a tree on Birch Close Lane.

Shipley Glen
Four Common Buzzards were circling together overhead (at 11am).
Paul King

Wednesday 18 April 2018

Wednesday 18th April 2018

Glovershaw
Nine Wheatears on the 8th fairway of the Golf Course at 8am.

Yeadon Tarn

Male Shoveler still present in amongst the Tufted Ducks on Yeadon Tarn.
Paul King

Private Wetlands (permit holders only)
In addition to Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs there were two Common Sandpipers, a Common Tern, and a Sedge Warbler. Others included a male Goosander on the river and three female Goldeneye. Overhead a Red Kite, two Common Buzzards a male Sparrowhawk which caught a small bird. Elsewhere on the reserve: two Curlews, Oystercatchers, Lapwing, Stock Dove, Kingfisher, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Bullfinch and Reed Bunting.
John Armstrong



Tuesday 17 April 2018

Monday 16th April 2018


Silsden Reservoir
Two Great Crested Grebe 
Storiths Road
Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler
Undisclosed Site
Two Little Ringed Plover
Brian Vickers

Sunday 15th April 2018

Apperley Bridge

Sand Martin 25+ 
Swallow 6
House Martin 1
Kestrel pair
Blackcap 2
Chiffchaff 2
Goosander female with 5 chicks.
Damian Pearson



Saturday 14 April 2018

Saturday 14th April 2018 (updated 17th April)


Strid Wood
Pied Flycatcher, Treecreeper

Storiths Road
Willow Warbler.
Brian Vickers

Glovershaw
A male Wheatear.
Paul King

Ben Rhydding
A Brambling visited feeders.
Keith Allen

Ben Rhydding Gravel Pits 
Singing Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Kingfisher also an otter.  This is a good spot for them with fairly frequent sightings.  
Steven Parkes

Barden Bridge to Strid Wood.  

Highlights: - Male Pied Flycatcher seen in woodland just downstream of the aqueduct on the north side of the river.  
A Swallow, three Sand Martins, Dipper, Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Grey Wagtail pair with nesting material

Tom & Susan Simcock


Hazlewood Moorside
Three Ring Ouzels (possibly more, but only three seen at once) including one female. A pair of Reed Buntings back at traditional breeding site, two Snipe also back at traditional nesting site, pair of Grey Wagtails in beck, Merlin.

Barden back-road, near Laund a male Blackcap, singing short phrases widely spaced.
Roger Nelson.











Friday 13th April 2018


Silsden Floods
Greenshank, Redshank 12, Shelduck 2, Shoveler 3 ( 2 Males )

Cononley Ings,

Redshank 6, Shoveler 3 ( 2 males 1 Female ) Shelduck 2
Brian Vickers

Yeadon Tarn
A male Shoveler, 23 Tufted Ducks, 15 Mute Swans and a singing Chiffchaff.
Paul King


Thursday 12 April 2018

Thursday 12 April 2018

Stockbridge Reserve (members only) - singing Blackcap, Chiff-Chaff, 6 Swallows, Sand Martin, Kingfisher, Reed Bunting, Lesser Redpoll, Bullfinch.
Shaun Radcliffe

Wednnesday 11 april 2018

Barden Bridge - single Swallow.
Nearby aqueduct in oak tree - singing Pied Flycatcher. On river, pair of Grey Wagtail, pair of Dipper, pair of Goosander, a drake Mandarin, Green Woodpecker in area.
Roger Nelson

Silsden Floods - Greenshank, 6 Redshank, 4 Shoveler
Snaygill near Skipton - 2 Shoveler, 8 Redshank, pair of Gadwall
Brian Vickers 

Monday 9 April 2018

Monday 9 April 2018

Whetstone Gate - flock of 30 Fieldfare.
Shaun Radcliffe

Sunday 8 April 2018

Sunday 8 April 2018

Barden Scale - Osprey
Barden Moor - 4 Wheatear
Trough Lane - 6 Wheatear
Brian Vickers

Stockbridge Reserve (members only) - 31 species this morning including singing Willow Warbler, Blackcap & Chiff-Chaff. Also 8 Sand Martin flew west. Wren building a nest in the gorse, female Goosander entering Stock Dove nest box & Goldfinch gathering nest material. 4 Lesser Redpoll were on the trees next to the river & 3 Kestrel were together looking at the nest box. The two males both individually went into the box calling whilst the female stayed on a nearby tree, only to fly off after a few minutes. We live in hope! A Snipe was flushed. A pair of Bullfinch seen plus a few Reed Buntings.
Bingley - Willow Warbler opposite Bingley Grammar School. 3 Chiff-Chaff at Bingley Bog North.
Shaun Radcliffe

Saturday 7 April 2018

Saturday 7th April 2018

Glovershaw
Two Sand Martins flew over Pennithorn Hall.
Paul King

Caldene Fields, South Bradford - L.R.P flew through going west, single Swallow north.
Martyn Priestley

Barden Moor - 2 Ring Ouzel, Stonechat, 6 Wheatear, Snipe displaying plus Common Sandpiper on the river at Barden.
John Brooks

Silsden Fields - 2 Shelduck
Trough Lane - 5 Wheatear, Snipe displaying.
Brian Vickers

Friday 6 April 2018

Friday 6 April 2018

Trough Lane - 4 Wheatear
Brian Vickers

Denso Nature Reserve - single Swallow, Blackcap, Chiff-Chaff, Kingfishers, also a Jay mimicking the call of a Buzzard.
Jeremy Taylor

Yeadon Tarn - 10 Swallow, 5 Sand Martin, male Shoveler, 2 Chiff-Chaff.
Theo Kuechel

Glovershaw
Two Wheatears (male and female).
Paul King

Thursday 5 April 2018

Thursday 5 April 2018

Barden Scale - 3 Sand Martin
Barden Moor - 3 Wheatear
Storith Road - 2 Wheatear
Trough Lane - 2 Wheatear
Brian Vickers

Kex Gill - 52 Oystercatchers, 6 Redshank, 2 Little Grebe
Embsay Moor - Ring Ouzel, 5 Wheatear
Theo Kuechel 

Barden Moor - male Ring Ouzel, 2 male Wheatear, pair of Stonechat plus another singing male, pair of Reed Bunting.
Shaun Radcliffe

Wednesday 4 April 2018

Wednesday 4 April 2018

Esholt Sewage Works - 10 plus Sand Martins
Matthew Rawnsley

Silsden Village - Osprey drifting north at 11.40 on west side of village.
Tom Hubball

Trough Lane - 2 Wheatear
Brian Vickers

Tuesday 3 April 2018

Tuesday 3 April 2018

Fewston Reservoir - 5 singing Chiff-Chaff, 3 pair of Teal, 5 Tufted Duck, pair of G C G
Shaun Radcliffe