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

Wednesday 30 September 2020

Wednesday 30th September 2020

Migration Watch
An amazing 19 Stonechats at Fly Flatts!
Report from Brian Sumner              Brian's blog


Tuesday 29 September 2020

Tuesday 29th September 2020

Glovershaw, Baildon
9am - Three Stonechats by the 'gallops'.
Paul King

River Aire (Utley to Silsden) 
Birds seen included Kingfisher, Cormorant, Meadow Pipit, four Grey Herons.  A flock of 80 Woodpigeons.
Canal (Silsden to Utley) Birds seen inclued two Common Gulls, four Jays, a Kestrel, a Green Woodpecker, 50 Lapwing (very mobile).  A Jackdaw attempted to fly in formation with the lapwings but kept crashing into them every time they changed direction, so gave up in the end

Stainburn Forest
Two Stonechats, along the fence by the track and a flock of 150 Lapwings in a ploughed field.  A ringtail was south of the main track.
John Poland

Migration Watch



Reports by Brian Sumner, Martyn Priestley, David Barker and Howard Creber.



Monday 28 September 2020

Monday 28th September 2020

Glovershaw
9am Seven Stonechats on brambles and gorse bushes around the 'gallops'.  A Wheatear on the 7th fairway.  Also a small flock of goldfinches, single Reed Buntings and a few Meadow Pipits.
Shipley Glen
4pm A Green Woodpecker called as it flew, and briefly landed, near Brackenhall Farm
Paul King

Silsden Reservoir
A Green Sandpiper, photo by Brian Vickers

Redcar Tarn, Keighley
The number of Goosanders has risen to 37.
Keith Moir

Migration Watch

Report compiled by David Barker and Howard Creber



Sunday 27 September 2020

Sunday 27th September 2020

Migration Watch
Observations at Weston Moor included eight Crossbills, 270 Redwings and 14 Barnacle Geese.
A Red Kite, Common Buzzard (pale) and 14 Barnacle Geese
FYI graph showing autumn peak of Barnacle geese last three years: https://www.trektellen.org/species/graph/5/-1/49/0?g=&l=&k=&jaar=2020&jaar2=2019&jaar3=2018&
Report and photos from Andrew Hanby



Reports from Martyn Priestley, David Barker, Howard Creber and Brian Sumner

Timble Ings area

I had a walk around Timble Ings, including a section of the Otley - Blubberhouses road, and moorland to the north of the plantation.


Highlights were a flock of around 200 Redwing (probably my earliest ever), two small groups totalling about a dozen Crossbills, and a Raven.


Other birds seen included:-

Moorland: Sparrowhawk (1 female), Red Kite (3), Red Grouse (c25), Sky Larks, Meadow Pipits, Linnet (1)

Moorland and plantation: Common Buzzard

Plantation: Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush (1), Goldcrests (many), Coat Tits, Long-tailed Tits, Treecreeper (2+), Jay (2), Siskin (small nr), and Redpoll (small nr)

John Armstrong


Redcar Tarn

26 Goosanders were seen on the tarn.

Photo and report from Brian Vickers

Mannywells Heights

A 2nd-winter Mediterranean Gull.

Keith Moir




Saturday 26 September 2020

Saturday 26th September 2020

Migration Watch



Reports by Brian Sumner, Martyn Priestley, Dave Barker, Howard Creber and Chris King

Mannywells Heights, Cullingworth
A Yellow-legged Gull.
Keith Moir


Friday 25 September 2020

Friday 25th September 2020

Migration Watch - A day of Pink-footed Geese movement

Fly Flatts (Warley Moor Reservoir)

Reports from Brian Sumner and Martyn Priestley

Stainburn Plantation car park - pair of Stonechat
Scargill Reservoir - pair of Stonechat
John O'Gaunt Reservoir - At least 10 Little Grebe, 2 Wigeon, Buzzard, Kestrel
Shaun Radcliffe






Thursday 24 September 2020

Thursday 24th September 2020


Photos of the Franklin's Gull taken today at Redcar Tarn by Keith Moir.

Redcar Tarn, Keighley

The Franklin's Gull has been sighted once more. It is now back at Redcar Tarn and the nearby fields, particularly the cemetery site.
Keith Moir

Heaton Royds Lane, Bradford
Jane reports over 200 Jackdaws heading south eastwards over Heaton Royds Lane.  This is a regular feature of autumn and winter and numbers will grow over the coming weeks.
Jane Robinson

Tuesday 22 September 2020

Tuesday 22nd September 2020

Glovershaw
Two groups of Stonechats: a male and female by the 11th fairway and three others by the gallops.
Two Chiffchaffs in trees by the 7th fairway.
Paul King

Barden Scale
Two Peregrine Falcons, a Merlin, two Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, five Raven, also Red Kite, Common Buzzard, Swallows and a Jay.
Brian Vickers

Fly Flatts (Warley Moor Reservoir)

A juvenile Stonechat at Fly Flatts by Brian Sumner

Report from Brian Sumner                 see more on Brian's blog

Report from Martyn Priestley

Report from David Barker & Howard Creber








Monday 21 September 2020

Monday 21st September 2020

Barden Scale
A Hobby, five Raven, also Common Buzzard, Red Kite, Kestrel and Swallows.
Brain Vickers

Migration Watch
Report by Brian Sumner          see more on Brian's blog

Report by David Barker and Howard Creber

Report by Andrew Hanby

Report by Martyn Priestley



Sunday 20 September 2020

Sunday 20th September 2020

Soil Hill
A Black Redstart at Cloth Hall Farm off Taylor Lane.
David Sutcliffe

Migration Watch - Fly Flatts (Warley Moor Reservoir)
Report by Brian Sumner

Migration Watch - Weston Moor
Report by Andrew Hanby

Migration Watch - Low Moor, Bradford
Report by Martyn Priestley



Saturday 19 September 2020

Saturday 19th September 2020

Queensbury
Six Redwing went over this morning.
Chris King

Migration Watch - Weston Moor, Wharfedale
Passage of Coal Tits and Geese.  A Ring Ouzel and 67 Mistle Thrush present.
Report by Andrew Hanby

Migration Watch - Fly Flatts (Warley Moor Reservoir)
Report by Brian Sumner (see Brian's blog)

Migration Watch - Low Moor , Bradford
The first Brambling of the season
Report by Martyn Priestley

Migration Watch - Oxenhope Watchpoint
Report by David Barker, Howard Creber and Chris King

River Aire - Utley to Silsden
A Jay, seven Swallows, 75 Lpawings, a Goosander and two Buzzards over Silsden.  Good numbers of tits along the river bank.  At Silsden Beck, two Grey Wagtails and a Dipper.
A Sparrowhawk flew into Alder Carr  Wood and a mixed flock of about 80 House Martins and Swallows were seen along the canal on the return walk.
Josh Selfe

Friday 18 September 2020

Friday 18th September 2020

Barden Fell area - 3 Red Kite, Buzzard, Merlin, Peregrine, Kestrel, pair of Stonechat, Green Woodpecker plus a few Meadow Pipits.
Shaun Radcliffe

Migration Watchpoints

Report from Martyn Priestley

Highlights: Red-breasted Merganser and the first Redwing.
Report from Andrew Handby

Fly Flatts (Warley Moor Reservoir)
Highlights: Green Sandpiper
Report from Brian Sumner                  see more on Brian's blog

Thursday 17 September 2020

Thursday 17th September 2020

Migration Watch - Weston Moor
Report and image of a Stonechat from Andrew Hanby.  Andrew points out that Coal Tits have been moving along the Yorkshire and Northumberland coast in good numbers over the past two weeks.

Migration Watch - Fly Flatts (Warley Moor Reservoir)
Report from Brian Sumner              see a full report on Brian's blog

Migration Watch - Oxenhope watchpoint
Report from David Barker and Howard Creber


Wednesday 16 September 2020

Wednesday 16th September 2020

Migration watchpoints


Tuesday 15 September 2020

Tuesday 15th September 2020

Glovershaw
9am - Three Wheaters on the 11th fairway.
Paul King

Redcar Tarn
9.30am - Eight Teal flew over the tarn, but no sign of the Franklin's Gull
Josh Selfe

Fly Flatts, Warley Moor Reservoir
10.30am - A Wryneck flew from a fence post up the track, east through the turbines towards Ogden.  Also 17 Wheatears, nine Pied Wagtails and a White Wagtails (see photo).
Brian Sumner                        more on Brian's blog

Yeadon Tarn
2.30pm - At the north end, four Spotted Flycatchers.
Jeremy Taylor

Oats Royd, Queensbury
6.30pm - Three Chiffchaff, a Spotted Flycatcher, Bullfinch, Jay, Green Woodpecker and a Sparrowhawk.
Chris King

Migration Watch




Monday 14 September 2020

Monday 14th September 2020

Fly Flatts (Warley Moor Reservoir)
Highlights included: Three Wheatears (Greenland type), six Northern Wheatears, a Merlin, a Peregrine and a couple of Common Buzzards.

Report and images of Greenland Wheatears (leucorhoa) from Brian Sumner                 

Glovershaw
9.30am - Three Wheatears on the 11th fairway.  A flock of up to 20 Meadow Pipits and six Skylarks feeding on the 7th fairway.
Paul King
later: A Little Owl, adult and juvenile Barn Owl and a Wheatear.
There were four other Wheatears, a Stonechat, a Mistle Thrush and six Meadow Pipits on the golf course.



Report and images from Steve Meredith

Oxenhope watchpoint
Highlights this morning included a fly-through Wryneck (east to west) and a fly-through Little Egret (south east to north-west).
Report: Dave Barker and Howard Creber

Migration watch at Low Moor by Martyn Priestley

Redcar Tarn - Franklin's Gull very briefly this morning only
Yorkshire Birders Facebook Group