Change of Speaker

The speaker booked for Tuesday 14th February is unable to attend.
Finn Jensen has kindly stepped in with a talk entitled "Climate Change".  All Welcome at the usual venue. Halifax Central Library at 7:15pm.

Thank you Finn

Countryside Unit but not as we know it

I have just read the budget proposals and attended a meeting at Tod Town Hall. It is proposed to remove the Countryside Unit from the Council budget. Ideas, not yet thought out are to place it totally separate from the council and into a charitable trust. According to Courier and the budget proposals, there are to be job implications in countryside and forestry. I have just received this info:-

"There is a meeting on the 30th January organised by Calderdale Sustainability Forum being held 30th January at 4.30pm above Mytholmroyd Library regarding the Council’s proposed budget and the impact this is likely to have upon Calderdale’s Countryside Service. For more information Calderdale Sustainability Forum email enquiries@calderfuture.org.uk The budget proposals can be found at www.calderdale.gov.uk

All consultation ends on 13th Feb so not much time.

Northern L.T.T.

The northern long tailed tits are still about. There was one with about 8  LTT's this am near the lower lodge, Luddenden Dean.

Nuthatch

Two days ago we had a nuthatch investigating our birdbox in the wood at Todmorden and pecking at the hole to widen it. Spring must not be far away!

1st Volunteer Day of the Cromwell Bottom Wildlife Group

Many thanks to everyone who came on Saturday for the first volunteer day as Bruce has already said the weather gods were smiling on us and we cleared quite a large area of trees and scrub .
The feeling was to have the second Saturday in the month as a regular work da , for those who couldn't make it or would like to come along to the next one on Saturday the 11th of Febuary you will be very welcome, the plan is to plant some trees in the tag loop and various areas around the site. yours GWH

Link for report       and          Link for pictures

Venue Change to the January meeting of the Cromwell Bottom Wildlife Group

Hi everyone, the meeting on the 24th of January has been changed to the Mulberry Suite, Bob Wilkinson who is heading the recapping of North Loop is going to update us, and then we will have our meeting directly after, meeting to start at 7pm. Hugh will also be running through how to conduct a survey and access to North Loop issues which will take approx 45mins. For those of you who don't know where the mulberry suite is, if you turn left on to Church Lane and then immediately left on to Parsonage Lane you will see the school gates in front of you go straight forward and park in the school car park. The Mulberry Suite is under the new set of flats directly in front of you.    ALL WELCOME
yours GWH Map Link

SH Roe Deer

Two Roe Deer flushed a pr of Pheasant on the top field at Soil Hill this morning at approx 1015hrs. About 3 years ago this animal could be approached down to around 120 metres, but nowadays there is no chance. Even after stalking them from behind with my camera, upon presentation of my ugly mug at approx 100 metres they dashed off and never stopped running.

A Very Different Kind of Talk

The Halifax Scientific Society was treated to a brilliant first indoor meeting of the year. (10th Jan.)
Dr Paul Ruffle of Manchester University presented "How I wonder what you are - the birth, life and death of stars" Paul works at the Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope, and lives in Calderdale. You can see his website at www.paulruffle.com

He first put us at ease by having us all sing !

Then he asked us to estimate the number of molecules of air in a centimetre cube, like the plastic cubes everyone had been handed, then related this to the number of molecules of gas and dust in the spaces between the stars. (Hardly any, but enough to be attracted together to form new stars through pressure of gravity, because space is so vast, the number of molecules, though very few compared with our atmosphere, add up to vast amounts of mass.) Throughout, he compared his statistics with concepts we could easily get our brains round.

Then on the screen he showed wonderful animated impressions of what galaxies are like, including our own, and where we are in a conveniently quiet arm of it, and what it would be like to travel through a galaxy. The fabulously varied forms and shapes and (notional) colours of planetary nebulae came toward the end of Paul's talk, some like multi-coloured jellyfish several thousand light-years across.  After some simple to understand diagrams of how the elements develope one from another under fusion within the stars, we saw images of them being flung back into space by the violence of solar flares. New suns in the making.

Several questions were answered from the floor, until the meeting was brought to a close at 9pm.

A worry is that members might forget about collecting observations of the wildlife on our rainy planet and be tempted to immerse themselves in the wonders of astrophysics!

SB

Working Party This Saturday - Cromwell Bottom

Myself and Mike took a walk round with Robin Dalton(who is the lead on the working party) on Saturday to check on the areas we were going to clear ie: the 2nd lagoon area , unfortunately its under water which is too deep to work in, however we have another area in mind which will be the Sphagnum Bog , some work was done last year and we would like to clear some more of the willow /birch /and beech whilst trying to keep the oaks that are there . LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL THERE . meeting in the fisherman's car park 9-30am till 3pm , the area is to the right hand side nearest to the fishing lake between the river and canal and hopefully will be marked.
Wellingtons will be needed along with gloves. If you intend to stay until the afternoon then bring something to eat and drink.

yours GWH

Pictures from Salterhebble

Scarlet Elf Cup. Sarcoscypha austriaca © Michael Sykes

Orange Peel Fungus. Aleuria aurantia ©  Michael Sykes  

Pictures supplied by Michael Sykes.

Frozen Teasel © Michael Sykes

Fungi at Ogden

Possibly Panellus serotinus.

 Stereum hirsutum

 Stereum hirsutum

These are some of the Fungi seen at Ogden on Monday. Thanks to Michael for the I.D.

Soil Hill Snow Buntings

Along with Dave and Nigel we saw 7 Snow Buntings. There were also 7 Skylarks later relocated by David and Nigel.

These are the best I could manage before my fingers froze.

January Priority Speces Workshop POSTPONED

Dear all,

The priority species workshop planned for tomorrow evening (Weds 4th Jan) has been POSTPONED.
Apologies to anyone who was planning to attend, but to ensure more interested parties are able to come along the meeting will be rescheduled for a date in late February.

It will be a opportunity to discuss actions for priority species in Calderdale for the coming year with Hugh Firman and others. If you would like more information or to come along and contribute to the meeting please email Hugh to express your interest: hugh.firman@calderdale.gov.uk.

The new date will be confirmed ASAP, and we hope to see many of you there.

Happy New Year!

Christine

Roe Deer

After I left Bruce and Dave Sutcliffe on Soil Hill, I walked down the N slope and got 3 Roe Deer (last entry on sheet) which on seeing me even at a distance of approx 250 metres away promptly headed back up the hill.
The form which DJS and myself record animal sightings on can be shared by anybody who is interested and viewed at any time.
Should anybody want to share it, please contact me on this link (scroll down to page bottom) and I will arrange it.

New Year Bird Count at North Dean Woods

The walk to commorate Colin Duke, to look for his favourite fungi, and to raise money for Overgate Hospice by counting bird species, took place in varying types of rain !

From hardly raining at all, to a drenching shower with sleet mixed in; it made the greens and browns of a temperate rain forest shine out of the gloom!

The walk was cut down by about half because we were all drenched, there was a youngster with us, and the stream in Norland Clough would have been a raging torrent. The Calder and the Black Brook were well swollen.

BIRDS
Black-headed Gull
Mistle Thrush singing in the rain
Feral Pigeon
Woodpigeon
Kestrel, a female down in the drive at Clay House. Possibly eating an earthworm.
Wren
Carrion Crow
Magpie
Robin
Jay
Bullfinch
Blackbird
Jackdaw
Mallard       = 14   =  Raised so far approximatley £68.50 for Overgate Hospice

FUNGI
Earth ball - warty type Scleroderma
 "         "      smooth
Jelly Ear  Auricularia auricula-judae - great quantities
Pale Oyster - an large colony on a fallen beech
Bonfire Scalycap - Pholiota highlandensis
Poisonpie - Hebeloma crustuliniforme ?
Candlesnuff Fungus (Stag's Horn)
Small Oysters poss. 1. Creditopus luteolus (Young and still white on a fallen branch.)
also    "        "  poss. 2 .C. variabilis (on leaf debris and clinging on a live bramble.)

Very impressive was a mass of jelly fungus encircling the base of a small dead oak. It was the same colour as A. auricula-judae, but stacked up in masses of tightly curled lobes, like a ruffle collar.
Will try and get a photo this week. At first tentatively identified as Tripe Fungus A.mesenterica, I now think it fits more with Beech Jellydisc Neobulgaria pura var. foliacea, which Philips has as "rare". p.371 in the 2006 edition of "Mushrooms".

January Priority Species workshop

Hello all,

To celebrate the new year there will be a priority species workshop on Weds 4th January at 7.15 in the Mytholmroyd Countryside Services Office (above the library). The meeting will include an update on Calderdale's Biodiversity Action Plan and small discussion groups for different species.

It will be a opportunity to discuss actions for priority species in Calderdale for the coming year with Hugh Firman and other interested parties. If you would like to come along and contribute to the meeting please email Hugh to express your interest: hugh.firman@calderdale.gov.uk.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Christine

Earth Flight

Hi All

For those of you who have missed the TV ad then here is the link
Its on Thursday night 29th December.

WALK TO COMMEMORATE COLIN DUKE
And sponsored New Year Bird Count in aid of Overgate Hospice.
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All are welcome to join me for a 4 mile walk round North Dean Wood.
January 1st, 11.45 am for 12.00 start from car park below Clay House at West Vale.

We will be looking at fungi, one of Colin's favourite groups, and keeping tally of all bird species we see or hear, in the tradition of many birders on New Year's Day.

Why not get your friends or family to sponsor you per bird species. (We would be lucky to find 20.)

Bring a snack and hot drink if you like. Paths are muddy with some climbs, but suitable for children who are used to walking and dogs.

Steve Blacksmith (Chair, Halifax Scientific Society.)

To all Bloggers. 

Have a good 2012.

January Meeting at Cromwell Bottom

Robin Dalton has organised a meeting with Chris Tomson from the RSPB to visit Cromwell Bottom on the 12^th January 2012. Click for full details.

British Egg Collector Sentenced to Prison Term

December 13, 2011 - Matthew Gonshaw (49) of Cherrywood Close, Bow in East London, has extended his infamy for being Britain's most imprisoned egg collector by being sentenced to yet another jail term, for six months, following conviction for stealing and possessing wild birds eggs, including those of some of the rarest and most threatened birds in the UK.  Full Story

Christmas Social

Just a reminder that the Christmas Social is tonight at the Central Library, Halifax at 7:30
Sale of books. Free Tea, coffee, cake. Displays. All Welcome.

Colin Duke

The death of a friend is a terrible thing. A friend with the same interests at heart is a rare thing.
Colin could always be relied on to have a view on the identity of a species, or at least the right family to search in. His knowledge made him a favourite with all, from adults to children.

I'll always remember when he invited me to assist him with a stream-dipping session in the centre of Hebden Bridge. A 3-year old girl took her first sweep with the net and brought out a tiny bullhead fish. It was beginners luck, because that species had not been recorded in Calderdale for many decades.
The little girl was not impressed, but Colin was. He said he always enjoyed most working with children.

He had no children of his own but Colin belonged to the wider family of naturalists and countryside volunteers. He took a leading role as chair of various groups, including the Sustainability Forum and for 10 years the Halifax Scientific Society.

He will be a hard act to follow.

Colin Duke

There is a short note about the sad death of Colin on the Bird Blog. Colin died on Saturday at Overgate Hospice. Colin held many posts at the Halifax Scientific Society and was President at the time of his death.
He will be missed by a great many of us to whom he freely gave help and imparted knowledge over many years.


The funeral service will take place at Halifax Chapel of Repose, Clare Road on Monday, December 12th, 2011 at 1.30 p.m. followed by committal and cremation and Park Wood Crematorium, Elland. Family flowers only please by request, but donations if desired to either Overgate Hospice or The World Wild Life Fund and a box will be available at the service. Will friends please accept this as the only intimation and meet at the chapel.

Holdsworth Fields and Soil Hill

The first snow of the season on Monday.

Holdsworth Fields, Monday

                        Snow Bunting on Tuesday - one of six birds.

Snow Bunting. The best picture I could manage!

Soil Hill opposite the mast, Tuesday morning.