2012 Toads at Hebden Hey

Toad season seemed to drop off sharply this year, and by mid-April Hebden Hey, like the other upper valley toad sites, was bereft of sightings. At Hebden Hey the patrol only operates on Fridays and over the weekend, to correspond with the times that the Scout Huts are booked and the road busy. Therefore the numbers below should only reflect a small proportion of the toads that use the site.

In 2012 numbers of toads helped were up, with volunteers helping 221 (174 in 2011) and 80 Palmate Newts (95 in 2011). There were still casualties however, 75 toads (67 in 2011) and 30 Palmates (11 in 2011) not making it to the other side of the road. The higher numbers of casualties this year may be as a result of some particularly busy evenings with lots of traffic.

On the 21st April a 'Toad Talk' was held for upper valley volunteers to discuss their experiences in 2012. In general it appeared that the Todmorden sites all saw the same drop in activity that was noted at Hebden Hey. The site in Portsmouth, previously not patrolled, saw over 600 toads helped, while Lumbutts (last year another site with over 600) only had about 350. It was the general consensus that nobody quite knew what to expect when the weather conditions changed dramatically (remember that snow?) before Easter.

If anyone is interested in getting involved with the patrol at Hebden Hey, or elsewhere in Calderdale, please contact Hugh Firman from Calderdale Council who can put you in touch with local patrollers. hugh.firman@calderdale.gov.uk

Thanks to everyone who got involved this year, and as we pack away our toad buckets, here's hoping for a good year in 2013!

Christine

"Into the Woods Week"coming up!

The bluebells are just at their incredible blue-est at the moment in Elland Park Wood. I am leading a walk there on Saturday 12th May. Meet 1.30pm.

There are wide glades of solid blue in places, and the swathes of them go on right through the wood. Gordon Yates, the well-known photographer and film-maker, has called it "one of the finest bluebell woods in the North of England".

The walk is a Halifax Scientific Society monthly ramble, in conjunction with a Countryside Service Wildside Walk for "Into the Woods Week". All are welcome, and no need to be put off by our name; we are the local natural history society and all our walks are open to the public. No snobbery about knowledge or experience. We all had to start from the beginning. No charge and no packed lunch necessary. (Though a small donation to HSS would be gratefully received by our Treasurer.)

Meet at the bottom of Plains Lane, just on from the the Barge and Barrel Pub towards Brighouse. Meet 1.30 for a 1.45 start. It will be a 2 to 3 hour walk. The paths can be muddy and steep in one or two places. I find a stick or pole useful. We will go right through the wood and return via the canal towpath to Plains Lane.  MAP.

I saw a pair of Treecreepers in the wood today, with the female building her nest behind some loose bark.  Other birds that have been seen this year include Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and up to four Buzzards soaring together!

White Stork at Luddendenfoot last Saturday

Dave Wilson of the Countryside service first reported it and Hugh Firman passed it  on. The small metal ring on its left "ankle" is not the usual scientific ring. Those are put above the main joint and have a number large enough to read with binoculars. We have yet to hear if it is a wanderer from Harewood Bird Garden, the other side of Leeds. Some research needed there.

Whether it was from there, or a genuine migrant on its way back to, say, Sweden, it probably arrived as a result of the easterly airstream we have had. The field it was in was next to the local heronry (about 6 or 7 nests along the riverside trees,) so a wandering bird could have been tempted down by the sight of large nests, a bit like its own.

It was finding lots of food, including at least one, possibly two, frogs. I have videos of it eating these, but my system doesn't want to upload the videos to the blog.

While we were there, a pair of crows attacked and ate one of a pair of mistle thrushes also in the field. Whether they were newly-fledged I didn't notice, being absorbed with the stork. I saw a pair of crows kill and eat a fledged young blackbird in a field at Mill Bank once.  

Jeff Cox got a great shot of the stork taking flight - see Calderdale Bird Blog.



Hang on kids, suppers coming!

The male and female usually alternate between feeds. The male generally picks up 3 or 4. The female has about 10 meal-worms.

Misty Soil Hill

In the mist this morning:
11 Linnet
5 Lapwing
Buzzard through a gap in the mist and then back in.
GP calling
1 Peregrine shot through at close range - too quick for a shot.
At least 6 Sky lark
Mipits
2 female Wheatear
The sun came out and there were 4 mallard

Red Kite over Brighouse

One of the Red Kites spotted by Mike Henshaw

A Yellow Wagtail was near the ski lake Saturday and Sunday - an uncommon sight in Calderdale - David.


Also two Red Kites were drifting over nearby Brighouse Saturday morning by Mike.

Arctosa perita 15 04 12

Found this interesting Spider, Arctosa perita whilst walking on Whiteholme Drain on 15 04 12,never noticed it up there before in the many years i have been going up there,seems to be more Coastal,though records also from sandy areas inland,just wondering,as anyone else recorded it Locally ? regards Bri.

Plant ID?

Can anyone identify this aquatic plant for me please?

It's been suggested it might be Watercress?

Walk leaders gen up on first aid

Bruce Hoyle and Steve Blacksmith, two of the walk leaders with Halifax Scientific Society, and on the Wildside Walk programme with the Council Countryside Service, went on a course yesterday.

From 8.45 to 17.00, with glorious views outside the classroom of Ogden Reservoir, the woods, and the moors beyond, they grappled with techniques of emergency first aid under the trainer from First Aid Professionals of Halifax, a course provided free by Calderdale Council.

Birds were singing outside, including a Willow Warbler and a Chiff Chaff.

There were 9 other participants on the course.

Woodhouse Woods today

These were seen in Woodhouse Woods, Wakefield Rd, Copley, earlier today by Michael Sykes

Allium ursinum

Anemone nemorosa

Newts

Two of us were called by a member of the public who wanted to clean out their small pond at Pellon, but found "lots" of newts in the silt in the bottom. There were no plants whatsover in the pond, and no newts visible, but when we started netting the silt we soon found these, all males and all Palmate Newts. We advised they've left it too late for this year, and should wait till next winter. 

The male can easily be identified in spring by his raised crest which is only on the top of his tail, not his back and tail. Also a feature which only Palmate males have is a little black thread-like appendage to the end of his tail.

Smooth Newt (sometimes called "Common Newt"- a misnomer for Calderdale) has only been known from Cromwell Bottom, at Newt Corner along with Palmates, but this spring has been found high up at Todmorden, near Sourhall, by Charles Flynn. The find of the year - so far!

The internationally threatened, legally protected Great Crested or Warty (as opposed to Smooth) Newt is known from 3 places in Calderdale, all on private land. At least 2 of these sites had them introduced a long time ago on license.

These three were put in a pond nearby where they would be safe.



Unusual triple-egg clutch of Collared Dove

These were laid this month in a spruce in Pellon. They almost always lay just 2 eggs, as do most of the dove and pigeon family. They are always white, a characteristic of eggs laid in dark places, but many of the family build flat platforms of twigs in exposed places. Exceptions in our area - Feral Pigeons and Stock Dove.

I have a Collared Dove nest from Hanson Lane, West Central Halifax, built entirely of electrical wire, various colours, collected in the BT yard opposite. The nest came down with some winter hawthorn tree prunings.

Wildside Walk from Ripponden.

Coprinus micaneus

Lycogala epidendrum - an early record
of this slime mould.

     St Bartholomew's Church, Ripponden

Sarcoscypha austriaca - usually gone by February.  

Mike Sykes joined us for a short time on one of the Calderdale Wildside walks at Ripponden today. There were 14 of us. On his way back he found several fungi and a slime mould. Also the party saw some of the native daffodils near Rishworth and the very reliable Little Owl on Cliff Lane.

Help toads across Calderdale roads

 Published on Wednesday 11 April 2012 10:30 

THE council has published a new list of accident blackspots where the victims are amphibious.

Toad crossing points have been identified on six stretches of road, mainly in the upper Calder Valley.

It is a terrifying time for toads because when the weather gets warmer, they have to begin a perilous annual migration to their breeding ponds.

These are often across busy roads where they run the risk of being run over.

Calderdale Council is appealing for volunteers to help carry toads across the roads so they can hop safely into spring.  More...

Integrated Rabbits

I took these 3 pics at Ogden Res yesterday 12th April.

Walk this Saturday

Saturday April 14 ^th: Meet at Ripponden Bowling Green car park for a riverside walk to see genuinely native daffodils and back from Rishworth via Quakers Lane.  

Meet at  SE040196    Map      Part of the Calderdale Wildside Walks.

Roe Deer and Fox

I flushed a pr Roe Deer from a NE Calderdale location and these in turn flushed a Fox from outside it's den. It stands a good chance of repeating last years breeding success, I reckon.

Diurnal Badger

Two of us from the Scientific Society out for a walk in the mid-Calderdale area on Sat. 7th April, saw a badger outside its sett, on a rock, at 14.55. Never seen one except at dusk, or dead by the side of the road, but this one was lively enough, as it soon turned and disappeared down its sett.

Tree Bumble Bee in my garden at Dudwell Lane. A recent colonist from Europe, first identified in 2001. They often have their colony in a bird nest box, as they did here last year.

Birds breeding here: Great Tit in a box, 2 prs Blue Tits ( one in a box, one in a natural tree hole), Dunnock in the privet hedge,
Robins courtship feeding constantly but I can't find the nest, frustratingly,
Greenfinches, 2 prs present - one female was building in a cypress  until a magpie came and disturbed her. (Think she has now changed nest site).
Some bird ate the first Blackbird's egg - probably a magpie. The pulled-up nest lining is a sign of a bird predator. The eggshell was on the veg patch adjacent to the nest.  The Blackbird has built again very low in the opposite beech hedge - 1 egg today.

Deer let loose

This farm in Todmorden has had the fence cut and deer let loose, according to the Courier. This same farm also has muntjac, let's hope these didn't escape as they are a menace in the wild. http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/local/oh-deer-animals-escape-from-todmorden-farm-after-fence-cut-1-4430051

Blackthorn at it's Best at Cromwell Bottom LNR

These images, taken yesterday of Blackthorn were sent in by Allan - Many thanks. (Cromwell Bottom WG)

Velia caprai Water Cricket,03 04 12

Velia caprai - Water Cricket

Hi,had a stroll up Gorpley Clough,lots of the very common Water Crickets,heres a pic of one although only 8mm its only when you look closer and notice they are quite colourful,at rest the two middle legs hardly touch the surface of the water,but as soon as a tasty morsel lands on the water surface those middle legs provide fast propulsion across the surface.regards Bri

A Week Apart in Spring

Auricularia auricula-judae

Robin

Ogden in March. Temperature 19c

Holmfield on April 4th 2012. Temperature 1c

Birds, etc at Mosleden

I went round Mosleden Quarry, Dean Head, Scammonden today for Marshalls twite monitoring. No public access, unfortunately, but twite records in the vicinity would be welcome. They are happy to start a feeding station, if twite are around.

No twite today, but these species present:
Meadow Pipits - at least 10
Carrion Crow 1
Goldfinches 3 over
Heron over
Curlew pair
Pair Lapwing on sheep land to SW
Partridge (probably grey) 2 together
Pied Wagtail pair
Skylark 1
Magpie pair
Chaffinch 1

Mammals:  Hare 1, moles, vole runs, deer slots in mud.

Plants
Twite food - very few dandelions and coltsfoot for early food, but likely to spread.
Much common sorrel and sheep's sorrel for later in the summer.
Much cats-ear for seed later. Various other ruderal plants, e.g mouse-eared chickweed, common dock.
Much rough, broken land with thick grasses and rushes.

Water supply for twite - a few small ponds still holding water after this very dry spell.
Four clumps of frog spawn.

Breeding sites for twite - no wide area of tall heather or bracken, but much planted gorse (more favoured by linnet) and a few small self-seeded pine.

Other notable plants - small amount of sphagnum and various hair mosses, Polytrichium spp, among the grass.

Evening Walk - Lower Calder/ Bradley Wood

This Wednesday, at 7pm, there will be a short walk along the waterways of the lowest parts of Calderdale, below Bradley Wood.

Meet Steve Blacksmith and Bruce Hoyle at Brighouse Sainsbury's Car Park, at the recycling point, for a short drive then a walk along the towpath for approximately 2 miles walk in total. Lifts available.

This is the only part of Calderdale where Yellowhammers are still regularly found, and we may be lucky enough to find one.

Cragg Vale/Broadhead Clough

Peacock  Aglais io   

Mike sent these pictures of a Peacock butterfly and Bog beacon - a small, no more than 5cm tall - fungi found in shady, damp places from March onwards.

Bog Beacon  Mitrula paludosa

Mitrula paludosa - close up