Its worth a visit


Mandarins showing well this morning and first tiny Goosander chicks arrive on the Calder near Dewsbury

03/06/2014 18:02

A pair of Mandarinn Ducks have been on the Calder near Dewsbury for over a week now and it looks like they will be looking for suitable spots for breeding.

This is about the 4th year this species has turned up on the Calder at this time of year an event that prompted us to erect nesting boxes at various points on the river but so far without success.

Also on the calder this morning a female Goosander with 6 very recently hatched ducklings.It is hoped that this will be the first of a few broods of goosanders to appear as the species is present in healthy numbers along most stretches of the River Calder in the Dewsbury and Mirfield areas.

Overcast and damp conditions caused Hirrundines and Swifts to gather around the sprinklers on Dewsbury Sewage works this morning with a feeding flock of some 180 House Martins some 60 Swallows and around 140 Swifts.The Swifts appeared to be part of a steady movement to the West but not in any great numbers.2 Grey Partridge and a single Kestrel where on the sewage works this morning.

There are good numbers of very young Pheasant chicks around our part of the calder valley and one must take great care when adult birds flush under foot to make sure there are no chicks trampled upon in the long grass where they take cover.

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