There’s currently some landscaping going on on the far side of the River Calder here at Addingford, Horbury, but the biggest improvement to the river’s appearance would be if we could reduce the amount of plastic, hanging in tatters from the bankside vegetation.
Plastic isn’t such a problem in Coxley Beck but there is occasional pollution from a small water treatment unit below the dam.
Spring migrants have arrived in Stoneycliffe Wood with dozens of chiff-chaffs singing their repetitive signature song alongside the equally strident great tits with their ‘tee-cher, tee-cher, tee-cher’ routine.
Only the robin adds a touch of wistfulness with its trickle of a song. If there were any early arrival willow warblers I couldn’t pick them out.
At Nostell, in the Pleasure Grounds woodland, we heard a great spotted woodpecker drumming. The old partly decayed sweet chestnuts make good sounding boards. As we entered the wood we heard one calling insistently – that’s not something we’re familiar with – and observed a pair come together on a branch high in the tree canopy and there appeared to be a rather formal presentation of some food item: a bit of courtship feeding.
We don’t see as many green woodpeckers as we used to. I don’t remember having seen one or heard its ‘yaffle’ call for a year or more so we were glad to see a pair just above the weir at Horbury Junction on Monday morning. As we walked along the riverside path we disturbed one on the ground. It flew up into one of the riverside trees and was joined by a second bird.
Spring migrants are arriving but the last of our winter visitors are still with us. A week ago we saw a small flock of redwings join a larger flock of starlings on the grassy slopes of the valley.
On the same day on a quiet stretch of the river 28 wigeon have gathered below the steep bank. We’ve seen them grazing in the adjacent field between the river and the canal.
Wigeon have been regulars, along with a few gadwall, but more unusual was the pair of teal we spotted, twirling around on a smooth section of the river and apparently snapping up insects.
Goosanders have been regulars too. We saw two pairs resting on a strip of shingle at the foot of the bank by The Wyke, looking as if they might be considering nesting there (which isn’t likely). Today there were two lone males there.
This morning a pair of oystercatchers were circling over the river and landing on the adjacent bank, piping enthusiastically.
A lapwing has been diving and calling over an arable field over the last couple of weeks. I hope it stays and raises a brood.
