A walk on the wild side

11:10

With Abigail invited to a birthday party, I got the walking boots on this morning.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill.... and Ogden's seldom used paths.

A good old slog today with a few cock-ups paths wise.

I took the usual bridleway from Bradshaw to Taylor Lane, dropped some nyger seen on Soil Hill before walking around the hill, on the contour path.

Plenty of Starling in the fields on the way up. A Kestrel was hunting over the Bradshaw fields with a solitary Swallow near Soil Hill.

11:30 Soil Hill.

Lots of bird song up here today with Meadow Pipit and Skylark buzzing about. A Linnet was singing loudly from a bush near the north side path.

A Heron was on the far off bottom pond and 3 LBBG and a poss.Herring Gull went over > W.

The bushes behind Pottery Cottage held Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Dunnock and a Sparrowhawk flew N very high up.

Going up plantation track a few Swallows and Woodpigeon  about. In the 'activity field' a well organised group of children were having some fun and games riding  on "grass bogies".

Approaching Ogden woods 8 Jackdaw were in the fields.

Ogden Woods 12:30

I had the bright idea of looking for Wheatear.

I took the path in the woods that runs north until its demise at a fence.

I could not see a way forward so I went down the steep slope to the stream.

Here I sat on a very convenient rock and enjoyed my ham and mayo sandwich.

I thought I got a glimpse of a spotted flycatcher but  it didn't hang around so I can't be sure, could well have been a Willow Warbler.

Also here a loud call from a Green Woodpecker some 10yds away but not eyeballed and a pr. Mistle Thrush definitely eyeballed.

I followed the path up the clough for a few yards and then things went a bit haywire. I decided to take a stile on the left assuming - stile = footpath but as I climbed the very steep banking I realised I'd dropped one.

I made it to the top but was stopped by a high fence. A saunter left, along the fence allowed me to find my way to Giant's Tooth.

I took the path onto the moor and turned left with the fence. There was a Curlew airborne and a Red Grouse calling here.

Soon I turned right to follow a fence towards the wind farm.

Looking through the bins I could seen a step stile about 500 yds away on the hill, so I gave this a go.

Over the stile and no path (again - getting good at this today) so I headed in the general direction of the golf course bridleway.

Another downhill precipice was negotiated and some serious yomping before I arrived at a path I knew well.

The old legs were reminding me of my age by now.

14:15

Back at Ogden Water, and what a  disappointment, with the water bereft of birds ,only  a few Mallard and a single Canada Goose near the bread lobbers place.

On the circuit there was Jay, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff and  also, a possible Blackcap singing but not seen.

I took advantage of Bogart Brig cafe for a well earned rest, a cup of tea and a scone.

A Coal Tit was watching me nosh.

I headed home via the Moorlands Pub area , South Peat Pits Farm and Bradshaw Park.

Near Peat Pits a Robin was feeding a fledgling and there were Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Pied Wagtail and Swallow about.

Even following a seldom walked area there was No Wheatear to be found. A real disappointment.

Bradshaw Bridleway

Soil Hill looking to Mixenden Res.

North end of Ned Hill Track - prob Willow Warb

I thought this was a Spotted Flycatcher at the time - but it's most prob. a Willow Warbler

The infamous step stile to nowhere  (over the bridge, on the left)

An old trap of some sort?