Sunday 7 January 2018

√A long hike

9:15 - 14:30

A great day for a hike today, wall to wall sunshine all day with a hard frost early on.

From home I went through the park and down the fields to Holdsworth, up Windy Bank Lane, up 'The Dump' - Crooked Lane, across to, and along, the Pule Hill (Ringby Top) bridleway to exit at the swimmers building by the ski slope.
A right along the road for a mile or so to pick up the bridleway that wends its way above Claremont and back around, eventually to Hag Lane and the ski slope.

A right along Swalesmoor Road to the Queensbury boundary.
I caught the Queensbury bus here and had a very picturesque diversion along Roper Lane, looking over Bradshaw.
The road at Ford Hill is closed - causing the diversion.
I went on the bus to Station Road Queensbury.

Down Station Road and along the cycle path / old railway line
to the bridge.
The path over the bridge led me to West Scholes, Raggalds and Bradshaw - eventually.

A cracking walk.

Birds:-

The day started well with a Kestrel in the tree opposite the house as the sun was coming out this morning
A Heron flew past the dining room window as Abi and Sue were having breakfast.
Usual birds in Bradshaw Park.
5 Rook were in the fields approaching the Caravan site at Holdsworth.
A good look for Snow Bunting along the Ringby Top bridleway failed to produce one.

There were Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail in the fields here - 10 or so of each sp.

Not many Gulls here today, a few Common and Black Headed Gulls with the usual Corvids.

The few small bushes opposite  the ski slope held Blackbird, House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Chaffinch & Greenfinch.

The fields above Claremont held pr. Mistle Thrush.
Looking over Shibden from the 'Hag Lane' bridleway a soaring Buzzard was seen.

12:00 Station Road, Queensbury.

The walk to the Raggalds from Queensbury was uneventful.
A pr. Mistle Thrush seen and not a lot else.
Raggalds Flood was frozen over and bereft of birds.

A scan for the Little Owl failed to produce it.
A Sparrowhawk was very well camouflaged, perched on a fence post, seen as I scanned for the Little Owl.

It's not often, in winter, that I get 3 different Raptor sp. in the same outing.

Magpies were everywhere today, 10 seen in one field alone.
They are now resident on the high moors as well.
It doesn't bode well for nesting waders, especially curlew. 

A really good day out and no rain.









The furthest part of today's walk


A very distant Shibden park.
Full zoom from the end of 'Hag Lane'bridleway


First glimpse of the Buzzard



Cropped pics - not great I'm afraid


Butty Time 







Distant F. Sparrowhawk








3 comments:

  1. Good do having a go at Ringby - something will turn up there ! Those Rooks were up in the fields at Ringby the other day - they looked immaculate with really glossy plumage. Though I tried it was difficult to get a shot that showed their plumage to advantage.

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  2. Looks like there is a small Rookery near Holdsworth Schools.
    Not too bad underfoot with the frost and no trail bikers.
    Regards

    John

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  3. Yes I know about that Rookery, John. It moved there last 3 years from the previous site nearby at the back of Holdsworth House/ Laurel Bank Close

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