Bradshaw - Soil Hill - Ogden Water

12:30 - 16:25

There was a fire yesterday afternoon / evening on the hill north of Crabtree Hall Farm, Bradshaw to Ned Hill Road bottom.

The Fire Brigade were still there this afternoon as I came home along the Bradshaw Fields.

Large water hoses ran along Perseverance Road from near the mast fields to reach the burning area.

This afternoon I enjoyed a walk to Ogden Water via Soil Hill.

A breezy, dull, humid kind of day.

Ogden was 'covered in Gulls' and the ones on the west side kept taking to the air, noisly,  in unison but I did not spot the reason why.

A long tedious hunt along the shoreline for B.S,'s Common Sandpiper, seen here recently, proved fruitless - It's probably here but probably 40% of the shoreline remains hidden or almost hidden,  by foliage.

Some Birds:-

2 Buzzard.

2 Willow Warbler.

c20 Swallow.

Moorhen.

2 Skylark (Soil Hill).

Rook.

c10 Herring Gull.

c400 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

c80 Black Headed Gull.

4 Common Gull.

c20 Mistle Thrush.

Raven.

Pied Wagtail.

Cormorant.

Stock Dove.

Saturday - 8th.

I had a non birding walk on Saturday that took me past the Raggalds where a solitary Lapwing was in the Raggalds Flood field.

(There is a large puddle on the NW roadside, which presumably is a leak from underground -  which might bring something down later on).

I had a short walk up the local fields Saturday evening ...

Birds:-

Buzzard.

3 Little Owl.

6 Linnet.

6 Goldfinch.

8 Mistle Thrush.

A Bat was inspecting my vino collapso, at dusk,  as I sat in the garden later. 

Today:-

Saturday:

Ogden Water - Wed.

13:40 - 15:55

I had a run out to park near Ogden Water this afternoon.

An afternoon of intermittent showers mostly light, which meant taking my Small camera.

A nice break from the weather was enjoyed in the visitors center with a natter with volunteers Alison and Georgia and a coffee and a Yorkie.

A short walk through the plantation where a few "younger folk" were enjoying the scooters and strange railway rides - looked great fun I must admit! 

This was followed by a circuit of Ogden Water.

The usual birds were here augmented by an Oystercatcher for a change.

Birds:-

c80 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

4 Herring Gull.

c50 Black Headed Gull.

1 Cormorant.

Great Crested Grebe.

1 Tufted Duck.

1 Oystercatcher.

1 Meadow Pipit.

Mallards.

12 Canada Geese.

1 Grey Wagtail.

Cold Edge Dams Area - Wainstalls

9:50 - 12:15

I had a run out to Wainstalls this morning where parking was a lot easier with the school shut for the hols.

It was warm and pleasant with a nice breeze as I walked along Castle Carr Road for 100yds or so before climbing over a stile on the right to head up the moor to the dams.

 "Funny light" today did not do much for the photos!

 It was disappointedly quiet here this morning but there is some excellent moorland scenery if that floats your boat.

After a walk about I sat by the water and enjoyed an apple and a packet of crisps.

Hardly any crisps in the bags these days and no salt in a blue paper wrapper either.

I was hoping a new wader might drop in but no joy there.

Its very dark and thundery as I write this here in Bradshaw - maybe that will shake things up a bit.

Birds:-

c20 Swallow.

3 Meadow Pipit.

Kestrel.

C20 Mallard.

Great Tit. Blue Tit. 

1 Buzzard 

1 Tufted Duck.

6 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

5 Black Headed Gull.

Just One Black Headed Gull on the lower  dam , this had a Blue Ring "2R492 on Left Leg and a silver ring on the right.

2 Pied Wagtail.

6 Stonechat.

1 Willow Warbler.

1 Chiffchaff.

1 Siskin.

2 Swift.

3 Lapwing.

Chaffinch.

and a few other species.

Lapwing

Bradshaw - Ogden Water - Soil Hill

 Sat 14:25 - 17:00

August arrived whilst I was asleep last night and after I had promised you that August would bring some new birds with Her.....

August forgot to bring 'em.

Months a'int what they used to be.

I did the usual trudge again this afternoon and saw the same birds as yesterday, more or less.

A nice bonus was chatting with Sally, Chris and Willow the dog , who I met as I was grunting up Ned Hill Road - giving me an excuse to rest my weary bones for 5 mins.

Some Birds:

4 usual Gull species.

(My Merlin app. reported a Yellow Legged Gull at Ogden but I could not eyeball one so I'll let that go).

2 Cormorant.

Great Crested Grebe.

5 Chiffchaff.

c10 Swallow.

1 Skylark (Soil Hill).

6 Mistle Thrush.

Linnet.

2 Little Owl (North Bradshaw Lane ).

Bradshaw - Soil Hill - Ogden Water - Bradshaw (Fri)

13:15- 16:45

My usual jaunt over Soil Hill and around Ogden water this afternoon did not bring anything new.

On the plus sign there were more contact calls from the bushes and trees around Ogden Water and as we wave goodbye to July and welcome in August, thing will start to improve.

I did manged to see and get a poor photo of a secretive Chiffchaff though.

Soil Hill was very blowy again but two Skylarks did flush from the summit and 'burble' as they flew away.

Some Birds:-

c15 Swallow.

2 Skylark.

Little Owl -  Syke Lane.

2 Cormorant.

3 Heron.

Great Crested Grebe.

2 Nuthatch.

Chiffchaff.

2 Stock Dove.

and ..

Bradshaw Fields Yesterday evening

12 Mistle Thrush. Little Owl. Meadow Pipit. Stock Dove.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls Above.

Chiffchaff.

Ogden Water & Bradshaw Fields (Wed. Evening)

 I had a run out to park near Ogden Water late morning today.

It was good to bump into NK along the Ogden Water circuit where we discussed the possibility of a Yellow Legged Gull but between us we let it go as a Herring Gull.

Difficult Gulls! Love 'em or hate 'em  - I hate 'em (most of the time).

Other than that  just the usual birds here again today.

Yesterday evening I had a short birding walk along the local fields were there were 2 Little Owl, 12 Mistle Thrush and a Pheasant.

Birds Ogden:

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

3 Heron (2 Ogden Water, 1 over Back Lane).

Canada Geese.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls coming and going with counts of 50, 60 and finally 80 birds.

2 Herring Gull.

2 Common Gull.

c60 Black Headed Gull

Swallow.

2 Cormorant.

3 Nuthatch.

2 Willow Warbler.

Buzzard.

1 Tufted Duck.

1 Great Creasted Grebe.

Herring Gull

Herring Gull

Common Gull

Gulls Ogden

Bradshaw & Soil Hill

12:50 - 14:40

This afternoon I had a sticky birding walk, in a very warm wind,  along the Bradshaw Fields, through the farms to Ned Hill Road and up and over a very windy Soil Hill summit and then down Taylor Lane to home.

Tough going again to find anything new but a few bits and pieces did keep the interest alive.

Birds:-

c60 Goldfinch flock.

2 Little Owl (Bradshaw Fields).

2 Juv. Little Owl (Bradshaw Lane).

14 Swallow.

2 Meadow Pipit.

Pied Wagtail.

Greenfinch.

Chaffinch.

3 Stock Dove.

and a few others.

Little Owl - Bradshaw Lane.

Little Owl - Bradshaw Fields.