Ringstone Reservoir Barkisland

I made another, pretty short, visit to Ringstone reservoir this morning where it was very cloudy and dull but hardly any wind.

The water remains exceptionally low for this reservoir and there were a few waders on offer.

I was hoping for a newbie, but there was nothing new on the water, which was disappointing. However on the shore a Yellow Legged Gull was present.

Some Birds:-

2 Great Created Grebe.

1 Common Sandpiper.

3 Tufted Duck.

Yellow Legged Gull.

1 Teal.

Mallard.

Oystercatcher.

Heron.

Pied Wagtail (juv).

c70 Lapwing.

2 Stock Dove.

c20 Black Headed and c25 Lesser Black Backed Gull.

A Buzzard flew over the house yesterday evening.

Vapourer (LD - Ta).

Yellow Legged Gull (Left).

Soil Hill

I took the car to Soil Hill walked 200 yds and came home again today.

3 Engineers were on the Comms Mast talking in a lingo I did not understand.

The earth moving situation has been 'enhanced' since my last visit.

After 150 yds the main track is cover in a high earth mound.

The other path left is very overgrown.

It was too hot today, even on Soil Hill , and I only had a very short time window today.

Birds:-

Linnets, Swallows, Meadow Pipits were about all.

Bradshaw Fields

 A very short, hot, walk along the local field late morning, was , as expected a quiet affair.

Plenty of Jackdaws as per usual but I only went over 2 fields and not as far as the farms or Ned Hill Road bottom.

Kestrels were very distant and one in particular was being mobbed by Crows..

A Rook was in the Horse field, but I did not locate any Little Owls, which was disappointing.

Swallow were noisy and very high -Juv's I think.

Later, high, over the garden Lesser Black-backed Gulls were circling .

Good to hear Greenfinch calling from the garden - heard every day now.

Birds:

2 Kestrel - maybe 3.

c10 Swallow.

Rook.

Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Ringstone (3rd visit on the trot)

"Out and about" yet again this morning and approaching lunchtime we made a detour to Barkisland Post Office.

The pies are proving too substantial on the "waste" line so today we shared a Ham Salad sandwich.

We did cheat a bit with a Jenny's ice cream tub each.

After scran we had a very quick look at Ringstone.

The nesting Great Crested Grebes are no longer on their nest.

I located them in the NE corner, asleep on the water.

I could not locate and chick(s) though.

It was good to pick out a Common Sandpiper in among the east side stones as I looked into the glare.

Birds:-

2 Great Created Grebe.

2 Heron.

2 Cormorant.

1 Common Sandpiper.

Oystercatcher heard (No sign of the chick).

2 Tufted Duck.

Mallard.

Lapwing.

Black Headed and Lesser Black-backed Gull.

2 Sand Martin.

1 Swallow.

Probably not done the place justice today with lack of time to look properly.

Close but no cigar

Ringstone Reservoir Barkisland - Again

Another very short  lunchtime visit to Ringstone Reservoir while we were 'out and about' .

No big Chicken Curry Pie for lunch today with the post office shut on Sundays - had to settle for a small two fingered Kit Kat!

4 way traffic lights in Ripponden took us ages to get through - no road works - just the lights????

Iffy weather again today with some drizzle but not as windy as yesterday.

Birds were more or less the same as yesterday really.

Birds:-

Little Grebe.

Oystercatcher with one chick.

2 Heron.

Black Headed Gulls.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Lapwings.

Great Crested Grebe ( One only seen today).

4 Tufted Duck.

13 Mallard.

Ringstone Reservoir Barkisland

We had a very short visit to Ringstone Reservoir at lunchtime today.

I had a look from the SW corner before parking on the road and having short Gander from the NE corner.

Just bins - no scope - so a bit of a stretch to see much clearly.

The weather was unkind, dry and bright on our way there, dry and bright while I ate my Barkisland Post Office chicken curry pie, in the car, for lunch.

Fine drizzle in the breeze waited for me until I'd left the car, then said hello - rotten sod what it was.

Birds:-

Little Grebe (juv.), Pr, Great Crested Grebe.

4 Cormorant, Oystercatcher,

2 Heron, Moorhen.

4 Tufted Duck.

Quite a few Gulls looked to be all Lesser Black-backed or Black Headed Gull.

I could not pick out a Med Gull.

There were a few Juv. Black Headed Gulls present.

Difficult to get any good Gull photos today.