More of the same Saturday

Today I enjoyed a  mid-morning birding walk along the fields, up Ned Hill, over Soil Hill and down Taylor Lane to home.

A big chunk of dark grey cloud hovered about for a lot of the walk with the odd bits of sunshine peeping through, dry & breezy.

Nothing again on Soil Hill summit - I'm looking forward to DJB's return, so he can guide around the swamp and move my meagre yearly list along by one, with a Jack Snipe!

Like 'em or loath 'em,  Magpies are a success story - they were everywhere today.Me, I don't like em at all - don't mind the "pie" bit, but you can stick the "mag" bit where the sun don't shine.

Talking of Pies - Have you seen the number of calories in a Mince Pie? I divided the calories in a Rich Tea biscuit  into the calories in a Mince Pie and it worked out at FIVE - exactly! - no remainder - not even a crumb - how spooky is that.  Wow !!! I can eat Five Rich Tea biscuits to a mince pie. Anyway have you tried a Rich Tea biscuit -  exactly - who's counting calories ?).

Birds:-

Little Owl.

c25 Magpie.

Usual Jackdaws ands Crows by the farm.

c70 (50,20) Small Gulls in the fields with few Herring Gull.

Herring Gull calling loudly over Ned Hill Track.

2 Buzzard.

1 Kestrel.

35 Starlings.

Mistle Thrush.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill - Ogden - Bradshaw p.m.

The weather improved after lunch so I had my usual birding walk this afternoon.

A cooler day than of late with the usual sneaky draught on Soil Hill summit - where no birds were in residence.

Nice to chat to 'Carmen Two-Dogs' on Syke Lane where the BIG dog had gone on strike, sitting down and refusing to go any further!

When I got to Ogden I met birder  "7 Rucksack Pete" - although he was walking, not birding today.

We had a coffee sat outside the visitors centre seeing which one of us could be the most sarcastic. I think the sarcasm competition ended in a draw.

On the birding front, December is turning out to be a 'special' bird -  free zone - but I am not alone - with some Calderdale birders in the same boat.

Birds:-

Taylor Lane:

20 Starling. 5 Rook.

Ned Hill Track:

Raven.

Ogden Area:

Kingfisher flushed from the west side trees - not seen again.

Red Head Goosander.

c30 Mallard.

"Usual" Gull species.

c15 Long Tailed Tit.

2 Stock Dove.

Bradshaw Area:

Buzzard.

4 Stock Dove.

8 Pheasants flushed together from the farms area.

Little Owl.

and a few other bits and bobs.

Cromwell Bottom NR

I had a lunch appointment with friends at the Golden Hind Chippy in Brighouse this lunchtime.

I decided to take the opportunity to look at Cromwell Bottom (mainly ski lake) while I was down there.

Getting there was a bit of a pain with some major roadworks right on Shelf Roundabout causing some long queues at 9:15 a.m.

I would not want to be going through here at rush hour!

A bright, pleasant day for a change but the ski lake was a bit disappointing really.

A large nuber of Gulls and Cormorant were way over to my left as I looked through the railing.

The view through the railings was not too bad with a lot of the leaves off the trees.

The lagoon is sporting some water now but no birds were seen on it alas.

It was good to chat with Mick & Kath who were doing their usual birding walk.

Birds:-

15 Tufted Duck way over the far side.

Redhead Goosander.

13 Cormorant.

Black Headed, Lesser Black-backed, Common and Herring Gulls.

Coot, 2 Moorhen.

Mallard, Canada Geese.

2 Heron. Chaffinch. Goldfinch. Blackbird. Robin. Dunnock.

Pied Wagtail.  Nuthatch.

Long Tailed, Coal, Great and Blue Tits.

2 Siskin.

Peregrine on Knowles Chimney (Dragged out of a speculative photo).

Mallard

Lesser Black-backed Gull?

A Longer Traipse

With the forecast of more very wet and windy weather tomorrow, I made the best of todays' dry stuff and had a long (for me) 5 hours out and about.

I left Bradshaw to climb up and over a cold and quite windy Soil Hill summit.

After Soil Hill the weather was very reasonable indeed, for the rest of the outing. 

I bumped into and had a natter with "Corn beef" Keith along Syke Lane then I called at  Ogden Water visitors centre and enjoyed a coffee and a natter with volunteers Pat & Steve. 

I did a circuit of the water before walking towards Mixenden passing the Ogden Golf Clubhouse.

100 yds after the Mixenden Stile I bumped into Mick the electrician out dog walking before turning off the path to go through Stod Fold.

After Stod Fold I took a left along Rocks Road to return to Keighley Road where a left brought me back to Ogden Lane again.

A right along Syke Lane took me to the farm track and my usual route home.

Another typical December day, hoping for that special bird sighting, but again today, not finding one.

Never-the-less an enjoyable few hours out and about.

Birds:-

Bradshaw:

Mistle Thrush (heard).

Soil Hill.

Kestrel.

Ogden Water:

Full to overflowing.

c40 Small Gulls. 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 2 Herring Gulls at one point.

Pheasant.

Bullfinch,

Buzzard mobbed constantly by a persistent Crow.

Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard).

Goldcrest.

Ogden Golf Course Area.

Mistle Thrush,

Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard).

7 Blackbirds near the "Redstart" stile corner.

Jay (heard).

3 Fieldfare.

c20 Long Tailed Tit flock.

Rock Lane - Home:

2 Mistle Thrush.

2 Bullfinch.

52 Small (Mainly Common) Gulls - Bradshaw Fields.

Plus quite a few of the usuals along the way.

If it fines up tomorrow afternoon it might be good for Owl sightings after a lot of rain?

A singing gate by Soil Hill mast.

Pity about the wind noise.

Good views today from Soil Hill Summit.

Not So Good Views :- Ned Hill Road Garbage Dumped.

Soil Hill from Ogden Golf Course.

Ogden - Soil Hill - Taylor Lane

After a Wilde's cafe visit with Geraldine (Sue's best pal) this morning, she dropped me off at Ogden on our way home.

A cold damp sort of outing with a cold wind on Soil Hill summit again.

One of those 'iffy' December days where expectation was out manoeuvred by reality.

The Ogden water circuit was , again, way, way too quiet!

The walk, however, was good exercise, but, with my Jonny 5 bellies appetite on full bore it was hardly enough to burn off my cafe visit and then there's tea this evening and Christmas on the horizon.

I hope someone buys me some jeans with elasticated waist for Christmas.

Birds:-

c20 Common Gulls. c20 Black Headed Gulls.

Kingfisher.

3 Kestrel. Buzzard,

Goldcrest. Treecreeper.

Just one Pheasant that flushed from Soil Hill summit rubble.

2 Mistle Thrush. Stock Dove.

Bradshaw - Ogden Water - Soil Hill etc

It was great to get me boots on this afternoon, after some shopping this morning.

A cloudy day with some sunshine.

Very Cold on Soil Hill summit with the light fading a bit, even though it was only 3 O'clock-ish.

Ogden Water was tough going with lots of silence around the circuit but some long lingering with intent , along the east side, did pay dividends.

I enjoyed a warm up, coffee and a pleasant natter in the visitors centre where I made two visit because I had not packed any grub for my lunch after deciding to stop longer here than I originally intended.

There is always a warm and friendly welcome waiting for you from the volunteers in the visitors centre.

Nothing out of the ordinary (again!) but a very enjoyable afternoon non-the-less.

Birds:

Bradshaw  Area:

Little Owl. 

c40 small Gulls. 

Bullfinch. 

Goldfinch.

C20 Meadow Pipit.

Kestrel. 

Stock Dove.

Buzzard.

Ogden.

c60 Small Gulls at one point.

2 Herring Gulls.

Kingfisher.

Coal Tit.

Goldcrest.

4 Siskin.

Ogden to Home.

Just 7 Pheasants flushed together from Soil Hill summit rubble.

(nowt else).

2 Kestrel. (One eating tea on a fence post along Taylor Lane).

1 Buzzard. 

6 Starling. 

2 Stock Dove.

2 Mistle Thrush.

Stunning Kingfisher Photo!!

Tea Time.