Todmorden to Hebden Bridge / Bradshaw Fields

A few bus rides got us to Todmorden.

A current toasted T'cake in the excellent small bakery / café there set us up nicely for the walk along the canal to Hebden Bridge.

A lot better day with some brightness and very little mist.

Very, very mild for November.

We had some 'fun' with the homeward bound buses.

1st we wanted to catch the K3 towards Keighley, get off and Crossroads and pick up the 502 to Bradshaw but after waiting 20 minutes beyond the K3 due time we abandoned that idea and caught a bus to Halifax.

I checked the timing for our onwards journey - Halifax to Bradshaw buses (502 or 526) and we were far too late to catch either of them.

Funnily enough when we got to Halifax the 502 had just pulled in, also 20 minutes late.

Its probably difficult to run an accurate bus service now that Halifax town centre is such a mess.

Later on I had a walk up the local fields 'till 4:15 p.m. when it came pretty dark.

Quiz:

In which US TV series would you find the characters Kima Greggs, William Rawls and Beadie Russell?

Birds:-

Todmorden - Hebden Bridge.

3 Heron.

Canada Geese.

Pied Wagtail.

7 Goosander.

2 Dipper.

A Cormorant on a tall chimney in Hebden Bridge.

Bradshaw Fields:-

c30 Gulls very distant.

8 Red Legged Partridge.

13 Canada Geese.

Green Woodpecker.

Little Owl.

Pheasant.

Raven.

Kestrel.

Todmorden - Hebden Bridge.

Bradshaw Fields:-

Quiz Answer:

The Wire.

More and More Yuk

Ogden in the Mist.

Yet another misty, damp, cool day which attempted to brighten up after lunch but failed miserably.

To brighten our day we had a lunchtime visit to Wilde's café at Crossroads.

We enjoyed a light lunch of a beacon sandwich  in Nimble bread followed by cheery pie.

Light being rather apt. given it's November the 5th - don't you think.

Bangers and mash for tea - would you believe ?

Later, Sue dropped me at Ogden so I could gaze dreamily into the setting sun - well perhaps not.

A misty circuit of the water was followed by my usual trudge home via the farms etc.

Quiz:

Which actress starred in Little Children, Enigma and All the King's Men?

Birds:-

Usual Gulls here as far as I could tell in the gloom.

Treecreeper.

Goosander.

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

5 Starling.

8 Mistle Thrush.

10 Canada Geese.

Gulls in the lower farm fields - difficult to see.

C20 Chaffinch in the east side trees / bushes dropped periodically onto the water side stones to feed.

They kept very well hidden behind some close knit branches which still have leaves.

I thought there were about 12 birds until about 20 birds flushed, flew over my head, into the west side conifers.

I did not get much on any of them and my photos are rubbish - but - It bodes well for a Brambling turning up.

Quiz Answer:

Kate Winslett.

Home to Holdsworth / Bradshaw Fields

Calm and dull - so was the weather.

A slight change of trod today with a saunter through Bradshaw Park and down to Holdsworth House and back.

A short meander up the local fields also.

Every bird seemed to disappear once I pointed the camera at them.

3 Little Owl (2 Bradshaw Fields. One below Bradshaw Park).

2 Pied Wagtail.

1 Grey Wagtail.

Lots of Blackbirds, Robins and Wrens about.

A few very nervy Thrush species at different spots - all  which I failed to get a decent sighting of!!

Long Tailed Tit.

3 Jay.

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Nuthatch.

8 Red Legged Partridge.

2 Pheasant.

Usual selection of Gulls in the fields.

Three very, very. noisy airborne Herring Gulls that Merlin heard 

but failed to ID?

Quiz:

Who was Henty VIII's final wife.

Quiz Answer:-

Catherine Parr.

Bradshaw Fields

This autumn has been as grey as a badger and it looks like it's going to continue being grey for a few more grey days yet.

It's enough to make you want to listen to visage's "Fade to Grey" - well maybe not.

Or even David Gray .

I don't know why I Babylon about it being grey, 

I'll have to stop - It's  using to much of my grey matter.

In keeping with the weather I had a very grey outing enough to turn my hair grey, if it was not already grey.

A dull overcast day, damp with fine drizzle at 3 p.m. when I finally got free to check out the local fields.

After yesterday's outing it was definitely "After the Lord Mayor's Show" day.

Quiz:

Which is the tallest mountain in South America?

Answer lower down.

Birds:-

1 distant Green Woodpecker.

c40 (Mostly Common) Gulls in the lower fields.

Kestrel.

Mistle Thrush.

and a few others.

I've included a photo, taken from the car, of a small flock of 20 birds over Skircoat - no idea what though?

Birds over Skircoat.

Quiz Answer:

Aconcagua.

A First For Me For Calderdale

A poor week, where we seemed to be in the car 'all the time'.

Today was no exception with a trip to Sowerby Bridge then Keighley to order a new wheelchair for Emma.

We had a snack in the excellent Wildes café at Crossroads before going on a very scenic drive through Haworth, across the moors to Hebden Bridge, through Mytholmroyd and up past Craggies back to Sowerby Bridge.

On our way home a Group  WhatsApp message from DJS reporting a great find by N K of Common Scoter on Mixenden Reservoir.

We made a detour and I  managed a few poor photos of the Scoters from the top road, before heading home

Nearly home and a second Group WhatsApp message again from DJS of a Drake Shoveler on Ogden another great find this time by B.S.

I got togged up and Sue kindly dropped me at the  pub by Ogden Lane.

As I trudged along Ogden lane DJB stopped in his car and gave me a lift (on his way for the Shoveler).

We saw the Shoveler on the east side water pretty soon and as we walked along the track to get a better view I heard DJB say.

"Aye up - what's this!" .

He had pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat spotting a Mediterranean Gull on the water preening - fantastic!

I did my best Mr. Magoo impression , but I did soon eyeball it and we stood watching and photographing the bird for 15 mins or so before it flew across the  water to land on the west bank.

We walked around the water and watched it preening for another 15 mins or so before it flew off  south-ish ( mobbed by a Black Headed Gull).

Mediterranean  Gull is a first for me in Calderdale although I usually see them on our annual visit to the Isle of Wight.

DJB soon left and I continued along the circuit going home via Ogden Lane, Syke Lane, The Farms and Bradshaw fields.

A really memorable day  - with a little help from a friend or three.

Leaving Ogden a Raptor mobbed by 2 Crows put all the Gulls up.

However my photo apparatus went on strike at the same instant.

Quiz.

What is an anemometer used for?

Birds:-

Mediterranean Gull.

SIX Common Scoter.

Drake Shoveler.

Black Headed Gull.

Common Gull.

Herring Gull.

Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Goosander.

2 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Barn Owl mobbed by Magpie.

Canada Geese.

8 Mistle Thrush.

and....... a few others.

Lapwing flock over Craggies farm shop.

Quiz Answer:

The speed of  the wind.

St. Aidens / Bradshaw Fields

It's turning out to be one of those weeks where local birding has had to take a back seat.

Another day and another visit to Wakefield on the cards today but we did get a short visit for a toasted T cake for lunch at St. Aidens RSPB café 'on our way home'.

This place is gi-normous and today I hardly scratched the surface of it with just time for a short walk. 

You need a full day to have a good nosy around here.

I walked along the side of the large pond bottom left of the café and back again. 

The sun came out! Making it awkward for photos.

 After we got home I had just time to check out the local fields before dark.

Quiz:

In the hit sitcom Friends what is Carol's wife called.

Birds:-

Kestrel along Bradshaw Lane landed on a house roof and one near Tong Garden Centre.

Lots of Starlings seen in various spots.

St Aidens.

Cetti's Warbler (Heard).

Shoveller.

Great Crested Grebe.

Moorhen.

Coot.

Tufted Duck.

Mallard.

Gadwall.

Canada Geese.

Mute Swan.

Pochard.

Cormorant.

Black Headed Gull.

2 Red Kite.

(A small Unidentifiable bird picked out of the Kite Photo - looks interesting?)

A very distant Teal in the sun(I think). 

Bradshaw Fields:

c50 Gulls.

Eight Red Legged Partridge (One missing).

Barn Owl.

Little Owl.

Green Woodpecker.

c30 Starlings.

Jackdaws.

Um???

This was picked out of a poor photo of a Red Kite at St Aidens.

Woodpigeon above.

Looked a bit lost as we went into

ASDA on the ring-road.

Teal.

Bradshaw Fields:

Quiz Answer:

Susan.