Ringstone Reservoir, Barkisland.

A very busy day today but I did get a quick look at Ringstone Reservoir after lunch.

There was a cold easterly making waves , and the usual dam wall that provides shelter was taking the brunt of it.

Birds:

Greenfinch. Goldfinch. Meadow Pipit.

Chiffchaff.

Heron. Buzzard.

5 Lapwing.

Pied Wagtail.

C75 Golden Plover.

Magpie.

(4 Swallow at Sowerby Bridge).

Peregrine seen elsewhere.

A long day of two halves (and 2 Swallow)

Our day started with a visit to Barclays walk in centre at Dean Clough where a very helpful young lady helped us unravel what must have been an "AI" issue.

So we were late out of the starting block catching the 11:00 a.m. 502 Keighley bus to Cross Roads.

Here, luckily, we had a 35 minute wait for our Hebden Bridge B3 connecting bus so we passed the time in Wildes Cafe with a coffee and an egg custard - so - not too bad.

Sue noticed a Christmas 'like' fruit cake on the counter - last one - 75p bargain and added it  to the bill, and popped it into my rucksack.

I was wondering why on earth would she want 'me' to carry a heavy fruit cake around all day - but there you go.

Arriving at Hebden we intended to get a bus to Todmorden, call at Lidl for something to eat for lunch and nosh it along the canal on our way back to Hebden,

However there was a long wait for this bus and being behind schedule we decided to do the walk the other way and so we set off walking to Todmorden along the canal.

The canal path was diverted onto the road for a short section which was a bonus because as we were passing Oak Ville Road 2 Swallow zoomed past - nice one/two.

As our late lunchtime arrived we realised there were no open cafes along the canal and we had not bought owt in Hebden boo hoo.

oh dear, oh dear.

Sue then had her Marie Antoinette moment with "if we have no bread then we will have to eat Cake!"

So we hoiked the cake out of the sack, sat on a wall and we 'ate cake'.

The weather in Bradshaw was quite cool when we left but by now it was very warm and my sack was full to bursting with clothes.

I desperately wanted and ice cream to cool down, but was unwilling to pay £6 plus for 2 cornets from a van, so at Todmorden we called at Lidl.

The ice creams here were in packs. The smallest pack was 6 small 'Magnum' like ones.

So we had no choice really but to buy 6 ice creams, sit on Lidlls wall and scoff the lot.

The ice creams we really yum yum - but we were feeling very guzzened going home on 2 buses - definitely diet tomorrow.

Birds:-

Small camera and not much stop and stare time today.

2 Swallow.

4 Grey Wagtail.

2 Buzzard.

3 Cormorant.

(A Raptor over Cross Roads is probably a Sparrowhawk).

Above Sparrowhawk?

Buzzard above.

Crow or Raptor?

Jonny six belly ice cream.

Cromwell Bottom - The Hunt for Hirundines

We enjoyed a late lunch in the excellent Golden Hind in Brighouse and a beer (me)  in Spoons with friends, Sue did some shopping and I went looking for Swallows or Martins.

1st stop was the ski-lake and I passed a while here looking at the water and high above it - no deal.

2nd stop was the lagoon where there were some birds on offer but no 'swift' moving ones.

A walk along the river, back to the car par by the fishing ponds , did not reveal any either.

Just before the car park 1 spotted 'one' high over Avocet buildings moving very fast in this wind.

Sue was waiting in the car , but luckily  she had a phone call from the bank querying a transaction we were trying to make.

Banks and speed do not go well together and while Sue was talking I had quite a lot of time to gaze into the blue sky.

The first bird I saw could well have been a House Martin with an apparent very white rump.

I was trying hard to get some photos when two Sand Martins passed overhead with a call I recognised, so I was happy to tick these as new to me this year,

Clear blue sky, height  and speed all added to the difficulty of correct Identification.

Anyway... I've posted a few realty poor photos.

On the photo with 3 birds the middle bird looks like a House Martin to me?

Birds:

2 Sand Martin.

Mute Swan.

2 Canada Geese.

1 Blackcap.

a Goosander.

6 Teal (4 Lagoon, 2 River).

2 Little Grebe.

Coot and Moorhen,

Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gull.

2 Grey Wagtail.

2 Heron.

Stock Dove.

Bullfinch.

Chiffchaff.

and a few others.

Now you see it - now you don't.

Same photo as above with auto contrast.

Bradshaw - Percy Road - Ogden - Soil Hill - Bradshaw

What a difference a BIG hill makes!

Going: Pleasantly cool at home - Flipping cold on Percy Road.

Coming Back: Very pleasant at Ogden - Very strong cold ENE Soil Hill. Pleasantly warm Bradshaw.

That concludes todays local weather forecast and may your shadow never grow less - ok well at night it can.

.........

An enjoyable trek Up Taylor Lane, along Percy Road (missed out the hill going) ...

down Ned Hill Road ( a nice natter with Mr. H in his 'new' RLNI flying machine)..

One lap of Ogden Water ( another natter, with NK looking very bronzed from his jollies)..

Back over the cold and windy hill.

.....

Some birds did make an appearance but no ticks today alas.

Local Fields after tea was freezing in this strong wind up here - nothing new either,

Birds:-

5 Greenfinch. 

2 Partridge sp. flushed immediately from Taylor Lane.

1 Red Legged Partridge in the same field higher up.

8 Fieldfare in fields were 'augumented' by a fly over of c30 Fieldfare.

I reckon the 8 were part of this bunch!

Lesser Black-backed Gull over.

Chaffinch. 

Green Woodpecker called as I was chatting with Mr. H.

4 Skylark. 5 Meadow Pipit.

Bullfinch. 4 Chiffchaff.

Pied Wagtail. Goldfinch.

4 Mallard in flight over Ned Hill Road,.

Ogden Water....

2 Goosander. 2 Tufted Duck.

1 Whooper Swan. 

Coal Tit. Wren. Goldfinch. 

1 Lesser Black-backed Gull. 1 Black Headed Gull at one point..

a few other Gulls came and went but not many.

4 Linnet ( 2 Ned Hill Track & 2 Taylor Lane).o

Garden / Bradshaw - Soil Hill Walk

A deceptively warm looking day was nothing of the sort , out of the sun and in this strong, cold north / north easterly wind - it was cool.

I had a garden sit about this morning and late morning I had a Walk up Taylor Lane & Soil Hill keeping to the main paths.

The north easterly wind killed the job really.

I came home the same route (walking backwards).

The garden watch had two Buzzards together a.m. and presumably the same two birds were seen twice in the afternoon.

No local fields visit today with a plumber paying us a visit or is it the other way round?

Birds:-

Garden:

2 (4 or 6) Buzzard.

Greenfinch.

Mistle Thrush singing.

Green Woodpecker calling from afar.

Soil Hill Walk.

Chaffinch.

Kestrel.

5 Skylark.

2 Pied Wagtail.

2 Curlew (heard).

3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

8 Meadow Pipit (probably lots more).

1 Stock Dove.

3 Pheasant.

1 Linnet.

Buzzards;-

Garden:-

Garden:

Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Soil Hill:

Meadow Pipit Above with silver leg ring.

Cromwell Bottom and Bradshaw Fields

I had a fairly quick birding walk along the canal and a bit of the river at Cromwell Bottom mid-afternoon.

Very cloudy at home this a.m. brighter at Cromwell and it became quite warm as the walk progressed. Dull/ Cloudy back home later on.

The usual species on offer for me today but with two singing Blackcap that remained unseen (not like my previous one!).

Mostly Large Gulls on the ski-lake.

Buzzards were airborne in the blue sky with 4 separate sightings - don't know how many Buzzard though.

After tea I had my usual bog-hop across the Bradshaw Fields and a flying Bat late on was a nice surprise but difficult to photograph.

Weather was cool and dull here this evening.

Birds:-

Garden (a.m.).

Buzzard distant over Oats Royd. 

Large Gull - probably Lesser Black-backed Gull.

11 birds in flight - just caught the back end of them - probably Woodpigeon.

Cromwell Bottom:

4 Buzzard sightings.

2 Blackcap.

2 Heron.

Grey Wagtail.

Chiffchaffs singing throughout.

A Green Woodpecker called often from woods opposite the ski-lake.

4 Canada Goose. Moorhen. 
Coot. Little Grebe.

A Red Headed Goosander flew up river from the newly fenced weir area.

c10 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

3 Herring Gull.

Bradshaw Fields.

2 Green Woodpecker opposite one another in a tree.

2 Chaffinch. 2 Greenfinch.

Red Legged Partridge.

A Mistle Thrush sang throughout.

Curlew.

Long Tailed Tit.

Pied Wagtail.

c35 Fieldfare in a tree.

and a few other common species.

BAT.

Garden (a.m.).

Woodpigeon?

Cromwell Bottom:

Buzzards:-

Bradshaw Fields.