Bradshaw - Ogden - Soil Hill - Bradshaw

9:20 - 13:30.

The weather was a whole lot better than forecast this morning - no fog - no rain and some welcome brightness.

The Yellow U.F.O. made an appearance as well,  before skulking back behind the clouds later on.

I had a really enjoyable saunter across the fields to Ogden Water where I did 2 laps with 2 hot drinks in between.

It was quite busy here but not bad for a Saturday.

Home was via Soil Hill where the clouds looked 'dodgy' but the rain never materialised until 16:15 ish.

The bird life was much as usual with 2 exceptions - a Coot on Ogden Water and two Skylark that flushed at distance, soon high, " burbling" over a very damp clay laden Soil Hill summit.

Birds:-

Garden:

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Singing Mistle Thrush.

Bradshaw Fields:

2 Pheasant.

3 Wren.

2 Stock Dove.

Ogden:

Singing Mistle Thrush.

Long Tailed Tit.

Goosander. (Red Head).

c60 Small Gulls, 4 Herring Gulls, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull - at one point.

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Nuthatch.

Coot.

Dunnock.

Kingfisher.

4 Wren.

Ogden to Home.

2 Mistle Thrush (seen).

Raven.

2 Skylark.

3 Stock Dove.

C10 Herring Gull overhead.

2 Kestrel.

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C16 Magpie throughout.

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Today's mystery photos.

Bradshaw - Ogden - Soil Hill - Bradshaw

Mist over Halifax this moaning -  but a cracking sunny day for a birding outing here in Bradshaw and the forecast icy conditions never materialised.

I had a longer outing than usual to take advantage of the one decent day this week.

I walked along the fields to Ogden, called at the visitors centre for morning coffee.

I did half a lap of the water before sloping up through the woods to check out the Giant's Tooth area.

I did the second half of the lap of the water and then I called back at the visitors centre for a bag of crisps and a Kit-Kat for lunch, not having packed any lunch.

PG was enjoying a coffee here after his hike,  and we had a good laugh before PG left and I did another circuit of the water.

I went back via the high route over Soil Hill but there was nothing much on Soil Hill summit ( I gave the north slope a miss, having nearly run out of diesel! by this point).

An enjoyable outing, provided you don't ask my hip's opinion on the day out.

This evening the dreaded fog has just turned up at my door.

Birds:-

Bradshaw to Ogden:

Little Owl.

Coal Tit.

2 Pheasant.

A few Common Gull.

Singing Mistle Thrush.

Reed Bunting by the derelict farm.

3 Dunnock.

4 Stock Dove.

2 Wren.

2 Mallard.

Ogden - Ned Hill Road.

Bullfinch.

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Jay.

2 Nuthatch.

3 Dunnock.

Kingfisher (north end bushes).

2 Raven (seen - many calls throughout).

3 Wren.

4 Tufted Duck.

2 Buzzard.

Coal Tit.

2 Canada Geese.

c 30 Small Gulls and 2 Herring Gulls at one point.

Ned Hill Track - Soil Hill -  Bradshaw 

Little Owl calling.

Wren, 2 Crows, 5 Magpie, 4 Feral Pigeon, 2 Common Gull.

Pied Wagtail (Lower Taylor Lane Midden).

and ... a few other species.

Mist over Halifax this a.m.

Soil Hill from Giant's Tooth.

Bradshaw - Ogden Water - Bradshaw

10:15 - 14;15

I hung around at home a bit this a.m. hoping the weather might buck it's ideas up.

Things seem to brighten a bit as I set off on a dull, damp walk across the fields to Ogden Water.

I did Two laps and had two coffee breaks and then another chat reminiscing with NK who I met briefly along the way.
Another very poor birding day but at least I got me boots on.

Yesterday's weather was so poor,that to beat the boredom, I went shopping at Tesco (Yippee) and then - excitement personified - defrosted the freezer bit of my big fridge - wowser.

Looks like rain, snow and strong winds for tomorrow - I know - tomorrow I'll beat the boredom - I'll get the vac out!

Birds:-

3 Fieldfare > SW.

Herring Gull.

9 Stock Dove.

1 Male Tufted Duck.

Kingfisher with a small fish in the dark sluice area.

c20 Small Gulls at one point.

Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard).

2 Kestrel.

(3rd Winter?)  Herring Gull

A Successful Twitch

A blustery cool morning today, a tad cold but no FOG and no RAIN yippee.

I walked across the fields to Ogden Water and around the circuit.

No cafe open today so I was a slim Jim for a few hours.

Good to chat with NK doing the rounds hereabouts.

A Calderdale WhatsApp message from DJS pinged on my phone as I was going around the water, reporting a Shelduck and  Great Black-backed Gull on Mixenden Reservoir -  a very welcome change for Mixenden which had been poor for months.

My birding walk was a really dismal affair with not much seen at Ogden and even less seen on a very windy Soil Hill on my return leg.

After my Caviar and Smoked Salmon Fricassee lunch, I was contemplating driving over to Mixenden Reservoir for the 'specials' when a confirmation ping on my phone  (from DJS via NK - thanks both) of the 'specials' still in situ galvanised me into action!

The drive over was a success with both the Great Black-backed Gull and Shelduck seen along the NE side.

Just as I was leaving a dog walker appeared walking along the banking at the north end towards the Gulls so I guess they would have been flushed by the dog.

The Shelduck had already flown onto the west side of the water.

Two 'ticks' - not bad, not bad at all.

Birds:

Bradshaw - Ogden Water - Soil Hill.

2 Singing Mistle Thrush.

9 Stock Dove.

4 Robin.

Coal Tit.

Chaffinch.

1 Kestrel.

Goldfinch.

House Sparrow.

2 Dunnock.

Blackbird.

Herring Gull.

c20 Small Gulls - Ogden.

c20 Common Gulls - Bradshaw Fields.

and a few others species.

Mixenden Reservoir.

1 Tufted Duck.

1 Great Black-backed Gull.

1 Shelduck.

c5 Herring Gull.

c100 Small Gulls.

Mixenden:-

Mixenden Gulls.

Cromwell Bottom Ski Lake - WET

Heavy persistent rain and thick mist in Bradshaw this morning.

Having not got very far yesterday because of the weather (and just 2 Starling seen in the tree outside my house) I decided to drive down to Brighouse to check out the Cromwell Bottom ski-lake.

It was persisting it down here as well.

I was very unfortunate today, I use my baseball type cap, Velcro fastened over my P950 camera to keep it dry and it normally works - but today disaster struck , the heavy rain found a way in and my camera has now stopped working!!

I have a warranty with the camera but the water ingress will have broken warranty "rule 509 "no doubt so the camera is kyboshed I guess.

A poor do all round with not a lot seen today.

No Goldeneye Ducks on the water but when I'm viewing through the railings I can only see a small section of the lake - so they are probably here.

I did get a 'tick' though while I was looking at the Teal on the Lagoon a solitary Redpoll landed in a nearby tree but soon vamoosed.

(Stop Press:).

I've warmed my camera on a towel on the radiator and...

Its come back on again.. fingers crossed....

Birds:-

1 Redpoll.

3 Teal.

1 Redwing.

Blackbirds.

Mallard.

Herring Gull.

Common Gull.

Lesser Black-baked Gull.

Black Headed Gull.

Coot.

Moorhen.

Cormorant.

Coal, Long Tailed, Great and Blue Tit.