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.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill etc

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon as I went up Taylor Lane to check out Soil Hill.

Home was via Ned Hill and the farms.

An enjoyable stroll and a few birds were seen although Soil Hill had nothing much to offer.

The view from the north slope revealed a sizable flock of Lapwing in the Shay Fields.

The Lapwings , Starlings and Gulls , soon , took to the air in unison for some unknown reason.

Birds:-

Mistle Thrush.

2 Possibly 3 Kestrel.

Heron.

120 Lapwing. (counted from photo).

80 (50,30)  Starling.

4 Pheasant.

Buzzard.

Bullfinch.

Chaffinch.

Common Gull. Black Headed Gull. Herring Gull.

Rusty Paraffin Can Day

November bows out on a beautiful sunny crisp cold note with some dodgy icy stretches - especially on Taylor Lane as I walked up to check what was in the Soil Hill 'Fridge'.

Just 7 Magpies near the frozen wasteland was all I could manage today!

The farm tracks were pretty quiet but a few birds came to say hello as I neared home.

Top of the pops was a rare sighting of a Rusty Paraffin Can in one of the fields.

1 also enjoyed a late lunch in The Raggalds Inn with  Abi and family.

Birds:

c80 Jackdaw.

c11 Magpie.

2 Little Owl.

1 Kestrel.

(The Kestrel landed next to a Little Owl in a tree as I approached the bonnet - neither bird seemed interested in the other).

Rook.

Mistle Thrush.

2 Red Legged Partridge.

Looks like we are back to very wet weather for the beginning of December.

Me and My Shadow.

Coach Road Hipperholme - Lightcliffe

I had a run out to the Hipperholme area to take a look at Coach Road.

It was bright and sunny on the way down but quite windy for  here.

There are many over hanging trees making it very gloomy for photos along this track - well it is Black Friday after all.

After setting off down Coach Road, I took the first footpath on the right for 50 yards or so, this is where I've seen Brambling before. 

I could not locate any Brambling today but further down 5 or so Bullfinch were seen.

I soon turned back to carry on down Coach Road, where, just before the Golf Club car park the trees and bushes were alive with birds.

Arriving at the Sefton Avenue area (another potential Brambling spot) the weather deteriorated with rain and just 34 Starlings were on the pylon here.

The return journey was a dismal affair with the rain sending the earlier calling birds into quiet mode.

The journey home was "interesting" with a massive cloudburst and torrential rain.

The main, road below the trailer park , was swimming in water and the window wipers were struggling to cope with the rain and the spray.

As I parked up at home the postman handed me a wet rag which turned out to be a letter from the bank.

"Nice day for it" the wet &  bedraggled postie said, seemingly unperturbed by the weather.

Birds:-

c10 Bullfinch.

Nuthatch.

plus usual species.

Coley - Priestly Green - A58

This morning the weather in Bradshaw was warm, windy and quite grotty at times.

With grotty coming to mind  - something told me it was time to "wash me smalls" - pity that, because to dry them, I had to use the big oblong white whirly-whirly machine in the small bedroom making the Octopus Energy owners very rich.

Anyhow late morning I had a run down to park next to Coley Church where the weather was slightly brighter and the wind a bit less strong but it was very dull for photos.

Leaving Coley Church I walked down the excellent bridleways through Priestly Green and down again to the A58.

It is a good path on days like this with some shelter.

I had a nosy along a few paths off the bridleway, where there are some good berry trees and bushes.

Today, however, there were no berry scoffers to talk of.

The usual small birds were seen and quite a few Gulls.

Top of the shop were 3 Mistle Thrush with one singing.

Birds:-

Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch.

Long Tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit.

Wren, Blackbird, Starling.

3 Mistle Thrush.

Herring, Common and Black Headed Gulls.