Bradshaw Fields to Ogden Water and Back Same Route

9:20 - 12:35

A breezy, damp, dull sort of outing which tried to brighten up but did not try too hard.

I had a walk along the local fields through the buildings at Crabtree Hall Farm along Syke Lane and around Ogden Water - back the same way.

Along Syke Lane B.S. waved from his car having done his Ogden shift.

Pink Footed Geese were on the move with a small skein over head just after Ward's View house heading West-ish towards Ogden Theses were picked up by B.S. a few minutes later.

A second skein were very distant going west as I looked south from near Ned Hill Road bottom and a third skein soon followed these but they were immediately lost in the low clouds.

Ogden Water was much as usual bird wise.

The coffee and Kit-Kat went down a treat (well not a treat more a Kit Kat ) at the visitors centre.

Having nothing at all to do this afternoon I though I'd happily wile my time away trying to renew my car and house insurance and then do my blog.

After a couple of frustrating hours I ended up no better off with the new quotes, than I had been with my original insurance quotes and so I spent an age 'talk-typing' to and agent trying to pay the blasted original quotes.

After going through the quote several times to confirm things, I was sent a link.

"I'll send you a link - Just click on this and follow the payment instructions - bye" said the 'talk-typist".

So I clicked on the link and  the link disappeared up its own rectum or somewhere just as inaccessible.

So I then phoned up to pay the thing -  and answering all the robots questions in the wrong order on purpose , I got to talk to some human guy who was looking out his office window at a sunny Table Mountain in South Africa.

Fortunately his link and the accompanying bank link worked fine.

What a pleasurable experience.

Roll on 100% AI - can't wait.

or - is it me?

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH.

Birds:-

Meadow Pipit.

Little Owl,

c183 (27,c120,c36 Pink Footed Geese).

2 Stock Dove.

1 Swallow.

3 Nuthatch.

c30 Small and c120 Large Gulls.

4 Cormorant.

2 Pied Wagtail.

2 Canada Geese.

Kestrel.

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

2 Chiffchaff.

Little Grebe.

Buzzard.

Goldcrest.

A small flock of smaller Birds a quiet call - not  like Goldfinch calls - but I'm not clever enough to say what they are - see 2 poor photos.

Second Skein:-

Small Birds Flock:-

Maybe this afternoon's rain will make a difference.

Ogden Water

 13:00 - 15:40

A mild , breezy ,very showery day today but I escaped very lightly at Ogden this afternoon with just on short sharp shower during my walk about.

Water is pouring in to the reservoir but has not had much impact on the vast exposed shoreline as yet.

Birds:-

Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, c30 Long Tailed Tit.

4 Usual species of Gull as far as I could see.

c130 Large Gulls. c100 Small Gulls.

Heron, 2 Pied Wagtail.

A Buzzard put a lot of the Gulls up.

Chaffinch, 2 Chiffchaff, Goldfinch.

Wren, Blackbird, Robin.

Meadow Pipit.

2 Kestrel.

3 Cormorant.

(Along the way a Hare was seen).

Still waiting for that elusive rare Wader here.

Gulls at Ogden Water.

Bradshaw & Soil Hill

13:30 - 16:00

I was caught out yet again by the hot weather and spent most of my outing carrying a bag full of clothes!

Usual stuff - Taylor Lane - Soil Hill - Ned Hill Track - Bradshaw.

Nothing new on offer alas.

I went 'half way' down the north slope but with 'weeds' at head height (3 feet) and too much perspiration I turned back.

A calling Chiffchaff accompanied my tuneful grunt on the way back up.

Birds:-

2 Swallow.

Kestrel.

C30 Goldfinch.

c20 Meadow Pipit.

c20 Linnet.

(A possible Stonechat on soil hill east side wall was away before I could see it properly,

I did hang around a good while but the miserable sod did not reappear).

3 Skylark.

3 Grey Partridge

1 Red Legged Partridge

Chiffchaff.

Stock Dove.

Plus a few regulars.

Ringstone Reservoir - Barkisland

16:30 - 17:15

I had a visit to White Windows Care Home this afternoon and later on I took the opportunity to have a squint at Ringstone Reservoir.

It was very windy and I did get clobbered a bit by a couple of showers but with the right gear on it was ok.

Not a lot happening early on with the 'resident' Great Crested Grebe on the water and little else.

I then saw a very pale long-ish legged Wader way off at the north end of the west side bathing,  that looked like a Knot.

It was quite confiding but I did not get too close so as not to flush it in case any other birder turned up. Anyway I did get a good photograph using the Nikon P950's huge zoom.

On a sad note there was a large dead bird half way along on the water's edge , below the wall.

Perhaps a Heron? not sure.

I've had a pretty poor birding year so far - maybe this will be the turning point.

Birds:-

KNOT.

2 Mallard.

Great Crested Grebe.

3 Pied Wagtail.

c105 Canada Geese.

Moorhen.

Small contingent of Gulls way over on the NE side.

Still quite a bit of shoreline.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill Top - Ogden Water - Bradshaw

12:50 - 17:00

I did my usual walk again today, up Taylor Lane over Soil Hill Top and down to and around Ogden Water - back via Crabtree Hall Farm tracks.

It was quite cool to start, which caught me out when later when the sun came out and I had far to many layers on.

Tough going again bird wise today with a very poor Soil Hill Top and a mediocre Ogden Water, but as always it was great to get out from behind my 4 walls.

I arrived to late at Ogden to add to my weighty, weight-ness so I had to munch on my apple.

I did some bramble gardening at the top of Soil Hill north slope, in the hot sunshine, I was too pooped to take advantage of it and did not venture down the hill - maybe next time.

Some Birds:

5 Swallow. 5 Rook. 2 Linnet. 

1 Kestrel a second Kestrel at the time, but I now think it is a Buzzard from the photo.

Just a few Meadow Pipits seen today.

2 Pied Wagtail. 2 Mistle Thrush. 5 Cormorant.

2 Chiffchaff. Bullfinch.

c12 don't knows - probably Goldfinch, over head.

Long Tailed Tit.

Pheasant. 19 Canada Geese. 

2 Little Owls - one chasing the other.

Usual Gulls.

Buzzard Probably.

and....

some wizz-oh photos

Percy Road Unknown 

I know the picture is pants.

Soil Hill Unknown

Goldfinch - Maybe

Bradshaw - Soil Hill Thursday

 8:30 - 10:45

Quite a chilly outing today and a strong wind on Soil Hill Top was a surprise, given the weather forecast.

The sun made a feeble attempt to play out,  but it probably decided to play Fortnite instead, so it couldn't be bothered.

An early start (for me anyhow) hoping to see some migration, with the same walk as yesterday,

Pink Footed Geese were reported from several areas this morning but somehow I did not see any, and with 360° viewing from Soil Hill Top I think I must have been looking through the wrong end of my bins!

Birds of the day were Green Woodpecker with 2 heard, One to my east as I walked up Bradshaw Lane to Taylor Lane and a second as I passed by East Croft nearer home.

I reported the Goldfinch flock on Soil Hill as 60 but looking at the photo it's probably nearer 120!

(Some) Birds:-

Kestrel.

C20 Meadow Pipit.

2 Raven.

2 Green Woodpecker

Nine Skylark

C180 (30 30 120) Goldfinch

2 Stock Dove

6 Swallow

Pied Wagtail

Rook.

Pheasant.

1 Little Owl.

Goldfinch.

Bradshaw / Soil Hill & Bradshaw / Holdsworth

9:00 - 11:20

Bradshaw - Soil Hill.

A bright cool start to the morning clouded over later on.

I did my usual trek up Taylor Lane, over Soil Hill Top.

I went 20 yds down the north slope but the brambles ganged up on me so I turned back (soft sod what I am).

There were signs of migration with many Meadow Pipit - A large group in the main track fields and other nearby fields had them flitting about as well.

Difficult to say how many but probably in excess of 100.

Also here c10 Linnet and also see along the walk two groups of Goldfinch c50 & c150 but not a lot moving in the sky.

A pleasant morning for a birding walk.

12:20 - 14:45

Bradshaw - Holdsworth Area.

After lunch I had a couple of hours birding walk across the local fields to near Holdsworth House and back.

The sky became very dark at one point but just a farthings worth of rain fell - lasted all of 20 seconds.

A very pleasant walk along some of the Calderdale Way and no animals on the paths today.

Birds:

Bradshaw Soil Hill.

2 Little Owl.

c100 Meadow Pipit.

c200 (150 + 50) Goldfinch.

3 Skylark.

2 Kestrel.

2 Partridge species flushed silently from distance from Soil Hill Top.

2 Pheasant.

16 Canada Geese.

c10 Swallow.

3 Stock Dove.

and 

a Fox.

Bradshaw - Holdsworth Area.

Heron.

House Sparrow.

c30 Gulls in 2 adjacent fields held the 4 usual species.

Jay.

Buzzard.

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Wren.

c10 Swallow.

Coat Tit.

Rook.

Chaffinch.

C30 Goldfinch.

Greenfinch.

Goldcrest.

A singing Chiffchaff greeted me as I arrived home.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill.

Trying to turn above bird into something that is not a Linnet.

Tail looks wrong for Linnet but probably the angle or my eyesight

so it's probably a

LInnet. 

Bradshaw - Holdsworth Area.