Local Fields

I had an hour or so up the local fields mid-afternoon today - a humid cloudy sort of day.

The usual species were seen but THREE Little Owl were very pleasing to watch.

Birds:-

Goldfinch, Greenfinch, 4 Chaffinch, Buzzard, 3 Swallow.

4 Lesser Black-backed Gull. 2 Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Meadow Pipit. Dunnock.

Robin. 2 Stock Dove. Wren. Blue Tit. Rook. Mistle Thrush.

50 plus Jackdaw.

4 Whitethroat.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill - Ogden - Bradshaw

12:35 - 17:00

A wet morning gave way to a rather pleasant blowy warm afternoon.

I enjoyed a long birding walk (4 hours plus) that included going up over Soil Hill twice, so I awarded myself a big lump of cake smothered in home made Marmalade when I got home - yummy.

Tea looks a while off so I'll still have some appetite when my chicken eventually cooks.

With the oppressive hot weather of late I've not walked over to Ogden in a while so it was nice to see Pat and Steve again who were doing an extra shift in the visitors centres 'cafe'.

No north slope today with it being a long hike for this olde giffer.

Lots of punters at Ogden and a lot less birdsong as I went around the Ogden Water circuit - but all in all not bad.

Birds:-

Greenfinch, Goldfinch, 2 Willow Warbler, Dunnock, Blackbird.

11 Swallow, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, 2 Pheasant, Crow.

6 Swift, Magpie, Lapwing, House Sparrow, 1 Skylark.

4 Stock Dove, Feral Pigeon, Meadow Pipit, 2 Herring Gull, Starling.

Coal Tit, 2 Whitethroat, 2 Kestrel, 6 Linnet, Jackdaw.

c50 Lesser Black-backed Gull on Ogden Water, c20 or so elsewhere.

4 Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff, 5 Black Headed Gull. Mistle Thrush.

3 Heron, 6 Drake Tufted Duck, Wren, Blue Tit. Great Tit.

Robin, Oystercatcher, Goldcrest, Buzzard, 6 Canada Geese. Mallard.

Just ONE Mallard Duckling seen!

AND A CUPLE OF PHOTOS FROM YESTERDAY EVENING:-

Thursday Evening - Local Fields

A bit of respite from the oppressive heat this evening when a cooling breeze arrived.

I had a short meander up the local fields after tea and it was good to get me boots on again.

Birds:-

5 Swallow. Goldfinch. Crow. Magpie. Greenfinch. Coal Tit. 

10 Mistle Thrush.

2 Little Owl - one in a wall.

Whitethroat. 

Oystercatcher Called.

Red Legged Partridge. Pheasant. Blue Tit. Woodpigeon.

Dunnock. Blackbird.

Lesser Black-backed Gull - mobbed by a Crow.

10  Mistle Thrush were in mown fields near the Raggalds yesterday morning.

3 Oystercatcher were in fields by the bonnet on Bradshaw Lane this morning  (Thanks Sally).

Monday Evening - Garden

It was a bit to hot to trot today (Tuesday) and also the doc. wanted to get some of my blood of a stone this afternoon.

So, I've posted a few photos taken yesterday evening as I sat on the garden bench, drinking my firkin of Wallop and Swipes and eating my curds and WHEY !!!!! 

The WHEY!!!bit was when I fell off the garden bench -  strong stuff this wallop.

Two Buzzard were circling around for a while - one was calling constantly.

Luddendenfoot to Mytholmroyd and back

11;25 - 14:00

I decided to pay a visit to Sue's best friend, Helen, this afternoon and turn up all 'hot and bothered', so a good walk from  Luddendenfoot to Mytholmroyd and back would achieve this.

26 Degrees or so but manageable, especially going along the railway track - coming back via the canal path was a sticky do with very little shade.

I need to get a hydrogen balloon to tie to my camera so it can float up and take some of the weight off me back.

A lady in Mytholmroyd told me that she had a Nightingale singing each morning - I recommended the Merlin app to her and she seemed very interested. 

Talking of the Merlin app - it reported a Spotted Flycatcher 100yds before Mytholmroyd station I had a good look about but did not eyeball it - pretty dodgy I would say - but you never know.

Birds:-

Robin. Blackbird. Greenfinch. Goldfinch. c6 Blackcap.

Wren. Mallard. 5 Grey Wagtail. 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker. 

4 Goldcrest. Canada Geese. 2 Nuthatch. Jackdaw.

Woodpigeon. Crow. Blue Tit. Coal Tit. 6 Chiffchaff.

3 Song Thrush. Dunnock. Swift. House Martin. 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Whitethroat. Sand Martin. Swallow. Magpie. Bullfinch.

Heron. House Sparrow. Starling. Great Tit. Pheasant. Willow Warbler.

In Mytholmroyd - A Common Sandpiper was on a wall by the river where all the flood work has been done.

Bradshaw - Taylor Lane - Soil Hill - Taylor Lane - Bradshaw

13:35 - 16:00

It took a good while to get up some birding enthusiasm today.

Late June and July are not the best birding months on the calendar, but there is always the chance of seeing a scarce or rare bird - so I go out with hope.

I enjoyed a very hot meander up to and over Soil Hill and down the north slope.

A nice breeze greeted me on Soil Hill Top bit elsewhere it was very sticky.

Birds:-

Dunnock. House Sparrow. Chaffinch. 6 Swallow. Greenfinch.

Crow. Woodpigeon. Blackbird. Robin. 1 Oystercatcher.

6 Linnet. Magpie. Jackdaw. c20 Lesser Black-backed Gull.2 Curlew.

c12 Meadow Pipit. 4 Skylark. 7 Willow Warbler. 

1 Reed Bunting at the top of the north slope for a change.

4 Whitethroat. Bullfinch. 3 Pheasant. 1 Swift. 1 Herring Gull.

2 Stock Dove.