Mixenden Reservoir

14:25 - 15:45

Another poor day weather wise with heavy showers and a gusty SW wind.

The boredom eventually shoved me out of the door and I took a run over to Mixenden with  me waterproofs and wellies.

Superb timing - I did not get wet!

I checked out the west side today.

A large bow-wow had left his yesterday's tea as a huge deposit on the path.

I thought the shape of the mound was not very symmetrical for my liking so I rearranged the shape with the bottom of my right wellie - that's a lot nicer now I said.

Well..... maybe I did not say that exactly. 

There were 4 dog walkers here today - one had 3 dogs.

Birds:-

Nothing at all on the water.

2 Gulls passed high.

6 Swallow.

2 Swift.

Chiffchaff.

Willow Warbler.

Blackcap.

Blue Tit.

Goldfinch.

Coal Tit.

Great Tit.

Grey Wagtail.

Chaffinch.

Blackbird.

Robin.

Bright & Breezy Fly Flatts

14:00 - 15:45

I had a run out to Fly Flatts this afternoon.

The forecast was 60% chance of rain, so I donned my waterproofs - that scared the rain away - a dry outing.

I was hoping for some Waders near the North End of the water but most birds stayed stubbornly very distant on the east side.

Just 2 Common Sandpiper that were kind enough to venture near the NW for a while made a change.

Birds:-

Kestrel.

Many Swift zooming about and screaming.

2 Swallow.

4 Curlew.

4 Redshank.

Canada Geese, Mallard.

Buzzard.

1 Black Headed Gull over  (heard, not seen!).

2 Common Sandpiper (At least).

Crow.

2 Reed Bunting.

An odd continuous call similar to a Red Legged Partridge that I thought might have been a Snipe, remained unseen.

Pretty Post !!!

A breezy Soil Hill saunter

 13:15 - 17:00

I had quite a long afternoon out looking for something extra-ordinary but no extras today alas.

I did my usual walk up Bradshaw Lane to Soil Hill and down the north slope and I came home via the same route.

A bit on the breezy side really, but dry.

One Oystercatcher was seen and a second was calling faintly from nearby, but I could not pick it out.

The Oystercatcher I saw reminded me of an recent email from Octopus Energy with it's dirty big bill.

Nice to chat to Mr & Mrs H (and dog) on Percy road.

Birds:-

2 Whitethroat, 8 Swallow, 3 Pheasant, 6 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Chaffinch.

3 Skylark, c10 Linnet, 1 Lapwing, 2 Oystercatcher, c10 Meadow Pipit.

 Curlew, Song Thrush, 5 Willow Warbler, 6 Swift, 2 Blackcap.

Bullfinch, Great Tit, Pied Wagtail.

A Hot Hike and a Dip!

10:30 - 15:45

Hot and Sunny.

Following a Calderdale Birding Group Whatsapp from CK of a Cuckoo and a Tree Pipit near the Giant's Tooth, Ogden I thought I'd bite the bullet and go for a long twitch to see if I could locate either bird.

It was quite a grueller today , from Bradshaw to Ogden Water (rammed with people for the Halifax Harrier annual run) and up to Giant Tooth where Per-Spire-a-tion was in evidence.

After a lengthy look-see near the Tooth I sat on the stone seat here to have my sack's meagre supply of rations - 1 Pk Crisps, 1 Choc Choc Bar and an apple.

I slurped some water and had a look a bit higher up to my left at the conifers.

I did get a distant call that I could not place and my Merlin App could not hear it(deaf as a post) but it definitely was not either bird I was after.

Soon after I had passed the Wooden Seat near the Tooth a Pied Flycatcher called several times to my right from high in foliage.

I did not eyeball it , and it soon flew across the path >East-ish to call from further away in inaccessible woodland before being heard even further away.

I called at the Visitors Centre for a coffee and a Kit-Kat to fire me up for my trudge up Ned Hill Road and over Soil Hill to home.

(Some) Birds:-

Loads of birdsong today.

Willow Warbler. Chiffchaff, and lots Blackcap singers.

4 Whitethroat. 4 Stock Dove. 6 Swallow.

A Mallard with family in tow sailed very close to a Heron at Ogden Water, luckily the Heron did not bite!

3 Tufted Duck. Buzzard, Curlew.

10 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Herring Gull.

Pied Flycatcher.

Bradshaw - Ned Hill Road - Percy Lane - Taylor Lane

18:00 - 19:30

Just an breezy evening stroll today along the local roads, lanes and paths.

Quite enjoyable but nothing much happening bird wise.

A Few Pics:-

Bradshaw - Soil Hill

 13:00 - 15:40

Today I went up Bradshaw Lane to Soil Hill and came home the same route.

A breezy day that turned quite hot especially climbing back up the north slope, at least it gave my pores a reason to exist.

Usual stuff again today really.

Birds:-

3 Swallow. 5 Whitethroat. 12 Linnet. c30 Starling. 3 Willow Warbler.

Skylark and Meadow Pipit in good numbers.

2 Oystercatcher. 1 Curlew. 2 Mallard. 3 Blackbird. 1 Canada Goose.

2 Blackcap. 4 Stock Dove.

A Very Enjoyable Saunter

8:35 - 14:35

6 Hours out and about today on a great day for walking - sunny with a lovely refreshing breeze.

I had not been out birding for a few days so I was in the mood to stop and linger a bit.

Abi slept over Friday and Saturday and stopped most of Sunday as well.

On Friday evening, after devouring a huge meal in the Raggalds Inn for tea, she decided to make a sponge cake.

It took visits to 3 shops before she was set up with all the right ingredients.

Not being a baker myself  my cupboards seemed to be a bit lacking.

On Saturday Abi made a Chicken Curry which again was quite an experience (her recipe .

has 18 ingredients!).

On top of the baking and cooking we also had a couple of visits to Bradshaw Park with Sue's Rounders bat (Made with proper wood where the  handle had been  chamfered into the body by a fancy joint and the whole handle had some thick string stuff wrapped around it  - the bat  was probably 50 years old).

These rounders episodes were not a problem at all for me in the "Great Heat May 2026".

(I've probably got a "not" in the previous sentence by mistake).

Today I did the usual hike along the Bradshaw fields and through the farms to Ned Hill Road and along Ogden Lane, around Ogden Water to stop at the cafe for a natter and a coffee.

One of the ladies there told me this joke:

Question: What is E,T. short for?

Answer: Because he has little legs.

On again up Ned Hill Road over Soil Hill and down the North Slope to the first tree line.

Home was via Taylor Lane.

There are some free household items available again at the start of Soil Hill Mast Track.

It was nice to have a quick natter with NK who I bumped into at Ogden.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was hammering on a Blue Tit Nest Box looking for an egg sandwich.

3 Mallard ducklings looked very vunerable.

Birds:-

Wren, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Red Legged Partridge.

Little Owl, 4 Whitethroat, Starling, Blackbird, 2 Curlew. 

Robin, Magpie, c10 Linnet, 6 Swallow, Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, 1 Mistle Thrush, Mallard, Willow Warbler.

Grey Wagtail, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, c10 Blackcap, Blue Tit, Great Tit.

PIED FLYCATCHER, Dunnock, 1 Tufted Duck, Bullfinch, House Sparrow.

Pheasant, Grey Partridge, Lapwing, Coal Tit, 2 Oystercatcher (Soil Hill).

3 Skylark, 3 Meadow Pipit, Canada Goose, Herring Gull, Greenfinch.

Stock Dove, Feral Pigeon. Goldfinch. Moorhen. Heron.

AND ...... Some photos taken from the garden during the "Great Heat May 2026".