Bradshaw - Soil - Hill - Ogden Water - Soil Hill - Bradshaw

9:00 - 14:30.

Day Of The Little Owls.

A warm-ish morning turned into quite a hot afternoon as I did my usual birding walk to Ogden Water and back.

I made 2 visits to Ogden Visitors centre today, one for a coffee and one for an improvised lunch - no sarnies in me pack today.

It was pleasing to have a laugh with Cheryl and Pat who were todays volunteers.

It was nice to bump into NK and CS as I did a circuit of the water.

The  mass of ferns and other under/over growth make viewing some sections of the shore line very difficult now.

Today proved a good day for Little Owls with 2 adults with 3 Owlets seen from Bradshaw Lane and an adult bird on the water board building below Soil Hill End farm.

The Owlets had 3 Magpies in close proximity so I hope they are big enough to fend them off if needs be.

Birds:-

5 Little Owl, Magpie, Buzzard, Crow, Greenfinch.

Woodpigeon, c20 Swallow, Goldfinch, Red Legged Partridge, Wren.

c20 Starling, Blue Tit, 2 Pied Wagtail, c80 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 3 Meadow Pipit.

1 Whitethroat, Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Dunnock, c50 Black Headed Gull.

Siskin, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Turfted Duck, 10 Canada Geese.

Mallard, Nuthatch, Grey Wagtail, 1 Heron, Great Spotted Woodpecker.

2 Willow Warbler, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Raven, 1 Common Gull.

5 Herring Gull, Coal Tit, Great Tit, House Sparrow, Jackdaw.

When I first arrived on the promenade,  I picked out a Great Crested Grebe ,way off at the north end, but on my way around I could not locate it!!

With apologies for the quality of the video - but they were quiet distant!!

A Hot Jaunt

10:45 - 15:00

First off this morning I enjoyed a cool  exercise walk up to the Raggalds and back with no heavy camera or bins.

I intended to sit back, do the crossword and chill out for the rest of the day, but after a short time the boredom overtook me, so I made me sen a sarnie, stuffed it in me small rucksack, got me boots on and went for a birding jaunt.

I went along the fields to Ogden, around Ogden Water up Ned Hill Road and up and over Soil Hill then down Taylor Lane to home.

Noticeably less birdsong now as summer progresses but there were a few goodies on offer today,

Top of the shop were three Little Owl (2 Bradshaw, 1 Syke Lane Ogden), also a Weasel scuttled across Ogden Lane.

The climb up to Soil Hill was good exercise if a tad hot but. apart from 2 Whitethroat seen at the top of the 'oblique' path,  and 2 Willow Warblers, Soil Hill was pretty dead.

Ogden water was not overcrowded for a Sunday really, so it was a  bonus and a pleasant circuit today - and as usual a nice place to have a coffee while you nosh your tripe sarnie.

Birds:

Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Rook, Chaffinch, Magpie.

27 Swallow, 2 Pheasant, Crow, Goldfinch, Greenfinch.

Feral Pigeon, c60 Black Headed Gull, 2 Common Gull, C200 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Herring Gull.

1 Grey Wagtail, 5 Tufted Duck,3 Heron, 5 Canada Geese, 1 Oystercatcher.

Nuthatch, Bullfinch, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit.

Blackbird, Robin, 1 Jay, Wren, Dunnock.

Great Crested Grebe, 2 Pied Wagtail, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Whitethroat. 2 Stock Dove.

House Sparrow, 2 Meadow Pipit, Buzzard. 3 Little Owl. c50 Mallard. Moorhen.

Above a couple of photos from Bradshaw fields -  yesterday evening.

Scolding Whitethroat.

Juv. Black Headed Gull.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Common Gull.

 

Ogden Water - Common Scoter

12:40 - 15:10

A damp cool  misty morning took until after lunch to brighten up and then the usual hot sunny weather arrived.

After a  WhatsApp message this morning from B.S. of a Common Scoter and a Great Crested Grebe on Ogden Water I though I'd repeat yesterday's walk this afternoon.

It was good to  chat with Leela and Alison in the visitors centre as I had my usual coffee and choc-choc.

I was in luck today with both the Common Scoter and Great Crested Grebe still present when I arrived here.

Birds:-

Common Scoter -  keeping to the middle as usual.

Great Crested Grebe.

Robin. Magpie, 12 Swallow. Goldfinch. Chaffinch. Blackbird.

Woodpigeon. Wren. Linnet. Coal Tit. Crow.

Song Thrush. 

Black Headed, Lesser Black Backed Gulls in good numbers.

1 Herring Gull. 1 Common Gull.

Blue Tit. Great Tit. 8 Canada Geese. 2 Nuthatch.

1 Tufted Duck.

A Treecreeper was 'mobbed' by a feisty Coal Tit that wanted to investigate the same piece of bark  (as if).

6 'young' Mallard Ducking and yesterdays' 3 good sized Duckling looked to be only 2 today.

Ogden Area

9:30 - 12:00

The really hot oppressive weather has cooled down (for a while) and today I had my first decent birding walk in a week.

I walked along the track opposite Coal Lane., Ogden across Back Lane and around Ogden Water a couple of times.

With a  nice cooling breeze for company it was an enjoyable outing and Ogden Water is now showing some shore line and some mud at the north ends - so with a bit of luck this will attract a Wader or two in the next few months.

I called at the cafe for a coffee and a Kit-Kat and it was good to see Pat and Cheryl.

The place was doing a roaring trade this morning.

Every time I see nesting Swallows there seems to be Magpies giving them grief.

Today was no exception when, soon after starting my walk along the track, I came across 2 Swallow mobbing a Magpie by the stables there.

I wonder if the Magpie is the reason for so few Swallows appearing near me now.

Birds:

2 Swallow. A flock of 10 Goldfinch with many calling throughout the walk.

Magpie.

1 Curlew called a couple of time north of Back Lane.

Blackbird. c60 Mallard.

3 well grown Mallard Duckling sailing close to a Heron.

Woodpigeon. Crow. 

Many Coal Tit and Wren calls.

Chaffinch. c60 Black Headed Gull. c100 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

2 Herring Gulls.

Nuthatch. Blackcap. 3 Tufted Duck. Blue Tit. Robin.

Pheasant. Greenfinch.

Garden and Local Fields:

Also ,,  I had a couple of short stints in the garden and local fields earlier last week.

Swallow. Buzzard. Bullfinch.

And a few photos from nearer home earlier.

Ringstone Reservoir - Barkisland

12:45 - 14:00

I had a call to make at Sowerby Bridge this morning and afterwards I took the opportunity to visit Ringstone as I was 'in the area'.

A very warm outing (25 degrees on the car) with a warm breeze.

Birds:-

5 Swallow.

Reed Bunting.

5 Black Headed Gull.

c6 Pied Wagtail

Greenfinch.

2 Great Crested Grebe.

8 Mallard.

c15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

1 Tufted Duck.

3 Cormorant.

c40 Lapwing.

4 Swift.

Heron.

2 Herring Gull.

Bradshaw Fields

14:00 - 16:15

I enjoyed a short wander along the local fields and farm tracks to Ned Hill Road and back this afternoon.

A blowy, mild, dull outing.

Birds:-

2 Swallow, House Sparrow, Jackdaw.

Crow, Rook, Magpie.

1 Whitethroat, 1 Kestrel, 1 Meadow Pipit.

Chaffinch, Wren, Blackbird.

1 Little Owl.

Starling, Dunnock.

3 Oystercatcher. 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

(And a Fox).