Bradshaw - Soil Hill (Sat)

13:10 - 15:45

I had another cool very, very windy June outing this afternoon.

I went up Taylor Lane, over Soil Hill, and down the north slope - home was back the same way.

Just a short light shower to contend with but again the gale on Soil Hill summit spoiled things a bit.

Birds:-

8 Swallow. 4 Mistle Thrush. Goldfinch. Pied Wagtail.

11 Lesser Black-backed Gull. 4 Blackbird. 4 Whitethroat.  Chaffinch.

2 Curlew. 6 Skylark. 2 Lapwing.  C10 Meadow Pipit.

4 Linnet. 3 Willow Warbler. Wren. Woodpigeon.

Magpie. Crow. 2 Mallard. Moorhen.

2 Feral Pigeon. 5 Starling. 2 Stock Dove. 

Reed Bunting.

Bradshaw and Soil Hill (Fri)

13:30 - 15:30

Mr. Rain finally packed his bags and headed off east to be replaced with Mr. Wind soon followed by Mrs. Gale - hellishly windy on Soil Hill summit this afternoon.

Still windy in Bradshaw but bearable.

It goes without saying that the blow affect the birding - well, there you go I just said didn't  I?

 

Birds:-

House Sparrow. Starling. Greenfinch, Chaffinch. Great Tit. 

Blackbird. Crow. Magpie, 8 Swallow. 3 Pheasant. 

2 Whitethroat. 2 Lapwing. 4 Linnet. 2 Skylark. 7 Meadow Pipit.

8 Lesser Black-baked Gull. c80 Jackdaw. Goldfinch. Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon. Dunnock.

1 Swift, 2 Mallard, Wren.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill (summit) - Bradshaw

14:00 - 16:30

Yet another poor day with breezy heavy showers and sunshine - improved a bit late afternoon.

I had my usual walk through the local farm buildings, up Ned Hill Road and over Soil Hill.

I came back via Taylor Lane.

The wind spoiled things a bit on The Hill - well that's my excuse any road.

Given the unpredictability of this weather I only took a small camera with me.

Birds:-

9 Swallow. Magpie. Crow, Woodpigeon. Blackbird.

TWO Little Owl. 3 Whitethroat. Jackdaw. Blue Tit, Robin.

Great Spotted Woodpecker. 6 Lesser Black-backed Gull.6 Long Tailed Tit. 4 Swift. Great Tit.

2 Willow Warbler, c10 Linnet. 4 Feral Pigeon. 4 Meadow Pipit. Pheasant.

5 Skylark, 2 Curlew. 2 Wren. Bullfinch, 1 Herring Gull.

1 Lapwing. Starling. 2 Pied Wagtail. Buzzard. Mistle Thrush.

House Sparrow. Greenfinch. Dunnock. Goldfinch, Chaffinch.

Blackcap.

and...

A modern take on an old folk song....

Dirty Old Town (Modern Version).                                                            

I drop my cack onto Ned Hill Track.

I've packed in well, in 6 black sacks.

Some Old toys, sheets and hand-me-downs.

Dirty Old Town, Dirty Old Town.

Next I move onto Soil Hill Path.

Drop the fridge and a broken bath.

Some old blankets and an eiderdown,

Dirty Old Town, Dirty Old Town.

I go a bit further along Percy Road.

To drop more stuff, it's my final load.

Coats and shoes and a brown nightgown.

Dirty Old Town, Dirty Old Town.

With apologies to Ewan Mccall & Peggy - The Dubliners and  The Pogues.

Distant Buzzard

Bradshaw - Soil Hill (Summit) - Ogden Water - Bradshaw Farms

12:55 - 16:30

It was a bit of a miserable morning weather wise so I opted for an afternoon birding outing where the weather was pretty good if a tad drafty.

I had the usual walk up to and over Soil Hill, down to and around Ogden Water and home  via The farms and fields tracks.

Another very June like outing with the usual suspect seen.

Bords:-

4 Heron. 7 Swallow. Blackbird. Goldfinch, 2 Whitethroat.

3 Pied Wagtail. c20 Lesser Black-backed Gull. 1 Herring Gull. 3 Linnet. 6 Meadow Pipit.

3 Skylark. 2 Pheasant. 2 Lapwing. Kestrel. 2 Swift.

5 Blackcap. c35 Mallard (3 Mallard Ducklings). 3 Chiffchaff. 2 Song Thrush, Treecreeper.

Great Tit. Blue Tit. Coal Tit. Goldfinch. Wren.

Robin. 3 Tufted Duck (1 F). 2 Willow Warbler. 16 Canada Geese. Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Dunnock. House Sparrow. Buzzard. 4 Stock Dove. 3 Red Legged Partridge(Included  1 Juv. Red Legged Partridge by the way in flew into the long grass).

Bradshaw - Soil Hill (Sunday)

12:25 - 15:00

I had my usual birding walk up to Soil Hill (missed out on the north slope) this afternoon.

An 'awkward' day, clothes wise, with sunny periods and scattered showers.

I thought I'd got the wrong gear on, with waterproof kecks and coat,  as I was sweating going up Taylor Lane, until I got to Soil Hill summit where a very, very strong wind greeted me soon followed by a hefty shower blown along by it.

After 15 minutes the sun popped out and I was nearly dry by the time I got home.

Birds:-

2 Skylark, 3 Whitethroat, 2 Curlew.

3 Swift, c10 Meadow Pipit.

c20 Linnet (10 in one flock).

Chaffinch, Pied Wagtail, 3 Swallow.

1 Herring Gull.7 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

6 Starling. 1 Lapwing. 2 Pheasant.

2 Grey Partridge (that I nearly stood on) probably didn't hear me because of the wind noise - flushed form the summit path.

Bradshaw & Soil Hill

14:00 - 16:45

A cloudy day with some light showers early on but it stayed dull and dry for my birding walk this afternoon.

It was good to chat with AC who I bumped into along the way.

Just the usual crowd seen again today, although my birding app reported a Common Ringed Plover and a Garden Warbler on the north slope - neither of which I heard.

I'm guessing several birds that were singing simultaneously got Merlin's knickers in a knot.

Birds:-

c35 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Goldfinch, 4 Curlew, Kestrel. 3 Swallow,

Buzzard. Little Owl, 3 Pheasant. Dunnock. 

4 Whitethroat. c10 Meadow Pipit. 

c20 Linnet. 2 Lapwing.

Oystercatcher,

A Partridge sp, flushed from behind me on the summit.

3 Canada Geese. 3 Blackcap.

Blackbird. Blue Tit, Robin. Great Tit. Chaffinch.

4 Willow Warbler.

2 Skylark.

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.