Local

15:30 - 17:00 ish.

A sunny and quite warm afternoon today.

Real life got in the way of birding today and I did not get out until late afternoon, when I manged a short birding walk along the local fields to Ned Hill Road.

Strangely enough I seemed to be in the only area in Yorkshire to get some fine drizzle as I walked along!

Birds:-

2 Kestrel.

2 Buzzard.

2 Little Owl (1 in the usual spot. 1 calling loudly from Ned Hill Road Area).

4 Common Gulls in the fields.

c60 Gulls > W to roost.

2 Stock Dove.

Song Thrush singing it's head off.

"It's Head Off" it sang.

Bradshaw - Ogden Water - Soil Hill

9:15 - 14:20

Another pleasant day with some sunshine and a brisk wind.

I had my usual birding walk, 5 hours or so interspersed with 2 visits to Ogden Water visitors centre for refreshments.

The clog up to Soil Hill from Ogden seemed unusually tough this afternoon - shouldn't be for a thirty something... ah...but  I am not a thirty something any more.

How forgetful of me.

It was all very "samey" today, the Waders I was hoping for were seen nearby but did not attend Ogden Water in my time there. Ho Hum.

Birds:-

3 Greenfinch. Chaffinch. Goldfinch.

2 Little Owl. 2 Skylark.

2 Stock Dove. 

Mistle Thrush. Song Thrush.

C25 Small Gull with 2 Herring and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull at one point.

ONE Siskin (and that took some finding).

Goldcrest.

Nuthatch.

2 Buzzard.

Pied Wagtail.

Hallas Bridge (Nr. Copley)

After going back and forth from Home to Ogden these last few days I thought I'd have a change of scenery today with a drive down to Hallas Bridge, Near Copley.

It was a wellie job today with plenty of mud about.

I walked along the river path  towards Copley to the path closure under the vaiduct.

I returned via the canal before crossing over Hallas Bridge and walking down the river on t'other side.

It was quite an interesting walk with lots of bird song and calls.

I was hoping for a Dipper or a Brambling but both eluded me!

Birds:-

Song Thrush.

Mallard.

Canada Goose.

2 Grey Wagtail.

2 Nuthatch.

Long Tailed Tit.

6 Bullfinch.

Buzzard.

2 Jay.

6 Siskin.

Goldcrest.

Treecreeper(looked unusually small).

Moorhen,

and a few other regulars.

Bradshaw - Ogden Water - Soil Hill (Summit) Sunday

9:15 - 13:15.

A bright and breezy day today - too much breeze especially on Soil Hill.

I received a ping on the Calderdale Birding WhatsApp via DJB this morning reporting the fly past  of an Iceland Gull over Ned Hill Track. A great bird to get! The bird had dropped down towards Ogden so I thought I'd head off in that direction just in case it landed on Ogden Water.

No sign of the Iceland Gull, alas, as I got to Ogden Water though.

I did the usual , a coffee and a circuit of the water before heading off to climb over Soil Hill.

Soil Hill was a real breezy affair.

Birds:-

2 Little Owl.

Greenfinch.

At least 7 Mistle Thrush (4+1 seen and 2 heard singing).

Song Thrush.

2 Tufted Duck (1 Drake).

Pheasant.

Pied Wagtail.

12 or so Herring Gull with a good crowd of smaller Gulls.

3 Curlew (2 heard, 1 seen).

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

3 Goldcrest.

2 Skylark.

Stock Dove.

Rook.

Plus the usuals.

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

9:30 - 13:15

My usual walk again today up Taylor Lane over Soil Hill (Summit) down Ned Hill Road and around Ogden Water - home was via Bradshaw Farm Track and fields.

Nice to have some company on the way up Bradshaw Lane, with Emma, and her Spaniel, from across the road going in the same direction for a while.

It was a bit damp to start but in brightened up and a bit of sun actually appeared.

I bumped into DJB on The Summit , who was just on his way home after his stint up here.

Ogden Water was quite busy with folk but not birds alas.

A couple of decent birds today with my 1st "on the deck" Curlew and a calling Tawny Owl that called from NE of Ogden Water,

On my away around today I spotted a damaged Wheelie Bin Lid that had blown and got stuck , high, in a tree. 

Thinking this could fall and hurt someone, I looked around for something to knock in down with.

Some nearby fly tipping came in handy where a cricket bat and a 3 legged stool had been dumped.

Standing on the stool I tried to whack the lid with the cricket bat several times.

People passed - shrugged - looked away -  Ignored me.

Mind you around here, as the saying goes, matter what you do.

No One Bats a high lid.

Now where are those green pills I forgot to take this morning.

Birds:

1 Curlew.

2 Greenfinch.

3 Skylark.

Herring Gull.

Common Gull.

Black-Headed Gull.

25 Lapwing.

2 Kestrel.

Chaffinch.

Goldfinch,

Song Thrush,

Mistle Thrush.

2 Canada Geese,

Mallard.

1 Male Tufted Duck.

2 Raven,

Wren,

Tawny Owl.

3 Buzzard.

2 Pheasant.

C80 Small Gulls Bradshaw Fields.

2 Little Owl,

Starling.

and quite a few others.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill (Summit)

12:15 - 13:45

Yet another wet and windy day today.

After lunch the weather seemed on the mend so I put my waterproof gear on and went for a walk along the local fields.

Arriving at Ned Hill Road bottom,the weather was still ok so I decided to walk over Soil Hill summit.

At Ned Hill Track the wind increased and by the time I got to Soil Hill fine drizzle was being blown along on a stiff breeze.

Visibility disappeared - dont know where it went - and just a Mallard and a Sklylark were flushed from the summit.

Also a one note , short , high pitched call was heard, just once,  from somewhere in the gunge - no idea what though.

A heavy shower paid me a visit as I walked down Bradshaw Lane.

With hardly any birds to talk of I thought I would do the weather instead.

Birds:

Bradshaw:

Greenfinch. 

2 Little Owl in the same tree.

Pheasant.

C20 Common Gull.

4 Black Headed Gull.

2 Stock Dove.

Soil Hill (Summit).

1 Skylark.

1 Mallard.

Just a small camera with me today,.

Sowerby Bridge.

I had a visit to make to White Windows Care Home , Sowerby Bridge , this morning and I took the opportunity to have a quick look at the canal and river near the town centre.

Zero degrees at home with a bitter wind.

It was a tad warmer down here but still quite chilly.

Some signs of spring with Snowdrops and Crocus in bloom.

Birds:-

c15 Canada Geese.

Mallard.

4 Goosander (3 Males and s "Redhead").

c 30 Jackdaw.

Bullfinch. Goldfinch. Great Tit. Blue Tit.

Long Tailed Tit

Cormorant.

A few Gulls  overhead.

Probably awake to snow tomorrow, if not before.

Result of bikers frustration after

forgetting code on his bike lock.