Bradshaw - Soil Hill - Ogden Water - Bradshaw

10:00 - 14:45

It was a dry sunny day for a change today - pretty chilly out of the sun early on but Ogden Water was warm enough.

I had a long birding outing today, that included a walk to the bottom of Soil Hill's north slope, hoping for a migrant but not seeing one.

Later on a walk back from the Paper shop on School Lane, Bradshaw a Raven passed overhead calling, flying towards Oats Royd conifers.

Birds:-

Bradshaw - Soil Hill - Ned Hill Road.

3 Pheasant, Greenfinch, c20 Woodpigeon.

Magpie, Crow, Robin, Wren, Blackbird.

3 Curlew, 14 Meadow Pipit, 6 Skylark.

2 Heron (NK Pond), 2 Buzzard, 1 Lapwing.

1 Stock Dove, 2 Herring Gull.

Ned Hill - Ogden:-

4 Chaffinch, 2 Curlew, Pied Wagtail. Bullfinch.

Pr. Tufted Duck, Robin, Blackbird, Long Tailed Tit.

c15 Gulls on Ogden Water at One point included 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring, Common and Black-headed Gull.

Coal Tit, 2 Nuthatch, 2 Mistle Thrush, Blue Tit, Great Tit.

6 Treecreeper, 2 Buzzard, Pheasant.Wren.

(Nothing special see along Back Lane!).

Syke Lane - Bradshaw:-

2 Stock Dove, c50 Jackdaw, Long Tailed Tit.

Blackbird, Pheasant.

3 Curlew, 2 Meadow Pipit, Little Owl.

Greenfinch and a few others.

School Lane Shop to Home:

Raven, Song Thrush, Starling.

Mixenden - Redshank

Another very windy day with frequent showers.

It took a long time today for me to shift my fat rrrrrrrr's and find a small piece of birding enthusiasm.

After lunch I decided I would try Mixenden Reservoir ......  later......

Anyhow a  Calderdale Birders WhatsApp message came  through from DJS - NK had found a Redshank on Mixenden Reservoir - no more procrastination, so off I set in my car.

As I got to the top gate, the rain arrived at the top gate as well, and a man was walking a dog along the reservoir banking - just B great!

I was hoping to scan from the top gate so as not to scale the wall.

For one - I've only size one legs - and for two -  I was wearing my big numb wellies -  and for three - I had forgotten my new Amazon , Paper mâché lightweight foldable step ladder. 

After looking longingly through the top gate in the rain and and not seeing anything "red" - scale the wall was the only option -  luckily no one was watching my efforts.

Coming soon to Mixi.

It was very windy with squally showers.

I walked the 'west coast' then the 'north coast' then the 'east coast' then the 'south coast'.

When I got back to where I started a bobbing Wader was on the stones by the water's edge - nice - a redshank that made it all worthwhile. 

Cheers Nigel.

It 'flushed' when it saw me - making it more 'red' ? ho ho and flew to the far NE corner.

It was flushed a little later by 2 new dog walkers but landed again on the east side rocks.

Birds:-

1 Redshank.

c30 Gulls at one point included 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common and Herring Gulls.

5 Mallard.

Small flock of Long Tailed Tit.

A few very, very flighty Goldcrest flitting about in the west side conifers.

Mistle Thrush singing,

Chaffinch. Robin.

 

Bradshaw Fields and Farm Track

15:00 - 16:30

I had a mid-afternoon very windy birding walk along the local fields and farm tracks to Ned Hill Road bottom and back.

Not a lot happening in the strong wind.

Top of the shop was a flock of  c70 very flighty Meadow Pipits that were in the fields as I neared home.

Birds:-

Greenfinch, 2 Herring Gull.

4 Curlew. 3 Pheasant. c50 Jackdaw.

Goldfinch. Magpie. Crow.

5 Stock Dove. 4 Canada Geese. Buzzard.

Blackbird. Starling. Dunnock.

c70 Meadow Pipit.

Little Owl.

Cromwell Bottom NR

It was a bright 'cool' morning and I had a run down to Brighouse to check to see if the Shovelers, seen yesterday, were still here.

I was in luck with the 2 Drakes feeding on the lagoon.

Also the my first Chiffchaff of the year with several heard and a few seen as I had a short meander around, ending up in the excellent visitors centre 'cafe'.

After a coffee , wodge of Fruit Cake and cheese I had a further walk about before heading back to Bradshaw.

The Ski-lake had many Gulls but I did not see a 'special' - but that does not mean that there was not one (or two)  there!

Siskin were calling but I could not locate them.

I took a short video of another similar call - my Merlin-app suggests Redpoll... giving it a red circle - see what you think.

(Some) Birds:-

2 Greylag Geese.

2 Drake Shoveler.

2 Grey Wagtail.

Nuthatch.

Siskin.

2 Teal.

Male Goosander.

2 Buzzard.

4 Goldeneye (2 Drakes).

c6 Chiffchaff (Unless one was following me around).

3 Mute Swan.

4 Coot.

Eight Heron by the water's edge.

7 Black Headed Gull, 2 Common Gull, 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull,  c30 Herring Gull at one point.

Bradshaw - Ogden Water (Monday)

 10:00 - 14:0

A misty murky day today with the mist clearing and reforming as the day progressed never getting very bright.

I enjoyed a stroll across the fields to Ogden Water, a coffee and a Twix , then a circuit of the water.

I made a second visit to the visitors centre for a cuppa.

Terry M. arrived here just as I was about to leave, so we had a quick natter.

I was going to return home via Soil Hill but when I got to Syke Lane end, Soil Hill was shrouded in thick mist , so I returned the way I came.

I had an interesting chat with the farmer  and his missus, from Soil Hill End farm who I met near Syke Lane.

He was saying that in 1956 or thereabouts his father had received a frightening letter from The National Coal Board.

They were going to compulsory purchase his farm and fields.

They told him that there was a large seam of good coal that ran from Syke Lane , north-ish, through his farm and beyond.

They said that the coal would be removed by open cast mining.

However - no further correspondence was received on the matter - strange that - and nothing materialised!

40  species today.

Birds:-

Starling, House Sparrow, Goldfinch.

3 Pheasant, Blue Tit, 4 Curlew.

Pied Wagtail, Little Owl, Woodpigeon.

Crow, Magpie, Jackdaw,

Wren, Dunnock, Blackbird,

Robin, 4 Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush.

Meadow Pipit, Bullfinch, 2 Buzzard.

4 Black Headed Gull, 1 Herring Gull, 4 Stock dove.

3 Common Gull, Mallard,2 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Chaffinch.

Great Tit, 2 Canada Geese, Great Spotted Woodpecker - drumming.

Tawny Owl Called, Long Tailed Tit, Reed Bunting.

Heron, Rook, Greenfinch. Feral Pigeon.

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

On A very dull quite cool afternoon I did my usual birding walk to Ogden Water and back.

Not a lot happening but I did manage to clock up 42 Species, which for me is pretty good.

(Some) Birds:

c45 Lapwing - Shay Fields.

Pr. Tufted Duck.

Buzzard.

Moorhen.

2 Heron.

Kestrel.

4 Curlew

2 Meadow Pipit.

Little  Owl - heard from Ned Hill Track.

3 Song Thrush.

Mistle Thrush.

Siskin.

Big Carrion Crow.