Soil Hill

I took the car to Soil Hill walked 200 yds and came home again today.

3 Engineers were on the Comms Mast talking in a lingo I did not understand.

The earth moving situation has been 'enhanced' since my last visit.

After 150 yds the main track is cover in a high earth mound.

The other path left is very overgrown.

It was too hot today, even on Soil Hill , and I only had a very short time window today.

Birds:-

Linnets, Swallows, Meadow Pipits were about all.

Bradshaw Fields

 A very short, hot, walk along the local field late morning, was , as expected a quiet affair.

Plenty of Jackdaws as per usual but I only went over 2 fields and not as far as the farms or Ned Hill Road bottom.

Kestrels were very distant and one in particular was being mobbed by Crows..

A Rook was in the Horse field, but I did not locate any Little Owls, which was disappointing.

Swallow were noisy and very high -Juv's I think.

Later, high, over the garden Lesser Black-backed Gulls were circling .

Good to hear Greenfinch calling from the garden - heard every day now.

Birds:

2 Kestrel - maybe 3.

c10 Swallow.

Rook.

Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Ringstone (3rd visit on the trot)

"Out and about" yet again this morning and approaching lunchtime we made a detour to Barkisland Post Office.

The pies are proving too substantial on the "waste" line so today we shared a Ham Salad sandwich.

We did cheat a bit with a Jenny's ice cream tub each.

After scran we had a very quick look at Ringstone.

The nesting Great Crested Grebes are no longer on their nest.

I located them in the NE corner, asleep on the water.

I could not locate and chick(s) though.

It was good to pick out a Common Sandpiper in among the east side stones as I looked into the glare.

Birds:-

2 Great Created Grebe.

2 Heron.

2 Cormorant.

1 Common Sandpiper.

Oystercatcher heard (No sign of the chick).

2 Tufted Duck.

Mallard.

Lapwing.

Black Headed and Lesser Black-backed Gull.

2 Sand Martin.

1 Swallow.

Probably not done the place justice today with lack of time to look properly.

Close but no cigar

Ringstone Reservoir Barkisland - Again

Another very short  lunchtime visit to Ringstone Reservoir while we were 'out and about' .

No big Chicken Curry Pie for lunch today with the post office shut on Sundays - had to settle for a small two fingered Kit Kat!

4 way traffic lights in Ripponden took us ages to get through - no road works - just the lights????

Iffy weather again today with some drizzle but not as windy as yesterday.

Birds were more or less the same as yesterday really.

Birds:-

Little Grebe.

Oystercatcher with one chick.

2 Heron.

Black Headed Gulls.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Lapwings.

Great Crested Grebe ( One only seen today).

4 Tufted Duck.

13 Mallard.

Ringstone Reservoir Barkisland

We had a very short visit to Ringstone Reservoir at lunchtime today.

I had a look from the SW corner before parking on the road and having short Gander from the NE corner.

Just bins - no scope - so a bit of a stretch to see much clearly.

The weather was unkind, dry and bright on our way there, dry and bright while I ate my Barkisland Post Office chicken curry pie, in the car, for lunch.

Fine drizzle in the breeze waited for me until I'd left the car, then said hello - rotten sod what it was.

Birds:-

Little Grebe (juv.), Pr, Great Crested Grebe.

4 Cormorant, Oystercatcher,

2 Heron, Moorhen.

4 Tufted Duck.

Quite a few Gulls looked to be all Lesser Black-backed or Black Headed Gull.

I could not pick out a Med Gull.

There were a few Juv. Black Headed Gulls present.

Difficult to get any good Gull photos today.