Bradshaw - Ogden Water

15:10 - 17:30 (Dusk).

A late outing today with lots of 'stuff' to do earlier.

The sun finally shone for while late on and the walk was quite pleasant although it got quite cool later on.

Not the best of times to visit Ogden Water - this late a lot of Gulls have been and gone.

Just the usual crew , mostly, again today but it was pleasing to see a Curlew in the Bradshaw Fields.

Birds:-

2 Pied Wagtail. 2 Pheasant. 1 Little Owl. 2 Greenfinch.

3 Black Headed Gull and c30 Common Gulls in Bradshaw Fields.

4 Canada Geese on Bradshaw Pond.

4 Goldcrest in one area around Ogden Water,

Goldfinch. Chaffinch. Mistle Thrush. Song Thrush.

4 Stock Dove.

Long Tailed Tit. Blue Tit, Great Tit. Coal Tit,

Blackbird. Dunnock, Robin.

Magpie, Carrion Crow. Jackdaw. Woodpigeon.

1 Canada Goose,Mallard, c30 Small Gulls on Ogden Water.

Curlew.

A Long Wet Birding Outing

11:40 - 16:30

It was BIG wash morning for me this morning using the white oblong whirling machine a few times.

Afterwards I decided to have an early lunch so I could enjoy a long birding extravaganza today.

(enjoy, birding and extravaganza , should be redacted from the above sentence).

I went up to and around Soil Hill Summit down to and around Ogden Water a couple of times before coming home via the farm track and fields.

I arrived at Ogden just as the rain did and it continued to rain for the next 3 hours, it eventually stopped raining at 15:15.

So boo - B****Y - hoo times two.

Birds were reluctant to appear in this wet stuff and two laps of Ogden Water produce nowt much at all.

The final hour was drier and in frustration I took a random photo of the distant Bradshaw Pond.

Low and Behold when I check this photo I had trapped an Oystercatcher in flight - well - that was a little bit of consolation anyway.

Birds:-

Bradshaw - Soil Hill  - Ned Hill Track:

Little Owl - Lower Bonnet Wall.

Greenfinch.

5 Skylark.

2 Stock Dove.

Curlew.

Chaffinch.

Dunnock.

Pied Wagtail.

Mistle Thrush.

Pheasant.

Wren.

Ogden Water - Bradshaw Farm Track and Fields:

A few Gulls included 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

c50 Small Gulls in fields off Syke Lane.

3 Pied Wagtail.

2 Mistle Thrush.

5 Song Thrush.

2 Pheasant.

Dunnock.

Little Owl - Ward's Garden.

Mallard.

Oystercatcher - Bradshaw Pond.

The iron is knocking on my cupboard door wanting to get warm.

Well it can Sod Off.

A Wet Hour At Ogden Water

14:10 - 15:15

It was a really dull morning today so I decided to throw some dosh around ALDI Clayton and fill up the cold, buzzing white oblong machines that sit brooding in my kitchen.

The afternoon turned out worse than the morning with heavy rain and a strong wind.

During what I thought was a break from the wet I drove over to Ogden Water.

The weather was very poor here with rain blown along on a strong wind.

The west side was OK with some shelter but birds were very scarce.

Birds:-

c15 Small Gulls, 5 Herring Gulls and 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull at one point.

4 Treecreeper and a few other species, but not much really.

Just a little camera today,

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.