A Hot Jaunt

10:45 - 15:00

First off this morning I enjoyed a cool  exercise walk up to the Raggalds and back with no heavy camera or bins.

I intended to sit back, do the crossword and chill out for the rest of the day, but after a short time the boredom overtook me, so I made me sen a sarnie, stuffed it in me small rucksack, got me boots on and went for a birding jaunt.

I went along the fields to Ogden, around Ogden Water up Ned Hill Road and up and over Soil Hill then down Taylor Lane to home.

Noticeably less birdsong now as summer progresses but there were a few goodies on offer today,

Top of the shop were three Little Owl (2 Bradshaw, 1 Syke Lane Ogden), also a Weasel scuttled across Ogden Lane.

The climb up to Soil Hill was good exercise if a tad hot but. apart from 2 Whitethroat seen at the top of the 'oblique' path,  and 2 Willow Warblers, Soil Hill was pretty dead.

Ogden water was not overcrowded for a Sunday really, so it was a  bonus and a pleasant circuit today - and as usual a nice place to have a coffee while you nosh your tripe sarnie.

Birds:

Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Rook, Chaffinch, Magpie.

27 Swallow, 2 Pheasant, Crow, Goldfinch, Greenfinch.

Feral Pigeon, c60 Black Headed Gull, 2 Common Gull, C200 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Herring Gull.

1 Grey Wagtail, 5 Tufted Duck,3 Heron, 5 Canada Geese, 1 Oystercatcher.

Nuthatch, Bullfinch, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit.

Blackbird, Robin, 1 Jay, Wren, Dunnock.

Great Crested Grebe, 2 Pied Wagtail, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Whitethroat. 2 Stock Dove.

House Sparrow, 2 Meadow Pipit, Buzzard. 3 Little Owl. c50 Mallard. Moorhen.

Above a couple of photos from Bradshaw fields -  yesterday evening.

Scolding Whitethroat.

Juv. Black Headed Gull.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Common Gull.

 

Ogden Water - Common Scoter

12:40 - 15:10

A damp cool  misty morning took until after lunch to brighten up and then the usual hot sunny weather arrived.

After a  WhatsApp message this morning from B.S. of a Common Scoter and a Great Crested Grebe on Ogden Water I though I'd repeat yesterday's walk this afternoon.

It was good to  chat with Leela and Alison in the visitors centre as I had my usual coffee and choc-choc.

I was in luck today with both the Common Scoter and Great Crested Grebe still present when I arrived here.

Birds:-

Common Scoter -  keeping to the middle as usual.

Great Crested Grebe.

Robin. Magpie, 12 Swallow. Goldfinch. Chaffinch. Blackbird.

Woodpigeon. Wren. Linnet. Coal Tit. Crow.

Song Thrush. 

Black Headed, Lesser Black Backed Gulls in good numbers.

1 Herring Gull. 1 Common Gull.

Blue Tit. Great Tit. 8 Canada Geese. 2 Nuthatch.

1 Tufted Duck.

A Treecreeper was 'mobbed' by a feisty Coal Tit that wanted to investigate the same piece of bark  (as if).

6 'young' Mallard Ducking and yesterdays' 3 good sized Duckling looked to be only 2 today.

Ogden Area

9:30 - 12:00

The really hot oppressive weather has cooled down (for a while) and today I had my first decent birding walk in a week.

I walked along the track opposite Coal Lane., Ogden across Back Lane and around Ogden Water a couple of times.

With a  nice cooling breeze for company it was an enjoyable outing and Ogden Water is now showing some shore line and some mud at the north ends - so with a bit of luck this will attract a Wader or two in the next few months.

I called at the cafe for a coffee and a Kit-Kat and it was good to see Pat and Cheryl.

The place was doing a roaring trade this morning.

Every time I see nesting Swallows there seems to be Magpies giving them grief.

Today was no exception when, soon after starting my walk along the track, I came across 2 Swallow mobbing a Magpie by the stables there.

I wonder if the Magpie is the reason for so few Swallows appearing near me now.

Birds:

2 Swallow. A flock of 10 Goldfinch with many calling throughout the walk.

Magpie.

1 Curlew called a couple of time north of Back Lane.

Blackbird. c60 Mallard.

3 well grown Mallard Duckling sailing close to a Heron.

Woodpigeon. Crow. 

Many Coal Tit and Wren calls.

Chaffinch. c60 Black Headed Gull. c100 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

2 Herring Gulls.

Nuthatch. Blackcap. 3 Tufted Duck. Blue Tit. Robin.

Pheasant. Greenfinch.

Garden and Local Fields:

Also ,,  I had a couple of short stints in the garden and local fields earlier last week.

Swallow. Buzzard. Bullfinch.

And a few photos from nearer home earlier.

Ringstone Reservoir - Barkisland

12:45 - 14:00

I had a call to make at Sowerby Bridge this morning and afterwards I took the opportunity to visit Ringstone as I was 'in the area'.

A very warm outing (25 degrees on the car) with a warm breeze.

Birds:-

5 Swallow.

Reed Bunting.

5 Black Headed Gull.

c6 Pied Wagtail

Greenfinch.

2 Great Crested Grebe.

8 Mallard.

c15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

1 Tufted Duck.

3 Cormorant.

c40 Lapwing.

4 Swift.

Heron.

2 Herring Gull.

Bradshaw Fields

14:00 - 16:15

I enjoyed a short wander along the local fields and farm tracks to Ned Hill Road and back this afternoon.

A blowy, mild, dull outing.

Birds:-

2 Swallow, House Sparrow, Jackdaw.

Crow, Rook, Magpie.

1 Whitethroat, 1 Kestrel, 1 Meadow Pipit.

Chaffinch, Wren, Blackbird.

1 Little Owl.

Starling, Dunnock.

3 Oystercatcher. 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

(And a Fox).

Bradshaw - Soil Hill

14:45 - 17:00

I have had Abi to stay for a couple of very enjoyable days when her school was closed for   a teacher training day on Friday.

This afternoon I enjoyed a walk up Taylor Lane, over Soil Hill summit, down the north slope and back home the same route.

Just a few flushing Meadow Pipit on Soil Hill top where it was extremely windy.

I will soon need a machete to tackle the overgrowth that is the North Slope path, where the grass and brambles are higher than me - so 2 feet high.

Out of the wind it was a mild day but mega dull, but it stayed dry for me.

Birds:-

3 Whitethroat (1 bottom of North Slope, 2 Taylor Lane).

Greenfinch. 4 Swallow. 1 Swift. Woodpigeon. Magpie.

Crow. 5 Blackbird. c20 Meadow Pipit. c20 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

2 Herring Gull. 5 Blackbird. 2 Skylark.

Blue Tit, Willow Warbler. House Sparrow, Chaffinch.

Caught Out By The Draught

I was caught out by the draught this morning. I intended to walk over Soil Hill to Ogden but when I left the house in my summer 'dress' I realised that I had dropped a clanger when the cold stiff draught of 'summer' infiltrated my draught excluders.

I checked the 502 bus timetable and managed to leg it down Bradshaw Lane , with some bit of squally rain for company, in time to catch the 10:07 bus 'alighting' at Ogden.

Ogden had three seasons today - spring, summer and autumn.

The worst of the cold wind was along the promenade but the west side was sheltered and in the sun out of the wind it was quite warm.

Nothing new at Ogden really and I kept on the low path home along Syke Lane , the farms track and the fields.

Birds:-

2 Heron. Black Headed Gull. Lesser Black-backed Gull. Herring Gull.

Wren. Crow. 5 Tufted Duck. Coal Tit. Blackcap. Robin. 8 Canada Geese.

Long Tailed Tit. Willow Warbler. Chaffinch. Mallard. 2 Chiffchaff.

Blue Tit. Great Tit. Woodpigeon. Goldfinch. Magpie. 6 Swallow.

A sky full of Jackdaw.

Dunnock. Little Owl. Pheasant. 4 Stock Dove. Starling. 2 Mistle Thrush.

Kestrel.

2 Mallard Duckling in the dark north end intake bit.

Kestrel - Thanks to AC.