Monday 18 March 2024

Brookfoot Ski-lake area

Another pleasant bright day today but it was cleaning day , among other things.

Raggalds Flood was bereft of birds again when I passed this morning.

We had a journey to make to Baliff Bridge mid afternoon and I had a very quick look at Brookfoot ski lake while Sue waited in the car by the fishing ponds.

Birds:-

Buzzard (over Priestley Green).

At least 4 singing Chiffchaff.

Moorhens and Coots.

1M 1F Goldeneye.

3 Cormorant (heads) sticking up above the banking.

Canada Geese.

Chaffinch.

Little Grebe singing constantly.

A very large Gull over is probably a Lesser Black-backed Gull.

A Curlew and a Little Owl were heard calling from the garden.


Little Grebe and Chiffchaff singing


Lesser Black-backed Gull.









Sunday 17 March 2024

Mostly Local

A half decent day today, mild and bright with some sunshine.

I enjoyed a couple of outings up the local fields , on the late afternoon outing, I carried on through the farms and over Soil Hill.

At dusk some big black threatening clouds came over Taylor Lane as I made my way home but fortunately the rain never materialised.

Earlier, after lunch, Sue and I had a short stroll along the Thornton cycle track.

Raggalds flood was bereft of birds.

Birds:-

Bradshaw / Soil Hill etc.

1 Curlew Bradshaw Fields & 3 Soil Hill Area.

4 Meadow Pipit.

3 Pheasant.

2 Little Owl (calling to one another).

Kestrel mobbed by crows.

1 Skylark.

2 Canada Geese.

Moorhen.

c20 Lapwing on Shay Fields - very rough estimate.

c33 Fieldfare over Taylor Lane at dusk looking for roost.

2 Grey and 1 Red Legged Partridge together.

Thornton Cycle Track.

3 Singing Chiffchaff.

3 Singing Song Thrush.

Buzzard.

Little Owl (heard).



Local:-





Thornton Cycle Track:-




Local and Soil Hill.




Fieldfare






Saturday 16 March 2024

Bradshaw Fields / Fly Flats Road etc PINTAIL

Sue's cough from hell still persists and her antibiotics have run their course.

It's 7 days now since Sue has been anywhere much and today to break her monotony we drove over to Cross Roads chippy, bought a fish butty to share, and ate it parked on Marsh Lane, Oxenhope looking over the moor. 

We had a look at the reservoirs along Fly Flats Road 'on our way home' from Oxenhope.

No scope with me which is probably needed here.

The Whoopers reported on the grapevine by DJS (via B.S.). were still in situ - looking very regal indeed - beautiful Birds.

Early morning I had a sky watch for an hour or so and I made 2 trips up the local fields giving them " a good coat of looking at " hoping  for some "A Weather" or an anagram thereof!!

Buzzards seem to be everywhere today with many sightings on the grapevine and Buzzard calls heard from my garden and at least 2 seen here and 2 seen on the local walk.

A lovely sunny morning, deteriorated this aft.

Bird of the day, though, was a Pintail Duck on Fly Flats Reservoir!!!

This Pintail Duck is a 1st for me in the Calderdale Area.

 Birds:-

Garden.

Bullfinch.

2 Buzzards,

Local Fields.

2 Buzzard - possibly more.

2 Curlew,

Herring Gull.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

1 Common Gull

1 Little Owl.

1 Stonechat.

8 Meadow Pipit.

Fly Flats etc.

2 Kestrel.

37 Whooper Swan.

At Least 9 Greylag Geese.

Canada Geese.

I took lots of high zoom random photos of the Fly Flats water from the road to look through.

Looks like it's paid off with a ..... Pintail Duck in one of them - result.










Pintail



















Friday 15 March 2024

Bradshaw - Soil Hill (again)

On a visit to Tesco this morning I stopped to have a look at Raggalds Flood.

It was bouncing down and again there was lots of juice and again no birds.

After lunch I had the usual stroll , in reverse order - Taylor Lane, Soil Hill main paths, Ned Hill, Farm Tracks.

A dull partially drizzly outing where it was very, very windy on Soil Hill especially the SW corner.

An enjoyable outing with a few birds here and there but the wind stopped the job mostly on The Hill.

Birds:

Pied Wagtail.

8 Mallard.

2 Meadow Pipit.

9 Canada Geese.

2 Moorhen,

43 Woodpigeon.

1 Skylark (singing).

2 Buzzard.

Possible Raven mobbing one of the Buzzards.

2 Curlew (heard).

2 Mistle Thrush.

2 Herring Gull.

2 Lesser Black-backed Gull,

c12 Fieldfare, very active moving about and chattering in the farm track trees.

Probably checking if they have all got their passports ready for the big trip.

Nice to see Fieldfare - always look aggressive to me.

1 Brown Hare.