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.

Fly Flatts

13:20 - 14:35

I had a drive out to Fly Flatts after lunch today - another dry, warm afternoon with a pleasant breeze.

A possibility of  Thunderstorms so when the weather changed I headed home this is not a place to be, out on the moor in a thunderstorm.

I got caught out at Gorple once, in a big wet thunderstorm , had to throw me pants away that day( not because they were wet!).

Anyway no thunderstorms this aft, here so far.

I walked the Fly Flatts public footpath along the north end of the water - there was a lot more 'juice in the pond' that I had expected with just a small amount of shoreline here and there.

It was good to be out and about on the moors with some beautiful scenery here - a real shame the place is marred by the fly tippers rubbish.

Mind you I took 4 small bags to the Halifax tip yesterday and it took me 32 minutes to get through, however I'm retired so it was no skin of my nose. (And if it was I got plenty of nose to go around).

Birds:-

Meadow Pipits in good numbers.

3 Wheatear.

Crow.

1 Common Sandpiper.

Canada Geese.

1 Pied Wagtail.

2 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

3 Stonechat.

2 Oystercatcher.

Most of the birds were miles off!!  

Local Fields

I had an hour or so up the local fields mid-afternoon today - a humid cloudy sort of day.

The usual species were seen but THREE Little Owl were very pleasing to watch.

Birds:-

Goldfinch, Greenfinch, 4 Chaffinch, Buzzard, 3 Swallow.

4 Lesser Black-backed Gull. 2 Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Meadow Pipit. Dunnock.

Robin. 2 Stock Dove. Wren. Blue Tit. Rook. Mistle Thrush.

50 plus Jackdaw.

4 Whitethroat.