Bradshaw - Ogden Water - Soil Hill (Summit) - Bradshaw

9:15 - 13:40

A very dull quite nippy sort of day - but dry.

The wind 'got up' as I was on Soil Hill summit making for a cold trudge along the top. 

It was good to chat with Pat and Steve in the Ogden visitors 'cafe' and also Chris who was working there today.

A Swan-Gull was on Ogden Water when I arrived - just "Swan-Gull" was all.

A Buzzard was calling from far over the north side and what I thought was a second Buzzard was calling near to me.

The second Buzzard was actually a Jay that was in a tree next to me - a really excellent mimic.

Birds:-

2 Little Owl (1 Ward's Garden. 1 Syke Lane Area Wall).

1 Reed Bunting.

5 Linnet.

3 Chiffchaff.

3 Mistle Thrush.

2 Herring Gull.

5 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

2 Drake Tufted Duck.

3 Buzzard.

2 Drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker (1 East Ogden. 1 West Ogden).

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker "Test Drilling" a nest hole heard several times - seen but no photo.

1 Jay.

1 Raven.

4 Curlew.

Greenfinch.

1 Kestrel.

6 Skylark.

3 Meadow Pipit.

c30 Starling.

Rook.

"A good few" Fieldfare in the trees behind Rabbit Dell, Taylor Lane, chattering - just 4 visible.

Later 4 left the trees for the nearby fields, left loads chattering.

Woodpigeon.

Coal Tit.

Blue Tit.

Great Tit.

Robin.

Wren,

Blackbird.

Carrion Crow.

Magpie.

Jackdaw.

Feral Pigeon,

Mallard.

4 Pheasant.

6 Stock Dove.

1 Song Thrush.

Dunnock.

Pied Wagtail.

Goldfinch.

Chaffinch.

At least 6 Goldcrest Ogden Water.

1 Very Large Gull over Back Lane - Probably a Lesser BB Gull.

Bradshaw Area

A cooler dullish kind of day today and just a couple of birding walks for me.

One this morning and one this afternoon to Ned Hill Road and back.

A few birds were seen but not the one(s) I was hoping for - better luck tomorrow perhaps.

Birds:-

Mistle Thrush. 2 Meadow Pipit.

3 Curlew. Little Owl. 2 Kestrel.

6 Stock Dove. 2 Chiffchaff.

2 Pied Wagtail. 6 Linnet.

Song Thrush. Coal Tit, Greenfinch.

2 Mallard. Long Tailed Tit. Heron.

c40 Fieldfare calling > N

and a few others.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill Etc Saturday

12:15 - 15:40

Another very pleasant sunny day today when I was hoping for a visit from Granddaughter Abi - but she has had a fall at school and twisted her ankle badly and cannot walk on it at the moment.

This afternoon I did my usual birding walk through the fields and up to Soil Hill.

I braved the north slope and the morass area as well today - I'm going for a lie down soon.

(Some) Birds:

Bradshaw Fields Farms:

2 Curlew. Goldfinch. Buzzard.Song Thrush.

5 Linnet. 2 Pied Wagtail. Dunnock.

Probable Redwing. 

Soil Hill Area:

Curlew calling and mobile.

4 Partridge Sp flushed from east summit area.

Heron.

"Displaying" Dunnock pr.

4 Meadow Pipit.

2 Goldcrest - North Slope Treeline.

1 Common Snipe.

Lapwing.

22 Fieldfare - North Slope Treeline.

c40 Fieldfare > N - Taylor Lane.

"Dribs and Drabs" of mobile Fieldfare also.

Bradshaw Lane:

2 Little Owl.

2 Buzzard.

Probably a Redwing above.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill - Bradshaw

13:15 - 16:20

A thick mist hung around this morning finally shifting just after 1 p.m. when the sun came along.

The mist started to drift back in again this afternoon and the temperature dropped like a stone (or 6.35kg).

I went along the fields, through the farms up Ned Hill Road, up Soil Hill and down the north slope to the bottom tree line.

I hung around here for 30 minutes or so - the only unusual bird was one that was very, very high above the pylons, that seemed to go no where - but I could not get it in the camera viewfinder before I lost it - the bird not the viewfinder.

Home was via a cold Percy Road and Taylor Lane as the mist made a comeback.

Birds:-

Bradshaw to Ned Hill Track.

2 Curlew, Pheasant, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Chaffinch.

Lapwing, Buzzard, 4 Mallard, 2 Meadow Pipit, Wren.

60+ Jackdaw, Crow, Magpie. Linnet, Song Thrush. 4 Stock Dove.

Pied Wagtail, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird

Ned Hill Track to Soil Hill (+ North Slope).

4 Skylark, 2 Linnet, 4 Meadow Pipit, 4 Canada Geese, Blackbird.

Wren, Dunnock, Goldfinch. 2 Lapwing. Moorhen.

Unidentified bird very high as mentioned earlier.

Large Gulls calling probably Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Percy Road to Home.

2 Pied Wagtail. 2 Curlew. 4 Greenfinch.

28 Fieldfare (Tylor Lane).

Mistle Thrush.

Little Owl.

2 Buzzard.

The Titch Does a Twitch

9:30 - 14:15.

Another sunny day today but a chilly NE breeze took the edge off the temperature early on.

A Calderdale Birder's WhatsApp from DJB (who was on the Soil Hill north slope) reported a scarce bird.

This sent me all a twitch, so I went up there (and down there) to look for it.

I had a long stand at the bottom of the north slope without any joy and at half eleven-ish I sloped off to Ogden frustrated.

Oh - The birds name - well I'm not saying but it reminded me of the time I messed up my "User Login".

(Alternate spelling per my big lexicon).

I did a circuit of Ogden and went home via the farm track.

Birds:

Bradshaw to Soil Hill:

Whoopers Swans just visible on Mixenden.

2 Mistle Thrush. 5 Pied Wagtail. 5 Skylark. 3 Curlew.

5 Meadow Pipit. Heron.

1 Buzzard,

2 Golden Plover > SSE.

Moorhen, Lapwing.

2 Grey Partridge flushed from west side.

3 Long Tailed Tit.

2 Linnet.

Ogden to Home:

18 Whooper Swan.

4 Tufted Duck. (3 Drakes).

2 Lesser Black-backed, 2 Black Headed, 2 Herring and 1 Common Gull.

Mistle Thrush.

3 Chiffchaff.

2 Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming.

Bullfinch,

3 Stock Dove.

3 Curlew.

Lapwing - Bradshaw Fields.

3 Meadow Pipit.

Buzzard over my house.

Bradshaw and Soil Hill

12:30 - 15:30

The sun shone all day today and I used some of it's solar power to 'dry me smalls' on the washing line this morning.

After my gruel and half beaker of water for lunch I walked along the Bradshaw Fields, through the farms, up Ned Hill Road, over Soil Hill summit.

I returned the same way as I came - walking backwards obviously.

I was garbed in "Heat Wear" hoping for an 'anagram' of same - but even  lots of looking failed to find any anagrams.

Birds:

Bradshaw Area:

Little Owl. Canada Geese.

3 Meadow Pipit. Starling. Herring Gull.

Greenfinch, 2 Mistle Thrush, 2 Wren, Blue Tit. Great Tit.

2 Dunnock. Blackbird. Song Thrush.

Jackdaw. Crow, Magpie.

3 Pheasant. Robin. Goldfinch. House Sparrow.

Coal Tit. 2 Mallard. 1 Skylark.

Pied Wagtail. Feral Pigeon. Woodpigeon.

2 Curlew. Robin.

Ned Hill and Soil Hill Area:

3 Pied Wagtail. Feral Pigeon. Woodpigeon.

Wren. Pheasant. 5 Skylark.

Starling. 2 Curlew. c7 Meadow Pipit (not as flighty as sometimes).

4 Lesser Black-backed Gull. 

A Partridge that flushed early and flew quite silently from Soil Hill summit was prpbably a Grey Partridge but I did not get enough on it.

2 Red Legged Partridge ran along Ned Hill Track.

2 Mallard. Moorhen. 

Large birds on Mixenden ,miles off in the shimmer,seen from Soil Hill top were probably Canada Geese.

and no doubt a few that I've not written in me little note boooook.