Cromwell Bottom NR

18:30 - 19:30

A real grotty day in Bradshaw, brightened up just a tad after tea so I had a ride down to check out  Cromwell Bottom Ski-lake mostly.

Drizzle and dull murk here as well and what birds were zooming along the far side of the lake were a) zooming and b) difficult to see in the darkness.

An enjoyable hour nonetheless and it got me out from behind the four walls.

Birds:-

Sand Martin. Swallow. Buzzard.

2 Cormorant. 2 Chiffchaff. 

Goldfinch. Canada Geese.

Moorhen. 2 Coot. Song Thrush.

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Pr. Tufted Duck.

and a few others.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill (Sat)

12:00 - 14:30

I switched on the autopilot setting on me hiking boots and it took me unerringly to Soil Hill via the Bradshaw fields and farms again.

This is a copy and paste blog if ever there was one.

Cuckoo's were being reported in several locations via my Calderdale Birding WhatsApp but not by me.

I will see a Cuckoo this evening however, it will be the Cuckoo, cooks me tea, and  - that's me.

It was a tad on the chilly side as I set off but I was over dressed later when the sun shone.

Apart for lots of black flies things were quieter than yesterday on the hill - very few singers.

Birds:-

Bradshaw - Ned Hill Road.

Curlew. 2 Stock Dove, 2 Linnet. Wren. Whitethroat. Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Ned Hill - Soil Hill - Home.

7 Linnet. 4 Skylark. 2 Pheasants. Canada Goose. Curlew. 2 Buzzard. 5 Whitethroat.

3 Willow Warbler. 7 Meadow Pipit. 2 Lapwing. Moorhen. Herring Gull.

Oystercatcher called from the quarry area.

Oystercatcher Bradshaw Pond.

Garden:

Oystercatcher called.

Starling flitting back and forth.

Greenfinch. 

Swallow.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill (Fri)

With a very warm day forecast I headed off to Soil Hill this morning instead of this aft.

A distant horse in one of the fields had 5 Jackdaw on its back. Looked like they were collecting horsehair.

If it is for mattress making these Jackdaws are a lot cleverer than I've gave them credit for.

I'm still on the look out for a scarce Warbler, on the hill,  but so far they are not singing for me.

The bird of the day was Whitethroat with birds seen or heard in 3 different locations - Ned Hill Track - Soil Hill north slope - bottom of Bradshaw Lane.

A longish stand and an apple under the shade of a coolabah tree (not good with tree ID's) on the north slope was relaxing.

Birds:-

Bradshaw Fields to Ned Hill Road.

Little Owl ( The Owl was A.W.L. for a bit now it's O.W. L again).

2 Curlew. 4 Linnet. 2 Willow Warbler.

Ned Hill Road - Soil Hill.

3 Mistle Thrush. 3 Skylark. 2 Blackbird.

2 Swallow. 6 Linnet. 3 Willow Warbler.

Pheasant. 6 Meadow Pipit. Curlew. 3 Lapwing.

7 Whitethroat.

Percy Rd. Taylor Lane - Home.

6 Large Gulls.

6(4 + 2) Swallow. 

A Whitethroat sang at the bottom of Bradshaw Lane, just before the hoses start

Thursday nights's moon.

Whitethroat with a 'bug'

Another Trip To Soil Hill

A similar day weather wise to yesterday with lots of sun and wind and a bit warmer that yesterday.

After a boiler service this morning I went and had my ears lowered , and being fed up with eating caviar all the time, I settled for a hot ham roll and salad for lunch.

After lunch I enjoyed a slow stroll up to Soil Hill where the wind was, again, a feature.

I dropped down the north slope for 250 yds or so and it was apple and loiter time again with just 2 Whitethroat seen / heard today.

Home via the farms.

Birds:-

Up to Soil Hill.

2 Swallow. Greenfinch. Linnet.

Soil Hill Area to Ned Hill Road Bottom.

7 Linnet. 5 Skylark. 2 Meadow Pipit. 

1 Sand Martin low.

2 Lapwing. 4 Willow Warbler. 1 Blackbird.

2 Pheasant. 2 Whitethroat (very flighty).Dunnock.

Mallard. Curlew. Pied Wagtail.

2 Grey Partridge. Swallow.

Farms/ Fields.

5 Stock Dove. Wren. Pheasant.

Garden.

2 Swallow. 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull. Linnet.

An interesting Gull species ? very high > east - picture at the distance is not great but here it is. Probably a Lesser Black0backed Gull.

Spot the Linnet.

 

Bradshaw - Soil Hill - Bradshaw

12:30 -`14:45

After vaccing about yesterday morning, this morning I fed the big white whirling thing in the kitchen corner with my unmentionables and some other stuff.

A very, very windy clothes line got 'em dry ,free of charge before lunch , and after dashing away with my smoothing iron (remember that song?) .

SONG

I had me caviar and drip sandwich for lunch - what a life I lead - bet you are well jealous.

After me grub I headed off up Bradshaw Lane to Soil Hill where the cold wind was a dog making birding difficult.

A 50 yds walk down the north slope gave me some respite from the wind so I stood here eating me apple being serenaded and then scolded by Whitethroat.

Home was via the farm track and fields.

Birds:-

Bradshaw - Soil Hill - Ned Hill Track.

3 Swallow. 2 Skylark. 2 Stock Dove, 

Canada Goose. 2 Mallard. Moorhen.

3 Whitethroat (very mobile).

3 Willow Warbler. 1 Pheasant. Dunnock.

3 Meadow Pipit. 2 Linnet. 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Farm Tack & Bradshaw Fields.

1 Willow Warbler. Skylark. Chiffchaff.

2 Linnet. 7 Rook. 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

A potential Raven with the Rook but I don't normally see Raven in these fields?

and a few other species.

Potential Raven?

Bill looks right.

Bradshaw and Ogden

13:30 - 16:30

After a morning vaccing about I had a walk across the fields and through the farms to Ogden water.

There was a very cold sharp NNE wind blowing this morning so I wrapped up well before I left home.

Half and hour later the sun came out and at a very sheltered Ogden I fed one of my big jumpers to my backpack.

The rest of the walk was a bit perspire - eeeee.

Ogden Lane is closed for cars but several cars were still coming along it, and turning around at Back Lane bottom,  as I stood talking to Geoff the Farmer there.

Perhaps the 2 signs at the beginning of the lane "Road Closed" and "Access Only" were contradictory and confusing.

Before arriving at Ogden It was good to see a Whitethroat near Crabtree Hall Farm - can't remember seeing one here before.

At Ogden I did most of the circuit before heading off through the woods to have a look at Back Lane.

I came home on the low route giving Soil Hill a miss with this cold strong wind.

Birds:-

Whitethroat.

3 Linnet. 5 Chiffchaff. 30 Starling. Pied Wagtail. 4 Willow Warbler.

Heron. Mallard.

Treecreeper. 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker. Siskin.

4 Stock Dove. Lesser Black-backed Gull.

4 Swallow. 2 Curlew. Song Thrush, Goldcrest.

and a few others.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill etc

13:00 - 15:45

This morning, before it got too hot, I enjoyed a non-birding walk along the local lanes for an hour or so.

After lunch I 'enjoyed' a very hot walk up Bradshaw and Taylor Lane to Soil Hill.

The east side did have a nice breeze but elsewhere was very hot.

I sat on a banking at the top of the north slope , in the hot sun , eating an apple and gave the walk down to the bottom and the slog back up, two second thought before dismissing the idea.

Home was via the farms and Bradshaw fields.

Not many days like this on Soil Hill.

Birds:-

A Kestrel was soaring very high above Bradshaw Lane and a second Kestrel was hunting on Soil Hill.

Mallard. Canada Goose.
5 Meadow Pipit. 4 Skylark. 3 Linnet. 2 Pheasant.

2 Swallow. 3 Lapwing. 

2 Moorhen. 1 NK Pond. 1 Moorhen with 1 chick visible - very distant on the small west side 'stables' pond.

4 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Chiffchaff. 6 Willow Warbler.

3 Whitethroat (2 Top North Slope. 1 West side brambles).

1 Swallow past the garden earlier. Plus usual - and a Blackbird that has been singing  mostly from my roof ariel from 6am all day!

Kestrel over Bradshaw Lane above.

Kestrel - Soil Hill Top Above.