Shibden Park

 We took Abigail to Shibden Park this morning to feed the birds.

A beautiful sunny outing and the park was not too busy early on.

 While Abi and Sue were in the play area and later while when they had a boat and train ride I had a long look around the lake and in the woods.

Nothing special came along, in fact the woods were mega quiet, with just Robins singing.

A Raptor, high, east, was the highlight - a Sparrowhawk I believe.

A text from PD this afternoon, of an Osprey over his area, had me scanning South of me.

Its would be a long way from Bradshaw, and although I did get a 'large bird' moving slowly way over to the west It could have been "anything".

I did get a photo of a large Gull from the garden? 

But it could be a Cormorant or a Diver species?

Or maybe another Osprey? 

Now where are those straws I'm clutching at?

Birds:-

Sparrowhawk, Black Headed Gull, Mute Swan, Coot, Moorhen.

Canada Goose, Robin, Wren.

A few large Gulls over was about all.

Plenty of Robins singing though.

From the garden sky watch this aft:-

(not the 'PD' bird - could not get anything on that)

Bradshaw Area - Friday

Some shorth-ish walks from home out and about today.

Holdsworth - Fields Nr. Home - Raggalds.

Not a lot about.

c50 Gulls have taken a liking to a brown field , west of Green Lane below the Raggalds.

2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Swallow, Jay.

5 Mistle Thrush, Wren.

Little Owl, Kestrel, 2 Meadow Pipit and a few others.

c43 Linnet on a power line.

Raven over the Garden

Thursday Afternoon:-

11 Mistle Thrush & a

Raven seen from the garden.

Thornwick Bay Nr. Flamborough Head

A short break with friends at Thornwick Bay Nr. Flamborough Head this week.

Some nice weather, except for Tuesday, when it poured down all day long.

Just 2 very short birding outings, one, a short walk from the caravan park, through pratie fields , down to the coast and second a short hour at the Thornwick Pools bird hide.

The wet weather made very little impression on the pools, which are very bereft of juice.

Not much at the pools and the birds present were as far from the hide as physically possible!

The sun was awkward as well, so the photos are very disappointing.

Some Birds:

Thornwick Pools:

Green Sandpiper and what looked like a second Sandpiper at time was probably a Snipe with its back to me.
(Don't think I've good a Wood Sandpiper because of the breast patterning).

A few Coot, Moorhen , Teal, Snipe and Mallard.

Juv. Stock Dove (as opposed to Juv. Wood Pigeon - cannot detect any white in the wing and the tail does not seem as long)

A Lyndon Baines Johnson that came to drink, looked "big" but is probably a Meadow Pipit,

Grey Wagtail.

Moving around to the 'derelict' hide, better for the sun position, but the Waders were hidden by the grasses - Linnets were on a line with Goldfinch and a Teal, Snipe and Green Sandpiper popped up (and popped down) quickly.

Short walk to the coast:

Yellowhammer, Kestrel. Whitethroat.

Lots of Linnet.

Fulmar and Gannet along the cliffs with the usual species here.

A dead Gannet in the sea was providing breakfast for a Large sub-adult  Gull.

(Possibly a Great Black-backed Gull.)

On Monday, on a walk to Flamborough Head along the coastal path.....

200+ Geese came into land, looked to be in the right formation for Pinkies, right time of year as well.

No bins and no camera but thanks to DJS who ascertained that they had been reported on  TREK - Canada Geese.

Earlier in the week - Nearer home:

Heron and a Peregrine Falcon.

Green Sandpiper's Tail on exit!

Local Walk - With Bradshaw Birds Moribund.

Abi with us today, just a short walk this aft and a short bit of sky watch.

From the a garden a Kestrel was hunting over Roper Lane and a Mistle Thrush over the house plus a few Gulls.

Walk:

3 Mistle Thrush were seen from the Bradshaw fields and nearing Bradshaw school 4 Large Gulls were 'miles off' in the fields,

One Sub-adult Gull had a strange leg colour a light coloured bill with a black tip on a 'large' head - it had me thinking Yellow Legged Gull.

However there is no way I can tell from this distance and photo.

Would be difficult for me to ID sub-adult YLG it perched on me 'ed!

During August and September it  has been a real struggle to find anything special locally, but hopefully some migrant birds might  appear soon. Thanks for tuning in.

A Very Quiet Bradshaw

 2 strolls about this afternoon / evening around the Bradshaw Area.

First down to Holdsworth and back a humid, clammy affair with black skies and the odd drop of wet.

Second stroll along my usual Fields to Mathew's Farm and back.

The first outing was " mega disappointing" with just a few Gulls on the factory roof at Holdsworth, worthy of note.

I fared a little better this evening.

No Raptors in the sky watch today.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew into the tree opposite.

(It did not hurt itself though) 

A Tawny Owl was calling last night, heard through the open window.

I had a look out of the window , but there is far too much lighting to see anything.

Birds (Evening):

Little Owl.

1 Mistle Thrush.

3 Red Legged Partridge.

Wren.

Starlings and c60  Linnet on a wire.

Garden and Doorway Sky Watch!

After a moody sky all morning the forecast thunder storm eventually arrived late afternoon with some rain.

It sounded like Northowram area were getting a lot more of the storm than Bradshaw.

I just managed an hours sky watch in the garden (moving to the doorway for shelter when the storm arrived).

I was watching the area above the Oats Royd conifers where there were a few Swallows and Raptors about.

5 Separate sighting of Raptors this afternoon - all probably Sparrowhawk.

However, one particular small looking Raptor, glided past the Swallow, with the Swallow not mobbing it at all?

The rest of the  them were accompanied by mobbing Crows - even when the downpour came, the Crows kept up the relentless pursuit of any Raptors in their air space.

The distance and the heavy rain mean that the photos are probably worse that useless but I've posted a few of the 'better' ones anyway.

I could not see the birds in the viewfinder, of my camera, at this zoom level, so I just pointed it in the general direction an hoped for the best!

Also passing were a large flock of small birds that were probably Goldfinch, although I cannot get any colour into the photo.

At one point 12 Mistle Thrush landed on a Pylon near home.

Funnily enough it was quite enjoyable watching from the door way and the thunder roared and the lightening flashed occasionally.

Cropped from above.