BRADSHAW RAMBLER:
A report on the birds seen by an amateur birder on his regular rambles
through Bradshaw, Halifax, West Yorkshire and beyond.
I had just a short walk across the local fields to Ned Hill Road and back this afternoon.
Windy but dry.
Birds:-
Blackbird, Starling, House Sparrow, Wren.
4 Curlew, Little Owl, Dunnock.
4 Stock Dove, Pied Wagtail. Pr. Mallard.
Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch.
Long Tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit , Blue Tit.
Jackdaw, Magpie, Crow, Woodpigeon.
6 Linnet, c30 Meadow Pipit. Robin.
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull.
9:00 - 14:15
The rain, hail and blizzards finally migrated east leaving a lovely sunny morning but with a bitter wind on Soil Hill top.
On Soil Hill I thought I'd got one of todays target birds but I was mistaken and a "Wee Tear" ran down my cheek - soft sod what I am.
Some welcome good exercise and some good chat while I ate my butties at the Ogden Water "cafe" but nothing new on the bird front alas.
As I trudged around today I remembered an English lesson I had at school - 150 years ago?
We were learning about authors and after the lesson the teacher asked questions to see if we had been paying attention.
The teacher said to Johnny Smith - "Johnny, give me a sentence with the word pseudonym it it".
After some thought Johnny replied:-
"My brother Jimmy was washing dad's car. He put half a bottle of Fairy washing up liquid in the water in the bucket. Very soon he had some "Sud on him".
Birds:-
Bradshaw Lane to Ogden Lane.
3 Starling.
A weird call from Taylor Lane lower midden as a Partridge sized bird flushed from distance.
2 Grey Partridge flushed from Soil Hill West side banking.
2 Linnet. Woodpigeon. Greenfinch.
Dunnock. 2 Pied Wagtail. 18 Meadow Pipit.
4 Curlew. 3 Skylark.
Moorhen. 3 Canada Geese. Mallard.
3 Pheasant. 2 Lapwing. Kestrel.
Stock Dove. 2 Buzzard.
Ogden Area:
Goldcrest. Chaffinch.
Coat Tit. Blue Tit. Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit.
Mistle Thrush, Pheasant.
Chiffchaff. Wren. Goldfinch.
3 Herring Gull.
Skye Lane - Bradshaw Farms/Fields:
4 Meadow Pipit. c50 Jackdaw.
4 Stock Dove. Blue Tit,
3 Linnet, Long Tailed Tit. Dunnock.
2 Curlew. Goldfinch, Greenfinch,
Little Owl.
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.
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.
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.
