A Stonking Stomp!

9:45 – 16:45.

A beautiful sunny day for a ramble:-

Bradshaw Farms - Odgen Road - Bridleway to Thornton Moor Res - Sandy Gallops -Denholme Gate - Asa Nicholson’s - Well Heads - Thornton - Old Railway Link Path -West Scholes - Mountain-Bradshaw.

A lovely hike over the moors and beyond, with a bonus of a Green Woodpecker seen within 1 mile of the start.

The moors were extremely quiet with just the occasional call of Red Grouse, the ubiquitous Magpie and an odd Kestrel for company.

Just after Thornton Moor Res. a farmer mentioned that he may have seen a Curlew flying in amongst the crows over Oxenhope but he was not sure. I said I though it was too soon for Curlew and I did not hear any calls whilst on the moor.

A well earned stop at Asa Nicholson’s was followed by a walk on Well Heads field paths to Thornton. We then took the old railway path towards Queensbury before leaving it for West Scholes. Here we headed to Mountain and back home to Bradshaw.

Birds spotted:-

Starling c50 on a pylon on Well Heads: 
Blue Tit: Great tit: Jackdaw: Kestrel 2: Blackbird:
Green Woodpecker: Mistle Thrush 6: 
Robin : Mallard: Woodpigeon 8: Chaffinch :

Lapwing (18 flying towards Soil hill from Sandy Gallops). Greenfinch 4: Dunnock: 
Magpie count throughout the day 24: Jay: BHG 6: Collard Dove: Pied Wagtail 3: House Sparrow c10:

Red Grouse – heard but not seen.

Today's post.

I fell asleep counting them.