On Count Down.

I am on count down.

Sue will have her stitches out at Leeds, and a more mobile clog/shoe fitted in a couple of days.

She has to wear this for 4 weeks then we should be back to normal.

I can’t wait for a long hike to Hebden Bridge or Haworth.

I have been very fortunate recently, being left to my own devices and out and about walking nearly every day for 2 weeks.

The good news is that my daily walks will soon dwindle and so will this drivel.

Soil Hill & Ogden.

A stroll today with Stuart B. (Non birder – a bit like me – but at least I’m interested in them) so I was not allowed to dawdle about.

Soil Hill.

A report from a local man up there this morning.

He was on Soil Hill the other day and had seen 2 Sparrowhawks. They were perched on two posts. One of the Sparrowhawks would rise suddenly into the air maybe 50 feet before coming to land again on the same post. This performance was repeated a few times before the birds noticed him and dispersed.

It was quiet here today with a Mistle Thrush seen on the way up from Bradshaw and just 10 or so Meadow Pipits and 2 Skylark seen on a quick lap of the top footpath.

Looking down from the North contour path to the fields below revealed a flock of c30 Lapwing feeding.

Having gone 100 meters or so on the track opposite Coal Lane, a large Owl flew from a stone gatepost.

I only saw it for a few seconds – all I can say is it wasn’t a Little Owl.

In the conifers towards Ogden a GSW was in the trees and a F. Pheasant knocking about.

Ogden Water.

A quick circuit.

Usual gull sp ( a BHG with a Ring) and GCG ,No Cormorants or Little Grebe seen today. Plenty of Robins and Chaffinch but not a lot else.

Please see NK’s blog for an interesting review of his week on Soil Hill and Queensbury area.