Birding Bradshaw and District: Blizzard

Friday, 16 January 2015

Blizzard

After waiting and hour or two this morning, for the snow to decide if it was staying or going, I finally left home at 10:40 for a walk to Ogden and Soil Hill.

A Redwing was in the tree opposite the house.

The weather was quite kind for a short while. At the top of Ingham Lane a Greenfinch was calling from the leylandii plantation.

Ogden 11:11am.

The Christmas tree recycling was on hold today, presumably because of the bad weather, however the frequent snow showers still kept the birds at bay.

The Blue, Great & Coal Tit gang were in the usual place under the beech trees flitting about. A Long Tailed Tit was on the feeders.

The water was quiet with just small Gulls and Mallard – no sign of the Little Grebe today.

I went for a stroll up the intake stream looking for a Dipper but instead came across a Treecreeper and a Dunnock.

The usual Robins were in attendance and a LTT made an appearance on the feeders.

I decided to give Soil Hill a go, walking to it via the plantation area. The snow came thick and fast as I left Ogden and on arrival at the plantation had turned into a blizzard. This was an excellent place to be in these conditions with the large pine trees offering some great protection from the wind and snow.

I decided to have my sarnies here and I waited 45 mins for the weather to improve.

I retraced my steps and decided on Ogden Lane and Ned Hill instead of the Pottery route to Soil Hill.

Soil Hill was very pretty and I did not expect to see much - and I was right – just 2 Carrion Crow awaiting some birdseed.

A nice surprise awaited me on Taylor Lane ,however , in the shape of a single Fieldfare feeding in the fields with 4 Starling. My first Fieldfare this year.

A pr. Dunnock were in the entrance of Grey Horse Farm and as per usual the sun came out just as I got home allowing me to leave the boots out to dry.

An hour and two heavy snow showers later, I realised where I’d left my boots – oops!