Birding Bradshaw and District: Haworth

Thursday 2 April 2015

Haworth – Bradshaw

With a decent day in prospect, weather wise, we set off to Haworth.

We caught the 10:30 504 Bus from Bradshaw Church to Station Road Denholme. From here we caught the 696 bus to Crossroads arriving at 11:05.

Walk:

The walk starts from Crossroads and heads down the main road to Haworth passing the KWVR station. At the end of this road we continue straight ahead to pick up the Bronte Way path. This path follows the stream and railway line into Oxenhope. On arrival at Oxenhope station (12:30) the path joins the road, turns right over the stream and then turn left to follows the road. At the mini-roundabout we go straight ahead past the Co-op and at the end of the road we keep right ahead on a lane and then a path to pass behind houses and rise steeply to Leeming Reservoir.

After a light lunch we commenced the long climb towards Thornton Moor Reservoir. A signpost can be seen at the top of the fell a mile or so ahead.

The old bones complained a bit on the way up to the top. The path turns right at the top to rise steeply again on a stony track. At the top of the track Thornton Moor Reservoir can be seen over to your left.

This bridleway is now followed for a few miles to arrive near Ogden Reservoir (15:00)

We took the path following the Boggart Brig café signs and continued past the café to arrive on the main Keighley Road. A right turn here soon brought us to the Moorlands Pub (15:30).

After I had a pint of shandy we qualified for the early bird (starts at 16:00) and we enjoyed a beautiful meal at a very reasonable price. A few vino callapsoes later we arrived home at 17:45 having had an excellent day out.

Granddaughter for a few days from tomorrow .

Birds:

With such a beautiful day I was expecting at least one Wheatear - but no joy.

Approaching Haworth a Chiffchaff was singing and a second was heard later on by the stream.

Near Oxenhope a Nuthatch was calling and a Pr. Sparrowhawk was soaring above – the pics are poor though.

A Treecreeper landed close by and Moorhen flew from the stream and with plenty of birdsong there was a real spring like feel to a lovely section of the walk. Another Sparrowhawk flew over as we left Oxenhope.
A Song Thrush sat in a tree, looking very relaxed,and happily singing.

Leeming Reservoir was quiet with the usual Mallard and 13 Canada Goose on the water a Chiffchaff singing and a few Wren about.

I spent a good while trying to I.D a ‘raptor’. It was in the trees above the Leeming intake stream. It eventually came into view as a Mistle Thrush.

On the long climb from Leeming there were Meadow Pipit displaying , soaring into the air and slowly descending. A Pheasant, a single Oystercatcher calling and a fly past of 3 Curlew took my mind off the climb.

At the top we stopped for a breather watching a Kestrel perched in a tree top, periodically leaving the tree in pursuit of Meadow Pipit (by the looks of it) to return empty ‘handed’ to the tree.

A Diver could be seen on TMR but it was too distant to ID.

There were numerous Gulls, Mallards and Canada Geese on TMR but too distant to really see properly.

The walk from TMR to Ogden was a poor affair with just a few Meadow Pipit, no Red Grouse which was a surprise.

A quick scan of Ogden water revealed the usual Mallard and Canada Geese with a few small gulls – a Nuthatch was on the feeders.

There were a few birds in the pub, but as time passed they became difficult to ID.

Leaving the Moorlands on the path over the hill to Ingham Lane there was a good count of C30 Meadow Pipit!