Mixenden – Ogden – Soil Hill

A lovely sunny morning with the clouds increasing as the day progressed.

Sue dropped me off at Mixenden for what turned out to be a damp squib day.

Mixenden 10:20.

Very quiet here with 3 Canada Goose, Pr. Mallard with 2 ducklings , a Coal Tit and a Wren being the only  birds knocking about.

Golf Course Area.

From Mixenden I took the path below Hunter Hill and instead of turning right through Stod Fold I continued ahead to eventually turn right towards the golf course and right again towards the houses before turning left to approach the golf  club house via the stream path.

Near Hunter Hill a Curlew flew east and landed in the fields near the houses at Stod Fold. There were also Skylark, Swallow and 3 House Martin in the area.

Nearing the golf course 5 Swift were feeding, flying quite low down. These were my first local Swift.

The path near the stream produced Pheasant, Willow Warbler and 3 Wren.

Ogden Area.

Approaching Ogden Wren were signing  by the stream path and a couple of Jay made an appearance in the bigger trees there.

The water was quiet with a sleeping LBBG on the podium and a few Mallard.

I had a longish walk along the intake stream at Ogden until it meets the open moor and returned on a higher path through the woods hoping for Green Woodpecker or Cuckoo but no joy at all.

Plantation Area 13:00

A couple of Pheasant, Skylark and 2 Swallow was all I could muster here today.

Soil Hill Area 13:15

It was a bit drafty up here but pleasant  nonetheless . 

I kept to the contour footpath and didn’t stay very long.

The small pond, behind the Coal Lane Wind Turbine, can be seen from the West contour path. There is something nesting on it but I cannot tell from the picture (Moorhen or Coot?).

Pied Wagtail on Coal Lane, 2 Pheasant, c8 Meadow Pipit, 4 Skylark, a bird flushed but only seen for a second or two -  probably Grey Partridge.

When I was coming down Taylor Lane 2 Swallows and 2 Linnet a Male and a Female Chaffinch taking it in turns to pose on a post for a picture and a pretty Robin.

Thank goodness for the Swift or it would have been a poor do!

Curlew!

Poor Swift picture

Cropped picture not much good

Five rise locks - I must have taken a wrong turning!