Oxenhope Area

I got the unleaded burner out for a change today and had a scoot over to Oxenhope.

Another warm and sunny day had a nice surprise in store for me.

11:15 Leeshaw

Quiet. A good bit of shoreline is now showing.

There were c12 Greylag Geese on the water accompanied by c12 Goslings.

A large flock of c25 Canada Geese rose as one from the fields at the sound of a shotgun being fired nearby.

A Lapwing was complaining standing on the drain wall.

Curlew and Redshank were heard but not seen and 4 Oystercatcher flew over.

House Martin is nesting under the reservoir observation turret.

Also about Sparrowhawk with a flap, flap glide flight and there were c20 Linnet feeding in the gravel on the entrance lane.

Lower Laithe

A 5 min stop at Lower Laithe revealed an Oystercatcher and a single BHG.

Ponden.

Ponden water was deadsville.

A Kestrel went over and a bit later 4 Oystercatcher flew over.

A couple of Pied Wagtail about and a Curlew was calling from the moor.

A Common Sandpiper made a quick fly past before disappearing, never to be seen again.A Mistle Thrush sat far away on a wall with a kestrel near by.

The bonus of the day was a Cuckoo.

I heard it first from somewhere near the farm on the west end.

I remembered what DP had said yesterday about looking on the telegraph wires, and sure enough the Woodpigeon silhouette on the telegraph wire was the singing Cuckoo.

It was a long way off so the pictures are not very good.

I saw it fly off but when I looked again it was still in the same place, so maybe it had a female visitor?

The only other Cuckoo I have seen was in Norfolk a couple of years ago and at Gorple a long time since.

Leeming 13:50 – 14:30

Leeming water was quiet.

A Redshank flew low over the water before disappearing.

There was a couple of Pied Wagtail about and Willow Warbler and others were singing.

A Mistle Thrush was kind enough to pose for me and a Curlew was heard calling from the moor.

A Cuckoo making a get away

But still perched on the wire?