Redcar Tarn Keighley – Soil Hill – Ogden – Bradshaw

It’s been a very good week for me, getting out and about, waiting for the lounge plaster to dry completely.

It was a very cold morning but things improved as the day progressed.

We had a drive out to have a look at Redcar Tarn, Keighley a spot I’ve never seen before but Sue used to ice-skate there in the winter, many moons ago.

I’ve included a few pics of the birds seen here.

We called for lunch at a smashing pub, The Turkey Inn at Goose Eye – It’s been a good week for grub for me!

On the return from Goose Eye Sue dropped me at Soil Hill.

Soil Hill 14:20

It was windy here with a fairly stiff NW wind not helping the birdlife.

Not much about today just 3 Skylark, 11 Meadow Pipit and 6 Goldfinch.

A possible Moorhen on the lower (NK) pond.

15:00 Ned Hill Track to Ogden Water

Nothing moving along the track but below Pottery Cottage on a field wall , a long way off, behind Windsway Cottage a great find for me in the shape of a Stonechat.

Local Stonechat has been a rare thing for me this year.

I'm fairly sure it's not a Whinchat because of the lack of eye stripe.

On the way to the water 2 Blackbird, 2 Swallow and 6 Meadow Pipit were seen.

Ogden Water 15:40 to Home 17:30

I had a leisurely stroll around Ogden Water. There seems to be more shoreline appearing with each visit.

There was just the usual Black Headed and Common Gulls with 2 Lesser Black-Backed Gulls here today. Over 50 Canada Geese were feeding at the north end banking.

On the way around I saw 4 Goldcrest (possibly lots more but it was difficult to tell), 2 Robin, 6 Long Tailed Tit flitting about (Again could have been more), and 2 Goldfinch.

3 Bullfinch zoomed over my head, landed in nearby bushes and proceeded to call quietly well out of sight.

Crossing the Promenade I took the first path on the left towards the Golf Course before dropping down left to exit on Union Lane.

The sun was shining brightly on the first bushes after the Prom . With Great and Blue Tit feeding here. Also here were 2 very, very busy Willow Warbler (they could have been Chiffchaff but I think they were W.W) that did not stay still for a second. After nearly 20 mins I gave up trying to get a half decent photo of them.

The path home crosses behind the Moorlands Pub where c20 Goldfinch took to the skies.

After that I saw a single Meadow Pipit, a Pied Wagtail, a Kestrel and a Mistle Thrush and got home at 17:30.

Three of the best Willow Warbler pics!!!

Redcar Tarn