Bradshaw - Ingham Lane - Soil Hill - Coal Lane - Ogden - Bradshaw

10:00 – 13:30

The usual jaunt again today – I’m getting into a rut I need to get the car out more in the New Year!

It was a cold blustery day with a near gale force wind on Soil Hill top.

As per usual this month, birds were hard to find.

The bottom of Taylor Lane held 2 Fieldfare near the Cuckoo tree.

A breezy slog up to Taylor lane top revealed a toilet brush disguised as a hedgehog!

13:25 Soil Hill

As I walked up the main track on Soil Hill, the only thing singing in the wind was the galvanised steel gate on the main track.

Then by the “Great Rock” a super looking Fieldfare was feeding on B.S’s birdseed.

As I approached, the Fieldfare was torn between eating it's fill or flying away,

Along the track just a Meadow Pipit seen in flight.

Along the north side I took a 15 minute detour down towards the pond hoping for a 2015 tick, but apart from a heart attack inducing SQUAWK from a flushed Pheasant.. ziltch.

There was nothing at all on the NK pond.

I continued  along the west side path and found it increasingly difficult to stand up with the strong gale.

There was just another airborne  Meadow Pipit or two here (not sure if I’d seen the same one twice).

Going along Ned Hill Track, Coal Lane and the plantation area to Ogden there was 1 Robin, 3 Woodpigeon & 2 Goldcrest (calling).

5 Lapwing flew towards Mixenden as I crossed the top fields to Ogden car park.

Ogden:

A 15 minute stop at the Kingfisher point produced 1 tasty packet of Walkers Cheese & Onion and a Choc, Choc bar but no Kingfisher.

Usual stuff  on and around the water - 40 small gulls, 1 LBBG, 14 Canada Goose, 2 Robin, Dunnock, Blackbird, 2 Goldcrest.

Things picked up a bit at a west side corner where an extremely fidgety Treecreeper gave me the run around for a while.

Further along a Dipper flew low across the water to land temporarily by the edge before flying off low again and landing further on and a Cormorant made an appearance.

I did not see the Dipper again and did not get a photo alas.

A second check on the Kingfisher was unsuccessful without even crisps or chocolate this time.

The walk via the ‘dell’ to union lane produced just a singing Wren.

Cow Hill Gate Lane had a flypast of 4 Goldfinch a "far off" House Sparrow was in the trees near Bradshaw School ( unless someone can turn it into something else!) and a Pied Wagtail was airborne near the Bradshaw Cricket club.

Quite a few small gulls were in the fields hereabouts and I had a nice surprise awaiting me at home with Sue, Abigail & bacon butty!

Happy New Year and as they say in the Billy Connolly appreciation society:-

May the skin of your bum never cover a Banjo. 

Taylor Lane Cuckoo Tree

Looking to Union Lane

The bridge over the stream

Queensbury Celtic Football Pitch

A wild and windy day today kept me indoors or at the shops.

With an errand to run in Queensbury I took the opportunity to take a few pictures of the Lapwings and Starlings on the football pitch opposite the Raggalds.

The strong wind and distance to the birds have influenced the picture quality. 
Either that or I'll have to put more water with the booze.


Frank the storm wasn't as bad as forecast really.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill – Ogden – Bradshaw…..Raggalds Flood & Harden later.

Soil Hill – Ogden 9:35 – 12:00

I enjoyed a stroll about on Soil Hill on a mild sunny morning.

On the way up to Soil Hill 2 foxes were chasing each other around a field.

At the top of Taylor Lane I met NK and , with a report of 2 Ravens seen recently , we took a look at Soil Hill together.

We spent an hour or so on the hill and when NK went down towards the lower pond ( Grey Heron and an unid in the pond area) I went to drop some bird seen on the main track. Here I met up with Dave B. who seemed to disappear into thin air -  hope you didn’t fall down the quarry Dave.

After NK and I had had a good scan around flushing a Skylark, that rose in the air in full voice, and standing in awe looking at a few crows, we headed off to Ogden.

Ogden held the usual stuff, 1 Cormorant, LBBG, small gulls, Mallard, Canada Geese.

The circuit produced poss. Bullfinch, Long Tailed Tit, Goldcrest, Wren and 3 Robin.

A first viewing of the outlet pipe area did not produce the target – Kingfisher and while NK went to have another look before heading off to Mixenden I went home Via, Moorlands , Cow Hill Gate Road and Ingham Lane.

Just after Boggart Brig a Kestrel landed in a nearby tree top allowing a few nice photies.

Just a Wren and a few Woodpigeon seen on the way home.

Harden.

Later Sue & I popped down to Woodbank Garden centre to get our café fix.

On the way there, just before the Harden boundary a Buzzard was soaring high.

Although Sue stopped the car asap the Buzzard was moved along by 3 Corvids making the picture very distant indeed.

It's just possible that I've missed the Buzzard and captured a Corvid and a Woodpigeon in the photo - but there was definitely a Buzzzard soaring high as we drove along!!

Looking at the poor pics, I am now unsure if one of the birds mobbing the Buzzard , is another bird of prey or what it is?

On the way home, at Denholme, a large flock of Lapwing (80+) flew over.

While Sue called at the Kelham farm shop I took the opportunity to stroll along towards Raggalds flood.

2 Goldfinch sat high in a tree being buffeted by a increasingly cold wind.

The flood was deadsville, all I could muster was 2 crow and a few tame Pigeon.

Just 2 days to go for me to get a LSW – not much hope of that is there?

Oslo temperatures are set to get to -10 later in the week so we must be in line for some specialities!!

Pool/Snooker tonight to look forward to.

O it's 'im again with that Boooooooooooooooring blog

Soil Hill Skylark

Soil Hill from Cow Hill Gate Lane

Harden Area

Buzzard 1/4 mile away with another bird above it

Both birds cropped

Strangely the top bird looks like a Woodpigeon to me

Buzzard leaving the scene

Above: In the distance - Lapwing -  Many Wells Brow area

Raggalds area: