A walk in the glorious sunshine

9:40 – 14:15

A local stroll today – Bradshaw, Soil Hill, Ogden Water, Ogden Golf Course, Per Lane, Peat Pitts Farm, Bradshaw.

The Bonnet area across from Taylor Lane held c50 Lapwing, but no Goldies, as I set off this morning with the fog/mist in the valleys rapidly disappearing.

Taylor Lane held 2 Singing Dunnock and 3 Woodpigeon.

I dropped some bird seed on Soil Hill and then began a struggle to find anything.

Another birder was on Soil Hill but unfortunately our paths did not meet.

Just as I was giving up hope of seeing anything up here, a flock of 8 birds called as they circled far off.

They were kind enough to do a lap of honour before I lost them.

I managed some distance in flight pictures of  8 Golden Plover - not my speciality distance in-flight photos.

Just a singing Dunnock and 3 Pheasant were seen on the way to Ogden.

11:30 Ogden

The water was frozen over, for the first 20 yds or so, in from the Promenade wall.

There was no sign of the Kingfisher today.

The usual small gulls and Mallards were in residence and the water held a bonus with a Pr. Teal.

The walk around the circuit did not reveal much just the usual Robin,Blackbird and Tit species.

On the way to the golf club a Nuthatch was in the trees behind the reservoir house and a Kestrel sat high on a pole on the golf course.

I followed the steam past the golf club and took a right through the buildings for a few hundred yards, hoping for Stonechat, but there was just Great & Blue Tit seen here.

A Raven croaked far away and I only heard the bird and did not see it, so I can’t really count it as a tick.

On the homeward journey 3 Long Tailed Tit were in the trees above Stod Fold and a Kestel made a fly past being mobbed by c20 Jackdaw.

I took the snicket on the left, that leads to Mount Zion church.

2 Mistle Thrushes were in the fields here.

I went home via Per Lane, Peat Pitts farm and Bradshaw Park without seeing much else.

I am rueing the day that I lobbed my old Vaude rucksack into the wheelie bin. This new Berghause one is giving me back ache. 

Sods law being sods law, they do not make my old Vaude model any more.

Mist over Halifax

Soil Hill Gull ??

First glimpse of Goldies - though I should take a pic.

TMR in the distance

Ogden water frozen at the edge

Spring cleaning for BHG

A bit of skating

Kestrel in the tree on the horizon

Same tree, same Kestrel - full zoom

Looking over Ogden from Per Lane

Looking towards Raggalds from Peat Pits