Ogden – Bradshaw

With the flooding at Sowerby Bridge, last week, curtailing Emma and Abigail’s Christmas – Christmas came a week late for them this year.

We had some good Christmas type  fun over the weekend and yesterday it was time for a visit to Junction 30 Castleford’s shopping outlet.

I dislike shopping, but of all the large shopping malls, this one really is ok.

You have to go outside between visits to the various shops which is a plus.

95 years old Ken, Sue’s dad, tells her that the glass is right down – something to do with the weather apparently not the state of my beer.

So hopefully this fog will beggar off.

Anyway today its back to birding in that cornucopian wonderland called Ogden in the F.O.G. again !

9:55 – 12:15

Sue dropped me at a very foggy Ogden this morning.

I went to look for the Kingfisher at the drainage channel along the prom. but I could only see the first bit of the railings there.

What I could see of the water was quiet with perhaps 10 Black Headed Gull dotted about the place.

A Cormorant that was very near the edge flapped off noisily as I appeared  out of the gloom.

The fog was keeping the smaller bird species lower down in the trees which worked out quite well for me.

I got quite a high count of a few smaller species notably: c12 Goldcrest and at least 4 Treecreeper.

I struggle with Treecreeper photos at the best of times so all this murk didn’t help.

The dog , at the reservoir house , took a dislike to the siren of a passing ambulance and morphed into a Hound of the Baskervilles.

Other birds seen thereabouts were 2 Collard Dove, 4 Dunnock, 6 Robin, 6 Wren, together with the usual crowd.

As I was leaving Ogden, nasty heavy drizzle set in to accompany me home.

On may way along Cow Hill Gate Lane a pr. Reed Bunting took me completely by surprise as they sat on a wall there – the camera was sheltering under my golf cap and didn’t make the cut. 

The Reed Bunts left quickly without saying goodbye.

Reed Bunt rank high on my list of favourites and I don’t see them very often.

A pr. Mistle Thrush were in the trees opposite the Cricket Club and that was about it really.

Not a bad outing on such a foul day – here’s hoping the next foul day will bring some fowl with it.

My tips for this week - The England Cricket team will score over 600 runs in a test innings in south Africa and weather of minus 10, - cold, clear and frosty weather, at that, will arrive at Ogden together with 10 Whooper Swan.

Kingfisher point!

This area held 3 Treecreeper.

The Mallard  feeding area is just ahead on the right

Visibility was a tad better at the top of Ingham Lane

Hound of the Baskervilles