Leeshaw, Leeming & Soil Hill

A real cracker of a winter’s day today with bright sunshine for the most part.

10:15 Leeshaw.

The temperature at Leeshaw was just 1° on my arrival but it did rise to a balmy 6 ° on my departure.

Leeshaw was alive with birds this morning with flocks of Lapwing and Starling circling the reservoir.

I estimated 130 Lapwing and possibly 200 Starling.

Also about there were 6 Canada Geese. One in particular looked ‘different’ with a very long neck. I couldn’t turn it into anything more exotic and put the long neck down to it being irate at my presence, as I was fairly close by.

4 Greylag Geese and 4 Oystercatcher were here also and a large gull, possibly a GBBG but most probably a LBBG. The bird was at the far end of the reservoir and nearly out of bins range.

Then there was a real bonus of a 20 Curlew fly past.

3 Cormorant were on the water, 2 of them seemed to enjoy flying around the reservoir frequently.

It was nice to bump into Alan from Cullingworth. He soon spotted a raptor being mobbed by a Gull. The raptor landed far off before perching on a far away telegraph pole – the bird was a Kestrel. I enjoyed the chat Alan shame you had to dash off.

It took a lot of wall, and fence pole scanning before I was rewarded with the Little Owl that frequents this place – always a special find for me.

Lots of small Gulls and a few Pheasants completed an enjoyable couple of hours.

A dog walker reported a sighting of a Barn Owl in Cullingworth last evening – seems to be Barn Owl season – maybe I’ll get a pic. of one myself soon!!

Leeming 12:40 A balmy 6°

After Leeshaw, Leeming was a bit of a damp squib really.

The usual small Gulls were on the valve tower railings and there were just Mallards and a couple of Canada Geese on the water.

I did hear a “diving bird”  and I saw a ripple near the waters edge 20 yds ahead.

Although I hung about for 15 mins nothing materialised.

I was hoping it might be an elusive Little Grebe but it may well have been a fish jumping.

A Curlew called from high over the T.M.R. area and a Kestrel was being chased by a crow.

The circular path revealed lots and lots of MUD and just a singing Song Thrush.

Where have all the Woodpeckers and Finches gone to?

Soil Hill  14:40

Soil Hill was …………… Soil Hill.

After the balmy heat of Leeming, Soil Hill managed to cool me down nicely.

Just before I dropped some Nyger Seed on the track I was pleased to see a Skylark feeding in the ‘drop zone’.

Another Skylark, and a wren on Ned Hill Track completed a now typical Soil Hill extravaganza.

I had a really enjoyable few hours out in the fresh air and sunshine today.

Let’s hope the constant wet stuff has left for good.

Pool/Snooker this tea-time – now where’s the chalk?

I know a joke about two Nuns and ‘where’s the chalk” – oh no it’s not chalk it’s soap and it’s too rude to relate here.

Leeshaw:-

LBBG??

Canada Goose in pristine condition

Leeming:-

Soil Hill:-

Looking over Halifax from the White Cottage on Perseverance Road