Thursday, 19 May 2016

Local Jaunt

10:15

Wearing my Lucky Green Birding T-shirt(LGBT) (Sue hates Green) and my fleece I set off towards Soil Hill.
The fleece stayed on for much of the walk so the birds could not see the (LGBT) hence the lack lustre quality of today’s birds!

 Soil Hill 10:30 (Damp and breezy).

Usual birds about: Skylark, Meadow  Pipit, 2 Linnet, 2 Pheasant, Kestrel that actually caught some prey on the top.

1 Whitethroat, a good candidate for a Stock Dove, 2 Swallow.

Ned Hill Track had 3 Whitethroat singing and calling.

Coal Lane to Ogden.

(I did not have as much time to spare for Ogden water today so I just went along the promenade and turned left at the end).

On the way to Ogden there were a few Canada Geese and Pheasants seen  in the fields also Chiffchaff , Willow Warbler, Mistle Thrush and a Sparrowhawk high up.

Unless the "Sparrowhawk" is something more exciting of course - but I can't tell!

21:40 Looking through my bird books it could well be a Buzzard. It did not behave like a Buzzard in flight, though!

The water had a few Mallards and nowt else as far as I could tell.
No sign of the Kingfisher at the culvert – seems to appear here in poor weather.

Golf Course area to home.

A Reed Bunting was in the small bushes here.

I took the path that drops down left and over the small stream to Union Lane.
I had a bit of a nosey around Union Lane and Rocks Road.
The bushes near, and around the Club House entrance seem interesting – but did not reveal much today.
A Grey Wagtail was near the stream. Also about Pied Wagtail, Swift and a family of Mistle Thrush.


It was pleasing to see a couple of Lapwing in the fields opposite Taylor lane.

It was a disappointing afternoon as well, as we intended to replace Emma's wheelchair with a new (lighter) model. 
After searching on 'tinternet  for the address we traveled 5 miles to a shop in Bradford, only to be told that they had moved to Elland ,12 months, or so ago - might be an idea to update the web page then!!

So we traveled another 10 miles or so to Elland to be disappointed in a different way.

The wheelchair she has now is a lightweight , self-propelled, Karma Dove and it is gold in colour and it looks pretty cool.

The "new up-to-date" models reminded me of the Henry Ford saying, about his new fangled Model T  Ford.

"You can have any colour you want as long as it's black".

We were hoping to get a Red one - Emma loves red.










Canada Goose Overhead


Sparrowhawk - original photo - high and far off
Timestamp 11:40



Lightened a bit


Cropped and lightened

*** More (very poor) Raptor Photos:-


Original
Timestamp 11:39


Lightened


Cropped


Original
Timestamp 11:40


Lightened


Cropped



Mrs Mallard I think




Now where are the kids


Where is my "grub"


Oh! you always feed him first


when am I going to get mine?






9 comments:

  1. Looks like a Goshawk.......Amazing

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Andy.
    I would have dismissed it as a Sparrowhawk if I hadn't taken a quick photo - I find Raptors very, very diffucult to ID.
    This one was there and gone over TMR in a breath.
    John

    ReplyDelete
  3. Its a Goshawk probably adult male. Have you got any more photos John.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi,
    I just managed 3 very long distance photos.
    I've posted the "best one".
    I've put the other 2 photos on the blog each lightened a bit and the cropped.
    They are pretty poor though.
    The bird was off and away over TMR in a minute or two - they never come towards you do they?
    Many thanks for taking time to look at the photo and for the comment.
    John

    ReplyDelete
  5. Brilliant John ,,always worth keeping an eye on your blog....its a cracker.....................

    ReplyDelete
  6. Start a new post as Goshawk and then put all photos of gos....if you get chance date time etc....great bird

    ReplyDelete
  7. Is this the same bird, if so not sure now, this looks more like male spar ???????????

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've put the timestamp against each pic. of the 3 pics on my blog.

    I thought at the time that there was only one bird
    and it was taken near the top of Ogden car park with the bird nearing TMR so it was half a mile off roughly.
    Sorry the pics are so poor.
    Looks like my original euphoria may have to put back in it's box!!
    Tks again for the interest.

    John

    ReplyDelete
  9. P.S. the timestamp on my camera was not adjusted for BST.
    So i've added an hour to the file times on the blog for accuracy - not that this matters for this purpose.
    John

    ReplyDelete