Birding Bradshaw and District: Ogden Golf Course – Ogden Water – Soil Hill

Monday, 20 June 2016

Ogden Golf Course – Ogden Water – Soil Hill – Bradshaw

17:30 - 21:00

Sue’s bowling night tonight and she kindly dropped me off at Union Lane, Ogden so I could have a long saunter about on a really beautiful sunny evening.

I went looking for Tree Pipit where I’ve seen them (one) previously – near Ogden Golf Club.

No luck tonight though, if my eyes don’t deceive me.

I had a good look around the Golf Clubhouse area, going along the stream and past the maintenance buildings along the track for a while before retracing my steps.

There were lots of Meadow Pipits in trees but nothing exciting just a few Pied Wagtail (1 adult & 2 Juv.) on the practice green – they were pretty impressive with the niblet as well.

3 Pheasant, a House Martin, and a calling Curlew were here as well.

As I approached Ogden Water by the reservoir house a bird called and as I tried to locate it another bird came into the bins.

I quickly took a pic. not knowing what the bird was (it had it’s back to me) , followed by a couple more pics, before Betty-Boo the pooch owner took me by surprise with a “ Here Norman – not everyone wants to be your friend”.

I looked down to see a lovely little doggy thing, trying to ascertain the provenance of my walking trousers, via its nose.

When I looked back my bird had flow and my first impression of Norman changed from lovely little doggy thing to a “rat on a string”.

The bird in question was a Spotted Flycatcher – unless I’m mistaken.

Ogden Water was – guess what? Quiet as usual with 3 small gulls, 2 Black Headed Gull and a Common Gull (my first small gulls here for a while - Oh! unless the Common Gull is a BHG).

There were a few Canada Geese and a few Mallard but I could not locate the Male Goosander.

I thought I’d found the Goosander on the far West shore ,diving, in the glare of the evening sun, and took a pic or two.

When I got home, and checked the pic I believe I have a M. Tufted Duck!

A Grey Wagtail was in the culvert area.

The trip from Ogden Water was via the stile at top of the car park, across the sheep fields and across back lane through the conifers to exit opposite Coal Lane.

In the sheep field, a large lamb was bleating excessively and when I checked it out it had got it’s head stuck in a wire fence, very close to the wall.

Top Tip:

If you want to get a lamb to get its head out of a fence, climb the fence to the other side, and approach it head on – it will try and move away from you and back out of the fence automatically.

This fence was too close to the wall, to do “Top Tip”, so ..

Plan B: kick the fence and shout obscenities at it, this worked a treat.

DO NOT put you hand between the lamb’s head and the wire fence, unless your fed up with using your fingers.

Coal Lane had an Oystercatcher in the horse field, but not for long, it soon left flying over towards Ogden Water.

20:30 Soil Hill:

Soil Hill had the usual birds Lapwing, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, and lots of Linnet.

I was a bit on the weary side by now and just walked the contour path wanting to catch the second half of the England football match.

I did managed to see the Little Owl from Taylor Lane.

The grass has grown very high, and being a short arse I had to climb up a banking next to the wall to get a picture of the Little Owl.

A late blog tonight Yyyyyy_aaaaaa_wwwww_nnnnn.