A Good Hike

9:30 - 14:15

Bradshaw - Soil Hill - around Ogden area - Cockhill - Bradshaw Farms bridleway.

I had a fair hike today.
Leaving home it was noticeably colder this morning and on Soil Hill in a 20 mph SSW wind it was very cold. Later, however, the sun came out and it was a bright afternoon.

I managed to pick up both Little Owls again on the way up to Soil Hill - their hiding places are becoming more obscure, maybe because they were sheltering from the cold  wind and a third Little Owl was seen later in the day.

Soil Hill 10:15.

There has been a break-in at the communications buildings, which I reported when I got home.

Not a lot happening up here in the brisk, cold wind but I did managed to pick up 4 Fieldfare that were on the east side wall.
Other than that just a couple of Meadow Pipit.

I gave the Alders, on the north side, a coat of looking at but came up blank.

At least the walk back up from the bottom warmed me up a bit.

Ogden 11:30.

Quiet here, can't blame the school holidays either because there were only a few walkers about.
C60 Small Gulls with the Mallards.
Long Tailed Tit, Wren, Robin, Coal Tit, Goldfinch seen.

A stop for a coffee,free mince pie and a chat at the visitors centre reinvigorated me.

A second check for the Kingfisher , from the prom, paid off.

I left Ogden by the path behind the reservoir house and dropped down to cross the stream.

A few Goldfinch were in the conifers with plenty of cones on show.

A Jay was seen on Union Lane with a Chaffinch, it's feathers puffed up to keep warm.

At the bottom of Ned Hill Road I turned right for a change to go home via the Bradshaw farms bridleway.

2 Fieldfare were in the fields with c10 flying overhead.

It's an interesting bridleway and the second farm on always has bird feeders out.
Here there were Blue and Great Tit , a Chaffinch or two and lots of Goldfinch - but not the hoped for Brambling.


Nearing the end of the bridleway a third Little Owl was seen.

A bleak cold start to the walk today but a lovely cold fresh feeling to finish off with.

Pool/Snooker tonight with neighbour John (6 all last week).

We are changing broadband supplier tomorrow - such joy!

No 1:

No 2:

The Sun trying to break up the gloom.

Robin of the Day

Bread Lobbers Area.

Spot the Jay

Bradshaw Farms Bridleway

No 3:

Modern fuel and not so modern fuel.