Bradshaw - Soil Hill - Ogden circular

9:30 - 15:15

I had the usual circular walk today, hoping for Snow Bunting and Crossbill!
The sun popped out for a second or two then popped back in.
Light , nuisance rain showers came and went.

I bumped into Dave B. at Taylor Lane and we enjoyed a chat as we scanned for .. anything really.

Dave headed off to Ogden as I walked up to Soil Hill.

A Kestrel was on the wires on Taylor Lane.

The Little Owl was perched right on the end of the "1920's combined harvester" that sits rotting in the field off Perseverance Road.

I dropped some birdseed on the main Soil Hill track and went a looking for Snow Bunt. No S.B. seen but a good reward was a Stonechat perched over on a wall to the east side.

A Mistle Thrush flew over and I disturbed a solitary Meadow pipit.
C60 lapwing were in the lower north end fields and 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew over.

Ned Hill Track, Coal Lane and Plantation track came and went with no bother, just a Goldcrest seen.

Emerging onto Back Lane I bumped into Dave B. again and a few mins later Dave P. came along the track.

We hung round chatting, on the look out for Crossbill but there were just Pheasants, Gulls and Magpies about.

I carried on to Ogden Water - via the visitor centre 'cafe'.
I can recommend the coffee £1.


Ogden Water 13:00 - 14:15

A fair check of the water revealed the usual Gulls and Mallards.
The circuit was quiet with Coal Tit, 2 Goldcrest and 2 Calling Bullfinch.
Lots more Goldcrest were about from the calls but difficult to see and even more difficult to photograph.
A Raven was seen as it called and flew over towards Oxenhope Reservoir.

Boggart Brigg conifers held c8 Goldfinch, a couple of Coal Tit, a Chaffinch  and lots of cones.

Cow Hill Gate lane had a c20 Goldfinch fly past.
A Heron flew low near Ingham Lane.

An enjoyable (nearly) 6 hours out and about.

Spot the Little Owl

Spot the Stonechat