Leeshaw Reservoir - Arctic Tern or Common Tern

Another Saturday and Sue, Abi and Emma were baking buns with chocolate in the middle, so I sloped off Leeshaw Reservoir for a short while.
When I got back, we took Emma back to Sowerby Bridge and  I was whisked off to Airetime Trampoline Playgym at Club Lane, Holmfield where Abi had a great time.

Leeshaw:

A strong gale and heavy blustery showers greeted me on arrival at Leeshaw.
I sat in the car watching the reservoir for a good while.

A drier interlude coincided with the arrival of BV.
He mentioned sightings of Artic Tern at Bardon so we sat in individual cars and kept watch.
A Tern dropped in within 5 minutes of BV arrival and stayed 15 mins or so before leaving East, we thought.
Getting any decent photos was a real problem with the birds distance and the strong gale making camera shake a problem.

The bird looked pure white underneath through bins / scope.
Pointing towards an Artic Tern.
The pictures seem to indicate a black tip to the bill which points to a Common Tern.
The bird had extremely long streamers, again Arctic Tern trait.
So although I though Artic Tern at the time I'm beginning to favour Common Tern - but what do I know about Terns - in the words of Eric Morecambe "not a lot!" what do you think?

One thing is for sure - photos are a powerful aid to ID!!!!

I had a very enjoyable chat with Brian V. as we watched the Tern battle the elements and tried to hold our cameras steady in the gale, the Tern actually landed on the water for a very short time.


Artic or Common it was still a great reward for venturing out on such a rough day.

Other Birds:

M. Goosander, Redshank, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Greylag Goose with Goslings, Canada Goose.
Lapwings lapping up the gale - no problem for these magnificent fliers. 
Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull.
Possibly Great Black-backed Gull.
and a few other sp.

A few of the many Tern pics:-

21:54 update.
The fine black line on the underwing points to Artic Tern - so is the black on the bill from feeding??

2cy Great Black-backed Gull?

A Soggy Ogden

14:10 - 15:45

A visit to Ogden Water in the rain this aft.
Difficult to keep my tackle dry, with bins, specs and camera all susceptible to the wet.

A very slow leisurely wet circuit did not have much birdsong, mainly Willow Warbler singing.
I gave the waters edge a good looking at for Common Sand. but failed to see one.

I enjoyed a chat with Susan from Shibden Valley who was enjoying the silence here today.

Birds:-

Pr. Jay having a bath in the rain.
Willow Warbler, Pr. Tufted Duck.
Chiffchaff, Curlew calling.
Song Thrush.

A Raptor with short body, small head, short broad wings, broad tail and 'fluttering ' wingbeats overhead. 
(Probably a Peregrine Falcon - but no photo alas).

3 Herring Gulls.
3 Noisy Canada Geese over.
Coal Tit, Moorhen.

8 Mallard chicks.

and a few other sp.

Deluge!

A late afternoon shopping trip to Skipton market today. Sue picked up a few bargains.
We left Skipton at 17:45 (ish) and I had the bright idea of a scenic drive home.
My scenic route was via Elslack and down through Cowling/Gusburn.

All went 'swimmingly' well when the sky went black, the heavens opened, the car headlights went on to main beam, the wipers on to mega speed, the road started to flood and visibility was nearly non-existent - except for huge Chelsea Tractor drivers who obviously have E.S.P.
This E.S.P. doesn't stand for extra sensory perception.
The P. word ends in a K. I'm still working on touther letters.

Here there were two separate sightings of Buzzard, very close, trying to land in roadside trees. 
One frightened by cars the second mobbed by a crazy Lapwing!

After this excitement we called at Redcar Tarn above Keighley, to see if the storm had dropped any goodies.
Stormy here when we arrived but we did get a pseudo dry bit.
Taking photos was a tad dodgy in the wind and rain.
(Later, no juice in Raggalds Flood was a surprise).

Birds:

Nothing out of the ordinary (as far as I could make out).

Lapwing, Pied Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Herring Gull.
Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black Headed Gull.
(Didn't see any Med Gulls).
Tufted Duck, Mallard, Coot.
6 Swallow and Curlew was about all!
Ah well you lose some .... and you lose some more.

Bradshaw - Ogden - Soil Hill - Bradshaw

14:15 - 17:45

Abi and Emma this morning but after lunch it was making cookies time so I sloped off!

On the way to Sowerby Bridge this am.
I took a speculative photo of the Corona Tower as I passed Dean Clough. Examining it later a Peregrine Falcon was there.


The usual walk through Bradshaw Farms to Ned Hill Road then Syke Lane, Ogden Lane, Back Lane.
A circuit of Ogden Water and back via The Plantation, Coal Lane, Soil Hill, Percy Road and Taylor Lane.

A refreshingly cool breeze made for a very enjoyable walk.
The birding experience was very mundane to say the least!

Birds:

Bradshaw to Ogden Lane:

Stock Dove, 3 Swallow, 5 Linnet, 3 Herring Gull over, Skylark, Pied Wagtail.

Ogden Back Lane Area:

3 Pheasant, 2 Curlew, Meadow Pipit, Lapwing, Coal Tit, Chiffchaff.

Ogden Water:

2 Herring Gulls stayed a while.
Great Spotted Woodpecker.
3 Tufted Duck (mostly asleep) was a pleasing change for a very predictable Ogden Water these days.

4 Mallard Duckling, Mallards, Moorhen, Canada Geese.
Pr. Grey Wagtail looked like they might nest in a drainage pipe in the sluice (off the Prom).

Plantation Area:

Pr. Red Legged Partridge (ran when flushed) allowed me a distant picture for a change.

Curlew, Collard Dove.

Coal Lane - Soil Hill - Home:

A bit of a poor do.
Skylark, Curlew, Herring Gull, Pheasant, Lapwing, Little Owl.

Spot the Peregrine

A busy, busy day

Abi and Emma to entertain today, on a real scorcher.

1st up, with Sue and Abi, was our annual climb to the top of Wainhouse Tower - the lungs tell me this will be my last time.
Then a picnic at a busy Manor Heath Park.
After picking up Emma from Sowerby Bridge we went to a jam packed Shibden Park.
We've never seen the place with so many people.
The usual parking areas near the café and pond were completely taken and the fields as well so we decided to leave.

On our way out Abi spotted a disabled parking sign pointing towards Shibden Hall.
We parked up here and had a bit of a long trek to the pond/park.
20 minutes queue for an ice cream today!

Usual birds here today including a nesting Coot on the pond.

Home and out with the paddling pool - only way to blow up the 3 compartment was via my lungs!

After tea, Sue dropped me at Ogden, on her way to Sowerby Bridge and picked me up , on her way back, giving me a short time here.

Ogden.

18:30 - 19:25

The place was very busy even at this late time.
I just had a walk up Back Lane, along the Promenade and down to the stream and up to Rocks Road.

Not a lot happening.

Curlew, Pheasant, Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Probably more than 10 Willow Warbler.
Canada Goose, Mallard.
Chiffchaff, Goldfinch, Swallow.
Meadow Pipit, Song Thrush, Jay, Kestrel.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen on a distant telephone pole but it soon moved on!

Got to do it all again tomorrow.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill

17:45 - 19:25

A real scorcher of a day today.
I waited 'till late afternoon before tackling the hill, hoping to see the Ring Ouzel(s).

It was still very hot going up Taylor Lane but it cooled a bit later and it was very pleasant on the hill.

Another (different) set of dogs running free, on the top didn't bode well for me.

Birds:-

(A Swallow and pr. Linnet were seen from the garden this aft.)

The usual suspects here this evening.

Pr. Little Owl, 2 Kestrel, 2 Swallow, a few Meadow Pipit.
c10 Curlew in the lower shay fields with a few Lapwing and lots of Woodpigeon.
Pr. Grey Partridge flushed from the west side.


A longish 'look' down 'the gulley' provided me with a very shy calling Whitethroat that refused to come into the open for a photo.

I faired better with the solitary Willow Warbler there.

Lots of bird movement down by the lower NK pond, but as usual scope material really.

I took some photos of the pond area to have a look through and got excited when I thought I snapped a Ring Ouzel.
The bird was showing white on it's breast but looking at the photo on my laptop, I believe it's too large for Ring O and it's a Carrion Crow alas.


A Wheatear was in the fields to the east.

8 large gulls over Taylor Lane, on the way home (me and the Gulls I guess).

Blue Tits:

I've had Blue Tits nesting in my Blue Tit box for 8 years on the trot, but not this year.
There seem to be less Blue Tits about - or is it just my imagination?

Knock - Knock:

A knock on the door this morning and as I answered it a 
7 foot Ladybird was standing there.
Before I could say 'wow' the Ladybird kicked me in the guts. knocked my to the floor and carried on giving me a severe thrashing.

I woke in hospital later and related my experience to the resident doctor.

He said "There is a really nasty bug going about"
Happy Easter.

Cropped from above

Too large for Ring Ouzel?

Birdcage Lane Area and Bradshaw - Soil Hill

Birdcage Lane Area:

I had an hours birding around the Birdcage Lane area this morning, mostly along New Road, on the look out for Peckers.

First up was a pr. Brambling seen briefly in the trees at the top of Broomfield Avenue.

Along New Road: Pr. Stock Dove, 4 Nuthatch, Pr. Jay, Long Tailed Tit, Coal Tit.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker calling.
A distant light drumming from another Pecker.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill etc.

From the garden 2 individual Swallow fly pasts.
(Later 3 more Swallow were seen near Taylor Lane).
A Buzzard over >E had a 'faint' frequent call?

Soil Hill.

I was a tad 'warm' when I got there!

2 Linnet, Curlews calling and very active  4 seen.
Possibly more in the lower Shay fields.

Pheasant, just 2 Skylark and 2 Meadow Pipit seen.

A very pleasing sight was that of a Wheatear on a distant wall.

The lower NK pond held a couple of Mallard and another on the water. 
To hot today to go down the gulley - well ok - going down ,fine, but, coming back up....

4 big loose dogs scared the living daylights out of me!!

An enjoyable, couple of birding sessions today.

21:00 Checking through my photos I see that my 3 Swallow are actually House Martin.

First time I've noticed the Red plumage on the back

Coal Tit ?

Cropped from above