Ogden - Woods Mostly

I had a drive over to Ogden to look for D.P.'s Whinchat family.

I had a 'rough' idea of where to look.

Good to meet a young Birder - Harry on the promenade, just sorry that I did not have time to chat a bit longer as I was trying to avoid the forecast thunderstorms.

Looking from the prom. Harry pointed out a very distant Great Crested Grebe at the north end of the water.

Hope I got the route right:-

It was very hot and sticky as I walked up the main track towards the Turbines. 

Just before the trees end, on the right, I crossed the  gate/stile on the right to enter the woods. I kept left with the path and after 200yds? there is a clearing with lots of bilberry bushes, and the tall ferns had been cut down here.

I took a left and went up the first path, up to the wire fence that borders the moor.

I returned to red/white maker G6 and went back up this time, through the mown  ferns, nearer the gully where there are lost of dying conifers.

I returned on the good path that leads down then left and down again right passing a memorial seat to turn right at the bottom and arrive at the reservoir intake stream.

On my return to the water, there were a lot of folk about so I avoided most of the waterside path.

Birds:-

Woods - nearly all heard rather that seen!

4 Nuthatch, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and a few others.

2 Very Green birds seen fleetingly which I believe were Greenfinch.

Water:

Great Crested Grebe - a good bird for Ogden.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls mostly.

Black Headed Gull.

Grey Wagtail.

Canada Geese.

Mallard.

Cormorant.

At least I've retained my very poor 'twitcher's record'.

Whilst trying to photograph a Willow Warbler in the ferns I seemed to have captured another larger bird, Thrush sp? that I can't place.

Roughly a third of the Gulls here.

The moor boundary fence 

Very elusive Thrush sp?