Soil Hill etc

A busy morning included a trip to Huddersfield, but I did squeeze in a short walk up to and around Soil Hill this afternoon, although I did not linger.

A dull, cloudy sort of day.

I had a listen out for NK's Gropper (as I stood on the north-end of Ned Hill Track) but did not hear it.

The usual birds about this aft. Included.

Birds:-

Whitethroat, Meadow Pipit, Skylark.

Pied Wagtail, A good count of 6 Mistle Thrush on the BIG Taylor Lane midden. Pheasant.

A very large Gull that dwarfed the Crow that was mobbing it.

I've tried to turn it into a 3rd year Great Black-backed mainly because of the very white head and obvious large size - but Lessers are big as well!

And the wings look massive and have the drooping look of  a Great Black-backed Gull -sound good? But it's a Lesser.

However, thanks to BS via the Calderdale Grapevine I'll have to wait a bit! (Probably get one in winter on the roof of the Swalesmoor recycling building - that's where I got my last one).

Swift, Swallow, 5 or 6 Linnet and a small flock of 8 Goldfinch.

Also a Willow Warbler or two was about all.

Ogden to Bradshaw (Bingley St. Ives am)

We enjoyed a  Non-birding walk around St. Ives this morning with friends. I did however see a few birds and as we sat having a coffee outside the café, a Buzzard made a fleeting appearance.

Ogden to Bradshaw.

Sue dropped me at Rocks Road, near Ogden on our way home from Bingley so I could enjoy a walk home.

I dropped down to cross the stream, up 'tother side and then did a circuit of the water. Home was via Ned Hill lane, the Soil Hill contour path, Percy Rd and Taylor Lane.

I was a tad fatigued by the time I got to Soil Hill and I did not linger.

I kept an ear out for the Gropper but didn't hear one,

Some Birds:-

2 Heron, Drake Tufted Duck, Blackcap, Swift.

c10 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 3 Bullfinch, Willow Warbler.

Chiffchaff, 1 Herring Gull, Reed Bunting, Great Spotted Woodpecker.

2 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Black Headed Gull.

Linnet, 5 Whitethroat, Mistle Thrush.

Soil Hill

 I had a try for the Grasshopper Warbler  (reported by DJB this morning), this afternoon on Soil Hill but failed to hear one.

Pretty good conditions really but the cold wind gave way to hot sunshine making for some tough trudging.

The 'usual' species hereabouts but just one Lapwing and one Curlew heard.

Birds of the outing were Whitethroat with 10+ seen /heard.

A few Swift and Swallow passing by and 2 Sand Martin were seen back and forth along Ned Hill Track.

A few Lesser Black-backed Gulls passed by and there were good numbers of Linnets.

The last 2 photos of a distant bird at the very top

of the ruin opposite the white bungalow

at the top of Ned Hill.

Unsure of ID, thought Dunnock at the time.

Looks like a Whitethroat to me now.

Odd place to see one though?

Ogden

A cold damp breezy June afternoon at Ogden for me today.

Firstly I had a saunter up the west side pavement to see if DJS's Whinchat might be about, but being very late on the scene I did not hold out much hope. 

Just 3 Swallows zooming low over the golf course.

A look behind the reservoir building had a singing Reed Bunting which I eventually tracked down.

3 Lesser Black-backed Gull landed on the water but soon left.

A circuit of the water had the usual species including Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, 3 or 4 Blackcap.

A Heron was at the water's edge and a pair of Great Crested Grebe were in the middle of the drink.

It was good to see some larger Ducklings that might see adulthood.

No sign of the plethora of 'Common' Scoter that have been reported elsewhere.

A few Canada Geese were with the Mallards and a Curlew called from the NE moors.

A fairly typical Ogden June outing, although I've had Scoter here before.

Still, good to get some fresh air down me lungs.

Willow Warbler

Garden and Local Fields

Garden a.m.

A flock of c20 birds, mix of Swallow and Swift distant over Oats Royd was accompanied by a Raptor.

Alarm bells stared to ring in case it was a Hobby.

The distance from the garden to Oats Royd skyline, makes photos pretty rubbish, and although I guessed it was a Sparrowhawk it was worth it to me to ask the grapevine for an opinion.

The result was confirmation that it was a Sparrowhawk.

Really helpful to have some expert opinion nearby!

2 Collard Dove and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull also seen.

We enjoyed a short walk from Thornton along the cycle track to the Queensbury tunnel and back this aft.

Good numbers of Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Willow Warblers calling / singing.

Local Fields:

My short outing late evening up the local fields had a cold breeze for company, with the sky getting dark.

It was good to see a Little Owl - sightings becoming more scarce of late.

Not a lot else, just 2 Mistle Thrush, Pheasant and 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Had difficulty sleeping last night and at 4a.m. I'm pretty sure I heard a Tawny Owl calling NE of our house.

A look out of the window failed to eyeball it though, so it still awaits a tick.

Hollingworth Lake and Blackstone Edge Reservoir

 

Hollingworth Lake:

A late morning Drive out to do a circuit of Hollingworth Lake was quiet on the birding front.

Lots of shoreline, but the hoped for, rare Wader never materialised.

A few large Gulls returning with a couple of Black Headed Gulls.

The large contingent of Canada Geese had some large younger birds with them.

Still, its a pretty place for a stroll and we enjoyed the coffee and toasted fruit loaf, sitting outside the visitors centre café.

The parking charges are bearable as well.

Birds:-

Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Black Headed Gull, Lapwing.

Coot with young.

Moorhen with young.

Mute Swan with Cygnets.

Pied Wagtail.

Roe Deer.

Blackstone Edge Reservoir.

On our way home I had a walk along the roadside to check out the SSE edge of Blackstone Reservoir.

I was hoping to visit White Home Reservoir but time ran away with me.

The road is collapsing in parts here, and cars zoom past at incredible speeds - some respite can be had from the cars by scanning whilst standing on the nearby large rocks.

Probably need  a scope to see the NE edge properly.

A pleasing amount of shoreline but most of the birds were on the distant NE side.

A Dunlin was kind enough to make a short appearance on the shoreline, near me next to the busy road.

Birds:-

c40 Canada Geese were out on the water, with one oddball Goose, that stood alone, on long legs, on the shoreline.

I was hoping for a Mega but it was a Juv. Canada Goose (thanks to BS and the grapevine) the head pattern becoming visible.

Although I thought there was only one 'oddball', on further examination of my photos later, I noted a further 4 Juv, Geese with one adult bird.

Still I'd have thought that with c40 adults birds there would have been more than 5 juvs - could well be others, distant, out of sight or a tough spring.

Either way no Mega.

Meadow Pipit, Mallard with Ducklings.

3 Common Sandpiper and 2 Dunlin were great to see (could well  have been others hidden in the dips between the dark pools).

The dark peaty stuff looks like nothing edible would live there, but obviously the Waders are finding plenty.

A few Swifts were high over the house earlier on.

Hollingworth Lake:

Blackstone Edge:

Juv. Canada Goose