Thornton Rd (below Soil Hill) and Bridleway Nearby

 A bitterly cold day today, but some brightness in amongst and dry.

I had a drive out this afternoon, to take  a couple of hours exercise walk, and parked near Denholme Velvets.

I was hoping to see some Golden Plover AC got some over shay fields, below Soil Hill, this morning.

My vantage point was looking south up, towards Soil Hill but I failed to locate any Goldies.

Second try for Goldies this year and second dip.

Afterwards I walked west up bridleway towards Back Lane, Ogden - retracing my steps after reaching the abattoir ruin.

Pretty dead here today, which is unusual.

Birds:

2 Mistle Thrush.

14 lapwing in the bridleway fields, a further 40 or so seen at distance, over the Raggalds.

Just the usual Corvids and Gulls about.

Earlier, a distant scan of Mixenden reservoir, from the road, on our way back from Halifax Aldi, revealed 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls with some of the other Gulls.

A real poor do today.... but its heartening to see that Golden Plovers are being seen.

Bradshaw to Ogden and Back

 A few snow flurries early on this morning soon packed in and went home.

This afternoon a strong cold NE wind was a bit of a pain, making birds hard to find during my outing.

I took my usual route through the fields, past East Croft Farm and up Syke Lane.

Ogden car park was packed tight but the circuit was 'bearable' but very few birds in the track side trees.

Loads of people walking dogs came through the west side gate in a long, long procession.

A bit further on, one lady asked me what I was looking for, when I answered , birds, she said "You'd be better off in the woods I bet there are loads in there" - she was probably right.

Good to chat to RH, who was arriving as I was leaving.

Birds:

6 Redwing.

4 Fieldfare.

4 Partridge sp. flushed immediately they saw me and were soon out of sight - I suspect they were Grey Partridge, Red Legged Partidge usual run if they have the option.

I fired off a photo - but I can't find the birds in it!

Little Owl - eventually.

2 Goldcrest along Back Lane.

Usual Gulls on Ogden Water which also included one Lesser Black-backed Gull.

2 Bullfinch.

also:-

An exciting bird call that turned into a Lesser Spotted squeaky pram wheel turning.

A something in the trees!!

Not my best effort!

A 'Something' in the trees

Soil Hill etc - A bit of a better outing

 This morning's outing was the usual Soil Hill pilgrimage.

Frequent drizzle blown along by a stiff breeze made walking along the west side of Soil Hill unpleasant, but, other than that not too bad.

A couple of this year firsts for me today with a Skylark flushed from the West Side of Soil Hill. 

After lunch a garden watch was helped by a very loud call from a Green Woodpecker from the trees opposite our house - not seen.

Birds:-

Bradshaw Lane:

Heron

Taylor Lane:

Little Owl.

Soil Hill:

Heron

2 Meadow Pipit

1 Skylark

2 Raven - one displaying

3 Greylag Geese > NNW

Usual Gulls passing through.

Nothing on the lower shay fields / pond.

Bradshaw Fields:

2 Meadow Pipit

An unidentified small bird high > NNW calling.

I got a few photos but the bird was very distant.

Garden;

Green Woodpecker.

Raven displaying

Below 3 photos of the unidentified small bird:-

Ogden Water

A poor day today, rain all morning and drizzly misty stuff later.

When a bit of a dry interlude appeared, after lunch, I went for a walk around Ogden Water.

I went home via the Raggalds to look at the flood but thick fog had descended and the water was not visible from the road.

Birds:

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was on the Res. House Feeders.

The usual Tit species were just around the corner from the house.

c120 Small Gulls on the water at one point.

Loads of Gulls passing overhead as I was leaving when it was getting dark.

A Kingfisher was seen in the bushes and a second (or the 1st again) was seen later, flying low over the water, as I walked the east side path.

I heard some very quiet, high pitched calls as I walked the west side path.

A bit of patience was rewarded with the sighting of 2 Treecreeper.

The Treecreeper call seem less loud than a Coal Tit's call and the Goldcrest's call seems more piercing.

The rest of the circuit was very quiet indeed, and another visit here without any Wildfowl except the resident Mallard.

3 more January days to go -  It's been a struggle, has Old January, so far.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill - Bradshaw

 A look at Soil Hill again on an unusually mild, calm, dull day.

Most of the snow has now gone with just the odd bit of ice left.

I dropped some bird seen along the main track - the Crow population were looking on from the Comms mast.

2 walkers along the top and a mountain biker up here as well today.

Birds:

Taylor Lane:

2 Mistle Thrush, Little Owl, Jackdaws.

Soil Hill:

Pheasant, Rook, Carrion Crow.

Fewer Gulls about today - Common Gull, Herring Gull.

Black Headed Gull.

A Heron near the lower NK pond.

1 Meadow Pipit called (not located).

Blackbird in the north slope bushes.

Ned Hill Track (South End):

Wren.

Homeward Bound:

Common Gull, Black Headed Gull.

Woodpigeon, Mistle Thrush, Starlings.

Little Owl.

With a little bit of good fortune, maybe next week, I'll see some Waders locally.

Bradshaw - Ogden Circular Walk

 Another cold frosty morning with grey skies.

With a poor forecast for this afternoon and Soil Hill still frozen to the gunnels no doubt a change of scenery was on the cards.

I decided on a bit of a longer exercise outing from home, along the fields / lanes to Ogden,  around Ogden Water and back.

The Ogden circuit was fairly quiet , humanoid-wise.

A much better outing than of late, with plenty of birds on offer and some welcome birdsong.

It was good to chat with Bruv' Dave along Ogden Lane.

I made a good start with Redwing and Fieldfare in the local trees.

Not many though - they have been quite elusive for me around Bradshaw so far this winter.

The poor forecast materialised this afternoon with mist and drizzle making for a quite miserable scene.

Birds:

4 Mistle Thrush.

4 Redwing.

6 Fieldfare.

Little Owl.

2 Bullfinch.

Nuthatch.

4 Raven , calling and seen at different locations (2 Ogden, 2 Bradshaw).

Jay, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Rook.

A Kingfisher was calling with a few high pitched whistles, as it sat in the Ogden Water west side bushes.

It soon moved into thicker cover.

Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard).

Woodpigeon, Collard Dove.

Plenty of other smaller bird species.

Good numbers of Small Gulls on Ogden Water and surrounding fields.

Just One Herring Gull seen, looks like a 2nd winter bird to me.

An enjoyable few hours out and about - still searching for some new Wildfowl species.

Elland Bridge Area

 Sue had an appointment at Elland Hospital and due to Covid restrictions I was unable to go in with her.

I took this opportunity to take a walk along the river from Elland Bridge to Lowfields business park and back.

Lots of folk walking along the canal tow path but few walking along this side of the river, which suited me fine.

A cold breezy outing with the odd snowflake now and again.

I manged a couple of yearly ticks so that was a nice change from the last week or so, where the lockdown restrictions have an impact.

Still its good to have an outdoor hobby that you can pursue, wherever you are, really.

Birds:

The river was very quiet. 

A Dipper flew along the river, refusing to stop or slow down for a photo.

1 Canada Goose.

3 Mute Swan on the canal.

2 Long Tailed Tit.

2 Mallard.

Moorhen.

and a few other sp.

A short, cold, sky watch from the garden this morning revealed a Kestrel, Gulls, Woodpigeon and Crows.

Soil Hill etc Sunday

 A very cold day today and the usual lockdown exercise walk.

A dull outing with mist in the valley and a grey leaden sky overhead.

The sun looking through the frosted window of cloud, never got its act together.

I dropped some more bird seed on the Soil Hill main track - most of the last lot has been eaten, so that's good news.

Nothing new bird wise again today - just Gulls and Crows moving, seen from Soil Hill.

Elsewhere:-

2 Little Owls in the usual places - always good to see.

Mistle Thrush.

3 Lapwing.

2 Goldcrest along the farm track from Ned Hill Lane made a pleasant change.

A Peregrine was seen earlier in the day, and a M. Bullfinch was seen from the Garden - quite rare here.

I took a few phots of Oxenhope Reservoir and Mixenden Reservoir, on full zoom, from Soil Hill top.

Both reservoirs are far, far too distant to get any colour into the photos but there were birds on both reservoirs - it would be a brave man who sticks his neck out to say what the birds might be from looking at the black dots!

Canada Geese on Mixenden - but Barnacle ???and Teal???

Still, with lockdown, this is probably as near as I'll get to Oxenhope!

Sun forecast for tomorrow afternoon, will make a nice change.

Studley Pike from Soil Hill

Oxenhope Reservoir (TMR).

Click to enlarge - there are birds on the water!

Including one  'large' one.

This appeared in one of my 'scenic' photos.

Probably Woodpigeon.

Mixenden Reservoir.

Canadas and Teal???

Soil Hill etc - Saturday

 Same afternoon's walk as yesterday, up to and around Soil Hill then down Ned Hill Road and along the Bradshaw fields to home.

I put some bird seed down along the track (to feed the Crows probably).

Some kind soul had put a lot of bread out on Ned Hill Track.

c15 Crows were feeding there with a few Common  and Black Headed Gulls.

As the Crows flew off with bread the Gulls were mobbing them, without much success.

I didn't quite understand why the Gulls did not just land and take the bread from the ground - probably too many Crows guarding their prize.

Birds:-

Bradshaw Lane:

Pheasant.

Taylor Lane:

Wren, Little Owl, 1 Fieldfare and 1 Mistle Thrush seen.

A second Mistle Thrush was singing somewhere south of me.

Soil Hill:

Really hard to eek out anything this high up, with snow on the deck and frosty ground.

The only airborne birds were Gulls, both large and small, passing by throughout.

Lots of scanning for PFG but no joy there alas.

I had quite a lengthy clomp about but nothing flushed, although there are still lots of boggy bits.

The lower NK pond remains partially frozen.

Homeward Journey:

Green Woodpecker seen in flight - briefly.

Little Owl.