Ogden to Bradshaw

Sue dropped me above Ogden Lane on our way back from shopping this afternoon.

A cold, wintry hail showery walk ensued, across Back Lane, around Ogden Water and home via the farms and fields paths.

I did ok with the heavy showers really. until nearly home when one whacked me.

I bumped into the farming couple that own the 'standing stone' field on Soil Hill and I asked them what the purpose of the stones was for originally.

He told me that this was called a 'dew pond' and that the stones protected a small pond that was fed by a thin channel.

The stones were placed in positions so that cows could only get their head through to drink and had to reverse out.

This stopped the pond being destroyed by the cows walking through it  and churning it up etc.

Some stones are missing and damaged now.

The farmer says his Curlew are early - a sign of a good summer!

Birds:-

Ogden:

Hard to come by.

Whoopers had vamoosed.

Pheasant. Meadow Pipit nr. Back Lane.

2 Canada Geese.

c20 Gulls at one point.

Goldcrest. 

Dunnock.

Curlew called from Back Lane, Soil Hill and Bradshaw.

Bradshaw Fields:

A Curlew called nearby and landed in one of the fields by the sound of it. I could not pick it out of the glare.

3 Stock Dove. 

c30 Jackdaw some attending a branch meeting (ho ho ho).

A 'large' flock of c20 Meadow Pipit popped up high, on a field top.....bobbed up and down and immediately disappeared over a wall towards Taylor Lane area.

Pheasant.

A Kestrel was struggling in a icy shower near the old salt pile, Denholme as we passed earlier.

By no means a classic outing.