Monday 18 March 2024

Cold Edge To Mixenden

 

Finally a dry bright breezy day. DP was on the same bus so we scoured the fields and skies together.
Cold Edge: a female Tufted Duck and greatly reduced number of Canadas also 4 Greylag. A Redshank called briefly- my first of the year. A single Cormorant was on Leadbeater dam.

3 Pied Wagtail mebbe 8 Skylark & 6/7 Meadow Pipit. 4 Curlew 1 Kestrel. 3 Lapwing together briefly.
A long boring trek down the top road to boring Mixenden Res - 3 Canadas.

Walking through the swamp in the woods finally brought a result a singing Chiffchaff 👍. The now reliable Green Woodpecker was calling again.

Saturday 16 March 2024

Raggalds Soil Hill Ogden Mixenden

A real hard slog that has finally convinced me I have to give into old age and rein in my ambitions.
Raggalds held just one small gull sp. which I couldn’t be bothered to confirm.

Soil Hill: 1 Common Snipe 2 Curlew 8 Skylark 3 Meadow Pipit several Woodpigeon.
Ogden Water and plantation: 1 each Kestrel and Treecreeper. Pr Goosander 1 each Cormorant & Raven. Several gulls including 2 adult LBBG and 4 other young large sp.

Proof positive I urgently need to buy a new camera or consider not taking anymore photos.
It fizzled out big time on the stretch to Mixenden but I did see a Barn Owl.


On a day I decided not to even think about Cold Edge BS kindly sent me a txt about 45 Whoopers being present. This sounds about right they way I’ve been performing so far this year 🙄.

Friday 15 March 2024

Horton Bank Country Park

In the rain and more like a country bog to boot pun intended.
Now 2 Mute Swan - the newer bird still in subadult plumage. 4 Goosander 3 x m & 1 f.


Plenty of large gulls mainly 2CY ish but 3 adult LBBG & 5 adult Herring. 1 Grey Heron 3 Coot 4 Moorhen.
Woodpigeons Blackbird Robin.

Wednesday 13 March 2024

Another Bad Day At Cold Edge

Dropped a clanger today. A savage SW gale was blasting over the terrain. So much so that on all stretches of water only 4 Common and a BH Gull were sailing around.
A Herring Gull carrying a food item was being chased by a second bird.

The Canadas still present in fairly large numbers. These were overshadowed by a flock of Starling at least 350 strong. 1 Greylag seen. 1 each Curlew Lapwing & Oystercatcher.

Nothing at all seen at Hunter Hill down to and including Mixenden Res 😖.

Monday 11 March 2024

A Good Session Around The Local Route

This is more like it; started off well at Foxhill with both Buzzard & Kestrel over 😋.
DP was on the bus to Bradshaw so we both combined our immense skills 🤣 around Ogden and Mixenden.

A single Whooper Swan was on Ogden Water along with a handful of small gulls. A Curlew flew over and 7 LTT plus a m Bullfinch seen. Blue Tits were very active.
A Treecreeper was at Hebble Brook. 2 Curlew and a pr noisy Oystercatcher flew around Hunter Hill.




We hit pay dirt at Mixenden Res: 37 Whooper Swan present 😛. Also a Cormorant. 
I took several photos but I’m still using the faulty camera so only a small few turned out as acceptable.

Saturday 9 March 2024

Cold Edge Abort No.2

A cold wind from the E made for hard work so I went just beyond Haigh Cote Dam then returned back to Wainstalls.
No passerine sp. seen, I suppose they were all hunkered down.

Probably around 160 Canadas and a pr Greylag. Just a pr Curlew and also a pr Oystercatcher. Several Woodpigeon 1 LBBG & a few BHG.

Like  a Circus do you? Then visit Halifax Bus Station it’s a really good laff that is unless you’re one of the clowns that got suckered.

Thursday 7 March 2024

Murky Soil Hill To Ogden

Took a chance that some birds would be on the deck in the mist this am. Raggalds Flood had to be cancelled but I did get a window on Soil Hill for a short while.

3 Goldfinch, 1 Blackbird & House Sparrows at Perspiration Rd.
I did the entire slog of the hill which sported about 11 singing Skylark and my first Meadow Pipit of the year. A pr Grey Partridge took fright and flight.

Down at the boggy bottom I got my first annual Snipe. A couple of Curlew and Lapwing called in the distance. A pr Canada flew over. I couldn’t see the pond clearly as the murk came in again.

I can’t bring myself to bore you two readers with Ogden. By the way how much are you going to charge me this year for reading my posts? Answers on a postcard please it will give me time to save up 🤓.