Home and Cromwell Bottom

I got out of bed at approximately 0245 to answer a call of nature. Nature responded with a call of its own. A Tawny Owl 🦉 hooted 5 times from the trees 🌲 out back. This is the first time I’ve had one in the past 2 possibly 3 years.

Cromwell Bottom

Could be my last visit here thanks to the limited visibility caused by the dense foliage blocking any good views of the Ski Lake. Ironically while I appreciate the bright dry day the sunshine played its part in prohibiting decent sightings of whatever came into view.

7 Grey Heron atop a couple of trees, one standing over a

nest.

A pr Goldeneye ditto Cormorant. 3 Tufted Duck. Plenty of Gulls large and small.

The lake by the canal that’s almost overgrown with reeds coughed up 6 Teal feeding on a small clear shallow section. A pr Goosander were on the canal.

More Ogden Water And Mixenden

I took a chance and went out as the fog didn’t seem too dense this am.

Ogden wasn’t too scintillating (there’s a surprise) with just a single Tufted Duck and the few expected gulls showing on the drink. Arboreal types were 4 Robin 2 Dunnock and  a Blackbird. As I headed towards Mixenden I heard then saw my first Raven of 2026.

I was somewhat sceptical about Mixenden Res but lo and behold first I got the Shelduck again followed by the GBBG 👍.  Also a single Cormorant and quite  a few gulls present both large and small.

Another year tick was a calling Nuthatch in the woods.

Ogden Water To Mixenden Res

Finally after days of fog and rain some good visibility and no moisture other than the reservoirs of course.

I arrived at Ogden to see 5 Tufted Duck swimming towards the feeding corner they then appeared to fly toward the W bank corner but actually left the vicinity.

I met JL who reported not much from the trees and I heartily endorse that. He mentioned 2 good birds on Mixenden so I remembered to turn my telling bone on and hey presto DJS had sent me a text about a Shelduck and a GBBG 🤪.

I legged it over there and got a Green Woodpecker over the top hedge at Carrs Beck. In a field a bit further on I saw a vertical large white blob. Turns out it was the breast of a GBBG! It took off and flew over Stod Fold.

Plenty of Gulls on Mixenden both large and small. One distant large job on the far E bank caught my eye it appeared to be a pale 2CY without black wing tips but I need to sleep so am dropping it like an anvil.

Looking from the iron gate over to the far end of the water I eventually saw both the GBBG and the Shelduck sailing around 👍.

Bored? You Will Be After Reading This

This morning my sanity deserted me completely leaving not a trace until a semblance of common sense returned at 1105 hrs. I did an about turn and legged it back down the road.

I was at Cold Edge Dams and couldn’t see anything on them thanks to the heavy fog. I managed to see a Meadow Pipit on a track and hear a few Canada Geese. Numerous Jackdaw in the fields around Wainstalls but that was it.

On Monday 19th I’d gone to Fogden Water experienced similar and aborted that trip too. The few birds I did see have been erased from memory 😵‍💫.

Low Moor Dams

A cold bright morning. Still a lot of ice on Harold Park Lake but oddly enough none on Park Dam.

HPL was rotten with Tufted Duck 40 at least methinks. A good count of Mute Swan 13 birds. 1 each Cormorant and Goosander. Coots and Moorhens of course. Plenty of gulls including 5/6 Herrings.

Park Dam can be accessed by leaving the main HP gates and walking directly across Moor Top Rd. You then cross Abb Scott Lane and continue straight on along the track at the back of the houses. When you come to Lingdale Road walk along it until it bears right at the bend. You can see the dam entrance on the left hand side. 

Alternatively from the main HX Road drive down Abb Scott take the right turn into Fenwick Drive then left down Lingdale Rd.

Park Dam: 7 Goosander, 1 GC Grebe, 7 Tufted Duck, 2 Cormorant. 2 Grey Heron perched high in trees. One was squawking loudly at a pr Crow perched nearby. Numerous gulls mainly small species. A few Coot & Moorhen.

c72 Canadas in the field.

A Buzzard circling over Claremount HX.

Cold Edge Dams

Very Cold if the truth be known. I only had an hour up there and couldn't even face the walk up to the top of Haigh Cote Dam.

Both dams were about 2 thirds frozen. Leadbeater didn't have a bird on it and HC only had a couple of small gull species.

I did get rewarded by my best count of  Red Grouse at the location, 6 birds. They were located in the heather below the trees at Leadbeater which tells me they too weren't into being frozen. My previous best was 3 birds but I cant remember the year.

Quite a lot of Jackdaws, a few Crows, couple of Magpies plus a single Blackbird were the only other species seen.

Soil Hill To Ogden Water

Had a backlog of walking to do so I went up Soil Hill. Quite a few Common and BH Gulls were at the bottom of Perseverance Rd.

Not a great morning for birds on the top with one notable exception. A pair of  Buzzards were displaying on the Ned Hill track side 😀.

The bottom of the hill is being extensively excavated, 3 machines in full swing. Corvids and a Pheasant were the only other avians seen.

A Tufted Duck drake was on Ogden as were several of the expected gulls.