Horton Bank Country Park

After a nightmare session yesterday at Ogden (1 Grey Wagtail) and Mixenden (1 Tufted Duck) I just had to see some birds today so I went down the frog n toad for a sortie.

3 Goosander didn't venture too close. A Grey Heron switched banks after a short while and a Cormorant paid a late visit.

1 LBBG, 3 Herring Gull similar Common and  host of BHG. 2 Coot, 6/7 Moorhen. 4 Canadas and a pr Mute Swan.

Rock Bottom Birding Today

Ogden Water was appalling. The trees 🌳 could only cough up a couple of Robin and a Blue Tit. Usual gulls and the f Goosander on the drink.

Stod Fold had a singing 🎶 Mistle Thrush 3 Blackbird & a couple Great & Blue Tit.

Not even gonna mention that M place 😖.

Cold Barren Queensbury South

The E’ly wind really made its presence felt this morning as I walked through Littlemoor Park and the adjacent area.

Can’t really say it was a bird walk cos there weren’t many varieties around.

Wren, Pied Wagtail. Many BHG, handful of Common & couple Herring Gulls. Plenty of Caawvids. Lapwing are now consigned to history and not a single Thrush species seen nor heard.

Ogden Area Improves Somewhat

Today was my second trip to Ogden in 3 days. The first wasn’t worth reporting as a Nuthatch was the only worthwhile bird seen. I saw it again this morning.

6 Tufted Duck were near the Skirden Clough area as was a Kingfisher. The f Goosander was near the promenade.

Rocks Lane coughed up a mixed party of Tits including 2 LTT. Also Chaffinch Greenfinch and Blackbird.

An unexpected bonus occurred at Hunter Hill bottom. 3 Grey Partridge took flight when I passed them and showed rather well before dropping down.

Mixenden Res was brimful of nothing again.

Queensbury South To Horton Bank CP

I’ve not been down south in about 11 months and how things have changed. More houses have been built but of greater interest the boggy fields at Cross Lane corner have been expanded fourfold. Not much doing there apart from c45 Starling but there is some potential I hope.

The surrounding fields produced 3 continental Blackbird & a Mistle Thrush. Numerous small gulls including a BHG with a 80% Summer head! 3 Herring Gull among a large bunch of Common. 4 Rook several Crows & Jackdaws.

Horton Bank had the usual residents plus a Grey Heron. A Cormorant appeared to look at me and decided to get the hell out as I did when the deluge commenced 💦.

Ogden Water Hardly Worth It

A struggle to report anything really so I’ll just mention that the warden CS confirmed what I was told by another walker an Otter was photographed taking a Carp from a local pond a couple of months ago. CS later found the Otter dead and sent the body away for examination.

Carrs Beck was interesting: I saw c14 Blackbirds. 9/10 of them were identified as having all black beaks- the continental subspecies. So I presume they all were.

On the way through Bradshaw I saw 3 Herring Gull.

Yet again Mixenden was dreadful.

Ogden Water To Mixenden

Another riveting session at Ogden - f Goosander.

I fared better at Rocks Lane where there was a busy movement of passerines. The Sun was pointing directly at me so I only managed to  identify about a third of the crowd.

1 Treecreeper ditto Mistle Thrush. Blue Coal & Great Tits. 2 each of Blackbird Redwing & Greenfinch.

Best to forget Mixenden 🥴.