A Bad Day On The Usual Route

Oh boy did I pay today for the recent decent sightings when I did Soil Hill to Mixenden.

Just a Kestrel on Soil Hell top and 5 Goldfinch on the feeders in Persecution Road bottom.

Ogden Water was awful the only fowl I saw was a f Goosander barking at me as it fled away from the E shore.

The juv Whooper Swan was still present at Mixenden Red along with c25 small gulls, mainly BHG.

Ogden Water To Mixenden Res

Grey cloudy skies with minimal rain and mild temperatures today.

Managed to view 11 Teal, 2 Wigeon and a Tufted Duck clearly. A Cormorant took flight towards Mixenden.

Carrs Beck was throbbing with over a hundred mixed flock of Fieldfare & Redwing. 1 Jay seen in flight here.

Mixenden Res: 1 each Whooper Swan & Cormorant.

4 Common Gull & c18 BHG.

Soil Hill Route In The Rain

Let's not forget the strong wind either. As expected no sign of the two visitors seen recently. However compensation came in the form of c60 Redwing in flight heading down to Oats Royd.

I’d best get this off my chest: Mixenden was throbbing with large gulls and some small ones. As I combed through them I picked up a distant large black Cormorant type shape that didn’t fit the bill. Forgive this pun but the bill was more diver like and GND sprang to mind 😜. When I tried a closer view a few minutes later it seemed the critter had taken flight 😢.

The Whooper Swan was still in the company of the pr Canadas.

Ogden had produced just 3 Teal a Wigeon and a Tufted Duck in the open away from the shoreline. Raven on the E shoreline!

Soil Hill Delivers The Goods

Had me a pleasant surprise on the Hill from Hades this morning. I bumped into DJS & BS who were quick to tell me one or possibly two Black Redstart were in the vicinity. Seen first by Dave they really started moving but I managed to get good views of one bird followed later by both of them together 👍 

https://calderbirds.blogspot.com/2025/10/soil-hill.html?m=1#:~:text=Soil%20Hill

I also managed 3 Goldfinch 1 Common Gull & 4 Grey Partridge.

Ogden Water faded into insignificance after this episode a couple Teal & Wigeon out in the open and the Chaffinch flock at the Skirden channel.

Whooper Swans Back At Mixenden

The 5 Whooper Swans were back on Mixenden Res and still there when I left at 1255 hrs 😊. A Raven called twice.

Prior to this episode I’d been to Ogden (there’s a surprise) where I managed to view the 2 Wigeon one on the W bank t’other on the E. 9 Teal and 2 Tufted Duck showed also.

Soil Hill Ogden and Mixenden

It was worth getting wet and having my toupee blown off today as I had some good bird sightings 😁.

I went along the Ned Hill track and caused a pr of Grey Partridge to take flight - apologies. A Blackbird & Common Gull seen also.

Ogden Plantation provided another 4 Grey Partridge & a Grey Heron in flight.

Ogden Water was vibrant 👍. A flock of Pink-footed Geese around 80 strong flew over heading W. The Teal for some reason were showing well away from the shoreline cover; I managed to count 15 of ‘em. 1 each Goosander & Wigeon plus 4 Tufted Duck.

A single Whooper Swan was on Mixenden Res still in the company of a pr Canadas.

Mixenden Res Whooper Swans

A welcome surprise at the end of today’s trek was to find 5 Whooper Swan emerging from the E shoreline into the centre of the reservoir. 3 Greylag Geese joined them.

As i departed later I noticed them back near the shoreline where numerous BHGs and a couple of Canada Geese were present. 

A single Cormorant was also seen.

Prior to this Ogden Water had performed a bit better in that I got to see 7 Teal away from the shoreline and 3 Tufted Duck. A f Goosander was seen preening itself near  the Skirden channel.

A Cormorant diving in the middle of the water.

The place was full of disturbance: plenty of footfall and loud noise. This was perhaps the reason why the Chaffinch flock had moved on.

Bradshaw Church yard coughed up a mixed party of Chaffinch and Tits including LTT.