Mundane Ogden But A Surprise At Mixenden

Actually a correct description pertinent to the final venue would be a Shock 😮.

Ogden provided my first Sand Martin of the year. A pair were flying around the promenade for a couple of minutes before moving on. An Oystercatcher was heard once then the session nose dived.

A Grey Heron and 3 drake Tufted Duck plus 8 Canadas on the water. 7 LBBG dropped in at the final stage of the walk. 

The WWs ChiffChaffs & Blackaps singing.

The golf course coughed up a Skylark and a Raven flew around Hunter Hill.

Mixenden Res was typically quiet until I got to the exit gap in the wall by the main metal gate. Then all hell broke loose 💥💥.  Very loud alarm calls erupted from the shore line and went on for about 25 seconds. A pair of Common Sandpiper then burst into view 👀.

One bird flew close by me into the edge of the trees then immediately went back down to the shore. The other bird flew up the S shoreline.

Half a minute later a Carrion Crew emerged from the same spot leading me to believe it was the culprit of the scenario 👺.

More Ogden In The Rain

Another glorious Summer's day ☔️😢. The Grey Herons have dispersed and I just saw 3 today. Tufted Duck still at 3 birds. 1 each LBB & Herring Gull. Same Warblers singing in 2s and 3s.

1 GSW ditto Mistle Thrush. 2 each of Swallow & Swift. A Buzzard had a Crow almost chewing its tail as it flew towards Stod Fold.

I’d rather not mention Mixenden 😣.

A Bit More Action Ogden Water

Another unseasonal wintry start that did improve to early spring standards after 45 minutes or so when blue skies appeared.

An interesting discovery at Ogden was clear evidence on the W end of the promenade of Song Thrush snail bashing behaviour. The small shell fragments I counted suggested 2 Snails 🐌 had been battered while an intact one had been spared probably by someone or something interrupting the bird. The expected Warblers present in low numbers.

4 Grey Heron still present. 15 Canadas. A noisy Curlew flew not too high over the water heading SW. Another one heard at distance.

3 Tufted Duck, 1 Herring & 7 LBB Gulls. The golf course coughed up a Swift, a Swallow and a pair of House Martin.

Ogden Water To MixenDeadEnd

This won’t take too much of your time up reader.

What a superb Summer Day to raise the spirits rain wind and more rain.

3 LBBG on Ogden Water with 4 Grey Heron on the N end shore.

1 GSW, 2 Swallow plus the usual common warblers.

As I was leaving 2 unfamiliar birders I met near the promenade end told me about a Marsh Harrier on the tops. They pointed in the direction of Hunter Hill.

I continued on the usual route along HH bottom and didn’t see anything let alone the MH.

All I have to say about the final destination is: the Whitethroat is a much more positive entity than me. It was still knocking the 🎵 music 🎶 out.

Low Moor Dams

Thankfully it remained dry during the late morning stint. Not too much to shout about however with a noticeable lack of hirundines and Swifts.

I LBBG on HPL along with a Mute Swan, a pair of GC Grebe ditto Tufted Duck. Plus the expected Canadas Coots and Moorhens.

Park Dam had 10 Mute Swan, 3 Tufted Duck and another GCG. A Tawny Owl called once rather feebly from the woods. A few more Coots and Moorhens.

Upon departure a fledgling Great Tit got fed by a parent. 3 LBBG overhead.

Ogden Water

1 each Grey Heron and drake Tufted Duck. 2 GSW heard calling weakly so I presume juvenile birds. 

The expected warblers were a bit louder today as was a Song Thrush. 5 Blackbird.

1 LBBG several Goldfinch couple Swallows and a distant Curlew.

Usual Local Trek Catch Up

Ogden Water on Wednesday was so poor apart from the Pied Flycatcher that it put me into an ultra negative mood and as the Mixenden stretch was equally mind numbing I didn’t see any point in recording whatever it was I saw 😓.

Today Friday, I braved Soil Hill top. The W’ly breeze made its presence felt and all I saw were singles of Swallow, Skylark and Crow! About 10 LBBG and a couple Herring Gull were following the machinery excavating the N slope bottom. Pied Wagtails appear to have bred in Coal Lane.

Ogden coughed up a soaring Buzzard and a distant Curlew. 3 Blackcap were singing loudly but the Piecatcher has Flied 😂. Numbers of LBBG slowly built up during the session. A single Swallow seen.

Mixenden produced 28 Canadas. The ever present Whitethroat and a Pied Wagtail carrying insects. A spirit lifter was a pr House Martin showing strong signs of nesting 👍.