More About The Ogden Route

Another warm morning session that had a couple of reasonable sightings to savour 😊.

13 Lapwing on Ogden Water. 2 each Grey Heron & Cormorant. Loads of usual Gull species.Several Canadas. 2 Nuthatch ditto Swallows.

Carrs Beck had at least 6 Stonechat busily flying all over the shop. 

A Green Woodpecker and a Blackbird at Mixenden along with a smattering of Gulls.

Photos to follow if I can motivate myself 🥱.

Where Else But Ogden?

As predicted there was plenty of heat around this morning so I had to take it easy and stick to the safest routine.

This paid off as I finally discovered the Common Sandpiper reported by BS a few days back.

Another bonus was the sight of 8 Lapwing on a stretch of shoreline not blanked out by the vegetation.

What I found interesting was the sight of a Lapwing flying low down over a large number of gulls. They all immediately took flight to the middle of the water. I presume the shadow of the Lapwings broad wings triggered an instinctive raptor alert.

1 Cormorant present. 2 Stonechat at Carrs Beck.

Queensbury Tesco Raven Flyover

After a dull spell at Ogden and Mixenden my depression was eradicated at 1450 hrs by the welcome sound

and sight of a Raven flying above the Tesco supermarket heading NW.

GCG at Ogden plus the mass of Gulls. A Buzzard called briefly again. 1 Cormorant. 3 Chaffinch & 1 WW.

A Stonechat at Carrs Beck.

The scorch marks of the considerable burned area of Ned/Soil Hill can be seen at quite a distance away.

A Warm Morning At Cold Edge

The first leg of the session was a bit of a damp squib thanks mainly I suspect to the SW’ly blow. Just a Grey Heron a few Meadow Pipit and a BHG.

However on turning round at the ruined building things picked up reasonably well 😊.

A total of 8 Stonechat including 3 recently fledged.

c26 Goldfinch, 5/6 Linnet, 1 each WW & Pied Wagtail, 3 Swallow.

Also more Meadow Pipit, c50 Canadas a Robin and a 🐦‍⬛ Blackbird.

Usual Route Brings No Surprises

A dull session this morning at Ogden Water. Couple Cormorant, usual Gulls but the GCG appears to have gone. A short call from a Buzzard.

3 WW, a Robin & a couple Blackbirds.

3 golf course Meadow Pipits & a couple Goldfinch. All those others previously seen now gone.

A Cormorant was on Mixenden Res along with a few LBBG, couple Herrings, 3 Common & a few BHG.

A Windy Walk At Ogden Water

A few drops of rain too, I’d almost forgotten what it was.

Not much to get the blood pumping. The GCG still present. A squeaky Buzzard call lasted just over a minute.

An Oystercatcher was standing still on the E shore.

Gull numbers notably down.

Carrs Beck still held 2 Stonechat. Other species probably blown away by the wind.

A Grey Wagtail was calling loudly as it flew onto a Black Dyke Mills roof on my return home.

Routine Ogden Mixenden Walk

A warm sunny session without the fuss of any special birds to trouble me 😁.

A couple of very noisy Buzzard were creating for about 8 minutes. The pitch of their calls indicated they are annual offspring’s.

Close to 200 LBBG were present as were 6/7 Common Gull a Herring or two and the BHGs. A single Cormorant seen as was a Grey Wagtail.

It’s worth mentioning that Mark a regular walker at Ogden, accurately described a Common Scoter he saw last night 2nd August.

Carrs Beck was busy with several Linnet, a couple of Goldfinch ditto Stonechat & a Dunnock.

A Green Woodpecker at Mixenden along with 6 BHG & a bunch of Canadas.