Redcar Tarn

It had to happen given the morsels that have turned up of late. I also picked a good day; the howling wind was the best I've ever tasted as it jumped down my throat after completely numbing my fingers.

Apart from Herrings & LBBGs I thought I did manage a 1/2CY GBBG but under the circumstances I won't be dwelling on that. Quite a few Tufted Duck present and the Canadas.
Towards the end of the adventure I met KM for the first time in centuries.

Raggalds to Mixenden

1230-1500.hrs. Just 7 small gulls on Raggalds Flood with 2 Meadow Pipit nearby.

Nothing on Soil Hill other than a large quantity of wind from SW.

Ogden Res: 1 Treecreeper, ditto Jay & Kingfisher. For the first time in ages there were 3 Goldeneye present; 1 m & 2 female. Presumably the SW'ly had dropped them in from Mixenden Res.

Bumped into JL so we had a bit of a natter and tried in vain to photograph 2 very close but very agile Goldcrest. Also a moving Tit party with 4 Coals in among, 2 Blackbird & a Mistle Thrush.

From the promenade right across Hunter Hill there was an overload of nothingness.
Mixenden Res held a pr Goosander & 2 f Goldeneye, confirming what I suspected about the a/m varmints. Usual small gull contingent present.

Queensbury South Short Version

0945-1100 hrs starting off dryish, finished off soaked. At least my wet weather gear got an outing, no point in keeping it dry at home.
Not quite 100 percent of the few birds seen were in Littlemoor Park, part of which now qualifies for the Mud Run centre of the UK.

c35 Redwing, 3 Mistle Thrush, 1 Blackbird, Blue& Gt Tits, scattered Goldfinch, 2 Meadow Pipit, a fair old number of House Sparrow, couple BHG. Inevitable Woodpiggies.
Oh I also met the proprietors of the Correction Centre For Wayward Hedge Sparrows Mr & Mrs D Unnocks.

Queensbury South

A Tawny Owl was hooting from the trees close to my bathroom window in the early hours of this morning - welcome back.

More puzzling is why c22 Carrion Crows were the same trees albeit a few yards further back just now. They were having a right old moan over something I just couldn't make out.

Rodley Nature Reserve

Courtesy of DM on an almost spring like morning. We could see the Black Swan immediately so went down to take a couple of shots. Across the canal a GSW had the decency to perch on a treetop giving good views while remaining a bit too distant photograph.

2 Song Thrush, c60 Redwing, c30 Goldfinch, 1 Goldcrest. 2 Tree Sparrow.

Hundred plus Greylag, similar Canada.

2 Herring Gull, 4 Teal, c15 Tufted Duck, c30 Gadwall, 2 Little Grebe ditto Cormorant, 3 Grey Heron. 2 Goosander, 3 Jay, couple Stock Dove. Usual woodland types actively feeding and singing.

Soil Hill to Mixenden

1040-1330 hrs Bright sunshine in a mild breeze.

SH had c20 Redwing, c55 Fieldfare & c70 Starling together in one field.

Singles of Meadow Pipit & Skylark were on the top. 3 Roe Deer were at the N slope bottom.

Ogden Res is undergoing excavation on the top E side pond and nearby section of track. The birds didn't flock to watch though and I managed just 2 LBBG, 1 Herring & the small jobs. I was pleased to get 3 Bullfinch by the lodge house; 1 m & 2 f. 

Others: GSW, 3/4 Coal Tit.

There wasn't a single bird seen at Hunter Hill bottom. I wonder if the wind switching to NE was influential. A couple of Roe Deer provided some distraction.

Mixenden Res is shrinking by the day. 3 Goosander still there also 3 Cormorant but Goldeneye down to 4 birds. Usual small gulls and a GSW heard.

Raggalds to Mixenden Res

1030-1225 hrs. The Flood was iced over which explained why c12 Lapwing were over in a Roper Lane field.

Soil Hill: pr Raven on the Radio Mast platform and also Daniel B but like me he was on the deck.

While wading through the Ned Hill track I got a Buzzard overhead. On seeing my camera it flew directly toward the Sun, no doubt 'avin a larf.

A Pied Wagtail was in Coal Lane.

Ogden was alive with Homo Sapiens which kept birding mundane. Among the gulls were 3 Herring & 1 LBBG. I tried to turn a 4CY job into a Cachinnans, I couldn't even manage Michahellis.

I heard a two note Curlew like call overhead but because of the early date I have to consider a quirky dog whistle. Also 4 Moorhen, 1 each GSW & Jay.

A good crop of mixed Thrushes was at Hunter Hill bottom. Around 36 Redwing & 18 Fieldfare were flying around in a nervous manner.

Mixenden Res held 3 Goosander & 6 Goldeneye - 3 m & 3 f. 2 Cormorant & 1 Moorhen were swimming as were the many gulls. Among the latter were 9 large Laridae, however all were juvenile or immature phase and as time was of the essence I didn't try to split them.

Withering Heights Walk

Courtesy of DM along with DW.

Very withering indeed in the cold brisk winds blowing over the moorland. However it was also bright and sunny so there was no chance of being burdened by excessive bird life as we were constantly shielding our eyes

At Stanbury we did have some good fortune in the form of a mixed Fieldfare & Redwing flock some 50 birds strong. Nearby were singles of Kestrel & Mistle Thrush & 2 Blackbird.

Also: c15 Red Grouse, few Canada & numerous small gulls.

Raggalds Flood held c30 Lapwing, some of which had been across at Mountain earlier.

Raggalds to Mixenden Res

Raggalds Flood 1005 hrs 7 Lapwing, c32 small gulls incl a fair number of Common.

Soil Hell provided a foretaste of storm Brendan and I was glad to get the hell out; just 1 Kestrel seen.

Ogden Res was torpid. Apart from the inevitable small gulls it was down to the Kingfisher and a Tit Flock for avian entertainment.

The stretch from the promenade to Mixenden is best forgotten about.

Mixenden Res provided a final flourish; 3 Goosander  (1 m & 2 f) 4 Goldeneye  (2 m & 2f). 1 Cormorant and a barrel full of small gulls. 

A bonus here was a Buzzard circling over the water as it drifted north.

PS Whoever it was that posted the above photos is due for a reet kickin'.

Low Moor Dams

1100-1210 hrs on a cold sunlight morning with not much going on at all.
Harold Park Lake: 3 Mute Swan, 4 Tufted, 1 GCG, Coots, Moorhens, small gulls, 1 Canada ditto Redwing.

Park Dam: 3 Blackbird ditto Canada, 1 Little Grebe, 6 Tufted Duck, 1 each LBBG, Pied Wagtail & Cormorant. More small gulls, Coots Moorhen.

Once again I noticed House Sparrows are abundant down here.

Ogden Res to Mixenden Res

1305-1455 hours. A productive session with Ogden delivering the goods in the main.

3 Siskin, 6/7 Lesser Redpoll, 1 GSW. The Kingfisher was fishing from the bushes on the W shoreline which also held 4/5 Coal Tit plus the usual crew. A Kestrel was doing it's rounds over the golf course.

Hunter Hill bottom had 23 Canada & c21 Fieldfare with 3 Stock Dove near Stod Fold.

Mixenden Res had c70 Woodpigeon fly over. 5 Goldeneye plus a swarm of small gulls were on the H2O.

Queensbury South

1130-1250 hrs, a shorter walk than the norm. The cold blustery SW'ly ensured the fields around the trailer park were devoid of birds other than a Kestrel flying over.

Littlemoor Park area had plenty of Blue & Gt Tit, 3 Blackbird, similar Chaffinch & 6 Goldfinch. 4/5 Gulls went over > W, a couple showing hallmarks of 1/2CY LBBG.

Around Giles Hill I managed a single Fieldfare, couple of Meadow Pipit and the show stealer, a cracking juvenile m Sparrowhawk. It gave good views perched on a wall for a minute before flying off in no great hurry.

Rodley Nature Reserve

Courtesy of DP who having already seen the Firecrest was hoping we both could get it this am.

I was keen to go birding for another good reason; I had my left eye lens removed on Friday and a plastic one inserted. Turned out to be a wise move as the improvement using my binoculars was very noticeable.

The Firecrest gave us the runaround but there was some good compensation, namely:

1 Buzzard ditto Goldcrest & Grey Heron.

3 Wigeon, 7 Teal, several Gadwall, pr Little Grebe. Few Tufted Duck, 2 Cormorant.

Approximately 50 Common Gull were seen along with 3 Herring & a few BHG. The Caspian was not reported this morning.

Also present: 1 Canada, pr Greylag, 3 Mute Swan. Coot, Moorhen. 3 Reed Bunting, Coal, Blue & Gt Tit, 3/4 Blackbird.

Local Tour Round

DP kindly offered a trip out this morning and since I was last out way back in 2019 I took advantage of it.

Taylor Lane: Little Owl out on a wall. 1 MistleThrush, several Redwing, few Fieldfare, couple Blackbird, loads Starling. 

A Reed Bunting was calling from the top of the tree by the favoured viewing site.

Mixenden Res: Grey Wagtail, 2 Cormorant, Moorhen, m Goosander. 2 drake & 1 f Goldeneye. Lots small gulls, Nuthatch, couple Blackbird.

Booth: I paid the price of being inattentive; Dave got a Dipper. Jay, LTTs, 3 more Nuthatch, Pied Wagtail & Grey Heron. Usual Woodland types seen.

Other: Jackdaw, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Kestrel on Soil Hill. First bird of the year was a Pied Wagtail overhead outside my house.