A Long Slog Rewarded

0650 hrs - Infinity or so it seemed.

A slow start but when it picked up it got rather good. 

Pr Oystercatcher that left the site when the noise started. I'm going to try log this White Goose in with 8 Canada as Anser caerulescens on Birdtrack just to test their mettle y'know.

The Wood Warbler still performing loudly but even more elusive than when first discovered.

A Tree Pipit was in full song and display flight and eventually gave itself up for a photo shoot.

3 Spotted Flycatcher seen but I heard more. 2 of them have built a nest which I could photograph as the tree it was in never moved. Conversely the bird carrying nest material moved rapidly so I only got record shots; like this one.

Song Thrush is a species that seems to be thriving this Spring judging by the singing going on. The usual other arboreal denizens were in full swing and I am almost positive I came across a WW nest site.
Also Jay, Green Woodpecker, Grey Heron, Little Owl, Swallow and Meadow Pipits.

Couple House Martin flying over back field when I finally crawled home.

Soil Hill & Ogden Revisited

Another marathon slog which in the main was patchy although it did raise the BP a couple of times.

Don't think I'll manage such an early start again; Soil Hill 0525 hrs. Barn Owl, Kestrel, 2 LBBG > NE. Lapwings,Curlews etc. Few Swallow, WW & Whitethroats, Greenfinch.

Ogden Res: 1 Redshank, pr Tufted Duck, 2 Cormorant & 3 BHG > NE.

A Wood Warbler put on a great show of flying about in full song. It gave good but brief views as it flitted from tree to tree. The foliage and it's speed negated my attempts at photography.

Also 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 drumming GSW, 3 Bullfinch ditto Song Thrush, several Chaffinch & WWs, Blackcap & Chiffchaffs.

A pr Blackbird were seen gathering nest material.

Soil Hill to Ogden Reservoir

Never thought I'd be jumping for joy at going round Ogden but after a 2 month absence I was.

Soil Hill: Kestrel, 2 RLP, Lapwings including 1 harassing an Oystercatcher.

The Sedge Warbler continues to sing and display.

I found evidence of breeding Curlew; this eggshell was about 50 yards down from the N slope top. I suspect a predator had carried it up there from the  bottom.

Usual WWs & Whitethroats knocking about as were the ground dwellers & Blackbirds. Also a few Swallow but I didn't get any Sand Martin. Pied Wagtails seem to like being captured on camera.

So onto Ogden where I got my first Cuckoo of the year. A Green Woodpecker chuckled and a GSW drummed a couple of times.

There were a few Blackcap & WW singing plus 2 Chiffchaff ditto Song Thrush.

The water produced 1 pr of Herring Gull & another pr LBBG. On the W shoreline 4 Oystercatcher posed graciously for photographs.

Shelf Moor to Horton Bank Country Park

Warm but windy, just managed to hang on to my teeth. Pockets of avian activity punctuated by spells of zilch.
Shelf Moor: 1 Lapwing, couple Linnet, 1 Mistle Thrush ditto Swallow, 4 Swift.

Horton Bank CP: busy with people but no problems as common sense kicked in. I carefully avoided getting too close to the boxers; I remember vividly the day I got beat up by a punchbag 😵.
A Sedge Warbler was quite noisy in the very same place I got one here on May 31 last year.

3 LBBG were present most of the stay while 3 Herring Gull dropped in for a shorter spell. Also one adult BHG seen.

3 juvenile Coot were seen along with 4 adult birds.

A pr Canada were sailing along with just one large chick in tow. A single Mute Swan kept to the background.
2 each Swallow & Swift flew over. Others: 1 Moorhen, pr Bullfinch, 3/4 LTT, singles Jay & Mistle Thrush, 3 Blackbird. I'm sure the wind was responsible for keeping any woodland migrants quiet. However in Littlemoor Park on the way home a Blackcap & a Chiffchaff did pipe up for a short while.

Soil Hill & Ogden

Donned the summer gear and lightweight footwear today otherwise they'd be scraping me off the bridle paths.

A day of glorious very warm weather but as always the quality of birding subsides as the skies get bluer and the centis grade up notably.

Soil Hill: hard to tell if there are 1 or 2 pr of Sand Martin. Reason being the first pr were hanging around the usual  quarry spot. While some 20 odd minutes later a pr were skimming over the bottom pond. Could be 1 pr with a large range?

The Sedge Warbler could be heard blasting away some 200 yards distant. Nothing other than the usual suspects present with the exception of a cracking Stoat giving very good views.

I don't think we are missing much at Ogden as the promenade view allows clear scanning of the water. 1 m Tufted Duck 2 3CY LBBG. Also pr Mistle Thrush, WW, Chiffchaff & Blackcap.

The golf course disappointed with single Blackcap, WW, Whitethroat & couple Meadow Pipits. A Grey Heron cruised past the clubhouse.

Soil Hill

Only 2 Whitethroat singing this morning whereas the WWs were at normal strength. Same applies to the Larks & Meadow Pipits. Usual Lapwing & Curlew contingent.

The Sedge Warbler was energetic again but behaving somewhat differently and throwing in alarm calls so I'm going to back away from it's domain forthwith for a spell.

Finally nailed the male Stonechat that Daniel advised me about. 1 Sand Martin seen in cruising mode. A Snipe was flushed from the ditch which once again revealed the skulking Moorhen.

Also 1 each Little Owl & Reed Bunting alongside a few Swallow & the Linnets.

3 separate LBBG overhead incl. 1 adult.

Queensbury and Soil Hill

Queensbury: Thursday 14th. House Martin high from back yard in the afternoon.

Soil Hill: Friday 15th. Usual culprits around, not too busy but interesting nevertheless.
At the bottom of the N slope I came across Daniel B subjecting himself to an ear drum perforation courtesy of the Sedge Warbler, now boisterous again after a couple of days quiescence.

The bird never shut up and sang itself into a frenzy both from the bushes and in flight.

4 large gulls came overhead but I passed on trying to id against the sky and with underbelly only showing. No calls heard.
Moorhen, Kestrel, pr Stock Dove ditto RLP, 2 Reed Bunting, Blackbird, 3 Swallow.

Taylor Lane: Pied Wagtail, Whitethroat, Little Owl.

Queensbury: Couple or Three Swallow around Roper Lane (now rubbish free) and Old Guy Road. A pr Swift over the cricket pitch. 1 Pied Wagtail & 3 Skylark of which one pair has bred.

Queensbury to Mixenden Res

Old Guy Road: 3 Skylark.

Persecution Road: 2 Pied Wagtail, 4 Swallow.

Soil Hell: 1 Pied Wagtail ditto Oystercatcher & RLP. Usual Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Lapwings & Curlew. 5 Blackbird, 3 Swallow, 1 Swift. WWs & Whitethroats still vocal. 1 Moorhen, Linnets.

Ogden Res: viewed from promenade only. Very quiet, nothing apart from the M word on the water. 3 WW, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 2 Blackbird. 

The golf course produced 3 more Swift & a couple Swallow.

Stod Fold: 6 Curlew. Thought I heard a House Martin. 

Mixenden Res: very quiet. 1 Redshank, 2 Swift, 1 Chiffchaff ditto WW & Whitethroat. 

Legs: can't feel 'em.

Soil Hill Winter Reprise

At 0655 hrs today a smattering of the cold white filth fell into my garden. 2-1/2 hours later upon the hill from hell a vile vicious East wind not only pierced my winter clothing but unleashed a 10 minute hailstorm forcing me to take shelter by the excavation machinery.

There was no rock n roll from the Sedge Warbler today and no hirundines seen neither. 3 WW & 3 Whitethroat did go through the motions along with some Linnet while the Meadow Pipits and Skylarks seemed unphased by it all.

A few Woodpigeon, 2 Reed Bunting ditto Canadas, 1 Kestrel & the Lapwings were also eyeballed.

A solitary Little Owl perched on a fence post.

Ropey Lane Fly Tip is growing satisfactorily; the amount of Cannabis waste suggests Queensbury's finest will be stoned for another month at least.

A pr Chaffinch & 1 WW were seen while Old Guy Road clanged yet again.

Thursday & Friday News

Thursday 7th May. One lighter moment while in the queue at LIDL Haley Hill. A Garden Warbler was singing from the bushes near the car park. There are also a pr Greenfinch that must have bred or are breeding here as I've heard them making noises regularly for the past couple of months.

Friday 8th May Soil Hill. In sunny warm conditions.

The Sedge Warbler was going crazy, singing all over the joint by the bottom ditch.
In addition to the Lapwings & Curlews, 3 Oystercatcher were flying around the Shay fields noisily.
1 each Pied Wagtail & Reed Bunting in the area too.

Usual WWs & Whitethroats knocking about, not forgetting the Meadow Pipits & Skylarks. More Swallows turning up but no sign of any Sand Martin today.

Today was bonus day for Little Owl; two birds were very active together.

Soil Hill Delivers

As hoped for and expected this morning I finally nailed a Sedge Warbler in and around the bottom N slope ditch. First heard singing it was then seen flying from the reeds into a bush where it continued it's rendition of O Solo Mio.

In the wider area here was a  single Pied Wagtail, 4 Lapwing a Curlew & a Reed Bunting with the usual Linnets, WWs & Whitethroats heard.

3 Sand Martin have taken a fancy to the quarry with a Swallow flying through and a hovering Kestrel thereabouts.

2 Greenfinch, a Chaffinch & JL were loitering on Ned Hill track.

Few more Swallows seen throughout. 2 WW at Roper Lane where an adult Herring Gull was seen in a field. 2 Pied Wagtail & 3 Skylark around Old Guy Road.

Oats Royd To Ogden Res

I bit off more than I could chew with this long slog there and back, a reminder that I'm really getting old now.
I was rewarded with an annual tick however: 3 Swift just below the Ned Hill Road. Also here were 4 Swallow.

Oats Royd: 4 WW, 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, couple Greenfinch ditto Linnet, a few Goldfinch & Blackbird. 7 Canada.
Old Bill was here also: unbelievably some cretins had erected a camp site by the private fishing ponds, complete with large tent. I quickly stashed my Assault Rifle and Glock but there was no need to panic, said Policeman drove straight past me.

Ogden Res, viewable from Promenade only. Very quiet indeed apart from a plethora of WW. 1 Cormorant ditto GSW & distant chuckling Green Woodpecker. Also 1 each Song Thrush & Chiffchaff.
The golf course was also quiet: 1 Whitethroat & a Raven being mobbed by 5 Crow really showing the size difference of the two sp. Another different Green Woodpecker seen in flight nearby. Also 2 Blackcap & a Jay. 3 Blackbird including this relatively confiding male.