Monday 29 June 2020

Ogden Water

There was lots of water about too with 3/4 inches flowing merrily over Skirden Bridge. Nearby a tree had decided vertical growth was passรจ and took up a horizontal position across the path.

An hour long spell produced singles of GC Grebe, Grey Heron, Redshank, LBBG, Blackcap & WW. 2 Blackbird, 17 Canada & 3 Cormorant. 

Friday 26 June 2020

More Hit n Miss Birding

0625-0950 hrs.
In keeping with the recent trend; more miss than hit. I threw in a stretch of moorland which failed to produce anything but a few Meadow Pipit and Swallows.


The 2 juvenile LEOs were very evident and shortly after this encounter, I managed two sightings of one adult bird flying over fields.


Ogden Res had an adult GC Grebe on it along with 1 Cormorant, 2 BHG & 1 LBBG. 4 more LBBG were overhead and a Kestrel in the vicinity. Good to see part of the grounds have been designated rubbish dumps.

Other birds seen before the final venue include 1 Jay, 2 Mistle Thrush ditto Whitethroat, 1 Curlew ditto Blackcap. Usual Goldfinch & Linnets. Couple Chiffchaff, 5 WW, 2 Song Thrush.

Mixenden Res was once again poor, just a few Swallow. Not to worry though it too is serving the community as a rubbish tip.
I got my first Ladybird of the year, it was crawling up the back of my head. ๐Ÿ˜

Wednesday 24 June 2020

Another Long Hike

It ain't too frequent around this area that you have to battle the heat which I much prefer to the prevailing winds and sleet but I have to admit there were spells coupled with boredom that I began to wonder what am I doing out in this?




The answer maybe that once in a while a great bird turns up and this morning one did multiplied by 11 in fact. A party of Crossbill were first heard before some two minutes later they chose to fly directly overhead nice! 



Other than that it was quietsville with the final venue being unworkable due to crowd noise - eat your heart out Soccer stadiums.




Birds: Skylarks, Stonechat, Jay, BHG, LBBG, 2 GSW ditto Nuthatch, Green Woody, 2 Cormorant. Dwindling arboreal migrant singers, Song Thrush, 2 Swallow.


Monday 22 June 2020

Soil Hill to Mixenden

Another humdrum doldrum day. Soil Hill 0915 hrs: 6 Lapwing, Curlew, 2 singing Whitethroat, 3 WW. Skylark still going strong however with 2 food carriers and 6 singers. Grey Heron, 2 Reed Bunting, 1 Moorhen with juvenile, couple Swallow, several Linnet.

Ogden Res: eeeewww. 1 Cormorant, ditto BHG & LBBG. Minimal woodland activity.
The golf course was rank: few Linnet, 1 Whitethroat.
I lost the will to breathe on the approach to Mixenden but I recall seeing 1 Reed Bunting.

Still I wonder what is the second worst place to bird in the UK?

Saturday 20 June 2020

Queensbury South Short Route

Really short in fact 1330-1440 hrs. 2 singing Skylark, pr Swift, 1 House Martin, 9 Swallow. 2 of the latter were seen flying into different farm buildings.
The pond at Bare Head Lane held an adult Moorhen plus 3 very recently hatched young.
A singing Whitethroat ditto Chiffchaff, 2 WW, Gt Tit with 4/5 young, few Linnet ditto Goldfinch. 2 Blackbird, 3 Meadow Pipit, Jackdaws, Woodpiggies.


I saw a Speckled Wood flutterbye, which reminded me belatedly with some force that I haven't seen a single Painted Lady this year whereas in 2019 I was inundated with them.

Friday 19 June 2020

A Really Boring Walk

The rain has gone straight to ground at the site formerly known as Raggalds Flood; not a drop to be seen on the surface.

Soil Hill: crap. I can't motivate myself to mention any bird species at all, oh alright then: Song Thrush, Whitethroat, WW n stuff.
Ogden: see above. GSW, BHG.
The Warden was building a barrier to stop the numpties from climbing the fence so they may immerse themselves in even more stupidity.


The golf course provided a Stonechat & a WW close together and a few Meadow Pipit.
Mixenden Res: yawn. 2 LBBG, House Martin, Chiffchaff.

Thursday 18 June 2020

Garden Tales Near and Far

Not being inclined or able to traipse around since Monday due other commitments. I've been hanging in the back yard until today; now it's raining I ain't going out there.
Highlight of the week was a Nuthatch on the 16th calling loudly for about 50 seconds from a tree over the back fence. This is a first in the 13 plus years I've been living here.
Generally it's been the Woodpigeon pair that eat the next door neighbours out of house and home. A couple of Wren, the male of which must be trying to contact his pal in Ozstrylia judging by the volume. The odd distant large gull flies over, a Blackbird sings on occasion and breeding Blue and or Great Tits make noise.

My cousin lives in a North Cornwall village and for the third successive year he has a pr Blackbird breed in his garden. The male has become tame; it perches on his window, chair or whatever and feeds on crumbs after meals have been finished. Recently his Mrs walked across the street to visit a neighbour and it followed her, the cheek of it ๐Ÿ˜ฒ.

Just to really cheese me off, when I asked him how he's doing with House Martin, he nonchalantly replied there are 6 nests under the roof eaves. The best I can do is a couple or three have been flying over the back field this past few weeks.

Monday 15 June 2020

Soil Hill to Mixenden

0820 hrs Some excitement balanced with some monotony. In reverse sequence of venue once again Mixenden Res zzzzzZZZZZ came up trumps for boredom  with 7 Canada on the water. There were 2 singing Chiffchaff & a GSW in the woods.

Soil Hill was mist shrouded until I got to the Ned Hill track which featured a loudly singing Song Thrush. Several Goldfinch were here including a pr of squabbling birds. In fact throughout the slog Goldfinch was out in force.


Another bird showing or rather singing in numbers was Blackcap ably supported by WW whereas Chiffchaff was down to 3. Song Thrush in total came to about 7 birds.

A Tree Pipit was singing and displaying vigorously but this time it was wide ranging and photos were out of the question. A Buzzard flew over during this time and aural evidence of 2 juv LEO was heard for 7/8 minutes elsewhere.

Meadow Pipit
Meadow Pipit

I feel the Spotted Flycatcher nest first seen on 29 May has failed; evidence at the nest site indicates predation. 
Ogden Water equates to Mixenden, it was comatose. I was wrong some 9/10 days back in saying gulls are returning; there was a single BHG present with 1 LBBG upstairs.

The golf course was quiet in the main until I hit the Mixenden Stile where 3 Stonechat & a few Linnet were encountered.
A chipping Snipe performed at Hunter Hill bottom twice. Other players include GSW, Green Woodpecker, Curlew, Swallow, Whitethroat & Reed Bunting.

Saturday 13 June 2020

Be Satisfied With Your Lot

My previous blog sure caused some annoyance among a few birders from further afield.
Percival Grimble from Little Preening in Kent writes: 
You suggest that your area is the worst place to bird in the UK. Do you have any idea what it's like to get down to your local patch and see at least 8 different waders every day throughout the season? The monotony of clocking rarities every other day? The incessant phone calls from other birders informing of this and that and the other appearing 2 sometimes 3 miles down the road? It takes me 4 days to collate my annual tick list averaging 264 species, that's time lost from my other passion of playing Euphonium in the Xmas Houbara Bustard Brass Ensemble Appreciation Octet.

Fiona Mendez Bassethound-Fibula writes:
I hail from Brighton and would dig up my recently dead pet Wolf Spider to experience the birding treasures that a Northern Heathen like you fails to appreciate. Crested Lark, Woodlark, Hoopoe & Golden Oriole can take a running jump; I'd gladly trade them in for Skylark, Lapwing & Raven. I dream of Meadow Pipit, perhaps you could parcel some up and post them down to me?
Well Toodle-Pip, must go I think another damned Maribou Stork is worrying the Piranhas in my garden sauna.

Thursday 11 June 2020

Ogden and Mixenden Reservoirs

Via Oats Royd and Bradshaw. Chaffinch was the most notable singer throughout the trek every other species being subdued. There were several Swallow flying around Ingham Rd top.

Ogden was poor for birds but rich with visitors including one Big Fat Bellowing Blonde Botox Bimbo. I always wondered what the LNR meant now I know it's Local Numpty Roundabout.




Birds: 1 each Cormorant, Herring, BH & LBB Gull. 1 pr Tufted Duck & 6 Canada. A  very approachable Jay was busy feeding so I managed a few photographs. Robins were all over the show supported by the odd WW, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Song Thrush & Tits.



The stretch across the golf course and Hunter Hill bottom turned up just 1 Curlew, 2 Linnet ditto Meadow Pipit, 1 Skylark & 3 Mistle Thrush.
Mixenden Res was appalling: 3 Canada only.

I wonder what the second worst area for UK birding is?

Wednesday 10 June 2020

Raptor Persecution Increases

wordpress.com: ‘The bodies keep piling up’.
https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2020/06/09/the-bodies-keep-piling-up/

Tuesday 9 June 2020

Shelf Moor to Horton Bank CP



Shelf Moor 0910-1010 hrs. 6 Lapwing behaving in a manner that suggested young were about. 2 Adult LBBG very actively flying around. It became obvious that the dreaded June dispersal doldrums have struck with a big fall off in noise and sightings, confirmed by evidence of adults feeding young, in this case Great Tits. Also couple Linnet & Swallow, 6 Mall  Dullard (I'll get it right one day) in flight.



Horton Bank CP 1025-1125 hrs. Not too busy but I'm glad I don't go at eventide; there were c30 laughing gas shells, 1 empty Vodka bottle (you could have saved me a drop) and several beer bottles lying in one extinguished fire spot.



Quiet here also: 1 Mute Swan, 6 Canada, couple Moorhen, several Coot & young. I decided that the only Gull present is a 2CY LBBG no doubt I'm due for nightmares now.
1 WW & 2 Chiffchaff were singing.

Monday 8 June 2020

Soil Hill to Mixenden

0925 hrs Cool with grey skies but no wind. A session of two halves the second of which was close to tear inducing.

A short spell over the hill gave up a couple of Curlew, singles of Skylark & Whitethroat, few Meadow Pipit, couple Linnet and a group of newly fledged Blue Tit. 
Ogden Res; the water was really quiet; visitors may have had some impact but I'm not so sure. 2 BHG & Mall  Dullards. A pr of Oystercatcher flew noisily over and carried on flying. 4 LBBG & a Grey Heron flew > NE.

Woodland birds were subdued in the main: 1 GSW, 3 Goldcrest, 2 Song Thrush ditto Chiffchaff & WW, 1 each Blackcap & male Bullfinch. c10 Blackbird seen from the session start to finish.

The golf course was putrid as was the trek across Hunter Hill bottom with just a Curlew calling loudly.
Mixenden Res: 2 Swallow, 1 Swift ditto Chiffchaff. Again the water was nigh on lifeless with a solitary Redshank proving the highlight and a pr Canada & Dullard loitering.

There was one memorable highlight throughout the walk: an adult LEO flew from behind my left shoulder just about 3 metres away and glided slowly off into the fields. ๐Ÿ˜ Rest assured my camera was tucked safely away but I don't think a shot would have been possible given the short timespan.

Yes, I've done it again with the new Blogger format ๐Ÿ˜ฐ

Thursday 4 June 2020

Soil Hill and Ogden Res

Soil Hill 1045 hrs. Whitethroats still singing, about 4/5 of them WWs less so perhaps 2. 4 Swallow, c12 Swift. Stonechat male, Pied Wagtail, several Linnet, 1 Moorhen ditto Grey Heron. A single Oystercatcher was very active as were a pr Lapwing. Couple Curlew in the background and less noise from the Skylarks and Meadow Pipits.3 Canada flew over.



Ogden Res. Gulls are now reappearing with 4 adult LBBG & ditto BHG on the water. Also a pr of Tufted Duck and a pr Oystercatcher present, the latter showing well.





A Moorhen was running across the top muddy section of the E shoreline. The usual woodland birds were in good voice; once again Song Thrush making it's presence felt.

PS The bold red background at the top of this post is due to me trying out the new blogger version that will become mandatory at the end of June. I simply could not revert back to the standard format so I completed the rest of it in the legacy blogger. Oh Boy!

Tuesday 2 June 2020

Oats Royd Revisited

1050-1210 hrs. I felt obliged to get a visual on the Yellowhammer it being such a special bird for anywhere, really.
I did get quite a few albeit it at distance, hence this appalling photo.


Breeding evidence of WW & Meadow Pipit was seen. 1 Chiffchaff ditto Whitethroat & Dunnock. Few Linnet and this splendid fellow which I think is Throgmorton's Ptarmigan.



Oh that the Snert family were still around: Algernon and Montmorency would have no problem in confirming identification of this now sadly almost extirpated local species.

A pr Roe Deer were present, the male rendering loud barking calls which baffled some walkers.


The great warm weather ends tomorrow; its back to the English summer stuff. Bah Humbug ๐Ÿ‘บ

Monday 1 June 2020

Oats Royd to Ogden

Apart from a very decent start today's session was a let down in the main especially at Ogden where the Scuzzers Bros and family were performing wildly at the waters edge.

I got 4 bursts of the male Yellowhammer song in the favoured area of OR but no visual. WW, Blackcap, Chiffchaff & a Bullfinch were also present as was a distant DP who reports a Fox.


If  only I had hung on a further 10 minutes I would have seen the star bird as DW arrived and took this photograph!

A drake Tufted Duck & a single LBBG.were at Ogden otherwise it was Dullards Dogs & Homo Sapiens including a few decent ones.
The Spotted Flycatcher breeding pr are still making progress. c13 Swift and a few Swallow were seen plus the usual common migrant singers.