Soil Hill to Mixenden Res

SH - Cold, forget it.

Ogden Res: Tawny Owl calling 4/5 times.

Tufted Duck pr. 2 Swallow, couple Chiffchaff & the WWs.

Grasshopper Warbler reeling near the golf course huts. 1 Reed Bunting also.

5 Stod Curlew back in the fold.

Mixenden Res: 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Redshank, 3 GC Grebe, 1 large Gull overhead, 1 Swallow.

A dumb Moorhen is nest building, I'll give it 4/5 days like I have in previous years before it's gone.

Soil Hill to Mixenden Res

I took a gamble on the hell hole and came out a loser. The theory being the fresh E/NE'ly wind would have dropped migrants in. All it did do was keep those birds present down and silent. 

Pr Blackbird, 1 Kestrel, 3/4 Linnet, 4/5 Skylark similar Meadow Pipit, 3 Lapwing.

Ogden Res: 1 Blackcap, few WW, couple Chiffchaff. 1 Grey Heron, pr Tufted Duck. 1 Song Thrush ditto Blackbird.

The golf course was a blank. A Swallow was at Stod Fold and a Kestrel further up the hill being mobbed by Crows. 

The Stod Curlews may have finally moved, no sightings and no noise. 1 Reed Bunting seen.

Mixenden Res: 1 Greylag, pr GC Grebe, 2 Moorhen ditto LBBG & 1 Herring Gull. 

Elsewhere: 1 Barn Owl.

Hardcastle Crags Area

This slog really rammed it home to me that I'm OLD. After the woods which produced Blackcaps but not much else than the norm I ventured along  Walshaw Dean, Crimshaw Dean, Jimmy Dean, Dean Martin and Dean Owwotyerdoin?

2 Wheatear, 1 Little Owl. A Peregrine was dining on a bird believed to be a Curlew out in the open and ducked when it saw me bring out the camera.

4 Oystercatcher, 6 Lapwing & c11 more Curlew that could still fly.

6 Swallow, c9 Pied & 2 Grey Wagtail. 2 Mistle & 2 Song Thrush. 2 GSW.

Queensbury Garden Birds

 

I don't know what was going on yesterday but we had at least 3 Redpolls, one a "Yellowpoll" with a British ring, in the garden all day. Then a Siskin, late afternoon, on the feeder.

Denise

PS Great stuff Denise. I can't recall having seen Redpoll this year and the only Yellow variety I've had must have been som 9/10 years back in Cornwall.

Wainstalls Circular to Mixenden Res

Slightly busier than of late. Mistle Thrush & 2 Blackbird at Wainstalls. 1 Little Grebe on the small dam at Cold Edge. The lower of the 2 larger portions held 1 Herring Gull & 8 Tufted Duck. The top damn was like Pearl Harbour for noise thanks to boaters. 1 male Reed Bunting here and a Buzzard that got mobbed by wherever a couple of LBBG sprang from.

A few Curlew, 3 WW, few Meadow Pipit, Canadas & Greylags. 

Usual Stod Curlew, about 17/18 of 'em. A pr Wheatear, 1 m Stonechat & a Pied Wagtail further up Hunter Hill.

The GCG pr still at Mixenden Res.

Do Not Proceed Beyond This Point

Well you were warned!

Soil Hill: Gash. 4 WW & others but nothing of consequence (as if WW counts for anything).

Ogden Res: 1 GC Grebe ditto Grey Heron. Tufted Duck pr with RLP pr Back Lane. WWS & Chiffchaffs.

  

🤢 This plane was the only thing flying in the ether today.

Much less crowded now that people can get back to shopping. This leaves me worried about where my next moan is coming from.

Golf Course to Mixenden Res: 1 Reed Bunting male carrying food. 4 Curlew. The water is filling up fast from my tears. Talk about bored stiff.

Back Down To Earth

Lots of earth too - Soil Hill. Linnets and Co, 1 Reed Bunting, 2 WW. This high pressure must be the reason nothing is arriving. Last year I got a Whitethroat on April 15. Mixenden Res again lacks Swallows and both species of Martin whereas previously they have appeared much earlier on.

Ogden Res: 3 LBBG, 1 Grey Heron. Chiffs outnumbered by WWs. 1 Song Thrush.

15 plus Stod Curlew. 1 Jay, 2 WW.

Mixenden Res - an aquatic cemetery with single GCG. Couple Chiff & WW.

Swillington Ings

Warm with clear blue skies and a very light breeze. Quiet is a word that cannot be applied to this site in Spring so let's say I've known it busier. Nonetheless I still had a couple of memorable sightings and a few annuals for the list.

4 Black-necked Grebe swimming and diving together. A Common Tern mobbing a Red Kite.

2 Booming Bittern although they seemed half hearted. 3/4 singing Reed Warbler.

5 Reed Bunting, ditto Cettis Warbler, 2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel.

1 adult GBBG & a Little Ringed Plover. 5 or more singing Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat. Plus the usual varied residents.

Willow Warbler Invasion

Started off with the big Yawn Hill then to busier Ogden Res. I suggest to any brave worthy that ventures there has a WW-21 vaccination. It was rotten with Willow Warblers, a veritable wall of sound. A couple of much better behaved Chiffchaff were also singing.

4 Greylag Geese were probably the same crew that turned up at Mixenden at the walks end. The GCG is still there along with a pr Tufted Duck.

I was more than happy to get much better views of a Redshank pr which had to put up with a pestering Crow on the same stretch of shoreline.

The golf course held a Grey Wagtail, 4 Linnet & 2 Reed Bunting. 2/3 WWS.

Despite the farmer having done a number on the Stod Fold fields there was still some curling calls to be heard.

Mixenden Res: GC Grebe pr still present along with a pr Tufted and the a/m Greylags. 1 Moorhen ditto Chiffchaff, 2 WW.