Moorland Trudge

Soil Hell Ogden Clough Giants Gumboil.

A birding disaster from start to finish at Mixenden Res.

No Red Grouse, Tree Pipit nor Spotted Flycatcher.

Just minimal numbers of now expected established residents at each venue.

Not a water bird other than those 'orrible ducks that laugh at you on either stretches of water.

Anybody recruiting OAPs for Hop Scotch Classes?

Queensbury South

A short version this am in clear blue skies and for the first time shorts (the kind you wear, not drink).

I met a fellow Queensbury birder, Brian and his lady who shows infinite wisdom in not being a network blogger. They reported a GSW & a couple of Whitethroat.

I managed a Whitethroat along with single Chiffchaff & WW. Alarmingly not a single House Martin seen and again the lack of insects most obvious.

2 Swallow, 4 Skylark, a few Goldfinch & Linnet.

A bizarre sighting was of a singing male Blackbird atop a post. Initially it looked to be a Ring Ouzel gone wrong; the white breast being shifted up the back of the neck. 2 other standard issue Blackbird seen.

Plenty of House Sparrow around Hillcrest including one carrying nest material into a nest box just 4ft of the ground.

Soil Hill to Mixenden

Amazing what an authentic Spring day can do for birds. On the downside despite the warmth there was an obvious absence of insects on the wild flowers.

A Cuckoo a bird I thought had slipped the net for this year called 4 times from the Ned Hill track.

A LBBG flew over > NE. 3 Skylark, 2 Whitethroat ditto WW. Goldfinches, Linnets, couple Swallow. Moorhen & 1 fledging on bottom pond.

Nothing on the water at Ogden but a pr Buzzard kept me entertained for a good 10 minutes.

1 each GSW & Green Woodpecker. 2 Skylark ditto Stonechat. More Linnets, 1 Reed Bunting, Whitethroat & WW.

Capped all this with great views of a casually flying LEO.

2 Curlew & a chipping Snipe Stod Fold vicinity.

Mixenden Res was comatose.

Soil Hill to Mixenden Res

Had a gander at Raggalds Flood en route to hell; just enough water to fill a large teapot.

I only skirted the hill ending up along the Ned Hill watercourse. No motor boats allowed yet but watch this space.

3 Curlew, 1 Skylark ditto Greenfinch Chaffinch & Dunnock. 2 WW & a Whitethroat.

Ogden Res was diabolical; only a GC Grebe on the water. Usual couple of Blackcap, Chiffchaff & WW. A pr LTT were the first I've seen in quite a while. 

The golf course stretch coughed up 1 Skylark ditto GSW, several Linnet less so Goldfinch.

The Stonechat family in the rough area were very evident with both parents rattling at me with considerable venom. The young remained under cover.

2 Reed Bunting, 1 Curlew ditto WW & a pr RLP.

Mixenden Res: 1 Tufted Duck & a pr Goosander. 1 each Blackbird & Song Thrush a pr Mistle Thrush, 1 Swift similar Chiffchaff & WW.

Elsewhere: Good views of a Barn Owl.

Swillington Ings

Not quite as good as Reservoirs Ogden and Mixenden but it had it's moments.

1 Black-neckedGrebe ditto Little Grebe.

3 Common Tern, 5/6 each Herring & LBB Gulls. Plus about 3 million BHG.

2 Cettis Warbler and the incessant Reed & Sedge, one which had the audacity to show itself. Yet again I find that some scoundrel took a poor photo and expects me to take the blame!

1 Grey Heron, c9 Cormorant. The Swifts have dispersed, just 3/4 being seen.

I now reason that there aren't actually 6 booming Bittern. It's just one bird that follows me around playing back recorded calls.

Within a minute or two of the camera being consigned to the sack of ruck in Gt Preston a Buzzard circled over the road for 5 minutes, at one stage flying low over my head. Looking for roadkill birders perhaps?

Ogden Res to Mixenden

Ogden was low profile to say the least. Somebody has removed the marker buoy platform so that's the end of perching Pelicans, Skuas and Sooty Terns 😎.

A single LBBG stopped on the water, took a couple of drinks and promptly left.

The golf course rough area produced a Stonechat female and a juvenile. The way the parent performed was indicative of other young being around.

 2 Reed Bunting, Whitethroat, 1 Swallow 2 Curlew, few Linnet & Meadow Pipt.

Mixenden Res was Interesting. 1 Redshank, 9/10 Swift, 1 each House Martin & Swallow. Blackcap, Chiffchaff & WW. Pr Tufted Duck. The Moorhen is still sat on it's nest.

The buoy has also been removed here. I suspect this is the action of the Calder Wild Water Swimmin Wimmin Over 80s group. They will stop at nothing to ensure a clear passage as they butterfly through the choppy waters singing Walter Trout's Obstacles In My Way.

Swillington Ings Delivers

Franklin's Gull. Good fortune dictated I was onto it within minutes of reaching the key area before the heavens really opened up.

 Another gift was House Martin I'm sure my latest ever by far. Several were skimming over the waters whereas the Swifts were more universal.

I decided to leave early but still managed Grasshopper, Reed & Sedge Warblers. Shoveler, Tufted & Gadwall.

The expression It's a Small World was well warranted today. I bumped into Daniel B who had also bagged the bird. Then later a non birder (lucky man) who had moved to Great Preston from Queensbury!

Queensbury to Horton Bank CP

Queensbury Sth: not too mind blowing as always. 2 Skylark, 4 Lapwing, c12 Rook & 1 Swallow.

Shelf Moor to Cooper Lane produced 1 each Blackcap & Whitethroat plus a couple Chiffchaff.

Horton Bank Country Park. The quietest it's been for a while; the explanation being a single brain celled doylem throwing a ball into the lake for his much cleverer dog to retrieve.

I did get some welcome noise from the reedbed; a Sedge Warbler singing it's socks off. 

There were about a dozen LBB & 1 Herring Gull present.

 A Mute Swan was causing problems for a pr of Canada Geese. It seemed determined to  harass their 4 offspring and followed them wherever they went.

The Canadas fought the Swan off at least thrice.

Ogden Res to Mixenden

Just the Cormorant on the water at Ogden. It's breast is now browning nicely.

I staggered up to the Giants Molar hoping for Spotted Flycatcher & Tree Pipit. I left with 2 Meadow Pipit, 1 Mistle Thrush and a Linnet. CS told me earlier a Cuckoo had been calling loudly.

1 each Green Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail & Treecreeper. 4 Blackcap along with the Chiffs & WWs.

The golf course and Stod Fold produced 3 Reed Bunting, 1 Jay ditto Green Woodpecker. 1 f Stonechat carrying food. 1 Whitethroat, 2 Grey Heron ditto Curlew. A few Swallow & a Mistle Thrush.

Mixenden hardly worth a mention - 1 LBBG briefly. Couple Chiffs & WW.