Ogden to Mixenden Again

Gull numbers up by a small percentage this am. 1 Common on the W shore.

A Curlew flew overhead calling twice. 7  Cormorant & the f  Tufted Duck. Grey Wagtail & a Pied or two. 1 noisy Green Woodpecker.

The golf course was a real bore, couple WW heard. Carrs Beck was quiet apart from when I started chatting to DJS.

Hunter Hill bottom was busy with Swallows, Linnets & a few Meadow Pipits. 1 each GSW & Reed Bunting.

You two who read this blog know what’s coming next…

Mixenden Res had nothing on the drink, again!

Thursday 28/07 & Friday 29th

Friday: Horton Bank CP. Generally moribund with a couple of highlights. 1 Reed Warbler seen flitting around briefly presumably catching insects. The bird was also heard a couple of times alarm calling.

Apart from a couple WW and an overhead LBBG it was down to the residents and 8/9 BHG. Also: Scuzzers & Arsonists.

Highlight no.2 was over the main road above the park. A Pipistrelle 🦇 was flying around and then heading into bushes twice. I can’t begin to recall the last time I got a daytime bat.

Thursday: Ogden Water where gull numbers have dropped even further. Cormorant still at 7/8 but no Oystercatcher nor Tufted Duck.

1 GSW ditto Bullfinch & Chiffchaff. A few Pied Wagtails. A singing Song Thrush at Stod Fold. Swallows all over t’shop.

Mixenden Res? Forget it.

Today’s Big Mistake

Exercise value only. Shiteholme and Crapstone Edge, a real shit show 💩.

1 Raven, 4 Stonechat, several Meadow Pipit & Pied Wagtails and that’s yer lot. Not one moving bird upstairs.

Wish I could blame it on the screaming dogs and barking kids but I don’t think that’s the root problem.

Ogden has just shot up the ratings fivefold.

Ogden Water and Mixenden Res

Rather similar to the previous visit, the exception being Cormorant numbers at 8 birds. Couldn't detect any Common Gulls. 2/3 Herring among the LBBGs.

 The 4 Oystercatchers showed better especially when an unseen predator spooked the whole works. The f Tufted still present also a Grey Wagtail.

The track up to Carrs Beck was busy with several House Martins, a few Meadow Pipit, 1 Reed Bunting ditto WW & Linnets.

  

Several Swallow en route to Mixenden Res where I spoke very briefly to the Security Guard.

He cheerfully waved me on to walk round on the water circuit which sadly produced just 5 Canada and 3 distant large gulls.

Something odd is going on at the boating slipway end as this photo depicts.

All Change At Ogden etc

The Gull numbers have depleted massively at Ogden. 5 Cormorant still present as was the f Tufted Duck. 4 Oyster 🦪 Catcher resting on the W shore rocks. Another heard calling while flying over the golf course.

A Nuthatch called weakly from within a moving Tit party.

Had a good chat with DJS on the Carrs Beck track. Birds around here included 3 Pied Wagtail, pr Jay, 1 Whitethroat & a few Swallow. 

Forget Mixenden Res birding for the next couple of months. The security guards with dogs are back on watch. 

Elsewhere: a pr Owl species.

Ogden To Mixenden

Ogden Water: Cormorants now 7. Overall gull numbers well down but Common stands at 3. One f Tufted Duck ditto Lapwing.

Got a pr Coal Tit, my first visual in a while. Bumped into JL and had a natter.

The golf course and Carrs Beck produced several House Martins & Swallows. One each Green Woodpecker, Jay & Whitethroat. Couple Linnet, 1 WW and a brief visual of a moving Willow/Chiff.

It pains me even to mention the word Mixenden 👺😢

Extinction Potential

 https://apple.news/AgHt1zff7S3qkdB8SXXoYSQ

Cooler Temperatures Move Birds

Ogden to Mixenden completed today in weather more suited to perambulation.

Loads of Gulls on Ogden Water and a problem with one being identified with a mix of suspicion and uncertainty, to wit a YLG. Hindsight and the camera failed to convince me.

 

A Common Gull, my first for the summer here was alone on the E shore.

Over on the W shore among the LBBG were a couple of Herring.

5 Cormorant today and as I was leaving a trio of Oyster 🦪 catcher flew in. Only 1 Lapwing seen. 4 Chiffchaff singing.

Carrs Beck produced a Jay, Whitethroat, couple Pied Wagtail ditto Linnet.

Hunter Hill bottom was dirty filthy rotten with Linnets. Also several Swallows, less so Meadow Pipits.

Mixenden Res was almost barren but held a surprise, a Coot. I shall have to refer to my Birdtrack records in order to verify if I have seen one here before.

I noted some of the damaged trees caused by the scumsuckers recently. A tree hacked down and a couple of broken branches elsewhere. The burned banking naturally stood out.

All I can say is: Dudes when you’re causing such wanton damage, you’re using up valuable time that could be put to sucking more scum. Get with it and Get Guzzling! 🤮

Cold Edge Was Hot

Another disappointing morning at Cold Edge Dams, making it three in a row. I couldn’t face viewing the damage caused by arsonists at Mixenden Res (info from BS) yesterday so I just did a circuit here in the heat.

7 Tufted Duck all brown ‘uns. Several Swallow, 3 WW ditto Greenfinch. 4 Reed Bunting still singing. Quite a few Meadow Pipit and Linnet with the odd Goldfinch knocking about. 4 Pied Wagtail scattered throughout.

Now what have I missed? Oh yes, the vehicles, swimmers canoeists & speedboat 🚤 😣. 

Soil Hill and Ogden

I'm not sure if it was sheer cowardice or an attack of common sense that it me after completing Ogden Water in the searing heat but I decided not to try the stretch to Mixenden and called it quits.

Soil Hill was passage only across the top and just 4 Meadow Pipit seen. A Raven was burping frequently around Back Lane.

There were 6 Cormorant on Ogden, 8 Lapwing and the hordes of Gulls. I tried to squeeze a Common out of the crowd but it was not to be.

Woods very quiet with one singing Chiffchaff.

Mixenden Crowns The Morning

I was satisfied with the action at Ogden Water before moving onwards to Mixenden Res, where I expected nothing, as has happened for the last 3 months or so.

Signs of movement at Ogden with 11/12 Lapwing and a Common Sandpiper in among on the E shore. 4 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron ditto f Tufted Duck. Several LBB, a couple Herring & the BH Gulls.

Couple Swift, several Swallow, a Reed Bunting & a troop of Linnet at Carrs Beck and beyond. Then as I walked down the track towards Mixenden, I saw a distant, large mainly white water beast; one Shelduck, for the perusal thereof😂.

It was in the distance so although needing to make steps home for a deadline, I rushed to a point where I could take 2/3 awful 😢 photos.

Cold Edge Be Damned

What an awful session this was with the NW’ly wind killing it. Only migrants were 1 Swift and a few Swallow. Few Goldfinch & Linnet. Even Meadow Pipit numbers were low. Couple noisy LBBG upstairs and  c15 BHG on the deck.

The Tufted Duck juveniles are now down to 3 from 8, just an adult female with them. Canadas and c12 Greylag seen. 1 Pied Wagtail ditto Greenfinch. 

Soil Hill to Mixenden

Another warm one and overall a struggle to find many birds. Soil Hill was passage only, a few Linnet, 1 WW, couple of Whitethroat. Breeding Swallows were seen in the vicinity of Coal Lane and across the road.

The Gulls increased in numbers again at Ogden. The YLG I hoped for was actually this Herring pictured.

There were 4 other Herrings present. Cormorant has increased to 4 birds ranging from a striking large white gular pouch job to a drab brownie.

The ample shoreline turned up a Common Sandpiper 😋. Then it was downhill all the way ☹️. Carrs beck held a Reed Bunting and a Whitethroat, a Green Woodpecker called weakly from Hunter Hill bottom.

Hope you don’t mind if I don’t mention Mixenden 😓.