Soil Hill & Ogden

SH: a flock of c18 Grey Partridge took flight from a top field near the Persecution Rd entrance. They flew low NW but I couldn’t relocate.

At the bottom were 3 Teal & a Common Snipe. Overall it was less busy than previous visits. A few Meadow Pipit, 1 Blackbird, 2 Skylark a Goldfinch or three.

One Species seen that warrants suppression owing to the behaviour of certain scumsucking Clickerati.

Ogden Plantation was busy with a large mixed Tit flock and 

a Buzzard low overhead dodging a Crow.

Ogden Water was pathetic so I called it a draw.

Queensbury South & Shelf Moor

Quiet throughout, especially Littlemoor Park but a satisfactory ending. Nothing exceptional in the park; the only species in good numbers was Goldfinch. The adjacent fields did have a few small gulls in them also a couple Pied Wagtail and a few Meadow Pipit.

Shelf Moor also quiet but a healthy number of House Sparrow was noted. 1 Rook, the tame pr Rhea and more small gulls.

I was clocking yet even more small gull sp. (majority being BHG) down Brighouse Rd when I caught a sight I was beginning to think would not occur again. 9 Lapwing were in a close bunch and lucky for me the above 5 didn't fly off when I pointed the camera at them.

Queensbury Brambling

DS kindly sent these Brambling shots of a single bird that was seen in her garden (whereelse?) this lunchtime.

Thanks Denise, this is the first time I've heard of Brambling migrating locally this autumn.

Soil Hill

Another good midday session in a W'ly blow but mild temperatures.

3 Stonechat, 2 Common Snipe. 8 Canada & a Dullard.

Several Meadow Pipit, 1 Bullfinch & a few Goldfinch. Again a mix of gulls on the bottom field.

Trudging back up the slope I got a sleepy Tawny Owl. I’ve not had too good a year for this species so I’m more than satisfied.

Walking along the top field track in what is mostly a linear bog, I encountered a Jack Snipe at close quarters. Both of us were somewhat flushed 😂.

Once I got below the Radio Mast and went down Taylor Lane it all went dramatically quiet.

Soil Hill Bonus

I was approaching the second gate up from the Perspiration Rd entrance to Soilage when a Wader flushed from the small boggy corner on the farmers field to the left. I got good views as it flew silently, veering to my right. It was a winter plumaged RUFF!

Also: 2 Common Snipe, 3 Teal, 5//6 Goldfinch, Meadow Pipits, 1 Skylark. The male Bullfinch still present, 2 Kestrel ditto Blackbird. Several Gulls on the bottom field.

Soil Hill and Ogden

The Hill from Hades was kind to me this late morning. 4 Common Snipe & a long awaited Jack Snipe 😁. A pr Teal ditto dullards. An unexpected male Bullfinch, pr Goldfinch. 1 each Kestrel & Skylark. A scattering of Meadow Pipit. 3 Stonechat, 1 Redwing & 4 Fieldfare over > W.

Ogden Water was mediocre: Gulls incl. a fair few Common. 1 Jay and a noisy Raven.

It is now improper to mention a Flood at Raggalds. Despite recent heavy rainfall, it is Driza 🦴.

Mixenden Res & Cold Edge Dams

Mixenden Res: 1 each Green & GS Woodpecker a Mistle Thrush and the Gulls.

Climbing Hunter Hill from bottom to top in a fresh W’ly wind was rather bracing (a euphemism for I thought death was imminent). My reward was a couple of Meadow Pipit 😭.

Cold Edge Dams: 4 Stonechat, 5 Reed Bunting, a fair few Meadow Pipit.

Pr Teal, 15 Greylag & c80 Canada Geese. 2 LBBG, a few Common & BH Gulls. 3 Goldfinch.

Foggedon Water Mist-ake

Took a gamble that visibility may improve around lunch time at Ogden, I was very wrong. Anything on the water remained unseen and the gulls on the shore were not pin sharp.

Good views briefly of a Green Woodpecker, less so of Redwings and Blackbirds.

I abandoned Mixenden Reservoir but did hear a Ring-necked Parakeet call loudly. This pales into insignificance compared to the 15 RNP seen in Lister Park, BD by DM.

A large flock of LTT were on North Bridge, HX.

Ogden To Mixenden Res

The morning kicked off with a call from BS informing that a big movement of winter thrushes was underway. I got out into the back yard to see the tail end of these birds flying high over my house > SW.

Ogden Water: pr Mistle Thrush, c15 Redwing > W. 1 each Buzzard & Kestrel. Usual Gull flock including a fair no. of Common. A large Jackdaw flock.

Nothing worth a mention at Mixenden.

Shelf Moor To Horton Bank CP

Very pleasant calm and sunshine today unlike the wind Monday at Ogden which was so bad I couldn’t be bothered having a good moaning online.

Birds hard come by, still no Lapwing in the local fields. 1 Skylark, a couple Meadow Pipit ditto Pied Wagtail, a large handful of small gulls.

A Little Owl was keeping tabs on me from a Hawthorn bush where it was showing well. It was at this point I remembered that I’d forgotten I have a modicum of Alzheimer’s disease. The camera was still at home so I wasn’t too snappy.

Horton Bank was a replay of the previous visit. 3 f Goosander and the usual suspects. Moorhen at plague proportions now - 12 birds.

Poor Start Then Mixenden Delivers

By jove the visit to Ogden this a.m was monotonous to put it mildly. Gulls and a few more of the same until I got some relief at Carrs Beck with a flock of c40 Redwing. 

Others: 4 Mistle Thrush, 1 each Jay & Kestrel.

I couldn’t believe my 👁 👁 s when I looked over the gate at Mixenden Res. A pr Whooper Swan were swimming a short distance away from the sizeable mixed gull flock. Also a single Cormorant present.

Some levity for the euphoria when I got out into the back yard 😢. This very late Woodpigeon squab was on the wall having prematurely left/fallen out of the nest.

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Soil Hill To Mixenden

A very bright calm morning and although quiet in the main there were a couple of interesting bird observations.

SH: an unexpected Chiffchaff uttered a couple of brief 🎵 🎶. A few expected Meadow Pipits and several gulls on the bottom fields.

Ogden Water sported a drake Tufted Duck and the resident female; they kept their distance from each other. A Raven flew over grunting. A Kestrel went a hunting. Also the gullage on the ullage & a RLP.

Mixenden Res sported the usual gull contingent. The highlight for me is when I photographed this juvenile LBB capturing a Signal Crayfish.

Elsewhere a pr Barn Owl 🦉 side by side. My first sighting in quite a while.

Soil Hill

Not too grim at 1145 hrs in a slight W'ly wind.

2 LBBG upstairs, 1 Herring Gull in with the  Common & BHG on the deck.

1 each Raven, Kestrel, Skylark & Stonechat. Pr Teal on the pond.

Few Goldfinch, several Meadow Pipit, 1 Pheasant.

Taylor Lane: A Common Gull, 3 RLP & a Pheasant.

All Quiet On Usual Route

A pleasant day for walking but birds hard come by.

Ogden Water: Only a small number of Gulls on the water. Arboreal activity was minimal but I did manage 4 LTT, my first in a while.

The perils of contre jour photography 😁

Mebbe 3/4 Meadow Pipit from Carrs Beck to Hunter Hill bottom where a Green Woodpecker called briefly.

A Cormorant was in with the small number of Gulls on Mixenden Res. These were mainly BHG but a handful of big uns were present. A pr Pied Wagtail on the shoreline and a few Goldcrest moving through the greenery.

Friday & Saturday

Saturday 8th Oct. Went down south to the fields, after a Rook, a Meadow Pipit & a BHG I abandoned looking for any Lapwing (remember them?) and came home 🥸.

Friday 7th Oct. I figured I had two options; bang my head against the wall at home or bang it at Ogden? Ogden won as it may get a bird 🦢 blown in whereas the chance is much slimmer in my living room 🤓.

Muscular rain ambushed me within a few minutes on arrival and some 30 minutes later I about turned and headed for home 😵‍💫.

Horton Bank Country Park

Heartily sick of Ogden, I gave the stretch of water down the frog n toad a going through today. For some unknown reason the water level here has been stable and only dropped about a yard at most.

3 f  Goosander hung around the middle of the lake. 3 Coot & 10/11 Moorhen seen. One of the Mute Swan pr had metal ring ZY8925 on the lower right leg.

The majority of gulls were BHG but I managed to single out a 1CY large gull which in my opinion appears to be a LBB.

Before I called it a day, I stumbled upon a pr Common Gull.

Ogden To Mixenden Drenching

This mornings outing was more about maintaining my street credibility rather than the birds. I haven't had a soaking this year so I thought I’d join the  club 🤓.

Ogden Water: nothing new, usual suspects hanging on in. I tried for the Redpoll flock mentioned by BS but failed. c13 Chaffinch were seen flying from the W shore into bushes. Blackbird numbers appeared to be up.

1 Cormorant was in with the few gulls, large and small on Mixenden Res. 

Soil Hill To Mixenden

Across the top only on the hellhole hill. 8 Goldfinch about same Meadow Pipit.

Ogden Water: Pr Kestrel, 1 Grey Heron ditto Tufted Duck.

Usual Gull assortment, 1 Cormorant. A Chiffchaff sang twice briefly. 1 Grey Wagtail ditto GSW.

Carrs Beck: 6 Pied Wagtail & a Reed Bunting. 2 Jay. A loud Green Woodpecker bottom Hunter Hill.

Mixenden Res or what’s left of it: 1 Moorhen ditto Pied Wagtail few BH & LBB gulls.

Queensbury South To Shelf Moor

A slow tortuous start in Littlemoor Park; a few common singers and a phyloscopus Warbler heard just once. The local adjacent fields weren't up to much either, a couple Meadow Pipit and several BHG.

Sightings got better once I got down the track to Shelf  Moor. A Skylark, Pied Wagtail, several Meadow Pipit. 1 each LBBG & Rook. More BHG, 1 Common Gull ditto Moorhen.

The Rhea trotted close up to me as I entered their field, I thought I was dinner but it appeared they don't eat old meat.

On the way back up Brighouse Rd, a couple Herring Gull, another Common, a few BHG.