Mixenden To Ogden Water

Nothing at all on Mixenden Res. Just 3 sounds coming from the trees; a Woodpigeon, a Jackdaw and me crying loudly 😭.

A Green Woodpecker & WW en route to Ogden plus 4 Canadas.

Plenty of noise from the footpath around the reservoir but only a few notes from woodland birds.

5 Cormorant, 3 LBB & 4 BH Gulls. A Grey Wagtail flew across the water and as I departed an overhead Curlew called thrice.

Cold Edge Dams and Ogden

A boring session; both locations being short of anything notable.

Cold Edge Dams: adult Little Grebe. The Canadas still in high numbers & a few Greylag. Juvenile Tufted singleton still hanging in.

1 LBB & 4BH Gulls. Pr Linnet, 4 Goldfinch ditto Swallow & couple or three Meadow Pipit.

Ogden Water: 2 Cormorant, 1 Tufted Duck, 4 LBB & 11/12 BH Gulls. 3/4 Swallow.

Avian Flu Still Prevalent

 Avian flu warning to tourists as birds face 'catastrophe' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-66313266

Almost Worth The Whitehome Slog

Who has added 3 miles to the route I have done several times I wonder. The route is the same but the path has surely been extended and No it’s nowt to do with old age!

Birds were very hard come by so when I espied 3 dark

sea ducky shapes in the middle of Whiteholme Reservoir I almost started Palpitating. I got the bins on em then put the camera at longest magnification which confirmed my thoughts of 3 Common Scoter 🤪. The photos are not fit to publish however 🙁.

7 Greylags and a similar number of Canadas also here plus a few Meadow Pipit.

Blackstone Res had a Wheatear, 6/7 Swallow, 1 each Common Sandpiper & Pied Wagtail.

I found this road kill Large Yellow Underwing - thanks to DJS for species confirmation.

Cold Edge Dams To Ogden

Cold Edge was rather patchy especially with no waders at all present.

16 Greylags & c110 Canadas along with the Barnacle Goose.

Only one juvenile Tufted Duck left out of the Seven I saw on my previous visit. 

Stonechat are doing well, I saw 7 for sure but they could have been more.

9/10 Meadow Pipit, 6/7 Goldfinch & a single Reed Bunting.

Nothing seen on the long drag down from the Withens down to Ogden Water☹️. Here were 5 LBBG, 1 each Herring & Common Gull plus c17 BHG. 2 Grey Heron, 1 each GC Grebe & Cormorant & 3 Tufted Duck.

2 WW were seen one of them doing a spot of midge catching.

Also a couple of Chiffchaff still singing.

Elsewhere: I’m almost certain a Peregrine Falcon was perched on a mill roof - pity I was mobile and the bins packed away 🤨.

A Disastrous Two Days

Friday: Only had time for a visit to Horton Bank CP. 3 guys on bikes 🚴 made enough noise to ensure nothing much was happening with the birds. A few BHG. Moorhens, 1 Coot & the Mute Swan pair.

Saturday: circumstances ensured I had to do the normal route in reverse order. It altered nothing; Mixenden was lifeless again! 😭.

Ogden: 1 GC Grebe, a pair Tufted Duck a few LBBG & the suspected YLG. Also 1 Herring & Common Gull.

Soil Hill And Ogden

I couldn’t face the full SH slog so this am it was passage only and not great for birds. 22 BHG in a field bottom of Perspiration Rd. Ned Hill track just had a Stock Dove and several Woodpigeon one sitting on its nest.

Nothing doing at Ogden Plantation except 4 Swallow. Same goes for the woods around Ogden Water - mostly frightening silence. One each Blackcap & Chiffchaff. A Buzzard called once.

There was a bit more action on and around the drink 😊. 3 Tufted Duck - the drake looking decidedly mouldy 😁. A solitary Cormorant and more Gulls. 1 Common, 15/16 LBBG ranging from juvenile up to adult & c35 BHG.

Not Quite All Quiet At Ogden

Noise disturbance probably kept bird numbers down this morning. Some of it was necessary i.e the grounds maintenance machinery being used by staff. The rest was down to screams and laughter from visitors (no dogs get blamed today).

An adult Common Gull was welcome as there was no sign of any YLG. 7/8 LBBG & c17 BHG. Grey Heron down to 1 bird. 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap ditto a very vocal Song 🎵 Thrush.

Carrs Beck area coughed up 1 Swift, 3/4 Swallow & 5/6 House Martin. A pr noisy Skylark was a bit of a surprise here. Also 5/6 Goldfinch.

I thought Mixenden Res would have been blown up by now. Sorry I mean I hope 😭.

Wet Windy Cold Edge Dams

The forecast was about 40 percent out today otherwise I wouldn’t have gone to get myself rained on continuously 💧.

4 Lapwing including one in a garden albeit a large one. The Oystercatcher pair are still present but no sign of other waders.

A Willow Warbler was flitting about at a pace on the road. It had a butterfly in its beak on two occasions (appeared to b a Tortoiseshell). However the would be meal managed to somehow escape. Song Thrush singing, couple Blackbird, 6/7 Goldfinch & a Reed Bunting.

The Barnacle in with the Canada Geese. 3 Adult & 6/7 very young Tufted Duck. 2 BHG & 4 LBBG.

Several Meadow Pipit & Swallows.

Ogden Water To Nothing Doing

Ogden: c30 BHG, 5 LBBG. The RH LBBG has Pink Legs. Another 3CY Gull job with a lighter mantle, deformed bill and yellow legs! 6 Grey Heron, 1 Oystercatcher. A f Tufted Duck that left within minutes of my arrival. Couple Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap. Pair Linnet & several Swallow at Stod Fold.

Back To Local Birding

Ogden Water proved interesting at 1300 hrs whereas some 55 minutes later Mixenden was as bad as ever 🛑.

Ogden: among the 11/12 LBBG was a 3CY bird that had the characteristics of a YLG - it really stood out. I hope it hangs around. 6/7 BHG also present.

4 Grey Heron & 3 Tufted Duck. 3 Chiffchaff & 2 Blackcap. Couple Whitethroat

Elsewhere: 3 Barn Owl appearing to be juveniles.

Final Fast Rush Into The Inferno

As I paid my last visit I met this dude with cloven hooves and a head borrowed from a Bull 🐮. He stared at me and proclaimed “Are You Bang Off It? It’s Hellish In There!”.

It was a tad roasty. A Glossy Ibis couldn’t take off because the gloss had melted and congealed its primaries (sorry I can’t get a Secondary witness 😂).

4 Gadwall I’d overlooked looking rather Dullardly. 2 Bee-Eater. The usual riffraff in droves. A male Stonechat of the Iberian race - no time for the latin.

I was chuffed to get a macro shot of a 🚁 sized Dragonfly with a Butterfly in its jaws. After returning home I will forward to a couple of local experts for ID hopefully 🙏.

Slogging Along The Shoreline

Another sweat sodden trek in the humid furnace. Let’s start with a couple of not seen but expected. Crested Lark - surely; Tawny Pipit - maybe. Oh well it’s July after all.

A YLG gave itself up for a close range shot as it gobbled up grub intended for the hotels 🐈‍⬛ s. 

It was fascinating to see a Spotted Flycatcher on the stoney beach. Twice it rubbed its belly for a couple of seconds on the ground. 3 others seen in shrubs/bushes.

4 Audouins Gull 2 Cormorant ditto Stonechat 1 Linnet.

5 Kentish Plover including a couple juveniles. 

I came across a trio of  Brit birders stones out of their minds 😂.

A Couple Of Newbie’s Compensate

I am not short of Tropical Heat experience but today’s humidity matches that I’ve endured in the Far East and the Caribbean 🌴.

Was hoping for a Shrike sp. but didn’t shriek when none were available.

Got a pair Bee-Eater & a Hoopoe 😁.  A couple of  Hobby 

1 Kestrel, 2 Purple Heron. A Balearics Warbler.  I must

remember to listen avidly to call records of Melodious Warbler.

All the aforementioned criminals so for a change a couple that I haven’t seen Hooded Crow & Great White Heron 🤔.

I’ve Run Out Of Reserves

The Sun won the battle of wills today and seeing as I’ve lost a good inch in leg length it’s time to tone the pace down.

It appeared to have no effect on Los Pajaros 🦅 as the masses continued to feed and be noisy.

No point in repeating what was present; you two readers know the score. Worth a mention that I got close up shots of Red-knobbed Coot. I heard em call and thought it was a Cow crossed with a Tawny Owl 🤓.

A Balearics Warbler partially compensated for the almost lack of Kentish Plover - I only counted 26 birds 🤣.

The Night Heron showed itself off today.

Testing Photo as iPhone is crap

Beaten By A Big Bog

I paid the price today of trying to use one of the former access routes out of this reserve which is probably Swillington x 8 on the minimal side. It didn’t work and backtracking and rerouting added miles to my aged legs 😟.

Imagine being in a peaceful hide gawping at a gasping sitting Stone Curlew 😛. Suddenly a cascade of c40 LRP drops in and for 10 minutes there is mayhem as they chase and yell at each other 😋. 6 Kentish Plover didn’t go unnoticed either.

1 Red Kite, a few Swift and the usual multiplicity of Flamingos, Terns, Glossy Egrets & Little/Cattle Ibis (See what 🍺, 🍷 and no 😴  💤 does!). 1 each Purple & Grey Heron. Stonechat & couple Spotted Flypastyer.

Can Picafort Salinas

Kept to as shorter a distance as possible this am starting with the Dunes and woods. Too quiet so veered off to the trusted old salt pans. A slow start but it picked up culminating in an unexpected surprise goody 😁. 

5 Avocet in among the juv Shelduck. 1 Purple Heron over and dropping down. 2 Glossy Ibis. 1 Little Egret.

A BW Stilt shouting at a mate every time I went past a certain patch. I deciphered it roughly - “Asshole with binoculars and camera 3 metres away. Looks like Yorkshire so should be alright, our Mavis”.

As I departed a crackeroni Stone Curlew flew overhead 😛.

Also 2 Spotted Flycatcher ditto Zitbaga & Greenfinch.

S’Albufera Overwhelms One

Won't forget today in a hurry for several reasons one being I had the entire Parc Natural to myself for about an hour n half.

I also reacquainted myself with a bird not seen here previously by me and the obvious choice for Stonker del Dia 😍. A pr Gull-billed Tern.

A Great Reed Warbler, Purple Heron & Night Heron. Worth mentioning Night used to be in 3s n 4s over a decade ago but I think Little Egret has bossed em out. L Egret numbers c120. 2 /3 🐄 Egret also.

c25 Avocet similar Glossy Ibis. Greater Flamingo 🦩 numbers at around 52 birds. 8/9 Common Tern ditto Sanderling. A couple Marsh Harrier a Kestrel and a way distant huge raptor high over the mountains remains incognito.

1 Purple Swamphen ditto Red Knobbed Coot. Marbled Teal with 7/8 newly hatched. More BW Stilts & Spotted Flycatcher. Couple Kentish Plover 8 LRP.

I could do with a holiday 😂.

Down The Coastal Path

Instead of turning N after exiting the hotel, I headed SE. Far fewer species than yesterday but still got some satisfaction.

My favourite squawking seabird frinstance Audouins Gull x 3 😜. 3 YLG and to cap it 3 Spotted Flycatcher 😁. I actually photographed one with food in it’s mouth and came close to the nest site.

2 Cormorant, 1 Stonechat & a trio of Linnet. There was a Warbler species in the shoreline scrub catching insects. It threw me cos it was drab and similar to a Garden. Twerent a Bespectacled job so looks like a no sleeping night -  again ☹️.

Can Picafort Hots Up

I pushed it this morning in the heat. I doubt if I can stop myself now and it sure beats the boredom of local birding 🤠.

There were pockets of frenetic activity despite the late post breeding date - well, ish.

BW Stilt were in plague proportions with juvenile Shelduck not far behind. 3 Cattle & 1 Little Egret. 

1 Green Sandpiper 2  Little Ringed Plover.  Several Little Grebe, Pochard & Tufted Duck.

6/7 Zitting Cisticola 4 Cettis Warbler 1 Lesser Whitethroat ditto Spotted Flycatcher finally! I managed distant shots of my first Hobby for many a year with a Kestrel nearby 😁. 1 Stonechat several Swift mustn’t forget 2 Glossy Ibis and on it throbs (yes I’m bored now).