We Don’t Have Enough Gulls

 Seagulls 'charismatic' not 'criminal', say scientists https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68599512

A Struggle For Birds Cold Edge

I arrived at Ogden took one look at the water and headed towards the end of the promenade. The track up the hill to the Withens is a half hour grind at best and surely the least productive bird wise in Calderdale. 1 each Meadow Pipit & Skylark 😏.

Cold Edge was just that in a stiff breeze from the S. I did see a sight I wouldn’t have thought typical of the species. After clocking a hovering Kestrel I looked for one of two noisy Redshank in flight. I was amazed to see one bird presumably the male, riding the wind and briefly hovering while calling very loudly 😁.

Curlews, 4 Lapwing, pr Herring Gull, 1 Pied Wagtail ditto Greylag & the Canadas. 1 Grey Heron.

Soil Hell Ogden Water A Good Session

A look at Raggalds Flood confirmed the water is still present without birds.

I just did the top of SH where double figure Skylark and similar Meadow Pipits were active. 5 Curlew also a distant pr of flying Partridge sp. 1 Mistle Thrush. 3 each Chaffinch & Dunnock.

A magical minute at Ogden when a soaring Buzzard was chastised by a Raven. The size of the latter was really put in to perspective. To complete this observation a Sparrowhawk flew past close to them 👍.

Then turning a corner on the W track a couple hundred yards later another spectacle 15 Whooper Swan 😛. Pity I’m still taking shots with my wrecked camera but that’s the way it goes 🤓. 

Also a singing Chiffchaff followed later by the Barn Owl pair.

Yesterday 25th DP told me a Tawny Owl was calling

at 3AM from the trees at the back of our respective gardens. At 7:30PM it was hooting and screeching away very loudly. I’m very happy with this as it is probably the first bird in around a year for me from the back yard.

Ogden Water And Mixenden

It’s called Global Warming and today was a fine example of such kidology - cold wind hail rain and sleet and the nerve of it a couple or three patches of sunshine.

A Mute Swan was on Ogden bearing an unreadable yellow leg ring on the left leg. It was keeping very close to one of the Canada pr present.

1 Cormorant couple Blackbird and Robin. No Gulls

Mixenden Res did have a few gulls flying about high above. 

11 Canada 1 Greylag 1 each Chiffchaff & Song Thrush both singing. Also a Pied Wagtail.

Bad Day On The Hill From Hades

Exercise that I should cut back on was the only positive that emerged out of this morning session. I did get some geometry in though thanks to the W’ly blast. I spent more time at either 45 or 125 degrees as opposed to straight vertical.

3 Curlew 4 Skylark 7 Meadow Pipit. 4 Linnet were at the top end of Taylor Lane.

Raggalds Flood was just water only.

I decided to do Old Guy Road fields before the planned 10 houses are built. NOTHING!

Cold Edge In A Cold Wind

I wasn’t optimistic about birds in a strong blow from the SW but to my surprise it was busier than the previous visit 😋.

Two annuals were 2 f Reed Bunting and a pr Stonechat.

Pr Oystercatcher 1 noisy Redshank 7 Curlew and a Lapwing. 4 Greylags c50 Canada. 3 Skylark 9 Meadow Pipit. A small Starling murmuration c400 birds. Pr Tufted Duck.

Song Thrush singing at Mixenden Res otherwise nichts nada nowt zilch.

DP reports two Wheatear up the Hill from Hades today.

Cold Edge To Mixenden

 

Finally a dry bright breezy day. DP was on the same bus so we scoured the fields and skies together.

Cold Edge: a female Tufted Duck and greatly reduced number of Canadas also 4 Greylag. A Redshank called briefly- my first of the year. A single Cormorant was on Leadbeater dam.

3 Pied Wagtail mebbe 8 Skylark & 6/7 Meadow Pipit. 4 Curlew 1 Kestrel. 3 Lapwing together briefly.

A long boring trek down the top road to boring Mixenden Res - 3 Canadas.

Walking through the swamp in the woods finally brought a result a singing Chiffchaff 👍. The now reliable Green Woodpecker was calling again.

Raggalds Soil Hill Ogden Mixenden

A real hard slog that has finally convinced me I have to give into old age and rein in my ambitions.

Raggalds held just one small gull sp. which I couldn’t be bothered to confirm.

Soil Hill: 1 Common Snipe 2 Curlew 8 Skylark 3 Meadow Pipit several Woodpigeon.

Ogden Water and plantation: 1 each Kestrel and Treecreeper. Pr Goosander 1 each Cormorant & Raven. Several gulls including 2 adult LBBG and 4 other young large sp.

Proof positive I urgently need to buy a new camera or consider not taking anymore photos.

It fizzled out big time on the stretch to Mixenden but I did see a Barn Owl.

On a day I decided not to even think about Cold Edge BS kindly sent me a txt about 45 Whoopers being present. This sounds about right they way I’ve been performing so far this year 🙄.

Horton Bank Country Park

In the rain and more like a country bog to boot pun intended.

Now 2 Mute Swan - the newer bird still in subadult plumage. 4 Goosander 3 x m & 1 f.

Plenty of large gulls mainly 2CY ish but 3 adult LBBG & 5 adult Herring. 1 Grey Heron 3 Coot 4 Moorhen.

Woodpigeons Blackbird Robin.

Another Bad Day At Cold Edge

Dropped a clanger today. A savage SW gale was blasting over the terrain. So much so that on all stretches of water only 4 Common and a BH Gull were sailing around.

A Herring Gull carrying a food item was being chased by a second bird.

The Canadas still present in fairly large numbers. These were overshadowed by a flock of Starling at least 350 strong. 1 Greylag seen. 1 each Curlew Lapwing & Oystercatcher.

Nothing at all seen at Hunter Hill down to and including Mixenden Res 😖.

A Good Session Around The Local Route

This is more like it; started off well at Foxhill with both Buzzard & Kestrel over 😋.

DP was on the bus to Bradshaw so we both combined our immense skills 🤣 around Ogden and Mixenden.

A single Whooper Swan was on Ogden Water along with a handful of small gulls. A Curlew flew over and 7 LTT plus a m Bullfinch seen. Blue Tits were very active.

A Treecreeper was at Hebble Brook. 2 Curlew and a pr noisy Oystercatcher flew around Hunter Hill.

We hit pay dirt at Mixenden Res: 37 Whooper Swan present 😛. Also a Cormorant. 

I took several photos but I’m still using the faulty camera so only a small few turned out as acceptable.

Cold Edge Abort No.2

A cold wind from the E made for hard work so I went just beyond Haigh Cote Dam then returned back to Wainstalls.

No passerine sp. seen, I suppose they were all hunkered down.

Probably around 160 Canadas and a pr Greylag. Just a pr Curlew and also a pr Oystercatcher. Several Woodpigeon 1 LBBG & a few BHG.

Like  a Circus do you? Then visit Halifax Bus Station it’s a really good laff that is unless you’re one of the clowns that got suckered.

Murky Soil Hill To Ogden

Took a chance that some birds would be on the deck in the mist this am. Raggalds Flood had to be cancelled but I did get a window on Soil Hill for a short while.

3 Goldfinch, 1 Blackbird & House Sparrows at Perspiration Rd.

I did the entire slog of the hill which sported about 11 singing Skylark and my first Meadow Pipit of the year. A pr Grey Partridge took fright and flight.

Down at the boggy bottom I got my first annual Snipe. A couple of Curlew and Lapwing called in the distance. A pr Canada flew over. I couldn’t see the pond clearly as the murk came in again.

I can’t bring myself to bore you two readers with Ogden. By the way how much are you going to charge me this year for reading my posts? Answers on a postcard please it will give me time to save up 🤓.

Cold Edge Dams To Mixenden

Yet another poor start to a session but it turned out reasonably well. 

The main road into Wainstalls from Mt Tabor was blocked at the Crossroads Pub due to major road works. Pity they didn’t advise the HX Bus drivers.

The Dams weren’t overpopulated with wildfowl nor gulls. Just a pr Tufted Duck on the small dam and several Common Gull in adjacent fields.

Lapwing Curlew & Oystercatcher each in the 3/4 range. 2 singing Skylark ditto 2 silent Pied Wagtail. A noisy Raven a Blackbird & 3 Chaffinch.

The Nolstar fields were barren. Mixenden Res held just small gulls. The Green Woody was at it again as were the Barn Owl duo 👍.

Ogden To Mixenden Grind

Monday 4th. Ogden and Mixenden in blue cloudless skies. The walk was pleasant but the birding was dire. A fair few Common Gull on Ogden but the woods were almost silent.

The stretch from there to Mixenden was appalling broken only by the Green Woodpecker calling a couple of times near Hunter Hill.

Just a pr Canada and a few small gulls on Mixenden.

Pr Barn Owl elsewhere 😄.

Queensbury Sth A Touch Of Spring

Blue skies and sunshine brought out the singers in Littlemoor Park including Mistle Thrush Blackbird Dunnock and Robin. A Nuthatch called a few times.

It also brought out a singing Skylark into the fields near the trailer park. 4 Rook were also present as was a single Common Gull and 3/4 BHG.

Defeat At Cold Edge

The first day of meteorological Spring brought a large dose of wintry weather - snow wind and rain 😒. The white filth was enough to abort yet another trek. I gave in to common sense and turned back to Wainstalls on reaching Leadbeater Dam.

Two Curlew calling very loudly and a few distant Canadas.

2024 appears to be the year when I have greatly improved my skills at not finding birds.