Soil Hill Ogden Water Mixenden Res

A Very warm day I'm so glad I left the topcoat in the hovel. A pleasant surprise at the Perspiration Road corner of the hellish hill - 4 Fieldfare - my first in I don't remember how long. 

I got this Swallow in Coal Lane as I was exiting the hill. Also 1 Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipit ditto WW, 4 Curlew. 2/3 Greenfinch.

Ogden Water: Raven overhead giving a Buzzard a reet tellin' off. 3 Chiffchaff  1 WW. 1 Herring Gull & 9 LBBG.

20 Curlew at Stod Fold and a Meadow Pipit.

The Mute Swan (DJS) at Mixenden Res was having a doze. A Chiffchaff was singing. 

Ogden Water To Mixenden

Another sunny day. Ogden: 4 Chiffchaff. Pr Teal the same birds from yesterday at Mixenden Res. Couple Herring Gull 6/7 LBBG.

The stretch from the promenade coughed up 2 Willow Warbler singing away. 1 each Reed Bunting & Skylark.

Nothing doing at Carrs Beck. Curlews around Stod Fold area. 2 singing Chiffchaff at Mixenden.

Cold Edge And Mixenden Res

A fine sunny morning with a light breeze from the SE. This is more like it 😀. Cold Edge: 4 Oystercatcher 5 Lapwing 5 Curlew. 

My first pr Stonechat in quite a while. Pr Linnet ditto Meadow Pipit. 4 Greylag & c25 Canadas. 1 Blackbird.

4 Curlew at Stod Fold with a Pied Wagtail in the vicinity. A surprise at Mixenden Res: a pr Teal were in with 4 Dullard 👍. The woods coughed up a drumming GSW a Green Woodpecker and a singing Chiffchaff.

A Swallow Lifts The Spirits

Ogden Water today was very drab with just a pr Herring Gull & a LBBG seen. The woods produced 5 Chiffchaff & a Song Thrush as well as the expected Tits.

I sat down on a promenade bench for a break and am so glad I did. A Barn Swallow flew across from E to W struggling in the headwind. This is my earliest ever record in the UK 😁.

21 Curlew were at the usual fields near Stod Fold. I saw 4 mebbe 5 Peacock Butterflies around Brookhouse.

I have noticed on the last 3 outings that in Queensbury and the areas I visit Greenfinch are being seen and heard more frequently than in the past few years.

Soil Hill And Ogden Area

Soilage tops only. Chaffinches Goldfinches couple Greenfinch. 3 Curlew 7/8 Meadow Pipit 4 Skylark couple LBBG. Pr Grey Partridge seen again 😊.

I got a txt from DJS about a Whooper Swan while on my way to Ogden Water. It was still present when I arrived.  Gotta admit from this distant photo the bird looks to be short necked with enough black on the bill to make me think of Bewick's as I processed it.

Also 2 f Goosander & a pr Tufted Duck. A Song Thrush and Chiffchaff observed and JL chatted with.

Got my first Dipper in quite some time in Hebble Brook at Stod Fold 👍.

Usuall Route Soil Hill etc

A pleasant dry day with overcast skies but thankfully no wind. Soil Hill was over the tops only. My first pr Grey Partridge the year which I saw twice during the stint there.

A pr Greenfinch, 3 Chaffinch ditto Skylark. Distant Curlews, singing 🎵 Mistle Thrush, couple Blackbird ditto Pheasant.

Ogden water: a total of 4 singing 🎵 Chiffchaff 👍. Pr Tufted Duck ditto Canadas. Pr Blackbird. The Raven called.

6 LBBG 2 Herring & 1 Common Gull. Many Woodpigeon seen throughout the walk and a Brown Hare.

Mixenden Res was poor again but it did cough up a singing Chiffchaff.

Great Unexpectations Ogden Water

Arrived at Ogden in more windy conditions and not too positive about seeing birds 😏. However I did get off to a fair start; the Chiffchaff was singing from the same spot and I got my first Greenfinch in some time - a pair of them 😊.

I nearly had an apoplectic episode just after departing ducky corner on the W bank. A pr of Redshank were stood on the shoreline 😜. They saw me, gave a couple of calls and took flight low over the water towards Skirden Clough. I took another thirty odd paces up the path when lo and behold a Redshank took off from under a bush on the shoreline and flew in the direction of where the pair had just left i.e the corner 👍.

No matter how I permutate this I have to conclude there were 3 birds present which is a first here for me .

A Buzzard called. 3/4 Common Gull were on the drink along with c16 larger gulls including 2 LBBG ditto Herring. No BHG seen guess they have headed for their breeding areas. A pair of Canada seen. A Mistle Thrush was singing 🎵.

Wednesday A Disaster Thursday Almost

2 successive days of mind bending Westerlies 😢. Wednesday spent at Crapstone Edge and 💩 Shiteholme.

The gusting wind scoured the area clean except for a pr Canada & a pr Greylag. 5/6 singing Skylark, c17 singing displayin Meadow Pipit & a couple Crows oh how dare I forget a Magpie!

Today Thursday at Cold Edge: 1 drake Goosander, 2 pr Tufted Duck. A dozen Greylag & c 30 Canada. 3 Pied Wagtail, 4 Lapwing & 5 Curlew. Mebbe 8 Meadow Pipit & 2 Skylark. 1 LBBG only on Mixenden Res.

Soil Hill Ogden Water Mixenden Res

A long slog today in decent dry weather taught me yet again that old age cannot be reversed. Soil Hill was a bind and if any common sense kicks in I won’t be doing it again. A look around the bottom bog had to be scrapped because of the aforementioned but also because machinery has chewed the land up creating barriers and mud baths.

1 Kestrel, 5 Skylark, 2 Moorhen, 1 each Meadow Pipit Curlew & Lapwing.

A couple more Curlew at Ogden plantation with a calling Raven overhead.

The woods at Ogden were busy mainly with singing common Tit species but I did get my first Chiffchaff of the year 😊. 3 Blackbird 🐦‍⬛ seen. Only a few gulls on the water of mixed sizes.

A very interesting sight was at the Skirden Clough channel where I witnessed 12 fat 🐸 🐸 s depositing uggins of spawn.

A Meadow Pipit and couple Curlew at Stod Fold. 4 Roe Deer here plus 5 seen at the earlier stages of the trek.

Mixenden Res not worth a mention.

Cold Edge To Mixenden Res

The much hyped rainfall failed to materialise 😊. This trip was an improvement on my last visit here by a whisker or three.

Curlew were thinly widespread and busy calling. 3 Lapwing seen including a pair acting territorially.

1 each Oystercatcher and my first Redshank of the year.

2 Skyark, 7 Meadow Pipit. 1 Blackbird. 2 Goldfinch. 1 Chaffinch ditto Dunnock.

4 Greylag & c30 Canada in the fields. Both dams were full of water only.

Mixenden Res didn’t have anything on the water. The woods were generally quiet - 2 Blackbird 1 Coal Tit & a loudly guffawing Green Woodpecker.

Wednesday A Duffer Thursday Acceptable

Only birds worth mentioning on Wednesday after another long trek were 2 Curlew at Soil Hill and a dozen of ‘em still at Stod Fold.

Today Thursday I went down to Low Moor via Shelf Moor. The skies were blue and empty and again only birds worth a mention at Shelf were 3 Meadow Pipit & a parked up Common Gull.

Harol Park lake was very busy with many assorted gulls and Canada Geese. A couple of Coot were on nests. A pr Tufted Duck and a GC Grebe seen.

Park Dam: pr Mute Swan, 1 GC Grebe and a pr Tufted Duck.1 Blackbird plus Woodpigs.

Soil Hill Ogden Mixenden

Yet another appalling session in a nasty cold E'ly wind.

Binoculars were surplus to requirements and the silence was alarming.

Soil Hill 5 Goldfinch and a Stock Dove in the garden At bottom of Perpendicular Road 🤓.

Ogden Water - forget it.

Mixenden Res ditto.

I nearly choked at Stod Fold when I heard a singing Song Theush. The bunch of Curlews are still present there.

Cold Edge Ogden Mixenden Res

Thankfully the wind was minimal sadly so was the birding 😏.

6 Greylag and plenty of Canadas around the dams but that was it. The only waders were the Lapwing pair. One of them was that close I thought it was poorly. On reflection it had probably picked up on my depression.

On the way down to Ogden a Raven called thrice. No passerines were heard from the woods anywhere. A pr Greylag on the drink and the gull mob.

A spirit lifter at Stod Fold: c19 Curlew were busy feeding 👍.

Best not to mention the end of the session 😞.

Low Moor Dams

A perishing N'ly blow cut through me and my ambition at Park Dam after the relatively milder Harold Park lake thanks to the trees.

The Park lake was throbbing with gulls. Plenty of BHG & Herring but just a few LBBs.

Just a single drake Tufted Duck stood out. A solitary Cormorant, 5 Greylag and several Canadas plus the Coots & Moorhens.

Park Dam had 4 Goosander, pr Greylag, pr GC Grebe ditto Mute Swan.

A surprise in the hedgerow as I was departing: a Long-tailed Tit flew along it and stopped twice albeit briefly. It appeared to have an all white head indicative of the northern race methinks.

Horton Bank Country Park

A couple drake Goosander. Several Herring and a few LBB Gulls plus BHGs.

Pr Mute Swan, a few Canadas, 6/7 Moorhen & 3 Coot.

Can’t remember any passerines calling. A few Woodpigeons.

Ogden Water Success And Embarrassment

Thanks to a txt from BS my intention of going to Ogden was set in stone this am.

I walked over Soil Hill top and got a Curlew before arrival via the plantation end and got another Curlew.

I was in luck the Whooper 🦢 Swans were very settled in a tight knit flock. I counted 45 birds.

Excitement clouded my judgement when it came to a couple of small gulls that appeared to have jet black hoods. Photos showed the heads as black but this was a trick of the strong sunlight. I eventually managed to get good views showing them to be BHGs 😑.

Another Curlew at Stod Fold. The fresh N’ly blow scoured Mixenden Res and there were only a handful of small gulls being blown around.

Mixenden To Cold Edge Dams

Circumstances dictated that I had to climb up Hunter Hill from Mixenden Res this fine sunny morning. Only a few mixed size gulls on the water but hey not to worry there was fathoms deep mud in the woods thanks to the fabulous biker 🚴‍♀️ boys 🤨.

Old age reminded me the hill is a mountain to climb and if common sense prevails I won’t be doing this route ever again.  3 Curlew heard on the way up and about a hundred Jackdaws. 3/4 more Curlew heard throughout the session.

A pr Lapwing & a pr Oystercatcher among the 100 or so Canadas. About a dozen Greylag also plus an overhead Meadow Pipit. A pr Tufted Duck on the smaller dam now becoming obscured by buildings under construction 😏.

Soil Hill Ogden Mixenden

A warm morning with a strong gusting warm wind. I braved the Hill from Hades and was rewarded with a Curlew and a Skylark on the top. Down at the bottom were about a dozen Lapwing and numerous Starling.

Another Curlew at Ogden plantation with a couple of singing Chaffinch. Ogden Water was poor just a few gulls including Herring.

Stod Fold produced a further 6 Curlew. These are the latest I’ve had in the past 4 years. In the previous 3 years I got them returning in the last 7 days of January

A Green Woodpecker was laffing its head off at Hunter Hill..

Mixenden Res had numerous mixed sized gulls on the water only. I chatted to a fisherman who stated that Whooper Swans in small numbers have been present there over the past few days “coming and going “.

Last Push Up In Portugal

The Sun replaced the Rain today Saturday 1st March. I had another long slog until old age took its toll and had a fair bit of satisfaction 😊. 

The 🦩 flock has risen to 36 birds. Oystercatcher numbers have doubled to 2 birds 😆. Spotted Redshank are doing well here and it’s a wader I really like to see. I got lucky photography wise with a feeding Spoonbill followed closely with a wading Whimbrel. 

A Pipit species was new for me here but the view was too brief for identification.. A Chiffchaff sang Swallows & House Martins gathered mud while a Green Sandpiper posed for one badly focussed photo then hid below a ridge of mud.

Rainy Day In Tavira

Rain was forecast for Friday but I still went out towards the far end of Tavira. The wet stuff timed itself to perfection; less than halfway back on the return leg it did a stair rod 💦💦 number on me and I got soaked to the skin 😵‍💫.

I was surprised and pleased to get f Black Redstart again though I am almost certain it was the same bird as previously seen.

Good to see rhat the Flamingos 🦩 have now increased to 19 birds 🙂.

A Quieter Session In Tavira

I started off at what I refer to as the Ogden end of the wetland and accordingly my excitement levels remained manageable.Even then as I exited to visit LBBG City another site tick came up in the form of a calling Hoopoe 🙂.

The move was beneficial as I reacquainted with the Caspian Tern flying across in front of me. 7 Great Flamingo 🦩 were busy feeding here and attracting the attention of passing tourists.

Usual hordes of waders seen again plus another White Stork in flight.

I may as well mention that despite the abundance of mud and sand banks I haven’t had a Sand Martin yet. 

It’s both boring and surprising to find that the only corvid species present is the Magpie. I would have lost moolah had I said Hooded Crow is a knocking bet.

Portuguese Birding In Sunshine

A fresh breeze kept one moving this morning despite the sunshine. But here now on the balcony it’s bright warm and sunny with less wind. Got another 5 to add to the list, surely this can’t go on 🥱.

First up was a real surprise out in the wetlands a f Black Redstart flew up from the track into a close by bush. I think I got another much later  - this was a brief view on a ruined building.

Next was a Ringed Plover then a single Oystercatcher. Another surprise came as I binned a solitary so called “wader” on a large dry patch way from the water. It was a cracking Stone Curlew 😵‍💫 😆.

As I go to the busy river near the hotel my clomping footfall cheesed off a Green Sandpiper that made a helluva racket as it flew away. This probably encouraged a Whimbrel in the vicinity to join in.

Hard Work Brings Some Reward

So I did mosy down to the salinas in cool winds grey skies and light rain. About 500 meters away from this hotel I noticed a wader in the heath. I’m glad I decided to unbag the bins cos it turned out to be a Whimbrel 😋.

Much further along this long route I noticed 17 Shelduck but it was generally somewhat tedious. Tedium was lighter when I spotted a Curlew and lighter still on turning back to see 3 Greater Flamingo 🦩 coming down to land. They only stayed for about 20 minutes however 😏.

I decided to investigate LBBG City. This was a good move as I picked up a morsel in the form of a stonkeronious adult Audouins Gull 🤪. The Sandwich Tern was here too as were a handful of YLG.

A real puzzler about this area: I have not seen a Harrier species at all nor any species of raptor whatsoever despite my various (wait for it) Perigrinations 😅🤓.

Tavira Slows Down

Old Age caught up with me today Monday 24 February and I had to cut short an afternoon slog. I hasten to explain that too much wine and lack of sleep could have some blame apportioned 😏.

New birds: 1 each Greenshank, Sandwich Tern. Grey Heron - in with the 🥄 bills. A load of Serin this am in the town area.

Green Algae blooms are starting to show as the water levels drop 🤨.

About 350 LBBG seen resting on the salt pans. Here I met a local who pointed me in the direction of the coastal salinas where she sees Flamingo 🦩 flocks. Reckon I’ll mosy on down there tomorrow 😎.

Tavira Portugal Weekend Birds

Saturday 22 Feb. I picked the wrong turning on this session and the wrong route. It had been raining overnight so I ended up with mud caked boots to boot 🥾.

All the birds recorded Friday were encountered again so I’ll just mention the newbies which were: a pr Stonechat & a Chiffchaff.

Today Sunday 23 Feb proved to be a rewarding one 👍. I went downriver almost to the coast. Another 4 White Stork including one carrying a small tree branch!

Got my first tern sitting in with the gulls; a Caspian 😜. A second tern was too quick and distant in flight to id.

Other new trip species were: a Greater Flamingo, 6 Kentish Plover, 6 Red-rumped Swallow, 4/5 Redpoll, 1 f Reed Bunting & 2 Blackbird. 

More Stonechats, Sardines, Zitbags WW/Chiffchaff etc.

Birding In Portugal

Tavira

Day 1 a 90 minute afternoon saunter after arrival. Black tailed Godwits. Avocets. 1 Grey Plover. Sanderlings. Dunlins. BW Stilts. Other distant waders. 3 White Wagtails 1 Yellow Wagtail ssp. Cettis Warbler. Zittin Cisticola. House Martins & Swallows. YLGs & BHGs.

Day 2

Imagine a wetland 25 times Swillington full of birds.

Pr White Stork on nest atop a power station chimney.

120+ Black tailed Godwit similar Dunlin. 3 Spoonbill loads of BW Stilt and Avocet. Scores Sanderlng. 700+ Cormorant. Several Redshank 1 Spotted Redshank. 1 Grey Plover. Pr Shelduck.

Zitting Cistocolas. Sardinian Warblers. Cettis Warbler, WW & other of that ilk that were just too zippy for my aging brain cells.

Few Linnet & Goldfinch more House Martins & Swallows.

More LBBG than YLG a few BHG.

Another Exciting Day

Ogden Water: 1 Blue Tit on a feeder nothing else in the trees. A few gulls including adult LBBG. It was good to hear barking dogs as I’ve been missing em.

Mixenden Res: pr Cormorant loads of gulls including several Herring.

Most interesting bird of the day was near the HX Interchange. An adult LBBG was on the tarmac inspecting a half full large plastic bag. Hope it didn’t choke.

A Cold Morning At Low Moor

I went out yesterday for a short trip round Horton Bank CP, it was rock bottom as was Littlemoor Park 😖.

Determined to see some birds today I went to the old faithfuls Harold Park Lake and Park Dam.

Harold Park was vibrant with loads of gulls but no ducks other than dullards. Plenty of BHGs and Herrings but not many Common gulls. A GC Grebe was busy diving.

Park Dam was dirty filthy rotten with Goosander 16 of em. They were very busy chasing each other around.

4 Tufted Duck & the pr GC Grebe plus 2 Cormorant. 

Again plenty of gulls here & in the fields c65 Canadas.

Catch Up Ogden Area

Friday 7th.

Didn’t want to see many birds today so Ogden was perfect. 6 Common Gull, 1 Robin & 4 Blue Tit. Slipped up badly on the way through Bradshaw as I saw 5 Red-legged Partridge on a wall.

Mixenden Res was full of mixed size Gulls.

Monday 10th

The absolute pits. Ogden coughed up a Raven a Robin a Great Tit & a small number of gulls.

I started off towards Mixenden but gave up owing to the cold wet weather and total dismay at the lack of birds.

Contrasting Numbers At Low Moor Sites

A bright morning with a fresh W'ly blow. Harold Park was crawling with numerous Gulls plus the many Coot & Moorhen.

On the downside not a single non-Dullard duck sp. seen. Around 14 Canada were drifting around.

Park Dam was missing many birds. A m Tufted Duck was all by itself. 3 Greylag were present as were 3 GC Grebe. The single juvenile had a pr Adult birds for company. The adults engaged in pair bonding.

Also 1 each Grey Wagtail & Kingfisher. 

More Plentiful Nothingness

A Nutter gets up and thinks I fancy some birds today so I’ll do Low Moor. He has an errand for a friend which takes him up Chapel Lane so he has a change of plan and decides on Soil Hill instead. A voice of reason in a corner of his decaying brain 🧠 whispers Its a strong SW’ly wind. Ignoring this said Nutter does the entire hill and is rewarded with a Pheasant 😰. At one point he thinks a Teal was on the bottom pond but by now he has completely lost any rational thought process and dare not trust his instincts.

Halfwit nay Quarter wit progresses to Ogden Water. Here a pr Goosander are seen. Plenty of gulls one of which a probable 2CY Herring looks rather poorly and isn’t bothered by a pointing Camera.

Nutter goes on to Mixenden Res where there are more gulls and a pr Cormorant. 

My next trick will surely get me the psychiatric help I need. I’m going to stand on top of the cenotaph in a Tutu and sing a Roxy Music tune while doing the paso doble.