Cold Edge Dams To Mixenden

The long trek via Ogden. Not much to shout about at Cold Edge. Haigh Cote had a f Tufted Duck with 3 young on it. Also there were 20 Greylag & c32 Canada.

1 Pied Wagtail 11 Linnet 2/3 Goldfinch. 2 Skylark & a few Meadow Pipit.

Still 8 Grey Heron at Ogden and a pr Oystercatcher. A Buzzard was very noisy as it constantly called throughout the duration. A second bird joined in a couple of times.

1 each singing Blackcap & Chiffchaff.

Numerous LBBG present again and a couple of Herring. I did suspect one large gull of being michahellis but it would not come into the open for confirmation.

Mixenden was really frustrating but while standing by Clough Lane I did get fair views of 3 very swift Swift.

Quiet Ogden Water

8 Grey Heron & 1 Cormorant. A Curlew flew over calling. 7/8 BHG 2 Herring & many LBB Gulls.

2 Blackcap 3 Chiffchaff 1 Reed Bunting.

3/4 Meadow Pipit en route to Mixenden Res which was boredom enshrined. OK go on then a couple Chiffchaff.

Ogden Water Takes Away Visitors

As expected when I arrived at Ogden this morning both yesterday’s star performers were absent. It’s great to be right, right? 😢.

Grey Heron had increased to 7 birds. The Cormorant was still present as were the Oystercatchers. Large gull numbers well down. BHG at 12. 2 Tufted Duck.

Arboreal types: 1 Nuthatch 2 Blackcap 1 Chiffchaff.

Carrs Beck had a Reed Bunting Whitethroat & WW.

Ogden Water Delivers Big Time

After a mind numbing trek over Soil Hell I was totally amazed by what transpired at Ogden 🤪.

A Little Egret was working the W shoreline, it the flew to the E but returned a short time later. 

3 Oystercatchers were both noisy and mobile. One was sporting a metaI ring on the right leg. Almost by accident I caught sight of a large distant wader with an almost glowing orange neck/head. A Black-tailed Godwit!

6 Grey Heron 1 Cormorant ditto Tufted Duck plus the many LBBG added to a spectacular day at a local spot.

Pity I can’t take decent distant photos ain’t it.

Cold Edge Dams To Ogden

Rather Windy but quite a few bird sightings made. Got my first large flock of Linnet flying around the track leading up to Withens. Over 70 birds estimated ☺️.

A few Goldfinch seen. 5 Swallow 1 Pied Wagtail a dozen Meadow Pipit.

A Common Sandpiper flew across Leadbeater Dam where a Grey Heron was stood. 

Also 2 Reed Bunting 1 WW ditto Greenfinch.

I got some reet verbals from a Curlew and I’m certain after running Translater app on the mobile bone it wasn’t exactly inviting me to Tea and Crumpets 😅.

Ogden Water held a much smaller count of large gulls than previous. All were LBBG apart from one puzzling job that appeared somewhat YLG ish. After viewing the below par photos I now think Herring.

2 Grey Heron were on the W shore as was an Oystercatcher that flew over to the NW end.

Soil Hill To Mixenden via Ogden

A bit like yomping around a rotisserie - rather 🔥.

Soil Hell across the tops only. Rather quiet so I’m glad I got the Garden Warbler in song again.

4 Pied Wagtail 2 adult and 2 juvenile some distance apart.

1 Whitethroat 2 WW ditto Skylark 1 Curlew.

Ogden Water was heaving with large gulls again perhaps c280 the majority being LBBG. Herring mebbe numbered 9 and BHG at 11. 1 each Grey Heron and the eclipse stage m Tufted Duck.

Carrs Beck came up trumps once more with a female Redstart flitting from fence to field and vice versa 👍.

Lo and behold Mixenden Res coughed up an Oystercatcher 😁.

Blackstone Edge And Whiteholme

Pushed my luck too far today in a strong W wind it was dire.

Blackstone Edge 1 Ringed Plover ditto Pied Wagtail & several Canada. 1 Skylark.

Whiteholme 1 Ringed Plover 2  Common Sandpiper. A pr Greylag Geese had 2 goslings in tow. 1 Swift and 3 LBBG flew into the wind.

13 Meadow Pipit seen throughout.

Horton Bank Country Park

Only lasted 32 minutes this am as it was the dullest session I’ve ever encountered. Thank goodness I got some respite from a migrant towards the end however.

Pr Mute Swan 10/11 Canada 1 Coot 4 Moorhen. Not a single gull other than a large sp. overhead briefly 🤨.

I went down to the back bushes and had a testing time. A warbler kicked off singing but then a thrush joined in simultaneously. Ever tried deciphering Garden Warbler mixed with Song Thrush? I persevered and concluded I’d got Sylvia who was far from borin 😅.

Also 1 Chiffchaff ditto WW & Blackbird plus a few Woodpiglets.

Something To Crow About

I found this fledgling Carrion Crow en route from Ogden to Mixenden. I picked it up carefully and couldn’t find any signs of obvious injuries so followed the golden rule of putting it back in the hope its parents would find and feed it 🤞.

Ogden Water was quiet. 2 Grey Heron 4 BHG & 7/8 LBBG. Apart from the manic Blackcap not much noise from the woods.

A walk across the middle of the golf course coughed up a f Stonechat 2 Reed Bunting ditto WW. 1 Curlew heard.

A Drama Disruption At Ogden

A speedy return to an almost winters morning saw me start walking without enthusiasm round the E Ogden path. 

After 7/8 minutes all hell broke lose to coin a phrase.

Blackbird alarm calls started up like a fire engine had set off. A female Blackbird flew speedily out of the trees low down across the path about 2 yards in front of me.

Some 6 inches above it was a male Sparrowhawk and maybe 15 inches behind it was the male Blackbird.

Pause for breath…

The f blackbird flew straight into the E bank hedge and the Sparrowhawk had to break and fly over the top then veered left over the water. M blackbird reversed back into the trees still belting out calls loudly.

This scenario seemed to be a full minutes duration while in fact it was probably closer to 20 seconds.

2 BHG c25 LBBG & a couple Herring on the drink plus a drake Tufted Duck.

Mixenden Res sported 4/5 Swallow & 3/4 House Martin.

Soil Hill Ogden In The Heat

Pushed my luck today, found it was humid as well as scorchio. 

The Grasshopper Warbler was reeling again on the top which has seen further excavation and plant/bush eradication.

Lapwing still calling as were a pr Curlew. 1 Kestrel c21 LBBG. 3 Skylark ditto Meadow Pipit a few Goldfinch.

Ogden Water was dirty filthy rotten with large gulls. Must have been c280 of em mainly LBBG with a handful of Herring. A Blackcap was singing loudly other callers/singers were subdued. 1 Grey Heron flew off to Mixenden. 1 Reed Bunting pr Grey Partridge.

Success Upon The Hill From Hades

Picked the right day for both heat and birds this morning. 😃.

Got a singing Garden Warbler in the top row of bushes. This is only my second such record the first being on the Ned Hill track some 12/13 years ago. A Grasshopper Warbler reeled twice not too far away.

60% of the NW top area has been excavated and all shrubs and bushes eradicated. If scrapes appear I can only be happy. Of course other developments may be afoot.

1 each Curlew Lapwing Moorhen & Reed Bunting. 3 Whitethroat ditto Skylark. Several Goldfinch couple Linnet.

Ogden Water had one Oystercatcher over otherwise was down to several LBBG.

A pr Grey Partridge & 2 Skylark on the rough ground before the golf course. 1 possibly 2 f Redstart on the top end of the fence at  Carrs Beck 😍.

c12 WW throughout.

Two Day Not Much Catch Up

Oh boy the doldrums are here big time ☹️.

Monday saw me shedding tears over Soil Hell - couple Whitethroat 3 WW.

The fields at Back Lane have been mowed down to crewcut style and the Curlew pr appeared to be sobbing- I was.

Ogden Yawnwater pr Tufted Duck still present. 2 Herring & c14 LBBG.

Today Tuesday I really hit a low. The Turvin Rd side of Blackstone Edge Reservoir was a blank apart from a Pied Wagtail. No other bird seen here.

Whiteholme was slightly better. 1 Common Sandpiper & 1 distant LRP. A Herring Gull flew across the water and a Tufted Duck was plonked on it. 

Another 3 Pied Wagtail 3 Sjylark 5/6 Meadow Pipit.

Soil Hill Ogden Water Route

I definitely need psychiatric help there is no doubt about it. Why did I set off and do the full up and down circuit of Soil Hell in a SW'ly wind? Is it because I'm bang off it or did I just tempt fate on a Friday the 13th. 3 Whitethroat ditto Skylark couple Goldfinch ditto Meadow Pipit 5 WW.

Ogden: 5/6 Swallow on top plantation track. 1 Green Woodpecker laffin in the plantation. Upon exiting this time not 2 but 3 Curlew give me short shrift for trespassing. A Reed Bunting called just the once.

Ogden Water: 3 Tufted Duck. Several LBBG & 2 Herring. 1 GSW, 1 loudly singing Song Thrush. A few more WW.

Mixenden Res To Ogden Water

Circumstances dictated a reverse route today. Mixenden was gash just a Chiffchaff in the wood. A singing Whitethroat at Carrs Beck.

I took the arduous route along Hebble Brook to Ogden but didn’t get much reward. A Nuthatch was my first in mebbe 3 months. 2 Chiffchaff ditto Blackcap & 5 WW.

Ogden was very busy with large gulls nearly all LBBG however I did get a couple of ropey shots of a potential YLG which needs further investigation. 2 BHG present plus a drake Tufted Duck.

A Black Swan was seen on Harold Park Lake this morning.

Blackstone Edge Whiteholme Reservoirs

A slow start but very satisfactory last chapter at Blackstone Edge.

Whiteholme had 2 pr Common Sandpiper. A Dunlin & a Ringed Plover. Other players: 1 Tufted Duck

ditto LBBG & 3 Swift.

Blackstone Edge coughed up a pr Sanderling, 2 Ringed Plover a Dunlin & a Common Sandpiper.

A Pied Wagtail was carrying a beakful of insects.

3 Skylark & c11 Meadow Pipit throughout.

Good to have a chat there with PS.