A Poor Day Reprieved At Mixenden

I’ve had some poor starts at Ogden but this ranks as a real stinker. 2 LBBG on the water only. Usual couple Blackcap in the trees and 5 WW.

I walked across the middle golf course route and managed a rattling Stonechat. 2 WW ditto Meadow Pipit concluded the walk.

Matters improved at Mixenden Res amazingly 👍. I noticed a Swallow flying across the water then swerving up into the trees. This was repeated by another bird. The woods were swarming with insects. A House Martin was flying over the water - finally I got one for the year 😀.

Just before I exited the trees near the footpath I saw two birds flitting around speedily. I watched for 5 minutes as they kept to the upper branches. It was too shady for photography but nevertheless what a bonus to get a pair of Pied Flycatcher 🤪.

A Washout At Whiteholme

I knew rain was forecast but not being right in the head I went for a soaking to Blackstone Edge and Whiteholme reservoirs. Boy did I get one right down to the skin 😢.

Whiteholme was a drenching disappointment; just one Dunlin and a single flying Herring Gull.

Blackstone Edge was busier. There were at least 8 Ringed Plover running around. There may have been LRP present but with my binoculars fogged up I couldn’t really tell. Another Dunlin seen there.

Also 3 Skylark, 11 Meadow Pipit, 4 Canada 2 Crows 4/5 Woodpigeon.

Queensbury South Shibden Head

Limited options today so I thought I’d walk down Deanstones and way beyond. I won’t be doing it ever again for two reasons: devastating absence of birds and old age telling me the topography is too tough 😵‍💫.

Not one House Martin seen in the area where they have bred in low numbers previously.

Just 4 large gulls overhead > W.

No Whitethroat seen in an area where they… get the picture?

The woods were frighteningly quiet: a couple of Blackcap 3/4 Blackbird 1 WW ditto Chaffinch.

1 Moorhen & a couple Skylark seen on way back up the Bare Head Lane area.

Cold Edge A Disaster

I’ve seen more birds in a strip of blood pressure tablets. It was awful.

1 Reed Bunting 1 Pied Wagtail carrying a beak full of insects. Pr Oystercatcher. A few Curlew. 1 Jay 3/4 Meadow Pipit. 1 Linnet.

Ogden was gash - usual woodlands visitors im small numbers.

c90 LBBG on the drink. A very noisy Raven seemed to follow me.

Ogden Water Route

Circuit of the shrinking reservoir then across the middle of the golf course. I did go on to Mixenden but there’s no point in elucidating.

Got me a calling Cuckoo and believe it or not my first Goldcrest in c18 months- 2 of em. Also a singing Whitethroat.

Usual very low number Blackcap & Chiffchaff & c8 WW.

c30 LBBG on the drink and that’s it.

Horton Bank Country Park

Another warm sunny day with blue skies and bird’s getting fewer but hey the water levels are low and polluted and the bikers and druggies appear to be having a helluva time.

1 GC Grebe ditto Mute Swan. 2 Swallows that didn’t hang around. 

3/4 WW, couple each Blackcap & Chiffchaff. Limited numbers Coots & Moorhens. Not a single gull seen.

Low Moor Dams

Harold Park lake is ultra low now whereas Park Dam has still got a good amount of juice in it.

10 Mute Swan on HPL along with a pr GC Grebe & 3 Tufted Duck.

Blackbirds doing well and breeding in the area.

Park Dam: 1 adult & 2 young GCG one busy with a fish in its gob.

6 LBBG 1 Pied Wagtail.

Usual Coots n Moorhens at both sites.

On walking back along the main frog n toad I got my first and latest ever Swifts 8 of em whizzing around screaming their heads off.

Blackstone Edge & Whiteholme Reservoirs

Clear blue skies and the blustery NE blow again but this time I was layered up for it.

Blackstone was really parched and despite the extensive shoreline there wasn’t a single wader to be seen.

Whiteholme still had good levels of water and it also had 3 Ringed Plover showing fairly well. A LRP was also seen but at a distance.

A pr Common Sandpiper & a Curlew completed the wader count.

Also 1 each Pied Wagtail & Skylark plus 15 Meadow Pipit. A BHG flew across the surface of Whiteholme.

Cold Edge Justifies Its Name

I didn’t prepare for the drop in temperature complimented by the NE’ly wind this morning so spent all of it shivering 🤒. There was some compensation however; more bird activity than anticipated 😊.

1 Common Sandpiper, pr 🦪 Oystercatcher ditto Lapwing.

Several Curlew widespread throughout. 3 LBBG > E.

20 Greylag Geese including a pr with young. Canada numbers around the 100 mark.

1 each Pied Wagtail & Skylark. 4 Meadow Pipit couple Linnet.

10 Swallows 3/4 Goldfinch, 3 WW. 1 singing Whitethroat.

Plenty of feeding Starlings in the fields allowing close approach. No doubt filling hungry mouths a bigger priority than pesky birders invading one’s privacy.

Soil Hill Ogden Water in The Sun

Another warm sunny day with absentee birds. No Swallows Martin sp. nor Swifts seen.

4 singing Skylark on Soil Hill along with1 Pied Wagtail.

5 distant Curlew. 3/4 WW, 1 Whitethroat ditto Chaffinch.

Ogden was relatively quiet; best of the few was a pr Grey Wagtail prospecting the embankment channel. A Raven called or was it a cough?.

Fire crews were still attending to the area that was ablaze yesterday. Had a chat with warden CS who had been involved in the nightmare.

Ogden Water To Mixenden

Not overflowing with birds on a warm sunny morning but I did manage 2 newbies for the year 👍.

Ogden had 1 Common gull and c50 LBB gulls on the drink along with a single GC Grebe. Couple Blackcap, Chiffchaff  & 7/8 WW in the foliage.

I took the longer route across the middle of the golf course to Mixenden which paid off. A Whinchat sang for about 10 minutes. Upon reaching Carrs Beck I managed brief views of a singing Whitethroat. 1 Meadow Pipit seen.

Mixenden Res had nothing on it. It wasn’t exactly too encouraging to encounter 5 bikers 🚴‍♀️ on the reservoir bank complete with their machines including a 4 wheeler. They had lifted this lot over the gate 🤨.

Back To Local Haunts

Didn’t want to be overwhelmed with decent birds so I went to Ogden Water and Mixenden Res. Let’s started in reverse order to keep it brief - nothing in the mix at Mixenden.

6 LBBG on the drink at Ogden.

The local Crows won’t starve; the place was heaving with young dullard ducklings.

1 each Buzzard and Grey Heron.

2/3 Blackcap singing. A couple Chiffchaff & 4/5 WW.

A Grey Heron over Queensbury this am at approx 0950 hrs > N.

Final S’Albufera Big Push

Nearly ended up on all fours after completing this mega yomp so it’s time to say Adios Can Picafort forever.

I did get some decent sightings but apart from the fact this joint has deteriorated there are now too many visitors who don’t really care about birds. An example being the scrotes determined to photograph BW Stilt chicks on a main track despite the obvious parental distress 😡.

New for the trip 1 each Kestrel & Red Kite. The latter was in the vicinity of what I took to be a Booted Eagle but views were too brief.

I couldn’t believe it when a Nightingale pair spent time feeding on a well used path despite the regular footfall. More evidence of nearby young methinks.

A Kentish Plover with a couple of chicks showed well and I gave up on counting the number of Avocet progeny.

A Pleasant Welcome Surprise

Warm and overcast with, significant winds from ESE. Bird numbers still relatively low, pertaining to waders and wildfowl. However I did get 3 Shoveler upstairs in flight. They didn’t like what they saw and veered away.

No matter cos the next visitor I saw was a perched Artic Tern which I instinctively feel is a first for me at this site 👍.

A pr Shelduck had 9 young in tow. 

Others: 1 each Cattle Egret & Greater Flamingo.

3 LRP 

Quite a few Swift whizzing around today. Usual clamour from Cettis and Nightmare gales.