Soil Hill, west / Causeway Foot Col.

                                   1st man on the moon, Soil Hill summit.

                                  Watching over the col.

A bright warm evening with a slight SE>3 but limited visibility due to heat haze.
Swallows were moving through well,all into the wind whilst 3 Sand Martins came over >E and 2 House Martins were over the goose field which once again was alive with Meadow Pipits.
Thanks for call from DJS for possible move >NE this pm and just managed 1 moving Sparrowhawk very high >NE although a Marsh Harrier was reported moving this a.m. over Bingley, B.O.G.
 43 Swallow..........................mostly >SE
3 Sand Martin.................................>E
2 House Martin...................blogging
77 Woodpigeons.................in field
8 Stockdove.......................same field
3 Skylark
1 cock Pheasant
78 Meadow Pipit in goose field
1 Sparrowhawk......................mover...>NE
5 Mallard............................>NW
2 LBB gulls..........................>N
No Wheatears
BS

Fly Flatts

                                       As expected, Common Sandpipers are back on the shoreline

                                                  Canadas battling

A glorious morning with wall to wall blue skies and sunshine with a slight SSE>2,mist in the valley.
The good weather halted any signs of sky movement but it was good to see Common Sandpipers back, along with 5 Redshank along the shore. A pair of Goldeneye were still on the water and just the one Swallow came through. Not a sign of Wheatear again.

1pr Goldeneye
18 Canadas
7 Greylag
5 Twite
4 Red Grouse
1 Swallow
5 Redshank
2 Common Sandpiper
+ usual sp.
BS
                                        

An evening walk up the col.

                  Looking south down the col over Ogden with Ringby Top on the distant left

                                    Soil Hill western slope from Back Lane

                                A very distant droopy winged bird but this was a Heron

An evening walk up the Causeway Foot col from Back Lane was pleasant but failed to produce anything mind blowing other that a heart stopping moment in the distance which turned out to be a Heron.
Strangely the whole of the moor was void of Wheatears even after a full 360 deg scan of the walls and ruined buildings. You can see why birds favour the use of the col when moving if you look south or north from the top, its like you,re looking the length of  the country with stepping stones of reservoirs, it must be the birds version of the M1 motorway.

8  Golden Plover
3 Curlew
5 Linnet
3 Willow Warbler in plantation
1 Heron   >N
5 cock Pheasants
15 Lapwing
6 Goldfinch
BS
+ usual Mipits, corvids, Mallard etc

Never satisfied with the weather

                                            End of another day over Foxhill.

A glorious day with wall to wall blue skies and sunshine but not the sort of weather that we want for bird movement. Days like this encourage birds to stay put feeding or pass straight over high in the blue sky.
Having said that a second wave of Wheatears has hit the area with several reports of decent numbers of birds including 20+ at Fly Flatts , DJS Calderbirds and several on Trough Lane, Oxenhope B.O.G. and as stated by DJS Common Sandpipers should be back in the area over the weekend.
My target birds for the weekend are, House and Sand Martin , Ring Ouzel and Common Sandpiper and a photogenic Wheatear.
BS

Queensbury Today

No spare time today so had to make do with 2 dog walks in Foxhill park with very little sighted. The dreaded SW>4 was still blowing and the temperature was down from yesterday with mainly cloud.
At midday 3 LBB gulls headed north and 4 Mallard moved >E very high.
Early evening in the park saw 3 Swallow moving again >SW into the wind and 1 Alba Wagtail carrying nest material.
A report today from a customer who does a lot of moorland walking and knows his birds said he was up near the sacrifice stones,Fly Flatts Monday midday when DJSs Osprey came over and flew below the ridge and low over the water at TMR before continuing on >N in atrocious conditions.
BS

Dailies/ Soil Hill(west)

Clear visibility east from the Dailies

Black Hill railway house and chimney

                                            Dung for dinner again.

A bright summer like day with higher temperatures and clear visibility but still that SW>4 increasing >5 .

A dash to the Dailies at lunchtime found blue skies and clear visibility to the east horizon.
Rather quiet but nice to get the first local Swallows and moving Golden Plover. 15 minutes watch found:-
7 Golden Plover..........................>N
2 Swallow..................................>NW
18 Woodpigeons.......................>NE
4 Linnet, locals
3 Alba Wagtails........................>E
BS

An evening dog walk to Ned Hill and the west slope of Soil Hill failed to produce Osprey or Wheatear but did find a good move of Swallows all into the wind heading over Mixenden reservoir.

18 Swallow...........................>SW
3 LBB gulls..........................>N
12 Golden Plover, local Oxenhope birds
11 Linnet, locals
Several resident corvids, mainly Jackdaws
BS

Still on Osprey watch

 

The view from Roper Lane towards Saddleworth Moor

                                    Stoodley Pike from Roper Lane, Osprey flight path.

A strong SW>6 most of the day with early showers.
All quiet on the Osprey scene today going by a silence on the grapevine but they,ll still be more to come.
Perhaps the warmer weather threatened for tomorrow will cause a fall of migrants with a second wave of Wheatear.  Common Sandpipers will be making an appearance any time now so watch those reservoir edges.
Is anyone still getting winter thrushes yet or have they gone?
BS

Mystery Osprey

This was the photo of the bird straight from the camera uncropped etc. Double click it. BS

Queensbury Today

A terrible day with strong SW>5 winds and horizontal drizzle and temperatures feeling like February.
Luckily the local hardy birders were out with NK on the hill in attrocious conditions and DJS probably with Jen at Ogden . Due to their dedication another Osprey was recorded going through the area showing that weather conditions makes no difference to the moving Ospreys.
Well spotted to Dave and Jen, see Calderbirds, and unlucky for Nigel see Queensburybirder, with a near miss but thats birding and as Nigel remarked, despite the soaking and disappointment he,ll probably be out  tomorrow doing it all again.
BS

Pics from Oxenhope,

Report below.
BS

Oxenhope

Evening visit,  sunshine and showers
Quiet skies with no repeat of yesterdays Osprey move. DCB showed me the remains of a very large Rainbow Trout on the banking which looked like the work of an Osprey yesterday morning.
A steady flow of LBB gulls >N and 11 Golden Plover which were obvious movers headed >N.

3 Goldeneye
3 Goosander
23 LBBs
5 Redshank
4 Oystercatchers
1 Cormorant >N
11 Golden Plover >N
+ usual sp.
BS,  DCB

Osprey comparison

Heres a photo taken from a book which is near enough the same as my photo below other than the light underside.
BS

Fly Flatts/ Cold Edge Dams

Plenty Meadow Pipits parachuting

A grim scene at Fly Flatts

                                                C.E.Ds Little Ringed Plover still present

A grim morning leaving sunshine in the village and arriving at Fly Flatts to find fog followed by mist and heavy rain, no chance of movers this morning.
Cold Edge dams was a little better being below the cloud base and only light showers.
No sign of Wheatears at either site but we must be due for a second wave fall anytime.
Fly Flatts
1 Redshank
3 Oystercatchers
1 m Goldeneye
usual Mipits, Curlews etc.

C.E.D.
2 Oystercatchers
3 Drumming Snipe
1 Redshank
1 LRP
16 Lapwing
+ usual sp.
BS
/

What a night.

Started off badly at 1800hrs with a quick trip with the dogs to Ned Hill to check Soil Hills western end only to find the ignorant land owner from the bottom farm riding round his fields on his quad bike. On seeing me walking he decided to fly past me a few time  along the track and as I walked up the hill he flew past me putting everything up and rode round and round the hill with a slimy smirk on his face. I had to call it a do and come away which is what he wanted for as I went so did he. I hope he doesnt come off and break his neck!!!
Anyway, in the end he did me a favour,making me find a fresh venue. Thirty minutes skywatching from Roper Lane found a few Mipits, 3 Alba Wagtails 5 Goosander heading for Oxenhope and then Jackpot. Three very distant birds were coming from the SE over Saddleworth Moor heading north. Two of the birds kept breaking away and soaring above the third and as they got closer it was obvious that these 2 were Buzzards. The lower bird now nearer was an OSPREY with kept dipping down as the Buzzards dropped towards it. Suddenly the Buzzards veered off back towards Saddleworth and the Osprey continued north looking from where I was as if it was going directly over Stoodley Pike.
As if this wasnt enough I got the mystery bird shown below as I arrived home .
An excellent night but I still hope the t*+t on the bike ends up through a dry stone wall.
BS

What t f is this??

Got back tonight from birding( Osprey report to follow) and as I got out of the car at home a large corvid looking bird was coming over the top of me. I grabbed the camera first and got a poor photo and then got the bins on it but  was looking at it arse on. It was Buzzard size with long drooping wings fingered at the ends and flew very slowly with 3 long strokes and a glide. The body was dumpy with a short raggy tail, possibly in moult, and the whole of the underside was dark brown. I never got a face view and the bird never called. I couldnt believe I couldnt I.D. it and was left standing there saying "What t f was that".
Spoke to DCB at Oxenhope as it was going >N in the hope that he got it.
On the photo it looks light underneath but this was just the sun on it.
Any ideas gratefully received !
BS