Ogden-Dipping out on a yellow browed warbler

I arrived home after walking home from town in the morning to receive a text message saying that there was a yellow-browed warbler at Ogden. Unsurprisingly I gathered my things and rushed over. I wandered around Ogden for around an hour looking for the site and eventually stumbled across the other birders looking for it. I heard it was with some long tailed tits, and so headed of into the woods to try and find some long-tailed tits, a pretty easy bird to locate by their calls.
  I found the long tailed tits easily enough, quite close too, so I took a few photos of them.

-Long-Tailed Tit
I then spotted a warbler sized bird moving through the conifers, and having noticed it had golden wing bars, immediately got my hopes up. About 10mins later they were crushed again when it appeared to be a goldcrest. This was the trend set for the rest of the afternoon, long-tailed tits with some goldcrests thrown in to confuse us, a lovely bird need-less to say.












-Goldcrest

-Long-Tailed Tit 
Having come straight over after arriving home I had not taken any lunch, which now did not seem like a good idea. After a few hours of searching I had to call it quits due to my hunger, without so much as a glimpse of yellow-browed warbler. Andy said he heard it, but we were unable to catch it again after that, when it was 10 meters up surrounded by goldcrests.
  Disappointed I walked home, until late that afternoon I got another text saying it had been re-found on the far side of the reservoir. Once more, my mum gave me a lift over to see if I could find it. I managed to find the group watching it, but when I arrived it had apparently just left. It was associating with a chiff-chaff, which I got stunning views of, as well as there being some very late swallows and house martins, but sadly no warbler.

-Chiff-Chaff 
so I saw plenty of lovely things, but not quite the bird I had hoped for. It was however, a lovely afternoon to have spent looking for it.

5 Years!!

Just a quick note to say that "my birding starting September 2007" is now on its five year anniversary. Over that time it has covered some incredible "firsts" for me and some incredible dips, as well as amazing experiences with all kinds of species. I would like to thank all the people who have viewed this website over that time, it means a lot to me.

Thanks

Swallows

Spotted a late swallow on my way down to school today, see it again in three days it will be my first October swallow in Calderdale. There were six on the wires outside Bradshaw school yesterday, so they are clearly leaving it late this year. There were also two pied wagtails on the bowling green, which was nice to see.

Sparrowhawk

Just a quick update. Looking out of my bedroom window this morning I spotted a sparrowhawk hunting over the field opposite our house, as it flew up the hill and then into the neighbors garden. It was very brown, so likely to have been a female, but still lovely to see.

Garden Brimstone? Whats that all about?

It was a sunny but blustery Sunday afternoon, and after church I was chilling upstairs, when my dad called me to say there was a brimstone in the garden. The last time I saw a brimstone was Stavely last year, and before that it would have been a few years ago, so to have one in the garden was a big surprise. When I arrived in the garden my dad was right. It sadly did not hang around for long, clearing off after around 5 mins of it sitting in none suitable positions for photographing. either way, this is up there on the garden list of records, and being my first one this year, was extra special.

-Brimstone 

Oats Royd

Finally went down there today with a friend. I have heard so much about this reserve and with it being local should really have spent more time down there but sadly havent. I was very impressed; there was a wide variety of insect life, including small copper butterflies, brown hawker dragonflies and both common blue and blue tailed damselflies. On the bird front there was a mixed flock of tits, including long tailed, and two very aggressive gees, as well a sparrowhawk high overhead.. Overall a good afternoon, and I will deffinatly be going back.