Ogden Watch Group

The first watch group of 2013, which means that we were chopping and moving Christmas trees that people have dumped. Its always good fun, but does mean that you will not see many birds. Having said that, you can see the birds of the reservoir, and luckily there were some birds there. The cormorant was sat on the buoy, as it seems to be so often when I come down. And there was, however, a male goldeneye on the reservoir, loitering around the duck feeding area, quite close to us on the bank. Its a nice bird to see, and another good bird at the start of the year.

Kestrel

Four posts in four days! that only happens during holidays, and certainly not during peak revision time. But it would seem not, as when I glance out of the window there always seems to be something going on. From my bedroom window I have been watching a local juvenile kestrel for a few days now, but today I managed to get the best view yet. At first it was on a telegraph pole in a field some way away, and I was unable to tell if it was the kestrel or the sparrowhawk. It started hunting, dropping down and then flying back up. the second time it did this it flew back up the wall directly opposite our house, and then dropped down onto the road. It was much closer now and I was able to get a pretty good view. It then cleared off, but it was nice to see it again; a productive break from work...

Sparrowhawk

I headed out of the house for the first time this year, to go into town for a few things, but it paid off in birds too, as at the bus stop in illingworth I spotted a sparrowhawk flying lazily about causing chaos with the starlings, I doubt it was hunting them, because if it was, it was doing a poor effort. It might be the same one that we have had around home, but who knows! Either way, it was nice to see another.

Mistle Thrush Return

To say I have to left the house due to revision, 2013 has got off to a flier, as today our garden was visited by our annual winter mistle thrush. It was not snowing for its arrival this year, nor did I have a camera ready to take its picture, but it was nice to see anyway. It came to the birdtable right in front of the window, a place it had been reluctant to come to in the past, and from there you can really get an appreciation of the size of it compared to our local blackbirds.

Happy New Year

I can't say 2013 is going to live up to its predecessor, what with A-levels and then (hopefully) University, but you never know. It certainly didn't start that way, as the first morning of the new year our garden bird table was visited by a stunning female sparrowhawk. I was watching from my bedroom window upstairs so was unable to get a great view as we have had in the past, but either way it was pretty awesome to see. It didn't catch anything as all the sparrows (we have a lot at the moment) bolted into the bush where the hawk can't get to them.

Christmas

Merry Christmas! its been pretty quiet recently due to my exam revision commitments. However, on Christmas day I encountered a male pheasant in the field next to our house, showing that they are still around.
  And at church for the Christmas service there was a medium sized flock of long-tailed tits in the tree next to the door. So a handful of birds on a rainy Christmas day, just to give me something to post about!

Lapwings

On my way to work at my dads shop we drove past the lapwing field and saw maybe 30 lapwings that had settled down there. didnt spot any on the way back, but it was quite dark so I may have just missed them.

Fox

Driving back from a gig in Manchester at around 11.30, just up from the new trinity academy and a lovely fox ran out in front of the car. It was only a brief view but it was a good view, as it hurried off into the woods on the far side of the road. It makes you sadly realise why so many unfortunately end up as road-kill.

Once more upon Soil Hill

Since I had to go over it anyway on the way back from Ogden, I intended to call in at soil hill, again, just for the fun of it. All things considered, I managed a grand total of 4 species, numbering maybe 9 individuals. As you can tell, it was another poor day upon t' hill.
The four species in question were;
Robin-Came across one on the way up, quite bold and got quite close to it
Carrion Crow-3 circling the hill upon arrival
Common Gull-One over the hill, south, and 3 flying up the Ogden valley, North
Meadow Pipit-Small speck, flying up and over the brow of the hill for a grand total of 1 second, before dipping down again

There were still some sheep on the hill though...

Ogden

Was at Ogden this morning to help with the Watch Group christmas party. As a result I spent very little time outside, but when I was I encountered one large tit flock, with blue and great tits, as well as one robin. On the reser there was also the usual assortment of Black headed, Common gulls and Mallards.