Leeshaw,Ogden and Soil Hill

Saturday June 30th a.m.
Leeshaw Reservoir
 It was cloudy when we arrived at Leeshaw Reservoir with a temperature of 11.5°C. The
first birds we saw were 27 Greylags on the water, there were also 8 Canadas and 3
Mallards. There were good numbers of Lapwings several which had young chicks which
was good to see, also we saw 4 Oystercatchers and 3 Curlew.Others included Pheasant,
Meadow Pipit,Swift,Swallow,LBB Gull and as we were leaving we saw a Kestrel in the
fields below.
Ogden Reservoir
It was quiet at Ogden with the only birds we saw being,BH Gull,Canadas,LBB Gull and Mallards.
Soil Hill
With it being quiet at Ogden we decided to try our luck on the top of Soil Hill, the conditions
were quite good with sunshine,only the one shower and not too blustery a wind, the
temperature was 14°C. We walked up the track by the mast seeing Carrion Crow,Lapwings
and Skylark the latter we don't see very often so that was good.We then walked back along the
road seeing Swallows and took another track which looked over Ogden. Here we saw a
Kestrel which was working along the track looking for food.Every time we got close though it
moved so we found a wall to sit on and eventually it came near enough for a decent snap.The
Swallows were visiting a mud patch below us,maybe gathering mud for some nest repairs.We
walked back along the road catching sight of a second Kestrel making this rare trip to the Hill
worth while.

Soil Hill Kestrel 1

Leeshaw Lapwing

Greylags

Soil Hill Kestrel 2

 

Local Walk

Friday June 29th a.m.
 A dull start to the day with light showers and a temperature of 12°C as we took the dog
for a walk to Hewenden Viaduct and then back via Hallas Bridge. We were pleased to see
Swifts still around along with House Martins and Swallows, there were four Canadas on
Hewenden Reservoir and we also spotted two Grey Herons.There was also a Pied Wagtail
on top of some farm buildings and as we were heading towards Hallas Bridge several
Chiffchaffs were singing, we caught sight of one of them and a couple of LBB Gulls flew over,
showing some interest in a field where c60 Starlings were feeding.At Hallas Bridge it was
good to see a Dipper in the beck, we saw quite a few other common species including Robin,
Goldfinch,Greenfinch and Wren.
 Elsewhere we saw a Damselfly which we think was a Common Blue which made a good
photo opportunity.

Pied Wagtail

Grey Heron

Chiffchaff

Dipper

Common Blue Damselfly

  
   

Harold Park & Park Dam, Bradford

Sunday June 24th a.m
 Another dull start to day but a gradual improvement with the sun finally breaking through
by mid morning, the temperature 10°C and steadily rising.We started off at Harold Park
where it was good to see the pair of Great Crested Grebes, we saw one of the chicks we
had seen earlier in the year,maybe best described as a juvenile now.One of the adults was
back on the nest under the tree canopy so it might be starting a second brood.
16 - Canadas
8 - Coot plus chicks
2 - Collared Dove
2  - Gt C. Grebe + Juv.
c25 - Mallards,one female with 6 young chicks
4 - Moorhen
1 - Mute Swan
2 - Swift
2 - Tufted Duck
 From here we moved a short distance down the road to Park Dam, where the pair of
Mute Swans had six healthy cygnets.Among the Coots one pair had three small chicks,
there was also a pair of Gt. C Grebes here with two large chicks, and what looked like
a second brood of young chicks being carried on the adults back.
4 - Canadas
8 - Coots + 3chicks
2 - Gt. C. Grebe + 4 chicks
2 - House Martins
6 - Mallards
2 - Mute Swans + 6 Cygnets
3 - Swift
4  - Tufted Duck
plus other usual species.

Mute Swan

Mute Swan with Cygnets

Coot

Coot Chick

Juvenile Gt C. Grebe at Harold Park 

Mallard with chicks

Gt C. Grebes with two sets of chicks

Great Crested Grebe family at Park Dam

   

Garden Visitors

Saturday 23rd June a.m.
 The day continued cloudy but after filling all the bird feeders this morning there was a
number of birds attracted to them. This included an adult male GSW with a juvenile on
the peanut feeder together.On one of my snaps the adult is feeding the juvenile, other
birds included Carrion Crow,Jackdaw,Collared Dove,Magpie,Robin,Blackbird,Dunnock,
Woodpigeon,Greenfinch,Great Tit,Blue Tit and Goldfinch.

GSW male & Juv

Adult feeding Juv

Jackdaw

Jackdaw Juv

Carrion Crow

Magpie

Woodpigeon

A selection of birds

Redcar Tarn

Saturday 23rd June a.m.
 After all the rain yesterday it was good to get out in a dry spell this morning although stil
cloudy and windy up at Redcar Tarn with a temperature of 10°C. There were a couple of
Swallows and twenty House Martins feeding low over the water. The usual Mallards(one had
three chicks),Coots,Canadas,Tufted Ducks and several Common Geese were all present.

Swallow 1

Swallow 2

House Martin

Tufted Ducks

Mallard with chicks

Common Geese and others keeping low in the strong wind 

Redcar Tarn

Garden Visitors

Friday 22nd June
 Rain all day today with a temperature of just 10°C, had a good start to the day though
with some early morning visitors.I caught site of a bird in the garden and ran upstairs to have
a better view through the window,to my surprise it was a Jay checking out our bird feeders.I
ran to get my camera and needless to say by the time I was ready to take a snap it had gone.
Fortunately for me it had only gone into neighboring gardens where I saw a second Jay, they
were having more success on their feeders and so I was able to get a couple of distant snaps
through the window.There were also Collared Doves and Woodpigeons in our garden which
didn't seem too happy to see the Jays.
 It doesn't look too good this weekend weather wise for birding but no doubt we'll try and find
some where to go where its not raining too heavily.

Jay

Woodpigeon

Rodley Nature Reserve

From Sunday 17th June
 After our visit to Yeadon Tarn we made the short trip to Rodley Nature Reserve where
the sun broke through from time to time and the temperature had risen to 12.5°C.Here there
are a number of hides overlooking lagoons and with the River Aire to the back edge of the
reserve anything could turn up.The first birds we saw were a pair of Common Terns which
had at least one chick on the raft in the middle of the lagoon.There were a pair of Mute Swans
with seven Cygnets,elsewhere we saw another Mute Swan with two Cygnets.There was also
Little Grebe,Great Crested Grebe,Tufted Duck,Gadwall,Shoveler,Kingfisher,Oystercatcher,
Greylag,Grey Heron and Moorhen. Reed Warblers were flitting about and there were good
numbers of Swift overhead, as we walked towards the bird feeding area there was a Lapwing
in the middle of the field calling and looking a bit lost.We also saw a pair of Bullfinch and in the
distance a Kestrel was hovering looking for food. At the bird feeding area there were two
male bullfinches one on the bird table quite near to the screen so we were  able to get a decent
snap.At the back of this area a GSW was pecking away at a some wood even though a hole
was already in it for the the GSW to go into. Some good birds here and an enjoyable mornings
birding.

male Bullfinch 1

male Bullfinch 2

Mute Swans with Cygnets

Cygnet

Oystercatcher

Shoveler

Gadwall

Common Tern

GSW

male Bullfinch