Thursday 16 April 2015

Harden Moor

Thursday 16th April a.m.
 A cloudy start with a temperature of just 3.5°C on Harden Moor as I parked up & then took the footpath past the quarry.I was greeted by the song of a returning Willow Warbler, one of several seen during my walk round.Also returning were Sand Martins, but the surprise of the morning was when I was scanning some distant rocks there was a Cuckoo.I headed towards it losing sight as the path dipped & of course when the rocks were back in view the bird was gone.I searched the area without success but did see a distant Sparrowhawk, I headed back & spotted the Cuckoo again near the quarry & managed to get a few pictures.Also seen were Kestrel,Pied Wagtail,Redpoll,Mipits everywhere & a Grey Heron flyover.N.P.

Keighley Moor Reservoir
 I then tried a new location, Keighley Moor Reservoir which is closest to Oakworth.There is a bit of off road parking then its an uphill walk along a road to the lodge & then to the Reservoir, quite a distance.Fortunately I was rewarded with several Wheatears near & on the dam wall, Canadas & Mallards on the water with the usual Grouse,Curlew & Mipits.With Soil Hill,Queensbury & Ovenden Wind Farm all visible in the distance it didn't feel too much like the middle of nowhere.I headed back downhill,thankfully, & had the bonus of more Wheatears near the lodge giving me a total of 10 making the trek worthwhile.N.P.
Cuckoo




First sighting of Cuckoo on a distant rock

Grey Heron

Kestrel

our first Willow Warbler of the year

Wheatear at Keighley Moor Reservoir


male Wheatear

female Wheatear on KMR dam wall

Harden Moor 16/4/2015


3 comments:

  1. Nice one on the Cuckoo Nigel, quite a few back now according to BTO.

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  2. Cool - Well done , could it be a record , such an early sighting?

    John

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  3. Thanks to both of you, really good to see the Cuckoo & get some pictures, don't know if its the earliest record spotted in the area John.N.P.

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