On the Sunday after the Friends of Baildon Moor and Bradford Ornithological Group walk I decided to go up to look for Whitethroat near the Scout camp. I heard Whitethroat but didn’t manage to see any. However I did hear plenty of Willow Warblers, and eventually, after being quiet for a while, I got sight of a Willow Warbler chick
And even caught sight of them being fed.
After moving trying to get sight of Whitethroat I did see this moss which I am told is Polytrichum commune
and an Oak tree with these Oak apple galls growing on it
In the same area there were also several Orchids. There are not many of these around and so some would say that I should nor publicise that they exist but I think that if people know that there are several plants on Baildon Moor that are rare then they are lees likely to want to pick them and threaten their existence.
I then went looking for a particular shot of Swallows but that didn’t come to pass. To get to the place I was thinking of I followed the same route as on Saturday and saw Goldfinch on Sconce Lane again.
Further round the walk, near Weecher Reservoir,I was able to spend more time watching the Oyster Catchers and Curlew
And then on the way back I got sight of Willow Warbler chicks again
I spent quite a few minutes quietly watching and listening for the birds in the trees and gorse when a woman walked past and asked me if I was all right. Was she questioning my sanity or physical health? I told her I was OK but at the same time I was thinking that with a pair of binoculars round my neck and a long lensed camera over my shoulder it was evident what I was doing. I didn’t mention that only a few minutes before this I had serious doubts about her well-being as she walked round in small circles, took a few paces forward and then back, appearing to ignore her dog as she talked loudly, sometimes shouting, waving her arms about and then going through the whole thing again. I assume that the little black thing plugged into her ear was a USB headset and she was talking on the phone to someone, but that was just a guess.
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