Another walk on the Wildside 6.50 am to 7.45 am

I set off early this morning as I was not meeting up with Les Midgely, so still well dark at 6.50am when I set off down the towpath. Nothing much seen or heard until I emerged below the trees at Rawson's Pool. I then heard various Robins in full song staking out their territory. I stopped off at each tree and left a small handful of Pin Head Oats in a clear spot for each bird. I used to count Robins on my way home in the dark after a nightshift at Firths Carpets at Bailiff Bridge(bloody hell that's nearly 30 years ago now!). I think the maximum I ever bagged on the route home back to Rastrick was 36 different Robins.

The sky had lightened up by there time I arrived at Brookfoot loop but still not much bird sound at all, very quiet. I dropped some seed & pinhead oats off at the pontoon bridge between Brookfoot and Tag Loop and by the time I climbed over the barrier a Robin had nipped down for breakfast. I took the centre track up to the top of Tag and topped up feeders and threw out some more Carrots for the Roe Deer. I then scattered seed, nuts and oats by the large seating stone on the top of Tag, the usual crow dropped down to feed as soon as I moved away.

I then made my way across the top of Tag Loop towards the Alders running around above the disabled path. I heard, then spotted a nice flock of Siskins here, probably 20 or so. It was still quiet gloomy and hard to pick them up in the dark background. Not sure if any other species were mixed in with them as I only managed to see Siskin. The dog and I then made our way around the disabled path towards the Calder, nothing much about apart from a few Woodies and Jays. Just after the settling pond on near the path I heard something in the bracken under the trees and picked out the shape of a Roe Deer no more than 20 feet away across tag cut browsing amongst the bracken. Gradually I picked out three deer in total all totally oblivious of me and the dog. I watched them for around 5 minutes but then as I have a bad case of bronchitis at the moment I coughed and they were up and away within seconds. This is a good area to get close to Roe at the moment as they seem to be looking for fallen acorns amongst the bracken.

I then walked out onto the river bank and immediately noticed that the Mallard were back in the this section. This area has be totally devoid of waterfowl since I spotted the mustelid a couple of weeks back. It has now perhaps moved out the area ? Walking back up towards the metal footbridge I had Dipper, Heron and heard a Kingfisher. Also had Chaffinch and Greenfinch in the hawthorn hedge.

Walking back up the canal towpath home I had Fox and Roe deer (one) in the field below Knowles pipe works dump. I spotted two flocks of Bullfinch with around 5/6 in each flock. Nearing home I was watching a flock of Great, Blue and Great Tits in the woodland between the Calder and canal when I rather luckily spotted a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker under a Sycamore branch of all places. Sheer chance played a great part in it had I not been looking through the bins at the tit flock I would never have noticed the pecker.

Nothing seen that would get on the grapevine and have people hurrying down to view, but nevertheless a very satisfying 55 minute walk. I bet not many people in Calderdale are even aware if the deer in their midst and I got to watch them so close I could almost touch them. Its amazing how little most people see when out walking in the countryside. I suspect most naturalists are always on the lookout even when in supermarket car parks but even walkers seem to blunder past without seeing even large mammals. I often see deer and fox in an afternoon when taking the dog down the canal towpath but watch groups of walkers coming towards me who have obviously no idea what they are missing on the opposite bank. Why is it that despite the plethora of "wildlife" programs on telly most people never use their eyes when out, do they think nature only occurs on TV !