Thursday, February 25, 2010

Clifton,Brighouse & Hove Edge

Fields N of Jay House Lane:
150+ Golden Plover
100+ Lapwing
80 Common Gulls
30 Crows/Rooks/Jackdaws in a mixed flock
In the nearby wood:
G S Woodpecker, Kestrel and 10 Goldcrests

Canal in Brighouse: 82 Mallard - down from 120+ last week

Coach Road:
Lone Heron in middle of the field, along with 12 Magpies
6 Goosanders flew in to the small lake on the golf course (the lake is one of few features left of Titus Salts estate before he moved on to bigger things at Saltaire !)
2 Jays
Nuthatch calling
Usual Wrens, Tits and Chaffinches
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5 comments:

David Sutcliffe said...

Nice count especially of Golden Plover Mike - keep a check on those Common Gulls in case the Mirfield Ring-billed Gull decides to join them!

8:00 pm
Mike Stead said...

I'm hoping to locate the GP's again, as the count was probably an underestimate; they were quite a way off, and taking to the air continually !

8:12 pm
Goldon Gordon said...

Hi Mike
I spent many happy hours paddling around this lake as a child in the 50's & 60's collecting taddies. we also used to raft across it in an old pram which we had to bail like mad before it sank part way across. Are the old boat house and hidden stepping stones under the lake surface still there ? The local kids nickname for the old house and lake was "The Mansion" and to get in one had to climb the wall from Coach Rd and keep a sharp eye out for farmworkers from Harrisons farm who rented the land and used to give us a clip round the lughole if they caught us at the lake. The most feared bloke was known as the Pigman who kept some pigs amongst the ruins of the mansion house and always gave chase if he spotted you with ebery intent of kicking your arse as you legged it shouting abuse at him :-))

2:46 pm
Mike Stead said...

I never realised you were an 'Ove Edge lad, Paul ! I climbed over the wall as you describe -in my early days birdwatching in the area, and it was always called the Mansion. The boathouse has gone, but I think the stepping stones are still there. Access is a bit trickier now, with all the golf balls flying around, but at least that part of the valley is now virtually safe as a wildlife oasis.Harrisons of course are still trying to build houses wherever they can on their land, but so far the council planners have held their nerve ! Cheers

9:01 pm
Goldon Gordon said...

Hi Mike
My grandparents were ove edgers from wood top but I was was one of the urchins from Smith House council estate until we went downmarket and moved to Brighouse :-)) Harrisons also had the farm that is now part of the large sixties housing estate built around Smithouse estate. I spent many an happy hour laking around the farm and lands before the estate was built. We also used to sneak into the fields on the opposite site of the road which Kershaws used to grow roses etc and swipe a couple of canes to make fishing nets out of our mothers old stockings.

10:32 am

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