Ogden - Gannet

Fortunately we were in the right place at the right time this afternoon !

Scanning from the 'giants tooth' area towards Denhole Gate/Bradford we spotted a large bird coming from the NE around 2.25 pm - as soon as we got the binoculars on we knew it was a Gannet with the characteristic cigar shape. I also managed to get the scope on it. It was a juv/1st winter, very brown job with a small amount of paleness on the underparts/head and tail. It was going like a rocket in the srong northerly wind as it headed fairly low over Back Lane to the west of Soil Hill, over the plantations and down towards the Wheatley and Calder Valley.

I did contact Dave Barker wondering if he had picked the bird up passing Thornton Moor but unfortunately not. I gather the weather on the NE coast was really bad today so it's not too surprising to turn up a bird like this. Unfortunately I couldn't get any camera shots - it went through too fast.

A 1st for us in Calderdale - what a treat that was.

1 Cormorant >NW, 2 Nuthatches and a pair of Tufted Duck on the res'r.
4 Swallows >SW