Cross Border Ramblings

My walk today started on the outskirts of Littleborough taking me up to Whiteholme then down to Withens Clough and onto Mytholmroyd. The early part of my walk produced Green Woodpecker calling from a telegraph pole, Grasshopper warbler reeling near the Animal sanctuary and then a Fox amongst a rocky out crop, closer investigation once I reached the rocks revealed the remains of a Coot.

As I headed up hill towards Whiteholme i paused to look up a gully where a Reed Bunting was calling, turning to see a large raptor hovering, as it soared off heading west it revealed itself as a Common Buzzard. Arrival at Whiteholme produced 3 Ringed Plover on the near shore close to the overflow and a Common Sandpiper. Continuing on round a Pied wag was gathering food whilst in the top left hand corner another Common Sand and another Ringed Plover patrolled the shore whilst 2 female Mallard attended to 11 ducklings between them.

The next stretch onto Withens Clough produced a single adult Redshank in the drainage channel and nothing more other than 2 Mipits.

Withens Clough  returned a Raven, single Common Sand and a flyover of a Spitfire and Hurricane (very unexpected and spectacular to hear and see these iconic planes in flight). Near the new building a Whinchat called giving away its position on wires to the rear of the house, briefly before flying to the trees in front of the building and out of sight.

The rest of the walk was unfortunately uneventful.