Mrs.S took me for a ride to one of our favourite birding areas today, Scar House Reservoir at the head of Nidderdale.We were supposed to be looking for Spring visitors but it was blooming nithering up there certainly not spring like .From the the car park we could hear two Ring Ouzels calling from the rocks on the hillside and managed to spot one with the bins and eventually got the little beauty in the scope.Walking over the dam we found about ten House Martins,our first of the year,rebuilding last years nests on the tower of the reservoir dam.At an altitude of over 1000 ft it was not the sort of spot you would normally look for these birds but there is a successful little colony there every year.The moorland at the far side gave us great views of Meadow Pipit carrying food to the nest and Wheatear bobbing in and out of the old Rabbit hole nests.All this within my limited walking range and finishing off with coffee and cake in the newly opened cafe in one of the old reservoir buildings,that fresh air up there is great and should keep me going for a day or two.
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
Seaman kindly gave me directions to and information about finding Ring Ouzels at Scar House Reservoir. Ring Ouzels have eluded my birding pal for many years so he was keen to make Scar House our destination for this week's regular trip out. We saw all the other birds Seaman has mentioned but not the Ring Ouzels. I've posted some photos of Scar House so you can appreciate why Seaman likes to go there.
The road leading to the reservoir.
Approaching the reservoir.
The dam
You don't get eloborate ornamental features like this on modern constructions.
Local inhabitants
If it's not my pal walking in front of my camera , spoiling the view , it's someone else : -)
The moors above the dam
Loads of Rabbits but no Ring Ouzels today.
Meadow Pipits aplenty.
Is this a Sandpiper ?
Chaffinch
Gouthwaite Reservoir
Near Lofthouse
The Old Smithy , Ramsgill
Ramsgill church
My gallery here
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Great bunch of photos Galatas,sorry the ouzels did not appear,I will reprimand then next time we go up.
Wonderful pictorial tour of beautiful area G & those Meadow Pipits look so attractive!
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
Will be thinking of you Friday S & wishing you well !
Unknown said:As you say, they don't make dams like that anymore. was that dam ever used for dambuster practice do you know?
This year is the 70th anniversary of the famous "Dambusters Raid" so finding this was easy :-)
As we drove through Yorkshire , near Harrogate Lakes , we saw a modern fighter plane fly fast and low along one of the valleys.
Galatas said:As we drove through Yorkshire , near Harrogate Lakes , we saw a modern fighter plane fly fast and low along one of the valleys.
We get them on a regular basis here in the dale area often with mixed air forces we get used to it and I always it is part of the price we pay for freedom others may not agree.Is strange to be looking down on them from the moor edge as they pass below.