Patch extension

I regularly go to Ulgham Grange but I'm starting to frequent further upstream along the River Lyne at Jackson.s Ford. One reason is this is where I started birdwatching. Much of the habitat then has been swallowed up by the Stobswood opencast but now that it is nearly restored the two new pools here are beginning to pull in birds and that is another reason for keeping an eye on the developments of the full restoration.
A flock of Geese have been hanging around the new pool near the B1337 but viewing them from here is difficult but by following a public footpath from the lane leading up to Ulgham park farm you can view them well from here but you need a scope. I didn't have mine today but there are about 600+ birds here chiefly Canadas, Grey lags and Pink footed however, typically without the scope there was a white one among them. From that distant it could have been a pale phase something, an albino or  perhaps even that Ross's Goose that was flying around Druridge bay a few weeks ago.

There was some real birds here and the numbers took me back a few years. There are three stubble fields on the Ulgham side of the former opencast and the footpath goes straight through them back to Jackson's Ford. A flock of 32 Linnets...what are they??? 65 Yellowhammers and smaller numbers of Reed Buntings, Chaffinches and Grey Partridge. I wonder if any Lapland Bunting passed through here in the Autumn! Perhaps they might come back through here when the Skylarks return. I wouldn't have seen Buzzard here all those years ago.

Theres a white one in there

Delightful Yellowhammers

Before this I had a look around the tip but there was only a flock of 20 Goldfinches and 5 Grey Partridges.