A walk around Ogden Water near Halifax. Only our second ever visit to the site. Last time we were there, the dam was being renovated, and we left distinctly unimpressed. But it’s a lovely spot now, and a walk around the reservoir is just the right length.
Ducks and geese, yellow flag irises, a grey heron, and a pair of great crested grebes (in the middle of the lake, so too far away to photograph, unfortunately).
On a personal note, I was delighted to see the reservoir-construction commemoration stone, which was relocated to the visitor centre during the renovation work. The stone bears the name of the reservoir’s engineer, John Frederick Bateman. I first came across Bateman’s name when I was researching my book On the Moor. He designed many of the reservoir systems and supporting infrastructure around here, including the air-shafts on our local Moor. During my research, I was surprised to realise Bateman was tenuously connected with Charles Darwin’s reason for being in nearby Ilkley on the day On the Origin of Species was published.
Later, back at home, I was equally delighted to spot a siskin on our bird-feeder. They’re far from rare, but I hadn’t seen one in our garden for many years.
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