Bradshaw – Soil Hill – Ogden - circular.

12:35 – 16:00

I had the usual 3 and a half hour hike on a breezy but sunny day with just a spot of rain.

I was hoping for some winter Thrushes or the famous Y B W but no luck.

A nice surprise awaited me on the bridleway to Taylor Lane in the shape of a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Higher up the bridleway near the Koi Carp farm a Goldcrest was flitting about in the bushes with Blue and Great Tit.

Soil Hill

I dropped some Nyger seed on the track and did most of the contour circuit.

1 Pheasant, 8 Meadow Pipit, 1 Skylark called as it flushed from the north end path and 9 Woodpigeon were feeding in the fields.

Ned Hill Track to Ogden Water

It was a very quiet saunter, with just a Kestrel being mobbed by 2 Crows and no other birds of note.

Ogden Water.

The water level remains very low.

A couple of circuits of the water proved tough going.

C16 Long Tailed Tit, 4 Goldcrest, 1 Cormorant, c 105 small gulls including at least 3 LBBG.

A quick fly over of c30 undulating and calling small birds – Goldfinch I believe.

4 Chaffinch, 3 Robin, 2 Wren was about it.

Syke Lane to Home.

A Kestrel was perched on a telegraph pole near Stoney Hall Farm.

A fly over > NE of a bird looking like a Sandwich Tern but it flew like a gull so I'll have to put it down as a BHG -  no pictures alas.

Then another nice surprise in the shape of a Little Owl perched at the top of the bushes , a long way off, below Ned Hill Track – I’ve not seen one in this area before.

Just c40 Canada Goose and 20 Small Gulls feeding in the fields below Roper Lane. 

Also, a really poor pic. of a 2 duck fly over – probably Mallard.

What are the chances of seeing Ring Ouzel on Soil Hill this month - anybody care to comment?

Thornton Moor Res. from  Soil Hill

Look left

Look Right

Gulls in the sunshine

Probably Mallard