Bradshaw - Soil Hill etc

17:10 - 19:15

A changeable day today very cloudy and quite windy with rain mid-afternoon.

The weather forecast gave a sunny evening so I had an early tea and took advantage of the sunshine with a walk to Soil Hill to check out the north slope.

No 'biggie' down here again however  the Taylor Lane field above the lower midden held eight Wheatear and a further Wheatear was in the fields nearer home.

An enjoyable evening saunter with always plenty to stop and see as you climb slowly back up from the north slope (even if there isn't - if you get my drift)

(Some) Birds:-

Bradshaw to Soil Hill. 

8 Wheatear. Kestrel. 5 Meadow Pipit. Linnet. 3 Curlew. 5 Skylark. Canada Goose.

3 Willow Warbler. Pheasant. 2 Blackbird, Wren. Pied Wagtail. Greenfinch. Mallard.

One Curlew in flight looks to have a shorted Bill - probably a Female. 

Wrong markings for a Whimbrel?

Farm Tracks to Home.

3 Curlew. 3 Linnet. 2 Wheatear. Little Owl.

Lapwing. Stock Dove.

This Curlew in flight looks to have a shorted Bill - probably a Female. 

Wrong markings for a Whimbrel?

Cromwell Bottom

10:00 - 11:30

A mild and bright day today.

I had a lunch appointment with friends at The Golden Hind chippery today and I took the opportunity to have a walk about at Cromwell Bottom beforehand.

'Unusually' I did not see any Swallows or Martins.

Many singing birds in competition with one another including many Blackcap all of which failed to perch long enough for me to get a decent mug shot.

The ski-lake was very quite with no Gulls in the 'visible' area and just a few seen passing over.

(Some) Birds:-

1 Mallard chick seen from the river bridge at Bridge End.

Blackcap. Chiffchaff, Song Thrush.

Blackbird, Willow Warbler, Wren, Robin.

Goosander M. > south-ish over the weir near the visitors centre.

5 Heron. 2 Moorhen. Bullfinch. Long Tailed Tit.

Buzzard High.

Bradshaw Garden.

Greenfinch, 2 Buzzard, Curlew (heard).

Cromwell Buzzard Above & Garden Buzzards Below.

1st.

2nd.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill etc (Wed).

 9:00 - 11:45

A very dull morning tried it's best to brighten up, which it managed to do for a short while.

I had another try for a soil hill north slope special but struggled to find much up there.

I went the clockwise way through the farms etc. and home via Taylor Lane.

I had another long stand at the bottom of the north slope... pretty here in it.

When I got back on the summit it was blowing a flipping gale.

I bumped into NK along the way and also Paul C. from Clayton doing the rounds.

Trouser-less on soil hill .

Sums up my day.

Today's Quiz.

Take the word trouser-less.

Knock off  the letters for Turkey's international car reg. code.

Then from the letters remaining, swap the maths abbreviation for radius for the letter for a learner driver.

and you got my day.

(Some) Birds:

Bradshaw - Ned Hill Road.

Greenfinch. Little Owl.

2 Large Gulls over - Herring Gull?

Willow Warbler. 2 Kestrel.

2 Linnet. Curlew.

Soil Hill to Home.

6 Skylark. 2 Curlew. 3 Pheasant.

7 Meadow Pipit. 3 Linnet.

2 Willow Warbler. 3 Blackbird.

Heron zigzagging, landing from quite high -looked like a big toy kite losing the wind.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill (Tues)

It was a cloudy morning and noticeably cooler as I trudged up Bradshaw Lane to Soil Hill.

I tried (once again!) for a north slope special.

Rob from Thornton was at the bottom of the slope and he had seen a Whitethroat but it did not reveal itself again while I was there.

We had another long stand waiting for Ringo to appear - after a while Rob left and I remained there for possibly an hour in total - but no joy.

Home was via Ned Hill Road and the farm tracks.

Birds:-

2 Partridge species flushed silently from the summit.

4 Linnet. 2 Stonechat.

c10 Meadow Pipit. 3 Curlew.

1 Pied Wagtail. 5 Willow Warbler.

Moorhen. Mallard. Canada Geese.

2 Stock Dove.

2 Oystercatcher flew from lower down and then over the east side of the hill.

Plus the usual 'stuff'

April is turning into a frustrating time.

Close but no cheroot.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill - Bradshaw (Whitethroat)

8:30 - 12:00

A cold start with Ice on the car early on this morning, but the sun shone for most of my walk and it warmed up nicely.

I did my usual trek through the fields and farms, up Ned Hill Road to Soil Hill.

I met two other  birders on Soil Hill summit, a guy from Thornton who was just leaving and Becky from Bingley (with scope) who accompanied me down the north slope, hoping for Ring Ousel.

After half an hour or so she left me - who can blame her really.

We were lucky enough to firstly hear and then see a Whitethroat but it dived doen into the undergrowth,

After Becky left I hung around for a good while hoping to get a photo of the Whitethroat but I did not re-find it.

Birds:-

Bradshaw - Ned Hill Track

5 Pheasant. Little Owl. Canada geese.

2 Meadow Pipit. 3 Willow Warbler.

Wren, 2 Stock Dove. 6 Linnet.

Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch. 2 Curlew.

2 Red Legged Partridge. Blackbird.

Crow. Magpie, Jackdaw.

Blue Tit. Great Tit. Starling.

Soil Hill to Home.

5 Skylark.

2   Blackbird.

Many Willow Warbler singing loudly.

Herring Gull.

Kestrel.

6 Wheatear just visible in the Shay Fields.

3 Curlew. 2 Oystercatcher,

1 Whitethroat.

Heron. Moorhen. 2 Canada Geese.

Mistle Thrush,

An enjoyable few hours - not often you get to chat with another birder on Soil Hill.

Ringstone

14:00 - 15:15

It was another cold, windy day with frequent showers.

After breakfast, then a coffee, then the crossword, then another coffee ,then a bacon roll for lunch the boredom finally over took me so I drove over to Ringstone Reservoir to have a look-see.

It was pouring down on the journey over there but the rain packed in when I got me wellies on and apart from a shower later on, it was dry and quite bright but  windy.

It was a slow start but things improved and I did get a few birds.

Birds:-

2 Little Ringed Plover.

Wheatear - maybe two.

2 Kestrel together.

2 Pheasant.

4 Meadow Pipit.

Heron.

2 Great Crested Grebe.

2 Skylark.

Curlew.

2 Linnet.

Willow Warbler.

Chiffchaff.

First Little Ringed Plover.

Second Little Ringed Plover.

Both Birds:-