Fly Flatts (North End Only)

13:45 - 15:30

It was a calm dry morning so I decided to wash me smalls and also wash me not so smalls so I could dry them courtesy of Mr. Weather.

I then had some bureaucracy to deal with which I never look forward to, but both my phone calls were answered by two very helpful ladies and everything went well.

After lunch I decided to drive over to Fly Flatts and I took the north side footpath down to the water's edge.

It was back to a my winter "coit" and gloves here (soft sod what I am) with a cold easterly breeze,  but it was quite sunny at times - the weather seemed to have reddened my cheeks anyway.

There was a bit more water in the reservoir than I was hoping for but a bit of perseverance did produce a good Wader to add to my yearly bird list.

With limited shoreline the birds here were all quite distant.

On my way home along the Fly Flatts road, 2 motorbikes, both with pillions, came towards me.

I slowed right down and pulled into the edge but somehow the second clown still nearly caught my wing mirror.

Perhaps they were trying to frighten an old geezer - as if  - they didn't scare me.

I might need to do another 'smalls' wash tomorrow though.

Birds:

1 (maybe be 2) Redshank.

1 Common Sandpiper

4 Lapwing. 'Many' Meadow Pipit. 4 Curlew.

At least 8 Wheatear.

6 Canada Geese. 1 Greylag Goose. 9 Mallard.

Pied Wagtail. Red Grouse. Herring Gull.

an enjoyable outing.

Local

Not much birding today - I sat in the sunshine in the garden for the most part.

Just after 4pm I did have a walk though, along the local fields to Ned Hill Road and back.

Birds:-

Garden:

1 Swallow. Mistle Thrush. 

2 Red Legged Partridge - heard.

Raven.

Blackbird. Greenfinch. Pied Wagtail. Dunnock.

Robin. Woodpigeon.

Local Fields Etc:

Little Owl. 2 Pheasant. 4 Curlew.

Wren. 3 Mallard. 4 Meadow Pipit.

3 Swallow.

Willow Warbler. Chaffinch. 

4 Stock Dove,. 2 Starling. Herring Gull.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill - Again (Sat)

17:30 - 19:00

Another changeable day with sun, showers and wind.

Again, late afternoon the weather improved with sunshine but a cold feel to the day.

I had a walk along the local fields, through the farms up Ned Hill Road and over Soil Hill.

No north slope for me this evening - back via Taylor Lane.

No Wheatear either this evening.

(Some) Birds;-

5 Curlew. 2 Herring Gull. 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull. 

7 Skylark. Willow Warbler. 2 Meadow Pipit. 

5 Stock Dove.

2 Red Legged Partridge - both heard only.

(One Ned Hill Track. One bottom of Bradshaw Lane).

1 Fridge.

A wide bodied large Raptor high > S 'dived' down to somewhere beyond Soil Hill End Farm - not much of a description I know. If I took the bins off it I would not be able to find it in the viewfinder so I hoped it would come nearer instead it b.....ed off!

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.