Soil Hill Via Taylor Lane - There and Back

8:35 - 10:45.

I had a bit earlier start to my birding outing than usual to avoid the forecast rain.

A shower did catch me as I came home down Taylor Lane but it fined up again.

Quite mild.

It was good to chat to farmer Adrian along Taylor Lane and also to a bloke on Perseverance Road who was topping up the midden there with a small trailer load of horse muck - might help!!

I did a good check of the walls and buildings in the vicinity of Soil Hill but again no migrant birds were seen by me today.

There were a few pleasing bird sightings on Soil Hill top, notably 6 Grey Partridge. However they flushed as soon as they saw me (which was way before I saw them disappear over the west side hill).

16 Lapwing and 4 Skylark (in ones) were here also on the tops and a pair of Red Legged Partridge were feeding in fields to the north of Soil Hill End farm.

Birds:

Herring Gull. 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull. c35 Small Gulls.

3 Stock Dove.

c50 Goldfinch were seen twice - presumably the same flock.

c15 Meadow Pipit.

2 Swallow.

Kestrel.

3 Wren.

16 Lapwing.

4 Skylark.

Robin.

2 Rook.

6 Grey Partridge.

2 Red Legged Partridge.

6 Jackdaw.

A Little Owl called from near Soil Hill End Farm.

Grey Partrdige.

Red Legged Partridge

Bradshaw Fields - Thursday & Friday Evening

18:45 - 19:45

I have not done much birding for one reason or another this week.

Yesterday evening I managed a dry walk along the local fields for an hour or so and the same again this evening.

I was hoping for a migrant or two but no joy on either occassion.

Ogden Water.

Following the possible re-naming of a famous lake across the pond I thought it might be a good idea to re-name Ogden Water.

I've come up with quite a catchy little name I think........

Get No Wader.

I thought this was quite apt and funnily enough the name uses exactly the same letters as Ogden Water.

Can you see what happens to my brain when I don't go out birding.

Birds:

Thursday:

c50 Goldfinch.

Pheasant.

Green Woodpecker called.

2 Little Owl.

Dunnock.

2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

3 Meadow Pipit.

Birds:

Friday:

50 Canada Geese.

46 Goldfinch.

Kestrel.

3 Pheasant.

2 Swallow.

3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Ogden Water and Bradshaw Fields

 10:35 - 13:10

Chasing Me Tail Teal

My route today was along the track opposite Coal Lane, Ogden over Back Lane and around Ogden Water.

Later on I had another short outing along the local fields.

A warm day if you stayed out of the fresh NE? breeze.

As I walked along Ogden Water east side 4 Teal were out in the middle in direct sunlight in silhouette.

I thought I would get some better photos of the birds once I'd got around to the west side.

When I got to the west side they had disappeared - flown off I thought.

When I made to the north end SIX Teal miraculously appeared, again these were now in direct sunlight. 

So, again, I thought I'd get some better photos if I returned the way I had come - so I headed back to the west side - where again, there was no sign of 'em.

Back at the promenade I could see the Teal , towards the north end.

Earlier, they had been hidden by the lip of the muddy bank...

so....

I went back to me car - Boo Hoo.

Birds:

Ogden:

6 Teal.

c50 Swallow - Back Lane with possibly 5 House Martin - the birds were zooming along in the strong breeze - difficult yo keep tabs on them!

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Coat Tit.

6 Cormorant.

Great Created Grebe.

4 Chiffchaff.

Canad Goose.

1 Tufted Duck.

Grey Wagtail.

Heron.

Nuthatch.

Usual Gull Species.

Bradshaw Fields.

Kestrel.

4 Stock Dove.

Little Owl.

Bradshaw Fields.

Bradshaw - Soil Hill - Ogden Water

9:20 - 15:00

A cool start to the day turned into a roaster by afternoon as I found I'd got the clothes on - phew!

5 Hours plus toady hoping for a yearly 'tick' to add to my meagre looking yearly list, failed to find one.

I went up Bradshaw Lane, Over Soil Hill and around Ogden Water - back the same route, more or less.

It was very busy at Ogden with people enjoying a sunny Sunday.

Top of the pops today were 8 Golden Plover that were feeding in a field to the east of Soil Hill Top.

The sighting of a Wheatear on a wall near Cloth Hall Farm was also very pleasing.

I had a look at the quarry where 6 Grey Partridge flushed from somewhere along the south edge to disappear in a breath over the north edge.

Birds:-

House Sparrow. 2 Buzzard. Wheatear. 8 Golden Plover. 3 Meadow Pipit.

2 Skylark. 6 Grey Partridge. 3 Goldfinch. Chaffinch. 2 Wren.

c30 Swallow throughout.

A Whitethroat was scolding me as I walked along Ned Hill Track.

2 Kestrel. Stock Dove.

Ogden Water.

5 Chiffchaff. 1 Willow Warbler. Nuthatch. 3 Cormorant. Heron.

Great Crested Grebe. Buzzard. Canada Goose. 2 Pied Wagtail.

Usual Gulls as far as I could tell.

Bradshaw Fields Evening Stroll

17:50 - 19:15

A pleasant sunny evening walk was all the birding I could fit in today -  turned a tad cooler later on.

Quite interesting with a few birds on offer periodically but nothing much new.

Lots of small perrchers on wires but very distant and some in silhouette made ID difficult.

Birds:-

3 Little Owl.

Buzzard.

Green Woodpecker.

4 Mistle Thrush.

Sparrowhawk or Kestrel  ( - see awful out of focus distant photo).

C30  Goldfinch.

5 Linnets in silhouette (Maybe).

3 Stock Dove.

3 Swallow.

4 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

and a few other species.

and a Fox.

Linnets Maybe:-

Soil Hill Top & Bradshaw

9:15 - 11:30

The usual outing today - up and over Soil Hill Top along Ned Hill Track and home via the farms tracks.

A dry cool start, warmed up nicely later - clouds building now with some rain.

You could see a long way this morning.

Not a lot on offer today really.

Birds:

Home to Ned Hill Track:

Little Owl (Bradshaw Lane).

c30 Swallow.

12 Meadow Pipit.

c15 Goldfinch.

Feral Pigeon.

1 Skylark (Flushed from Soil Hill Top).

2 Wren.

Stock Dove. 

2 Pheasant.

Ned Hill Road to Home.

5 Swallow.

Chaffinch.

3 Starling (I Think) fast north north east - no photo.

"Loads-a" Jackdaw.

28 Canada Geese.

2 more Little Owl (Ward's View Area).

Looking North-ish from Soil Hill Top.

Three Peaks on the horizon.

Little Owl - Ward's View Area

Little Owl - Bradshaw Lane.