A strange old day.

I spent the morning fighting the washing machine, until with some help from my neighbour John W. we managed to kill it and dispose of its body at the Halifax tip.

Later on, an enjoyable trip to Soil Hill in beautiful warm sunshine, made the forthcoming cost of the new washer bearable.

On the way there, just a Wren and Pied Wagtail were seen.

11:30 Soil Hill- a strange old day

On Soil Hill 23 Meadow Pipit and looking over the north slope to the fields far below c110 Lapwing feeding in the fields. 

The Lapwing were a long way off for both bins and camera.

I then disturbed what looked like 5 Pheasant feeding together, however, 2 of the birds had a Red Grouse look to them.

Before you could say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious they had gone. Pity I did not get a picture. But I find in hard to believe that there would be Red Grouse up here.

Also here 4 Skylark and a Chaffinch.

I was sitting on a large rock having my sarnies in warm sunlight when another odd bird (for up here) caught my eye , gliding past, a Jay. 

Don’t know why a Jay would be up here , but I cannot think what else it could have been?

Leaving soil hill via the Ned Hill track 20 BHG were feeding in the fields.

And yet another oddity for me (up here) a large bird with an undulating flight flew below the track before landing against a telegraph pole on the roadside – a Green Woodpecker.

I have seen many a Green Woodpecker in Bradshaw but not this far up.

13:35 Oats Royd.

It’s been a long while since my last visit to Oats Royd.

Birds:-

Usual 3 Geese.2 Moorhen, Grey Wagtail.

Robin, 2 Wren, 3 BHG, 1F Bullfinch,.

3 Greenfinch (long time no see). Goldfinch,.

Jay, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, Blackbird.

Mistle thrush.

A large flock of Starling, circling, a long way off that I’d guess at 80 or so.

An interesting and enjoyable day out and a tad more relaxing than yesterday's long hike and a bonus the rub-a-dub tonight after 4 weeks forced abstinence. 

Lapwing (& others?) a long way off

Soil Hill Meadow Pipit

Today's Post without Green Woodpecker

Track to Oats Royd

Autumn Colours at Oats Royd

Today's Magpie. I knew they were inquisitive but HEY!