Ogden & Soil Hill

14:30 - 17:00

I had the usual jaunt today. Ogden via Sues' taxi and Soil Hill via Ogden water and the giant devils tooth.

It was a damp start with both waterproof coat and waterproof trousers making up my ensemble. Both got the sack just before I reached the tooth.

Ogden 14:30

Quiet, with no bread lobbers about, the Mallard and Gull clan sat idly by.

On the waters edge a Cormorant was relaxing with the gulls and there was just one Great Crested Grebe diving for food with the usual Gull sp. in attendance as far as I could tell. 

There was some commotion above Boggart Brig Cafe with a few crows mobbing a large juv. type gull.

The Tooth area was very windy and was completely bereft of birds!

However just before I reached the tooth there was a Nuthatch and c12 Goldcrest flitting about in the highest branches of the pine trees.

16:00 Knocking about back at the water, there was a noisy Blackbird (scarce of late).

2 Bullfinch and a Nuthatch calling also.

Ned Hill Track 16:30

A kestrel was in its element, hovering above the North Slope, in the strong wind.

Soil Hill 16:40

It was cold and very windy on the west and north slopes so I went quickly by, seeing 4 Meadow Pipit as I made my way to the mast. 

The near resident Common Gull was in the Soil Hill reservoir field and coming down the home straight bridleway, a Kestrel posed nicely on a telegraph pole.

A Swallow zoomed past and funnily enough,I could not remember seeing another Swallow today and a distinct lack of Goldfinch.

Large Gull being mobbed

Picture cropped - not a lot better

It proved difficult to get any sort of pictures of these elusive blighters

4 Corvids with the 3rd bird a possible Raven

'Raven' photo cropped

Studley dudley from Soil Hill