Soil Hill & Top of Bradshaw

12:30 - 15:30.

I had the usual tramp about on Soil Hill this aft.

Cool, windy & cloudy at first. Warm and sunny to finish.

Not a lot about.

On the way up, along the bridleway, to the Koi Carp farm there was Mistle Thrush, 100+ Starlings, Adult & "juv" Common Gull.

I had a good clump around Soil Hill (which I don't normally do) hoping for Wheatear.

4 Meadow Pipit, Kestrel, 3 Skylark, c20 Swallow, couple Goldfinch on the Ned Hill Track thistles.

3 black caterpillars crossing Perseverance Road.

At the bottom of Taylor Lane It was nice to chat to Denise ,she had diverted from shopping, for a quick Cuckoo search. We both had a scan about without a result.

Denise spotted a Weasel in the field that then popped its head out of the wall but soon vamoosed up and across the road.

On the way to Granddaughter duties I had a quick look up the path behind the old Bradshaw bus terminus - the path that leads up to Roper Lane, eventually, through the horse field.

I was looking for DS's Redstart but I really needed a scope.

Anyway, no Redstart but a Kestrel was hunting over Roper Lane top and a second Kestrel was on the pylon. Then a nice surprise in the form of a Sparrowhawk that popped up onto a wall but soon flew north, dispersing c20 Woodpigeon that were feeding in the horse fields.

Back at base, Chris next door showed me a photo that a friend had sent to his mobile, of a Golden Pheasant seen early morning in Bradshaw.

I guess it's "domesticated"??

Picture below cropped from this

Meadow Pipit most prob

Picture below cropped from this

??????  BHG ?

Sparrowhawk making a get away camouflaged by the wall - honest