Birding Bradshaw and District: Soil Hill – Odgen and back to Soil Hill

Thursday, 12 November 2015

Soil Hill – Odgen and back to Soil Hill

The currant ball came out this morning for a while so I had a walk over Soil Hill to Ogden.

On the way up the bridleway to Taylor Lane, Sue phoned from Sowerby Bridge to report c40 Pinkfeet flying towards Soyland.

Soil Hill 10:50.

A Kestrel was hunting above the Bridleway & 3 Goldfinch were in the firs near the bottom of the track.

I dropped 3 bags (350g per bag) of Nyger seed on the main track.

I’m not sure how much seed is the ‘right amount’ to put down but it certainly slows my walking progress a bit when it sits at the bottom of the rucksack!

I went up the main track and at the north end I turned left with the wall side path. After 200 yds or so a thin path on the right drops downhill near a fence on the left. I didn’t know if this was the SEO/LEO area but decided to take a short stroll down the path. 3 Roe Deer were unhappy with my presence and left the cover of the small bushes to bound down the fields , jumping fences with ease as they went.

There was a Heron and 2 other birds on the lowest pond - Moorhen I think, but no Owls that I could see.

Back on the contour path, Woodpigeon were moving through with 2 groups of 10 >S.

A couple of Fieldfare flew from the fields as I passed and a Heron flew over.

From Soil Hill to Ogden it was quiet and very windy in places.

Just a few Blackbirds a Pheasant and a solitary Fieldfare perched alone in a tree in the Plantation area.

Ogden

There were plenty of Long Tailed Tits in the trees by the car park.

The water was very quiet yet again, just 2 Cormorant (One a rather pretty Juv.) , Mallards and c100 small gulls.

During a good sunny spell I did give the gulls a good coat of looking at but could not find anything special in amongst.

That’s not saying much though with my gull ID record!

The bird of the day was a Brambling that I finally nailed.

It was amongst c40 Chaffinch. I was well chuffed when I spotted it , I’ve been searched through the Chaffinch looking for Brambling on the last 3 visits.

I managed a couple of mediocre photos before it disappeared.

I only saw one Brambling – must be more than one surely?

Also seen on the way around the circuit were a few Goldcrest (frustratingly difficult to get a picture of) and there were Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit and Nuthatch at the feeding area(s).

It was a pleasant surprise to bump into Bruce, Chris and Emma who were doing the rounds.

A text from NK (thanks Nigel) informing me of a Ring Ouzel on Soil Hill changed my plans completely. Instead of going home via Oats Royd I decided to go home via Syke Lane, Ned Hill and Soil Hill.

Soil Hill 12:45

As I went up the main track a guy walking an Alsatian came the other way – this did not bode well I thought.

I spend a good half hour on Soil Hill, on the look out, but the Ring Ouzel kept out of sight. (See NK blog today).

As I was leaving I though I'd got it but it turned out to be a piece of blue plastic.

Just a Male Pheasant 3 Fieldfare and a few Meadow Pipit seen this time around .

The wind was on the increase by the time I left.

A few gulls and a Kestrel were seen on my way home and that was about it.

*************************************************************

It was Ken’s (Sue’s dad) 95^th birthday party yesterday and we were entertained by the Calderdale Senior Citizens Orchestra for an hour at St Jude’s Church Hall followed by a buffet at Ken’s place – Ing Royde.

While I was there ,Barbara, one of Ken’s friends told me a joke.

Two elderly ladies were on holiday in Wales , staying in a small village with an unpronounceable name.

While they were in a restaurant there, they decided to ask the waitress how to pronounce the name of the place.

One of the elderly ladies leant forward and said to the waitress “ Where are we EXACTLY”.

The waitress, in turn, leant forward and replied loudly “BUR …. GER … KING”.

Laugh? - nearly spilt me tea.