Soil Hill – Ogden – Bradshaw

10:00 – 14:15

Soil Hill 10:00

It was peeing down when Sue dropped me at the bottom of Soil Hill track this morning.

I think, she thinks, I’m bonkers – anyway what does she know ?

She’s only a practicing psychiatrist.

I dropped some major, supreme, exotic crow seed mix and some Nyger seed (for the immanent Snow Bunt(s)).

I had a good 50 minutes up here today and , lets be honest, I saw 2 Carrion Crow (Sheryl and Jim) and flushed a Skylark.

The lower north edge (NK) pond held pr. Mallard and a Moorhen.

The trek to Ogden via Coal Lane and the plantation track revealed just a Wren and 2 fed-up looking Pheasant, with a fly past of some Canada Geese.

Ogden 11:20

The weather improved as the morning progressed turning very reasonable indeed by lunchtime.

I had a stop to look for the Kingfisher and to scoff a packet of Walkers C & O.

A good 15 minutes passed while I scanned the drainage channel and there it was. 

It must have been looking at me all the time, a little brown and bluish leaf  at the very back, half hidden by the metal piping – the elusive Kingfisher (first reported by DJS).

I was well chuffed with this as the bird was not easy at all to see.

Ogden water had c20 small gulls and 1 LBBG as far as I could tell.

Other birds were scarce with just 3 Robin, Wren, Dunnock  and 4 Blackbird seen on the circuit.

Giant's Tooth

I decided to kill off this nasty cough I’ve got by taking it up to the Giant’s Tooth and giving it a good kicking.

Nearing the tooth c6 Goldcrest were calling high in the pines and the rain made a 2 minute appearance before being sent off for diving.

A large mass of 'something' was sitting high in one of the pine trees, not sure if it's debris blown in by the wind or a nest / lair of somekind.

The paths up here are very, very boggy but I managed to flush 2 Red Grouse and a Common Snipe which is always a delight.

Standing in front of the Giant Tooth Obelisk I said a silent prayer to the God of retirement in the hope that summer might bring an addition to our ranks.

Back down on the 3^rd rock from the sun, a pr. Mistle Thrush (or possibly Fieldfare?) made a leisurely undulating flight against the breeze to land high in the pine trees.

Not a lot else happened from here to home except that a second check on the Kingfisher, 2 hours after the first check, revealed that it was still present, though even more difficult to see.

It's amazing, what seeing a special bird, does to lift the spirits.

We have Abigail for tonight and tomorrow so I’d better get some drawing done!

Have a good week-end and may your bins go with you.

Strange nest / lair in a pine tree

Red Grouse (well black really)

Not the best Goldcrest pic

The Kingfisher - still about after 2 hrs