Soil Hill:
A very misty morning here in Bradshaw, but soon the sun was trying to brighten things up very slowly.
I risked going up Soil Hill in the mist hoping that it would soon clear.
Looking over the north side into the mist, I could hear Pink Footed Geese (PFG) flying NW but I could not see any.
Within 5 minutes the mist had miraculously vanished to leave a lovely sunny morning.
2 more skeins of PFG came through very soon after the invisible ones.
The skein first > NW had c200 geese and the second > NNW c180, or so I thought at the time.
Looking at the photos the 1st skein had 197 and the second skein 157 give or take a few.
(Another busy day on the phones for the Grapevine team).
Another struggle to find anything at all up here really for a good while.
A good trudge about did get me a Mega (well a mega for me anyway) in the shape of a barrel shaped Curlew - a Woodcock.
The bird flushed from boggy ground below the North side tree line and immediately, flew SW over the hill towards Ned Hill Track end.
Later, I had a look around the SW wall corner area, hoping to relocate it but did not have any joy.
My second Woodcock up here, the first being in the spring - neither time was I quick enough to get a photo - but I will one day!
A Green Woodpecker flew past and down to the bottom of the north side slope as I was leaving.
A Cormorant over Taylor Lane.
Local Outing Mid-afternoon:
I had a stroll up the local fields this afternoon, it became very cold later.
Birds:
3 Mistle Thrush.
10 (7+3) Fieldfare.
Kestrel struggling in the calm conditions.
Little Owls calling from lower down the fields, not seen.
Stonechat, mega distant.
Always plenty of Jackdaws by the farm, this aft, with Common and Black Headed Gulls.
Some great sky colours.
A good days birding.
A great sky late afternoon John though I failed to get the camera out of the rucksack. A pretty good day all round with a good haul of 'pinks' and your mega !
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