Soil HIll in the Snow

After yesterday afternoons 2 1/2 hours of snow shovelling it was good to get the boots on this afternoon and head off towards Soil Hill.

I spent this sunny morning it the garden, sky watching and it was pleasing to see that the usual smaller birds were moving about.

A Green Woodpecker was heard calling, but top of the pops was a nice garden tick in the shape of a Pr. Goldcrest.

Great scenes from up here looking over Halifax where a thin band of light grey mist was hanging in the valley with tall chimneys and Wainhouse Tower peeking out.

Soil Hill:

Loads of snow on the lofty hill and some magic scenes with the power lines, branches and long grass stalks all covered in ice.

An arctic buffet was available here today, with as much snow as you could eat.

Birds:-

A Snipe flushed (no call) from a boggy bit along the main track and flew off rising high, in more or less a straight line. It did not land nearby, but that might be due to the snowy conditions?

It flushed 'early' so I'm guessing its not a Jack Snipe.

Just a few Herring Gulls over, one Gull looked have a white tipped bill, with 2 Magpie and a few Carrion Crow, but the scenery compensated for the lack of birds.

Ned Hill to Home:

Little Owl.

A Stonechat, 2 Meadow Pipit and a solitary Fieldfare were making good use of a flooded bit of field where the snow had melted a bit.

Not many Gulls about at all today, they probably moved lower down to feed.

A great day to be out and about.

Looks like freezing fog tonight.

Gulls over before sun-up

2 Mega Distant birds above the mist.

One on the right looks interesting.

Gull with white bill tip