Bingley St. Ives / Soil Hill etc

Another trip out to St. Ives courtesy of a request from Abi.

The usual 2 hour circuit and a look at Coppice Pond.

Lunch at Hattie's restaurant again.

Sue dropped me at Raggalds Flood on our way home, so I could have a walk along the field path to the quarry at Soil Hill, and home via the south end of Ned Hill Track, Percy Rd and Taylor Lane.

Cool and breezy on Soil Hill was some snow still visible - very wet underfoot.

It was good to have a quick chat with Ken along Percy Rd.

Birds:-

St. Ives:-

7 Tufted Duck, 2 Coot, 1 Moorhen.

9 Mute Swan, c60 Black Headed Gull, 5 Mistle Thrush.

At the very top of the circuit we had a look over Bingley where 3 Skylarks were in flight.

Abi said they looked like flying butterflies - a good description.

There was a short burst of Skylark song and a lot of burbling.

I managed to get one in flight, but the picture is not worth posting!!

 A real sign of spring on the way.

A BIG BEE was seen struggling to fly over a field later.

Soil Hill Etc:

1 Herring Gull and a few small Gulls on Raggalds Flood, where the juice is still good.

1 Pied Wagtail in a couple of fields north of the flood.

Soil Hill was completely bereft of birds.

4 noisy Herring Gulls over Ned Hill Track.

1 Red Legged Partridge opposite the white cottage above Ned Hill Track.

A very distant Kestrel north of Taylor Lane and a Pheasant on the midden here.

2 Greenfinch in the trees opposite Taylor Lane bottom.

St. Ives:

Soil Hill Etc:

Looking East.

The awkward Squeeze stile south east of Soil Hill

Herring Gulls - Video