30 Seconds away from an Osprey!

Bradshaw - Farms - Ned Hill Track - Soil Hill - Home.

A bright start to my birding walk this afternoon  quite warm and sunny as I loped along Bradshaw Fields, through the farms and up Ned Hill Road.

DJB passed me in his car as I was at the Ned Hill chicane - I didn't realise at the time that he had stopped , out of sight,  near Ned Hill Track.

A few minutes later some tall guy stood higher up the road shouting "??pray" or something.

I thought some geezer had lost his dog - until the penny dropped - it was DJB pointing SW and shouting Osprey.

I gazed forlornly skyward but the wee birdie had disappeared into the high cloud!!

We spent sometime together with DJB's scope and my Mr Magoo eyes scanning the sky.

We did see a good few birds but not much migration.

The sky darkened and I left to walk over Soil Hill.

I went a little way down the very overgrown Soil Hill north track.

The rain arrived and I had to get the waterproof kegs on and then try

to keep the camera dry.

The rest of the walk was a quite miserable affair as the nuisance rain followed me home.

Thornton Cycle Track.

Earlier this morning we enjoyed a walk along the Thornton Cycle Track.

3  House Martin and a couple of calling Chiffchaff and a calling Buzzard were of note.

A Kestrel was over Bradshaw Lane seen on the way home.

Birds:

 "Osprey!" heard ( ho ho ho ).

3 Swallow (lots in the scope).

Linnet.

2 Buzzard. Goldfinch.

Loads of Meadow Pipit.

3 Wheatear distant (tks to DJB).

Raven.

34 Canada Geese.

Heron.

3 Kestrel.

Whitethroat called from end of  the track at the Soil Hill top NE end.

Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Gull. Black Headed Gull.

Thornton Cycle Track:

Bradshaw - Soil Hill etc.

Meadow Pipits.