Soil Hill & Whiteholme; Week 23rd August - 29th August

Soil Hill

The autumn excitement continued to persist this week, despite gloomy and often quite breezy conditions. There continued to be a light scattering of migrants on offer, as well as a few nice oddball species. Visits were only managed on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday due to my spending a long weekend at Spurn, but that was time enough to record a few goodies on the old patch.

Willow Warblers peaked with 10 on the 23^rd, but remained present on each visit. Whitethroats were also present, but in much lower numbers, also peaking with 5 on the 23^rd. Although it was a poor start to August for Tree Pipit, they have been fairly regular in the last week and so it continued. Frustratingly all the birds were either heard only or observed flyovers, with just one bird on the 25^th actually spending any time on the deck. Scarcer drift migrants involved a single Whinchat at the bottom of the North Slope on the 24^th, and then a Spotted Flycatcher on Taylor Lane on the 25^th. Given that it is now the end of August, I was beginning to fret that Spotted Flycatcher might give me the slip this year, so it was a great relief to finally get one, although it was extremely elusive at all times. Grasshopper Warblers continued to be present in the long grass at the bottom of the North Slope. Typically elusive, it does appear to be two juveniles present.

There was sudden surge in Red-legged Partridge numbers, with a family at the bottom of the North Slope and another along Taylor Lane. The 23^rd had a few more unusual species, with a Great Spotted Woodpecker flying north over Ned Hill Track, plus six Cormorant flying north over the North Slope and a flock of three Common Snipe blogging, presumably feeding on the wet fields at the bottom of the North Slope. On the 24^th there was a minimum of four Grey Wagtails that flew south, but could have involved more birds blogging. 

-Spotted Flycatcher

-Whinchat

-Common Snipe

Whiteholme Reservoir

Due to the abridged nature of the weeks birding, I again only visited Whiteholme twice. The 23^rd was a bust, although on the drive back I did have a rather smart Red Kite soaring over Baitings Reservoir, so not a complete loss. The 24^th was much improved, with a smart juvenile Sanderling dropping in frustratingly briefly and at the north end of the reservoir where it could not have been much further away. Also on the 24^th were two juvenile Little Ringed Plovers, as well as a juvenile Common Ringed Plover. The female Goldeneye continued to be present on both days, and was joined by three Eurasian Teal on the 24^th. Wheatears were also present on both days.  

-Red Kite

Species List:
Soil Hill: Canada Goose, Mallard, Common Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Moorhen, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Barn Swallow, Willow Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Common Blackbird, Spotted Flycatcher, European Robin, Whinchat, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipit, Common Chaffinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Common Reed Bunting,
Whiteholme Reservoir: Eurasian Teal, Common Goldeneye, Red Grouse, Common Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Eurasian Curlew, Sanderling, Common Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Eurasian Wren, Northern Wheatear, Meadow Pipit,