Soil Hill
Unfortunately, due to the weather I did not visit Soil Hill too many times this week, but on the days that I did visit there were quite a few bits to keep me entertained. For starters on the 26th I managed a whopping 45 species, which I think is my best count this year, but I can’t be certain about that. Willow Warblers were the stand outs of the week, with small numbers of juveniles present daily giving the place a very lively feel. A Grasshopper Warbler was also nice on the 26th, as were two Grey Wagtail that flew south and 2 Common Buzzard that circled low overhead. Once the storm had passed, I returned to the hill but there was not the fall of passerines I dreamt about, the highlight on the 1st being a Green Woodpecker that was calling from down in Bradshaw.
Whiteholme Reservoir
Where Soil Hill was more tranquilo this week, Whiteholme was
exceptional. With the storm in the offing I made a visit during the afternoon
of the 27th to sus out the habitat and see which birds were already
present. I was stunned to spot a Red Knot still in its summer finery on the
centre ‘island’. I then flew to the near shore and became unbelievably confiding,
allowing me to gather some nice shots. It was carrying a limp but this did not
seem to hamper it behaviour at all.
The 28th was unexceptional despite the weather,
but the storm continued and on the 29th it delivered. Fog greatly hampered
visibility but in the glimpses I was able to obtain of the ‘island’ I managed
to spot 6 Arctic Terns all sitting out the storm, which then turned into 7 when
they got up and had short fly around before presumably deciding against it.
When the fog lifted again there was a summer plumage plover sitting on the
island. Frustratingly, because of the wind direction, it kept facing me the
whole time, and then the fog descended again. It was another 10 minutes before
the fog lifted again, but the bird continued to face me. Consequently I moved
along the shore to hopefully get an angle that would confirm my suspicions that
the bird was a Grey Plover. I managed a better angle, but it was not needed, as
the bird decided to leave the reservoir, flying low over my head revealing its
stunning black axillaries.
And then to wrap it all up on the 31st a stunning adult Turnstone arrived mid-morning and after flying around calling landed in the top NW corner of the reservoir. It lingered here for all of about 30 seconds before it took off again. Frustratingly I was trying to digiscope the bird at the time and as such lost it as it flew off, so I have no idea which direction it went. I did however scour the whole reservoir, and it was certainly not present on Whiteholme, nor on Blackstone Edge. Turnstone is my 150th species in Calderdale and the 15th species of wader on Whiteholme so far in 2021.
Soil Hill: Canada Goose, Mallard, Red-legged Partridge, Common Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Swift, Common Moorhen, Northern Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Grey Heron, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Willow Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Common Reed Bunting,
Whiteholme Reservoir: Canada Goose, Mallard, Eurasian Teal, Goosander, Common Swift, Red Grouse, Eurasian Oystercatcher, European Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Eurasian Curlew, Red Knot, Dunlin, Ruddy Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Arctic Tern, Great Cormorant, Common Kestrel, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Northern Wheatear, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit,
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