Soil Hill birding; February

  February was never going to be the liveliest month on Soil Hill, but having not spent much time on the site at this time of year, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the birds that I managed to find since my return from Malawi.

  On the 22^nd there was a skein of 57 Pink-footed Geese that flew northwest over the Hill, the only skein during the month, and on the 28^th a small flock of eight Whooper Swans flew north far over Keighley, possibly the same eight birds that had been seen earlier in the morning at Wintersett. Finally on the wildfowl front, there have been up to seven Teal on the NK Pond, with birds being seen on most dates.

  Despite searching on most dates, the only Jack Snipe of the month was flushed on the 21^st. The final birds of interest during the month was the surprise of four Long-tailed Tit in the North Slope Tree-Line on the 22^nd, the first time I have recorded this species here in the first half of the year.

  In terms of migrants, there were good numbers of Fieldfare throughout the month, with a scattering of Redwing mixed in as well. The first spring migrants had already begun to return, with Eurasian Curlew and Oystercatcher both appearing in the Bottom Cattle Fields, although not lingering particularly long.  

-Pink-footed Goose

-Whooper Swan

-Long-tailed Tit

Species List:
Soil Hill: Pink-footed Goose, Canada Goose, Whooper Swan, Mallard, Eurasian Teal, Grey Partridge, Common Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Northern Lapwing, Eurasian Curlew, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Little Owl, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Redwing, Common Blackbird, Fieldfare, European Robin, European Stonechat, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Common Reed Bunting,