The forecast was for a pleasant day on Soil Hill for my final visit of the autumn, but unfortunately, the wind direction (easterly) did not forecast much migration. And so it transpired, with only a small number of Meadow Pipits and finches moving throughout the morning. However, this disappointment was offset by a couple of standout species, including a surprise patch tick.
The species in question was the Ring-necked Parakeet! When I scanned the horizon, I picked out the two birds rather distantly heading south down the Ogden valley. I managed to grab a few record shots, but they quickly passed behind the hill as they continued on their journey. Last year, I had heard this species whilst on Ned Hill Track, but had eventually dismissed the calls as coming from the captive parrots at the end of that lane. It was only once I got home and read BS blog, where he had recalled his morning at Ogden seeing two Ring-necked Parakeets, that I realised I had been a fool and had almost certainly dismissed a patch tick. Fortunately, this memory can now be looked back on as a quirky tale, and not as a missed opportunity.
Despite the patch tick, the highlight of the morning has to be the Great Egret that I had circling over Ogden before heading north. The change in abundance of this species within this area over the last 10 years has been astonishing, and if I were to stay a full autumn on Soil Hill, I would almost expect to see one. Still, this is only my second record after a bird last year that also headed north.
And finally the morning was nicely rounded out by a large flock of 241 Pink-footed Geese heading southeast over Halifax. An enjoyable morning to remember as I return to Paris for the next month, missing out on the best month of the year for birding!
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