Soil Hill

  The days of regularly wintering Snow Buntings on Soil Hill are now a distant memory, even as little as 10 years ago. So it was very nice to find this very attractive male feeding away on the North Slope this morning, giving excellent close-range views, especially considering the other two birds I have personally found here were both flyovers.

  I was walking down the North Slope track when I heard a distinctive ‘pew’ call, which did indeed recall a Snow Bunting, but with just one note I figured it could have been any number of species. After a few seconds, however, I then heard a distinctive trill which can only have been a limited number of species, and my heartrate began to increase. But after a wait of around 10 minutes, it was clear that I had not heard enough to be sure, and that if it had been a Snow Bunting, it must have been a flyover which was already long gone, so I continued my walk, a little disappointed.

  Fortunately I wasn’t disappointed for long, as about twenty metres further down the slope I flushed the bird from the path in front of me. Panic ensued as I grabbed the camera for some kind of record shot, but fortunately the bird returned to the path quite quickly and carried on feeding. It stayed here for a short time, before deciding it had seen enough of the Hills lush pastures and flew off south. Although it looked to be dropping in, an hours search failed to refind it, despite the efforts of myself, DJS, JJL and DP.

  This is my 100^th species for Soil Hill in 2023, a landmark I have only previously reached in 2020 and in 2022, so not bad going at all. And this is certainly one of the Hill highlights this year, an excellent species to see. 

-Snow Bunting

Species List:
Soil Hill: Canada Goose, Common Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Northern Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Western Barn Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Common Blackbird, European Robin, European Stonechat, Dunnock, Meadow Pipit, Eurasian Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, Lesser Redpoll, European Goldfinch, Snow Bunting,

Baildon Moor twitching Snow Bunting

  After a reasonably poor morning on Soil Hill due to the weather, I decided to make the fairly short trip to Baildon Moor to see the Snow Bunting that had been there for a few days and was being very confiding. Sadly the few days it had already been present did not stop there being a few other people there to see the bird, but no matter as it was indeed very confiding allowing for some nice photos to be taken despite the strong wind. After half an hour I left with rain on the horizon. A very pleasant little journey out and hopefully there will be one on Soil Hill before I leave for Brazil at the start of November.

-Snow Bunting

Species List:
Soil Hill: Feral Pigeon, Common Wood Pigeon, Black-headed Gull, Western Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Common Chiffchaff, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Meadow Pipit, Snow Bunting,

Halifax birding; Week 2

It being November the Hill was fairly quiet overall with only a few notable bits from the week. That said, there were some real standouts, most notable two different Snow Buntings; the first on the 16^th which was flushed from the summit before flying south not to be refound, and the second on the 22^nd which spent a bit more time circling the summit before flying north. A Jack Snipe was the only other notable bird, on the 21^st. Common Snipes continue to be around, although the locations they take up have been changeable and has often been tricky to find them. The 22^nd was a brilliant day; in addition to the Snow Bunting there was able a skein of 54 Pink-footed Geese, a small passage of 144 Woodpigeons and a flock of 52 Fieldfare. Was also good to see CK up there.

On the 18^th the weather truly was atrocious and I had no plans to head out at all, but made an afternoon visit to Ogden to look for a Wigeon and Teal that BS had found. Compounding the misery, I dipped on both. A handful of commoner woodland species was all I could muster.

On the 19^th I headed out for a full days birding, with a classic November winters day with bright sunshine but brisk conditions. My first stop was Derby Delph Quarry where there were two Twite perched on the wires that stretch above the feeding station. There could have been more in the quarry itself but I failed to pick them out. Continuing up the road towards the M62 I made my first visit to Green Withens Reservoir. The air was full of Red Grouse calls and, despite the overall lack of birds, I had a brilliant time there, with a flock of 56 Pink-footed Geese going over, a group of 17 Twite showing nicely and the highlight of the day, a Water Pipit by the boathouse. It initially showed well but after proved elusive. A quick stop at Ringstone Edge mid-morning produced a Whooper Swan, and an even quicker visit to Whiteholme produced a pair of Raven. I ended the day at Lower Gorple where I had a flock of 10 Whooper Swans fly SE. A brilliant way to end a really enjoyable days birding. 

-Snow Bunting 1


-Snow Bunting 2

-Lapwing


-Water Pipit

-Pink-footed Goose


-Twite

-Whooper Swan


-Whooper Swans

Species List:

Ogden Water LNR: Mallard, Common Wood Pigeon, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest, Eurasian Nuthatch, Eurasian Treecreeper, Eurasian Wren, White-throated Dipper, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Goldfinch,
Green Withens Reservoir: Pink-footed Goose, Red Grouse, Common Kestrel, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Pied Wagtail, Water Pipit, Twite,
Ringstone Edge Reservoir: Whooper Swan, Mallard, Common Moorhen, Northern Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Mew Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Eurasian Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Common Starling,
Lower Gorple Reservoir: Greylag Goose, Whooper Swan, Mallard, Common Pheasant, Red Grouse, Stock Dove, Black-headed Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, European Robin, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, 
Soil Hill: Greylag Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Common Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Moorhen, Northern Lapwing, Common Snipe, Jack Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Little Owl, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, Fieldfare, European Robin, Dunnock, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Snow Bunting, Common Reed Bunting, 

Spurn 30th October - 5th November

Spurn Day 1

For the second day of Lia’s visit we headed to Spurn, to experience the amazing phenomena that is bird migration. As soon as we arrived, we got news that an Isabelline Wheatear was in a field along Kilnsea. Although the bird was distant, we got decent views of it running around a stubble field. We did not stop for long so that we could head towards the ringing station.

Ringing was steady with a few nice birds including a fantastic Water Rail and two Black Redstarts from a group of five feeding along the tank blocks. Later on, in the afternoon, I also ringed a Cormorant that had been bought in to the Obs for the day to be looked after. It was a bit of brute but it was released on the Borrow Pit in the evening. Outside the nets there were also a few nice birds, including a smart Yellow-browed Warbler in the Obs garden. We ended the day by dipping a Bluethroat in the slatmarsh north of the breach.

-Yellow-browed Warbler

-Water Rail

-Black Redstart

Spurn Day 2

We did a normal routine for Lia’s first day at Spurn, with ringing in Churchfield in the morning before heading out birding. The absolute standout bird from the ringing was a gorgeous Icelandic Redwing (Coburni), which I was told was the first processed and documented as an Icelandic at Spurn. Not at all the standout bird that we expected.

Our mornings ringing was interrupted by the reappearance of the Bluethroat from the previous day. Consequently, we sacked off what was a steady ringing period and enjoyed fantastic views of the bird as it crept around the saltmarsh. And from there we carried on birding, heading up to the wetlands for some ducks and as a result finding the Black Brant for the first time in the autumn. Presumably this is the returning individual from previous winters, but it was still nice to spot for the first time this autumn. In the afternoon we headed to Easington Lagoons to look for Snow Buntings, and it did not disappoint with three individuals, two showing very well.

-Icelandic Redwing

-Bluethroat

-Black Redstart

-Common Scoter

-Snow Bunting

-Black Brant

Spurn Day 3

Having had such an excellent day the previous day, today was something of a bump back to earth with rain all day and strong winds. We walked along the beach to look for the Shore Larks reported the previous day, and after a struggle in the wind we finally saw a single individual feeding on the edge of the ponds.

With the rain continuing we struggled to bird during the afternoon but a short trip to Sammies yielded some nice results with a posse of 15 Grey Partridge on Easington Straight. The Little Owl was also still present on the haybales there. In the end we managed to make the most of the poor conditions.

-Shore Lark

Spurn Day 4

After a day away from Spurn at Filey we returned to the action today in fine form. In the morning I made the call to finally catch the bluethroat that had been lingering around the breach. It took no more than a matter of seconds before the bird was in the spring trap and was ringed and being processed. Sadly I held the bird for photos so I wasn’t actually able to take any myself. In addition, we also caught three Yellowhammer and a Bullfinch to complete an excellent morning.

After ringing we tried to see the Pallas’s Warbler that was in Easington. The bird was mobile and difficult, plus it was always against the light, but its still a Pallas’s Warbler so it was absolutely stunning. A flock of Long-tailed Tits numbering around 30 individuals also flew past at close quarters giving amazing views. During the afternoon we tried to find some Cettis Warblers that were around Sammies but we failed to find any.

-Yellowhammer

-Pallas's Warbler

-Long-tailed Tit

Spurn Day 5

Early morning conditions were pretty grim so we first headed to wetlands where we again found a low number of ducks. The Black Brant was still on Long Bank Marsh which once again showed nicely. After a few hours we headed down to the Warren to open nets and look for some twite. While we failed on the latter, opening the nets caught us two Fieldfare which were awesome birds for Lia to ring.

For the evening we headed to Welwick Saltmarsh to see any raptors that came in to roost. We had at least for Short-eared Owls, Merlin, Peregrine, Marsh Harrier and Buzzard completing an excellent day out.

-Black Brant

-Reed Bunting

-Fieldfare

Spurn Day 6

It was another grim day in the morning but we were able to open some nets and as a result we enjoyed a few nice birds but overall it was stready. A few Brambling started to appear mid-morning and this was without doubt the best bird we caught. There was serious rainstorm during lunchtime so we decided to head off to our next destination, ending a fantastic week at Spurn.

-Brambling

Species List:

Spurn Bird Observatory: Greylag Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Black Brant, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Common Shelduck, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Eurasian Teal, Tufted Duck, Common Scoter, Common Pheasant, Grey Partridge, Little Grebe, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Water Rail, Common Moorhen, Pied Avocet, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, European Golden Plover, Northern Lapwing, Common Ringed Plover, Eurasian Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Dunlin, Eurasian Woodcock, Common Snipe, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Razorbill, Black-headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Western Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Little Owl, Short-eared Owl, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Common Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Shore Lark, Eurasian Skylark, Bearded Reedling, Barn Swallow, Yellow-browed Warbler, Pallas’s Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Eurasian Blackcap, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Redwing, Common Blackbird, Fieldfare, European Robin, Bluethroat, Black Redstart, European Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Eurasian Rock Pipit, Common Chaffinch, Brambling, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Greenfinch, Twite, Common Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Snow Bunting, Yellowhammer, Common Reed Bunting, Grey Seal, Roe Deer, Brown Hare,