Soil Hill birding; updates from the week 3rd - 7th October

  This was the first week of the year where the weather really impacted the birding on Soil Hill. The week started with clear conditions and a brisk southwesterly which brough some lively passage, but as the week drew on the wind speed increased and the rain came, til the birding was relegated to a simple chase round to find the resident species for my lists, rather than hope to find something new or exciting. That said, I still managed a patch tick in these conditions, which was certainly something of a surprise.

• The only mega of the week, the aforementioned patch tick, was three Barnacle Geese that were at the front of one of the only Pink-footed Goose Skein that flew over on the 6^th. Frustratingly I did not see the birds in the field, only noticing them when looking at the photos I had taken to get an accurate count of the flock. The birds were moving so fast in the wind, with truly awful light, there was no chance I could have picked them up otherwise. 

-Barnacle Goose

The weeks VizMig started strongly but poor weather conditions soon brought it almost to a standstill in what has been a tricky week for birding the Hill. Still those early days gave me enough totals to be excited about.  

• On the 3^rd I had one of my highest counts of Meadow Pipits this year with 322 flying south. Sadly though this was the only count of the week, with movement so limited on other dates that I resorted to simply estimating the number of grounded birds. 

• The 3^rd also saw the only notable count of Redwing for the week, with 21 heading south and 36 heading north. Otherwise there were just singles on the other dates, again as a consequence of the weather. The first Song Thrush of the autumn did appear this week however, with two on the 4^th and a single on the 6^th although these birds were resigned to sheltering at the bottom of the North Slope and were not moving anywhere.  

• Sensing a theme, the 3^rd was one of only two dates where I recorded hirundines this week, with five Swallows and four House Martin flying south. The other date was a single Swallow that flew south on the 6^th.

• Finches continued to pass in small numbers, with all of the best counts unsurprisingly on the 3^rd. During the morning session there were 17 Chaffinch, six Linnet, two Lesser Redpoll, six Goldfinch and 12 Siskin heading south. 

• And finally, there were still a few Pied Wagtails moving during the week with the best count being 13 on the 3^rd, but also a nice count of 10 on the 6^th.  

Wildfowl passage was also affected by the weather, with much lower counts of geese moving, if there were any moving at all.

• There were just two dates where I recorded Pink-footed Geese, with a flock of 45 on the 3^rd and the aforementioned flock of 61 on the 6^th.  A single flock of 10 Greylag Geese were observed passing distantly to the north on the 3^rd. 

• It was a surprisingly good week for Goosander records on the Hill, with a nice close flock of seven heading northeast on the 3^rd followed by a personal record count of 31 dispersing early morning on the 4^th after appearing to get off one of the reservoirs, maybe TMR but possibly another further down the valley. Teal were present on the 3^rd and the 5^th, with two birds involved on both occasions, frequenting the usual ponds on Soil Hill. 

-Goosander

-Pink-footed Goose

  Migrant totals were once again low, with Chiffchaff being present daily with a high count of three on the 3^rd , Goldcrests present on the 3^rd and the 6^th and Stonechat being present on most days with a high count of three on the 6^th.

  Snipe were present daily, but all were common with six flushed on the 3^rd being the highest count of the week. The wetter weather probably helped disperse them around the site as new feeding areas were established by the downpours. The only other wader species this week was Lapwing, with individuals seen flying by on two dates; the 3^rd and the 5^th.

  And finally to wrap up the week with the last few bits, a single Raven was seen on the 4^th and small groups of Bullfinch were seen on the 3^rd (three) and the 6^th (four). Hopefully the weather improves a little next week and there is more activity on the Hill.

Species List:
Soil Hill: Greylag Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Barnacle Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Eurasian Teal, Goosander, Common Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Moorhen, Northern Lapwing, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Common Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Redwing, Common Blackbird, European Robin, European Stonechat, Dunnock, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, Common Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Common Reed Bunting,

Soil Hill birding; updates from the week 26th September - 2nd October

 This week saw the end of September with an impressive 82 species recorded on the Hill, helped greatly by the end of the summer migrants followed by the first arrivals of winter migrants. However, the season moves on and October is now upon us. The weather has caused some difficulties this week, with more rain and strong winds on a number of days but others have seen good passage of VizMig in very pleasant conditions.

• There was one mega for me on Soil Hill this week, although I am aware other birders have seen it here before when a Merlin was hunting over the North Slope. It circled for a few minutes then headed off south. This was a patch tick for me, and is my 119^th species for Soil Hill. 

-Merlin

Visible migration was absolutely the highlight of the week, with days of nice steady passage being the best days birding. Often I have only gone to do the VizMig and spent barely any time searching the bushes, largely due to the strong winds and cold conditions. 

• Once again the largest movements have been of Meadow Pipit, with the largest counts being 341 on the 2^nd and 265 on the 27^th. But numbers have been variable and on some days there has been no movement at all, although this is almost certainly a consequence of the poor weather conditions on those dates.  

• The first Redwings of the autumn arrived this week, and they arrived with a bang with 75 all heading southwest on the 26^th. The highest count of the week however was on the 29^th when 104 passed through but in different directions. Otherwise most dates just had one or two individuals. It is lovely to hear their seeping calls again. 

• The movement of Hirundines remain intermittent during the week with just a handful of birds throughout the week until a very sudden burst on the 2^nd with 27 Barn Swallows, 7 House Martin and a single, but extremely late Sand Martin. Otherwise the weekly movement was limited to a handful of Swallows and a group of four House Martin that flew north on the 1^st. 

• Although there was not a significant movement of finches during the week, there was a scattered variety including a single Greenfinch on the 2^nd, an impressive nine Lesser Redpoll on the same date as well as 10 Siskin, plus nine on the 29^th and smaller counts on other dates. The most significant finch mover was Chaffinch, with 21 south on the 02^nd and 15 on the 28^th being the best counts of the week. 

• In tandem with the Meadow Pipit flocks could often be found a few Pied Wagtails moving south, normally in small numbers but on the 2^nd I counted no less than 36 birds flying south in three and a half hours! There were also a few Grey Wagtails during the week, with four also on the 2^nd being the largest count. 

-Redwing

Although there was no change in the composition, there was once again good movement of the expected wildfowl species during the week, plus the usual species frequenting their usual haunts.

• The start of the week saw very impressive movements of Pink-footed Geese, but towards the end of the week these tailed off with just single flocks on the 30^th and 2^nd. The best count was of 744 on the 27^th, during which 15 skeins passed being visible from Soil Hill, the largest being 146, during a three-and-a-half-hour watch. The next highest count was a much reduced 380 on the 28^th, which saw just five skeins pass. There were a few Greylag Geese during the week, with small flocks on three dates, the largest group being nine that flew south on the 27^th. 

• I had a new record count of Goosander with eight that went south as a flock of seven and a single on the 27^th. Singles were also seen on the 26^th and on the 30^th. The small group of Teal that has been around intermittently was again present on the NK Pond on the 28^th and again on the 01^st, when four were present. 

-Pink-footed Goose

-Greylag Goose

-Goosander

  Now that the autumn has fully arrived, and summer species are largely displaced by winter species, there seems little need to deep dive into passage migrants from the week. Needless to say Chiffchaff was the only warbler present during the week, with individuals recorded daily sometimes even singing. The highest count was of three on the 27^th.  The only other species I would classify here is Stonechat which continued on the Hill throughout the week with the highest count again being five, which were all together at the bottom of the North Slope on the 01^st. Goldcrest continued to be present every day, with the highest count being four on the 30th.  

  There were just a few waders on show this week, besides the Common Snipe that winter in the various ditches around the site. During the first couple of days of the week there were a few Golden Plover, with three flying north on the 26^th and a single also flying north on the 27^th. A Curlew was feeding on the bottom Cattle Fields on the 26^th and then again on the 28^th. 

  Other bits were limited during the week but it was good to see the Grey Partridges again, with all ten being seen as a flock of seven and a three on the 30^th, with the three also seen on the 28^th. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew southwest on the 26^th, a pair of Raven was seen on the 26^th and then again on the 2^nd, and finally Bullfinch made an appearance with two individuals seen on the 01^st.

-Grey Partridge

Species List:
Soil Hill: Greylag Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Eurasian Teal, Goosander, Grey Partridge, Common Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Moorhen, European Golden Plover, Eurasian Curlew, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Common Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Common Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Redwing, Common Blackbird, European Robin, European Stonechat, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Common Reed Bunting, 

Soil Hill birding; updates from the week 12th - 17th September

Sadly this was Lias last week on the Hill, as she returns the tropical climes of Brazil. And it was quite the send off as the first real autumn days rolled in this week, with a cold northerly wind and single figure temperatures, combined with glorious blue skies. In addition there was the steady transition of birdlife as the first winter migrants began to arrive, seeing off the final summer visitors. 

• The 14^th was a warm day once the early morning fog cleared, and it seemed promising for raptors but we were limited to six Common Buzzards. That was until we descended from the Hill and were walking back along Bradshaw Lane when we spotted a raptor high up that was immediately something different. Although distant, the photos showed it was a nice Marsh Harrier. It cruised slowly NW, taking it over the Soil Hill area, making it my second of the year.

As the autumn has progressed the number of migrants has continued to drop off with this week maintaining that course. Many of the summer warblers have now moved on, with just the last few hanging on. Not long before the thrushes arrive to keep things lively!    

• Almost certainly the last Spotted Flycatcher was actively feeding at the bottom of the North Slope on the morning of the 13^th, the last warm morning before the colder northerly winds set in. Its been a phenomenal autumn for this species here, with this individual bringing to the total up to seven in 2022! 

• Another species that has almost certainly run its course is Whinchat, with a single on Taylor Lane on the 14^th likely to be the last of the year. If this is the last of the year, it rounds off a truly phenomenal autumn with a total estimate of 16 different individuals.

• One species that has certainly increased in abundance this week is Stonechat. The first of the autumn appeared on the 13^th, when we were able to find four different individuals. Then we had birds on two other dates, although just singles. A single Wheatear was enjoying the horse paddocks from the 12^th until the 15^th, when it was joined by a second individual before they both departed. 

• A single Tree Pipit was heard flying south on the 13^th in a good passage of Meadow Pipits, in which 118 were counted in an hour, and an estimated 300 flew south in total. 

• This week there was just two Willow Warbler sightings, both on the 14^th and both on Ned Hill Track. In start contrast, Chiffchaff was seen on every single day, although the cold winds certainly contributed to numbers dropping off at the end of the week. The best count was seven on the 15^th, and six on the 12^th.

• Remarkably we were able to find three Common Whitethroat on the 13^th, but the only other record was one calling at the top of the North Slope on the 15^th. In the past the species has lingered on Soil Hill until the end of September, but there is no evidence that this year will have such a lingering individual, as we have searched hard for the last individuals. There was also a male Blackcap at the bottom of the North Slope on the 13^th, the only sighting of the week. 

• Small flurries of Hirundines kept moving during the week, but there was no sustained movement worth counting. There were House Martins on two dates, the 13^th and 15^th when groups of eight and 13 respectively flew south. On the 13^th there was a reasonable movement of Barn Swallow, with an estimated 50 individuals, and again the 15^th was the only other date of note with an estimated 35 heading south. Two Sand Martin again on the 13^th probably see the species out for what has been a very poor year for them on Soil Hill.

• This week Goldcrest returned to the Hill with individuals recorded on almost every single day, in a variety of locations. The highest count was still only three on the 13^th and 14^th, but it is good to at least hear these teeny birds on almost every visit.  

• On the livelier days there was finally an appearance of Siskin this year, with small groups recorded on the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th flying across the Hill calling. Having had none in the spring, it was good to finally get some, especially since the autumn seems quite slow for finches so far.

•  The only Jay this week was a pair that flew south together on the 13^th, which as you’ve probably gathered at this point was the liveliest day for movement of all species this week.

In addition to the usual passage and summer migrants that have been slowly filtering through, there has been a burst of wildfowl activity on the Hill this week. Although the species involved have not been super unusual, it still represents a good start to the autumn and a sure indicator that the season is progressing rapidly. 

• The highlight of the week has been the first skeins of wintering Pink-footed Geese returning from Iceland. Although nationally there had been numerous sightings in the preceding days, the first flock over Soil Hill did not occur until the 15^th when a skein of 177 flew southeast over Halifax, the largest flock of the week. On the 16^th there were 328 individuals that flew over in five skeins, and on the 17^th 359 headed southeast in eight skeins. 

• Another goose species appearing in numbers this week was Greylag Goose. I was informed that this increase in records is due to the feral English population moving to Scotland to moult during the summer before returning, and that Icelandic birds don't arrive until November. Interesting stuff anyway. Individuals were seen on four dates this week, heading in all different directions, with the largest group being 11 heading west on the 14^th and 9 going the same direction on the 17^th. 

• This week saw the first Goosander of the autumn, with a flock of seven heading distantly south on the 15^th, before a closer individual flew northeast on the 16^th.  

• Shockingly I have not seen Eurasian Teal on Soil Hill since October 2019, so it was pleasing to have three individuals on the NK Pond on the 15^th this week. They spent their time resting on the small shoreline that has appeared where they preened and were pestered by the local Moorhens.   

  The best of the rest was pretty limited this week. The standout was probably a Collared Dove that flew north over Taylor Lane on the 17^th, my first the 31^st August and only the third this year. The Grey Partridge were seen on the 12th and the 14^th with a male and two females sitting out nicely on the latter date.

  Remarkably the Curlew remained throughout the week, heard every day between the 13^th and the 16^th but never seen. Presumably feeding in one of the more distant livestock fields, but certainly not feeding quietly. There were just two dates for Common Snipe this week, with a single on the 15^th and a couple on the 17^th.

  The only notable other passerine sighting was a group of four Bullfinch that dropped in to the bushes at the top of the North Slope on the 15^th.

  And as a final note, there was another notable sighting this week when a Herring Gull with a darvic ring was in the reservoir field. Frustratingly the grass was just a little two long to get the full code, although I was able to get some of it. I sent it off to PC to see what he suggested, and he thought it could be a York bird and to maybe pass it to them. This is still on my to do list, but its unlikely it will lead anywhere. 

-Marsh Harrier

-Stonechat

-Spotted Flycatcher

-Eurasian Teal

-Goosander

-Greylag Geese

-Pink-footed Geese

-Herring Gull with darvic ring

-Lesser Black-backed Gull

-Collared Dove

-Dunnock

Species List:

Soil Hill: Greylag Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Eurasian Teal, Goosander, Grey Partridge, Common Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Curlew, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Western Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Western Barn Owl, Little Owl, Common Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Jay, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Willow Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Common Blackbird, Spotted Flycatcher, European Robin, Whinchat, European Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipit, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Common Reed Bunting, 

 

Halifax birding; Week 3

With November drawing to a close there were only a few highlights on Soil Hill this week. There continued to be reasonable numbers of Common Snipe around, as well as the occasional Jack Snipe thrown in for good measure. On the 27^th 71 Pink-footed Geese flew south distantly in awful conditions, and on the 28^th 53 flew north. Also on the 27^th a female Goosander flew over the Hill, allowing me grab a photo of this species for the eBird illustrated checklist. Passerine wise the week was fairly uneventful, with a single Lesser Redpoll flying over on the 25^th and a couple of Ravens blogging on the 27^th and 29^th.
On the 26^th I had an afternoon birding around Walshaw Dean and Lower Gorple. Walshaw Dean was quiet except for a flock of 38 Pink-footed Geese that flew Northwest up the valley. Lower Gorple was nice, with 10 teal roosting on the back of the reservoir, which was a Halifax yeartick for me. 

-Grey Wagtail

-Northern Raven

-Goosander

-Pink-footed Geese

Species List:
Soil Hill: Greylag Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Goosander, Common Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Moorhen, Northern Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Grey Heron, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, Fieldfare, European Robin, European Stonechat, Dunnock, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, Common Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, Common Reed Bunting
Walshaw Dean: Pink-footed Goose, Mallard, Common Pheasant, Red Grouse, Common Wood Pigeon, Northern Lapwing, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Northern Raven, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Common Blackbird, Fieldfare, European Robin, European Stonechat, Dunnock, Common Chaffinch, Common Reed Bunting,
Lower Gorple: Mallard, Eurasian Teal, Common Pheasant, Red Grouse, Northern Lapwing, Common Buzzard, Western Barn Owl, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Common Blackbird, European Robin, European Stonechat, Grey Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch,

Staffordshire

Clive messaged me asking if I wanted to go for the long-staying Staffordshire Hoopoe, and I was more than keen, Hoopoe being one of my most wanted birds. When we arrived it took some finding, but after about 20mins we had picked it up in a pretty shrubby area of the obviously long converted quarry. Once we had picked it up it was clear why we had such a difficult time trying to find it, as it was more than happy to sit tight even when we were quite close.

After a while watching it Clive suggested that we move back a bit to allow it to move more freely, and it subsequently did, earnestly feeding and being pretty amazing. After a while watching, it eventually ended in some thicker cover. Clive suggested we leave but I requested that we flush it just so I could see it in flight. It had moved quite some distance and so flushing it took a bit of work. I don't like doing it, but it was worth it as it was so cool to see in flight. It moved into a tree, then it flew back down near us but in an area of mown grass where we got some incredible views as it continued to feed happily despite our fairly close proximity.

It was an awesome bird to see, I'll let my multiple photos and short video do the talking. Sadly, when I managed to get some none shaky video is when the bird was not doing much.

-Hoopoe

-Hoopoe

Our next stop was an estate, the Trentham Estate between Stoke and Wolverhampton where there had apparently been a lesser spotted woodpecker. Sadly speaking to local birders it sounded like the report might be rubbish, and we certainly did neither see nor hear any. Commoner woodland species were in abundance though, including Nuthatch, Goldcrest, Common Buzzard and a yeartick of Treecreeper. There's always a silver lining.

Following that in the late afternoon we headed to Tittesworth Reseroir for the female ring-necked duck. Despite out best efforts we could not find it but the reservoir was very large and it would have been easy for the bird to hide somewhere. I gained another yeartick here, in the form of Mandarin, with a nice pair. Other nice birds on site included Bullfinch, Lesser Redpoll, Goosander, but there was a lacking number of birds given how large the reservoir was, with very few wildfowl at all.

As the light faded we decided to call in at Bakewell to have a look at an apparent Scaup x Tufted hybrid duck. We picked out the bird fairly easily but one look clearly showed it had no scaup in it. The head had a significant purple sheen so I considered lesser scaup for a moment but the un-mottled back, half wing bar and the excessive purple sheen all pointed to the other parent being a Pochard. Another novelty hybrid for me to look at this year. There was also a superb male Goosander coming to bread with the common wildfowl which was pretty awesome to see. If only the light had not been so poor.

-Pochard x Tufted Duck

-Goosander

And that was that. On the drive back we got a Short-eared Owl on the moor, and a Dipper in one of the rivers, the latter being a yeartick for me. Despite 2 dips it was an excellent days birding, and the Hoopoe along means 2016 has probably peaked already.

Species List:
Hinksford: Hoopoe, Yellowhammer, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Goldfinch, Long-tailed Tit, Carrion Crow, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Collard Dove, Meadow Pipit,
Trentham Estate: Treecreeper. Nuthatch, Song Thrush, Redwing, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Rook, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Robin, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Grey Heron, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Wren, Dunnock, Kestrel, Common Buzzard, Mistle Thrush, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Magpie,
Tittesworth Reservoir: Bullfinch, Lesser Redpoll, Pochard, Mandarin, Goosander, Tufted Duck, Oystercatcher, Canada Goose, Cormorant, Reed Bunting, Chaffinch, Curlew, Common Gull, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great-crested Grebe, Fieldfare, Woodpigeon, Long-tailed Tit, Robin, Wren, Dunnock, Teal, Wigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie,
Bakewell: Grey Wagtail, Moorhen, Coot, Little Grebe, Tufted Duck, Goosander, Mallard, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Carrion Crow, Feral Pigeon, Jackdaw,