Soil Hill birding; updates from the week 24th October - 30th October

 It was another tricky week weather-wise, with days of consecutive fog and rain creating difficult conditions for birding. But other days have seen southwesterlies and lively visible migration, which has certainly kept things interesting as the autumn draws to a close. This is also my last week on the Hill before my return to Brazil, and this means I finished my Soil Hill yearlist on 103, just the second year I have breached the three-figure mark. 

• Having cleared up Brambling last week, this week I notched up my other outstanding and slightly embarrassing patch-tick (although noticeably rarer in recent years) in Great Black-backed Gull. An adult flew distantly northwest towards TMR as viewed through the scope, on the 26^th. A bit distant for photos, but you get the idea; massive gull with black back! My 122^nd species for the site! 

• The Tawny Owl that was around at the end of the last week was present on four dates this week. As usual, it remains stationary atop a fence post, but always watching you as you walk past it. It’s always a treat to find a day-roosting owl. 

• The flock of Long-tailed Tits that made an appearance last week were still around on the 25^th, moving from the North Slope bushes onto Ned Hill Track where they continued to be mobile and vocal. Although I only counted six, I suspect that there were probably more as they were very mobile and difficult to count.  

-Great Black-backed Gull

-Tawny Owl

Once again the main event of the week was VizMig, with some excellent days with thousands of migrants passing, but equally a number of days with absolutely nothing happening…

• Without doubt the species of the week was Woodpigeon, with three four-figure counts during the week; 2572 on the 25^th, 4085 on the 26^th and the biggest day on the 30^th, when 5467 went south. The crazy thing is that most of the large numbers always moved through in the first hour after sunrise, on the 30^th especially there were moments where I was almost overwhelmed by the large flocks. In addition, also on the 30^th, there were 19 Stock Dove that went south, including two flocks of seven. 

• Strangely it feels like thrush migration has already ended for the year. On most days where VizMig was happening there were three-figure counts of Fieldfare, peaking at 217 south on the 30^th, but no huge numbers on any dates. Equally, Redwings seem to have dropped off although there were 399 south on the 25^th and then 248 northeast on the 26^th. Otherwise there were no more three-figure counts. 

• There was the first notable movement of Starlings this week. Although c.300 flew north on the 25^th I suspect these were mostly local birds. But on the 30^th there were 827 that went south during the morning. The flocks were large and compact so its difficult to gauge an accurate count with the clicker so there is a good chance I undercounted. 

• And finally a quick summary of the various finches that have been moving this week. Always in small numbers but a few nice species among the commoner birds. 
• The most notable species that went south this week was Common Crossbill, when three flew south on the 25^th, calling. I was too sluggish on the camera, but these are still my first Crossbills here since the summer eruption during 2020. 
• On two dates I had Brambling fly south, just one on the 25^th (although almost certainly more heading south silently) and then on the 30^th when 10 went south, in a flock of calling away. Again though, I suspect that there were more going south. This was the species I really wanted this autumn so its been good to get them on a few different dates. 
• Its been a good week for Lesser Redpoll with individuals passing on all four dates which saw VizMig, including 18 on the 26^th. There was also a flock of 11 blogging at the bottom of the North Slope on the 30^th, they dropped into the small woodland opposite Keelham Farm Shop. 
• To round up commoner species, the last Linnet went south on the 26^th, the only one of the week. The highest Siskin count of the week was 22 which went south on the 25^th, Chaffinch peaked at 42 on the 26^th, with notable other counts of 24 on the 24^th and then 28 on the 30^th. Goldfinch also had some good totals with 27 on the 30^th being the best, and counts in the low-teens on other dates. And finally, a small flock of four Greenfinch flew south on the 30^th. 

-Brambling

It was fairly quiet on the wildfowl front, with little change in species numbers or composition from the previous week. That said, it’s nice to see groups of Canada Geese using the Hill again after missing them for most of the month. Actually interesting wildfowl however…

• On the morning of the 30^th two swans flew north in the very early hours, before the sun had crested the hill. In the field they looked strikingly small, almost like barnyard geese, so I grabbed the camera hoping it would be able to manage the gloom. It couldn’t, but seemed to all but stop my train of thought in its tracks with long neck and bulky structure being quite clear. But as to what they actually were, I couldn’t tell, I’ve never had Mute here, but seems odd for Whoopers to being north. The ones that got away I think…

• The only flock of Pink-footed Geese were 35 that battled west low over the Hill on the 26^th, struggling in the strong winds. 

• The only Eurasian Teal of the week were two flushed from the bottom marsh on the 30^th. Strangely none seemed to be using the NK Pond this week. The same date saw the only Goosander of the week fly north distantly. 

-Pink-footed Geese

-Eurasian Teal

  Other birding continued to be enjoyable this week. There have been small numbers of Common Snipe this week, not the large numbers seen the previous week but at least one has been seen most days. The increased rainfall has created ample more habitat for them, which I suspect has helped disperse them. Jack Snipe I managed on only one date, the 28^th but there were two individuals involved, which is the first time I managed more than a single this autumn. 

  On the 26^th the Grey Partridges made a return to my sightings list, with three flushed in the early hours on Taylor Lane. A flock of seven Partridges I flushed on the summit later in the morning were probably the other group but I was not able to rule out Red-legged Partridge, which were also around on a couple of dates this week.

  Quite a poor week for Goldcrest, with singles on the 24^th and 25^th, then two on the 30^th. Clearly no increase of numbers during the autumn, but maybe it will come after I leave. On the other hand, Stonechat was recorded almost daily, with a peak count of six on the 24^th.

  A few final bits; two Raven were blogging on the 30^th, and a Peregrine flew south on the same date, my first for a while. And to round things off, the winter population of Bullfinch has continued to be around all week, with at least three seen every day and a high count of six on both the 26^th and 28^th. Almost all the birds are males, which seems strange. 

-Jack Snipe

Species List:
Soil Hill: 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, Northern Lapwing, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Little Owl, Tawny Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Common Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, 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, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, Brambling, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, Red Crossbill, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Common Reed Bunting, 

Orgreave Lakes

This years revision break was not as extravagant as last years. I decided I'd had enough of the library and needed to spend a day in the fresh air. What better way that to try my luck at a pair of Black Redstarts near Orgreave lakes. I arrived early morning to the news that the male was still present but had gone off according to birders on site. I spent two mins looking where it had apparently gone and immediately refound it. It was very mobile and at no point did I get an outstanding clear view, but its my first adult male Black Redstart and a stunning bird.

Not long after it was lost again and in my attempts to try and refind it I stumbled across the female bird feeding down one of the side roads with some Dunnocks. It was a far more obliging bird but in the gloom I labored to get a decent photo. In the end I managed a couple of record shots of the bird which I am very happy with. A morning well spent I would say. 

-Female Black Redstart

After a while I decided to give up on the male and head over to Orgreave lakes themselves. Being so early in the year I was blessed with a host of yearticks. The best of these was a nice flock of around 40 Siskin feeding in the alders near the track and the host of waterbirds. By far the most abundant bird were the Pochards, which are now a red listed species but very abundant at Orgreave.

-Siskin

-Pochard and Goosander

Whilst at Orgreave I managed to get two patch ticks, something I had not counted on. The first was a bird that has been around all winter but only now connected, a beautiful Short-eared Owl. Another birder I saw let me know he had seen it around and as we talked I picked it out quartering over the hill and then beyond, lost to view. I headed up the hill for a look and was delighted to see it perched up in a tree. It was not bothered at all about the passing lorries but decided not to risk getting any closer. What a superb bird, and probably the best view I have ever had of one.

The second patch tick was a solitary Lesser Redpoll. Just as I was finishing walking round a lake I heard a finch calling overhead and considered that it might be a redpoll. So when it landed I was pleased to see I had been right, and that I could add another species to my patch list for here.

-Short-eared Owl

On the way back I decided to try my luck at the gulls in Attercliffe to see if there was anything unusual among them. Sadly there was not, only commoner large gull species, but it was still a nice way to end the afternoon. More often than not when I try here the large gulls just don't bother landing at all.

-Herring and Great Black-backed Gull

Species List:

Orgreave Lakes: Skylark, Magpie, Collard Dove, Woodpigeon, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Pied Wagtail, Goldfinch, Mistle Thrush, Redwing, Dunnock, Kestrel, Meadow Pipit, Starling, Carrion Crow, Robin, Black Redstart, Blackbird, Siskin, Blue Tit, Fieldfare, Long-tailed Tit, Pochard, Coot, Goldeneye, Great-crested Grebe, Herring Gull, Mute Swan, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Mallard, Goosander, Cormorant, Great Black-backed Gull, Short-eared Owl, Grey Heron, Common Teal, Feral Pigeon, Stonechat, Lesser Redpoll, Grey Wagtail, Great Tit

Attercliffe: Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Mallard, 

Gull Watching in Attercliffe MK1

Since there have been a few caspian gulls around down in Attercliffe I decided to head down to see if I could see one, and to do some proper gull watching to improve my ability in this area. I bumped into a couple of other birders there and we watched the gulls on the tip roof. We picked out one that looked good and I was fairly confident, but it was not, and I should have seen it really given it has a whopping great big Gonys angle, but in the scope it was not that clear. The bird in question was a 2nd Winter Greater Black-Back but with a dark bill. It was an important mistake to make, as it helps me learn and hopefully wont happen again. It also gave me a chance to look into different ages of gulls in the field, something I have not really done before.

Adult and 2nd Winter Greater Black-Backed Gull

-2nd Winter Greater Black-Backed Gull

Species List: Herring Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Greater Black-Backed Gull, Black-Headed Gull, Magpie, Feral Pigeon, Pied Wagtail,

Northumberland long weekend Day 2

Our final day in Northumberland, and the weather remained unchanged, grey and chilly. As is normal when we go to this region we decided to go to Seahouses. Last time here we had plenty of turnstones and eiders. The difference being that we were later in the year, and that it wasn't horizontal rain this time.
As we were driving along the coast road, I was disappointed to see that the tide was out, and so I imagine that the turnstones would be out as well. As I arrived in the harbour I looked over the sea wall to see if my suspicions were correct. They were to some degree, but one turnstone had hung around nearish the wall. It was about half way between the sea wall and the sea, although my photo was pretty poor.

-Turnstone
This turnstone was unfazed by my being there. It started having a wash in a rock pool, between two gulls.
I walked down the pier/breakwater to see what there was. I spotted at the end a bird in the water, so I went up to see if it was a diver or rare sea duck, or an eider. However I was pleasantly surprise to see that it was a shag when I arrived. If I recall, this is my first this year, which is quite late all things considered.

-Shag
Moving back up up the pier I looked at the gulls along the side, for potential iceland or glaucus gull. However the most unusual that I managed to find was a greater black backed gull.

-Greater Black backed Gull
On the other, harbour pier I was delighted to finally find some eiders, a handsome flock with a nice mixture of males and females. I got a great view of the eiders, and they even approached me despite being a few meters above them. Then I saw that the eiders moved away from me, towards a young family feeding them on the slipway opposite. They then started feeding them bread, so I decided to go over there, to be at eye level with them. I did and enjoyed listening to them "Awooo" comically, and also take some great photos of them. Unfortunately they all started moving away as soon as they realised I had no bread.
After about 15mins of doing my best to entertain the eiders, I decided to try and find my family to get some real bread. After about 15mins looking for them in seahouses I eventually managed it and got hold of some bread, AKA my lunch. I returned to the eiders and again enjoyed photographing them and feeding them, great views of such great birds. Here is a compilation of the eider photos I took.

-Eiders
I returned to my family and walked around the harbour with them to see what was around. At the turnstone area, I spotted a herring gull flying with some seaweed dangling out of its mouth, then, as it landed nearby, it became clear that it was not a piece of seaweed, it was a giant butterfish. It started bashing it against the sea wall, but was rudely interrupted by a mob of black headed gulls. I only managed one photo, sadly though it has it back to me.

-Herring Gull
Moving on, We walked onto an area of mud and beach on the southern side of the harbour which was far more natural. There were plenty of birds around here, oystercatchers, redshanks, grey heron and a handful of ringed plovers on the harbour mud which was nice, the first I've seen this holiday.

-Ringed Plover
We moved back to the car for lunch, and moved it from its current parking spot into an area where we had a great view of the harbour and the sea. As we were eating lunch we attracted a great deal of attention from a variety of gulls, herring and black-headed, who feasted on the scraps that I threw for them.

-Black Headed gull
the gulls left for a few mins to feed on somebody Else's lunch, and in that time, a very handsome winter plumage starling turned up and started picking up the scraps. The gulls started drifting back, but seemed reluctant to start feeding again. It was odd to see the gulls being reluctant to feed on some food being fed on by a starling.

-Starling, seemingly hording the food
After lunch we headed down towards Newcastle to see some family Friends, but first we would be going to big waters to see if there were any birds or otters. When we arrived we spotted a marsh harrier soaring above us. Besides that there were a few things to see, but they were all distance, there were shoveler, teal, whooper swans and cormorants.

-Marsh Harrier

so ends our long weekend on the Northumberland coast.

a week ago last sunday-a newcastle long weekend, and it rained

Having visited some of my parents Friends before hand and then pulling over at a house from some Friends from church, we had spent Saturday evening moving, and settling in near Newcastle. Morning dawned and thus we spent a rewarding Sunday in a small terraced house mentally preparing ourselves for a long journey home. The night before we had decided that, provided the weather was decent we would go to the beach. Sadly the beach was not decent and as a result we found ourselves with no possibilities for the day. Lindisfarne was cut off until 11.00 and we needed to be going by then so that was a none starter, but we decided that we would travel down the coast until we found somewhere to stay. We came to Bambrough and decided to pull over for a stroll around the town.

The rain continued to pour. My mum made me don my coat to keep dry. I really dislike wearing my coat, although practical, it is difficult to wear, stiff and full of fossils with a smelly pot with a dead rabbits skull in the bottom pocket. Never-the-less I wore it any way and braved to weather for a walk around the town. The castle that overlooks the town is an impressive feature in the local landscape but all was not in vain, I got a First!. yep, we were just rounding a corner and, whoosh up the road came a swallow, closely followed by more. I believe that it is something of significance to see a swallow in October, just like a September swift, and so I was overjoyed To actually have something out of the dismal walk, and whats more is that I have never seen an October swallow before. They were sadly moving too fast for the camera but I got a record shot, to be expanded on next time I see one.

The walk there ended ungracefully withy the rain continueing to pour relentlessly and generally everyone becomeing more miserable. The next stop was seahouses, which is my top spot for eiders, which sit in harbour right in front of you, however I have only ever been here in spring so october may have limited options for birdlife. We pulled over at our usual carpark and my family went shopping (ugh) and I went to the docks. There were no eiders in their usual spot. however a nice rock pipit came and landed quite near me, which is also my october first, and allowed me to get some decent shots!

I went for a look over the sea wall to do a spot of sea watching, especially for Sabine's gull ,little shearwaters and ivory gull but allas none could be found. I did however spot a dark bird, duck, on the water which was diving. I have never seen an eider dive before and I guess that was what set me off thinking scoter. I was getting all excited as it did many things That I had never seen an eider do but sadly photo evidence denied me my scoter tick and the bird proved an eider. That did however prove that there were eiders in the area, and my hopes for finding a photographable one increased!

However on the sea wall I spotted a wagtail singing. Its song was very beautiful and I came for a closer look. Inspection revealed quite a pretty bird which was actually (I think) and Alba wagtail, and this is by far the best view I have ever had of one of these.

After watching the wagtail, I decided to move from the main pier to the second pier, which juts out into the harbour bay, and it was on hear that I found my eiders. There was a group of about 5 females with one fabulous male. A couple of birds, including the male, broke away from the pack and began to swim towards me.

This was just what I wanted for the photos and Began to snap away. The female drifted away but the male came and swam right past me, it really was a spectacular bird, I have not seen a full male bird for about 5 years, only females and eclipse males.

I returned to the female group to get a photo of one of them. At once they came towards me, hoping for a piece of bread (I told you that this was one of the best places to see eiders, they are just like mallards at Ogden water). They kept coming closer all the time, but then when I produced the camera (form within my jacket, protected from the rain) they beat a hasty retreat and the only photos I could muster were of the birds behinds!

The wagtail continued to sing from the sea wall and continued to allow me to take photos, which is always nice of such a pretty bird!

In returned to my position overlooking the sea wall. A stretch of beach had accumulated and with it had come some autumn waders. Primary of these was a stunning turnstone that landed on a rock right in front of me. I have never really got any decent turnstone pictures but this certainly fits the bill.

Sadly it didn't stick around and it quickly left, leaving me only with the photos above and this one below, off its departure.

The local gull mob offered lots of entertainment as they trotted up hopefully towards me only to realise that tourists don't eat fish and chips in the pouring rain. Even so, encounters like this really let you appreciate the size of the greater black-backed gulls, huge!

And then a real surprise, a swallow whizzed past my line of sight and landed on some sheltered power lines between two buildings. If there was ever a better opportunity of photograph swallows then it was this, and October swallows two, in appropriate weather! I crept up cautiously but they didn't care at all and I was able to walk right under them without them batting an eyelid. I say them because there were three roosting on the wires and I could get really close.

The bottom photo strikes me as being a juvenile because of the faint gape. This therefore suggests that these birds may be this years young and that they are staying a while to fatted up. It is a humbling thought, that in less than 1 hour from this encounter they could be flying all the way to Africa.

I returned to my vidual at the sea wall and at once I spotted the turnstone again, and this time he had another three for company. They were quite happy rummaging through the seaweed but sadly they did not come as close as before and so the photos were difficult.

My parents came to join me having finished their shopping and as I turned around I spotted five swallows sat on the wire. They really have a humbling story and to see them like this is just phenomenal.

The wagtail remained on the sea wall and I could take some even closer photos adding to my ever growing collection of this particular bird.

A last trip down the pier found a cormorant washing in the harbour but it began drifting away from me and so none of the photos came out well

A last look over the sea wall before we left gave me a another stunning eider in a more natural environment, resting from the torrents against the beach. A great reminder of why this place is so special.

And so we left the eider central of Britain, having seen a fair haul of the black and white, and brown, birds to put on my year list. A daunting journey was lying ahead and, as a result, we headed off home. All this has surly made up for the rotten weather that we have had. I may comment that it still didn't stop, I shall explain the irony of it stopping in the second half of this remarkable rainy day...

-To be continued-

...we decided that we would have to stop somewhere to have lunch but nowhere convenient turned up. eventually we had to pull off the main road and search for somewhere. The rain continued to pour relentlessly. Eventually we found a brewers fair restaurant and decided to stop. Even as we pulled into the car park I knew that our day was not over yet. The restaurant was right next to a great lake at the local country park. There was a dock, almost directly opposite the restaurant and sat on it were giant cormorants. My parents would let me go and get them until I had decided what to have, so I had to wait a while to see if they would stick around

Luckily they did and I was able to get some reasonable shots, only the catch was that the inside of the camera had condensed up. What could I do, all my hopes for the cormorants were surely dashed. I decided to remove the lens and check how back it was and luckily the cold air rushed into the camera and quickly cleared it up-crisis over!

I tried to sneak up to the cormorants but they were rather flighty and did not need a second invitation to go into the water.

I did manage to get my best ever cormorant shots which was bonus and I continued taking photos until I lost them, as they drifted away.

There were also plenty of swans and black headed gulls around, perhaps because they have learnt that people leave food here. amongst the normal pond birds I also managed to spot a widgeon but this was even more flighty than the cormorants and I got nowhere near.

I decided to go for a little stroll around the woods surrounding the lake and I managed to find a flock of long-tailed tits which came quite close but only breifly and so I failed to get any shots as they dashed between trees.

I was just returning to the restaurant becuase my brother had told me that food was ready when I encountered an old black and white fiend strolling pompously on the grass. Yes, you may have guessed that a magpie had been waiting there just for the right moment to mock me. I took a distance shot but, as so often happens, the bird flew off before I was within 5 meters.

after lunch we were just setting off home when blue sky appeared over the trees. the irony was sickening and from that point we continued our journey home under a cloudless blue sky and 20 degree heat. What were the odds???