The week started with a bang but sadly a northerly weather system arrived on the 10th significantly reducing activity on the Hill for most of the week. Despite this, at the end of the week my Soil Hill yearlist stands at 87, with a few species still possible before the summer sets in.
09 May
Visit from 07.00. Total 54 species observed.
It was a remarkable morning with my highest ever species total for a visit to the Hill, the first time I have ever breached 50. And what timing, since today was the eBird big day, and I was locked in a race against my girlfriend in Brazil to see who could score the most species.
I managed a full house of commoner species with a few nice additions as well; my first Blackcap of the year on site and a flyover Red Kite, for which I managed to completely botch my camera settings. The Sedge Warbler was still in place and showing nicely, as was the Stonechat and a single Wheatear. Three Collared Dove were also a nice surprise as I wandered up Taylor Lane early morning.
-Red Kite
-Meadow Pipit
10 May
Visit from 07.15. Total 35 species observed.
Today was a slog in cold wind and drizzle. There was one redeeming feature, and that was a Hobby that came bombing over Taylor Lane as I was walking up. The bird never stopped and sadly continued powering through and headed south. There was still some activity from established migrants, with the Sedge Warbler still uttering a few notes in between strong blasts of wind.
11 May
Visit from 07.15. Total 35 species observed.
Another cold and windy day, with a light dusting of snow during my walk. Very little to report as the cold conditions clearly took their toll on activity.
12 May
Visit from 07.00. Total 39 species observed.
The wind continued but the overall conditions were warmer and more pleasant than the previous days. Stonechat, Wheatear and Sedge Warbler were all present, but otherwise it was a fairly standard assortment of species on offer.
-Jackdaw
13 May
Visit from 07.15. Total 38 species observed.The composition on the Hill continued to remain consistent with no notable change in the species seen. A Sand Martin was the first I had seen since the wind changed to northerly on the 10th, but activity of this species seems to have taken a hit due to the weather change.
14 May
Visit from 07.00. Total 41 species observed.
The wind finally dropped and with more consistent sun there was a boost in activity. Notably in the sky with a smart group of 10 Swift blogging over the Hill all morning, coming low at times. A Coal Tit singing in the top plantation was a surprise having not heard one here since the end of April. Sand Martin numbers bounced back to at least 10 birds blogging around. A flyover Mistle Thrush was also of note, since the birds seemed to have vanished from Taylor Lane around the end of April. Was nice to bump into JJL.
-Oystercatcher
15 May
Visit from 09.15. Total 43 species observed.
I decided I could not be bothered with the early start today, and so headed up to the Hill later in the morning. With the sun already out and established I has hopeful of a raptor but sadly it was not to be. The standout of the morning was finally seeing the Green Woodpecker that has been yaffling from the valley below Taylor Lane. It perched very nicely along the fence line of former Koi farm. A distant Raven was nice, but sadly too distant for a photo. Nice to bump into NK at the bottom of the Hill.
-Green Woodpecker
Species List:
Soil Hill: Greylag
Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Red-legged Partridge, Common Pheasant, Rock Dove,
Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Swift, Common
Moorhen, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Northern Lapwing, Eurasian Curlew, Common
Snipe, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Grey Heron, Eurasian
Sparrowhawk, Red Kite, Little Owl, European Green Woodpecker, Common Kestrel, Eurasian
Hobby, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Coal
Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Sedge Warbler, Sand Martin,
Barn Swallow, Willow Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Goldcrest,
Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, European
Robin, European Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Pied
Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, European
Goldfinch, Common Reed Bunting, Western Roe Deer, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock,
Orange Tip,
