To save with constant individual posts about Soil Hill trips with limited sightings I figured I may was well round them up in one long post at weekly intervals (Starting now) and so here is a quick round up of all that I've seen on the almost daily trips up to the hill.
A quick note on the notable sightings. On the 7th August a Common Buzzard drifted over the hill. It started circling down over the Queensbury direction before flying low but directly over the hill towards Ogden and Thornton Moor, where it started circling again but continuing to drift of. On the 6th I headed up for an evening session where I gained a patch tick of Greenfinch with a flock of 5 birds associating with the small group of trees at the end of the track. A long overdue tick to say the least.
On the 12th August I managed to get another patch tick. It was a very slow afternoon with nothing happening. It was then that I heard a distinct 'Spizz' call overhead and looked to see a Tree Pipit flying over. It alighted on a wall, so I rushed for my camera, but when I looked again it was gone. At this point a second Tree Pipit flew over calling and this seemingly was enough to bring out the other bird from the wall, and both birds continued flying south. No record shot there then!
29.07.2015
Species List:
Soil Hill: Wren, Kestrel, Mistle Thrush, Swift, Swallow, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Black-Headed Gull, Meadow Pipit, Skylark,
30.07.2015
Species List:
Soil Hill:Carrion Crow, Swallow, Swift, Wren, Starling, Mistle Thrush, Kestrel, Meadow Pipit, Woodpigeon, Skylark, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Common Gull, Stock Dove, Linnet, Rook, Jackdaw,
01.08.2015
It is important to note that it rained intensively on this day, and I quickly gave up upon arriving on the hill
Species List:
Soil Hill: Meadow Pipit, Woodpigeon,
06.08.2015
Species List:
Soil Hill: Mistle Thrush, Linnet, Feral Pigeon, Dunnock, Greenfinch, Starling, Woodpigeon, Kestrel, Carrion Crow, Common Gull,
07.08.2015
Species List:
Soil Hill: Kestrel, Swallow, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Mistle Thrush, Woodpigeon, Wheatear, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Linnet, Stock Dove, Skylark, Feral Pigeon, Common Buzzard, Swift, Meadow Pipit, Dunnock,
-Common Buzzard
10.08.2015
Species List:
Soil Hill: Lapwing, Starling, Woodpigeon, Linnet, Mistle Thrush, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Pheasant, Skylark, Swallow, Magpie, Stock Dove, Wheatear, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Black-Headed Gull, Kestrel, Feral Pigeon,
11.08.2015
Also of note today was the first dragonfly of the year on the hill: a real nice male Common Hawker. Its just a pity it did not settle down for a proper photo.
Species List:
Soil Hill: Swallow, Goldfinch, Kestrel, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Dunnock, Carrion Crow, Black-Headed Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Meadow Pipit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Skylark, Wheatear, Mistle Thrush,
-Common Hawker
12.08.2015
Species List:Soil Hill: Feral Pigeon, Goldfinch, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipit, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Skylark, Stock Dove, Kestrel,
And that's it for Soil Hill. Other stuff has been happening, especially in the garden where we have had a nice garden tick of Willow Warbler. A nice yellow individual came and stayed for only a minuet or so, and most of that time was spent in bushes, but it was still and exciting sighting.
But not as exciting as when my dad went out one night to lock the garage only to come back saying there was a Common Toad near the pond. This is a garden tick and pretty special. Not bad going at all.
-Common Toad
