Soil Hill; Isolation week 7

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,

Cambridge Holiday day 5: Himalayan Wildlife Watching and going home

Last day of the holiday, so we headed to a National Trust property, Angelsey Abbey, same as last time we were down this way. I did not expect to see much but it turned out to be the best wildlife filled day of the holiday. Probably as a consequence of the weather, which was the nicest it had been so far on the holiday. As last time, as soon as we arrived I headed straight to the wildlife area in the hope that there may be something good on the feeders or in the woods. However, I thought we had arrived too late, and that most things would have been scared off by rowdy kids.

As I was crossing the lawns I spotted a Green Woodpecker. Its crazy to think I have seen more of these birds in the past 3 days that I did in the whole of last year but now I managed to get a photo of one too as it perched up in a tree in a reasonably photograph-able position.

-Green Woodpecker

I got to the hide but there was not much there. A lovely moorhen sitting on a nest in front of the hide was a highlight, and when we returned in the evening I could see 2 eggs under there too, so that was nice. There were also some smashing views of Blue Tit and Chaffinch as well as a couple of Long-Tailed Tits coming through. As a results I stayed about half an hour before leaving.

Now I was at a loss as to where to look for stuff, so I headed around the house, to the second hand bookshop, and then off into the gardens along the river. The river was dead, with no vegetation on it at all. However, there was a Grey Wagtail on it, though that was the sum total of all the bird species. 

As I entered the garden though I spotted a Brimstone butterfly flying along the borders. This was quite exciting, my first of the year and a species I do not see as much as I would like. In the end I found up to 8 of these butterflies around the borders. I was lucky enough to find one that had landed in an ideal position so could grab a few record shots for the year.

-Brimstone

It was then that I got a text saying to be back for lunch. Of course it was at this point that all the wildlife appeared. I was walking down a wooded alley with conifers on both sides, and importantly no people, when I spotted a female pheasant crossing the path in front of me. At once I could see that this was not an ordinary pheasant with striking plumage and a black eye mask on an orange face. I realised pretty quickly that I must be looking at a female Reeves Pheasant, though I knew nothing about them, the mask on this bird matched the males very nicely. I proceeded to follow the bird round for about 20 - 30 mins before deciding it best to go to lunch. I also found it after lunch, though it was much harder to refind after lunch, and managed to get some reasonable shots, though it being under the trees the light was poor. However, I got enough shots to show the spangly plumage and striking head pattern. Sadly, this was my favourite of the pheasant encounters of the holiday but its the one I can't tick!

-Reeves Pheasant

As I was following the pheasant before lunch I also spotted a Muntjac Deer in deep bushes. I tried for a photo but it was too thick in, and when it bolted it was on the far side to me, so my only effort was blurry and not particularly clear. Having said that, it does show the difficult nature of seeing these animals.

-Muntjac Deer

I also spotted a Common Buzzard overhead at this point as the thermals were picking up. I decided to leave it and go for lunch, but returned after lunch. After lunch I failed to pick up the pheasant for a couple of hours and there was no sign of the deer. There were other bits and pieces though, including a pair of Goldcrests, a couple of other butterfly species; Comma and Peacock and got smashing views of Sparrowhawk and Treecreeper.

As the afternoon drew on my parents and I decided to re-try the wildlife area to see what was there. Just as we approached my dad spotted 2 Muntjac Deer deep in the undergrowth, and I tried again for a photo. However, once more I failed pretty badly. We also had outstanding views of up to 4 Jays together!

-Muntjac Deer

It was late afternoon at this point so I did not see much more. On the feeders we were joined by a Great Spotted Woodpecker, though it was on the more distant feeders. That was about it though, and after that we left to head off home. It had been a fantastic day, and to finish with here are a few photos of other wildlife seen through the day, showing just how fantastic a days birding it had been...

-Bee Fly

-Sparrowhawk

-Comma

-Great Spotted Woodpecker

Species List:
Angelsey Abbey NT: Green Woodpecker, Jay, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Rook, Jackdaw, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Robin, Common Pheasant, Moorhen, Mallard, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, Long-Tailed Tit, Common Buzzard, Grey Wagtail, Magpie, Treecreeper, Black-Headed Gull, Sparrowhawk, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Goldcrest, Greenfinch, Reeves Pheasant, Muntjac Deer, Rabbit, Grey Squirrel, Comma, Peacock Butterfly, Brimstone

Mercy Christmas - Soil Hill

Merry Christmas everyone. Its another classic Christmas day of not doing very much but fortunately there were some birds to keep the festive spirit alive. In the morning we spotted a few thrushes at the top end of the field behind the house. Had a closer look to see that there was a mixture of Redwings and Fieldfares, though mainly the former, with a few starlings thrown in for good measure. 

-Redwing

Had a wander up to Soil Hill in the afternoon to have a quick look. Grim as per with the only passerines being the Carrion Crows that loiter around. I did however get a decent patch tick when I spotted a green woodpecker on one of the pylons. That was a fantastic bird to see, and a Christmas present worth the walk up to the hill. It was just a pity that it was a little too far away.

-Green Woodpecker

Other birds on the hill were few and far between, the highlight being a Grey Heron. Back in the garden late afternoon we had the pleasure of watching a Coal Tit, a species we only see a few times a year in the garden, so that was a pleasant end to the day.

-Coal Tit

Species List: 

Soil Hill: Grey Heron, Green Woodpecker, Black-Headed Gull, Carrion Crow, Kestrel, Mallard,

Old Moor

Its taken some time to make it, but today I finally made it to Old Moor for the barn owl. I set off with the intention of spending all day there, staying until the owls showed. Upon arrival I was informed that the day before they had even been seen during the day, with the chicks sat on the edge of the box. This then seemed a pretty bulletproof tick. I may as well tell you now that the owls were not seen all day, and it seems likely that they fledged during the night, one day too late. I guess that's what I get for not going sooner.

Not knowing this I made my way straight over to the Wader Scrape Hide, no messing about, to see if they were there. I wandered in to quite crowd, but there were no owls on the box. In fairness it was the height of the day, already 12.00 and a clear, very warm day. With that in mind I settled down to await upon the owls arrival. I spent a lot of time watching the box to see if any chicks would pop out, but none did. 

The scrape was much busier than it had been last time I was here. There were, of course, masses of Black-Headed Gulls, with the occasional Lapwing thrown in. And on the water there were Tufted Duck, Mallard and Gadwall, as well as a few Teal that spent most of the day sleeping. I got out the scope for a closer look, since Green Sandpiper had been seen a lot recently. I did not find any green sands, but I did find a Greenshank, that was feeding near the back, my first since I year-ticked them at Potteric Carr.

From my tactical eavesdropping I overheard a birder talk frequently about a pair of Godwits on the mud. I spent so long trying to find these birds, before eavesdropping again while he explained their location to another birder while he explained where the Greenshank was. The Godwits, Black-Tailed, were right next to the Greenshank, so I only needed to get 1 record shot for both species.

-Black-Tailed Godwit and Greenshank

I spent a good couple of hours waiting here for the 'barn owls' to show. There was not much change in the scenery either, the only real additions being that of Avocet, with one feeding at the back, and Common Sandpiper near the front. It moved onto the near shore too eventually so I got some decent photos of it. There were also the Lesser Black-Backed Gulls on the prowl, though they attacked many Black-Headed Gulls I did not see them actually finish one off, they all seemed to get away.

-Common Sandpiper

Of course it was not just 'barn owl' that I had wanted to get, since hobby was still well and truly on the agenda, but I figured it was much much less certain than the owl, but it meant I was reluctant to leave the Wader Scrape Hide, should I miss one.

I was tempted though as apparently the Green Sandpipers had been seen on Wath Ings Hide, so I decided to take a short break over that way to see if they were there. They did not disappoint, I picked up 3 birds all showing really well, though not close. This was great to see having only picked it up as a lifer on Monday. The birds did move gradually closer, and were soon pretty close, landing on a small patch of mud in front of the hide, but not as close as they were at Potteric.

I got to watch the bird Preen, which was interesting as I saw that it wet its beak or foot every time before scratching or preening. Its probably well observed and studied but it interested me. I also got to watch one of the birds try to bring up a pellet, I assume, though I did not see it actually expel it.

I got to see so much of the bird, and this time I even heard them calling, leaving me overall much more confident with identification should I come across one at a less expected site, like back home...

-Green Sandpiper

I did not stay long, as soon as the Green Sands had moved back to their distant location I withdrew back to Wader Scrape in the hope of Hobby or Barn Owl. I awaited patiently in the hide for another substantial length of time without much happening.

After about half an hour another birder in the hide said the word I had been begging to hear for so long: 'hobby'. As soon as he said it I found the bird drifting above the tree line but coming towards us. It eventually came right up to the hide and then round, giving great views. But sadly they were also brief views. I got some shots but they came out very dark, either way they serve as record shots for the year-list of this species that I have hunted for so long. I waited to see if it would come back but no joy, I thought it had at one point, but then that bird banked with broad wings, revealing itself as a Kestrel.

-Hobby

Having finally seen Hobby, so feeling very good, I decided to head off to try and find some other stuff while I waited for evening to come on and the owls to come out. I went to the garden to see if I could find any speckled bush crickets, but could not. I did find a Nursery Web Spider though, a species I have only previously seen in Suffolk. This one was perched with web atop a nettle, showing off its large size and gold streaks.

-Nursery Web Spider

I decided to head to the Bittern Hide to see if there was anything there. but it also gave views over the reedbed in case the owl decided to show itself. I ended up spending longer in there than I had expected as I got talking a couple who asked me on their chances of seeing the bittern (Very Small). As a result I probably spent over half and hour in there, allowing me to pick up Little Egret which flew over the reeds and then over the trees, and also one of the highlights when a Kingfisher flew past the hide, brief but clear, even catching the orange underneath.

After a little while and the couple had moved on, I decided to return to Wader Scrape to see if the owls were around. The advantage of Wader Scrape is that you can see the entrance to the box in case the young decided to show. Of course they did not, and after half an hours wait, it being only half 5 I decided enough was enough and that they were not going to show. Another late birder was there too, and he also suggested that the birds had moved off, 8 at Edderthorpe apparently...

I decided to leave the reserve and head back, not wanting to mess up my public transport. But on the way out I was given another treat when I flushed from the bank the unmistakable form of a Green Woodpecker. It did not fly far, and even landed in one of the trees along the road. Because it had stuck around I could get a decent view, identifying it as a young bird, which probably explained its boldness when I was clearly out in the open. I managed to get some decent shots of the bird, certainly an improvement on the green smudge from Padleys. 

-Green Woodpecker

I had expected to walk, but too a trip to the bus stop to find out times just in case. Turns out I timed it perfectly and got one of the later buses. In the grass there were still a few Bee Orchids, but many had gone. Those that were still there were quite clear individuals too, suggesting that if the others had been picked then these may be on borrowed time.

So it had been a mixed day, dipping the owls not good, but that aside it had been a pretty incredible day. Hobby was a massive plus, my 170th species this year. And the woodpecker was a real treat at the end. I picked up a decent day species list too, see below...

Species List:

Old Moor RSPB: Starling, Dunnock, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Black-Headed Gull, Wren, Mallard, Jackdaw, Mute Swan, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Pied Wagtail, Grey Heron, Kestrel, Lapwing, Tufted Duck, Cormorant, Moorhen, Coot, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Common Teal, Shoveler, Kingfisher, Gadwall, Greenfinch, Tree Sparrow, Reed Bunting, Stock Dove, Oystercatcher, House Martin, Sand Martin, Swallow, Canada Goose, Graylag Goose, Little Egret, Avocet, Black-Tailed Godwit, Common Tern, Reed Warbler, Swift, Greenshank, Green Woodpecker, Green Sandpiper, Hobby, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone, Small Skipper, Common Blue, Common Blue Damselfly, Common Blue-Tailed Damselfly, Common Darter, Nursery Web Spider, Zebra Spider, 

Padley Gorge NT

Finally free from the curse of exams I was free again to throw money away on public transport chasing birds beautiful areas. On today's agenda was Padley Gorge, but birds was not my priority. That today belonged to the green hairstreak butterfly that inhabits the moors and since it was such a lovely day I decided to go out to see if I could find them.

Things started well butterfly-wise, with numerous Small Heath fluttering around, along with a couple of Large White, Small Tortoiseshell and various moths, mainly carpet and micro moths, some looking very lovely.

-Small Heath

I wandered around the moors for sometime without luck on the butterfly front. On the bird front I managed to find a pair of Curlew, a lone male Stonechat and plenty of Meadow Pipits. That was the case for some time, all the while cuckoos singing from the plantations in front and from behind.

After a bit, exploring moors I had not been that was before. From this position I heard a call I was not familiar with, but very reminiscent of whitethroat. I found the culprit soon enough though, tracking down a stunning male Whinchat, a true stunner. Sadly it was a long way away, and it was very flighty, so I could not get close, and I struggled to get any really good shots, but it was a delight to see.

-Whinchat

It was on my stealth approach of this bird that I got what I had really wanted. Indeed, something green did fly past me, but it was not the butterfly, as finally... FINALLY... after 164 days I managed to see a Green Woodpecker. It flew past me as I lay there, a flash of green. Initially I thought mistle thrush, which are common here, but no, it was the bird that had left the largest blemish on my year-list. I finally managed it. It was only a flyby, but I managed a couple of awful shots. During my wanderings the bird flew past me 3 times, each time giving me a sense of relief and euphoria.

-Green Woodpecker

But that was not the end of what was quite a few minuets, as after the woodpecker departed and I continued to approach the increasingly distant whinchat, I heard a peculiar noise and turned around to see a pair of cuckoos in the tree behind having a squabble. Their stay was very brief as they left to continue their squabble elsewhere, and I was a little slow off the mark for photos, hence why the first one is very poor, but it shows all the cuckoo qualities in a blurred sense.

-Cuckoo

I needed a little while to catch my breath back after these encounters. So I settled under the tree where the cuckoos had been to see if the whinchat would return. It did not but there I noticed a red grouse moving through the heather quite close, but being very skulky and so difficult to photograph.

-Red Grouse

I waited for some time, but the bird did not return so I headed off towards the woods. On the way I called off at the tree where the Stonechats usually are, and I was not disappointed, with one male and one female bird showing, the male showing very well. As well as the stone chats there was a pair of Willow Warblers, which I think had a nest in the tree, so I decided not to approach too close.

-Female Stonechat and Willow Warbler

-Stonechat

Moving down to the forest edge I found one tree pipit singing, but the photos are not included here due to the fact that they add nothing to any previous photos and were not particularly good. As I wandered along the forest edge I spotted a cuckoo that had been resting in the birches. I tried to approach it multiple times but kept loosing it, and then it would fly off while I was still some way off. It sent a Wren absolutely bezerk, and no wonder, because as I was following the Cuckoo I found this lovely wren fledgling in the bracken.

-Wren Fledgling

Having tried and failed about 5 times to track it down, I eventually lost the cuckoo and so headed down into the woods for the specialties in there. Box 8 had been occupied last time I was here, but it was not the case this time, the birds clearly having moved on.

But not to worry as box 4 now had a pair of Pied Flycatcher in it, and they gave very good views once I had settled down. Again the light was an issue but I managed a couple of good ones. In this region there was also a male Redstart and a Goldcrest, the latter being a patch tick for me

-Pied Flycatcher

I decided to cut straight across to the redstart nest, but on the way encountered another nest, this time in a natural crack in a tree. It gave me my first proper views of a female redstart. The light was again too poor for decent photos, but I got a couple and the birds did show nicely, so I can not complain.

-Redstart

I continued up only to find that the box that had been occupied was occupied no longer. I get the impression that the birds must have fledged, as a little further up I found a pair of redstarts mobbing a squirrel, very aggressively, with the male even bombing the squirrel. The squirrel in question seemed completely uncaring, grooming itself on a branch while the birds were going bezerk all around it.

It was in this area that I found a Spot Fly, allowing me to improve on last times appalling photo effort. It did show well but was quite mobile and once again the light was poor. It is odd to observe that I only see these birds here individually, I wonder if they are later breeders than the others.

-Spotted Flycatcher

I returned up to the moors to see if I could track down any butterflies, but did not manage it. I also intended to go back to the whinchat and see if I could get any more photos. When I arrived he was very close to the path, but that was when I was some way down the path, and he did not stay there. I was about 50 meters away when he decided I was too close and he then moved off over the moors and I could not re-locate it.

I decided it was probably an idea to head off for the bus, but quite near to the river at the bus stop I tracked down another male whinchat singing. I had some time and so decided to approach. As I did a squat bird flew up from the shrub by side and landed in the tree next to me. I grabbed some shots, had a quick look and saw a faint red breast, so figured juvenile robin.

However, this bird was not a robin. When I got back and had a proper look I saw a white ring on the face, but it was faint and yet not as faint as I would expect in a juvenile Whinchat, but the white on the wings just visable in the photo below is a big giveaway, that this was indeed a whinchat sat in the tree next to me that I assumed was a robin.

-Whinchat

The male whinchat I had been initially tracking was not better behaved than the one I had seen before on the top moors. As a result I could not get close, despite my commando crawling. Needless to say I was unable to get any good photos, but I managed to double my Whinchat count for my life in a few hours, fancy that.

Species List:

Padley Gorge NT: Whinchat, Meadow Pipit, Curlew, Cuckoo, Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Stonechat, Willow Warbler, Mistle Thrush, Green Woodpecker, Treecreeper, Tree Pipit, Goldcrest, Robin, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Swallow, Swift, Woodpigeon, Red Grouse, Wren