The Breeding Season

As from now until the end of the breeding season birds of a sensitive nature will be omitted from this blog due to a small percentage of undesirables who take their pleasure from egg collecting, nest destroying and the killing and trapping of birds.
Reports of non breeding birds moving through the area will still be published. BS
WELCOME TO ( WEST YORKSHIRE BIRDING )

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Soil Hill / Theres got to be a Dotterel here somewhere?

                                     Sad scenes from Ovenden Moor
                                Strong wind was pushing the fire >W
                       Fire Engines were shuttling to and from station with water
                                  An impossible task in the near gale force E>7

Soil Hill pm visit in near gale force E>7 winds with clear blue skies and good visibility.
The slight smouldering seen this morning on Ovenden Moor had tonight broken out into a full blown moorland blaze being rapidly pushed west in the near to gale force easterly wind. Up to 6 fire tenders were there as well as some specialist vehicles. The fire engines kept leaving the scene heading for town then returning, presumably to restock with water. The whole fire was surrounded with beaters who had all on in the strong wind keeping the fire to one area.
Did a search of every inch of the hill and satisfied myself that no Dotterel were present as yet though havent heard any reports of any sightings either at the 12 Apostles, Ilkley, or Pendle Hill.
Otherwise the skies were quiet in the wind and the hill held just the usual Mipits, Skylarks and 4 Wheatear.
BS

3 comments:

DJSutcliffe said...

I was down Cold edge this pm while all that was going on near the wind farm - and getting concerned about Midgley Moor!

What about all those poor mipits etc - they love that area where the fire was belting away and red grouse were on there last Friday too!

The fire Fighters were working hard to get it under control but in that wind what an impossible task.

Any time now Bri - Soil Hill!

Brian Sumner said...

Theres nowt left to burn on Soil Hill now and if it did set on fire it would soon blow it out up there. I thought I was going to bet blown down into Ogden tonight.

Just you be ready for that Dotterel Text Dave.

Jeff Cox said...

Shocking fire Brian - and it's still burning today I hear.