1500 hrs in a cool W>5 and little light as I trudged around Soil Hill with very little in the way of rewards, in fact not a bird of any description until I was leaving and Fieldfares started to appear with around 80 in total left over from JLs mega count yesterday. A group of c50 were around the north slope whilst c30 were in the fields near the track but very mobile moving from field to field.
The Pit Lane Lapwing flock of around 70 were just heading off west to roost.
A good report today text to me from CK, Bfd birders at Oxenhope reservoir, members only, with around 4000 mixed gulls, 21 Teal, 7 Goldeneye, and 4 Goosanders, so thats where all the birds are.
A text at home at 1648 hrs from son in law Stuart alerting me of around 100 Pinkies over Horton Bank Top >SW towards Queensbury so out in the garden in the dark listening but must have passed to the North or South of me. Grapevined it as they would but heading across Calderdale at some point.
My old workshop manager used to always say, Every silver lining has a cloud, well hears a couple of clouds for today.
1... With Soil Hill getting well grassed over now and the mud getting less of a hazard the area is slowly in danger of becoming a dog exercise area with 3 seperate couples seen on my last 2 visits all with off lead dogs bounding around. A dangerous area where I would never take my dogs with metal bars and sharp obstructions sticking out of the ground but the dog people that never saw the hill as it was aren,t wise to this. Just 1 more problem to add to the hills ever increasing list.
2.... I,ve just learnt today that the owner of Oats Royd has sold full fishing rights to an angling club for use of all the lower ponds which are being cleared of weeds etc and hard standing spread around the edges as well as platforms to fish from. A car park area is to be made near the ponds and a shop erected for the sale of fishing bait etc. Bad news for the breeding geese, Mallard, Coot and Moorhen.
Right, now I,ve depressed you all I,m off with the hopes of a healthier blog in the morning, but I,ll end on a good note, only 4 days left to the shortest day.
BS