With some parole due mid afternoon I decided to give the hill a break and visit Ogden, or that was until DJS text me to say he had done Ogden and it was very quiet, looks like its back to Soil Hill again. By the time I was free at 1430 hrs the mist had dropped shrouding the hill in fog so back to plan A , Ogden.
The weather was worsening by the minute with horizontal drizzle piling across the water on a strengthening WNW>5 and mist above the tree tops with the drizzle finally giving way to heavy rain, lovely.
A check on the sluice gate for the Kingfisher didnt produce but a second check after a circuit of the water found it way down in the bottom on a pipe and barely visible in the conditions.
A clockwise walk round the perimeter found the usual Blackbirds, Robins, Wrens and Dunnocks with just 2 Goldcrest and 1 pair of Bullfinch but there had been plenty disturbance with the quad bike ploughing the track up to a boggy mess to put old Christmas trees around the edges. Seems a shame to me that they were chopped down in the first place for the sake of two weeks then dumped. You can,t beat our plastic one which I stick back in the box until next year, Scrooge ! who, me ?
The water held around 100 small gulls,80% BHG and 20% Commons along with one LBB gull, most of which ended up squabbling over a loaf of brown bread thrown in by a bread lobber. Mallards counted at 78 which is low but several seem to head off towards Mixenden to roost. All todays Mallards were seeking shelter at the northern end of the water.
BS