Local Views from Soil Hill

         Thornton Viaduct through a tangle of wires

                       Doe Park, a good vis mig and catchment area

Beyond the teasels to Thornton Moor Res, left and Sentry Hill, right.

A trickle of Swifts and LBB gulls today all north with several Swallows blogging around the area.
Nothing else of note apart from a White Stork which I missed flying past the garage, see NKs Queensbury birders blog for details.
BS

Hail ,Sleet and Snow on * the hill *

                      Bad cloud heading my way !

                                            Getting nearer.

                                         Its here !!!
A one hour visit ended in yet another drenching on Soil Hill this p.m.
I was in constant touch with DCB at his watchpoint and we could see the various shower clouds from Gt Whernside to Bradford centre. Small sharp showers kept hitting either Dave or me and then I saw the biggy coming across Bingley Moor in my direction. When it arrived I got rain,hail,sleet and snow dropped on me, lovely.
In amongst the showers Swifts were again moving but in lower numbers and much higher than yesterday.
See Daves vis mig site for his count and all day reports.

Swifts................32 >N
Swallows...........9 >N
2 Kestrels
4 Skylark
1 Meadow Pipit.
BS

More Fly Flatts Birds

                              Greylag gliding in

Goldie waiting for me by my car!

                            Meadow Pipit

Just got call from DCB saying Swifts are again piling through.
BS

Fly Flatts revisited

                                  1 of 3 Oystercatchers

                             Common Sandpiper

                                 Still plenty Wheatears around

Fly Flatts   0730-1000hrs   Icy cold wind NE > 6 dropping slightly. Cloudy sunshine.
Quiet skies apart from a trickle of LBB gulls  north, a few Swallows heading south, and who can blame them, and Swifts just starting to come as I came away.  A Cuckoo was calling near Dean Head and a flighty Whinchat was on heather beyond the feeding station. Wheatears were still plentiful.

Movers :-
11 LBB Gulls  >N
2 Swifts      >N

Other
7 Swallows   >S
1 Whinchat
12 Wheatear
6 Common Sandpiper
3 Oystercatchers
2 Golden Plover
4 Curlew
1 Cuckoo,  calling
BS

Swifts Galore

DCB with his car on sentry hill from Soil Hill. You,ll have to click to enlarge it.

                                                     Skylarks.

An afternoon visit to the hill proved fruitful even though the now cool E>4 was still blowing.

All was quiet to start with other than LBB gulls going through. LBBs must be the most layed back movers there are. Whilst other birds power through on migration LBBs saunter through as if they have all the time in the world.

I called Dave Barker who I could see at his watchpoint and as he was scoping to see where I was he started seeing Swifts high above me. Suddenly the flood gates opened and Swifts poured through heading north on a broad front from as far to the west and east as you could see. After about 30 minutes all was quiet again though Dave was still scoping them far out to the east.

For Daves report and totals see his vis mig blog on the right hand link.

Movers :-

Swift..........................129 >N

LBB Gull....................23 >N

Other :-

1 Kestrel

4 Skylark

2 Linnet

4 Lapwing

No sign of Gropper though not suprising in the cold wind.

No Wheatear or Ring Ouzel either.

BS

Fly Flatts Wheatears

             16 Wheatear counted around the water without scanning the walls etc.
  See full report below.
BS

A Wintery Fly Flatts

                                 A Handsome Golden Plover

                                     Common Sandpiper

                                   A fall of Pied Wagtails

Fly Flatts  0745- 1000hrs. Real Bank Holiday weather with icy cold wind E force 6 dropping slightly mid morning. Drizzle and rain showers. Full winter gear on this morning.
Despite just missing a Red Kite going over early morning, phone call from DCB, quite a productive visit given the weather conditions although sky movement was poor other than LBB Gulls battling through.
Wheatears were everywhere and a fall of Pied Wagtails was evident but no whites amongst them.

Movers :-
2 Swallows   >N
52 LBB Gulls   >N  >NE  & >NW
9 Pied Wagtails,  now blogging.

Other :-
5 Greylag Geese
16 Wheatear
2 Red Grouse
3 Twite
5 Common Sandpiper
3 Golden Plover
+ usual sp.
BS

Little to report

Had to work this morning so not much chance of scanning the skies.
A steady dribble of Swifts headed >N early doors and LBB gulls were coming over >NW most of the morning though only in small numbers.
At Shelf Moor tonight a Skylark was up singing and 11 Linnets were  flying around the gorse bush field along with 4 Goldfinch. Fly Flatts in the morning weather permitting so we,ll see what we can turn up to start May off.
Highlight of the area today has been a Grasshopper Warbler for Soil Hill (NK). For full report click on the Queensbury birders link.
BS

Black Skies and big black birds

                                 Black skies over,t mill.

                                   Mi grandmother called these  "Devil Birds"
She said if the devil birds were hanging round your house something grim would happen.
Something grim seems to happen to me daily, crows or no crows.

Had Gordon Denison in the garage today for his camper repairing so whilst I sorted that he walked on Swalesmoor and came back reporting a good passage of Swallows coming through Shibden valley >N.
These were his first Swallows of the year in the Calderdale area so he went away a happy man, motor mended and an annual tick to boot.

Well the holiday weekend weather has arrived with heavy rain most of the day up here at the back o the moon in Queensbury, hopefully it will improve although these heavy showers are usually good for bringing the waders down if they can find any mud. Fly Flatts is just limited to the northern ponds with no shoreline around the reservoir.
Soil Hill just has the NK pond with plenty mud around it now that the scrapes on the summit have been completely destroyed.
Has anyone local got shoreline around their reservoirs ?
Hope you all have a bird filled May Day weekend.
Watch this space to see if I do.
BS

Foxhill Sunset

                                      Sunset over Foxhill

A bit quiet today to say the least with rain from mid day.
A few Swallows were taking advantage of the flies brought out by the rain and a single House Martin briefly inspected its old breeding site then moved on as it does every year before returning to refurbish its old nest under a neighbours eaves but this isnt until early June.
Several Curlews were in fields around the Duke of York  near Wilsden.
BS

Harp Lane /Foxhill

                               Harp Lane / Foxhill

                     Carter  Lane / Spring Head Wood. Thornton beyond.
pm visit

1 Willow Warbler
4 Grey Partridge
3 Swift >NE
8 Swallow >N
2 Little Owl
1 Pied Wagtail
BS

Hirundines over Queensbury

Good  movement of Swallows today early a.m. all powering through >NW along with 3 House Martins.
LBB gulls were also in evidence with a steady flow, again >NW.
This evening Swallows were feeding over Foxhill Park and a single Heron headed >SW

Swallows............32 >NW
LBB Gulls .......... 27 >NW
 Heron...............  1  >SW
 House Martin.... 3 >NW
Several blogging Swallows pm.
BS

A quick walkabout

          Foxhill School and Pineberry Inn

              A murky south from above Roper Lane.
pm  walk

2 Wheatear in underground reservoir field
1 Wheatear above Roper Lane
6 Linnet, 15 Goldfinch, Richardsons farm
2 Swifts >N over Bradshaw
5 Swallows >N over Old Guy Rd.
BS

Bar Tailed Godwit for Soil Hill

pm visit 1430hrs  WSW>4 Torrential rain.

Just got dried out from this mornings outing so thought Id go do it all again.
Headed for Soil Hill hoping for some flyovers with the weather being ideal for migrants but as I got to the summit in the now black clouds I could see the broad front of a belt of rain heading towards me. Undetered  I scanned the area and what Id thought was a curlew by the NK pond was in fact a Bar Tailed Godwit when I got the scope on it. The bird was very pale still in winter plumage, pale grey apart from its neck which was just starting to darken. By now the rain was lashing down and the Godwit, having more sense than me decided to move on. As it flew I got the white V up its back and no wingbars taking any doubt away from Black Tailed, I hate Godwit i.d.
It flew low towards Thornton Moor reservoir but was lost in the rain before I could see if it went down or not.
After putting it out on the grapevine I rang DCB who told me he had a very pale wader this a.m. near Curlew size flying towards Soil Hill but didnt get chance to make a definate i.d.
Needless to say, again whilst Im typing this, the sun is shining through the window from bright skies but I think it was well worth the dousing.
If you come through Queensbury and see a large black rain cloud, wave because I,ll be under it.

PS.. For Wheatear photos like you,ve never seen before click on Dave Barkers visible migration link.
BS

Fogged off at Fly Flatts

                                            Plenty Swallow movement

                                  Fog heading my way

                                 Blank out.  Twite in the fog

Fly Flatts  0715-1000hrs  Rain , Drizzle then fog. SW>3 .Real Sunday morning stuff.
A disappointing morning vis mig wise with heavy rain to start with followed by 30mins clear with drizzle during which time there was some decent movement but this was short lived as the drizzle increased followed by a second band of rain with dense fog to conclude, smashing!
Other than the poor weather a satisfying morning birdwise ,to get a list as this morning and only 10 mins from home ca,nt be bad.

Movers :-
12 Alba Wagtails   >W
73 Swallow        >N
12 Meadow Pipit  >N

Other :-
Several blogging Swallow
3 Common Sandpiper
1 Snipe
12 Twite
4 Red Grouse
1 Sparrowhawk
3 Wheatear
2 Oystercatchers
2 Greylag Geese
+ usual resident sp.
Thanks for skype call from DCB warning me of an approaching band of rain that had just passed over Manchester heading my way. Still got wet through but at least I was expecting to.
Typically now as Im typing this the sky is blue and the sun is shining, Bah.
BS