Soil Hill & Whiteholme Reservoir; updates from the week

Another quiet but very enjoyable week with high overall diversity, with between 35 - 40 species recorded daily, peaking at 41 on the 23rd. More and more juveniles are starting to appear, with some birds already onto their second broods.

Soil Hill 21st June

-A Siskin was calling over Taylor Lane, but not seen

-2 Sand Martin were blogging over the NK Pond

Soil Hill 22nd June

-Around 75 Swift flew slowly N over Taylor Lane

-A pair of Siskin flew east over the Koi Farm Copse off Taylor Lane

Soil Hill 23rd June

-A juvenile Stonechat was on Taylor Lane. I have been unable to find any Stonechat this year, but this juvenile is presumably a good indication that they have successfully bred somewhere nearby

Soil Hill 24th June

-Grasshoppper Warbler was reeling intermittently in windy conditions

Soil Hill 26th June

-2 different Grasshopper Warblers were reeling

-An estimated 100 Swift flew through during an hours watching

-2 Sand Martin were blogging over the NK Pond

-Grasshopper Warbler

-Common Whitethroat

Just the one visit to Whiteholme Reservoir this week. There was a large influx of Common Scoter across the NW on the 24th but I could not make it up to the reservoir until the 25th, where I found no scoter. A female Teal was present in the ditch along Byron Edge and two Wheatear fledglings were feeding on the reservoir shore. Otherwise nothing of note.

A quick check of Blackstone Edge Reservoir found 7 Dunlin