Soil Hill & Whiteholme Reservoir; updates from the week

The first yellow Willow Warbler juveniles have begun to drift through in the week, but not in any substrantial numbers as yet. Lots of juvenile birds around so the bushes have felt very lively.

Soil Hill 13th July

-A Hobby came blasting across the North Slope, breifly pausing to chase a Meadow Pipit before continuing eastward 

-8 Willow Warblers  

A full checklist from this date can be found here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S91688599

-Hobby

Soil Hill 14th July

-A fledgling Blackcap was in the Koi Farm Copse. It was nice to confirm that this species has bred on the Hill, after being unable to confirm it in 2020

Soil Hill 15th July

-A juv. Great-spotted Woodpecker flew N over Taylor Lane, only stopping breifly to alight on a telegraph post

Soil Hill 16th July

-A pr. Bullfinch were in the bushes along Ned Hill Track

-Mistle Thrushes peaked for the week with 21

Soil Hill 17th July

-9 Willow Warblers, the highest count of the week

During the first couple of days of the week I visited Whiteholme and was rewarded with some reasonable Common Scoter passage and a few waders. Despite the heavy rain most of the shoreline still remains and it looks absolutely spot on for August and September.

Whiteholme 12th July

-A WHIMBREL dropped in c.15.00 in constant rain. Frustratingly I was only able to get some really rather poor record shots due to the distance and weather. 

-2 adult drake Common Scoter were in the centre of the reservoir

-A female Teal flew low across the water

A full checklist from this date can be found here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S91651558

Whiteholme 13th July

-2 juv. Dunlin were on the centre 'island', plus a third bird which I did not get a clear view of, but could also have been a juv.

-A Willow Warbler dropped in to the small bushes along the dam wall, before flying off across the moor

-Whimbrel

-Common Scoter

I also checked Blackstone Edge, despite it being just out of our area, on both dates, and on the 13th had a flock of 29 Common Scoter present; 28 drakes and a single female

-Common Scoter