Sunday, September 03, 2023

Soil Hill

 After a few days of easterlies and fog, was hoping for a bit of VizMig this morning, and was rewarded with a three-figure Swallow count and a few other goodies in a five-hour session on this Hill this morning. A total species count of 57 is my best-ever total for a visit to this site, in the company of Chris King.



  • The highlight of the morning was an Osprey that drifted slowly south around 10:30. Sadly it then veered back NE and eventually started soaring distantly over Harden Moor, before heading east into Bradford. Frustratingly, it never managed to cross the border into Halifax
  • Steady trickle of hirundines this morning, with 109 Swallows heading south, with also small groups of House Martin and Sand Martin mixed in. 
  • Lots of wagtail movement, with 18 Pied Wagtails on the Bottom Cattle Fields, with two more heading south. Also 5 Grey Wagtail moving south, the first of these species for the autumn, and a single Yellow Wagtail early morning. The Yellow Wag flew south in a group of wagtails calling, but frustratingly when I checked photos, I photographed the wrong bird...
  • Slight finch movement, with 30 Siskin going south in three flocks, and 4 Lesser Redpoll; a single and a group of 3
  • Single Tree Pipit going south calling
Also a few grounded migrants this morning
  • A single Spotted Flycatcher busy feeding in the North Slope Tree-Line
  • Other migrants; 3 Wheatear, 3 Stonechat, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff & 2 Whitethroat.

-Osprey
-Spotted Flycatcher

In total managed 57 species this morning, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S148848778


1 comment:

Bradshaw Rambler said...

Amazing!! John