Calderdale Birds: Soil Hill

Saturday, September 30, 2023

Soil Hill

Shocking start to the morning with a thin fog that just would not clear. I could hear birds moving above the cloud base, especially Siskin, be was limited in what I could pick up. For the first 90 minutes after sunrise the fog came and went, but once it finally lifted around 08:30, a torrent of Meadow Pipits flooded past. Was nice to be joined by Chris King for an excellent few hours on the Hill, watching from 07:00 until 12:00. My final total of 58 species is a record for me at this site.

Despite the fog Meadow Pipits moved from first light, with around 300 passing through before it cleared. After the fog lifted the movement increased rapidly before dropping off around 11:00. The final count for the morning was 1944.

Finches were passing through in good numbers as well, with particularly good counts of 46 Lesser Redpoll and 69 Chaffinch.

Hirundine movement was more limited, with 99 Swallows and 12 House Martins

Three skeins of Pink-footed Geese passed through totaling 109 birds; 09:37 c.30 SE over Baildon, 11:14 71 SE directly over the Soil Hill North Slope & 11:27 8 SE over Keelham.

The rarest mover of the morning was a Cream-crowned Marsh Harrier which slowly moved south, passing over Thornton Moor Reservoir and disappearing over the Hill there. Since I never saw it enter Calderdale airspace, can I technically have it for my yearlist? Haha.

Two Mute Swans that flew NW over Keelham before dropping towards Doe Park Reservoir, spotted by CK, were a patch tick for me. Number 123!

Also a bit more lively in the bushes compared to the last few days, which presumably helped by the drop in the wind. Although generally just common birds, still three Chiffchaff in the North Slope area, and a party of six Long-tailed Tits roaming around are something of a Hill rarity.