I’m back home for the week so wasted no time heading up to Soil Hill this morning hoping for some Whooper Swan migration. I didn’t manage to pick up any flocks flying past, but from the vantage point of Soil Hill I was able to distantly spot a group on Mixenden Reservoir. From the photos I have I was able to count 22, but being so distant it could easily be more.
However this Whooper
Swan action was thoroughly trumped when I reached the bottom of the North
Slope. I was just scanning the area of The Shay for Wheater (no joy there) when
I turned around to see the bright white crescent of a male Ring Ouzel looking
back at me! This is my first March record here, and caught me completely off
guard. I was able to approach the bird but it was then flushed by a patrolling
police helicopter. It remained in the area after, but was quite mobile. Sadly
JJL was not able to re-find the bird late morning, so it may have moved off.
In addition to these
two highlights, there was a nice supporting cast. A single Raven flew
over heading SE. Lots of wader activity with two Oystercatchers on The Shay
and another three flying north, plus at least two Snipe in full display.
Two male Stonechats were at the bottom of the North Slope and a female Bullfinch
was on Ned Hill Track. A mobile flock of 30+ Fieldfare was still present
on Taylor Lane.
Late morning I made
a short trip to Ogden to see the flock of 18 Whooper Swans that had
landed there. In very peaceful conditions it was great to watch the birds taking
a break on their journey home. The only other birds of note were four Tufted
Ducks and a flyover Lesser Redpoll.
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