Soil Hill...12th - 17th April

A great day to be out , the average daily temp on Soil Hill in April so far must be at least - 2 that is day and night temp , even today it was frozen on the ground but the sun was at last warm.....there were plenty Meadow Pipits bouncing around and 7 Skylarks together on the ground made you feel like at last something may be on the move..A few Reed Buntings flitting about on a dry stone wall was another good sign,6 different Snipe ,2 Grey PArtridge , 2 Swallows zoomed north and a flock of 5 Linnets and 2 Goldfinch flew west , 40 + Fieldfare and 2 Mistle thrush were feeding down by NK pond. Golden Plover calls , Curlew and Lapwing displaying on the lower slopes..The Golden Plover flock eventually showed about 45 heading over towards Nolstar...5 Wheatear in the Horse paddock and then 30 Whooper Swans went overhead north and a Raven high north west , 2 Little Owl on Ned Hill track .. and another Swallow north.5 Pied Wagtail.... Then JLL refound the Ring Ouzels and when I got there 4 males were showing well ...Nice one John stonkers.......

13th April ... 2 Raven fighting with a falcon up by the wind farm was too distant to call for certain...but it was very feisty .....1 Ring Ouzel showed well but briefly at the top of Bradshaw fields , 10 Linnets , Red legged partridge , LBBgull and Herring Gulls drifing S/w ....and 3 sightings of Sparrowhawk one was a male carrying foodtail , 1 Grey Wag was a first this year and 42 Golden Plover with some stunning male Northern Types mixed in ..................... A Chiffchaff on the 14th and 3 Willow Warbler on the 15th...Green Woodpecker and Long tailed Tit on the 16th and a stunning Black Red on the 17th (Well done JJL ) Little Owls 6 + this week....