Memory's from Soil Hill ..Many thanks to Brian Sumner ,,

 Thursday, December 5, 2013

A Soil Hill story

An horrendous day up here on the tops with a severe gale WNW >9 gusting 10 bringing showers of horizontal rain turning to snow after dark when the wind dropped leaving a light frozen coating on the cars and pavements.

 

With the sighting of Lapland Bunting on Ringby Top the other day,DJS, it reminded me of the Shore Lark found up there a few years ago and the amazing sighting we had of 3 Shore Lark and 2 Snow Buntings which gave excellent views on Soil Hill for a few days back in Nov 2004.

Here is a report from Andy Cockroft I dug out from his first visit to the hill.

 

                                          Andy wrote :-       The phone was buzzing in my pocket but I was unable to read it as it was my Grandmas 90th birthday speech. When I got to read it , it said, 3 Shore Lark , Soil Hill

10/11/2004.  Where the hell is Soil Hill I thought !!!!!! Early next morning I pulled up at the place I was told to go to where it was thick fog, not just thick but dense with visibility down to 3 or 4 feet.

I had no idea where to go or even where I was, ( now I know that this is not uncommon on the hill).

                                                            As I stumbled around the wire and rubbish I certainly cursed the place a few times. Eventually I reached the top and thought I,ve no chance of seeing anything in this, but then out of the gloom 3 birds flew past me which could have been Skylarks but sometimes you just know when they are something different. I searched for another hour then gave it up.

                                                                    A couple of hours later I returned and the fog had gone so I set off again knowing that they were there somewhere and after literally bumping into one of the Cunningham brothers we were soon rewarded with the 3 Shore Larks giving good views and also Snow Bunting and Jack Snipe.

Since that first date I have been many times to the hill and have been rewarded several times with, Black Redstart, Dotterel , Purple Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover and Buzzard to name a few.

Soil Hill is one of the best places to see Snow Bunting in winter and usually picks up the first Wheatear in spring and is well worth a look at any time of year , especially in the autumn for vis mig.

Andy C.

A nice report there Andy giving a good feel to the place.