Ogden & Soil Hill

           Woke up this morning intent on going to Walshaw Dean
           to try and spot the Crossbill & Brambling up there but
           when I seen how poor the light was I decided to give it
           a miss and stay local, so off to Ogden & Soil Hill I went.
           Stopped at Taylor Lane for 5mins but nothing showing
           apart from JL who was on a walk but he refused a lift, it
           must be my poor driving haha.
           Got to Ogden car park and looked on the lake through
           my binoculars but nothing but gulls on the water, so up
           I went to the plantation where my first birds were 8 Pheasant,
           Crows and Magpies, next I went into the conifers hoping for
           Crossbill or Brambling, one Brambling was calling but no
           sighting and a yellow bird flew through the trees which I
           thought was a Yellowhammer but not deffo and it didn't show
           again, 6 Wren were doing a merry dance and then 8 Goldcrest
           were doing the same. As I came out of the trees a bird flew into
           the trees cross the other side of the fields which could of been a
           Barn Owl it was the same colouring but then again it might of
           been wishful thinking, so back onto Back Lane to pat the local
           donkeys when up popped JL again telling me he'd spotted a
           Little Owl and a Stonechat on his travels, so he did right refusing
           a lift and then DP came sauntering up the hill and began to tell
           us about his Owl sightings from the past, which was interesting.
           Thought I'd have a quick look at Soil Hill on the way home and
           struck Gold with a male Stonechat but that was all that was seen
           up there  but still a nice find to have locally.

   

                                          JL & DP having a natter