Ringby Lane Gull Fest

        Took a trip up Ringby Lane late evening yesterday but
        nothing about really, was surprised to see 50+ Gull flying
        about up on the tops and a hot air balloon in the distance
        over Fly Flats area, lots of corvids per usual.

        20+ Meadow Pipits
        6 Linnet
        1 Swallow
        1 Kestrel
        50+ BH & Common Gull
        2 Wood Pigeon
        20+ Goldfinch.

Friday Evening Zilch

Took a trip up to Soil Hill on Friday evening but it was a
wasted trip as not much happening but I think I left it an hour
too late, 5 Mallard at top pond, 2 MeadowPipits, 1 Stock Dove,
2 Kestrel one that I was hoping was an Owl as it was sat on a fencepost
at a distance but realised it was a Kestrel when it flew off, garden had
3 Collared Dove, 6 Greenfinch, 10+ Goldfinch, 2 Chaffinch & Corvids,
Saturday afternoon seen 50+ Siskin up Swalesmoor flying into trees by
the roadside, hoping for more action this weekend.

Goldfinch Fever

        Had an hours garden & sky watch yesterday after work
        lots of Goldfinch about there were 50+ flying about
        and hanging around the trees up on Claremount hill
        and 20+ came into garden on feeders, a Sparrowhawk
        flew through which is becoming a daily event, 8 Greenfinch,
        3 LBB Gulls flew over and 10 Wood Pigeon, 3 Collared Dove
        also in the garden and a Roe Deer in the back field.

Raptor Day

         Had a plan to go to Fly Flatts early hours but it
         didn't happen but got up there eventually, started
         off at Roper Lane but no Redstart then on to Taylor
         Lane and just 3 Pied Wagtails & Corvids then drove up
         to Ned Lane and seen 1 Kestrel and 1 Raven then over to
         Withens, 8 Goldfinch, 3 Meadow Pipit, 2 Kestrel. Finally
          got to Fly Flatts but quiet apart from Kestrels giving young
          hunting lessons and 6 Wheatear, on the way home I spotted
          female Sparrowhawk in a tree and a Little Owl.
       
         Garden had 8 Greenfinch, 12 Goldfinch, 2 Chaffinch,
         3 Collared Dove, lots of Swallows and Tawny Owl last night.

Starling Hill

     Where have all the birds gone, very quiet today,
     It didn't help with the shooters and beaters out on
     Ovenden Moor & Pauls Clough, no sign of Cuckoo
     or Redstart.
     Soil Hill-: 2 Kestrel, 8 Meadow Pipit, 10 Goldfinch,
     8 Ducks in bottom pond, huggings of Starlings and
     23 Pied Wagtail nr dead sheep at Taylor Lane.
     Withens-: 1 Pheasant, 6 Linnet, 2 Common Gull,
      1 Little Owl, 2 BH Gull
      Fly Flatts-: 10+ Meadow Pipit, 10+ Wheatear,
      1 Kestrel with wounded wing, 2 Mallard.

Quiet Day

              First stop today was up to Old Guy Road looking for Whinchat & Wheatear
              but no joy and greenkeeper cutting cricket field didn't help, so up Roper Lane
              for a Redstart search and again no joy, next up to Taylor Lane to see the Cuckoo
              but as I got out of car I heard Crows carrying on in big tree and there on the end
              of a branch was a cracking Merlin but soon flew off toward Bradshaw.
              Another birder came down the road and stopped for a chat also called Dave P he
              was a lovely bloke and deffo knew his stuff, the Cuckoo then showed at a distance
              and the Weasel made a lightening visit again also seen flock of 30+ Goldfinch
              bobbing about, 2 Pied Wagtail on far wall and a Raptor flew into trees over main rd,
              another nice bloke turned up to see the Cuckoo named Pete from Brighouse but it
              had gone into hiding so I took him up to Soil Hill for a wasted trip, 2 Kestrel,
              1 Dunnock and 2 Meadow Pipit one of them that I first thought was a Twite as it
              looked smaller, my eyes deceiving me again, so then back to Taylor Lane and there
              was the Cuckoo to cheer Pete up, so I left Pete a happy man and went back to Roper
              Lane but still no Redstart but a Sparrowhawk flew past and seen 2 Kestrel and 20+
              Common Gull and regular corvids, but overall a very quiet day for sight & sound.

                               10+ Swallow and 6 Rabbits also seen.

Soil Hill Mystery

            Had a wander up Soil Hill today where what I thought were Buzzards
            could of been something else, 1 was deffo a Common Buzzard but the
            other could of been a juv or something else, bumped into Graham Haigh
            but it was very quiet but a Weasel cheered us up, it was that close it could
            of been on my arm down at Taylor Lane, we were in search of the Cuckoo
            which I caught up with an hour or so later, I got a call from Dave Sutcliffe
            who was up at Roper Lane so popped up to see him as he'd scoped a Redstart
            again which I was glad about as it's a lifer for me, was quiet for a while and
            then a mad half hour as 4 Raven flew through, Sparrowhawk & Kestrel fight,
            flock of Siskin and Linnet, lots of Swallows and Kestrels in action.

            2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzards ?, 8 Kestrel, 4 Raven, 1 Cuckoo,1 Redstart,
            2 flocks of Linnet, 2 flocks of Siskin.
            Need Brian Sumner and Dave Sutcliffe to help me out with ID of Buzzards
            and most other birds to be honest.