SE077314
Nearby
Sites |
|
|
Specialities |
| Linnet |
| Jack Snipe |
| Skylark |
| Snow Bunting |
| Wheatear |
| Curlew |
| Grey Partridge |
| Twite |
| Whinchat |
| Woodcock |
| Stonechat |
| Raven |
Soil Hill is one of the highest points within the BOG area. Situated between the roads that lead south from Denholme, to Queensbury (A644) and Halifax (A629), it provides an excellent site to watch for some of the rarer visitors, Jack Snipe and Snow Bunting. In addition, Wheatear, Skylark, Linnet, Curlew, Stonechat and Whinchat are regularly to be seen at various times of the year.
For a regular report from BOG members who visit Soil Hill, click here.
Notable
Sightings - 2003 |
| October 2003 Ten Skylarks. |
| 6th, 10th, 11th, 15th, 24th & 25th November Single Snow Buntings were noted. |
| 10th November 2003 A single 'ringtail' Hen Harrier. |
| 10th & 11th November 2003 Three Horned Larks |
| 25th & 26th November 2003 A Jack Snipe. |
| November 2003 65 Golden Plover. |
Notable
Sightings - 2004 |
| January 2004 Three Skylarks |
| February 2004 Eight singing Skylarks |
| September 2004 125 Linnets, the year's highest count. |
| September 2004 Up to three Whinchats |
| Autumn 2004 A daily maxima of 30 Skylarks |
| Autumn 2004 200 Meadow Pipits seen on migration |
| 17th October 2004 Two Jack Snipe and after that date there were nine other records right up until the end of December |
| 17th October 2004 A leucistic bird seen on Soil Hill is, presumably, the one noted in this general area in previous years. |
| 5th November 2004 Jack Snipe |
| 8th November and 9th November 2004 Snow Buntings were seen and again on the 13th November. |
| 3rd December 2004 Jack Snipe |
| 7th December 2004 Snow Bunting |
| December 2004 Up to three Skylarks early in the month. |
| December 2004 60 Meadow Pipits still present |
Notable
Sightings - 2005 |
| 5th January 2005 Jack Snipe seen mainly on passage, and verified records of individuals came on, 10th April, 16th, 20th, 24th, 26th and 29th October and 10th November. |
| 13th January 2005 Jack Snipe and Snow Bunting |
| 6th February 2005 Skylarks singing and courtship-chasing noted. This somewhat unprepossessing location is clearly attractive to this species as birds were present in every month but June, and a maximum of twenty birds there on 13th April, probably on passage. |
| 12th February 2005 Jack Snipe |
| 3rd March 2005 Ten Skylarks |
| 19th March 2005 An early Wheatear. |
| 14th May 2005 Two Dunlin |
| May 2005 100 Swifts within an hour went through |
| July 2005 A flock of 50 Linnets and another 60 seen in September. |
| 16th October 2005 A Jack Snipe that seemed to be there until the end of the month. Greenland and Northern Wheatear, Twite and a Raven.. |
| 17th October 2005 Ten Stonechats. |
| 19th October 2005 Ten Twite. |
| 21st October 2005 Four Ring Ouzels. |
| An unusual record concerned a Red Grouse in the tiny patch of heather on the otherwise inhospitable Soil Hill, where it was presumably safe from the guns! |
| Wheatears - To round off the year, there was a remarkable passage at Soil Hill of birds showing the characteristics of the race O.o.leucorhoa (Greenland Wheatear). Between 27th September and 2nd November, 10 different birds provided very close telescope views, (KM) and were specifically identified, using the criteria contained in the paper which subsequently appeared in “Lapwing” and is available through the website (M. Cunningham). There were several other reports of large Wheatears, and which were probably this sub-species, but they were not supported by a detailed description. The final bird, seen on 2nd November, is the joint-latest record in the area. |