Queensbury via Soil Hill and back approx 0745 hrs. Mixed flock of Goldfinch, Linnet, Greenfinch & House Sparrow at Mountain. One LBBG > NE & a Pied Wagtail at Percy Rd where a few more Greenfinch were hanging, couple Swallows too.
Soil Hill top held 4 Mallard & c25 Meadow Pipit but no Skylark seen or heard. I traipsed down through the dense growth of the N slope to the very bottom, not to be recommended for the uninitiated. c75 Lapwing were present on the excavated muddy field along with a score of Starling. 1 Curlew was calling somewhere from the W edge, a WW was calling from the bushes and a Whitethroat scolding away from similar.
The stretch from the top of the hill via Taylor Lane was a non event and of exercise value only with a Dunnock and a couple of Swallow present.
Old Guy Rd was in deep slumber, the only birds being seen were 1 each Blackbird & Pied Wagtail plus 3/4 crows.
On a positive note yet again the House Sparrows around Foxhill served as a reminder that Queensbury bucks the national trend in that it has a healthy population present.
I did have one puzzler that I can't solve; what sounded like a Jay was calling from a Hawthorn at the edge of the park. I couldn't see the bird which ain't exactly commonplace around this area.
