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THE PANORAMA from Lindale Hill, to the west of Wakefield, takes in the skyline of the city, Woolley Edge, Emley Moor, Holy Trinity church, Ossett, Gawthorpe Water Tower, a covered reservoir on Jaw Hill, and, to the north west, East Ardsley church. Wavy hair grass, Heath Bedstraw (not in flower today), Bracken and Gorse (in flower), plants typical of thin dry acid soils, grow here, on this heathy outcrop of sandstone. Cladonia lichen colonises bare patches, rush grows in the hollows.
The hill was once embanked around and used as a rabbit warren. On September 28th, 1641, three labourers appeared in court at Wakefield charged with; 'entering the warren, comonally called Lindall hill, belonging to Thomas, Earl Savile, and three killing with guns charged with powder and hail-shot two conies.'  
Six Redpolls are attracted to the cone-laden branches of the Alders on the hill. They investigate the debris beneath, probably picking out the fallen seed.
I'm used to wildlife documentaries on television where species are always involved in dramatic events and significant behaviour. It's strange to see that real-life wild birds sometimes sit around, apparently with nothing in particular to do. Returning from the hill we walk through the churchyard of Alverthorpe Church, where a headstone records a mining tradegy;
Sacred
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Twenty or more Redwings sit in the Hawthorns that screen the adjoining scrapyard. They seem to be just sitting there, enjoying the sun.
