Back to the fog, rain and snow. Harold Park

 

                                        Harold Park

                                    2 Cormorant present

                                    Single elusive Little Grebe

                                    Plenty Moorhen

                                    Good count of gulls

                                    Gulls on the football pitch

                                        Herring gull

                                    12 Tufted duck

                                        Herring gulls

                                    Single Goosander

                                        10 Mute Swan.

Dense fog up here in Queensbury this morning so back down the hill to Harold Park where it was clear but very dank conditions with drizzle and rain throughout on a moderate E>3-4 at 2 degrees. By the time I got back to Queensbury mid morning the fog had lifted with a few light snow showers but a reasonable afternoon.

     Nothing new on the lake other than a Little Grebe, new in, but keeping very elusive. A count of 12 Tufted along with 2 Cormorant and a single Goosander plus the usual Mute Swans, Coots, Moorhens and Mallards.

    A decent count of gulls with around 50 Black Headed and 27 Herring but no LBB or Common. The gulls were alternating between the lake and the football pitch. Hedge cutting was taking place at the top end of the park so nothing on the top pond due to the disturbance and the trees remained quiet.

    A cloudy wet forecast for morning with light rain and snow at 1 degree, and of course, it will be foggy. The easterlies as set to continue until a week on Saturday when it finally turns south.

BS

First visit this year, Fly Flatts.

                                    Stonking weather at Fly Flatts
 

                                    Frozen lagoon.

                                        Still water

                                    Canadas returning

Perfect conditions at Fly Flatts with full blue sky and wall to wall sunshine on a light SW>1 slowly turning >E at 1 degrees. Icy roads on the top and lagoon lightly frozen over.

     Nice to get back and tread the tracks around Fly Flatts for the first time this year. It seemed strange using the scope after such a long time, I'd nearly forgot which end to look through.

   Quiet on the bird side which is expected this time of year with arrivals due in a couple of weeks time.

Canada and Greylag geese are returning to the water being very noisy and displaying with 28 Canada, 6 Greylag and a single Mallard.

    Otherwise, just a Raven plus the 2 resident Crows, a Kestrel and 2 Red Grouse. The Nolstar fields held a few Black Headed and Common gulls along with a single Herring gull.

    Hope you all enjoyed todays weather because tomorrow we are back to reality with a light easterly at 2 degrees with a low risk of rain and snow, plus of course, the fog.

BS

  

A reet wet do, Ogden/Mixenden.

 

                                    Ogden

                                Few Black Headed at Mixy

                                    Distant Shelduck in the pouring rain. Mixy.

A real wet morning with heavy to torrential rain throughout on a strong SE>5 at 2 degrees. Luckily the fog stayed up on the tops but dropped lower late morning.

 With the dogs and me waterproofed up we set off for Ogden to check the water where the visibility  was reasonable with light mist but bad seeing through the pouring rain with bins constantly steaming up.

    The waterside tracks were caked in mud so just stuck to the promenade area to scan the water without having to get home and bath the dogs. The 6 Tufted duck were back on the water at the north end along with a Little Grebe constantly diving . With nothing else showing I headed to Mixenden to check the water.

    It was still bouncing down at Mixenden but by this time I couldn't get any wetter so a walk up the track at the south side of the reservoir. Just a few Black Headed gull present, as expected, as the bulk of the gulls, plus the big gulls, don't usually arrive at the reservoirs until late morning at this time of year, which are pre roost birds, usually leaving for their roost around 1500 hrs.

     The Shelduck was surprisingly still present for its 3rd day but sticking to the north end of the water and hard to spot. 

                                        Mixenden

Apart from an ice warning for morning its looking good with some sunshine on a light SE at 1 degree

then back to the fog by late afternoon.

BS

Running out of options, Wibsey Park.

 

                                    Plenty small gulls to sift through

                                    High count of Tufted duck

                                    Few Herring gulls

                                    and not a Med gull to be found

                                    Mute Swan displaying.

With fog on the tops for the tenth consecutive morning I'm running out of venues with no visits to Fly Flatts as yet this year and Leeshaw riddled with road closures its getting difficult.

    Wibsey park was clear of fog with just a light mist and dampness in the air on a light E>3 at 2 degrees.

   A good count of small gulls on and around the water as well as 8 Herring gulls, but looking bad for finding a Med gull again this year.

   Tufted ducks were out in force with a count of 48 along with Canada and Greylag geese, Mallard, Coot and Moorhen whilst one of the Mute Swans is displaying and seeing off any Greylags that get too close to it. Strangely this was the only species that the swan took a dislike to.

    The top trees were alive with Collared Dove, Woodpigeon and Long Tailed Tits as well as the usual park species.

    Looking like a no go job for tomorrow with heavy rain, sleet and snow forecast throughout the day on a strong SE wind starting off at 1 degree, plus some fog thrown in for good measure.

BS

More fog dodging, Harold Park.

 

                                        No fog here.

                                        12 Mute Swan present

                                    Most Tufted ducks gone

                                        2 CY Cormorant.

                                    Probable argentatus Herring gull, LH

                                    Looked too pale for LBB.

Dense fog throughout the day at Queensbury so another trip south to Harold Park which was clear but dark full cloud and continuous rain on a moderate ENE>4 at 4 degrees.

    Nothing unusual this morning but a move out of Tufted duck was apparent going from 35 on my last visit, 2 days ago, to just 9 this morning, though they could have just moved over to Park Dam.

 The 12 Mute Swan were still present along with the usual Mallards, Coots and Moorhens along with 2 Cormorant.

    Around 40 Black Headed gulls were on the water along with 9 Herring, one of which was a darker mantled bird looking too light for LBB and good for argentatus. No goosanders this morning ,but again, they could have moved over to the dam. The top pond just held 6 Coot and 4 Moorhen whilst the trees had Chaffinch, Long Tailed Tits and and the usual park species.

    Showing a bit drier for morning with the temperature down to 1 degree on a light SE plus of course the fog. Its hard to remember what blue sky looks like. Several Pink Footed Geese have now left their wintering grounds and have headed back north, and by the time this fog clears most of the skeins will have been missed.

BS