A sunny Leeshaw reservoir

 

                                    5 Redshank present

                                    as well as a minimum of 26 Oystercatchers

                                    100 + Starlings

With Fly Flatts out of bounds for the next 3 weekends due to working parties up there doing drainage and track potholes it was across to Leeshaw with brilliant weather conditions. Wall to wall sunshine on a clear blue sky and a fresh but light W>3 at 2 degrees.

     Oystercatcher numbers are up to at least 26 whilst 5 Redshank were present moving around the fields. The water was quiet with just 1 pair of Teal along with a few Greylag and Canada geese plus the usual Mallards.

  It seemed strange up there without the gulls, the only one present briefly was a Herring gull, the majority of small gulls now headed off to their breeding grounds. A good morning with plenty to see though nothing out of the ordinary. Good to bump into nephew NP up there giving it a coat of looking at.

   Back to normal tomorrow with a cloudy wet day on a light SW at 3 degrees.

Leeshaw

Min. 26 Oystercatcher

5 Redshank

c 80 Lapwing

1 Herring gull

3 Curlew

1 Little Owl

1 Dipper

1pr Teal

2 Heron

1 Buzzard

2 Pied Wagtail

2 Grey Wagtail

Starling 100+

1 Mistle Thrush

Small count of Greylag and Canada geese

+ usual species.

BS

Wind and snow flurries, Ogden.

 

                                    Ogden, early morn.

                                        A good year for Treecreepers

  

                                    Grub up.

                                    1 pr Tufted duck

                                    Battling the waves.

A strong, icy cold wind this morning with a near gale WSW>7 at 35 mph gusting gale force WSW>8 at 41 mph but sheltered on the west bank. A mixture of sunshine and showers with a few early snow flurries at 1 degree.

    One would think, with the law of averages, that something would have shown up at Ogden this year but yet another quiet morning with just 1 pair of Tufted on the water as well as 2 Canada geese, 3 Black Headed and a single Common gull as well as the usual Mallards.

     The West bank trees had gone back into quiet mode from yesterday, with just the usuals, plus a good count of Treecreepers, which have been a common species at this site this year. A single Grey Wagtail was moving around the overflow area.

     Looking like a bright sunny day tomorrow with a light westerly kicking off at 1 degree.

BS

    

Breezy Ogden

 

                                    Good visibility

                                    NW corner

                                    Parakeet pond

                                    A well overgrown Dipper Dyke.

                                    Few Herring and LBB gulls

A wild morning with a strong to gale force SW>8 at 39 mph, gusting strong gale SW>9 at 48 mph on the Beaufort scale, but ' nobbut a fresh breeze and a good drying day for t'weshing on the Queensbury scale. Full cloud and some early drizzle at 6 degrees.

    Luckily, wind is rarely a problem at Ogden other that it was very blustery across the promenade so a decent walk around the full circuit of the water.

    A bit of interest in the waterside trees with a small group of Chaffinch, which is unusual when the water level is up and their favourite weeds are covered. Also 3 Goldcrest which have been extremely rare this winter. Otherwise, a single Song Thrush and a decent count of Great, Coal and Blue Tits.

   A female and 2 male Tufted duck were on the water briefly but soon left in the direction of Mixenden.

Most of the Black Headed and Common gulls have now left for their breeding grounds with just 1 Common and 2 Black Headed on the water along with 7 Herring and 4 LBB gulls. A count of 32 Woodpigeons feeding on the grass bank below the promenade was higher than usual.

    Another blustery morning tomorrow with a gale force SW>8 at 40mph then dropping steadily after midday. A good chance of rain with a low temperature of 1 degree to start the day.

BS

    

Out of the wind, Ogden

 

                                    Several Treecreepers present

                                        8 Herring gull

                                    Only 2 Common gull

                                    7 Black Headed

A moderate to strong S>6 gusting 7 so headed down to Ogden where, apart from the Promenade, the wind was no problem. Near full cloud cover with a mix of sunshine and showers at 5 degrees.

    Nothing to get the taste buds going this morning with the west bank having the usual common woodland species, though a good count of Treecreepers was pleasing to watch.

      A group of 8 Herring gulls dropped onto the water on their was NE with 2 adults and the rest all

1CYs whilst only 2 Common and 7 Black Headed were present along with the usual Mallards.

    A deteriorating day given for tomorrow with a cloudy morning and low risk of rain, heavy rain by p.m. A Met office wind warning is out for near gale SW>7 at 34 m.p.h. with gusts up to SW>9 at 54 m.p.h. at 7 degrees.

BS

Not the sort of forecast to be walking Fly Flatts.

A livelier Fly Flatts

 

                                    Good visibility

                                    Water level going down well

                                    Shore starting to appear

                                Alive with frogs and frog spawn

                                    2 of 4 Oystercatchers

                                    1 of 2 Redshank

                                    Single Ringed Plover

Low cloud as I arrived at Fly Flatts early morn but soon cleared in the cold moderate SW>4-5 at 4 degrees with some broken cloud and a short blast of sun.

    Bit of a wader morning with 25 Lapwing, at least 18 Curlew, 2 Redshank, 4 Oystercatcher, 1 Snipe and a single Ringed Plover. The water just held the usual Canada and Greylag geese plus a few Mallard but no visiting Common Scoter today.

    A single Pied Wagtail was collecting food near its annual nest site and 2 Meadow Pipits were near the lagoon. A check of the Wheatear hotspots though a bit early yet with my first arrivals nearer to the end of the month, my earliest ever at this site was 17th March 2023.

   All quiet around the Nolstar fields and gulls noticeable by their absence now.

Cloudy sunshine for tomorrow on a moderate to strong westerly at 5 degrees.

BS