The Breeding Season

As from now until the end of the breeding season birds of a sensitive nature will be omitted from this blog due to a small percentage of undesirables who take their pleasure from egg collecting, nest destroying and the killing and trapping of birds.
Reports of non breeding birds moving through the area will still be published. BS
WELCOME TO ( WEST YORKSHIRE BIRDING )

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Fly Flatts/Cold Edge Dams

Good to bump into a fledgling birder
nephew Nigel and his son Daniel, much needed young blood

                               C.E.D. Oystercatcher managing well with only one leg.

A cold start to the morning at Fly Flatts with mist and a cold SE>4 keeping birds down. Two Twite were at the feeding station and a Snipe was flushed by the car. Still no sign of Wheatear but the morning perked up when a pair of Shoveler appeared through the mist and flew overhead and off SE. Judging by the height of the birds I dont think that they came off the water.

Cold Edge was a little better weather wise and bird wise although I got there a little late and dog walkers were letting their dogs run along the shoreline. 1 Little Ringed Plover was flushed and flew off towards Oxenhope and 2 Redshank flew to the lower dam.
The Little Grebe was still showing on the small dam and at last a cracking male Wheatear was in the field near the boathouse landing briefly on the wall then disappearing never to be seen again.
Several frogs were spawning at both sites hence the number of Herons around.

FLY FLATTS
2 Twite
2 SHOVELER
1 Redshank
6 Red Grouse
4 Golden Plover
1 Snipe
4 Heron
+ usual sp.

COLD EDGE DAMS
3 Heron
2 Redshank
2 Oystercatchers
1 LRP
1m Wheatear
1 Little Grebe
+ usual sp.
BS

4 comments:

Brian Sumner said...

Thanks for call about blog Nigel, for some reason Picasa has gone belly up on the loading system so had to put this on again via the blog.

NigelK said...

Thats a fine haul and bonus Shoveller on top of Wheatear too.

DJSutcliffe said...

A good haul today then Bri. Little Grebe at Fly is a good bird as well.

No sign of Nigel's colour ringed Twite then. Are you putting any Niger seed down there? I have been spreading it thinly at the usual spot to try to avoid the Canadas scoffing it all.

Brian Sumner said...

Sorry Dave Little Grebe was at CED and not Fly, computer error!
Always throw nyger down when Im up there but same as you, thinly over a bigger area.
The Shovelers over today took my Fly Flatts list to 100.