Mixenden reservoir/ Ned Hill track

 

                                    As good as it got camera wise, several Chaffinch.

A bright clear sunny morning with a light NW>2 at 7 degrees.

  With Fly Flatts road down to close today I didn't risk going up there early morn before the work started in case it was blocked on my return. With my other two fall back sites, Ogden and Leeshaw also stopped due to road closures I settled, reluctantly, for Mixenden reservoir followed by Ned Hill track on the way home.

   The reservoir just held 3 Canada Geese and 4 Mallard whilst a wander about in the plantation produced a flock of 12 Chaffinch with one Siskin mixed in with them, otherwise 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap and the usual woodland species but all very mobile and camera shy in the trees.

   After 20 minutes in the wood it was time to get out sharpish with several skummies wandering about with evil looking off lead dogs so before my two dogs had chance to be eaten alive I got out of there. The cracking of an air rifle in the background didn't help. A venue that I'll not be visiting again in a hurry.

   Back to the peacefulness of Ned Hill track I walked the length of the track picking up 2 Whitethroat, 3 Goldfinch, a Willow Warbler and a few Linnets but once again all very elusive and nothing in the air.

    With the wind back to a moderate NE tomorrow its showing a cloudy wet start to the morning improving as the day goes on with a start temp of 7 degrees. Morning hill fog likely for the next 3 days.

BS

   

Back to a cold Fly Flatts.

 

                                        Only 5 Wheatear showing

 

                                     Single Stonechat

                                    1 of 4 Common Sandpiper

Back to the icy cold SE>3 at Fly Flatts with a low cloud base and mist moving through but soon clearing bringing some blue sky and sunshine at 4 degrees.

     Everything anchored down from the cold wind this morning across on the north shore and peninsular

with a single Ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin, 4 Redshank and 4 Common Sandpiper as well as a single Oystercatcher.

   Just 5 Wheatear showing as well as Stonechat and Reed Bunting plus the usual species with nothing in the sky.

   Looking good tomorrow with a light NW starting off at 8 degrees with cloudy sunshine turning to full cloud late afternoon with rain and chance of thunderstorms. I say its looking good but with Ogden Lane to the car parks closed from tomorrow until the end of May, as well as several roads around Oxenhope closed or delays and long diversions to Leeshaw, also until the end of May, plus Cold Edge Road from Wainstalls to Oxenhope closed I could be in for a problem.

    Hopefully, with the sailing club and several farms up there I,m hoping that there will be some kind of access. Watch this space.!!!!!!

BS

   

Here come the waders, Fly Flatts

 

                                Best I could get on a Little Ringed Plover

                                Distant Dunlin with Redshank

                                    North end peninsular

                                    6 Oystercatchers

                                    Only 6 Wheatear today

                                    1 of 4 Common Sandpiper

                                1 of 2 Dunlin, west bank.  1st back.

                                    2 pair Reed Bunting

                                    4 breeding Pied Wagtails

Only complaints about the weather this morning is that it was too warm at 8 degrees with full clear sky on a light WNW turning W>2. Good visibility other that slight milky haze over the moor.

    A good wader morning with the first 2 Dunlin arrived along with a Ringed and Little Ringed Plover and 6 Oystercatchers along with the 2 breeding pair of Oystercatchers, 4 Common Sandpiper and 5 Redshank.

   Just 6 Wheatear this morning along with Reed Buntings, Stonechats and Mipits but nothing in the air other than a few Swallows >NW.  Swallows are now back at their annual nesting site on Balkham Edge.

   A cloudy start to the morning tomorrow then cloudy sunshine by midday with the wind back to a light SE starting off at 6 degrees.

BS

    

Up above the clouds. Fly Flatts.

 

                                    A cloudy Calderdale from Perseverance Road.

                                From Fly Flatts

                                    6 Common Sandpiper present.

                                    8 Redshank

                                    2 pair of breeding Pied Wagtails

                                    Single Oystercatcher

                                    Low count of Mipits this year

                                    2 Pair Reed Bunting

                                    14 Wheatear

Luckily for me, the overnight fog dropped into the valleys by 0500 hrs blanking out the Aire valley to the east and Calderdale to the west. Thick fog as I drove through Mixenden but Fly Flatts had full clear blue skies and sunshine on a very light SE>2 at 3 degrees.

     A few more arrivals of Common Sandpiper with at least 6 present along with 8 Redshank and just a single Oystercatcher with Dunlin imminent in the next few days.

   Still plenty Wheatear with at least 14 around the southern end of the water whilst 2 pair of Reed Bunting were around the lagoon area. The only sky movement this morning was several Swallows >NE.

  At last, in the morning the wind is very light and from the west with a bright sunny day with some milky skies making it slightly hazy at a start temp of 8 degrees. Bad news is, the light wind is back from the east on Sunday.

BS

   

A wader lull at Fly Flatts

 

                                    Still plenty Wheatear present

                                    Greylag numbers are rising here

                                        1 of 3 Stonechat

                                    More NHS cut backs !

A misty start at Fly Flatts with a low cloud base below the tops of the turbines but clearing by 0830 hrs to leave partial cloud and some sunshine on an icy E>2 at 3 degrees.

     Waders are at a standstill at the moment at this site with just 1 Snipe and 7 Redshank plus the usual Curlews and Lapwings with no sign of the Common Sandpipers, even scoping the far north shore and peninsular.

    Still a good count of  Wheatear with at least 11 at the south end and 6 in the Withens Top farm field.

A group of 14 LBB gulls headed high and >SW whilst several Swallows were skimming over the water before eventually heading off >N. A pair of Reed Buntings were by the lagoon as well as 2 male and 1 female Stonechat.

   Several Swallows over Foxhill Park this p.m. as the temperature soared up to 13 degrees.

With Ogden Lane closed for a month from the 27th April they have decided to rub salt into the wounds by closing Cold Edge Road, Wainstall to Oxenhope, cutting off Fly Flatts, from the 27th April for 1 week plus long delays with road works around Oxenhope making Leeshaw difficult so thats my 3 main birding venues gone down the plug hole. Hopefully there will be access to the sailing club ???

A very light SE for morning with cloudy sunshine starting off  with a low of 2 degrees and another threat of early morning fog.

BS