Fly Flatts.

 

                                Greylag goslings growing well

                                4 standard, 2 white off the mixed pair.

                                Juv Pied Wags out of the nest now.

                                    Common Sandpiper

                                Little Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper

                                    Alive with Swifts.

                            Distant Red Kite mobbed with Lapwings and Starlings

A dark and drizzly start to the morning with a moderate SW>4-5 at 10 degrees with slight breaks of sun by 0915 hrs.

    A busy morning at Fly Flatts, especially in the sky, with 3 Buzzards up at once over the Nab whilst a Red Kite, moving >S beyond the wind turbines, was heavily mobbed by Lapwings and Starlings. The sky was buzzing with Swifts feeding over the water as well as a few Swallows whilst several LBB gulls headed >NE.

    Wader wise it was down to the long staying Redshanks, Common Sandpipers, Little Ringed Plovers and Oystercatchers as well as Lapwings and Curlews. All these species, apart from LRP, have several families of chicks now and several Greylag goslings are very near fledging and ready for flight shortly.

Unfortunately, Ringed Plover and Dunlin seem to have gone without breeding this year.

    The 2 pair of breeding Pied Wagtails have young leaving the nest now and the Stonechats will soon be taking flight.

  Looking like a washout in the morning with a promise of heavy rain on a moderate SW at 10 degrees improving after midday.

BS

    

     

A wet circuit of Ogden.

 

                                Heron photos or nowt this morning.

A miserably wet morning with thick fog on the tops courtesy of a moderate SE>3 at 8 degrees. Ogden was just below the low cloud base with a mix of rain and drizzle throughout.

     An extremely quiet session with plenty of the usual woodland calls but very few sightings other than a Gt Spotted Woodpecker  which flew over the tree canopy and 3 very vocal Song Thrush.

    The water just held 2 Lesser Black Backed gulls and 3 Herring gull but no sign of yesterdays Little Grebe.

    Yet another cloudy showery day tomorrow with a moderate SW at 12 degrees.

BS

Back to Ogden and a new visitor.

 

                                New in, Little Grebe

                                    Single Moorhen

                                    Tufted duck patiently waiting.

A drier morning with just a couple of showers on a moderate W>4 at 10 degrees with full cloud but short breaks of sunshine.

    A new visitor on the water today with a Little Grebe feeding well under the edges whilst a Moorhen was moving down the water under the opposite bank. Just a single LBB gull present.

     Otherwise the usual Herons, drake Tufted duck and the woodland species, the latter being more heard than seen.

    A wet and windy forecast for tomorrow with a moderate SE at 12 degrees. Showing 60% to 90 % chance of rain with possibly thunder mid afternoon.

BS

   

Just a dog walk, Ogden.

 

                                    Small amount of shore, East bank

                                        West bank

                                    Passerine Alley

                                        East bank shoreline

                                    Parakeet pond.

                                A protest, probably in vain.

                                    Heron, west shore

                                    A 2nd Heron

                                        Drake Tufted, female probably sitting.

                                    Several vocal Chaffinch

A terrible morning at Ogden both weather wise and bird wise with a mix of heavy showers and drizzle throughout the watch on a moderate WSW>4 with full low cloud at 10 degrees.

    Plenty bird song from Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Chaffinch, as well as the usual common woodland species, but Chaffinch were about the only species showing themselves whilst the other species kept to the shelter of the deep foliage.

     The drake Tufted is still hanging around like an expectant father whilst the female is probably on eggs. Just 2 Mallard ducklings to be found which is probably due to the 2, and sometimes 3, Heron on the bank as well as several Crows. I'm expecting Great or Little Egret at this site anytime as conditions are ideal but nothing so far.

    Just 3 Lesser Black Backed gulls present and now starting to use the exposed shore on the east bank, as long as all the rain does'nt raise the water level too much. Plenty shore now showing at both the east and west banks though Ogden has never been known for being a wader habitat due to it being surrounded with trees. Clifford Lees from Halifax Scientific Society used to tell us, back in the 60s, that  water surrounded by trees made waders suspect that they were dropping down into a trap.

   Over the years I've had a few surprises with Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Redshank and more common, Oystercatcher, Curlew and Common Sandpiper, plus NK had Black Tailed Godwits on the east shore a few years ago, so its always worth giving the shoreline a scan .

      More sunshine and showers for tomorrow on a moderate westerly kicking off at 8 degrees.

BS

Wet and windy, Fly Flatts.

 

                                    4 Kestrels present

                                    5 Common Sandpipers

                                    Common Sandpipers in the lagoon.

                                    4 Little Ringed Plovers

                                    Swarms of Swifts.

A dry start to the morning with full cloud on a light WSW>2-3 at 10 degrees. By 0915 hrs the wind had picked up to WSW>5 gusting 6 with heavy rain.

     The feature of the morning were Swifts with uncountable swarms of them feeding low over the water along with a few Swallows. 

     A count this morning of 4 Little Ringed Plover, 5 Common Sandpiper and 3 Redshank, as well as 2 Oystercatchers but no new species arriving as yet.

   The pair of Stonechat and 2 pair of Pied Wagtails are still carrying food whilst 4 LBB gu11s were on the peninsular. Otherwise, the ever present, usual species.

   Looking grim for tomorrow with a mix of sunshine and heavy shower with hail and thunder throughout the day on a moderate to strong SW turning W at 11 degrees.

BS