Gulling at Ogden.

 

                                    Around 50 LBB gulls

                                Effects of light. Centre gull looks dark mantle

                                    Different position, standard Herring.

                                    Plenty Black Headed

                                    West Bank

                                Yellow Legged Herring gull, centre.

                                Had 2 different birds, this is one of the same.

                                    Gt Crested Grebe still present.

With a howling WNW > 5 gusting 6 it was pointless heading for the tops so down to Ogden for some gull watching where it was sheltered from the wind  apart from the promenade with near full sun at 

14 degrees.

   A much lower count of gulls from my last visit with around 50 LBB, 5 Herring and several Black Headed. After 4 attempts at the west bank, due to a lot of disturbance flushing the gulls onto the water, I managed to pin down a Yellow Legged Herring gull, michahellis, which came in briefly to the west bank but very soon left towards Mixenden.

    Other than that, the highlight for me was a Jay over the promenade and dropping down into trees by the sluice gate. This was my first of the year which is a species I was beginning to think was extinct in my area along with Green Woodpecker as Ogden used to be alive with both species and now I'm down to one sighting of each a year.

    The Gt Crested Grebe was still present on the water along with 10 Canada geese  and a good count of Mallards plus several juvs near to fledging, which by some miracle have survived the Herons and Crows.

    Looking wet and windy for tomorrow with rain forecast on a moderate to strong westerly with probable hill fog, starting off at 14 degrees and peaking at 17 degrees.

BS

    

A cold and windy Fly Flatts.

 

                                    4 Common Sandpipers present

                                    4 ad Pied Wags and around 10 juvs

                                    Juv Black Headed gulls

A cold and windy morning at Fly Flatts with a moderate W>4 gusting 5 at 12 degrees with full cloud but good visibility.

   A difficult watch this morning through a wind blown scope when checking the north shore. Around 150 LBB gulls were in the NW corner and a single Herring gull which I though must have been a Yellow Legged, but after a lot of wobbly scope work with the added hazard of heat shimmer, it just turned out to be an argenteus.

    A Raven was over the Nab whilst 6 Black Headed gulls were flying around the shoreline. Lots of Swallows and Swifts, and again, up to 4 Sand Martins among them. Still waiting for that special wader with just the usual 4 Common Sandpipers with well hidden juv or juvs.

   Otherwise, just the usual species and much too windy this morning to be productive.

Cloudy sunshine for morning then a cloudy afternoon with chance of showers on a moderate to strong westerly blowing at 25 m.p.h. A starting temp of 14 degrees peaking at 18 degrees.

BS

Fly Flatts shaping up.

 

                                Well hidden distant Buzzard.

                                    6 Kestrel up together

                                    Single Common Sandpiper guarding juv.

                                    1f 4 Tufted ducklings.

                                    Pale phase Buzard.

                                Record shot only Female Common Scoter.

                                Distant north end surrounded in shimmer.

                                    1 of 6 Stonechat.

Another morning of acceptable weather at Fly Flatts with near full cloud and pockets of sun on a light W>3 at 15 degrees.

     One of those good mornings where everything fell into place with the only problem being a mass of heat shimmer around the shoreline and even over the water with me deleting 80 of the 130 photos taken. A photographer once put a question on the blog of world famous Florida bird Photographer Arthur Morris asking what could be done about heat shimmer . Arthurs answer was, if there is heat shimmer present the only answer is put your camera in its bag and go home.

    First off this morning 6 very noisy LBB gulls were over the top field swooping down at something in the broken walls. After a lot of scanning I found the culprit, a Buzzard perched at the bottom of a broken wall, reluctant to move.

   Very lively in the air with 6 Kestrels up together, presumably a family party, whilst the sky was once again filled with Swifts and Swallows wit several LBB and Black Headed gulls moving around.

  The very pale phase Buzzard was perched on a distant fence post before heading off over 'Tatty Pie Hill'. Very quiet on the wader scene with just a single Common Sandpiper and a fleeting glimpse of the juv. Due to the shore being empty I walked the west bank to check the bracken for Whinchat which usually appear at this time of year. Luckily it turned out to be a good move finding 1 Willow Warbler, 4 Stonechat and a single Wheatear but all at distance on the fence line below the banking.

     A last scan of the water from the south bank before I left produced a very distant and distorted female Common Scoter at the north end of the water and then on the way up the track another 2 Stonechat were moving along the fence posts.

   Passing the Nolstar field a Grey Partridge walked across the road in front of me followed by 2 young chicks. A good end to a good morning.

    More cloudy sunshine for tomorrow on a light to moderate westerly starting off at 13 degrees and peaking at 19 degrees.

BS

    

Better Conditions, better birds, Fly Flatts.

 

                                    Large count of Swifts

                                    4 adult Common Sandpipers

                                    Single juv Common Sandpiper

                                    Little Ringed Plover in moult.

                                    Smothered in heat shimmer.

My intension was to head for Ogden this morning to check the gulls but looking at the near ideal reservoir conditions I was drawn to Fly Flatts with full low cloud cover on a light NNE>3 with light drizzle at 13 degrees.

      A very lively morning with 4 adult Common Sandpipers, constantly moving around the shore line, along with 1 well grown, but not yet fledged, juvenile. A Little Ringed Plover appeared near the end of the watch but kept at distance where the view was very distorted with heat shimmer off the warm mud.

     Plenty Swifts and Swallows over the water whilst 28 LBB and 5 Black Headed gulls were on the north shore. Otherwise, down to the usual species. Despite the ideal conditions, no Terns over, which I had a low expectancy of seeing this morning.

     More of the same, weather wise, tomorrow with cloudy sunshine on a very light NW kicking off at 14 degrees and peeking at 21 degrees. A low 30% chance of a dash of rain over midday which my gardens would be pleased about.

BS