Peering through the fog, Harold Park.

 

                                    Poor visibility

                                    Gulls and Tufteds

                                        Goosanders in the fog

                                    Stand off with Coots

                                    Plenty Black Headed gulls

                            Mallards up a tree so they could see where they were.

                                    3 Goosander present

Dense for as promised in Queensbury this morning so headed downhill to Harold Park to get below the cloud base. Unfortunately the fog was nearly as bad as higher up with just enough visibility to see half way across the water. A pleasant enough walk round with a light SE>2 at 5 degrees.

    Nothing special on the water with no sign of the annual winter Little Grebe and pair of Pochard which usually winter at this site. As reported yesterday by NK, a higher than usual count of Tufted duck with several more up on the top pond, which was 50% frozen.

      Around 70 Black Headed gull but only 2 Herring gull found through the murk along with 3 Goosander and the usual Coot, Moorhen, Mute Swans and Mallards.

    The surrounding trees held Great and Blue Tis as well as Chaffinch, Robin, Collared Dove ad Woodpigeon. A dog walker there told me that over the last few days there has been 2 Ring Necked Parakeets present at the top end of the park.

   Access to the top end of Park dam is now a no go where the field with the track through has been bulldozed up and all fenced off.  

    Fog and rain for morning courtesy of a light east breeze at 4 degrees.

BS

    

Glutton for punishment, Ogden

                                    As good as it got, few gulls
 

                                    Several Black Headed

                                    Single Herring.

Another pleasant morning at Ogden with fog on the tops. Full cloud on a light S>2 at 2 degrees.

      No improvement this morning with no disturbance but no birds along the west and north waterside trees other than a Treecreeper, a Robin and a Blackbird.

    The water held around 30 Black Headed, 3 Common and a single Herring gull as well as an unusually low count of  Mallard.

    This has got to be the worst winter on record so far at this site along with several other sites. Its said that mild weather around Scandinavia etc is holding birds there without the need to move south?

  A poor forecast for tomorrow and the next 4 days with a light wind from the SE bringing some light rain and fog at 5 degrees.

BS

     

One of those quiet ones. Ogden

 A nice morning at Ogden with part cloud and sunshine on a light SW>2 at 3 degrees. The ice has now melted from the reservoir.

    No excuse for the west bank being disturbed this morning with CS sorting the Christmas trees on the east bank but the west and north bank were unbelievably quiet with sightings of a single Robin, Raven and Gt Spotted Woodpecker along with a couple of Blue Tits. The Kingfisher was on its usual perch down in the sluice gate.

      The water just held 8 Common and 10 Black Headed gull along with the usual Mallards. A few small gulls were overhead >NE but otherwise nothing.

   A similar day tomorrow with cloudy sunshine on a light southerly wind at 3 degrees. Late tomorrow the wind turns back into the dreaded east and south east bringing fog over the weekend and beyond.

BS

Back to reality, Ogden

 

                                    A scenic Ogden

                                        Frozen water

                                    Few gulls on the ice

                                        Single Goldcrest.

A bright crisp start to the morning with some cloud and sunshine, clouding over by 0930hrs. A light SW>2 at 0 degrees with slippery patches underfoot.

     The west bank was a write off this morning with the Christmas tree saga ongoing and not a bird in sight. The north end just provided a single Goldcrest and Mistle Thrush whilst 10 Fieldfare went overhead >W along with a Raven closely behind.

    The east bank was slightly livelier with Great and Blue Tits along with the usual Robins, Dunnocks and Blackbirds. The water was still 40% frozen over with just a handful of small gulls and a Herring on the ice but nothing on the water other than the Mallards.

   Luckily the Tufted and Goosander have moved on as there is always a fear of divers getting trapped under the ice when the water is part frozen. Such an occurrence happened in February 1956 when a pair of Velvet Scoters were on the water at Ogden. The male left but the female became trapped under the ice and was later washed ashore where it was taken to a taxidermist. Its body remains to this day in a glass case at Cartwright Hall Bradford. These days we're lucky to get a Common Scoter on Ogden, never mind a Velvet Scoter. 

    Slightly milder in the morning with cloudy sunshine on a light southerly at 3 degrees.

BS

    

Redcar Tarn, Keighley.

 

                                        Around 200 small gulls

                                    Around 40 Herring gull

                                    1 of 3 Argentatus Herrings, (centre)

                                    Darker mantle (Scandinavian)

                                        Only 2 adult LBBs

                                    No Med gull to be found.

                                    Several Tufted duck.

                                Usual wintering drake Pintail

                                    as well as drake Wigeon.

A decent morning at Redcar Tarn with full cloud on a moderate W>3 at 5 degrees but staying fine. The water was 80% frozen.

    With the water still being part frozen several species were missing, or on a lower count, with around 20 Tufted duck present along with Mallard, Coot and Moorhen whilst the usual over-wintering drake Wigeon and Pintail were present looking in perfect plumage. Good numbers of Canada and Greylag geese were in the fields as well as on the water but no specials among them.

    At least 200 Black Headed and Common gull were frantically fighting over food being throw in whilst around 40 Herring gull were on the ice, all British Argenteus apart from 3 Scandinavian Argentatus, standing out with their darker mantles. Only 2 adult Lesser Black Backed present. A good check through failed to pick out Med gull or Yellow Legged Herring but its near time for an Iceland to turn up shortly.

     The track side trees held several Blue and Great Tits as well as Chaffinch but no Brambling in the usual areas. A single Buzzard was in the distance.

    A colder, cloudy morning starting off at 0 degree on a light SW with a low chance of rain and snow late afternoon.

BS