Back to Fly Flatts

 

                                        A sloppy track

                                    Sun on the moor beyond the Robin Rocks

                                        East bank and The Nab

                                        Boat viewing area

                                    Wind turbines in the low cloud

                                        The overflow.

A surprise this morning to find the overnight fog gone, though hanging around in banks and never far away. A light SE>3 at 3 degrees with some quick patches of sun and luckily the low cloud base over the turbines stayed put leaving good visibility throughout.

     Very little doing as yet but within the next couple of weeks it should come into use. I was getting ahead of myself this morning scoping the bankings for an early wader though I could do with the water level down a bit.

    Several Canadas and Greylags being very noisy and giving it a taste of spring so it won't be long before I'm clearing the jetty of goose poo once the sailing season kicks off. A few Black Headed gulls went overhead >SE and a single Kestrel was up hovering.

    Plenty Common gulls in the Nolstar fields but nothing more than that. See what February brings!

A cloudy day for tomorrow with a chance of rain but the wind temporarily turned to the SW which hopefully will eliminate the fog.

BS

     

Match abandoned.

 

                                    Foxhill this morning

The weather this month has been trying hard to shut me down without success but this morning finally managed it with thick fog, a covering of snow and raining ice on a light E>3 at 0 degrees.

    By mid morning the temp was up to 2 degrees with heavy drizzle clearing the snow, but this, plus the fog, remained throughout the day.

      Last day of January tomorrow, thank goodness, though the easterly with fog, snow and rain is now forecast to go on till beyond next weekend.

  If the fog continues, as forecast, the first of the waders will be back at Fly Flatts before me, with the first Oystercatchers due back around the 3rd Feb, closely followed by Ringed Plover and Curlew. Oystercatchers are already arriving back at Eccup reservoir. 

    Conflicting forecasts for tomorrow with one showing cloudy sunshine for morning and a wet afternoon whilst the other is showing cloud and rain all day with low visibility, the latter usually being the most reliable. Temp to rise slightly to 3 degrees.

BS

    

Back to the fog, rain and snow. Harold Park

 

                                        Harold Park

                                    2 Cormorant present

                                    Single elusive Little Grebe

                                    Plenty Moorhen

                                    Good count of gulls

                                    Gulls on the football pitch

                                        Herring gull

                                    12 Tufted duck

                                        Herring gulls

                                    Single Goosander

                                        10 Mute Swan.

Dense fog up here in Queensbury this morning so back down the hill to Harold Park where it was clear but very dank conditions with drizzle and rain throughout on a moderate E>3-4 at 2 degrees. By the time I got back to Queensbury mid morning the fog had lifted with a few light snow showers but a reasonable afternoon.

     Nothing new on the lake other than a Little Grebe, new in, but keeping very elusive. A count of 12 Tufted along with 2 Cormorant and a single Goosander plus the usual Mute Swans, Coots, Moorhens and Mallards.

    A decent count of gulls with around 50 Black Headed and 27 Herring but no LBB or Common. The gulls were alternating between the lake and the football pitch. Hedge cutting was taking place at the top end of the park so nothing on the top pond due to the disturbance and the trees remained quiet.

    A cloudy wet forecast for morning with light rain and snow at 1 degree, and of course, it will be foggy. The easterlies as set to continue until a week on Saturday when it finally turns south.

BS

First visit this year, Fly Flatts.

                                    Stonking weather at Fly Flatts
 

                                    Frozen lagoon.

                                        Still water

                                    Canadas returning

Perfect conditions at Fly Flatts with full blue sky and wall to wall sunshine on a light SW>1 slowly turning >E at 1 degrees. Icy roads on the top and lagoon lightly frozen over.

     Nice to get back and tread the tracks around Fly Flatts for the first time this year. It seemed strange using the scope after such a long time, I'd nearly forgot which end to look through.

   Quiet on the bird side which is expected this time of year with arrivals due in a couple of weeks time.

Canada and Greylag geese are returning to the water being very noisy and displaying with 28 Canada, 6 Greylag and a single Mallard.

    Otherwise, just a Raven plus the 2 resident Crows, a Kestrel and 2 Red Grouse. The Nolstar fields held a few Black Headed and Common gulls along with a single Herring gull.

    Hope you all enjoyed todays weather because tomorrow we are back to reality with a light easterly at 2 degrees with a low risk of rain and snow, plus of course, the fog.

BS

  

A reet wet do, Ogden/Mixenden.

 

                                    Ogden

                                Few Black Headed at Mixy

                                    Distant Shelduck in the pouring rain. Mixy.

A real wet morning with heavy to torrential rain throughout on a strong SE>5 at 2 degrees. Luckily the fog stayed up on the tops but dropped lower late morning.

 With the dogs and me waterproofed up we set off for Ogden to check the water where the visibility  was reasonable with light mist but bad seeing through the pouring rain with bins constantly steaming up.

    The waterside tracks were caked in mud so just stuck to the promenade area to scan the water without having to get home and bath the dogs. The 6 Tufted duck were back on the water at the north end along with a Little Grebe constantly diving . With nothing else showing I headed to Mixenden to check the water.

    It was still bouncing down at Mixenden but by this time I couldn't get any wetter so a walk up the track at the south side of the reservoir. Just a few Black Headed gull present, as expected, as the bulk of the gulls, plus the big gulls, don't usually arrive at the reservoirs until late morning at this time of year, which are pre roost birds, usually leaving for their roost around 1500 hrs.

     The Shelduck was surprisingly still present for its 3rd day but sticking to the north end of the water and hard to spot. 

                                        Mixenden

Apart from an ice warning for morning its looking good with some sunshine on a light SE at 1 degree

then back to the fog by late afternoon.

BS

Running out of options, Wibsey Park.

 

                                    Plenty small gulls to sift through

                                    High count of Tufted duck

                                    Few Herring gulls

                                    and not a Med gull to be found

                                    Mute Swan displaying.

With fog on the tops for the tenth consecutive morning I'm running out of venues with no visits to Fly Flatts as yet this year and Leeshaw riddled with road closures its getting difficult.

    Wibsey park was clear of fog with just a light mist and dampness in the air on a light E>3 at 2 degrees.

   A good count of small gulls on and around the water as well as 8 Herring gulls, but looking bad for finding a Med gull again this year.

   Tufted ducks were out in force with a count of 48 along with Canada and Greylag geese, Mallard, Coot and Moorhen whilst one of the Mute Swans is displaying and seeing off any Greylags that get too close to it. Strangely this was the only species that the swan took a dislike to.

    The top trees were alive with Collared Dove, Woodpigeon and Long Tailed Tits as well as the usual park species.

    Looking like a no go job for tomorrow with heavy rain, sleet and snow forecast throughout the day on a strong SE wind starting off at 1 degree, plus some fog thrown in for good measure.

BS