Chipping away at Ogden.

 

                                    Sunrise in Queensbury

                                    Bright and clear, Ovenden moor

                                    Wintery Ogden

                                    Part frozen waterfall

                                Sev Blackbirds inc some black billed continentals.

                                    Mostly Black Headed present

                                Bath time for Canadas.

                                    Christmas card material.

                                    Common and Black Headed

                                    2 CY Herring

                                     East bank

An excellent morning to be out walking around Ogden with wall to wall sunshine and clear blue skies on an icy NNW> 3 at minus 2 degrees.

      Far less gulls this morning with around 50 small, 1 Herring and 1 LBB and nothing in the way of wildfowl other than 3 Canadas and the usual Mallards. The long staying female Goosander, which I wondered if it had a flight problem, has been missing the last few days, proving my non flying idea as wrong.

    Nothing doing around the waterside trees other than the 4 common Tit species, Robins, Dunnock, Wrens, Bullfinch and Blackbird, some of which were very black billed continentals. The Kingfisher was down in the sluice gate area along with a Dipper and Grey Wagtail.

     A part cloudy morn for tomorrow on a moderate westerly with a risk of snow late evening.

BS

Match abandoned, Snowed off.

 

                                    Snowy scene in Queensbury.

                                    Foxhill Park

                                    Parish church in background

                                    Black Dyke Mill chimney

                                    Carrion Crow seeking food.

As expected, it was a matter of waking up to a good covering of snow this morning which started around 0830 hrs yesterday evening and continued till about midnight. Luckily, by Queensbury standards we only got about a four inch covering but the roads were covered and very icy so thought it best to give it a miss. A bit of a thaw during the day with a bright and sunny afternoon.

      Luckily, with Lynda being so thoughtful and not wanting me getting bored with no birding, as soon as the forecast gave snow for Tuesday she tret me to some wallpaper to keep me happy.

A few Blackbirds in Foxhill Park taking the last few berries whilst a Kestrel hovered overhead.

      Looking bright and sunny for tomorrow and the rest of the week but down to minus 2 degrees on a light NW then another blathering of snow on Saturday.

BS

An icy Ogden

 

                                    Good count of Common gull

                                    Common outnumbering Black Headed

                                    Vocal Herring gull

                                    Herring

A pleasant morning at Ogden with dead calm and full cloud at an icy minus 2 degrees. Plenty fog down in the Aire valley bottom.

     Not as many gulls present this morning with around 50 small gulls, the majority being Commons, along with just 2 Herring and no LBBs. As I was walking through Passerine Alley the adult Med gull flew low over the water towards the duck corner but was lost from sight by the Willows.

     A thorough check through the gulls on the east bank and water failed to produce the Med gull so I can only presume that it must have continued on over the promenade towards Mixenden but good to see that its still in the area.

     The west bank alders once again remained empty with any activity taking place along the east bank waterside trees with several Long Tailed Tits, Chaffinch and Goldcrest, as well as a pair of Bullfinch.

     The Kingfisher is back at its usual winter venue, down in the sluice gate area.

A clear sunny morning tomorrow on a cold NNW at 1 degree depending on what happens with the overnight snow forecast. 

BS

Leeshaw/Leeming Reservoirs

 

LEESHAW                    Mistle Thrushes

                                    Greylags off to the fields

                                        Gulls on the north shore

                                    Around 50 Lapwing

LEEMING                Gulls on the gantry

                                    14 Herring present.

A bright sunny start to the morning slowly clouding but keeping clear and bright on an icy cold WNW>4 at 2 degrees with a heavy ground frost.

     Very lively at Leeshaw ,as usual, though nothing out of the ordinary. Plenty gulls but struggling for Med gull and Yellow Legged Herring at this site, hopefully I'll get an appearance of an Iceland gull early in the new year, which is the time they usually show. Around 150 Greylags were in the goose field before moving off towards the fields at Upper Marsh, whilst 2 Cormorant headed >W.

     On arrival, 9 Mistle Thrush were in the trackside tree along with 5 Blackbirds whilst 2 Meadow Pipits were by the water, possibly over-wintering birds. A noisy Raven went overhead and a flock of around 40 Lapwing were on the shore but very mobile.

      Once everything had been checked over I moved on to check the water and gulls at Leeming reservoir but, as with Leeshaw, nothing in the way of waterfowl other than Mallards, but plenty gulls present with a good count of 14 Herring, 10 LBB and around 100 small gulls.

    The only other bird of note was a single Jay which was in the waterside trees, a rare bird for me this year, although other than Ogden I rarely go woodland birding.

     A cool minus 1 degree for morning but dry and part cloudy with snow expected late evening lasting through the night into Tuesday. Conflicting reports on the light wind with one forecaster reporting east and another reporting north west ?

BS

     

      

Sunshine and showers, Ogden

 

                                        Usual Goosander

                            Common gulls losing their summer plumage.

A clear morning with 60% cloud bringing sunshine and showers throughout on a light  NW>3 at 6 degrees.

   No surprises today with around 100 small gulls and 2 Herring with no sign of the Med gull from yesterday. Nothing on the water other than a single Canada goose and the usual Mallards and Goosander.

   A walk around the perimeter of the water found the west bank alders to again be empty, with any activity on the east bank where several Chaffinch and Blackbirds were present along with a few Goldcrest and a pair of Bullfinch.

     Whilst walking through passerine alley a skein of Pinkies went overhead >E but by the time I got to a clearing, where I could see the sky, they were gone.

   Looking like a bright morning tomorrow before a front of rain coming in on a light WNW by midday.

 BS