Rough morning, Ruff bird, Ogden.

 

                                    5 Herring gulls present

                                Gt Crested Grebe in the rain

                                        Common Sandpiper

                                    Bonus bird, Ruff

                                    Juvenile male going by the neck plumage.

Ideal weather conditions this morn at Ogden for waders with full cloud and heavy rain throughout 

on a light NW>3 at 13 degrees.

  With thoughts of the heavy overnight rain, and continuing this morning, the hard baked shore around the water would be soft and muddy making it ideal for waders, that were brought down overnight, to stay and feed.

     Very few gulls present with around 40 LBB, 5 Herring, 8 Common and several Black Headed which all stuck mainly on the east shore. The Gt Crested Grebe was on the water along with 3 Cormorant and 4 Tufted duck. Lots of Swallows over the water but all sticking i the air and none landing on the railings as my last visit.

    After a full circuit of the water I caught up with the long staying Common Sandpiper on the west bank and by this time the gulls were back on the east bank so a final check of them before I left. After I'd looked through the gulls I turned to walk back up to the car park when I heard a wader call that I wasn't familiar with. A quick turn around and back to the gulls where a scan through caught site of a tallish wader which my first thoughts were Redshank. After wiping the steam and rain from my bins I caught up with the bird further along the shore, Ruff, a first for me at Ogden.

   A dry part sunny day tomorrow on a light NW with a starting temp of 9 degrees peaking at 13 degrees.

BS

Another slog at Fly Flatts.

 

                                    5 Wheatear present

                                    Wheatear and Stonechat on the fence line.

                                    LBBs heading >SW

                                    LBBs north shore

                                    1 of 4 Kestrel

                                    Juvenile Peregrine.

A wet and windy start to the morning with rain showers on a moderate WSW>3 at 13 degrees and full cloud. By mid watch the cloud was breaking up with some sunny periods.

     A check of the full circumference of the shore this morning with a trek to the NW corner of the west bank and a scope across the water to the north and east shore then back along the south shore and through the compound area.

   Its apparent now that the waders are doing their usual autumnal stunt and passing through to the west of the western ridge with several wader sightings now but all to the west of Fly Flatts. Not a single wader to be found at this site although conditions are at 100%.

     A few migrants this morning with 5 Wheatear and 3 Stonechat as well as several Swallows heading through >SW whilst LBB gulls were also moving >SW but only 30 on the shore along with 12 Black Headed. Around 30 Goldfinch were moving around the thistle tops along with Linnets but a very low count of Meadow Pipits this year.

   Kestrels were working the west bank with 4 in the air together whilst a juv Peregrine stormed through but was soon seen off by the Kestrels. Canada geese are down to 12 now with just 1 late bird waiting to fledge. The Greylags have all moved on now.

    Showing a full day of rain for tomorrow with a chance of thunderstorms tonight and tomorrow morning on a light wind starting westerly and slowly veering round NW then N at 12 degrees.

BS

A reet poor do, Fly Flatts.

 A moderate W>4 at14 degrees with light rain showers and full cloud after overnight heavy rain and fog,

visibility was good.

   A real poor morning with next to nothing present, wader wise and migrant wise, with just a single Wheatear on the shore along with the usual Pied Wagtails, 12 LBB and 4 Black Headed gull.

   Swallows were moving >NW whilst 5 Kestrels were in the air and that was it, other than a few Meadow Pipits.

   Looking like a wet one tomorrow with plenty rain showers on a moderate SW at 12 degrees rising to 15 degrees and mostly cloudy.

BS

Up in the fog, Fly Flatts.

 

                                    1 of 4 Kestrel present

                                    Black Headed gulls using the islands

                                    Plenty Pied Wagtails

                                    Single Wheatear

                                    Only wader showing, Common Sandpiper

                                    4 Willow Warblers on their way through

After some heavy showers overnight and dense fog it was slowly clearing early morn so up to Fly Flatts where it was misty with visibility nearly across the water with drizzle throughout on a very light 

SW>1-2 and full, very low cloud with a temp of 12 degrees.

    I was stuck with just checking the compound and the south of the area with visibility too poor for any scope work and no visibility above.

    The compound bushes held 1 Willow Warbler, 3 Stonechat and several Mipits whilst the compound shore had the usual Pied Wagtails as well as several Linnets and a single Wheatear.

   Just the one Common Sandpiper in the SE corner whilst several Black Headed gulls were on the various islands offshore but too foggy to see what the gull situation was at the north end. Another 3 Willow Warblers were in the lagoon tree and several Swallows were heading >SW very low and skimming the water.

     A breezier day tomorrow with a moderate westerly which will hopefully clear any overnight fog with showers throughout the day with a temperature starting at 14 degrees and peaking at 16 degrees.

BS

Mega Swallow move, Ogden Reservoir

 

                                        Swallows galore early doors.

                                    Estimated at over 200

                                    An invite for the juv Peregrine

                                        A lower count of gulls

                                        Very few Herring

                                    Juvenile Blackcap.

A wet start to the morning with light rain showers on a light NW>2 at 15 degrees with full cloud.

    With paddleboarders heading for Fly Flatts I paid Ogden a visit to check the gull situation. As I walked across the promenade a couple of Swallows came over and then the flood gates opened and the sky was black with Swallows and a few Sand Martins. I think this is the most Swallows I've ever seen in the sky together swirling around over the trees and golf course with several landing on the overflow fencing. A juvenile Peregrine flew above the Swallows but only made a couple of half hearted attempts at them before heading off towards Soil Hill. After watching the Peregrine disappear into the distance I looked back and not a Swallow in sight. 

     A walk along the west bank was cut short due to swarms of flies and midges due to no wind in the shelter of the trees so a quick turn around and back to the promenade. From here I could see the Common Sandpiper on the NE shore whilst 3 Cormorant, 10 Canada geese, 3 Heron and the Gt Crested Grebe were present.

     Around 100 LBB plus a few Herring and Common gull plus the usual Black Headed all on the east bank as opposed to the usual west bank. A group of 5 Lapwing appeared at the NE end before I left.

    Full cloud for tomorrow on a light Sou'wester at 12 degrees peaking at 19 degrees with a chance of rain after midday.

 BS