Winter wildfowl , Ogden.

 

                                    East bank

                                    Dark mantled Herring gull

                                    Good contestant for Argentatus.

                                Suspected Yellow Legged but legs pink.

                                    14 Teal present

                                    Teals doing a circuit.

                                         1 CY Common gull and LBB

                                            3 Tufted present.

With thick fog on the tops it was down to Ogden below the cloud base with full cloud and specks of rain on a very light E>1 at 12 degrees.

     A low count of gulls with around 40 LBB and 6 Herring. One of the Herring gulls stood out with having a much darker mantle which had me thinking Yellow Legged until I got in a position to see its pink legs so I suspect this Herring gull to be an Argentatus. 

    A single small gull in with the LBBs stood out as being in unusual plumage so I tried to make it into a 1 CY Med gull having darkish legs, though not black plus the bill was stubby. After a check with the gull bibles at home, and more importantly, a photo to MC, who confirmed it as a 1 CY Common gull in advanced moult. Thanks for that Mick, probably the first puzzler of many this winter.

     The highlight this morning was the arrival of the first of the autumn wildfowl with 14 Teal on the water, probably attracted in by the areas of their favourite weeds around the waters edge. Hopefully the water will stay low enough to keep the weeds clear for when the Wigeon start to move mid September.

    Otherwise, 4 Cormorant, 3 Heron, 3 Tufted duck and the usual Gt Crested Grebe. 

Another foggy morning tomorrow with a chance of rain, mainly in the afternoon, with heavy rain and thunderstorms on the cards on a light NE at 11 degrees.

BS

A cold Fly Flatts

 

                                    Who pulled the plug out ?  SE corner

                                    Water is usually by the tripod.

                                A scoping job to check the near shore

                                Waiting for the Green Sandpipers. The Lagoon

                                    Buzzard

                                1 of 3 Wheatear

An icy cold E>3 at 9 degrees with early fog banks then broken cloud and odd bursts of sunshine.

     A clear out of migrants from yesterday with just 2 Meadow Pipits and 3 Wheatear throughout the area. The highlight of the quiet morning was a constant flow of Swallows moving >SE on two levels, some mega high and others skimming the water and moor, whilst a surprise to get 10 Swifts over >SE, just when I thought I'd had my last for this year.

    The water held 7 Canadas and 1 female Mallard with the female Tufted and 5 flying young had returned from C.E.D. Just 8 LBB on the shore along with 4 Black Headed.

   The usual Kestrels were over the west bank whilst 2 Buzzard were present, one over the west moor and the other on a fence post as I drove back up the track on my way out. Again, no waders.

      Forecast for a foggy morning tomorrow on a moderate easterly wind and a 60% chance of rain, possibly heavy in the afternoon with some thunder.

BS

Migrants on the move, Fly Flatts.

 

                                  8 Golden Plover out on the islands

                            A special for Fly Flatts, Whitethroat

                                    Up to 8 Stonechat

A bright clear morning with all signs of overnight fog cleared. Full sun on a light E>3 at 12 degrees.

    A good passage migrant morning with the star bird being a single Whitethroat around the compound bushes, along with 8 Stonechat, 2 Wheatear, 3 Willow Warblers and a good count of Mipits, Goldfinch and Linnets whilst Swallows headed >S overhead.

    A group of 8 Golden Plover were out on the islands with 7 juveniles and 1 adult but no other waders present. The water held the last 7 Canada geese as well as a single female Tufted and Mallard whilst the gull count was very low with just 18 LBB and 6 Black Headed. Other than the Swallows nothing was moving overhead.

    Another risk of early morning hill fog tomorrow courtesy of a light to moderate ENE then cloudy sunshine at 12 degrees peaking at 19 degrees.

BS

Ogden, the lull continues.

 

                                    Very low gull count

                                    Deserted east bank

                                    Juv LBB being fed

A very light NW>1 with full sun at 15 degrees.

   A extremely quiet morning at Ogden with around 15 LBB, 3 Herring, 4 Common and about a dozen Black Headed gulls. A single Canada goose was on the water along with 4 Cormorant and the usual Mallards.

   Only sighting of note was around 20 Long Tailed Tits working their way through the waterside trees, whilst a Grey Wagtail was below the promenade.

    Cloudy sunshine tomorrow after early morning mist and fog on the tops on a light easterly starting off at 9 degrees and peaking at 18 degrees.

BS

Nowt to get the adrenaline Flowing, Fly Flatts.

 Full cloud early morn at Fly Flatts and dead calm until a light SW>1 by 0930 hrs at 13 degrees.

    With nothing showing around the south end I walked the west bank to the far NW corner which I soon wish I hadn't with the lack of breeze bringing out swarms of midges. Luckily flies only go after bad meat so I failed to get bitten, or that's what they used to say in Queensbury.

  At the north end I did a full shoreline scope, finally covering the full circumference of the reservoir with not a wader of any description in sight. A very low count of 15 LBB and 12 Black Headed gulls were on the north shore whilst 7 Canada geese and the usual single Tufted duck were on the water. The Tufted ducks 5 young are now flying between CED and here.

   A check on the fence line below the west bank produced 9 Wheatear and 3 Stonechat plus the usual juv Pied Wagtails and Mipits with 5 Kestrel spread out along the fence and in the air.

     A dry and bright day given for tomorrow with a very calm NW turning N and then NE in the afternoon starting off at 11 degrees with a chance of early morning hill fog.

BS

    

A steadier morning at Ogden.

 

                                SE corner few Common gulls

                                    Single Canada and Gt Crested Grebe

                                    West bank, 6 Cormorant, low gull count.

                                    Family of 6 Raven over >SE

                                    Probably the Fly Flatts birds.

A bright sunny morning with blue skies on a light N>3 at 13 degrees.

   Unfortunately yesterdays cloud and rain had cleared overnight giving birds chance to move so very quiet a Ogden with just the long staying Common Sandpiper and 8 Lapwing, wader wise. A poor gull count with around 40 LBB, 6 Herring and a few Common and Black Headed whilst 6 Cormorant and the ever present Gt Crested Grebe were on the water and shore along with 3 Heron.

     A family party of 6 Raven went overhead towards Soil Hill, these probably being the Fly Flatts birds which bred again this year, and a single Sparrowhawk soared high over the water before heading off >S. A few Chaffinch are starting to feed on the weeds on the exposed shore but otherwise just the usual species.

   A dry, part sunny day for tomorrow, they forecast that yesterday and it poured down this afternoon, on a light NW at 9 degrees reaching 16 degrees.

BS

   

   

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