Out with the fog, in with the birds. Leeshaw Reservoir.

 

                                Unusual site for Queensbury, sunrise.

                                    Good numbers of gulls and Lapwings.

                                    Star turn, Pintail

                                    Tufted, Greylag, Pintail

                                Drake Tufted with Mallards

                                    Teal, foreground

                                    Single Teal

                                    1 of 2 Goldeneye, first of the winter.

                                    Goldeneye and Teal

At last a clear day, apart from thick fog on Fly Flatts and to the west with the east being bright and clear. Good conditions at Leeshaw with 40% cloud, blue sky and sunshine on a light SW>3 gusting 4 at 9 degrees.

   A good moving morning and a decent show of wildfowl, possibly being brought down with the last 2 days of fog.

   A mega for Leeshaw and a site first for me with a single Pintail out on the water which I first thought female but looking at the poor, distant photos, possibly male in eclipse showing darker head and plain greyish plumage although I would have thought it would have been nearing the end of its moult by now.

    The first 2 female Goldeneye of the winter appeared along with a drake Tufted and 6 Mallard making the best reservoir viewing for some time.

     Plenty gulls on the shore but very restless, blasting off and landing constantly with all 4 common species but no Yellow Legs, Caspian or Meds.

   Vis Mig was hectic early doors but dried up by 0930 hrs with all the expected late autumn contenders of Redwing, Woodpigeon, Starling and Jackdaw plus a few tail-enders of small migrants.  Fieldfare should be just around the corner now. Several flocks of Redwing were moving on two levels but well to the east of me through the scope but too distant to get a count.

    Similar forecast for tomorrow with a light SW and clear skies.

VIG MIG

39 Redwing ....................>SW

156 Woodpigs...................S

375 Starlings....................>SW

42 Lapwing......................>SW

213 Jackdaw....................>W

4 Alba Wagtail................>W

18 Mipit..........................>SW

9 Siskin...........................>SW

PRESENT

c 150 BH gull

12 LBB gull

9 Herring gull

21 Common gull

12 Greylag

4 Canada

6 Mallard

1 Pintail

1 Teal

1 mTufted

2 f Goldeneye

83 Lapwing

2 Mipits

2 Kestrel

+ usual sp.

BS

Thicker than ever. Peering through the fog at Ogden.

 

                                    As good as it got, Ogden.

                                    Few Coal Tits starting to show.

                                            Crazy Crow doing aerobics through the fog.

Dense fog this morning with visibility down to 30 yards in Queensbury. A dog walk at Ogden was'nt much better with 50 yards visibility on a light SE>1 and a warm 12 degrees. Rain by 0945 hrs.

      The edge of the water was only just visible from the promenade making it hard to even check through the Mallards for Mandarin or Pintail , both of which have appeared at this time of year. No gulls on the shore other than the young LBB with broken wing.

      The feeders were lively with Nuthatch and Coal Tit plus the usual species whilst a few Chaffinch are beginning to show so if the water stays down there's a chance of Brambling on their favourite weeds on the shore. The last influx of Brambling at Ogden was 2017 when the water was low but since the good count in Oct 2016 and Feb 2017 I've just had a single female in Nov 2022.

      Walking back across the promenade, peering through the fog, I saw what I though was a black plastic bag hanging from the wires but as I got nearer I was amazed to see a Crow swinging to and fro upside down on the wire. I thought at first it was trapped but as I approached nearer it flew off.

This is a thing they have adapted to do when getting certain foods from trees, mainly acorns.

      All photos taken in very dark and foggy conditions with camera wide open so showing a capful of noise (grain) on the images.

     Fortunately today's the end of the east wind for the foreseeable future turning SW tomorrow with hopes of some visibility and sunshine. 

BS

Foggy Oggy.

 

                                    Very few gulls present

                                    1cy LBB with broken wing.

                            Bird rescue centres not interested due to risk of spreading

                               bird flu if they take them back to the centre.

As forecast, dense fog on the tops so a visit to Ogden which just had visibility 3 parts across the water but very dark with light drizzle on a light SE>2.                                                                                                                                A check on the gull situation with hopes of the Caspian being there but very few gulls which is the norm for a morning visit with most gulls showing p.m. pre roost. No Herrings and just 8 LBB along with around 30 Black Headed and 9 Common.

     A walk around the waterside trees proved more successful with 4 Siskin, 2 Redpoll and 2 Goldcrest

along with the usual Tits etc. 

    Another of the same tomorrow with a light SE and a ton of fog with some rain thrown in for good measure. Inland east winds ought to be banned. 

BS

Sunshine and fog Fly Flatts.

 

                                        Fog hanging around the Nab

                                Thick to the north

                                    Hanging over the water

                                    At its worst

                                    Sun always showing through

South bank                                                                             

                                    Clearing at last

                                    Distant late Wheatear

                                    Goldfinch ground feeding.

A mixed bag of weather this morning starting off with bright clear blue skies and sunshine with the fog hanging low in the valleys with a light ESE>2 at 3 degrees. Within 30 minutes of arrival the fog bank started creeping in until lights out by 0845 hrs though the sun was always showing through and, although there was no horizontal vision, I could always see the blue sky above.

     Not a sign of vis mig movement but a late Wheatear on the Flat Moor was a surprise whilst around 30 Goldfinch were feeding on the south bank.

   A single Buzzard was up along with 2 Raven and 4 LBB gulls >SE but otherwise poor, given the ideal conditions for Pinks moving with the clear blue skies and fog below.

   My first of the autumn with 14 Redwing over Foxhill Park p.m. >SW.

     Two days of fog to look forward to now with Tues/Wed showing a light SE and a capful of fog.

On a brighter note, below is some slightly enhanced photos of yesterdays snouty nosed gull with the deformed bill which is now believed to be  Caspian gull. Thanks yet again to MC for his feedback.

I saw the snouty look on this gull but did'nt take it any further until it was brought to my attention by  M.C.  

    Gull shows very sloping forehead and long bill, though being deformed this is hard to determine.

It has a white head and underside with a streaked collar on the neck plus the wing pattern is lighter than Herring. The centres on the secondaries show what looks to be black rather than brown but hard to tell on the photo. Underwings look plain white but in shadow. Single white mirror on P10.

BS 

Fly Flatts. a special gull, Caspian.

 

                                    Distant Barn Owl

                                    Early morn at Fly Flatts

                                    Silver water, sun trying to break through.

                                Skein of 19 Pink Footed Geese >SE

                       2cy Caspian with deformed bill.

                                                LBB

                                        LBB in moult.

                                    Cormorant high and >NW

A bright but cold Fly Flatts at 3 degrees on a light NW>2 increasing 3 with full cloud but good visibility. The sun was trying to break through but failed after a bright red sunrise.

      Much livelier this morning with some movement but showing the signs of nearing the end of the season other than Woodpigeons, wildfowl and winter arrivals.

      A small skein of Pinkies went over >SE plus gulls on the move, one Caspian having a badly deformed bill, a special bird for Fly Flatts. A  Barn Owl was over the fields briefly before being spooked by 2 Magic Mushroom pickers. 

   A low count of Woodpigs, Greylags and Mipits moving whilst a Cormorant headed >NW very high.

A fast flying duck species headed SE but disappeared over the east ridge before I could get the scope on it. It looked Wigeon/Pintail type but will have to let that one go.

   A few Mipits were present as well as 2 Raven, 4 Stonechat, 2 Pied Wagtails and a Dipper.

Not looking good for morning with a light easterly which can be guaranteed to bring some fog.

VIG MIG

19 Pink Footed Geese...............>SE

18 LBB gull..............................>SE     21........>NE

1 2cyCaspian gull......................>SE

3 Herring gull...........................>SE

16 Greylag geese......................>NE

12 Meadow Pipit......................>S

1 Cormorant.............................>NW

48 Woodpigeons......................>S

1 Duck sp................................>SE

PRESENT

1 Barn Owl

1 Meadow Pipits

2 Pied Wagtail

4 Stonechat

2 Raven

1 Dipper

+ usual sp.

BS