Wet and windy Fly Flatts.

 

                                    Conditions ideal but no waders.

                                    Floating jetty high and dry.

                                    A rare bird at Fly Flatts now. Red Grouse

                                    Mipits on the shore.

                                    Alive with Goldfinch.

A windy start at Fly Flatts with full cloud on a SSW>4 at 10 degrees. Rain by 0845 hrs turning torrential by 0945 hrs.

     A low expectancy visit to Fly Flatts was just that this morning with, as usual to this site, come September, the returning waders always seem to pass to the west of me at the western side of the ridge with not a wader of any description after a scope of the full circumference of the shore line.

    Several Meadow Pipits on the shore and some ground hopping through but nothing on the scale that there should be at this time of year. Going back a few years when visible migration was at its best DCB,HC and myself would clock over 10,000 Meadow Pipits over our watchpoint on Windy Corner during a Sunday mornings watch plus a hoard of other species. Unfortunately the days of inland vis mig seem to be over, in this area at least.

     Red Grouse were present this morning with 5 on the south shore, obviously scared off from a nearby shoot yesterday as Red Grouse are a rare sight up at Fly Flatts now when it used to be alive with them on the Flat Moor.

     A charm of around 50 Goldfinch were moving around the thistle tops and regularly harassed buy 3 Kestrel Whilst a single Wheatear and 3 Stonechat were the only migrants found.

   The water held just 2 remaining Canada geese as well as a single female Mallard with 12 LBB and 4 Black Headed gulls on the north shore. No movement in the sky.

    A chance of early morning rain and mist tomorrow clearing mid morn on a moderate SW at 12 degrees. Cloudy sunshine pm with risk of showers late afternoon.

BS

     

Nowt nobbut gulls, Ogden.

 

                                    Low count of gulls this morning

                                    Even gulls like to play

                                    Pink legged LBB

                                   West bank

Another wet and windy start to the morning at Ogden then clearing to give light showers and bright sunshine on a moderate W>4 at 14 degrees. Very bad visibility of the gulls from the west bank with the low glaring sun.

    A low count of gulls with around 200 mixed but, after a lot of searching through, nothing untoward found. Common gull numbers are now starting to overtake Black Headed and LBB gulls with around 8 Herring gull.

   Swallows were heading >W into the wind but nothing on the water other than, the long staying Little Grebe, 3 Cormorant and the usual Mallards. A very quiet mornings birding. Need the water level to partially rise now as the gulls are getting very distant.

   Looking like a wet morning and brighter afternoon tomorrow on a light SSW at 12 degrees.

BS

     

Back to the gulls, Ogden.

 

                                    Cormorants in the duck corner

                                                Buzzard over put up all the gulls

                                    Lower count of gulls present

                                    Around 40 LBB

                                    Around 10 Herring

                                    Several Common gull

A wet start with rain then drizzle till mid watch then the sky cleared to leave  some sunshine on a moderate to strong W>4 - 5 at 12 degrees.

   A much quieter morning with a low gull count of around 100 mixed and all anchored down from the wind apart from when a Buzzard flew through, high above the water, putting the whole shebang up briefly before they resettled. 

    Just 2 Cormorant present in the duck feeding corner which is an unusual area for them to settle in, whilst the Little Grebe was still present in the north end channels. Warden Chris told me that someone walking round had told him the Little Grebe was a baby Cormorant 😄.

    Very quiet otherwise due to the wind and nothing moving in the sky.

Chance of a wet start early morning then cloudy sunshine throughout the day with slightly less wind on a moderate westerly at 11 degrees.

BS

Persevering at Ogden Reservoir

 

                                    Unusually high count of 38 Canada geese

                                    East bank

                                    15 Herring gulls present this morn.

                                    Looking across to the west bank

                                    Very distant Little Grebe

                                    Pink legged LBB gull.

                                    Oddball gull ,centre

                                    YL Herring mantle, pale yellow to flesh coloured.

                                    2 Herring gull.

Despite a forecast for a dry morning it was wet on and off throughout with some rain and then drizzle showers, with full cloud on a moderate W>5 at 12 degrees.

      A count of 38 Canada geese were present which is unusual at this site whilst yesterdays Little Grebe was still feeding well but sticking to the north west corner at a good distance.

    A better count of gulls today with 15 Herring and around 50 LBB plus the usual small gulls. One Herring type gull caught my eye being a gull that I've had before and discussed with MC. The mantle is in between Herring and Lesser Black Backed making it good for Yellow Legged Herring but the legs are the stumbling block being very pale flesh to yellow coloured. Another outstanding gull was a LBB which had retained its pink legs, which is not unusual but made it stand out from the crowd. Swallows were overhead but otherwise the usual species.

      See if the forecast is more accurate for tomorrow showing a very wet cloudy morning on a moderate sou'westerly at 13 degrees and brightening up after midday.

BS

Walking in the rain, Ogden Reservoir.

 

                                    5 of 6 Tufted duck

                                        West bank

                                       West bank

                                    Little Grebe.

 

East bank                                                                          

                                    Just 5 Herring gulls

A wet morning at Ogden with light rain starting at 0800 hrs, and then continuing throughout, with full dark clouds on a light WSW>2 at 14 degrees. 

   Much better conditions for the gulls with around 200 mixed but only 5 Herring and no sign of the recent Yellow Legged Herring which, if its the same bird from Ogden, has been clocked at TMR, Leeshaw and Redcar Tarn recently. 

    The 6 Tufted duck family had returned this morning, and a surprise to get a Little Grebe on the water along with the Great Crested Grebe, whilst 2 Teal were very hard to spot in the darkest part of the water.

     No sign of the leg ringed Cormorant with 6 present and 2 fly overs, high and >SW. Otherwise, down to the usual species in the waterside trees and around the feeders. A group of 4 Kestrels were in the air together over Ned Hill, probable the Fly Flatts birds.

     Looking dry for morning after overnight rain then a chance of rain mid afternoon on a moderate to strong westerly at 12 degrees.

BS