Leeshaw Reservoir

 

                                    2 Little Owl, early morn

                                    1 of 3 Redshank

                                    Single Herring gull

                                    2 Pink Footed geese >SE

                                Long staying Pink Foot

                            Rare visitor, Little Grebe.

                                    What happened to Dabchick ?

Catching well                                                                         

                                    Pink Foot.

                                        SW shore.

A brilliant morning ,weather-wise at Leeshaw with fog on the tops but Leeshaw was bright and clear with blue skies and full sunshine on a very light ENE>2 at 5 degrees.

    Very few gulls about now with just a single Herring, 4 LBB and 2 Black Headed, with all the usual gull fields empty. The Oystercatchers are starting to move off for breeding now with a count of 12 , from a previous count of 32 along with 3 Redshank.

    The long staying Pink Footed goose is staying put with the Greylags whilst 2 Pinkies flew overhead  high and >SE. A few Mipits about now and another single Swallow over with the House Martins due to return to their breeding site here around the end of the month into early May. Plenty noisy Lapwings and Curlew but no Lapwings have returned to their usual breeding field since their first attempt was halted by muck spreading.

    The star of the show this morning was a rare visit from a Little Grebe, catching well in the same favourite spot as the Red Necked Grebe. My first, and only sighting, of this species, at this site, was 30/10/2023 so a welcome visitor.

    Another sunny day tomorrow but a moderate NE starting off at 3 degrees.

BS

     

A lull at Fly Flatts

 

                                        2 of 5 Redshank

A very hazy morning at Fly Flatts with a milky sky and some sun. A cool ENE>4 at 4 degrees.

      The cold wind from the north east has put a stoppers on the job at the moment with a lull in movement at Fly Flatts.

   Still 5 Redshank present but the Oystercatchers have moved on, as they did last year before both pair returning with a chick each. The Ringed Plover is long gone but hopefully more will appear this month along with Common Sandpipers and then Dunlin in a couple of weeks.

     Just 4 gulls present this morning with 2 Black Headed on the water and 2 LBBs on the north bank but otherwise down to the usual Curlew, Lapwing and Mipits, along with 2 Pied Wagtail and a white Greylag very high and >NE which I thought was a Whooper Swan until I scoped it.

    Same forecast as today for tomorrow with a lighter NE starting off at 5 degrees.

BS

Swallows at Leeshaw/ Whooper at Ogden.

 

LEESHAW                1 of 5 Redshank

                                    Few Herring gulls

                                    Good count of Lesser Black Backed

                                        Redshank

OGDEN                        Single Whooper Swan

                                    2 Goosander

                                    1 pair Tufted

                                    1 Chiffchaff.

With the overnight fog outstaying its welcome it was a trip to Leeshaw with a hazy start but very soon clearing to leave bright blue skies and sunshine. The strong easterly forecast never developed with a  light E>3 at 4 degrees.

    A better gull morning than expected for this time of year with a good count of 52 LBB, 12 Herring and 2 Black Headed all sticking to the far north shore. The flock of around 20 Oystercatchers are still present along with 5 Redshank plus several Lapwing and a few Curlew. No sign of the Ringed Plover from my previous visit.

     The highlight of the morning was 2 Swallow fast and low over the water heading east but dropping over the dam wall before the camera had time to focus on them. These Swallows were just 2 week earlier than the last 3 years, my earliest ever previously being 4th April.

       An extended dog walk p.m. took me to Ogden with target bird Chiffchaff  plus a report from CS via DJS, and then later from birder Carolyn of a single Whooper on the water.

    I only walked the east bank but soon picked up a Chiffchaff, but only the one with passerine alley being very quiet.

   The water proved better with the single Whooper keeping well at distance across the water, whilst 2 Goosanders and a pair of Tufted were also present. Unfortunately the wind was in the wrong direction for any chance of Little Gull, a mega rare sighting for this area.

     A similar forecast for tomorrow with plenty sun on a moderate NW getting up to gale force late morning with a temp starting off at 4 degrees.

BS

Back to Fly Flatts

 

                            Last nights partial solar eclipse

                                    Rare visitors, 6 Goosander

                                    Off high and >NW

Another bright morning at Fly Flatts with full clear skies and sunshine on a cool SE>3 at 4 degrees.

    A good start to a new month with a very rare visit from 6 Goosander. This is only the second time I have had them on the water, the last sighting being Feb 2020 with 3 females. Other than that I have had just 3 fly-overs at this site.  The birds were all 1cy though one had a much darker head as well as the face pattern, possibly a juv male. They very soon made off high and >NW.

     Not a great deal else happened with the usual 4 Oystercatchers, 3 Redshank, Curlews and Lapwings but first Common Sandpiper should be with me in the next couple of weeks.

   No Wheatear today but plenty Mipits whilst the only sky movement was 2 Common gull high and >NE. Disappointing to find that the only tree in the compound,( a Willow) , that attracts migrating warblers, has been butchered by the sailing club with very little of it left.

   Little gulls starting to move from the west coast, 3 at Manchester Elton reservoir today.

    After overnight fog, a bright sunny day tomorrow but a strong easterly, starting off at 3 degrees.

BS

Fly Flatts, return of the Wheatears.

 

                                    Redshank and Oystercatcher, west bank

                                    1 of 3 Wheatear, 2m 1f

                                        2 of 4 Oyks

                                        East bank

                                Peninsular now showing, Redshank in the water.

                                Breeding pair of Pied Wags returned.

A lovely calm, mild morning at Fly Flatts with a very light WNW>1 at 7 degrees with full bright cloud.

Water level dropping well with several areas of shore exposed as well as the east bank peninsular.

      A return of Wheatear on the west bank with 2 male and 1 female present, 3 weeks earlier than 2024  but a week later than 2023. With exposed shore now showing waders are starting to show better with 

4 Redshank, 4 Oystercatchers, 6 Curlew and several Lapwing around the edges.

    The annual breeding pair of Pied Wagtails are back to their usual site whilst a second pair were checking the area out. Plenty Meadow Pipits on site, now up displaying, whilst a single Skylark was a rare sight for the area.

   The water just held Greylag and Canada whilst only drake Mallard are now showing with the females obviously sitting eggs.  The Ringed Plover has gone from the area as well as the small group of Golden Plover which I was hoping would settle on the Flat Moor. Nothing in the Nolstar fields.

    A bright sunny day for tomorrow but a light ESE wind which could be a threat of fog for the tops. A cooler start at 4 degrees.

BS