Wet and windy Ogden.

 

                                    1 pr Tufted present

                                    Gulls on the east bank

                                Variation in mantle shades on LBBs

                                Juv LBB still being fed.

                                    Very few Herrings

                                Centre LBB dark enough for 'intermedius'

A wet and windy morn at Ogden with a mix of sunshine and showers on a moderate SW>4 at 12 degrees.

   Only around 80 mixed gulls this morning and all on the east bank along with 3 Cormorant. Very few Herring gull and around 40 LBB which were interesting to scan through with several different shades of mantle. Some looked nearly light enough for Yellow Legged but several being the same light shade, whilst one was dark enough to be classed as an 'intermedius'.

    The water held a pair of Tufted, Little Grebe and 6 Canada geese whilst there was very little sky movement other than a few Swallows and a single Raven. A very vocal Nuthatch was dodging about in the thick foliage and refusing to show itself clearly.

    A brighter cloudy sunshine day tomorrow staying dry after a possibly misty start on a light WNW.

BS

     

Back at Ogden.

 

                                East bank, Yellow Legged Herring with LBBs, centre.

                                YL Herring, centre

                                        YL centre

                                        Little Grebe

                                    Very few gulls on east bank.

A part sunny morning with dark clouds rolling over but remaining dry on a W>3 at 12 degrees.

    Once again, a low count of gulls with around 100 mixed but including an adult Yellow Legged Herring gull in with the LBBs on the west bank before heading off >NE.

    Just 3 Cormorant present, one of which was the bird with the red leg ring whilst the long staying Little Grebe was still present and feeding well. The only sign of sky movement was a trickle of Swallows >SE but otherwise the skies were empty. 

    A female Blackcap was flitting about in a rowan but remained very camera shy.

 Showing very wet and windy throughout tomorrow on a moderate to strong SW with heavy rain starting off at 10 degrees.

BS

Ogden Reservoir.

                                    single drake Tufted.
 

                                Plenty gull activity in the duck corner

                                        5 loaves of bread were lobbed over the fence

                                    Pale legged LBB

                                    Cormorant with the red leg ring back.

                                    Cormorant fly over.

                                Little Grebe still present

                                    Woodpigs enjoying the berries.

                                    Very limited gulls.

A morning of full cloud  on a light SW>2 increasing >3 at 9 degrees but remaining dry.

    Very few gulls this morning with around 40 mixed on the east bank and none on the west bank but lots of excitement and squabbling when two people turned up with 5 loaves of bread and lobbed the lot into the duck corner, its getting like Redcar Tarn lately.

     The red ringed Cormorant was back with 3 more, plus 1 fly over, whilst the water held 6 Canada geese, little Grebe and a drake Tufted as well as the Mallards.

   A couple of surprises with 3 Collared Dove and 2 Jays, both a bit unusual for this site, but a check of the migrant bushes found them empty apart from 4 Mistle Thrush. Only species skyward were a steady flow of Swallows all >SE and 2 very high Pied Wagtails >W.

    Tonights overnight rain is suppose to clear by 0600 hrs in the morning leaving a cloudy start then cloudy sunshine on a moderate westerly at 10 degrees.

BS

     

Fly Flatts

 

                                8 juv + 1 ad pr Pheasant in lagoon area.

                                    A mix of Reed Buntings and Stonechats.

                                    Stonechat in moult.

                                    Several Meadow Pipits.

A part cloudy, part sunny morning at Fly Flatts on a moderate NW4 at 9 degrees.

     The shoreline all around the water still remains empty with no waders and no gulls this morning apart from 3 fly over LBB heading >NW. The water held 26 Canada and 2 Greylag geese along with a female Mallard and a drake Tufted.

    The compound bushes were lively with 5 Stonechat and 2 Reed Bunting as well as several Mipits and 2 Wrens. Up above, 2 Buzzards were soaring over the Nab along with 2 Raven.

    Vis mig wise, a steady constant trickle of Meadow Pipits >SW, whilst Swallows headed >W over the water. The highlight of the morning was, as I was scanning the sky from inside the compound I picked up a Great White Egret very high over the water and heading >NE away from me. In the few seconds it took to drop the bins and raise the camera the bird had disappeared into the milky sky. The last Great White Egret I got over Fly Flatts, on the same flight path, was 18/10/2017, which was a first for Calderdale but are more common to the area now, as is the Little Egret after I got the first 2 for Calderdale at Elland Gravel Pits 5/5/2003 but are now a reasonably common sight.

     A dry day given for tomorrow until rain appears early evening. A moderate SW starting at 9 degrees.

BS

    

Migrant morn at Ogden

 

                                    A dark start to the morning

                                Water gushing in the SW inlet.

                                    Mistle Thrush and Gt Spotted Woodpecker.

                                    Only 6 Herring gull present

                                    Handful of small gulls

                                Around 30 LBB

A dark cloudy start to the morning but the heavy overnight rain moved over leaving it dry with broken cloud and a few shows of the sun on a light W>2 at 9 degrees. Rain showers by 0945 hrs.

    All the action this morning was a fall of migrants, probably brought down by the heavy overnight rain, with the trees and bushes above the Lodge House buzzing with passage migrants darting around the area feeding on a good supply of midges and Rowen berries.

    At least 15 Mistle Thrushes were present along with a flock of Chaffinch and Goldfinch as well as Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Coal Tits, Long Tailed Tits and top of the shop, a single Sedge Warbler, whilst Swallows were overhead moving >SW along with Meadow Pipits. 

   Non migrants were 3 resident Grey Wagtails and a Gt Spotted Woodpecker whilst gulls were poor with 6 Herring, around 30 LBB and a handful of small gulls plus 3 Cormorant and the Little Grebe.

As I was leaving the second shift arrived in the form of  JJL.

     A fine bright day promised for tomorrow on a light NW kicking off at 10 degrees.

BS