Leeshaw Reservoir

 

                                    Poor for waders, 2 Oystercatchers

                                Good move of gulls  1 Black Headed

                                    Several LBB and Herring

                                    Bird of the morning, Red Kite.

                                    Mobbed by Raven and Crow.

A feeling of mid winter this morning at Leeshaw reservoir with a biting cold and moderate W>5 gusting 6 at 4 degrees with near full cloud and odd breaks of sunshine.

    A poor do on the wader scene with very little shore though enough to attract any wader activity but just down to 2 Oystercatchers plus the Curlews and Lapwings. Several Lapwing chicks showing of various stages of age, some now well grown but  a way off fledging yet.

    Plenty Stock Doves in the fields as well as Woodpigeons and Jackdaws along with the usual Greylag and Canada geese. The water held Mallards plus 2 Cormorant. A good gull morning with LBB and Herring gull moving through >W along with a single Black Headed.

   The highlight of the morning was undoubtably a Red Kite high over the water being mobbed by, firstly a Raven, and then a Crow before it drifted off >NE. A Cuckoo called briefly from up by the farm area.

   Tomorrows forecast not great with some cloudy sunshine and rain expected throughout the day, on a moderate west turning north west at 5 degrees.

BS

Fly Flatts, Much of a muchness.

 

                                    5 Common Sandpiper

                                    1 Oystercatcher

                                    Redshank way out on he peninsular

                                    4 Wheatear

                                    2 Herring gulls on the Wainstalls football pitch.

A bitter morning at Fly Flatts with a biting NE>4 at 2 degrees and never getting above 3 degrees. Near full cloud with odd breaks of sunshine.

    Fly Flatts is stuck in a bit of a lull at the moment with plenty to see, wader wise, but no new species arriving. Plenty Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin and Oystercatcher coming and going as well as Curlew and Lapwing with just a couple of Wheatear present.

     Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting and Stonechat are busy feeding young and there are a good number of Greylag and Canada goslings present.

   Only sky movement was a few Herring gulls >SE and plenty Swallows skimming the water.

A good report this morning as I arrived home, from Cameron, our next door neighbour, who had a male and female Ring Ouzel on the track between Fleet Lane and Old Guy road, Queensbury as he walked his dogs. The pair were on the track in front of him before flitting into the field not far from the cricket pitch. I had a check there just after midday but nothing to be found other than plenty Linnets and Swallows.

    A windy day tomorrow with a moderate westerly at 6 degrees with cloudy sunshine and chance of rain at midday.

BS

     

An icy cold Fly Flatts

 

                                       5 Wheatear present

                                Usual Stonechats

                                    and Reed Buntings

                                    LBB and Herring gulls >SE

                                    2 Dunlin

                                    4 Common Sandpiper

An icy cold NE>4 at 3 degrees with 50% cloud and sunshine.

    The waders were mainly staying bunkered down on the peninsular this morning out of the cold wind with just 4 Oystercatchers different from yesterday as well as a Snipe heading for the Flat Moor.

   A steady flow of Swifts all morning >SE as well as a few LBB and Herring gull in the same direction.

Only 5 Wheatear remaining that I could find whilst the usual Reed Buntings, Pied Wagtails and Stonechat were all busy carrying food. 

    Spotted Redshank, Ruff and Sanderling are due at any time if they are to visit me this year.

A wet start to the morning tomorrow brightening as the morning goes with a cold Northerly wind at 4 degrees.

BS

Up among the waders, Fly Flatts

 

                                    A misty start

                                    Buzzard in the mist

                                        Usual Common Sandpipers

                                    Oystercatchers

                                    Dunlins

                                    A fall of at least 11 Wheatear

                                    100 year old driftwood

A misty start to the morning with a few fog banks moving through but soon clearing and the sun trying to break through the cloud. A light NE>3 at 8 degrees.

    Still sticking with the usual waders but a new wave of Wheatear had arrived with at least 11 along the west bank but no sign of Whinchat in the annual hotspot, and no sound of Cuckoo from the Dean Head valley as yet.

   A single Buzzard was working the moor whilst 2 Red Legged Partridge were on the entrance track along with 3 Stonechat whilst several Swallows and Swifts were overhead.

  A brighter day promised for tomorrow remaining dry on a moderate NE, kicking off at 3 degrees.

BS