Birds at last Leeshaw Reservoir / Dog and Gun field.

 

    LEESHAW             1st bird this morning, Gt Spotted Woodpecker

                                Only the 2nd sighting I,ve had here.

                                    Just a single LBB

                                    East shore

                                    Around 70 Herring gull present

DOG AND GUN FIELD.   Mix of small gulls

                                    Several Herring

                                    Single LBB gull.

Decent weather at Leeshaw with full cloud on a light SE>1 at 6 degrees. Rain and mist moving in by 1000 hrs but knocking off time.

     First bird seen, as I was approaching Leeshaw along Lee Lane, was a Great Spotted Woodpecker up on a telegraph pole, only my second sighting of this species at Leeshaw. Moments later a Sparrowhawk whistled across the road checking out a empty bird feeder at one of the cottages.

    The water and surrounding fields were alive with gulls with around 300 small, c 70 Herring and a single LBB but nothing else on the water other than 2 Cormorant and the usual Mallards.

   Very few geese present with just 4 Greylag and 1 Canada though 26 Greylag were in a field on Long Causeway by TMR including the 2 families of whites which bred at Fly Flatts this year.

   A few Mistle Thrush and Collared Doves were moving around the wires whilst a flock of 48 Meadow Pipits were moving around the manured fields, possibly over-wintering birds. A Little Owl was in its usual area.

   On the way back, a stop off at the Dog and Gun field which held around 50 small gull, 12 Herring and 1 LBB. A good scope through all the small gulls this morning failed to turn up a Med gull.

    Looking dry and bright for tomorrow on a moderate SW at 8 degrees.

BS

The struggle continues, Ogden

 A pleasant enough morning at Ogden with full dark cloud on a light SW>2 at 8 degrees with light drizzle throughout.

    A single lap of the water this morning in very dark conditions making viewing difficult, and again, the lens cap never even got removed. I think I should have sold the camera when I was at Janet Greens the other day.

   Other than a couple of Robins, Wrens and Dunnocks the waterside trees were completely deserted with the only birds of note being a Gt Spotted Woodpecker flying over the tree canopy and a single Dipper down in the sluice gate area and that was it. Around 40 small gulls were on the water along with a very low winter count of Mallard.

   Showing a cloudy, and possibly, foggy morning on a light SE at 6 degrees then rain from midday onwards.

BS

Its a struggle, Ogden.

 Decent conditions at Ogden this morning with odd breaks of sunshine through an otherwise cloudy sky on a light SSW>2 at 3 degrees. Bad visibility due to silhouetting. 

    Two laps of the water this morning just turned up odds and sods but nothing to get in the camera.

The Siskin flock was again teasing me with a group of 28 which flew from the east wood over the water to the west side but not to be re-located, whilst 2 singles flew from the north wood towards the west. The problem this winter is there is an abundance of Alder trees rich in fruit so the birds are spoilt for choice and seem to be sticking to feeding deeper in the wood.

     The 2 Kingfishers were very active flying up and down the east shore but never seen to settle. A good flock of mainly Coal Tits, as well as a few Blue and Greats were working their way through the waterside trees whilst a Raven sounded to be getting heavily mobbed by Crows somewhere in the wood.

    The water just held a single LBB gull as well as 2 Herring and a dozen small gulls plus the usual Mallards. Otherwise, a Kestrel overhead and that was as good as I could do.

Looking like a cloudy showery day tomorrow on a moderate SW at 7 degrees.

BS

A non birding day.

 With the car in for M.O.T this morning I had to be in Halifax for 0830 hrs and then wander round the town with the local druggies to pass on a couple of hours. It made me understand why everyone uses Amazon now with no shops of any meaning.

   WH Smiths had 3 bird books aged at the under sevens whilst Janet Greens had 4 second hand, well out of date lenses, and no SLR cameras. The store is now taken over with printing machines for mobile sim cards. Most of the other half decent shops are boarded up.

    Strange how most of the druggies ask for money because they are stranded and need to get back to Leeds?

   On the plus side, I got down the Woolshops just in time to see one of the Pied Wagtail roosts dispersing from a tree with excess of 50 birds flying off. I was told that 2 trees down there are packed with them last light.

   The berry trees down by Wickes held Blackbirds, Mistle Thrush and Redwings but no arrivals of Waxwings as yet, though Scotland are now reporting a few. Otherwise, just a single Peregrine up on the spire, watching around 100 feral pigeons flying round.

   Back home for 1100 hrs but still thick fog and heavy drizzle so just the usual wet dog walks around Foxhill.

I just looked on the Slimbridge Reserve live webcam with wall to wall Shelduck, Pochard, Pintail and Teal along with hundreds of Tufted and Lapwings as well as Whooper, Bewick's and Black Swan. There is also still a large Dunlin and Turnstone roost there. Thats knocked the excitement of Ogden in the morning.

   A part cloudy morning for tomorrow with a moderate SSW at 3 degrees.

BS.

   

    

   

Steady away at Ogden.

 A bright morning at Ogden with a mix of cloud and sunshine on a light SW>2 at 4 degrees.

   Despite the perfect conditions, birding was very poor with a full circuit round the water studying all the Alder trees, very little was found.

     The Siskin flock of around 20 birds flew high over the tree canopy at the north end but continued deep into the plantation. No Bullfinch or Tit flock this morning with the only small passerines being the usual Robins, Wrens, Dunnocks and Blackbirds, with no sign of Goldcrest or Treecreeper.

    A single Raven was cronking away all morning but out of sight in the wood whilst a Gt Spotted Woodpecker flew across the front of the car on Ogden Lane. Whatever has happened to Green Woodpecker which was once a daily sight and sound at Ogden, where I have now only had one sighting of this species in 3 years and that was over Shibden Valley.

   Just 2 Herring gull on the water along with around 40 small gulls. A disappointing visit for my first December outing.

    A poor forecast for morning with plenty cloud and chance of rain and fog on a moderate SSE.

BS

Looking forward to February at Fly Flatts.

 

                                    Mid February is when Ringed Plovers start to

                                  appear at Fly Flatts.

                                    Juvs start to show July.

A bright sunny day but unfortunately a wait in for the central heating plumber who told me the 15 year old boiler is a write off so its a 10 day wait now with no central heating and limited hot water for a new one fitting. 

   So far, I'm clear in the morning so should be back out in the field, but then another morning spoilt on Thursday with the car in for MOT.

    Just a reminder above of what I'm waiting for now when the Ringed Plovers start trickling back into Fly Flatts late February, though last year the water was high so the first time with no breeding taking place. Just Christmas and New Year to get out of the way now then back to some decent birding, hopefully.

  A cloud and sunshine morning on a light southerly at 4 degrees.

BS

Best of Ogden. October/November.

 

                                Best of October/ November at Ogden.   Teal, peaking at 38

                                        Wigeon x 5

                                    Mandarin 1m 2f

                                    Single drake Goldeneye

                                        Several Goldcrests

                                        Up to 9 Bullfinch

A terrible mornings weather with a strong SW>5-6 gusting 7 with heavy horizontal drizzle at 6 degrees.

      No birding this morning in the conditions so just a quick look back at November birds found at Ogden where I have spent most of my mornings recently with Fly Flatts and Leeshaw not playing the game.

    Looking around at other local site reports Ogden seems to have stood out well, mainly due to the low water level where ample weed was exposed, which pulled in the wildfowl.

   Teal were present throughout the month, peaking at 38 on the 24th Oct then slowly moving off as the water began to rise. Tufted duck settled, which is a bit unusual at this site, with 6 remaining through October and well into November.

    Wigeon were present throughout October with 2 birds present then joined by another 3 early November before all moving on. A nice surprise on 6th Nov when 1m and 2 f  Mandarin duck appeared but were gone the next day whilst a Little Grebe kept making an appearance at the NE end of the water.

  The next special appeared on the 27th Nov in the form of a drake Goldeneye staying 1 day only. With all these species, as well as a very high count of Mallard and the long staying female Goosander it made Ogden a pleasant site to watch.

    The woods kept reasonably busy with Goldcrest, Bullfinch, Chaffinch and even a quick, one off sighting, and grim photo, of a Brambling. A flock of around 30 Siskin keep being seen but so far I've only managed to pin down twos and threes in with the Bullfinch flock. Unfortunately, no sign of Redpolls as yet but I'm sure I'll nail them this month.

   Plenty other common woodland species seen as well as Raven, Buzzard, 2 Kingfisher and 2 Dipper but a poor show with the gulls keeping to low counts of small gull along with a few Herring and Lesser Black Backed. See what December produces.

   A better morning for tomorrow with cloudy sunshine on a light SW at 4 degrees.

BS

   

  

Just the usuals, Ogden.

 

                                        Long staying Goosander.

A bright sunny morning at Ogden but very icy on a biting W>3 at 1 degree.

     Little time today so just a check of the west bank and water with the Alders holding the usual Bullfinch, Goldcrest and 4 common Tit species whilst the 2 Kingfishers were moving south to north along the west bank waterside trees.

   Around 80 small gulls on the water with several overhead, moving >NE, but otherwise just the long staying Goosander and Mallards.

  Looking like a write off for tomorrow with a day of heavy rain and near gale force southerlies. Roll on spring time.

BS

   

Struggling to find something new, Ogden.

 

                                    Nuthatch on the feeders

                                    1 of 2 Herring gull

                                    Several trees containing Bullfinch.

                                        1 of 6 Goldcrest.

Thick fog at Queensbury but Ogden was just below the cloud base with dull and damp conditions on a light NW>2 at 3 degrees. By 0930hrs the mist was rolling in along with rain.

    Despite the poor conditions there was plenty to keep me interested with firstly, the feeders were very busy with Coal, Great and Blue Tit as well as a single Nuthatch along with the usual ground feeders. As I as looking through the viewfinder the local Sparrowhawk came steaming through, battering into the fat ball feeders but away with empty talons. I held the shutter button down but, because it was so close, I just came away with 6 shots of half a wing and a tail section.

     Next stop was the west bank where several of the Alder trees had Bullfinch feeding in them with a count of around 12, along with 2 Siskin, one of which was a cracking male, but once again, failed to get a half decent publishable shot.

   Plenty Long Tailed Tits around and at least 6 Goldcrest, plus 2 more Goldcrest in the carpark shrubs.

Around 50 small gulls on the water along with 2 Herring, plus a single Cormorant and the usual Mallards.

    Looking good for tomorrow with plenty sunshine on a light westerly starting off at 0 degrees.

BS