A wet and windy Ogden

 

                                    Ogden, early morn, after the rain.

                                    2 Teal flying over the west bank.

                                    Better count of gulls today

                                    East bank

                                    Several Goldfinch in Alders.

        Torrential rain showers to start the morning slowly clearing to leave blue sky and sunshine with just occasional scud clouds passing over on a moderate W>4-5 at 12 degrees.

    A better count of gulls this morning with around 300, spread between the west and east bank, the east bank holding around 50 Common gulls.

   Just 2 Teal and 1 Tufted on the water as well as 4 Cormorant and the usual Mallards and Little Grebe.

A decent sized Tit flock was moving through passerine alley whilst around 30 Goldfinch were in the Alders as well as 1 very mobile Redpoll.

   The trees below the car park held around 20 Chaffinch raking through the fallen leaves but no sign of Brambling as yet.

   After a possible misty start the morning will be dry and sunny on a light SW at 6 degrees. Cloud and wind set to increase after midday.

BS

      

Beating the fog, Ogden.

 

                                Red ball vis mig sunrise.

                                    Very short lived

                                    2 Tufted present

                                    Several Long Tailed Tits.

                                    Very few gulls on the west bank

                                Plenty Common gulls, east bank

                                    Low count of LBBs.

A lovely bright red sunrise but very short lived with full cloud and mist moving in by 0845hrs bringing light drizzle on a light SE>2 at 8 degrees.

    A red ball sunrise always meant a megs vis mig day when we used to watch from TMR and this morning was no exception with Woodpigeons piling over Queensbury >SW from 0700 hrs but unfortunately this was very short lived when mist and fog soon started to roll in from the east closing the flood gates.

   Ogden remained reasonably clear but horizontal visibility only, so with very few gulls to check through, and just 2 Tufted on the water, although I didn't venture to the north end, I did a check along the west bank for small passerines.

    A good Tit flock was moving through the waterside trees with mainly Long Tailed and Coal 

 along with a few Blue and Great Tits. The Alder trees held a good flock of around 30 mixed Goldfinch and Redpoll but very hard to get to grips with whilst the leaves are still dense.

    Wet and windy for morning with rain on a moderate to strong SSW clearing to sunshine and showers after midday.

BS

Fly Flatts reservoir.

 

                                    Tons of wasted shore.

                                Greenland Wheatear showing 7 primary tips

                                    3 Pied Wagtail

                                    8 Pink Footed geese >SE

                                    Going into the sun.

A bright sunny start to the morning with clear blue skies but mist banks over the western ridge. A cool W>2 at 6 degrees.

     The water is still receding with acres of muddy shore and pools but, as the norm at this site in autumn, not a wader to be found, which was expected but still a disappointment.

    A very quiet morning with the highlight being a Greenland Wheatear moving around the area showing a very colourful breast, long legs and 7 primary tips. Greenland Wheatears are always the last of the Wheatears to move through.

     Just 5 Canadas on the water, whilst overhead, 8 Pink Footed Geese headed>SE, 2 Kestrels were over the quarry and a steady trickle of Common gulls >NE. The Meadow Pipits are now gone with just 5 left on the shoreline along with 3 Pied Wagtails, whilst 3 Red Grouse were on the moor.

      Showing a damp and foggy day tomorrow with drizzle, fog and mist courtesy of a light SE at 9 degrees.

BS

Autumnal arrivals, Ogden.

 

                                    Early morn at Ogden

                                    3of 6 Tufted duck

                                        Very few gulls

                                    3 of 6 Teal

                                    2ad 1 juv Whooper Swan

                                    Gulls on the west bank.

A very windy wet start to the morning with a strong W>4 gusting 5 at 7 degrees and heavy showers with full cloud brightening by 0900 hrs.

    A better morning for wildfowl with Tufted duck up to 6 and Teal also giving a count of 6 along with Cormorants, 1 Goosander and 1 Little Grebe. As I got back to the promenade there were 2 adult and 1 juvenile Whooper Swan on the water which must have dropped down as I was walking through the trees with views of the water blanked out.

     The Chaffinch flock is building nicely but have not started feeding on the waterside weeds as yet and the leaves still on the trees makes a count difficult. Hopefully Brambling will soon join them which usually appear around mid October although the last decent count of this species was back in 2016 -17

with just singles since then, including last year.

   A few Tits and Goldcrests about and around 10 Redwing around the plantation tree tops.

A bright sunny morning given for tomorrow on a light westerly, remaining dry at 5 degrees, with cloud moving in after midday.

BS

Very wet, very windy. Ogden

 

                                    Around 80 mixed gulls present

                                Herring gulls outnumbered this morning

                                    No Yellow Legged today.

                                    Just 2 Teals found.

                                Long staying Goosander.

A very wet and windy morn at Ogden with a  near gale W>7 at 34 m.p.h. gusting gale force 8 at 

39 m.p.h. with a mix of heavy rain and drizzle blowing horizontally over the water. Full low cloud at a temp of 12 degrees.

    One of those dreaded situations where every time I lifted the bins they were either wet or steamed up making scanning very difficult. Around 80 gulls, mostly Black Headed and Common whilst Herring gull numbers outweighed LBBs, which was unusual.

    No sign of yesterdays Yellow Legged Herring gull and only 2 Teal found along with 2 Tufted and the usual Goosander and Cormorants, though scanning around the shore line was not easy.

    A Sparrowhawk skimmed through the passerine alley trees whilst the mornings highlight was the arrival of around 30 Redwings moving around in the car park tree tops.

    Another wet and windy day tomorrow with a force 6 westerly at 26 m.p.h. with sunshine and showers kicking off at 8 degrees.

BS