A rewarding morning at Ogden.

 

                                    Adult Mediterranean gull

                                    Found yesterday by JJL, Bradshaw Birds blog.

                                    Yellow leg ring, from Sweden.

                                    Jay enjoying beech nuts.

Dense fog on the tops this morning but Ogden was hazy then clearing to a spring like morning with clear skies and sunshine on a very light NNE>1 at 6 degrees.

     The water at Ogden was void of wildfowl other than the Mallards, as far as I could see, along with 2 Cormorant whilst around 150 gulls were on the west bank but none on the nearer east bank. The gulls were very hard to sort through with the low sun lighting them up so it was a matter of checking them each time a cloud blanked the sun out.

     The adult leg ringed Mediterranean gull, which was ringed in Sweden, sighted yesterday by JJL, was present but spent most of the time sleeping, which I suppose you would if you'd just flown from Sweden. Most of the Black Headed gulls I've seen with rings at Ogden were ringed in Sweden or Norway.

    Plenty Chaffinch around but very flighty with the usual disturbance whilst a good sized tit flock was in the same area along with 4 Bullfinch and at least 3 Siskin plus Blackbirds and a Jay. By the time I'd finished along the west bank it was knocking off time so never got along the east bank. 

     A mix of cloud and sunshine tomorrow starting at 4 degrees but still the dreaded fog fetching light E turning NE.

BS

      

Dodging the fog banks, Fly Flatts.

 

                                    Fog creeping up out of the valley

                                    Mirror reflective still water

                                    Low tide

                                3 Pheasant in the boat viewing area

    3 Meadow Pipit present                                                              

                                Few Herring gulls >SE

                                    1 of 5 Reed Buntings

                                    3 Greylags >NW in the fog

                                    1 of 2 Stonechat

                                    Rare find for this site, Robin.

                                        Probably continental.

Full cloud with light mist and occasional fog banks moving through on a calm NNE>1 at 5 degrees.

Dense fog lower down in the valleys.

    Luckily for me the fog hung low leaving Fly Flatts with reasonable visibility so I was able to avoid the Ogden Sunday morning running track and head for the solitude of the hills.

    Nothing special but more than I expected and enough to keep the interest flowing. Just 8 Canadas on the water with 7 LBB gulls on the north shore and a steady trickle of Herring gulls >SE. A Buzzard headed towards Castle Carr but was soon lost in the low cloud.

   Small passerines were livelier with 5 Reed Buntings, 1 Meadow Pipit and a rare sighting for this site of a Robin which looked slim and pale enough to be a continental. Otherwise 3 Pheasants, 2 Red Grouse and the usual Carrion Crows.

    Due to very little breeze todays sailing had to be cancelled.

Another day of the same tomorrow with fog on a very light NE turning E at 6 degrees then cloudy with a chance of some outbreaks of sunshine.

BS

Glutton for punishment, Ogden.

 

                                    Good count of gulls, west bank.

A dull dry morning at Ogden with full cloud on a light NE>2 at 6 degrees.

    I had hoped to avoid the weekend Ogden today but with yet more fog on the tops I was stuck for choice so ended up there again after a mega quiet morning yesterday.

  A bit livelier this morning  with around 150 gulls on the west bank but no specials to be found whilst the water just held 2 Cormorant and the Mallards with again, no sign of the Teals or Wigeon, though I didn't do a full circuit.

    A group of 6 Bullfinch were in the Alders with a small tit flock nearby with several Long Tailed Tits mixed in as well as a Nuthatch and 3 Goldcrest. 

    A flock of around 50 Chaffinch flew in from behind the lodge house and landed on the beginning of the west bank but were immediately flushed before I could go through them by a constant procession of the public and runners. After several attempts of them landing on the weeds they finally gave up and  moved on, the same as I did.

    A cloudy day tomorrow with early morning mist and fog and low risk of showers on a light W turning NW at 6 degrees.

BS

    

   

On a hiding to nothing. Ogden.

    Birding was at its worst this morning with nothing on the water other than a few gulls and Mallards whilst around 50 gulls were on the shore. A few small break away flocks of Chaffinch were flitting about as well as Goldfinch whilst 2 Bullfinch were in a Beech tree.

    A Raven flew overhead but otherwise empty skies although HC was getting a massive Fieldfare movement over Haworth but they all managed to avoid local air space.

       A probable foggy start for morning with light drizzle on a very light NE at 5 degrees. Chance of light showers after midday.

                                    Sun setting over Foxhill park yesterday.

BS.

Plot Neet morn at Ogden

 

                                Ogden early morn looking south.

                                    Looking north.

                                    Around 80 gulls present

                                        Usual Wigeon

                                    Several Chaffinch

A pleasant enough morning at Ogden with broken cloud on a light SE>2 at 5 degrees.

   Nothing unusual this morning with a good sized Tit flock including 2 Nuthatch and around 30 Chaffinch but no sign of Brambling today though a load of disturbance along the west track preventing them from feeding on the track. Several were in the open on the banking weeds which would have been ideal for a Brambling photo but not to be.

     A few Redwing and Mistle Thrush over >SW with around 80 gulls present but nothing on the water other than the long staying Wigeon, 2 Cormorant and the usual Mallards.

    A dry day given for tomorrow with cloud and some sunshine on a light ENE at 5 degrees. Rain due by early evening.

BS

   

    

   

Another murky morning, Ogden.

 

                                Early morn, low cloud base

                                    Brighter on the west bank.

                                    Low count of gulls, east bank

                                    1 of 2 Cormorant.

                                    Common and Black Headed gulls.

 

Thick fog on the tops again this morning with Ogden just below the cloud base and keeping dry on a light ESE>2 at 5 degrees.

    The west bank was very lively but all very flighty with a continuous flow of public walking and running around the track spooking the Chaffinch/Brambling flock every time they dropped onto the track to feed. At least 4 female and 1 cracking male in with the flock but no chance of getting them in the camera.

     A decent tit flock with the 4 common tit species as well as Goldfinch, Goldcrest, Bullfinch and 2 Siskin whilst a Jay was enjoying the beech nuts. 

    Around 50 gulls on the shoreline along with 2 Cormorant but only wildfowl showing was the usual Mallards.

    Showing dry tomorrow with cloudy sunshine on a light to moderate easterly at 6 degrees. With the wind still from the east, a good chance of morning fog.

BS

     

   

Thrush moving morn, Ogden

 

                                    Woodpigeons >W

                   Several continental Blackbirds or 1st winter males.

                                    West bank

                                    East bank

A misty drizzly start to the morning then dry with full cloud on a light NE>3 at 5 degrees with fog on the tops.

    Mission impossible this morning along the west bank waterside trees with a working party on there along with 3 groups of walkers so the Chaffinch/Brambling flock were unable to feed on their favourite section of Beech nut covered track. The Chaffinch were spread separately in the trees with at least 3 female and one male Brambling but all very mobile and hidden in the thick foliage. A small tit flock had 3 Goldcrest and a Nuthatch mixed in with them.

     The majority of action was in the air with a heavy move >W of Redwing, Fieldfare, Mistle Thrushes, Blackbirds and Woodpigeons, the majority being Fieldfares. Several Blackbirds were in the berry bushes which, going by the numbers and black bills were continentals, though these are hard to split from 1st year male residents once their speckled breasts have moulted. A surprise to see a Song Thrush in a berry tree at this time of year.

      Around 100 mixed gulls and 2 Cormorant but no wildfowl present other than the usual Wigeon and  Mallards, though I didn't do a full circuit.

      

    

                              Invasion of Starlings on my garden feeders.

                                    From Fly Flatts, Sunday. The leading bird on the flock of Wigeon

has been confirmed by MC as a drake Pintail with a female Pintail behind it. I kept looking at the front 

bird for Pintail but with the poor photo I could'nt be sure so didn't stick my neck out. Thanks again Mick, better get my eye cataracts done like you just have!

   Another day of the same with a foggy/misty start and drizzle, courtesy of the north easterly bringing the murk over from the North sea. Otherwise, cloudy sunshine with a low risk of showers on a light NE at 6 degrees.

BS