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

    

    

A surprise for Ogden.

 

                                    4 Shelduck below the west bank

                                    Low count of LBB and herring gulls

                                From 5th Sept visit, Ogden.

                                Under scrutiny for juv Yellow Legged Herring

A dull start at Ogden with full cloud and mist on the tops with sun breaking through mid watch on a moderate W>4 at 12 degrees.

    A good start off  scanning from the promenade which produced 4 Shelduck below the west bank with a small count of LBB and Herring gulls, along with 4 Cormorant. Around 8 Herring gull and 40 LBB plus around 50 small gulls.

    The long staying Little Grebe was present at the north end of the water busy diving in the channels but otherwise reasonably quiet.

   The 2 lower photos are of a gull I saw on the east bank at Ogden on the 5th Sept which is possibly a juvenile Yellow Legged Herring gull but still under investigation.

    Not the best forecast for tomorrow showing wet and windy, especially after midday when the moderate sou'westerly increases to strong and a higher chance of rain starting off at 9 degrees.

BS

Wet and windy Fly Flatts.

 

                                    Conditions ideal but no waders.

                                    Floating jetty high and dry.

                                    A rare bird at Fly Flatts now. Red Grouse

                                    Mipits on the shore.

                                    Alive with Goldfinch.

A windy start at Fly Flatts with full cloud on a SSW>4 at 10 degrees. Rain by 0845 hrs turning torrential by 0945 hrs.

     A low expectancy visit to Fly Flatts was just that this morning with, as usual to this site, come September, the returning waders always seem to pass to the west of me at the western side of the ridge with not a wader of any description after a scope of the full circumference of the shore line.

    Several Meadow Pipits on the shore and some ground hopping through but nothing on the scale that there should be at this time of year. Going back a few years when visible migration was at its best DCB,HC and myself would clock over 10,000 Meadow Pipits over our watchpoint on Windy Corner during a Sunday mornings watch plus a hoard of other species. Unfortunately the days of inland vis mig seem to be over, in this area at least.

     Red Grouse were present this morning with 5 on the south shore, obviously scared off from a nearby shoot yesterday as Red Grouse are a rare sight up at Fly Flatts now when it used to be alive with them on the Flat Moor.

     A charm of around 50 Goldfinch were moving around the thistle tops and regularly harassed buy 3 Kestrel Whilst a single Wheatear and 3 Stonechat were the only migrants found.

   The water held just 2 remaining Canada geese as well as a single female Mallard with 12 LBB and 4 Black Headed gulls on the north shore. No movement in the sky.

    A chance of early morning rain and mist tomorrow clearing mid morn on a moderate SW at 12 degrees. Cloudy sunshine pm with risk of showers late afternoon.

BS

     

Nowt nobbut gulls, Ogden.

 

                                    Low count of gulls this morning

                                    Even gulls like to play

                                    Pink legged LBB

                                   West bank

Another wet and windy start to the morning at Ogden then clearing to give light showers and bright sunshine on a moderate W>4 at 14 degrees. Very bad visibility of the gulls from the west bank with the low glaring sun.

    A low count of gulls with around 200 mixed but, after a lot of searching through, nothing untoward found. Common gull numbers are now starting to overtake Black Headed and LBB gulls with around 8 Herring gull.

   Swallows were heading >W into the wind but nothing on the water other than, the long staying Little Grebe, 3 Cormorant and the usual Mallards. A very quiet mornings birding. Need the water level to partially rise now as the gulls are getting very distant.

   Looking like a wet morning and brighter afternoon tomorrow on a light SSW at 12 degrees.

BS