A livelier Fly Flatts

 

                                    Good visibility

                                    Water level going down well

                                    Shore starting to appear

                                Alive with frogs and frog spawn

                                    2 of 4 Oystercatchers

                                    1 of 2 Redshank

                                    Single Ringed Plover

Low cloud as I arrived at Fly Flatts early morn but soon cleared in the cold moderate SW>4-5 at 4 degrees with some broken cloud and a short blast of sun.

    Bit of a wader morning with 25 Lapwing, at least 18 Curlew, 2 Redshank, 4 Oystercatcher, 1 Snipe and a single Ringed Plover. The water just held the usual Canada and Greylag geese plus a few Mallard but no visiting Common Scoter today.

    A single Pied Wagtail was collecting food near its annual nest site and 2 Meadow Pipits were near the lagoon. A check of the Wheatear hotspots though a bit early yet with my first arrivals nearer to the end of the month, my earliest ever at this site was 17th March 2023.

   All quiet around the Nolstar fields and gulls noticeable by their absence now.

Cloudy sunshine for tomorrow on a moderate to strong westerly at 5 degrees.

BS

Scoter search, Leeshaw/Leeming reservoirs.

 

                                    A misty Leeshaw reservoir

                                    Little Owl in distant tree.

                                    Some of 23 Oystercatchers

                                    6 Curlew present

                                Around 150 Lapwing

                                Lapwings up in the mist

                                        1 of 2 Heron

                                    3 Redshanks arrived

                                    A quiet Leeming reservoir.

Thick fog on the tops as promised so down to Oxenhope which was just below the cloud base but dull and misty though visibility was good enough to do the job. A light S>2 at 6 degrees but feeling colder in the damp air.

     With finding a second Common Scoter in mind, first stop was Leeshaw with very quiet water holding just a few Canada and Greylag geese as well as 4 Mallard.

   A few Canadas and Greylags in the field but the bulk of the geese, including the long staying 3 Pink Footed would have probably been in the Upper Marsh fields. A good count of around 150 Lapwings, several of which are now sitting, whilst others are in the fields or on the waters edge. At one point, the whole shebang lifted up when a Merlin whistled over without causing any damage.

  Oystercatcher numbers are now up to 23, usually reaching near on 40 by April, whilst 3 Redshanks were present as well as a Grey Wagtail.

   A flock of 10 Herring gulls went straight through >W but no other gulls present making it look like the gull watching season is almost over this winter.

    A stop off at Leeming reservoir on the way home just produced 3 Tufted duck, a few Mallard, 2 Oystercatchers and a single Herring gull.

     A mix for tomorrow with some cloud and sunshine on a moderate sou'westerly at 7 degrees and no report of poor visibility as yet.

BS

Ogden in the fog

 

                                    A foggy start at Ogden

                                    Limited visibility over the water

                                    Cleared enough to do a Scoter check

                                    2 Canadas present

                                        4 Treecreepers

As expected, dense fog this morning so a trip to Ogden which was just about as bad but partially cleared by 0945hrs giving just enough visibility to see over the water. A light SE>2 at 5 degrees.

    The plan was to do a Scoter check of Ogden and then move on to check Mixenden with the same species in mind but with the fog hanging on Mixenden had to be aborted.

     The west bank was lively, though nothing special, with 2 Goldcrest, 4 Treecreepers and several Blue and Great Tits whilst the Alders held 10 Woodpigeons, which was an unusual sighting.

    By 0945 hrs the fog had lifted slightly and just enough to check the water with only 2 Canada geese, 8 BH gulls and the usual Mallards but no Common Scoter. A few are reported moving through at the moment but scare in this area.MC has checked several waters around Wharfedale and so far found 1 on Chelker reservoir and 1 on Knotford Nook. Gone are the days when we had 76 on Thornton Moor Reservoir one foggy day.

     A mostly cloudy day tomorrow with a light southerly breeze at 6 degrees and again showing fog

for the morning.

BS 

     

A prize at Fly Flatts

 

                                    A calm clear morning at Fly Flatts

                                    From the NW end of the west bank.

                                        1 of 2 Oystercatchers

                                    Star prize, Drake Common Scoter

                                    Keeping well at distance

A bright clear morning at Fly Flatts with full cloud cover on a light SW>2 at a cool 3 degrees. Dense fog hanging down in the Aire Valley.

    With work going on in the boat compound I walked the length of the west bank which turned out to be a good move. Plenty Canada and Greylag geese on the water as well as Mallards but as I got half way on and scanned the water through the bins a drake Common Scoter was in the NE corner of the water. A dash on to the NW corner of the water for a few very distant photos as well as putting he call out to DJS. Apparently a few Scoters are on the move at the moment but have been a scarce visitor to this area over the last few years.

    A single Pied Wagtail was on the west bank as well as 4 Meadow Pipits and 2 Oystercatchers whilst several Lapwings and Curlews were in the air. The Ringed Plover was still present but staying put at distance on the east bank.

    As I got back to the south bank DJS was steaming along the top road and a phone call to him confirmed that he had the Scoter in his scope. A few minutes later he rang me back to say he had 2 Redshank on the north shore which, with guidance from Dave, I managed a distant view of their heads above the grass banking. At last, decent weather and decent birds at Fly Flatts.

    A surprise this afternoon when dog walking in Foxhill Park when a sudden call and a Common Snipe flew over my head and dropped down into the Grimston field. Almost immediately it was in the air again dropping down behind Foxhill school. Probably one of the Dailie fields birds but a first for me over Foxhill.

   A cloudy day given for tomorrow and chance of showers with unfortunately a rise in temperature to 6 degrees on a light SE which is a perfect recipe for fog.

BS

     

Back to Ogden.

 

                                    Low cloud over the tops

                                    Grey Wagtail in the overflow

                                    3 LBB gulls present

                                    4 Common gull

                            Plenty Long Tailed and Blue Tits on the feeders

An overnight sprinkling of snow at Queensbury and fog on the tops. Ogden was very dark and wet with rain followed by drizzle before drying up by 0915 hrs. A light N >3 at 3 degrees.

    Another dog walking session at Ogden with, once again, birds non existent. The water held 3 LBB, 1 Herring, 4 Common and 8 Black Headed gulls along with the Mallard whilst a single Grey Wagtail was down in the overflow.

     A walk along the west bank as far as the NW corner produced a Robin and 2 Blue Tits and that was it. The only active birds were several Long Tailed and Blue Tits on the feeders.

  On the way back from an afternoon shopping spree at Keighley I drove past the Flappit and Haworth Road gull fields with not a gull to be seen. What has happened to all our birds this winter ?

     Looking slightly better for tomorrow with cloudy sunshine on a light SW kicking off at 1 degree which will hopefully eliminate any morning hill fog.

BS