Another 1st for me at Ogden, Dunlin.

 

                                    Around 150 gulls, east and west bank.

                                    Single female Goosander

                                        10 Teal present.

                                Distant Dunlin in the rain.

                                    Winter plumage

                                    A 1st for me at Ogden.

One of those 'bring em in' mornings that I like with a mix of rain and drizzle showers with full cloud on a WNW>3 at 14 degrees.

    Around 150 mixed gulls spread between the east and west shores along with 3 Cormorants and a single Heron. A female Goosander was present as well as the long staying Little Grebe whilst 10 Teal on the water was a bonus as well as 3 Greylag geese and 4 Tufted duck.

    Near knocking off time I did a final scan around the shore when a wader flew through my field view way across on the west bank. My first thought was Common Sandpiper but I stayed on it till it landed on the distant shore and settled down. 

     At the distance from the east bank, and through the rain with bins only, I got its greyish plumage but its head was tucked under its wind which made me think Knot but, after patiently waiting 10 minutes, 2 Black Headed gulls started harassing it and luckily it flew across to the east shore but still some distance away and no chance of getting nearer as my view would be blocked with trees.

     As it landed, 2 quick shots was enough to see it was a Dunlin in winter plumage showing its long black legs and curved bill. It once again settled down with its head tucked under, which was how I left it, asleep in the waters edge. 

   Though Ogden is by no means a decent wader site this is the second, first for site, wader species this year, the last one being Ruff.

    As we officially move into autumn, autumn equinox today, the forecast for tomorrow is full sun on a light southerly, increasing slightly after midday, kicking off at 10 degrees and peaking at 17 degrees.

 BS

    

Fog Dodging, Ogden, Soil Hill, Perseverance Rd.

 

                                    Dense fog at Ogden

                                Gulls are down there somewhere.

                                A world of difference, Soil Hill.

                                    Fog leaving the valley by 0930 hrs.

                                Single skein of 49 Pinkies >W, Soil Hill.

The dense overnight fog at Queensbury cleared by 0600 hrs only to find that, due to no wind, it had dropped down into the alleys with Ogden completely blanked out. Back up on the tops it was full blue skies on a very light SW>1 at 14 degrees. By 0930 hrs the fog was clearing from down below.

    A walk up to the mast on Soil Hill produced a single Wren and a Cormorant >W with at least 2 distant Wheatear on the stone circle. A steady flow of Mipits headed >SSW.

    A distant sighting across to the bungalow on Perseverance found a small bird on the gable end of the roof where the Black Redstart has been sighted in previous years but a dash on there found it to be a Pied Wagtail. 

    The next 30 minutes from the top of Perseverance Road produced several Mipits, now moving >S after the valley fog had lifted, whilst 3 Buzzards were mega high and moving directly >W closely followed by a skein of 49 Pink Footed Geese also >W. 

   An afternoon dog walk up Foxhill Park produced a Red Kite being mobbed by 2 gulls mega high in the blue sky. The Kite slowly drifted off >E.

    A wet and windy morning forecast for tomorrow with early fog and heavy showers on a moderate sou'westerly at 12 degrees, improving after midday.

BS

     

    

Fly Flatts.

 

                                    3 Wheatear present

                                    112 Pinks >W 0915hrs.

                                    Found this poor dead Goldcrest as I got home

                                    Possibly flown into the window ?

A decent morning weather wise at Fly Flatts with full cloud on a cold SW>3 at 9 degrees.

    A very quiet start but slowly started to save the morning with dribs and drabs appearing.

As expected, not a wader to be found whilst the water held 28 LBB gulls, 6 Canada geese and a single Mallard. Several Goldfinch and Mipits were around the shore and thistle tops along with 3 Wheatear, a single Stonechat and 6 Pied Wagtail.

    A couple of  Raven were over the Nab whilst 2 Buzzard and 3 Kestrel were over the moor. At 0915 hrs a skein of  112 Pink Footed Geese headed >W to the south of me but other than that, visible migration wise, just a steady trickle of Mipits and Swallows>S on what should be the peak time for small migrants. Around the 23rd of September was the peak of the Mipit movement in years gone by when HC, DCB and myself watched from Windy Corner TMR when we got regular counts of over 10,000 Mipits per watch. In that era there were Trektellen reports put in from several local watch points including Oxenhope, Denholme, Thornton, Bradford, Cold Edge dams, Hunter Hill, Fly Flatts, Leeshaw reservoir and Paul Clough, which was before mobile phones, so most sites kept in touch through CB radios. 

     Unfortunately, through the massive decline of migrating birds through this area, along with ageing and illness of the original 'apprentice trained' local birders none of the local sites are now in operation.

     When I got home there was a dead, but unmarked, Goldcrest on the back door step which I could only guess that it had flown into the window. Goldcrest is a very rare bird to my garden with possibly 1 per year around this time, but this is one I didn't want to see.

     A foggy start promised for the morning on a very light SW with cloudy sunshine starting off at 12 degrees.

BS

    

   

Another dabble at Ogden.

 

 Yellow Legged Herring gull, centre                                                 

                                        YL in water.

                                        3 Tufted present

                                    Little Grebe at distance

                                    Heron pinching the Kingfishers spot.

 

After the last of the overnight drizzle cleared it left a part cloudy, part sunny morning with a moderate W>4 at 10 degrees.

    Down to around 40 gulls today but the Yellow Legged Herring gull stood out on the east bank with a few LBBs and small gulls.

    The water held 3 Cormorant, 1 female Goosander, 1 Little Grebe and 3 Tufted duck as well as the usual Mallards. A Kingfisher was down in the sluice gate area but soon flushed when a Heron decided to fish the same piece of water.

    Chaffinch numbers are starting to build, feeding on their favourite weeds along the east and west banking. The skies remained empty this morning.

    Looking dry for tomorrow with a very low chance of an odd shower with cloudy sunshine on a light SW at 9 degrees.

BS

Wild and wet, Ogden.

 

                                    Single Raven over

                                    Little Grebe catching well

                                    1 female Goosander

                                Several Swallows motoring >S

                                    Gulls on the east bank

                                Centre Herring gull dark mantled, argentatus.

                                    Centre bird laid down.

A very wet and windy morning at Ogden with full low cloud on a strong to near gale W>6 gusting 7, but sheltered in the trees, with a mix of heavy rain and horizontal drizzle blasting across from the west at 12 degrees.

    Several gulls in the sky moving in no specific direction but very lively as always in a strong wind. Swallows were motoring through >S whilst a Raven headed towards Fly Flatts. Around 0830 hrs a skein of Pink Footed Geese went over >W, noisily contact calling but unfortunately they were up in the cloud so passed over unseen.

   A new arrival on the water was a female Goosander along with the long staying Little Grebe whilst around 150 gulls were present with Black Headed and Commons on the east shore and big gulls on the west bank. One Herring gull stood out as a much darker mantled bird making me think Yellow Legged until it came out of the water showing its pink legs making this bird a probable argentatus.

     Showing dry for tomorrow but still a moderate W>5 starting at 10 degrees.

BS