One of the quiet ones, Fly Flatts

 

                                        2 Buzzards up throughout

A cloudy morning with 70% cloud and sunshine in between on a moderate W>4-5 at 14 degrees.

    Very poor wader wise with the water well up now and a very limited amount of shore with a small area in the SE corner and a narrow strip of mud at the north end which the birds are favouring at the moment.

 With boating members doing a training class in the compound I stuck to the west bank armed with scope to check the north shoreline where just 4 Common Sandpipers were present and a single Oystercatcher with no sign of the Ringed or Little Ringed Plovers from previous visits though with over 400 Canada geese and 60 plus Greylags, scoping was a bit restricted.

    Lesser Black Backed gulls were moving >SW throughout whilst 2 Buzzard were present in all the time I was there. Plenty Swifts and Swallows over the water  with 2 Raven and a few Curlew present whereas most of the Lapwings have now left the area once their offspring had fledged.

   Otherwise, down to the usual species, so really, a quiet morning in all. 

A cloudy sunny morning tomorrow at 12 degrees but dry on a light NE which could spell early morning hill fog.

BS

Leeshaw Reservoir

 

                                    2 Oystercatchers with 2 chicks

                                    126 Greylags on the water

                                    Muscovy duck in the conduit

                                    Several Curlews and chicks

                                    juv Pied Wagtail

                                    Only gull present, 1 Black Headed

A bright sunny morning at Leeshaw reservoir with 20% cloud on a moderate SW>4 at 10 degrees.

   Very little exposed shore and very few waders with just 2 Oystercatchers with 2 chicks along with the usual Curlews and Lapwing with plenty chicks present to both species, some very young and others now fledged.

   The highlight was 2 Little Ringed Plovers with 2 juvs looking, very near, if not fledged, but keeping on the far NW shore with the adults keeping flying around the shoreline but scope able only and poor visibility in the heat shimmer. I could only split them from Ringed Plover in flight with the lack of wing bars.

  Greylag geese greatly outnumbered Canadas with 126 on the water plus more in the fields. Lots of House Martins present over the water along with a few Swallows whilst a white Muscovy duck was an unusual find in the conduit, probably on walk about from one of the nearby farms.

    A dry day expected tomorrow on a light westerly starting off at a too warm 14 degrees.

BS

Fly Flatts.

 

                                Geese, Gulls and Oystercatcher on the peninsular

                                    1 of several Rdeshank

                                    6 Common Sandpiper present

                                    LBB gulls >SW

                                    Swarms of Swifts

                                Male Pied Wagtail having fledged 6 young so far.

A dry dark morning at Fly Flatts with full dark cloud on a moderate SW>4 at  10 degrees but good visibility.

     Several Redshank and Common Sandpiper moving around plus a single Oystercatcher whilst 2 Ringed Plover were scoped on the north shore where just a strip of mud seems to be holding the waders, with very little exposed shore other than that.

     The sky over the water was alive with Swifts feeding whilst a steady flow of Lesser Black Backed gulls headed >SW. Otherwise, a single Stonechat , several Mipits and a rare sighting of a Skylark, not usually found at this venue, plus the usuals including a Buzzard.

    Looking reasonable for tomorrow with cloudy sunshine on a moderate SW starting off at 10 degrees. A risk of rain after midday and temp getting into the low 20s.

BS

   

More wet and windy, more Ogden

 

                                    Usual 2 Herons

                                    A second drake Tufted arrived

                                    8 Canadas still present

                                    Single Herring gull

                                    Hungry juv Crow.

A very wet and windy start to the morning so another dog walk at Ogden where the weather soon took up with 90% cloud on a light SW>3 at 12 degrees.

     I could have used yesterdays blog again today with a different title with just the same species showing, other than a second Tufted duck appeared as well as 7 LBB gulls and 1 Herring gull on the water. 

   A Kestrel was over the car park whilst a single Goosander flew over mega high >SE just as I was leaving.

  A good report from birder Richard from yesterday with 2 Avocets at Leeshaw reservoir. Unfortunately I didn't get the e mail till I got home this morning so too late to go and check although, chances are, they would have left overnight.

    A dry morning tomorrow with a light southerly starting off at 12 degrees. Low risk of rain p.m.

BS

   

A look at Ogden below the fog.

 

                                    Juvenile Heron

                                        Adult Heron

                                        1of 3 LBB gulls

                                    Impression of a butterfly !

                                    Single drake Tufted going into moult.

                                    8 Canadas present.

                                several juv Blue Tits on feeders.

As expected this morning, dense fog on the tops, with Ogden slightly hazy but good visibility, with full cloud and dead calm at 10 degrees.

    A juv Heron was in the SW corner whilst an adult was on the shore at the NE end. Just 8 Canada geese and a single drake Tufted duck on and by the water but, despite ample exposed shore, not a single Common Sandpiper or Oystercatcher to be found.

    A full circuit of the water provided lots of  Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Song Thrush song but finding them was another story.

    Back to a good chance of rain and poor visibility in the morning on a moderate SW at 12 degrees, improving after midday.

BS

The ups and downs of Fly Flatts.

 

Hovering Buzzard                                                                     

                                     Into the dive.

                                    1 pair Tufted.

                                Some of the 400 + Canadas

                                    Goslings growing well

                                    Late batch of Mallard.

A very dark, full cloud morning at Fly Flatts on a cool E>3 at 8 degrees.

   A very steady morning compared to the last few visits, probably due to the cool easterly wind with never does this site any favours.

  A Common Sandpiper and an Oystercatcher were the only waders found, other than Lapwing and Curlew, though I didn't walk the west bank to check the NE corner. Not a Wheatear in sight this morning with just 2 male Reed Buntings plus plenty juv Meadow Pipits around the compound area.

    A Short Eared Owl flew low over the water at the far north end but continued >W over Tatty Pie Hill whilst a few LBB gulls were slowly making their way >NE. The sky, once again was alive with Swifts and Swallows but otherwise a bit of a disappointing morning.

    A drizzly damp morning tomorrow with hill fog on a light SE turning SW later in the day kicking off at 10 degrees.

BS