Migrants on the move, Fly Flatts.

 

                                  8 Golden Plover out on the islands

                            A special for Fly Flatts, Whitethroat

                                    Up to 8 Stonechat

A bright clear morning with all signs of overnight fog cleared. Full sun on a light E>3 at 12 degrees.

    A good passage migrant morning with the star bird being a single Whitethroat around the compound bushes, along with 8 Stonechat, 2 Wheatear, 3 Willow Warblers and a good count of Mipits, Goldfinch and Linnets whilst Swallows headed >S overhead.

    A group of 8 Golden Plover were out on the islands with 7 juveniles and 1 adult but no other waders present. The water held the last 7 Canada geese as well as a single female Tufted and Mallard whilst the gull count was very low with just 18 LBB and 6 Black Headed. Other than the Swallows nothing was moving overhead.

    Another risk of early morning hill fog tomorrow courtesy of a light to moderate ENE then cloudy sunshine at 12 degrees peaking at 19 degrees.

BS

Ogden, the lull continues.

 

                                    Very low gull count

                                    Deserted east bank

                                    Juv LBB being fed

A very light NW>1 with full sun at 15 degrees.

   A extremely quiet morning at Ogden with around 15 LBB, 3 Herring, 4 Common and about a dozen Black Headed gulls. A single Canada goose was on the water along with 4 Cormorant and the usual Mallards.

   Only sighting of note was around 20 Long Tailed Tits working their way through the waterside trees, whilst a Grey Wagtail was below the promenade.

    Cloudy sunshine tomorrow after early morning mist and fog on the tops on a light easterly starting off at 9 degrees and peaking at 18 degrees.

BS

Nowt to get the adrenaline Flowing, Fly Flatts.

 Full cloud early morn at Fly Flatts and dead calm until a light SW>1 by 0930 hrs at 13 degrees.

    With nothing showing around the south end I walked the west bank to the far NW corner which I soon wish I hadn't with the lack of breeze bringing out swarms of midges. Luckily flies only go after bad meat so I failed to get bitten, or that's what they used to say in Queensbury.

  At the north end I did a full shoreline scope, finally covering the full circumference of the reservoir with not a wader of any description in sight. A very low count of 15 LBB and 12 Black Headed gulls were on the north shore whilst 7 Canada geese and the usual single Tufted duck were on the water. The Tufted ducks 5 young are now flying between CED and here.

   A check on the fence line below the west bank produced 9 Wheatear and 3 Stonechat plus the usual juv Pied Wagtails and Mipits with 5 Kestrel spread out along the fence and in the air.

     A dry and bright day given for tomorrow with a very calm NW turning N and then NE in the afternoon starting off at 11 degrees with a chance of early morning hill fog.

BS

    

A steadier morning at Ogden.

 

                                SE corner few Common gulls

                                    Single Canada and Gt Crested Grebe

                                    West bank, 6 Cormorant, low gull count.

                                    Family of 6 Raven over >SE

                                    Probably the Fly Flatts birds.

A bright sunny morning with blue skies on a light N>3 at 13 degrees.

   Unfortunately yesterdays cloud and rain had cleared overnight giving birds chance to move so very quiet a Ogden with just the long staying Common Sandpiper and 8 Lapwing, wader wise. A poor gull count with around 40 LBB, 6 Herring and a few Common and Black Headed whilst 6 Cormorant and the ever present Gt Crested Grebe were on the water and shore along with 3 Heron.

     A family party of 6 Raven went overhead towards Soil Hill, these probably being the Fly Flatts birds which bred again this year, and a single Sparrowhawk soared high over the water before heading off >S. A few Chaffinch are starting to feed on the weeds on the exposed shore but otherwise just the usual species.

   A dry, part sunny day for tomorrow, they forecast that yesterday and it poured down this afternoon, on a light NW at 9 degrees reaching 16 degrees.

BS

   

   

Rough morning, Ruff bird, Ogden.

 

                                    5 Herring gulls present

                                Gt Crested Grebe in the rain

                                        Common Sandpiper

                                    Bonus bird, Ruff

                                    Juvenile male going by the neck plumage.

Ideal weather conditions this morn at Ogden for waders with full cloud and heavy rain throughout 

on a light NW>3 at 13 degrees.

  With thoughts of the heavy overnight rain, and continuing this morning, the hard baked shore around the water would be soft and muddy making it ideal for waders, that were brought down overnight, to stay and feed.

     Very few gulls present with around 40 LBB, 5 Herring, 8 Common and several Black Headed which all stuck mainly on the east shore. The Gt Crested Grebe was on the water along with 3 Cormorant and 4 Tufted duck. Lots of Swallows over the water but all sticking i the air and none landing on the railings as my last visit.

    After a full circuit of the water I caught up with the long staying Common Sandpiper on the west bank and by this time the gulls were back on the east bank so a final check of them before I left. After I'd looked through the gulls I turned to walk back up to the car park when I heard a wader call that I wasn't familiar with. A quick turn around and back to the gulls where a scan through caught site of a tallish wader which my first thoughts were Redshank. After wiping the steam and rain from my bins I caught up with the bird further along the shore, Ruff, a first for me at Ogden.

   A dry part sunny day tomorrow on a light NW with a starting temp of 9 degrees peaking at 13 degrees.

BS

Another slog at Fly Flatts.

 

                                    5 Wheatear present

                                    Wheatear and Stonechat on the fence line.

                                    LBBs heading >SW

                                    LBBs north shore

                                    1 of 4 Kestrel

                                    Juvenile Peregrine.

A wet and windy start to the morning with rain showers on a moderate WSW>3 at 13 degrees and full cloud. By mid watch the cloud was breaking up with some sunny periods.

     A check of the full circumference of the shore this morning with a trek to the NW corner of the west bank and a scope across the water to the north and east shore then back along the south shore and through the compound area.

   Its apparent now that the waders are doing their usual autumnal stunt and passing through to the west of the western ridge with several wader sightings now but all to the west of Fly Flatts. Not a single wader to be found at this site although conditions are at 100%.

     A few migrants this morning with 5 Wheatear and 3 Stonechat as well as several Swallows heading through >SW whilst LBB gulls were also moving >SW but only 30 on the shore along with 12 Black Headed. Around 30 Goldfinch were moving around the thistle tops along with Linnets but a very low count of Meadow Pipits this year.

   Kestrels were working the west bank with 4 in the air together whilst a juv Peregrine stormed through but was soon seen off by the Kestrels. Canada geese are down to 12 now with just 1 late bird waiting to fledge. The Greylags have all moved on now.

    Showing a full day of rain for tomorrow with a chance of thunderstorms tonight and tomorrow morning on a light wind starting westerly and slowly veering round NW then N at 12 degrees.

BS

A reet poor do, Fly Flatts.

 A moderate W>4 at14 degrees with light rain showers and full cloud after overnight heavy rain and fog,

visibility was good.

   A real poor morning with next to nothing present, wader wise and migrant wise, with just a single Wheatear on the shore along with the usual Pied Wagtails, 12 LBB and 4 Black Headed gull.

   Swallows were moving >NW whilst 5 Kestrels were in the air and that was it, other than a few Meadow Pipits.

   Looking like a wet one tomorrow with plenty rain showers on a moderate SW at 12 degrees rising to 15 degrees and mostly cloudy.

BS

Up in the fog, Fly Flatts.

 

                                    1 of 4 Kestrel present

                                    Black Headed gulls using the islands

                                    Plenty Pied Wagtails

                                    Single Wheatear

                                    Only wader showing, Common Sandpiper

                                    4 Willow Warblers on their way through

After some heavy showers overnight and dense fog it was slowly clearing early morn so up to Fly Flatts where it was misty with visibility nearly across the water with drizzle throughout on a very light 

SW>1-2 and full, very low cloud with a temp of 12 degrees.

    I was stuck with just checking the compound and the south of the area with visibility too poor for any scope work and no visibility above.

    The compound bushes held 1 Willow Warbler, 3 Stonechat and several Mipits whilst the compound shore had the usual Pied Wagtails as well as several Linnets and a single Wheatear.

   Just the one Common Sandpiper in the SE corner whilst several Black Headed gulls were on the various islands offshore but too foggy to see what the gull situation was at the north end. Another 3 Willow Warblers were in the lagoon tree and several Swallows were heading >SW very low and skimming the water.

     A breezier day tomorrow with a moderate westerly which will hopefully clear any overnight fog with showers throughout the day with a temperature starting at 14 degrees and peaking at 16 degrees.

BS