Ogden Reservoir.

                                    single drake Tufted.
 

                                Plenty gull activity in the duck corner

                                        5 loaves of bread were lobbed over the fence

                                    Pale legged LBB

                                    Cormorant with the red leg ring back.

                                    Cormorant fly over.

                                Little Grebe still present

                                    Woodpigs enjoying the berries.

                                    Very limited gulls.

A morning of full cloud  on a light SW>2 increasing >3 at 9 degrees but remaining dry.

    Very few gulls this morning with around 40 mixed on the east bank and none on the west bank but lots of excitement and squabbling when two people turned up with 5 loaves of bread and lobbed the lot into the duck corner, its getting like Redcar Tarn lately.

     The red ringed Cormorant was back with 3 more, plus 1 fly over, whilst the water held 6 Canada geese, little Grebe and a drake Tufted as well as the Mallards.

   A couple of surprises with 3 Collared Dove and 2 Jays, both a bit unusual for this site, but a check of the migrant bushes found them empty apart from 4 Mistle Thrush. Only species skyward were a steady flow of Swallows all >SE and 2 very high Pied Wagtails >W.

    Tonights overnight rain is suppose to clear by 0600 hrs in the morning leaving a cloudy start then cloudy sunshine on a moderate westerly at 10 degrees.

BS

     

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