Patience pays off, Ogden

 

                                    Early morn at Ogden

                                    4 LBB gulls

                                    Aerobics.

                                    Nuthatch up singing.

                                    Star Prize, drake Mandarin duck.

                                    Very distant

                                    Usual pair of Tufted,

Decent conditions at Ogden this morning with sunshine and showers on a light SW>3 at 2 degrees.

     Plenty activity along the west bank with a Nuthatch up singing as well as several Blue and Great Tits whilst 4 Chaffinch were working their way through the waterside trees as well as several Treecreepers.

    The usual pair of Tufted duck were still on the water but a poor show of gulls with 4 LBB, 2 Common and 2 Black Headed.

 Walking back along the west bank, near to knocking off time, I was looking at the LBB gulls out on the water when a small duck came into view way over by the east bank.

It was very hard to make out with the waves and glimmer on the water and I put it down to probable the female Tufted. A scan round the water revealed the pair of Tufted together so alarm bells started ringing. I relocated the duck which turned out to be a drake Mandarin, a rare species for this site although I had a pair here briefly in November last year.

   A quick dash back to the promenade to get better views and photos, only to find it had drifted way up into the north corner, and with time up I had to let it go, but a good record for Ogden.

     A similar forecast for tomorrow with sunshine and showers on a light to moderate SW at 3 degrees.

BS

A sunny Leeshaw reservoir

 

                                    5 Redshank present

                                    as well as a minimum of 26 Oystercatchers

                                    100 + Starlings

With Fly Flatts out of bounds for the next 3 weekends due to working parties up there doing drainage and track potholes it was across to Leeshaw with brilliant weather conditions. Wall to wall sunshine on a clear blue sky and a fresh but light W>3 at 2 degrees.

     Oystercatcher numbers are up to at least 26 whilst 5 Redshank were present moving around the fields. The water was quiet with just 1 pair of Teal along with a few Greylag and Canada geese plus the usual Mallards.

  It seemed strange up there without the gulls, the only one present briefly was a Herring gull, the majority of small gulls now headed off to their breeding grounds. A good morning with plenty to see though nothing out of the ordinary. Good to bump into nephew NP up there giving it a coat of looking at.

   Back to normal tomorrow with a cloudy wet day on a light SW at 3 degrees.

Leeshaw

Min. 26 Oystercatcher

5 Redshank

c 80 Lapwing

1 Herring gull

3 Curlew

1 Little Owl

1 Dipper

1pr Teal

2 Heron

1 Buzzard

2 Pied Wagtail

2 Grey Wagtail

Starling 100+

1 Mistle Thrush

Small count of Greylag and Canada geese

+ usual species.

BS

Wind and snow flurries, Ogden.

 

                                    Ogden, early morn.

                                        A good year for Treecreepers

  

                                    Grub up.

                                    1 pr Tufted duck

                                    Battling the waves.

A strong, icy cold wind this morning with a near gale WSW>7 at 35 mph gusting gale force WSW>8 at 41 mph but sheltered on the west bank. A mixture of sunshine and showers with a few early snow flurries at 1 degree.

    One would think, with the law of averages, that something would have shown up at Ogden this year but yet another quiet morning with just 1 pair of Tufted on the water as well as 2 Canada geese, 3 Black Headed and a single Common gull as well as the usual Mallards.

     The West bank trees had gone back into quiet mode from yesterday, with just the usuals, plus a good count of Treecreepers, which have been a common species at this site this year. A single Grey Wagtail was moving around the overflow area.

     Looking like a bright sunny day tomorrow with a light westerly kicking off at 1 degree.

BS

    

Breezy Ogden

 

                                    Good visibility

                                    NW corner

                                    Parakeet pond

                                    A well overgrown Dipper Dyke.

                                    Few Herring and LBB gulls

A wild morning with a strong to gale force SW>8 at 39 mph, gusting strong gale SW>9 at 48 mph on the Beaufort scale, but ' nobbut a fresh breeze and a good drying day for t'weshing on the Queensbury scale. Full cloud and some early drizzle at 6 degrees.

    Luckily, wind is rarely a problem at Ogden other that it was very blustery across the promenade so a decent walk around the full circuit of the water.

    A bit of interest in the waterside trees with a small group of Chaffinch, which is unusual when the water level is up and their favourite weeds are covered. Also 3 Goldcrest which have been extremely rare this winter. Otherwise, a single Song Thrush and a decent count of Great, Coal and Blue Tits.

   A female and 2 male Tufted duck were on the water briefly but soon left in the direction of Mixenden.

Most of the Black Headed and Common gulls have now left for their breeding grounds with just 1 Common and 2 Black Headed on the water along with 7 Herring and 4 LBB gulls. A count of 32 Woodpigeons feeding on the grass bank below the promenade was higher than usual.

    Another blustery morning tomorrow with a gale force SW>8 at 40mph then dropping steadily after midday. A good chance of rain with a low temperature of 1 degree to start the day.

BS

    

Out of the wind, Ogden

 

                                    Several Treecreepers present

                                        8 Herring gull

                                    Only 2 Common gull

                                    7 Black Headed

A moderate to strong S>6 gusting 7 so headed down to Ogden where, apart from the Promenade, the wind was no problem. Near full cloud cover with a mix of sunshine and showers at 5 degrees.

    Nothing to get the taste buds going this morning with the west bank having the usual common woodland species, though a good count of Treecreepers was pleasing to watch.

      A group of 8 Herring gulls dropped onto the water on their was NE with 2 adults and the rest all

1CYs whilst only 2 Common and 7 Black Headed were present along with the usual Mallards.

    A deteriorating day given for tomorrow with a cloudy morning and low risk of rain, heavy rain by p.m. A Met office wind warning is out for near gale SW>7 at 34 m.p.h. with gusts up to SW>9 at 54 m.p.h. at 7 degrees.

BS

Not the sort of forecast to be walking Fly Flatts.