Ogden, Ned Hill Track, Soil Hill summit.

 

                                    A clear calm Ogden

                                    Fly Flatts from Soil Hill.

                                    Chance of waders on Soil Hill summit.

                                    White Greylags leaving Ogden

                                Thought they were Whoopers at first.

                                    3 male, 1 female Tufted duck.

                                    4 Herring gulls present.

A bright sunny morning with distant hazy skies on a very light >NW 2 turning >E at 6 degrees.

    With work parties again at Fly Flatts, this weekend, and next, I reluctantly headed for Ogden which is not the best idea for a sunny weekend morning.

   As I got out of the car, what I thought was 2 Whooper Swans taking off from the water then arcing round to head off high and NE, turned out to be 2 white Greylags, probably the Fly Flatts birds.

  A quick check of the water and the west bank, as far as the Alders, was enough with floods of  people walking round. Nothing in the trees and just 4 Herring gull and 2 Black Headed along with 3m and 1f Tufted duck. 

    By 0845 hrs the car park area was like Blackpool front on a Wakes weekend so got out sharpish and headed for the tranquillity of the Ned Hill track to see if I could get my first Skylark of the year.

  After a few dryish days the ground wasn't too bad so ventured up onto the summit where normally now it is too wet and boggy for the dogs but this morning it was good. The area looks ideal now to attract a wader or too with plenty hollows and water filled scrapes as it used to be in the late 1900s, early 2000s when I regularly had Ringed and Little Ringed Plover and found a Dotterel  27/4/2008 as well as a Purple Sandpiper 5/11/2006. I'm surprised that Snow Bunting was never reported up there this winter as the habitat is now back as it was when they were a common winter visitor.

   Plenty Meadow Pipits on the top but expected it to be alive with Skylark but only heard 2 distant birds and saw 1 flushed by a Mipit. Otherwise, 2 Curlew and 2 LBB gull heading >W and a Kestrel overhead.

   It was in the early 2000s that I'd been up there looking for Snow Bunting in very wet conditions when my foot suddenly sank deep down into the mud up to my knee. With trying to pull my foot out my other foot did the same. The suction of the mud was so great that I was stuck solid up to my knees. With light fading, and no mobile phones in those days I thought, "I could be in a spot of bother here"

     Luckily I had my trusty Rigger boots on so the only way I could get free was to slide my feet out of my boots leaving them deep underground. I then had a painful walk back across the hill and down the track to the car in my stocking feet. In 100 years time, when they dig up Soil Hill to build houses, my boots will be discovered and probably end up in Bankfield museum.

   Looking cloudy for tomorrow on a light westerly at 5 degrees and chance of morning fog.

BS

   

Arrival of fog from the east. Leeshaw.

 

                                    A misty Leeshaw

                                    2 Little Owl present

                                    1 of 4 Redshank

                                    Several Curlew

                                      Some of 26 Oystercatchers/

                                    1 of 3 Pink Footed geese

 Pink Footed with Greylags                                                            

Dense fog on the tops this morning so over to Leeshaw which was difficult to work on a low cloud base with mist and fog banks constantly moving through on a light SE>3 at 5 degrees. 

    A drake Wigeon was the highlight of the morning but only a brief sighting before it moved to the west end of the water and disappeared into the mist, not to re appear. The 3 long staying Pink Footed Geese were in with the Greylags but nothing else on the water other than Canada geese and Mallards

whilst a Heron was on the banking.

    At least 4 Redshank present and a count of 26 Oystercatchers along with Curlews and Lapwings but otherwise just down to the usual species.

  As I drove home, past Oxenhope graveyard, a Nuthatch flew out and landed on the wall at the roadside, a bit of an unusual sighting.

   Looking like a bright sunny day tomorrow on a light westerly starting off at 6 degrees.

BS

Local birding, spoilt for choice.

 

                                    23 Whoopers on Mixenden

                                        Taken from the top of Whitegate.

                                    Jet steaming through the mist, Fly Flatts

                                    1 of 3 Heron on frog watch.

                                    1 of 3 Pied Wagtail

                                    4 Oystercatchers present

                                    At least 9 Redshank

                                    1 distant pair of Goldeneye

Another bright sunny morning with some fog stuck down in the Aire valley and hazy mist over the moor. Clouding by 0945hrs on a light ESE>3 at 7 degrees.

   Local birders were spoilt for choice this morning with Whooper Swans on Mixenden and Ogden along with a Ring Ouzel on Soil Hill and a pair of Goldeneye and 9 Redshank on Fly Flatts.

   On route early morn I stopped at the top of Whitegate looking down on Mixenden reservoir when I spotted Whooper Swans on the water. Some were hidden below the east bank so I got a count of 20, to be corrected later as 23 by DJS. On my return journey at 1015 hrs there were no sign of the swans unless they were close to shore below the east bank.

    Fly Flatts was once again lively with a count of at least 9 Redshank, 4 Oystercatchers and 1 Ringed Plover plus several Curlew and Lapwing.

    A pair of Goldeneye were a surprise on the water, the second sighting at this site this month of a rare species on this water. Meadow Pipit numbers are building as well as Reed Bunting whilst 3 Pied Wagtail were present as well as the breeding pair. A raven was over the quarry whilst 3 Heron were spread around with plenty of frogs and spawn showing.

   Just 2 LBB gulls over >NE, otherwise down to the Canadas, Greylags and Mallards. Thanks to DJS  and Nick Small for the messages this morning.

    Plenty sun tomorrow on a light SE at 6 degrees with, once again, a report of early morning mist.

BS 

One of the better mornings. Fly Flatts.

 

                              Heron back on the moor for frog season

                                2 Redshanks high >S

                                    7 Redshanks present

                                All distant, NE corner

                                    4 of 7 Redshank

                                    Redshank and Ringed Plover 

                                    Ringed Plover, far NE bank

                                    Good overnight fall of Meadow Pipits

                                    Stat attraction, 36 Whoopers >NE

                                    Out over the moor

A belting morning at Fly Flatts, both weather wise and bird wise with 20% cloud and sunshine on a light SE>3 at 8 degrees. Luckily no fog but a light haze over the moor.

     A hectic morning, start to finish being a lot livelier than it was in the wind yesterday. An overnight fall of Meadow Pipits was apparent with good numbers around the fields and banking whilst a good count of 14 Curlew were in the top fields.

   Redshank numbers were up with 7 present as well as 2 over the water very high and >S towards Cold Edge Dams. After a lot of searching I managed to find the Ringed Plover hidden away in the tufts of grass on the far end of the NE banking and only showing itself briefly. 

 Plenty squabbling among the Lapwings on the Flat Moor whilst 6 Oystercatchers were present.

Strange how Herons know when the frogs are spawning with one back on the moor today with a vast number of frogs and spawn around the lagoon area. My first 2 Reed Buntings of the year were back and otherwise down to Greylag and Canada geese as well as Mallards and a single Kestrel over the moor.

    Back at the compound, near knocking off time, a skein of 36 Whoopers came in from the south over Tattie Pie Hill heading >NE. I thought they would have come down on the water but continued on, so probably had just left a water to the south, possibly Manchester way.

    Another bright dry day forecast for tomorrow but a light easterly bringing early morning fog at 7 degrees.

BS.