Fly Flatts, Super Whooper morning.

 

                                    A late Wheatear.

                                    Two distant Whoopers NW corner

                                    Surrounded by gulls

                                    Two fly overs >SE

                                Other two leaving the water >SE

A bright sunny morning with full blue sky on an icy cold NNW>3 at 3 degrees. Clouding and wind increasing by 0930 hrs.

   A good start to the morning with a late Wheatear on the fence alongside the entrance track, and then, as I pulled up by the water, or where the water used to be, I could see 2 Whooper Swans way over in the NW corner of the water. As I walked the compound 2 Whoopers flew overhead >SE making me think they were the 2 off the water but surprisingly they were still present, leaving around 15 minutes later in the same >SE direction.

  No waders present, which I have given up on this year, with just 3 Meadow Pipits and a Pied Wagtail on the shoreline. The water was quite busy with 35 LBB and 2 Herring gull, 18 Mallard and a single Greylag goose whilst 1  Raven and 2 Kestrel were overhead with a steady flow of Woodpigs >S.

    A cloudy/sunshine day tomorrow on a light NNW starting off at 4 degrees.

BS

Back at Ogden.

 

                                    A bright autumnal morn.

                                    Clear blue skies.

                                    Sparrowhawk overhead

A bright sunny morning at Ogden with full blue skies and sunshine on a cool W>2 at 6 degrees with fog banks in the valleys.

   A much quieter morning on the water with just a single Tufted duck and 2 Cormorant plus the resident Mallards. Around 50 gulls with a brief sighting of an adult Yellow Legged gull across on the west bank but immediately flushed by a Sparrowhawk overhead and not to be relocated after that.

     A skein of Pink Footed geese headed >SE but well to the south of me so out of camera range and hard to get an accurate count but a guesstimate of 150.

    A steady move >SW of Woodpigs and Redwings but no Fieldfare as yet. Passerine Alley held a few Chaffinch and Tits whilst the Kingfisher was in its usual area, but otherwise a steady morning.

    Full sun for morning on a light NW at a cool 4 degrees clouding in the afternoon but staying dry.

BS

    

Ogden Reservoir.

 

A full cloud morning but clear skies on a cool SW>3 at 7 degrees.

   A big move >SW of Redwing, Woodpigs and Jackdaws over the west plantation but dying down after 0830 hrs with just Woodpigs trickling through after that.

     No sign of  Teal today but the 4 Tufted duck from yesterday still present and a new Goosander arrival which I would say is a male in October eclipse.

   Around 150 gulls present, which considerately flushed from the west bank to the east bank where I was stood, so a good chance to scour through them. Several Chaffinch were moving over the west plantation in no certain direction whilst a single cronking Raven flew overhead. No check of the west bank Alders today.

    A dry bright morning given for tomorrow on a light W turning NW at 6 degrees then clouding after midday with a chance of showers.

BS

    

Below the fog, Ogden.

 

                                    4 Tufted duck present

                                    West bank gulls

                                 Very high Jay over the water.

A dry morning at Ogden with low hazy clouds and fog on the tops. A light W>3 at 10 degrees with breaks of sunshine clouding mid morning.

     Quite a bit of sky movement this morning early doors with good numbers of Redwing and Woodpigeon >SW over the western plantation as well as 6 Stock Doves. A single Jay headed high and >SE along with 4 Swallow whilst 4 Continental Blackbirds were in the Lodge House berry trees. 

    Otherwise, 4 Tufted duck, 2 Cormorant and around 100 gulls, all carefully checked through.

A good move of Redwings >SW over Queensbury, Foxhill this p.m.

A dry, cloudy sunshine morning tomorrow on a moderate Sou'westerly at 8 degrees clouding over after midday with a chance of mist and rain.

  BS

A wet and windy Ogden

 

                                    Ogden, early morn, after the rain.

                                    2 Teal flying over the west bank.

                                    Better count of gulls today

                                    East bank

                                    Several Goldfinch in Alders.

        Torrential rain showers to start the morning slowly clearing to leave blue sky and sunshine with just occasional scud clouds passing over on a moderate W>4-5 at 12 degrees.

    A better count of gulls this morning with around 300, spread between the west and east bank, the east bank holding around 50 Common gulls.

   Just 2 Teal and 1 Tufted on the water as well as 4 Cormorant and the usual Mallards and Little Grebe.

A decent sized Tit flock was moving through passerine alley whilst around 30 Goldfinch were in the Alders as well as 1 very mobile Redpoll.

   The trees below the car park held around 20 Chaffinch raking through the fallen leaves but no sign of Brambling as yet.

   After a possible misty start the morning will be dry and sunny on a light SW at 6 degrees. Cloud and wind set to increase after midday.

BS

      

Beating the fog, Ogden.

 

                                Red ball vis mig sunrise.

                                    Very short lived

                                    2 Tufted present

                                    Several Long Tailed Tits.

                                    Very few gulls on the west bank

                                Plenty Common gulls, east bank

                                    Low count of LBBs.

A lovely bright red sunrise but very short lived with full cloud and mist moving in by 0845hrs bringing light drizzle on a light SE>2 at 8 degrees.

    A red ball sunrise always meant a megs vis mig day when we used to watch from TMR and this morning was no exception with Woodpigeons piling over Queensbury >SW from 0700 hrs but unfortunately this was very short lived when mist and fog soon started to roll in from the east closing the flood gates.

   Ogden remained reasonably clear but horizontal visibility only, so with very few gulls to check through, and just 2 Tufted on the water, although I didn't venture to the north end, I did a check along the west bank for small passerines.

    A good Tit flock was moving through the waterside trees with mainly Long Tailed and Coal 

 along with a few Blue and Great Tits. The Alder trees held a good flock of around 30 mixed Goldfinch and Redpoll but very hard to get to grips with whilst the leaves are still dense.

    Wet and windy for morning with rain on a moderate to strong SSW clearing to sunshine and showers after midday.

BS