A sunny morn at Fly Flatts

 

                                        Still waters at Fly Flatts

                                    Rare weather for this site.

                                        Reflections

                                    Pink Footed Goose

                                    1 of 6 Reed Buntings

                                    9 Redshank showing

                                    19 + Wheatear at the south end.

                                        2 Stonechat present

                                    2 Common Sandpiper.

A glorious morning at Fly Flatts with  heavy ground frost at 3 degrees, cloudless skies and full sun with dead calm conditions rising to SE>2 by 0930 hrs.

     A pleasing morning bird wise with some decent shoreline now showing and wader numbers slowly creeping up with 9 Redshank, 2 Common Sandpiper and 2 Snipe plus the usual Lapwings, Curlews and Oystercatchers.

   Once again, Wheatear were the highlight  with a count of at least 19 just along the south end of the reservoir along with 2 Stonechat, 2 Skylark and several Meadow Pipits. Nothing on the water other than Canadas, Greylags, 1 Pink Footed goose and Mallards plus 2 Black Headed gulls briefly.

     Up to 6 Pied Wagtail in the compound area along with 6 Reed Buntings but no Willow Warblers or Chiffchaffs now that their favourite Willow tree has been butchered.

    Nothing moving skywards other than around 15 Swallows >N. Looking like another poor year for Ring Ouzel so far as its now 3 years since my last sighting at this site and 6 years since I was tripping over them in the compound with 5 present and so tame I had to back away from them for photos.

  Some of the 2020 Ring Ouzel photos :-

Showing a bright sunny start to the morning on a very light SE starting off at 2 degrees then clouding by midday with chance of afternoon showers.

BS

    

Back to Leeshaw reservoir.

 

LEESHAW                Looking down the overflow.

                                    Down to 8 Oystercatchers from 32.

                                    1CY Cormorant.

                                    Shore slowly appearing.

LONG CAUSEWAY          22 Herring gull

                                    17 Curlew.

                                    Field opposite T.M.R.

Very wet and windy morning at Leeshaw reservoir with some breaks of sun but otherwise full cloud and heavy showers on a moderate SW>5 gusting 6 at 5 degrees.

   No continuation of yesterdays move with just 6 Swallows, 3 LBB and 4 Herring gull all >W whilst otherwise more or less the same species present as yesterday with the addition of 2 Grey Wagtails and a small flock of Goldfinch.

    The majority of Oystercatchers have now dispersed with just around 8 remaining from the March count of 32 whilst 3 Redshank were busy feeding in the fields along with the Curlews and Lapwings.

Nothing on the water other than geese and Mallards.

   A saving grace on the way home with 22 Herring gulls and 17 Curlew in a field off Long Causeway opposite TMR reservoir. A careful scan through for Black Tailed Godwit, as there are plenty around at present, but not to be. A flock of around 50 Fieldfare were heading >E over the Dog and Gun at Oxenhope.

    Showing a day of cloudy sunshine and dry for tomorrow  on a light SW turning S then SE kicking off at 3 degrees.

BS

    

    

Leeshaw Reservoir

 

                                        A wet Leeshaw

                                    Plenty Lapwings

                                    Usual Canadas

                                    and Greylags

With low cloud and heavy rain early morn I headed for Leeshaw reservoir where visibility was good but wet throughout with a mix of rain, sleet and snow on a cold SW>3 at 3 degrees. 

   Hopes of  bagging up on moving Arctic Terns and Little Gulls was soon dashed even though conditions were ideal. A good movement, never the less, of LBB and Herring gulls all heading directly >W as well as a steady flow of Swallows and Sand Martins with a few House Martins mixed in.

   Otherwise, plenty to see, as always at this site, but only the usual species, with Redshank, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Lapwing and Cormorant plus several Meadow Pipits and Stock Doves in the goose field plus the usual species.

     Slightly milder tomorrow starting off at 6 degrees with sunshine and showers on a moderate sou'westerly at force 5, 24 m.p.h. easing slightly after midday. Possible low cloud early morn.

BS

    

Wall to wall Wheatears, Fly Flatts

 

                                     Alive with Wheatear

                                    Even up in the trees

                                    Unusual visitor for the compound

                                    1st back, Common Sandpiper

                                    Pink Footed Goose

                                    Then there were two

A decent morning on the weather front with early full cloud slowly breaking to let some sunshine through on a light but bitterly cold WSW>3 at 3 degrees.

    Wheatears were all over the shop this morning with 21 counted just half way on the west bank and 8 on the east bank with a total of 29 but undoubtedly several more if I'd have spent time scoping further afield. My first returning Common Sandpiper appeared in the SE corner, one day earlier than my first last year, whilst 7 Redshank were present along with the usual Curlew, Lapwing and a single Common Snipe. Nothing in the air other than a Raven, Kestrel and several Meadow Pipits whilst a single male Stonechat was near the lagoon.

   On my way out, the Pink Footed goose, that I saw on an earlier visit, had reappeared when surprisingly a second one appeared from behind the reeds. It would be nice to get a pair breeding here.

    Not looking good for tomorrow with plenty cloud and a mix of rain, sleet and snow on a moderate to strong sou'westerly. Possibly improving p.m.

BS