Down came the snow, job stopped.

 

                                    Not a good start to the morning

                                    Foxhill

                                    Walking time.

                                NKs white winged Crow from his report yesterday.

                        A pair of jet black Crows bred in Foxhill last year

                        with their 2 offspring both showing white wingbars.

                                    The 4 have been around the park ever since.

A good covering of frozen snow this morning with a heavy overnight freeze on a moderate NE>3 at 

minus 1 degrees. The snow came down heavier as the morning went on stopping most of the side roads and leaving the main roads  passable with caution. Still thick fog hanging on.

   Spent the day keeping the garden feeders and water clear as well as dog walking plus an extra job of picking the granddaughter up when they closed the school and walking her  to Horton Bank Top to meet her Mum. Unfortunately, no council gritters out today due to bad weather.!!!

   Typically its giving a bright sunny day for tomorrow at minus 3 on a light westerly. This was the day I was expecting to check out Fly Flatts but no chance of getting up there with the standing ice and snow.

BS

Below the fog, Ogden. Goosander day.

 

                                    3m 3f Goosander present

                                    Very flighty doing circuits of the water

                                    Very few gulls.

Avoiding the fog on the tops this morning I dropped down to Ogden which was clear with full cloud on a light NE>3 at 3 degrees remaining dry. The hilltop fog cleared by late morning.

     A much improved morning on the water with 3 male and 3 female Goosander present. The birds were very flighty doing circuits over the water but always landing back on the water each time. A small count of  Common and Black Headed were present along with 3 Herring gull and a single Cormorant. Hopefully an Iceland gull will visit one of these days with the Bradford bird still being present in the same location as well as the Leeds bird. The last Iceland gull I had at Ogden was January 2022, a 2CY bird showing on and off for 4 days.

    Just the usual common woodland species along the west bank with 4 Mistle Thrush in the Lodge house garden as well as a Kestrel nearby.

     A bit of an unsure forecast for tomorrow with a snow warning out for Yorkshire predicting possible heavy overnight snow from this evening until midday tomorrow on a moderate NE at 0 degrees. It looks like a wait and see job.

BS

    

Fogged and rained off. Dog grooming day.

 

                                   2 not so happy dogs

                                    Bobby first

                                    Pippa second

                                    5 Hours later. Done for another 6 weeks.

With the usual dense fog, along with very heavy rain, I pulled the plug on birding and took advantage of the weather by getting both dogs bathed and groomed whilst I was grounded. The fog and drizzle continued throughout the day up here in Queensbury.

     I could do with moving to Wharfedale where MC is on the goose hunt finding several wet fields with White Fronted, Bean, Pink Footed and Greylags present. Apparently their is a big influx of White Fronted geese around the country but no chance in this area with the persistent fog.

     Another foggy damp morning forecast for tomorrow on a light north easterly at 2 degrees with a snow warning after midday.

BS

Foggy Oggy.

 

                                        A misty morn.

                                    Visibility just across the water.

Queensbury in the dense fog as per usual with Ogden still foggy with visibility just across the water on a light E>2 at 4 degrees with light drizzle throughout.

    A pleasant enough dog walk along the west bank provided that it wasn't birds you were looking for with the waterside trees completely deserted other than a couple of Great and Blue Tits plus a Blackbird. 

    The water held the usual Mallards plus a dozen Black Headed gulls whilst a few Chaffinch were in the car park area. 

  The forecast for tomorrow is a duplicate of today with some rain on a light easterly at 4 degrees plus of course the fog. Its a matter now as which breaks first, me or the weather !

BS

Back to the fog, back to Ogden.

 

                                    Low cloud base over the plantation.

                                    Ever present Mallards in the gloom

                                    Starting to brighten

                                1 of 2 Song Thrush in full song

                                    Few Black Headed on the water.

Dense fog at Queensbury but Ogden was clear with a low cloud base staying just above the plantation top. A few early rain showers, which don't bother me as long as I can see, with a light SE>2 at 3 degrees.

    The first sound I heard as I got out of the car was a Song Thrush in full song. I managed to trace it high up in a tree and then got a second singing bird near the Lodge  house.

    The waterside trees were lively with Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Chaffinch. Goldcrest and the usual Blue and Great Tits whilst several Blackbirds were present.

    Just managed to catch sight of  the Kingfisher through the trees as it flew along the waters edge towards the north end whilst a Raven was over the top of the plantation. Just about a dozen Black Headed gulls on the water.

    Another day of the same given for tomorrow, and the rest of the week, with a light easterly along with rain and fog.

BS

    

Fly Flatts at last

 

                                    A full overflow

                                    Clarity at last

                                    South bank

                                          SE corner

                                        The Lagoon, full to the top.

The light S>3 managed to keep the fog at bay with a low cloud base just at the top of the turbines with full cloud apart from a quick burst of short lived sunshine and occasion drizzle showers.

     Though still very quiet up there it was good to be able to get a visit in and check for any returning waders. My earliest Ringed Plover was 7th Feb whilst the earliest Oystercatcher was 5th Feb with the first Curlew a little later at 14th Feb though Leeshaw usually gets the first Curlew around now.

     A good walk and scope around the bankings failed to produce anything other than Canada and Greylag geese, who's numbers are slowly rising, ready for the breeding season, along with14 Mallard.

  A pair of Lapwings were already holding territory on the Flat Moor and up displaying and warning off the Crows. A few Common gulls were moving around the area whilst a flock of around 50 Herring gulls were heading >SW but very distant and soon to disappear in the low cloud.

    Nothing in the Nolstar fields other than a few Common gull and several Magpies.

With 2 different Iceland gulls reported in the vicinity, bang on schedule, its something to look out for.

Todays weather was good while it lasted with the light wind back to SE tomorrow with full cloud and light rain at 5 degrees and a good possibility of back to the fog.

BS

More fog, more Ogden, more Pinkies.

 

                                    A misty start at Ogden

                                    Down the overflow

                                    Limited visibility

                                    Fog lifting

                                    Cleared briefly

Dense fog as per norm at Queensbury with Ogden partially clearing to leave low cloud and mist on a light ENE>2 at 4 degrees with some light drizzle.

    The west bank trees were lively with the 4 common Tit species as well as 2 Goldcrest, 3 Treecreeper and a single Nuthatch whilst a small flock of around 10 Chaffinch were working their way along the overhanging waterside trees.

    Just 4 Common gulls and 8 Blacked Headed on the water along with a small count of Mallard, which has been much lower than their usual winter count. Several left when the water rose, covering the weeds, and never returned.

    Back at the car park and tackling up I got a skein of Pink Footed Geese over, to the north of me which soon disappeared into the mist. This was minutes after DJS had text me with a skein over Lee Mount but his skein was much larger with my skein comprising of around 50 geese heading >E.

   Possibly a bit drier for morning but cloudy at 5 degrees on a light southerly for a change  with a chance of better visibility but I'll believe that when I see it.

BS