Leeshaw Reservoir

 

                                    Plenty Canada and Greylags

                                    2 of 3 Pink Footed geese

                                    LH Pink in moult

                                    2 distant Little Owl

                                    Just 2 LBB gulls

                                    Over 100 Lapwing

                                    Minimum of 28 Oystercatchers

                                    Single drake Goosander

A pleasant morning at Leeshaw with full cloud on a light NW>2 at 5 degrees. 

    With all the roads now reopened, for now, I did a visit to Leeshaw reservoir to check out the geese and gulls. Around 200 mixed Greylag and Canada along with the long staying 3 Pink Footed geese, one of which is in moult, but no White Fronted mixed in with them.

    Gulls were disappointing with just 2 LBBs 4 Common and a few Black Headed around the water whilst waders did better with 28 Oystercatcher, over 100 Lapwing and 6 Curlew. Redshank are next on the list, due anytime in the next 2 weeks, and then there is a lull in the wader arrivals until April.

     Just a single drake Goosander plus a few Mallards on the water with a Heron on the north bank. 

Otherwise 2 Little Owl and the usual species.

   Some overnight rain and snow showers then a day of cloud with some heavy rain along with a chance of  sleet and snow on a moderate SW at 6 degrees.

BS

   

Its all happening now, Fly Flatts.

 

                                    Bright but damp start to the morning

                                        Drizzle throughout

                                    Here comes the fog

                                The Nab blanked out.

                                    2 Oystercatchers present

                                    15 Lapwing on the Flat Moor

                                        1 pair Tufted

                                Bang on schedule.  Ringed Plover.

                                2 Golden Plover, Nolstar.

A good morning at Fly Flatts with a clear start and good visibility at 6 degrees on a light NW>3 and light drizzle. By 0915 the drizzle turned heavy and a large fog bank rolled in partially cutting visibility down but this passed through within 15 minutes leaving it clear but wet.

     Bang on time I located my first, expected, Ringed Plover back on the south shore before heading over to the west bank. A pair of Oystercatchers were on the east bank along with 2 Curlew and 15 Lapwing holding territory on the Flat Moor.

    The water held a pair of Tufted duck along with several Canada and Greylag geese and a few Mallard. The compound area held 3 Stonechat, but very mobile, whilst a Robin and 2 Wrens were in the compound bushes.

   On the way home, a check of the Nolstar fields produced 2 very welcome Golden Plovers, a species well in decline in the Fly Flatts area over the last few years. Up until then, flocks of 300 + were a common sight on the Flat Moor.

   Looking about the same, weather wise, for tomorrow with plenty cloud and chance of light rain on a light NW but colder at 4 degrees.

BS

Just when you thought it was all over, Ogden Siskin and Redpoll.

 

                                    2m 1f Tufted duck

                                        7 LBB gulls on the water

                                    Alive with Redpoll

                                        Siskin

                                    Coal Tits

                                    and Treecreepers

A dark cloudy morning at Ogden with full cloud on a moderate SW>4 at 7 degrees and drizzle turning to rain by 0930 hrs.

    The water held an usual number of 7 Lesser Black Backed gulls along with 3 Herring and about  30 small gulls. Two drake and a female Tufted were present as well as the usual Mallards whilst a Song Thrush sang from a tree in the Lodge House garden.

     A walk on the west bank produced 3 Redpoll in the Alders but otherwise quiet as far as I walked to the NW corner. On the way back the west bank Alders were now buzzing with a flock of around 40 mixed Redpoll and Siskin as well as several Treecreepers and Coal Tits. I'd just given up on getting Siskin and Redpoll at this site this winter so they came as a bit of a surprise. Hopefully they'll hang around a while rather than just passing through.

    Another cloudy wet day for tomorrow on a light north westerly at 7 degrees.

BS

Below the fog, Ogden

 

                                    Ogden, below the cloud base

                                    Brightness to the south

                                    West bank

                                        Several Goldfinch in the car park trees

                                    1 pair of Tufted present

                                    Song Thrush up singing.

With Fly Flatts fog bound this morning it was down to Ogden where conditions were pleasant with near full cloud cover on a light SW>3 at 6 degrees.

    Tufted duck were back down to 1 pair, obviously alternating between here and another water, whilst a low count of small gulls along with 2 Herrings were on the water. The car park trees were the liveliest with around 30 Goldfinch and a singing Song Thrush plus a few Blackbirds whilst the west bank trees were quiet with just the usual common woodland species.

    A report early morn of Pink Footed geese moving >W over Oakworth. Thanks for the report go to Oakworth birder Andrew Kitts.

    A cloudy morning given for tomorrow on a moderate sou'wester at 7 degrees and rain from 1000 hrs on throughout the afternoon with probable hill fog.

BS.