Beating the weather. Ogden.

 

                                    A bright vis mig sunrise.

                                    Ogden early doors

                                    Mist hanging in the trees.

                                    around 30 Chaffinch.

                                    Herring gull

                                    Pink Footed geese over >W

                                    Taken through gaps in the trees.

                                        100 +

                                        Pair of Wigeon, east bank.

                                    Different drake to previous days bird.

                                        4 Teal present.

A bright clear morning with some mist patches down in the plantation trees with 60% cloud and sunshine on a very light SE>2 at 8 degrees with cloud building from the west by mid watch.

   Some sky movement before the clouds moved in with a steady flow of Woodpigs >SE as well as several Redwing and Blackbirds. A large skein of Pink Footed geese came over, contact calling, heading west, whilst I was in the west bank trees so I could only get a few shots through the gaps in the canopy. A guesstimate of 100+ with a large V formation and a long trailing tail. A group of 4 Heron followed shortly afterwards >W but, once again, soon hidden by the trees.

    The Chaffinch flock still stands at around 30 birds but no Brambling arrival as yet. 

The water held 4 Teal along with a pair of Wigeon, the drake being a different bird to that of previous days but unsure about the female. Otherwise, around 100 gulls, mainly small, and 3 Cormorants on the west bank.

    Cloudy sunshine tomorrow with a chance of rain in the morning on a light SW at 5 degrees, showing a dry afternoon. The calm before the storm when storm Austen is threatening force 9 westerlies, strong gale at 50 M.P.H. over the weekend. Also clocks back one hour this weekend.

BS

    

Dark and wet Ogden.

 

                                3 Teal, 1 Wigeon, out in the darkness.

                                    Drake Wigeon

                                    3 of 4 Teal

                                    Wigeon and Teal

                                    Wigeon harassed by gulls

                                        Teal

                                    Female Bullfinch

Another wet misty morn at Ogden with rain followed by drizzle and mist with fog on the tops. A light ESE >2 at 8 degrees.

   A very dark morning but what I find to be ideal weather for reservoir watching with the full cloud and light drizzle on a light wind of any direction though an easterly tends to bring in the fog. 

     A lively morning both on the water and in the trees with the water holding the drake Wigeon, though no sign of the female, with 4 Teal, 1 female Goosander, 4 Tufted and 2 Cormorant but gull numbers were down to about 50.

    Passerine Alley had several Goldfinch, a pair of Bullfinch and several Long Tailed Tits whilst the west bank plantation tree tops were alive with Blackbirds, Mistle Thrushes, and Redwings but no 

Scandinavian invasion of Fieldfare as yet, but imminent.

    A wet day tomorrow with fog in the morning and light rain on a light SE at 6 degrees. By midday the wind turns round to the NW and strengthens to a moderate to strong bringing heavy rain.

BS

    

    

Fog and rain, Ogden.

 

                                A dark and wet Ogden

                                    

                                   A pair of Wigeon present

                                        Female.

                                    1 of 5 Tufted duck

                                    1 of 4 Teal

                                    2 Cormorant present

A rear horror morning at Ogden with thick fog and heavy drizzle for kick off but luckily the drizzle turned to rain which cleared the fog for around 1 hour before the drizzle and fog reappeared. A light NE>2 at a mild 7 degrees.

   Yesterdays male Wigeon was still present and joined by a female but difficult to get onto in the conditions, the male sticking to the west bank. A single Heron was on the east bank as well as 2 Cormorant whilst 4 Teal and 5 Tufted were moving around the water.

    Very few gulls present and needless to say, nothing in the murky skies overhead.

A grim forecast for tomorrow showing heavy rain from start to finish on a light easterly at 6 degrees and probable fog and mist.

BS

A lively Ogden.

 

                                    5 of 7 Teal

                                    Single drake Wigeon

                                    Sticking to the west bank

                                    Hidden under the banking.

                                    Poor selection of gulls

A bright sunny morning with clear blue skies on an icy cold light NNW>2 at 4 degrees. Clouding by 0930 hrs.

    Better on the wildfowl scene this morning with 7 Teal present along with 6 Tufted and a single drake Wigeon. The Wigeon was very difficult to get to tabs with as it stuck to the west bank out of sight and could only be viewed from the east bank at distant across the water. Failed to get any decent shots even at 640mm.

    Otherwise, just short of 100 gulls present as well as 3 Cormorant with just a few Woodpigs >SW, just about marking the end of another very poor visible migration season with the main feature to come being the arrival of the Fieldfares.

   Not a good forecast for tomorrow with a rainy morning on a moderate south easterly at 7 degrees  turning drier after midday but a chance of fog and mist.

BS