Wibsey Park

 

                          Snow and fog at Queensbury, playing bowls at Wibsey.

                                        42 Tufted duck

                                        2 Mute Swan

                                    Around 50 Black Headed gulls

                                    A very wet Pied Wagtai

After a quick snow shovel in the fog at home it was down to Wibsey park where, to my surprise, they were playing bowls. No sign of fog or snow here with full cloud and light rain throughout on a light SE>2 at 3 degrees.

    Once again, a good count of Tufted with 42 on the water but no Scaup, and the first winter not to have Pochard and Shoveler at this site. The usual Canadas and Greylag geese as well as 2 Mute Swan plus Coot, Moorhen and Mallards.

    No big gulls here today with around 50 Black Headed on and around the water plus several moving overhead. A very wet looking Pied Wagtail feeding on the path whilst the trees held several Woodpigeons and Collared Doves but very little else.

    A cloudy wet morning on a moderate Sou'westerly at 3 degrees, improving slightly after midday, which is no good to me, but at least the easterlies are gone for now.

BS

     

    

Sticking it out at Ogden.

 

                                    Below the fog base.

                                    Frozen water

                                    Gulls on ice

                                    1 of 2 Herring gulls

                                    3m 2f Tufted present

With fog on the tops along with heavy freezing on an icy cold ESE>3 at minus 1 degree it was back to Ogden on a low expectancy visit.

      As yesterday, the only feature was the Tufted ducks with 1 drake gone leaving 3m and 2 female. Hopefully the missing drake has moved on rather than trapped under the ice, which is always a problem for diving birds.

    Several Black Headed gulls were on the ice along with 2 Common, 2 Herring and a Lesser Black Backed gull, the Lesser Black Backed being a very dark intermedius.

    A check of the west and south bank waterside trees turned up next to nothing with just the usual Tits, Blackbirds, Robins etc. Looking like the Alder trees are going to miss out on Redpoll and Siskin.

   A snow warning out for overnight tonight and possibly tomorrow with a cloudy day at 1 degree on a moderate ENE. Tomorrow is looking like the last of the easterly winds for the foreseeable future plus a rise in temperature so hopefully I'll be able to get up to Fly Flatts to check it out by the end of the week

BS

Ogden reservoir.

 

                                    A bright and sunny Ogden.

                                    NW inlet

                                    4m 2f Tufted present.

                                    Usual Black Headed gulls.

With heavy overnight freezing and still minus 1 this morning the track at Fly Flatts would be unpassable so settled for Ogden. A brilliant morning weather wise with full clear blue sky and sunshine on a cold NW>3 at minus 1 degree.

    A bit of life on the water today with 4 male and 2 female Tufted duck as well as 2 Canada geese, 2 Herring gull, 2 Common gull and around 20 Black Headed, along with the usual Mallards.

   A Gt Spotted Woodpecker flew high over the water as well as a Raven and several Woodpigeons but the waterside trees remained very quiet the full circuit with just the usual common woodland species.

  Back to a moderate easterly tomorrow with a cloudy day starting at minus 1 and a good chance of  fog.

BS

I've had better mornings. Fly Flatts.

 

                                    An icy drive down to the water

                                    A short lived bright start

                                        Rough water.

With no sign of fog I headed for Fly Flatts where there was a strong WSW>5 and light rain at 2 degrees but good visibility. By 0900 hrs the sky turned black and the mist started rolling in from the west. Suddenly the rain turned to snow with a heavy blizzard cutting out visibility. A quick tackle up and headed out of there whilst I still could. Getting back up the track was a bit of a struggle but luckily I ploughed through without having to use the bag of salt I have in the car.

    As far as I got, before the deluge started, was a dog walk around the compound where 5 Oystercatchers were at the far end of the west bank, probably the same 2 adults and 3 juv that bred here last year and were the last to leave, but no sign of Curlew as yet and didn't get chance to check the Ringed Plover area.

    A good look at the Nolstar fields on the way back just produced a few Common and Black Headed gulls.

   A snow/ice warning out for tonight until early morn and then a bright sunny day but very cold on a light NW at minus 1 degree.

BS

Harold Park

 

                                    No snow at Harold Park

                                Crocus a month earlier than Queensbury.

                                    27 Tufted Duck

                                        23 Herring gull

                                    2 LBB gull

                                    2 ad 2 juv Mute Swan

                                    1 Cormorant

                                    Single Little Grebe

Another covering of snow this morning and fog on the tops so it was down to civilization at Harold Park. The weather here was at a mild 4 degrees with full cloud on a light SW>2 making it very pleasant and not a flake of snow in sight.

    As always, a good show of birds at this site on the water though nothing special apart from a single Little Grebe. A good show of 23 Herring gulls as well as around 50 Black Headed and 2 Lesser Black Backed. Tufted duck numbers were up with 27, along with 2 adult and 2 juvenile Mute Swans, 48 Canada geese and a single Cormorant, plus Mallard, Coot and Moorhen.

    Nothing on the top pond other than a few Black Headed gulls whilst the trees held Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Long Tailed Tits as well as the usual species.

     The snow is thawing well at the moment but plenty packed ice where the snow is being washed off the surface.

     A forecast for tomorrow of mixed cloudy sunshine with some sleet and rain on a moderate westerly at 3 degrees.

BS