Ogden/Back Lane

                                   Goldeneye on Ogden

                                              Waiting for tea.

                       Giants Tooth, showing signs of decay.

                  Forgot to take a flag up there with me.

1500-1700hrs, sunny with cold E>4.
Back Lane plantation watching....... nothing
Giants Tooth raptor watching.........nothing
Hoped for Crossbills at Back Lane but apart from a few Chaffinch the area was birdless.
Conditions seemed good for raptor movement at the giants tooth with hopes of an Osprey or too but empty skies. At the time I was watching an Osprey headed >N over Hebden Bridge over the ridge from me. Thanks for the grapevine message Dave, that really made me feel better !!
Down at the reservoir things were no better with silent woods and near empty water, the day only being saved with a pair of Goldeneye and 1 Heron.
No Warblers showing today, possibly due to the cold easterly.
Tomorrows target birds,  Osprey, Wheatear, Stonechat . Sand Martin and Swallow, or am I April fooling myself.
BS

A cooler Queensbury

                                             Blue Tits still busy nest building

Bright and sunny until late afternoon when it became very cloudy with an extremely cold W>5.
The usual thing up here in Queensbury for Easter is snow so lets see what happens.
Good to hear from Calderbirds that Swallows and Willow Warblers were returning to EGP today though the skies have been quiet on the top of this hill today.
The remains of a Feral pigeon were in Foxhill park at midday which looked like a Sparrowhawk kill whilst 2 Pied Wagtails were in the Pineberry car park.
Should be an interesting weekend with the new arrivals, who knows, I may even get my first annual Wheatear.
BS

Gulls on the move

                                        Sunset over Foxhill

Another sunny bright day but a little cooler and a cold W>4 blowing early evening.
Gulls were the order of the day with several Commons, Lessers and Herrings all heading >NW from midday on. Some of the Common gulls stopped off briefly at midday in Foxhill park before moving on again.
Birdguides reported another Osprey slipping through the net heading over Hebden Bridge on its journey north.
We can tell easter is getting near with possible snow forecast for the end of next week.

Common Gull.......................... 54 >NW
LBB Gull..................................11 >NW
Herring Gull..............................3>WNW
BS

Westerlies getting things moving.

                                            Some of our garden Sparrows,

                                                  All House unfortunately

                                         Starling in breeding plumage

Another hot sunny day but with a fresh W>3 which seemed to get things moving a bit.
First off were 11 Fieldfare >N at 0715hrs along with a small number of Meadow Pipits.
At 0930 whilst out in the car park with a customer 6 Pink Footed Geese came straight overhead >E very low and nearly skimming the rooftops, they were here and gone within about 30 seconds. It looked as if they had been down somewhere because of the low altitude.
Nice to know that an Osprey had been over within the sight of Queensbury, see Calderbirds, even though it came over Huddersfield it would have been in scoping distance of Soil Hill, maybe next time.
BS

Blue Tits move in.

                                                   Designer House

                                             This place looks like a possibility

                                            Just needs re furbishing

                                                   Better get the beds made

                                My mate should be back with the tea soon

                                       This will do us nicely

The nest box was made and erected by the local joiner/undertaker next door to the garage and has been used for a few years running. When I got to work yesterday he,d moved the box to the back of his bungalow luckily facing the garage but I thought that it would,nt be used this year because of the disturbance but the birds were straight in nest building and this year I will be able to see the outcome.
Another calm, hot sunny day with clear blue but empty skies apart from an early morning movement of Alba Wagtails >NE with 7 counted in ones and twos.
BS

Odds and Sods

 Is mud starting to show at Fly Flatts or is it as DJS says floating peat.

                                      Canada coming in to land

                                 Oystercatcher probing the moor

                                 Curlew flypast.

A few pics from yesterdays outing to Fly Flatts as today has been alright if you wanted to sit in the garden but hopeless for birding. Hot sunshine and clear blue skies is good for raptors but little else.
Mr Turner confirmed today that the pied Blackbird on the recent photo was not his bird that he sees daily, his having a Ring Ouzel type broad neckband. The bird can usually be found at Shelf Moor cricket ground behind the Shoulder of Mutton on the area of cut grass by the pavilion.
A couple of bad reports from today were :-
Ovenden Moor is on fire near the wind turbines but a local fireman says as yet it is not serious, lets hope it rains before the school easter holidays.
The other sad point being that 1 of the Mixenden reservoir Coots has been found dead on the shoreline, probably an air rifle victim.
BS

                           

Peregrine on the move

This brown Peregrine flew over Fly Flatts this a.m. and after a half  hearted attempt at a Mipit it continued on its way >N.
BS

Back Lane, Ogden

How to get down Back Lane, go behind and risk a kick or go in front
and get a bite. A good way to deter the crowds.

A poor watch at Back Lane with 1 hour in the scorching heat only to get a few Chaffinch. No Crossbills about at all and only the common stuff in the sky.
BS

Fly Flatts, above the clouds

                                            Plenty Red Grouse displaying

                                      Oystercatchers on the moor

                                             Curlews well established now

An unusually cracking morning weatherwise for Fly Flatts with wall to wall blue skies and sunshine and not a breath of wind.. Fog was hanging below in the valleys and was just starting to rise as I came away.
Meadow Pipits were moving through low over the moor and several Woodpigeons headed >N.
Target birds were Osprey, Whooper Swan and Wheatear of which I achieved a 3 out of 3 dip.

22 Curlew
2 Oystercatchers
2 Redshank
78 Canadas
12 Mallard
18 Red Grouse
138 Meadow Pipits.........................>N
29 Woodpigeons............................>N
Several blogging Mipits and Skylarks.
Got plenty Nyger down but too much disturbance for Twite with off lead dogs and nuggets on mountain bikes.
BS

Tea time excursion.

                                   Goosanders on Mixenden

                                  Mixenden Coots, rare for our area.

                                    Meadow Pipits now established

                                          One for the ladies  AAH !

A misty day throughout with hazy sunshine trying to break through but visibility remaining grim.

Mixenden Reservoir.
2m 1f Goosander
3 Coot
6 Mallard
4 Canadas
1 Herring gull >W
Whoopers long gone.

Fly Flatts.  Top road.
Walked the full length of the road above the reservoir scanning ever wall and building with not a sign of Wheatear.
28 Canadas
5 Curlew
2 Oystercatchers
2 Redshank
Several Meadow Pipits
12 Red Grouse, some displaying

Cold Edge Dams last light
34 Canadas
4 Greylag
No sign of Pink Footed
2 Redshank
1 Oystercatcher
sev Meadow Pipit
2 Curlew
BS

Shelf Moor Pied Blackbird

Just put this photo, taken a while back, for the benefit of Mr Turner who told me today that he see,s the bird daily but it seemed like a different bird that he was describing so heres mine for comparison. The bird shows by the cricket field off Burned Rd, Shelf Moor. He also reported a Buzzard this last week over the Coley church area. Thanks for that and if you still have a problem getting a comment on I,ll see you with your car next week.
A grey misty day in Queensbury today with poor visibility and a hazy sun which never actually broke through the murk.
Around 20 Meadow Pipits went overhead early morning all flying > E into the wind whilst 4 Common gulls flew over Foxhill midday >N. The forecast so far looks good for the weekend and by Sunday we,ll have lighter nights.
BS

Greenfinch. Mipits and Jackdaws.

                                            Starlings changing into breeding plumage

A bright mild spring like day with a slight SE>3 with hazy sunshine making visibility poor, especially to the east.
Meadow Pipits were moving over >NE from first light to late morning whilst a good number of Greenfinch moved over between 0745 and 0830hrs also >NE.
Early afternoon saw an exodus of Jackdaws noisily heading >E all very high.
Several Blackbirds were up singing around Foxhill this evening after dark.

Meadow Pipit.........................32 >NE
Greenfinch..............................16 >NE
Jackdaws...............................c120 >E
BS