Second attempt at Fly Flatts , pm visit

                                    Everyones mobbing everyone, Curlew

                                        Curlew and Oystercatcher

                                    Oystercatcher and Lapwing

                                    A cracking view of a Snipe

                                          Caught up with the Dunlin

A second attempt at Fly Flatts early evening still with Scoter in mind proved fruitful, not for Scoter but got a cracking view of a Snipe and went in a bit lighter footed than this morning and managed to get on the Dunlin although they were in a different place.
The wind was still howling and the water very choppy but a good scan found nothing other than Mallard, Canadas and Greylags although to be fair the wind surfers will have been on the water this afternoon.
List as this morning with 4 Dunlin and a Snipe.
BS

Fly Flatts

                                          Plenty Common Sandpipers

                                        Alive with Swifts

              Success story     newly fledged Common Sandpiper

                                  Curlews on the move

                                     Oystercatcher, always good to see

                                       Sound of the uplands, Curlew.

                                                Redshank

Fly Flatts  0700-1000hrs  Cold near gale force WNW turning W > 6 gusting 7 with drizzle throughout.
Dark cloudy skies.  Thanks to the BBC weather for predicting the warmest day of the year, well not at Fly Flatts.

Most of the Curlew have left the moor now with several over high and >SW with a few remaining with young.
The area was alive with Swifts feeding over the water whilst Redshank and Lapwings were busy keeping LBB gulls at bay.
The hope of Common Scoters on the water did,nt last long with just 300+ Canadas and about 30 Greylag, several being juvs.
Six Dunlin flew up from one of the ponds before I had time to snap them and settled in the marshy ground out of sight.

6 Dunlin
4 Redshank
3 Curlew  + 18 fly-overs
2 Oystercatchers
6 Common Sandpiper + 1 juv
2 Golden Plover
1 Kestrel
9 LBB gulls
c150 Swift + a few Swallows
Plenty Meadow Pipits,  no Twite.
300+ Canadas
c 30 Greylag
BS

Oxenhope watchpoint and a sign of early dispersion.

  Early dispersion, Coal Tit on the feeders, taken through glass.

                    Plenty Common Sandpipers at Oxenhope

                                    LBBs stopping off to bathe

                                 Several birds in moult.

A grey cloudy day with a strong W>5 decreasing and becoming brighter by mid afternoon.
A good sign of early dispersion starting with a single Coal tit on the feeders, a bird we rarely get and only passage birds July through autumn.
An hour at the Oxenhope watchpoint late afternoon to check out the gulls found c150 LBBs stopping off at the water briefly before moving on in various directions but no Yellow Legged as yet. No shoreline so the only waders present were Common Sandpipers, Redshank and a small number of Curlew.
A Cuckoo called from the wood but deep in the foliage whilst Swifts and Swallows were numerous.
 Raggalds Flood which is now bone dry held 1 ad male and 1 juv Pied Wagtail.
BS

Garden Birding

                              Ad Goldfinch heavily in the moult

                                  Full summer plumage

                                   Second batch of young House Sparrows out

All taken through glass.

A full day of drizzle and showers with the sun trying but failing to break through.
Had intended to check the flood this evening armed with scope to see if I could pick anything else out after last nights attendance but by early evening the wind had increased to NW>6 with heavy horizontal drizzle so it was back into the shelter of the front garden to get a bit more done.

For the first time in 25yrs the feeders are booming with up to 9 Goldfinch, 1pr Chaffinch , 1 Woodpigeon and a Collared Dove cleaning up on the floor, all birds that have been very rare before this summer.
Other than this the regular House Sparrow flock has increased to 30 + post breeding along with 3 Dunnocks and a Wren.
A long way to go yet to catch up to DJS s garden but hopefully this autumn could bring some newcomers.
Hope this wind drops for the weekend.
BS

Wagtails galore at Raggalds Flood

                                   Plenty soft mud holding on

                                  More water badly needed

A deteriorating day with a dry start then rain by midday though quite calm and warm. Heavy drizzle and mist patches by early evening.
A visit to the flood this evening after Morrisons found it alive with 11 Wagtails along with the usual Redshank and a good count of Lapwing.
Yellow Wagtail has got to re appear at this site shortly.
Peering through the drizzle and low cloud I made out

1 pr Grey Wagtail
2 juv Grey Wagtail
4 juv Pied Wagtail
2 pr Pied Wagtail
14 Lapwing
1 Redshank
3 Linnet
1 Reed Bunting, m.
BS

Baptist Birding

                                    Baptist graveyard , Chapel Lane

                                       Peony amongst the Buttercups

                                       Cornflowers attracting Bees

A cloudy day with a strong NW>4 and black storm clouds  over the village this evening.
Still on with a busy gardening schedule on an evening so have to grab the bit of birding that I can at lunch time.
Chapel Lane graveyard produced 2 Wrens, 3 Robins and several young House Sparrows whilst the top of the Dailie fields held around 100 Starlings, mostly juvs, 4 Linnet , 3 Collared Doves and several LBB gulls and Swifts all >N.
Daughter heading from New York to Las Vegas tomorrow on honeymoon where the temperature is 121 deg F. The hottest for 100 years, about the same as Foxhill Park then.
BS

Garden Goldfinch

   Adults at the feeders, note the anti Sparrowhawk bars

                                           Newly fledged young

                                   Getting a taste for sunflower seed

All taken through glass.

With Goldfinch being a new species to the garden feeders from this springtime with up to 4 birds it was a pleasure tonight to have 7 in the garden, 3 being newly fledged young.
The anti Sparrowhawk bars seem to be working with plenty visits but no kills seen as the bird is forced to lift high above the feeders usually landing in the top of the Hawthorn tree briefly before moving on.
Since a black cat started hiding in the garden stalking birds I,ve cleared all the undergrowth near the feeders and put some mesh under the trees which also seems to have done the trick.
Two more new garden birds for me is a Collared Dove and a Wood Pigeon which land below the feeders to clean up.

LBB gulls are now becoming a common sight over the village with moving and returning birds daily.
BS

Harp Lane to Henacre Wood

                  Henacre wood from Harp Lane

                                            Top of Harp Lane

                                                      Harp Lane

A cold day with the wind decreased to W>4 and cloudy till late afternoon then sunshine.
A walk down Harp Lane, Foxhill to Henacre wood this evening was pleasant though not producing anything special. The Grimston field is becoming well overgrown with good areas of bramble and Hawthorn bushes. Hopefully it will be a while before it finally sells having planning for several houses.

Just got a text from the daughter to say landed in New York at the start of the honeymoon with temperatures of 28 deg, just about 20 degrees more than here. Moving on then to Las Vegas then ending up in Montego Bay. Dont know whats wrong with Skegness where we used to take them?

Harp Lane
1 Whitethroat
4 Linnet
1 Willow Warbler
2 Dunnock
1 Wren

Henacre Wood
1 Calling Green Woodpecker, heard only
2 Robins
7 LBB gulls over >N heading up the Aire valley.
BS