Queensbury Today. Meadow Pipits on the move.

             1st year Mipit with an outstanding orbital ring.

                                          Foxhill Common gulls.

A misty damp start but plenty Meadow Pipit movement >S with several waves of groups of up to 15 birds at a time coming over even continuing into lunch time when some of the birds dropped down into the trees briefly before moving off again.
Otherwise all quiet apart from 18 Common gulls in Foxhill park mid day.
Nice to talk to Phil Cunningham today, ex BOG member now living at Flamborough Head, no, Im not jealous!!!!!. I rang him about his car in the garage for repair and he made me feel worse when he told me that as he was talking on his mobile to me he was stood on the Faeroe Islands watching a Dotterel !!!!
BS

Little Grebe Bonanza. Ogden

                                                  1 of 7 Little Grebe

                                                              Going down

                                          3 together out on deep water

                                                       3 surrounding a BHG

                                               Male Tufted still present

  Stonking shot of a male Kestrel taken by Tracy Collier .

Back home late afternoon after a strenuous afternoon taking the grand daughters out so being sunny and bright it was back to Ogden to check passerine alley to see if there was any eastern promise.
The Willows and nearby Rowans were alive tonight with Tits , Chaffinches, Robins and Wrens but no crests and certainly no Y.B. Warb.
The water was also busy with a mounting number of Mallard along with c150 BHgulls and 1 drake Tufted.
I soon picked out a Little Grebe quickly followed by another, then 3 together out in the middle and after a good scan round I had a count of 7.
The photos were the hard bit but fortunately most of them were nearer to the west bank so at least I could have the sun behind me although the whole of that side is so overgrown now it was hard to find places where I could see the water.
I got some wierd looks from passers by when I had my head stuck through the hedges but with a lot of patience and swearing I managed a few pics.
Better keep an eye on Ogden for a Pied Billed Grebe !
Another weekend over and into October with still no real signs of visible migration.
Thanks for the Kessie pic Tracy, great stuff.
BS

Leeshaw Reservoir, slight vis mig

                                                     Big Bill

                                     Crow mobbing Cormorants

                                                  Golden Plovers moving, in the distance

 

                                                 Late Curlew

A foggy start not clearing until 0730 then cloudy damp skies with a strong E>5.
The reservoir area was quiet other than Cormorants, 1 Merlin and a late Curlew with no sign of the Canada geese flock.
Vis Mig was slow with very little movement yet again.

Vis Mig
8 Greenfinch.............................>W
31 Chaffinch............................>W
22 Golden Plover....................>SW
2 Swallows..............................>S
4 Mistle Thrush........................>W
72 Meadow Pipit......................>S

Other
1 Curlew
3 Cormorant
1 Merlin
8 Mallard
9 Grey Partridge
BS

In search of a Yellow Browed Warbler, Ogden, p.m.

        Little Grebe, all taken into the low evening sun

                                                  Going under

              Unusual visitor, drake Tufted

                                           Fall of Coal Tits

With blue clear sunny skies and nothing moving it was off to Ogden late afternoon to pick up a Yellow Browed Warbler brought in on the easterly breeze, ha ha.
Passerine alley was quiet even with the bright sun bringing out the insects with just a few Blue and Great Tits.
A recent fall of Coal Tits was apparent around the feeders with about 15 counted.
A single Tree Pipit was at the bottom of the golf course.
On the water were around 100 Black Headed gulls along with 3 LBBs and 2 of the mid weeks 3 Little Grebes found but being very awkward about having their photos taken either keeping behind the Willows or directly in front of the low evening sun.
A drake Tufted was a rare visitor nearly going undetected in with the Mallards.
BS

A Queensbury sunset.

                      Stoodley Pike from Roper Lane , Qby.   1200mm

                                        Withins Gap

                                  The only time I enjoy the sun.

  A sunset from Roper Lane will take some beating.

An after tea dog walk through Old Guy Rd to Roper Lane provided some cracking sunset views although it never showed red.
Was hoping for some Pinkies to fly across in the foreground but that was too much to ask.
Nothing on the move but plenty birds going to roost with the usual Corvids, 8 distant Mallard, 2 Kestrel and 3 Goosander.
A Wheatear was down Old Guy Rd on a far wall near the cricket pitch.
More Ruffs on the move today with 3 turning up at Doe Park, Denholme,( BOG).
BS

Redwings and Yellow Browed Warblers, East Coast

The first of the autumn Redwings are now in at Spurn Point with other reports down the east coast along with good numbers of Yellow Browed Warblers also along the east Yorkshire coast. All we need now is some strong easterlies to fetch them our way.
Redwings will soon be appearing followed by Fieldfares with ample berries on the Rowans to invite them down.
If you really want upsetting  look on the Spurn Point bird sightings site to see the amazing birds they are getting there just 80 miles away.
Meanwhile, back to reality in Queensbury, empty skies throughout the day with no sign of movement in perfect conditions this morning.
We,re either due for a big push shortly or follow last years episode when it never really happened and the majority of movers by passed us by sticking to the coasts.
At the worst we,ve always the Pinkies and winter thrushes to look forward to.
Check out those Tit and Goldcrest flocks now for a stray Yellow Browed Warbler, Denise is already on stand by.
                                                                     Photo B.S.

                Just to refresh your memory, this Yellow Browed Warbler was found at Ogden 29/09/2012 by Denise Shields.
BS

Ogden, last light visit

     This is what happens when you try to take 400mm pics in the near dark

                                           3 Little Grebe present

What looks like one of the last after work birding trips with the darkness almost in by 1845hrs although made worse by a dull day.
Around 150 Black Headed gulls were on the water along with the usual mallard which I carefully scanned through for visitors but not to be.
Passerine alley held 4 Goldcrest several Blue and Gt Tits and 1 Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler which would,nt come out to be identified. Two Goosander flew high and >N in the low cloud probably heading for the Oxenhope roost.
A bit of scanning found 3 Little Grebe up at the northern end close in to the shore so in an attempt to get some half decent shots in the fast fading light I scurried around there  unbeknown to me that it was nation nugget day with 2 half wits throwing plastic rings in the water for their dogs and one throwing sticks into the shale Dipper area all seeing who could shout the loudest orders to their dogs, hence, no decent pics, and a sharp rise in blood pressure.
Several Pipistrelle bats were around the info centre but I didnt even attempt to photograph them, Im not up to Tracys brothers bat photo standard yet.
BS

Queensbury, fog stopped play.

With a shortage of news from today , a few pics of Ringby from last weekend.

                                 Queensbury end, entrance to Ringby

                   The Whinchat area, wild flower slope, now a muddy bank.

                               Gazing into the haze towards Wainhouse Tower.

                                     Low cloud base beyond Ovenden.

                                  SW from Ringby.

A foggy start clearing by late morning but too late for any signs of vis mig over the village.
The rest of the day was warm and still with mist back in by late afternoon.
Empty skies over Foxhill mid day, hence the photos taken last Saturday from Ringby Top.
Another Buzzard report from Queensbury east today but have,nt had chance to check the area out yet.
BS.

Queensbury Woodpigs and Swallows on the move.

                                   Foxhill skies yesterday evening.

A bright start with blue skies and sunshine till 0930hrs then the sky closed in with full cloud cover and damping throughout the day.
The first early signs of Woodpigeons moving >S this morning with around 150 counted on the way to and at work. Woodpigs are one of the few birds that move in clear cloudless skies making them seem to glitter as they fly over.
As soon as the sky clouded Swallows took over with large groups very high and >S but this move only lasted around 30 minutes and by 1015 hrs the skies were empty.
Several reports coming in of a Buzzard showing daily and dropping into trees Queensbury east.
BS.

Oxenhope Watch point. Raptor evening

   This big brown job low over the moor made me look twice.. juv LBB

       Avoid the raptors, fly with a big mate, Swallow and LBB

           Hundreds of Tortoiseshell moving through

                                           Resident Mistle Thrush.

A poor sky late afternoon with cloudless blue and that menacing big yellow blinding ball .
Despite this the 2 hour I had there was active, mainly with distant raptors out to the west and all moving >NE.
Swallows were still coming through all >S mainly low below the banking with a small number very high with Mipits in tow.
The area was alive with Tortoiseshell butterflies all slowly heading >S.

1 Merlin..........................>NE
3 Kestrel........................>NE
1 Peregrine.....................>NE
1 Sparrowhawk.............>NE
Swallows and Meadow Pipits.....>S

Present
2 f Goosander
c50 LBB gulls
28 BH gulls
5 Mistle Thrush
+ usual sp.
BS