Raggalds Flood

                                        Raggalds Flood through the gloom

                                  Commons and Black Headed

A day of heavy sleet and snow showers turning to rain p.m. with fog till early afternoon. Wind increasing after dark to S>5.
With my dinner hour being in the middle of a heavy rain and sleet shower with fog I was going to write the dinner time dash off but after a report of Shoveler on EGP, see Calderbirds, I thought Raggalds Flood was worth a coat of looking at to see if any interesting wildfowl had dropped in.
The fog was a little less dense in the dip so it was possible to scan the water which held 11 Common gulls and 2 Black Headed but nothing more.
As NK and me discussed on the phone, it will probably be March before the flood comes into its own.
BS

Littlemoor Park / Raggalds Flood

                     Dense undergrowth, ideal habitat

                                       Down in the wood

A cold dull day with a light E>3 and temperatures down to 3 deg.
Some light snow flurries but very fine and wet. This has got to be a record for Queensbury to get to the end of January with only one snow covering which only lasted overnight.
Raggalds Flood held 2pr Mallard at lunch time whilst Littlemoor park was alive at the Scarlet Heights end with a large tit flock moving around ,this being mainly Great and Blue Tits but at least 12 Coal Tits were counted. The flock held around 40 birds.
Chaffinches were ripe with around 15 birds but no Brambling whilst Green and Goldfinches were flitting across the road to garden feeders.
2 Jays were present and several Blackbirds but no sign of the Treecreeper.
A Gt Spotted Woodpecker was chacking in the grounds of Park House but keeping out of sight.

Lynda was brighter tonight with her oxygen mask removed as well as all her stitches and staples from her leg, neck and stomach but is still in plenty pain. Hopefully the trac pipe will be removed over the weekend so she can try speaking and possibly have a drink.
BS

Park Lane

               Hungry Squirrel whilst a Chaffinch watches on

                                       Very shy Jay

                                         Top end of the wood

Another damp cold , grey day with an E>4 blowing.

Raggalds Flood was deserted as I passed this morning but in contrast to that Park Lane was heaving with feeding passerines.
Up to 15 Chaffinch with several Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Great, Blue and Coal Tits plus 2 Jays, 4 Collared Doves, Hedge Sparrows and at least 8 Blackbirds.
The Treecreeper gave a brief appearance and Woodpigeons were in the trees.
4 Squirrels kept spooking the birds and no sign of Brambling.
BS

Littlemoor Park/ Park Lane

                               Treecreeper through the fog

                                           Hows that for camouflage

With thick fog throughout the day until last light a dinner time dash to Raggalds Flood was out of the question
so it was down Park Lane to Littlemoor Park hoping for Brambling.
The area was alive with Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Tits as well as several Blackbirds but no sign of Brambling although peering through the fog made it difficult.
A Treecreeper was working trees allowing me to get a few snaps through the mist, a first for me this year.

Lynda out of bed tonight and managing a few step with the aid of a Zimmerframe which she wrote on her notebook its ruining her street cred but things are moving on slowly.
BS

West Queensbury

                                 Towards Ogden from Roper Lane

                                       Withens Gap and Ogden

                                        SW towards Halifax

                                               NW towards Soil Hill

Heavy overnight snow leaving a good covering this morning but gone by lunch time.
A quick buzz round at dinner time found it still quiet in the area
Raggalds Flood
1pr Mallard

Roper Lane
2pr Goosander >N
plenty small gulls in the fields

Old Guy Rd
Few small gulls
1 Heron over high and >W
2 Skylarks on the cricket pitch

Lynda out of intensive care and back on the ward with a free dose of MRSA as a leaving present but being treated for it.  Thats the trouble with us Queensbury folk, we,ll av owt for nowt.
BS

Northowram/ Coley

                                 Coley church from Northowram, zoomed in

                     Same shot unzoomed

                                          Northowram cricket pitch

                                  Emley Moor from Northowram

                                               Rook giving me some lip

                                         Coley church

                                      Down towards Norwood Green.

Managed 1 hour this pm between visiting with some sunshine but another soaking with a heavy shower.
A good covering of snow up here in the Gods tonight.

Where have all the birds gone ?
Northowram Cricket pitch area
Few corvids 4 BHGs in the horse field
5 Blackbirds and a Mistle Thrush in the hedge field.

Coley church area
Plenty corvids
8 Magpies
Few Woodpigeons
2 Jays
No sign of the Redwing flock
and that was it, what a grim day for birds.

Hope you had more luck Tracy, could see your car by the church from Northowram but you,d moved on when I got there.

Lynda should be out of ICU tomorrow
BS

A dippy morning

Atrocious conditions with a S>4 and torrential rain and sleet turning to snow but so far not settling.
Leeshaw Reservoir
4 Canadas
200+ small gulls
8 Lapwing
+ usual sp

Fly Flatts
Fogged off

Ogden
1m Goldeneye
Plenty activity around the new feeding station but nothing exotic
Usual small gulls and Mallards

Raggalds Flood
1pr Mallard

Really got to attack some housework now before dinner time visiting.
BS

Littlemoor Park / Raggalds Flood

                                  Littlemoor Park

                                        A real boggy mess

                                     Brief glimpse of the sun

A bright start rapidly deteriorating by lunchtime to a strong SW>5 and heavy rain.
With 1 hour to spare between afternoon and evening visiting I had the decision between house work or birding so heres my bird report!
A walk around Littlemoor park with the dogs found it very quiet and extremely boggy providing just the usual Tits, Blackbirds, 2 Jays etc but after a walk up the road I found out why it was quiet, all the birds were in Denises garden. The garden was alive but failed to pick out any Brambling, hope Denise didnt wonder who the wierdo with the bins was peering over the gate.
Corporal Hill and Green Lane were poor and still no Little Owl whilst Raggalds flood held 2 pair of Mallard.

Lynda much improved tonight after they found that half the lack of Oxygen problem was a partial blockage in their tracheotomy pipe and a new pipe worked wonders - derrr !
BS

Queensbury today

   A watery sunrise over the chimneys

                   Note the chimney garden, a Queensbury speciality

                                         Nearly washed out

                                                Just touching the Black Dyke chimney

A red sunrise quickly washed out and replaced with rain getting heavier as the day went on.

Several Woodpigeons heading >S this morning, probably a roost breaking up, whilst a dinner time dash found gull numbers well down on yesterday with just 11 Commons around the rugby field and park.
Raggalds flood held 3 Lapwing and a Pied Wagtail whilst Old Guy Rd had a good number of corvids but little else.

Slight hitch with Lyndas recovery today seeing her back in Intensive Care with low Oxygen and possible pneumonia though the docs dont seem too concerned and her condition was improving on this evenings visit.
After a visit to ICU and seeing some of the people in there it certainly makes it look trivial when we moan about lack of bird sightings.
BS

Queensbury gulls

                                  Crows getting mobbed with gulls

                                    Many more gulls around than yesterday

                                          After the crows bread

A cold day with a strong W>5 and heavy sleet, hail and snow showers from midday with heavy freezing after dark.
Having to use the car for work just now so I can pop home to sort the dogs, poor things sit staring at the door waiting for Lynda, but this gives me chance to check some of the local gull hotspots on the way back at lunch time.

Foxhill was alive with mainly Commons along with a few Black Headeds which were moving between the park and the rugby field. The gulls in the park were going mad mobbing 2 Crows which came in with bread in their beaks.

Foxhill
89 Commons
23 BHGs

Raggalds Flood
3 Commons
2 Pied Wagtails

2 Snipe came down in the boggy field the other side of Travis house

Pit Lane football pitch
23 Common
11 BHGs

Old Guy Rd
38 Common  in a raging snow storm

Nice to meet birder, blog watcher Jean Sykes from Eldwick who called in the garage to kindly ask about Lyndas progress today.  Thanks for that Jean and re our conversation I,ll be glad to e mail you any info you require on local bird habitats if required.
BS

Foxhill and Raggalds Flood

                                        Foxhill Common gulls

                                           A deserted Raggalds Flood

A grey , mild day with some heavy showers, mainly lunch time whilst I was dog walking, nothing new there.
Foxhill park was a bit livelier on the gull scene with 11 Commons and 5 Black Headeds on the top pitch whilst a flock of c80 Starlings were flying around the Old Guy Rd mast.
A quick drive past Raggalds Flood found it deserted with all the surrounding fields void of gulls.
On the plus side 3 Canada geese flew over high and >W towards Soil Hill.
BS